which, if I have, well, its just fine!

Things are well. I cannot wait to get out of bed in the morning, and come to the university and get to my computer and go to work. The writing is going along fine, the writing is fun again, that feeling of almost playing and being able to be creative, and challenge myself at the same time is back, I am happy, smiling, feeling peaceful inside. Today I took a slightly longer walk to the university, going past my favourite Norman era--Medieval era tiny little church, paused to check when services were because its practically the only way to get inside, and thought that it would be nice to attend the Evensong mass, just to sit inside the cold stone church and hear singing, and sit there and think of the ages...

What is it? Where has this come from? I don't know!!!

But its great.

======= Date Modified 18 Sep 2008 09:29:20 =======
======= Date Modified 18 Sep 2008 09:27:11 =======
Heh. Embrace the insanity! :p I fully accept that I am not exactly sane; why else would I spend three years thinking about animals in the eighteenth-century?! When I am in London, I always seek out the sites of the places (or buildings, if still extant) I have been researching. A pilgrimage of sorts! :$


I also like walking through the Baroque and Neoclassical buildings of London, especially the quiet and impressive residential squares of Westminster, and thinking about 'my' people and animals. We're all crazy!




Actually when I was in Oxford using the Bodleian I went to an old pub that I knew hosted an exotic animal in 1779 and sat in the yard having my pub lunch.







Wish my writing was going as well as you however!

Thanks, Chris for the post! I know just what you mean about wandering through a particular section of a city or town, and just sort of losing yourself in the imagining of what has gone before--whatever time frame you want to think about! Its amazingly easy to block out the modern if you want! 8-)8-)8-)

Now as I wrestling with how to write about some boringly difficult concepts, I am blissing out to Jimmy Buffet, and thinking of the Florida Keys, and warm sunny beaches, and margaritas, and salt breezes in the palms, and the most beautiful sunset I ever saw....:-)(up)

Try the song "One Particular Harbour" I mean "Harbor" if you need to get to that nice "manana" feeling.

Some years ago when I worked in a city with a horribly long and grey winter, to combat it, I turned my cubicle into a tropical island! I put a giant poster of a beach with a palm tree over my window, so you could no longer look out and see smog and dirty snow, a sunlamp, and got a recording of ocean sounds, which I would plug into, and just sit quite pleasantly all day! People used to ask if they could come into my cube at lunch when I was gone, and listen to the ocean and sit under the warm sun lamp!

Knowing you don't eat meat, ( and me fairly close to being veggie) Chris, please excuse the following post! :$:$:$
but having listened to the Jimmy Buffet song of Cheeseburger in Paradise, I am having the inevitably reaction, with stomach growling, mouth drooling for a nice big fat cheeseburger, American style, the likes of which I have yet to see in the UK!!!!!!!!!! =((( I am so hungry now..........and nothing is going to do but to find a cheeseburger in the next few hours.

Unless I managed to be taken by pirates, which can happen...and no offense meant to anyone's spelling with the following, its just the way that pirates spell. The following note is being left for my supervisor:

"Dyr Sypyrvysyr:

Olyvya hyz byn takyn byey pyrytz n takyn 2 theye South C Iylyndz. Plyz do NOYT synd ransum. Sined: X"

no wonder I wonder if I have gone (pleasantly) insane...now it seems I am going to the South Sea Islands!!!!!!!

and its working........the university email system has apparently gone into some sort of bizarre failure, with messages not being delivered for four or five days ( which begs the question of why not just walk to find someone, it would take less than 5 minutes.....but whatever!) bringing life as we know it to a thundering halt, and my supervisor is gone and ...its all GOOD!!!!!!!!!!!!

:-)

Thanks for sharing! As I look out the window and see sun and blue sky, I think I'm going to jump on my bike with a smile on my face today, too.

(up)

======= Date Modified 18 Sep 2008 11:34:44 =======
[quote]Quote From olivia:


Knowing you don't eat meat, ( and me fairly close to being veggie) Chris, please excuse the following post! :$:$:$



but having listened to the Jimmy Buffet song of Cheeseburger in Paradise, I am having the inevitably reaction, with stomach growling, mouth drooling for a nice big fat cheeseburger, American style, the likes of which I have yet to see in the UK!!!!!!!!!! =((( I am so hungry now..........and nothing is going to do but to find a cheeseburger in the next few hours. quote]




Olivia, step away from the burger. You know you can't get those on Pirate Islands!

(issues forth virtual discourse on the neccessity of animal emancipation and the recognition of animals as moral subjects/agents --- then returns to work)

Silly me! Of course there wouldn't be cheeseburgers on a Pirate Island! But there would be................trout............! But trout is not going to take care fo this craving...its a very particular sort.

Seriously the chance of finding a good cheeseburger on the present island I am on....not good. England is NOT Paradise Island when you are thinking about cheeseburgers. I might find the chest full of gold coins though. And there is that veggie place up the road that might have something to eat that will satisfy this craving.

I am going faint from hunger. I am drooling on my desk, which is dangerous to the keyboard. And with the email system down, no one would respond to my emails for IT help. I must go...out into the wilds of this nonCheeseburgerparadise Island and forage for sustenance.

Leaving another note for my supervisor

Dyr Sypyvysor:

Hyngyr hyz ovyrtakyn mye and Y myst nydeesys vynturye forth to fynd food. Unlyss a pyryt appyrs n takys meye 2 an iylynd wyth proper cheeseburgers ( or the closest vegetarian substitute around). Wynderyin yf Y hyf found thyeye ansyr 2 why ancynt pyples took 2 th C. Thye wanted a GOOD cheeseburger.

Sined: X

The impossible has happened. I have a CHEESEBURGER ( Chrisrolinski, close your eyes and insert the word....soya burger...) AND FRIES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! NOT CHIPS BUT FRIES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This is scary...my alternative reality is coming true.

Around the corner from me, a small greasy cafe had a sign " Lunch Special, £2.50, CHEESEBURGER AND FRIES".

I mean, the price! and CHEESEburgers and FRIES, good ole American French fries!!!!!!!!!! Not British chips, but FRENCH FRIES. This meant this place could do a real CHEESEBurger. I went in and ordered, drooling as I went, and they confirmed, " You want cheese?"

Oh, music to my ears. A miracle.

Only improved by having the meal itself........ohhhhh........

Another note to my supervisor

Dyr Sypyvysyr

Plyz do nyot dystyrb or eyn expcyt any myre wyrk frym meye todaye. Y ym yn burger paradise.

Sined: X

I don't bother closing my eyes anymore. I just sit and observe the systemic suffering and wanton abuse of animals in our society - and wonder at how trivial matters of taste like a cheese burger (even where other options exist) overide the rights of another animal to live. I know I sound snarky I'm just in a bad mood today.

No you dont sound snarky Chris, and I agree with you, and this is generally why I shun meat as much as I can manage. I am not entirely consistent in action following belief, but I try.

Dyr Sypyvysr

Happye International Talk Like a Pirates Daye!!!!!!!!!!!! Seems I started a day early!!!!!!!!!! Arggghhhhhhhhhh dont bye expyctyn anye PhD worke todayye...avast!!!!!!!!! ahoy!!!!!!!!!! arggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

While a bit recovered from the pirate madness, surprisingly I remain in sort of zen state of mind, getting things done, feeling over all positive, and motivated, and making progress, albeit seems too slow. Still a word at a time...!