Roots Will Wander

Everyone's right

Thu, 03 Dec 2009 14:58:02 GMT

Thank you to aminorjourney, loopback0 and yueni for the reminders about taking care of myself. Of course, you're all right on that. I've been home all week and have spent almost all the time lying on the couch. It's annoying, because I feel not too horrible if I'm lying down or sitting quietly, but as soon as I try to get up and do anything movement related, I start to feel icky and bone-tired again.

Anyway, I'm waiting for that feeling to go away before I go back and I'm *trying* not to feel guilty about it. ( :

Ill Again

Tue, 01 Dec 2009 12:58:28 GMT

The last day and a half have been a loop of "should I be at work?", "no, I feel crap", "other people go to work when they're a little ill", I'm not that bad", "should I be at work", and so on.

I feel I'm somewhat justified in that I spent the weekend mildly ill (though not resting as I should have). Now I'm still waiting for the cough, headache, general body tiredness/sensitivity/slight ache to subside. It goes up and down, so I keep coming back to wondering if I just should have downed some cold meds and gone. But I work with kids (don't want 'em sick too) and if I don't rest, I know it'll just drag out longer. See: loop.

Kate asked me yesterday whether I was sure I wasn't Catholic since I seem to have such a huge supply of guilt. It's a fair question, but no, I'm not Catholic.

I might try to use some of today to work on some Christmas presents. We'll see if my head feels better after lunch.

Stupid Fund

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 20:18:55 GMT

Clearly I need a Stupid Fund for those moments where my common sense abandons me.

I was going to meet someone tonight and left the house with the conviction that the key was in my pocket. Once the door had closed and our slam locked had engaged, I found that I was sorely mistaken. Now, had this happened on any other day, it would have been annoying, but fine, as I could have driven to Kate's work and gotten her key. Problem was, Kate left her key today for a guest.

As it was, my neighbors were lovely about letting me use their phone to call a locksmith and the person I had planned to meet. They even let me sit in their living room with a cup of tea while I waited for the locksmith. I've got nice neighbors.

So, yeah, good-bye £75 that I couldn't afford to lose on stupidity.

The decline of imagination?

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 19:59:51 GMT

We have this thing called the Zone at the school where I work. It's reward play-time for kids who have made good choices. I supervise it for a half-hour per day.

Today I had a group of 10 year old girls in the Zone. Two settled to coloring and playing Who's Who. One discovered that among the many toys in the Zone are some bits of dress-up clothes and a bear puppet. She began to play out a show with the bear, telling jokes and commenting on them. She then donned a hula skirt before adding a police vest and roping her friend into pretending to be a bank robber so she could arrest her.

This should be a normal day in the Zone and on the playground. The sad thing is, it's not. It's a rarity and a joy to witness. I work among around 450 children and I rarely hear the words, "Let's pretend that...". I rarely see kids being dragons or superheros or pirates. Maybe they're just doing it when I'm not around, but from my experience of creative club the other day* and from the lack of this sort of play in the Zone, I think it's just not happening.

I think it's a tragedy. The child in the Zone even said that she was embarrassing herself in front of her friends (though she didn't seem particularly bothered about it). I said that there was nothing wrong with playing and that as late as 12 years old I had imagined myself on a pirate ship (never mind all the pretending I did as a teen in drama).

How do we fix this? Does it need to be fixed? I think it does, but I place enormous value in using your imagination.

There's an experimental program in the U.S. called Tools of the Mind and I'm intrigued by what they do there and how it relates to self-management and creativity. Something to keep exploring.

* We were making up a story and the children had to come up with some problems that the characters could run into before reaching their goal. They came up with 1. everyone getting locked in their house, 2. a wall with a key hanging out of reach, and 3. another wall that became covered in diamonds once I suggested that it might be special in some way. No monsters (though there were monster scratches on the second wall), no magic, no volcanoes, no pits of snakes. Nope. A locked door, a wall and another wall. I should note that despite my internal disappointment, I praised them for their ideas and was enthusiastic about helping the children incorporate them into the story.

Books!

