I’ve been to some great lectures recently. My pocket diary is black with titles and times, and luckily most of them are in the evening so I can get to just about every one I want to see. On Monday night I went to the Oxford Union to hear John Kay (FT journalist) talk about the financial crisis. I heard shouting down St Michael’s but walked past it ( Read more... )

Starting this entry, I sort of despair as to how I can convey half of the coolness of the last two days to anyone isn’t a raving C.S. Lewis nut. (Dad, I suppose this entry is for you!) So I’ll just plunge in.

For the last two days I’ve been at a colloquium on C. S. Lewis’s Perelandra, the second book in his Space Trilogy. It’s a small book, but ( Read more... )

I have some Easter thoughts which I'll post later, but for now... I have just made the awesomest geekiest CHEAPEST purchase on Trademe - get this - two and a half years’-worth of back issues of Vanity Fair for only $30! The best thing is that my subscription started June 07, and the mags end at June 07! It is just the best best thing - I’ve been so ( Read more... )

Well, we are the proud conditional owners of a new (very brown) house that, all going well, we won’t be driven out of at 5am one day by homicidal neighbours! (Raising success by lowering expectation.) We’re very pleased and VERY RELIEVED that we got an independent valuation, as it came in much much lower than the asking price. Like, $40k lower. So ( Read more... )

Steve and I have been staying at my parents' place this weekend. It's just so warm there, what with the gas fires and heat-holding concrete foundations and un-tin-can-like construction. I woke up early this morning and couldn't get back to sleep, so got up and sat curled in front of the heater in mum and dad's front room. I watched dawn grey the ( Read more... )

I can't believe I didn't list this step yesterday. When you're an invalid, it's incredibly important to keep your spirits up. The Seventh Step (and I can't stress this strongly enough) is to buy things off the internet. I am now the proud owner of an early edition of The Magician's Nephew which puts me one step closer to my goal of assembling the ( Read more... )

It was the Auckland Writers & Readers Festival this weekend, and I was consequently as happy as a pig in slop. A broke pig, unfortunately, which meant I only made it to two events. But better than nothing. I’m entranced by the idea of living in London or New York , when you could go to this stuff all the time. Like, ALL. The Time. Maybe one day ( Read more... )

It’s been a fascinating week. First of all, I was turned down for the job of my dreams, the job I’ve been chasing and wanting since I was 22. They invited me to interview before I’d even applied, and I was told I was one of the two frontrunners. I found out on Wednesday that I didn’t get it, and while I was briefly completely gutted, now I’m quite ( Read more... )

I’m always amazed at my waking soundtrack. I don’t know if anyone else experiences this, but I always have a song in my head when I wake up. Usually it’s influenced by my dreams or whatever I read just before I turned out the light. It amazes me how thoughts percolate when I’m asleep, sometimes bubbling through my dreams and crystalising in a song ( Read more... )

Forgot to post what I bought at the ASB Book Sale. Had a couple of money-saving triumphs.

A whole lot of childrens’ books I’ve been looking for for ages - too many to list.
Wobegone Boy Garrison Keillor (New York Times writer, very cool)
The Children Edith Wharton (LOVE Edith Wharton and have never heard of this one)
The New Statesman: History of ( Read more... )