Fri, 14 Aug 2009 14:44:13 GMT

The BBC believes most people will have read only 6 of the 100 books here. How do your reading habits stack up?

Instructions:
Copy this. Put an 'x' next to those you have read (watching a movie version doesn't count!) Tag other book nerds.

[ ] 1 Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen
[ ] 2 The Lord of the Rings - JRR Tolkien
[x] 3 Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte
[ ] 4 Harry Potter series - JK Rowling
[x] 5 To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee
[ ] 6 The Bible - God (the whole thing)
[ ] 7 Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte
[ ] 8 Nineteen Eighty Four - George Orwell
[x] 9 His Dark Materials - Philip Pullman
[x] 10 Great Expectations - Charles Dickens

Total: 4

[x] 11 Little Women - Louisa May Alcott
[ ] 12 Tess of the D’Urbervilles - Thomas Hardy
[ ] 13 Catch 22 - Joseph Heller
[ ] 14 Complete Works of Shakespeare
[ ] 15 Rebecca - Daphne Du Maurier
[ ] 16 The Hobbit - JRR Tolkien
[ ] 17 Birdsong - Sebastian Faulks
[ ] 18 Catcher in the Rye - JD Salinger
[x] 19 The Time Traveler’s Wife - Audrey Niffenegger
[ ] 20 Middlemarch - George Eliot

Total: 6 (Running total, yes?)

[ ] 21 Gone With The Wind - Margaret Mitchell
[x] 22 The Great Gatsby - F Scott Fitzgerald
[ ] 23 Bleak House - Charles Dickens
[ ] 24 War and Peace - Leo Tolstoy
[ ] 25 The Hitch Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams
[ ] 27 Crime and Punishment - Fyodor Dostoyevsky
[x] 28 Grapes of Wrath - John Steinbeck
[ ] 29 Alice in Wonderland - Lewis Carroll
[ ] 30 The Wind in the Willows - Kenneth Grahame

Total: 8

[ ] 31 Anna Karenina - Leo Tolstoy
[ ] 32 David Copperfield - Charles Dickens
[x] 33 Chronicles of Narnia - CS Lewis
[ ] 34 Emma - Jane Austen
[ ] 35 Persuasion - Jane Austen
[x] 36 The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe - CS Lewis
[x] 37 The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini
[ ] 38 Captain Corelli’s Mandolin - Louis De Bernieres
[x] 39 Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden
[ ] 40 Winnie the Pooh - AA Milne

Total: 12

[x] 41 Animal Farm - George Orwell
[x] 42 The Da Vinci Code - Dan Brown
[ ] 43 One Hundred Years of Solitude - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
[ ] 44 A Prayer for Owen Meany - John Irving
[ ] 45 The Woman in White - Wilkie Collins
[x] 46 Anne of Green Gables - LM Montgomery
[ ] 47 Far From The Madding Crowd - Thomas Hardy
[ ] 48 The Handmaid’s Tale - Margaret Atwood
[ ] 49 Lord of the Flies - William Golding
[ ] 50 Atonement - Ian McEwan

Total: 15

[x] 51 Life of Pi - Yann Martel
[ ] 52 Dune - Frank Herbert
[ ] 53 Cold Comfort Farm - Stella Gibbons
[ ] 54 Sense and Sensibility - Jane Austen
[ ] 55 A Suitable Boy - Vikram Seth
[ ] 56 The Shadow of the Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafon
[ ] 57 A Tale Of Two Cities - Charles Dickens
[x] 58 Brave New World - Aldous Huxley
[x] 59 The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night - Mark Haddon
[ ] 60 Love In The Time Of Cholera - Gabriel Garcia Marquez

Total: 18

[ ] 61 Of Mice and Men - John Steinbeck
[ ] 62 Lolita - Vladimir Nabokov
[ ] 63 The Secret History - Donna Tartt
[ ] 64 The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold
[ ] 65 Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas
[ ] 66 On The Road - Jack Kerouac - [I started this one but never finished it, it's around somewhere)
[ ] 67 Jude the Obscure - Thomas Hardy
[ ] 68 Bridget Jones’s Diary - Helen Fielding
[ ] 69 Midnight’s Children - Salman Rushdie
[ ] 70 Moby Dick - Herman Melville

Total: 18

[ ] 71 Oliver Twist - Charles Dickens
[ ] 72 Dracula - Bram Stoker
[x] 73 The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett
[x] 74 Notes From A Small Island - Bill Bryson
[ ] 75 Ulysses - James Joyce
[ ] 76 The Inferno - Dante
[ ] 77 Swallows and Amazons - Arthur Ransome
[ ] 78 Germinal - Emile Zola
[ ] 79 Vanity Fair - William Makepeace Thackeray
[ ] 80 Possession - AS Byatt

Total: 20

[ ] 81 A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens
[ ] 82 Cloud Atlas - David Mitchell
[ ] 83 The Color Purple - Alice Walker
[ ] 84 The Remains of the Day - Kazuo Ishiguro
[ ] 85 Madame Bovary - Gustave Flaubert
[ ] 86 A Fine Balance - Rohinton Mxistry
[ ] 87 Charlotte’s Web - EB White
[x] 88 The Five People You Meet In Heaven - Mitch Albom
[ ] 89 Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
[ ] 90 The Faraway Tree Collection - Enid Blyton

Total: 21

[ ] 91 Heart of Darkness - Joseph Conrad
[ ] 92 The Little Prince - Antoine De Saint-Exupery
[ ] 93 The Wasp Factory - Iain Banks
[ ] 94 Watership Down - Richard Adams
[ ] 95 A Confederacy of Dunces - John Kennedy Toole
[ ] 96 A Town Like Alice - Nevil Shute
[ ] 97 The Three Musketeers - Alexandre Dumas
[x] 98 Hamlet - William Shakespeare
[ ] 99 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - Roald Dahl
[ ] 100 Les Miserables - Victor Hugo

Total: 22.

Shorn

Fri, 24 Jul 2009 15:08:40 GMT

I'm going to break my LJ silence for a very self-centered reason: my new haircut.

I spent 8 years from when I was 14 to when I was 22 with short hair. Then in 2006, I grew it out. This summer, I couldn't stand the fuss and bother anymore, so today I got it cut and highlighted.

Before:

After:

I'm now off work for awhile, so I will try to post a real update soon. ( :

A bit late, but...

Thu, 07 May 2009 18:21:46 GMT

Yay! Carol Ann Duffy is the new poet laureate and the first woman to hold the post in England. How awesome is that? She's an amazing poet, an active artist and gay to boot.

Here's an example of her work for anyone who has never heard of her:

Valentine by Carol Ann Duffy

Not a red rose or a satin heart.

I give you an onion.
It is a moon wrapped in brown paper.
It promises light
like the careful undressing of love.

Here.
It will blind you with tears
like a lover.
It will make your reflection
a wobbling photo of grief.

I am trying to be truthful.

Not a cute card or a kissogram.

I give you an onion.
Its fierce kiss will stay on your lips,
possessive and faithful
as we are,
for as long as we are.

Take it.
Its platinum loops shrink to a wedding-ring,
if you like.

Lethal.
Its scent will cling to your fingers,
cling to your knife.

Happy Birthday to Me...

Mon, 06 Apr 2009 19:13:49 GMT

It's my 26th birthday and we're off to Ireland! Woot!

Posting for the sake of posting

Sat, 21 Mar 2009 18:36:02 GMT

So, I know I haven't posted in a long time. Uh... more than a month actually. I've frankly just not felt the need or desire to post. I'm not sure I feel any real inclination to now, but I'd rather not drop LJ entirely, so here you are.

It was a truly spring day today on the 2nd day of the season. I spent most of it either helping Kate with the Minor, sitting on the steps at front, or working in the wildflower-patch-to-be at the back. I've now got the soil raked decently well, have sowed the seeds, and covered the whole plot with green plastic netting. I feel rather iffy about using fine plastic netting that will eventually have to be thrown away as I know how easily wildlife can get caught in it. If I find a source of more biodegradable netting or netting you can easily dismantle, then I will use that in the future. For now, I'll just have to use this as long as possible and then cut it up really well when we're done with it.

The garden in general is looking quite fine. Kate pointed out all sorts of new shoots and buds to me yesterday and today we discovered that the onions had started coming up. Growing things are always rather miraculous in a completely un-religious way. We can see beans, peas, and either chives or carrots popping up. The daffodils are looking close to putting out flowers and nearly everything is getting tenuous green bits. That's the life part. The death part was me hacking the buddleia from about five or six feet back to about one. Apparently that's what it needs: tough love.

If you had caught me as a adolescent and told me I'd be doing this much gardening, I'm not sure I would have believed you. Back then, I wasn't keen on gardening, cooking... anything housewifey at all actually (other than maybe crafts). Strangely, as I've gotten older, I've started to enjoy these things more and more. Maybe because I'm feeling pride in helping to make a home for Kate and I.

Speaking of which, I truly despise the housing market crash. We are completely unsure if the house is going to sell at a price that will make good financial sense. It's really annoying waiting in limbo to know, but until the damn place is done and valued, there's not much information we can collect. Kate and I have talked and we basically see three possibilities in the future:

1. House isn't worth enough, so we stay and wait this recession out (I'm not fond of this option).
2. House isn't worth enough, so we sell and buy an equally cheap house somewhere else in the U.K. (preferably Bristol to be near friends) and wait the recession out. This option is okay except for the current uncertainty of jobs.
3. House is worth enough, so we move to Vancouver or surrounding environs as planned. Again with the jobs, but Vancouver is pretty huge and they NEED nurses. As for me, I can be flexible when it comes to work.

The house is so close to done, it's actually a little annoying. We have the following still to do:
- Strip and paint kitchen doors.
- Get a couple repairs done in the kitchen left from workers.
- Paint the window-surround in the kitchen.
- Take up and relay the lounge floor.
- Do any touch-ups needed on lounge paint.
- Strip and paint the lounge door.
- Tile the entrance-way.
- Carpet or paint the stairs and landing.
- Touch up the hall paint.
- Finish a tiny bit of grouting and polishing in the bathroom.
- Do the bathroom ceiling (which might mean tiles, ceiling paper, paint....)
- Paint the window-surround in the bathroom.
- Touch-up or paint the bathroom door.
- Paint the window-surround in the office.
- Paint the woodwork in the office and the bedroom.
- Either re-paint or carpet the bedroom.
- Paper the accent wall in the bedroom.
- Replace a section of picture-rail in the bedroom.
- Do the bedroom ceiling (which might mean tiles, ceiling paper, paint....).
- Get the wardrobe re-fitted.
- Spruce up the driveway and front garden (concrete and flowers).
- Paint any bit of the house outside that needs it.
- Finish the rockery.
- Do something to the patio outside the back door (decking, gravel, concrete?)
- Render the breeze-block walls outside.
- Replace the downstairs doorknobs.

Actually, I suppose it looks like we're nowhere near done. Living in the house, though, it feels nearly done. It's mildly irritating, like a loose tooth.

Anyway, perhaps more later on work or something if I feel like it. Oh, and for the record, I've given up on 52 weeks and the ABC world thing. Just can't seem to get motivated lately...

Pass!

Tue, 17 Feb 2009 10:11:28 GMT

I passed! I am now licensed to drive on this narrow-roaded island. Whew! I absolutely abhor taking driving tests, but I got lucky and ended up with a very calm and friendly examiner. Couple that with my calm, patient, and very capable driving instructor and my own driving history in the states and I guess I was well positioned to pass. Regardless, I'm relieved.

Now I have painting to get to. The kitchen is *so close*.

As a side note, I really, really don't like roundabouts.

Oh, I'm not sure if I've mentioned this, but it looks like we will have a third car joining our little vehicle family. Now, while this seems excessive on the surface, Kate intends to take Becca off the road for a while for repairs and drive Jeji. I will, in turn drive the new DAF, now blessed with the name Vixie. I hope that name doesn't fortell a tricky nature. It was Kate's inspiration. You know how some couple's have matching holiday sweaters. We, totally unintentionally, have matching cars. (;

I wonder if Kate has realised that yet...

Now I get to amuse my co-workers with the wonky old car I'll be driving.

More Snow!

Mon, 02 Feb 2009 21:45:40 GMT

Kate and I went for a walk today in the snow. Before we went, I built a tiny little snowman. We also had a short, but vicious snowball fight. ( ;

The snow was perfect for packing into snowballs. Quite honestly, I've not seen snow like that (other than on a mountain) since I was a kid. It was wonderful to watch it falling, making everything soft and white.

They're as bad here as along the I5 corridor with snow. Everything ground to a halt. At the beginning of the day not a single bus in all of London was running. London is pretty huge, so that's a considerable number of buses sitting idle. However, as annoying as it is that the government can't get themselves prepared enough (exceptional conditions my ass), it's great to see that everything slowing down has a wonderful effect on people. I saw lots of kids, teens, and adults out playing today. On the news, they had clip after clip of people laughing, sliding, smiling, and generally getting along while having a good time. One MP they caught even said that people she didn't know were saying good morning. It's amazing that it takes several inches of snow to get people to relax and interact in simple, fun ways, but it's wonderful (beyond words) to see. I wish I knew the magic formula to create that sense of community and pleasure everyday. ( :

Kate's on nights this week, so I'm a little concerned with what she'll have to deal with. She did make it safely to work (she called me), but I expect the A&E departments are going to be quite busy tonight. It's one of the downsides to the snow. However, maybe the good mood will stay with people and they'll be a bit more patient than usual. I guess I'll find out in the morning.

Snow Day!

Mon, 02 Feb 2009 08:01:50 GMT

I have an honest to goodness snow day. There's more snow around, they say, than the country has seen in 18 years and my school is closed. I'm now looking forward to staying curled up on the couch with old comforting shows and a good book. Might even get a little writing or crocheting done. I'm quite relieved because I was debating about whether I'd even be able to make it in. The London bus service is completely closed, so I would have had to have Kate, who should be asleep (she's on nights), drive me in. Now I don't have to make a decision. Yay for that. Mmm, I should make cookies and cocoa. ( :

I now know what a clutch looks like and does.

Sun, 18 Jan 2009 09:31:38 GMT

I have been to the inner sanctum of the DAF and can assure you that it is cold, rough, and filthy. However, I do have a better understanding (thanks to Kate) of how cars work. Despite this new information, I can't say I'm eager to repeat yesterday's activities. I'm sore and I spent some time crouching in the cold, windy dark feeling pretty moody. Suffice to say, old cars are f***ing stubborn! Poor Kate got some slightly crushed fingers out of the bargain, but we finally managed to put the engine we had forced out back in. Now there are lots of bits to be reconnected, but that's a job (probably for Kate) for another day as we're going walking today with Kate's co-workers.

Week 17

Sun, 04 Jan 2009 22:45:01 GMT

What the subject says -> here.

Happy New Year!

Thu, 01 Jan 2009 00:32:57 GMT

Just wanted to wish everyone a warm, happy new year. I hope I will see you all more in 2009. ( :

Christmas and later

Tue, 30 Dec 2008 23:10:21 GMT

I applied for the job and you were all, of course, quite right. So now I wait.

Christmas was lovely. Kate didn't end up having to work and we mish-mashed our traditions together. That meant making chocolate-chip American-style pancakes for breakfast (which we added pecans to). Actually Kate made the pancakes because I'm terrible at making them, but my dad always did for Christmas morning. We celebrated Kate's tradition by making a roast for dinner (chicken, yorkshire pudding, veg, and stuffing). We also opened presents from my parents and each other. My parents were terribly generous and Kate made me an absolutely beautiful pop-up travel book as well as giving me a copy of "Nurk" by Ursula Vernon. I gave Kate a Kate Monster I crocheted because I knew she wanted a Kate Monster, but that no one sold them. I also gave her a "biography" of the Morris Minor, her favourite car and the kind she owns. We spent the day cuddling, talking, watching Christmas film and TV fare (Dr Who and White Christmas), and generally burrowing into our own little world. If I had to spend Christmas away from the rest of my family, then that was the perfect way to do it. ( :

We went to Kate's mum's on Saturday and had a very pleasant family Christmas with Kate's mum, her husband, Kate's sister, her husband and their children. Again, presents, food and film all featured. We also tried out the game my dad sent me and found it to be a lot of fun even though Michelle beat the pants off Kate and I.

Now Kate is on nights and I'm feeling the usual lonliness and restlessness that comes on at that time. I've been extrordinarily lazy today and feel faintly guilty about that. Tomorrow I'm debating going into London for the New Year's fireworks over the Thames. Can't decide if it's worth it by myself. Aren't you supposed to enjoy that sort of thing with friends or family?

I feel really, incredibly lucky in so many ways, especially when I see all the horrible things going on in the world. However, I also feel lonely. I'm just very bad at reaching out and making the effort needed to find friends. Slough doesn't make it easier, but I know that in the end it's up to me to figure out how to connect with a network of people.

Anyway, I just felt like I ought to write something up as I haven't in a while. I also thought I'd better write about Christmas before I forgot to.

Sun, 14 Dec 2008 11:16:58 GMT

I have been supremely sucking at posting in any form lately. 52 Weeks is dusty, world_alphabet is neglected, and this journal... well, it's been a while. I blame this on a few things:

laziness
winter doldrums
work
Christmas present making

I do intend to pick up on all of my posting spots soon, but lately it's all just seemed too much effort. Pretty pitiful, huh?

Anyway, in the actually-getting-things-done world, I have managed to collaborate with Kate in making some very nice presents for my parents and their partners. I have also started working on an adorable set of felt figures for our nephews (I've done a dragon and a knight so far). Finally, I spent some five hours yesterday working on Kate's present. I'm the most excited about that one, but I can't say why yet because she reads these things.

My writing has fallen by the wayside, but I feel the itch to pick it up again, if only so 52 Weeks doesn't die.

In another part of life, I'm faced with a conundrum. I was sifting through my e-mail last night and opened one of the many job ads from Guardian. Normally, these are either of less than no interest to me or they're very interesting, but I'm woefully unqualified. However, last night I opened the e-mail and was faced with an ad for a post as a participation assistant with a huge arts centre. I read the ad and found that I could just possibly fulfill the job specifications. Damn.

So, here's my problem:

I really want to eventually work in arts (particularly drama) outreach and education. This job is more or less in that sector. It's a starting point. I want to apply. Except, well, I like my job and I would feel terrible about leaving in the middle of the year (particularly those kids I work closely with). But, the advertised job pays at least £200 more a month (which we could really use). On the other hand, I would have to stick with an hour-long commute, while getting my license would allow me to shorten my current commute (I can't drive to the advertised job as it's in central London). Also, the ad job says it requires some evenings and weekends, so I'd be at work more. But then they do really interesting projects at the centre and it would be a great way to further develop administrative skills. You can see my problem. I'm going to chat to Kate about it and sleep on it and we'll see. However, if I want to apply, it'll have to be soon.

Anyway, I'm going to go shower and have lunch soon. Hope everyone is having a good weekend.

Fun Meme

Wed, 03 Dec 2008 20:43:19 GMT

1. Leave me a comment saying, "Interview me."
2. I will respond by asking you 5 questions.
3. Update your LJ with the answers to the questions.
4. Include this offer to interview someone else in the post.
5. When others comment, asking to be interviewed, ask them 5 questions.

Questions from Sarah (skellington1).

1. How are you liking being an old married lady?

To be honest, it doesn't seem that different. I'm happy that we got to celebrate our commitment to each other, but we already lived together, so it didn't change everyday life very much. I love being with Kate, so that's probably the shortest and truest answer.

2. You've been very interested in socially-active theatre, and now in education -- if jobs were readily available and you had the training, what kind of job would you love?

What I ultimately want to do is somehow provide creative education for kids. I should clarify that I don't mean teaching normal curriculum in a creative way (which would be great, by the way), but actually supporting and developing creativity itself. More and more, I'm realizing that I want to do that using more than just theatre. I want to do it with visual art, writing, problem solving, dance, music,... everything. There's a fantastic-looking group in Vancouver, BC (Arts Umbrella) that's doing the sort of thing I'm thinking of. I would love to work for them or run my own center with outreach programs. I want to give kids the space and resources (human and material) to work out problems (social or personal) and to express their ideas. So, in short? I'd like a job where I teach/support creative methods for expression and problem-solving. That might mean free-lancing, running workshops, heading up an on-going group for at-risk youth, teaching in an arts centre, or doing outreach education for an arts organization. It could be one-off classes, courses, drop-in centres, or long-term projects. As long as I was helping people, involved in creative thinking/activites, and able to support myself, I'd be thrilled.

3. You mentioned global travel plans, and being gone for a good year or two. Is there a particular type of tour you want to make? Are you trying to see as many places as possible, or see only a few but be involved in them for a few weeks or months? Tourism, or work?

I would really like to travel around the world for a year. I'm not clear about what the itinerary would be, but I'd want to try for diversity of experience. I would like to see a good handful of places, but I want to be in each long enough to make some connections and learn something (so, probably a month or so for each place). I want to be volunteering or working so that I'm involved in the communities I visit. Certainly, I'll want to have time to sight-see, but I don't want to be the tourist in the air-conditioned bus. Some places that particularly call to me are the Tibet/Nepal/Bhutan region, Brazil (for it's part in political theatre), Mongolia, New Zealand/Australia, somewhere in Africa (need to do research as Africa is obviously terribly diverse), Peru... the list could get quite long. I'd like to try some out of the way places. This trip will have to be with Kate because I can't imagine being away from her for a year. As a result, I expect we'll be including formerly Socialist countries including Russia for sure. She has a fascination for these. I'd love to also visit Sri Lanka since her mum is from there. We'll have to do a lot of reaseach and sorting. One idea is to look at Doctors Without Borders since she'd like to do a nursing stint with them. I want to see if they have play specialists or any sort of connection with theatre and development. Another idea is that I could get a job teaching English whereever she lands with them. So, lots of ideas. ( :

4. Have you ever thought of making an alphabet book? You've got both the art and the writing side, and you're working in education (also, I see what you're doing over there in the travel blog).

Heh. No, I'd never thought of that. I've thought about children's books in general, but never specifically an alphabet book. Could be fun. I'd have to think of a theme...

5. Do you realise that your LJ bio still says living with your fantastically wonderful girlfriend? She's your fantasticly wonderful wife now, dear. :)

You're exactly right and I will run away and change that. ( :

Sunday

Sun, 23 Nov 2008 12:57:32 GMT

I feel just unwell enough not to want to do anything. I don't feel terribly ill, but my body seems pretty uninterested in moving much. This is unfortunate as the house could probably use a clean and Christmas presents are waiting to be made.

I've done my writing for 52 Weeks, so that's not hanging over my head, but I need to paint the piece I drew last week. I won't be posting it as it will be for a Christmas present and I don't want the person in question to see it. I may have to post lots of 52 Week visuals after Christmas is past.

Yesterday I had my third driving lesson here in the UK. It makes me feel like a huge ball of nerves, but I'm getting there. I probably won't be able to take my practical until sometime in January, though.

Um, what else. I'm reading fluff at the moment in order to enjoy some escapism. The Kylie Kendall series by Claire McNab is fun and requires almost no effort. I'm on #3 of the 5 book series.

I've also been reading "Out of Our Minds" by Ken Robinson which is very interesting, but requires me to actually think about what I'm reading. So that's been something I've been dipping into off and on as I feel I have the interest and energy.

Oh, I went to the London Aquarium for a class trip on Thursday. If you ever come to London, skip it. To be fair, they're currently refurbishing it, but even considering that, I was really disappointed in the quality. I'm a bit spoiled, coming from the NW United States. The aquariums in Seattle, Vancouver (BC), and the surrounding areas are wonderful. They offer lots of information and are designed really beautifully. The London aquarium is block-work, a confusing maze of limited exhibits, and has only sparse, dinky, dry little labels for its tanks. At the very least, they could have some lift the flap boards so kids could bring some information away with them. The cost for an adult (which I luckily didn't have to pay) is nearly £14. Take my advice, it's not worth it. On a good note, the kids really enjoyed the trip. They got to see sharks and go into a gift shop. For an eight-year-old, that rocks. I just wish they'd learned more while they were there. To be fair, Vancouver and Seattle are right on sea-water inlets, while London is on, as Kate put it, "what used to be an open sewer". I can understand a lack in available live sea-life displays, but the information could still be so much better and more accessible.

New Community

Sat, 22 Nov 2008 13:30:13 GMT

I've started another new community (hoping this one might actually maintain some interest) called Around the World in 26 Letters (world_alphabet ). It collects news, links, and conversation about a new country each day. I'm using Lonely Planet's "The Travel Book" to go through the countries of the world in (English) alphabetical order. Check it out. ( : (Please?)

Life

Mon, 17 Nov 2008 21:03:43 GMT

Week 15 is up (though I posted no image this week because it won't show up on my camera).

I've been feeling really down lately, but I got some vitamins recommended by my mom today, so hopefully that'll take care of that.

I think I may have to give up on NaNoWriMo. I just don't seem to have to energy or motivation to make it happen this year. Perhaps I'll try again in 2009. On the good side, I've got the beginnings of what I think could be an interesting narrative when I feel I can give it proper attention.

Kate has been wonderful (as usual) through all my moodiness and I love her so much for everything she does (comforts me, makes me smile, holds me, makes me feel special). I picked the right lady for my wife and I feel incredibly lucky. ( : In that vein, she's on nights this week and I miss her already.

Anyway, I just felt I should show that I'm still here since I post so rarely. Now I'm going to watch an episode of "Big Bang Theory" and then go to bed. Kids to wrangle tomorrow...

Stuck

Sun, 09 Nov 2008 18:58:53 GMT

Week 14 is up at 52 Weeks. I'm pretty sure I'm not cut out for NaNoWriMo. I only have around 3000 words and we're more than a quarter into November.

I'm feeling kind of depressed today. Part of it probably has to do with getting into a foul mood after trying to work out when and where to do my theory test for my license. I wasn't very nice to Kate in the process and ended up feeling like a shit for it. She was wonderful and patient and we talked it out in the end, but I hate when I get like that. I also hate that I have to go through getting my driver's license again when I loathed the process so much the first time. Yeah, not the best of moods today.

I think I might be feeling a little too much in limbo right now. It's a feeling I've always disliked. Me, who tends to maintain an up-to-date five year plan in my head. I want to know what's coming next and when. I thought Canada was coming next and I thought that July or August was the when, but now the housing market is making it difficult to be sure of that plan. I'm getting suggestions of ways to advance in my work place, but I don't know if I'll be here for one more year or two. On top of that, the end of owing people money* seems to recede further and further into the future. Should I get a job I hate so I can pay everyone back? Thing is, I feel committed to staying at the school until July now. I'm looking at finding tutoring gigs, but who knows.

I feel so far from where I planned to be. I'm not in any way connected to any theatre groups, my electrician skills are rusting away, and I haven't written anything script-like in something like two years. I know this is all my own fault and I could go out and find a group to volunteer with, but every time I think about starting that process my energy just seems to drain out of me.

Sorry, this is really turning into quite the whining post.

I have lots of things that I feel lucky and happy about, just today I'm in a mood and everything seems a little dark.

*Other than the student loan people. I expect to owe them money for another couple decades.

We did something right?

Wed, 05 Nov 2008 19:10:37 GMT

Honestly, I've become so cynical about my country that I still can't quite believe the news is true. Obama won. I was whispering "yes" in front of the computer this morning, but still... wow.

I think the thing that made me really stop and realize how much of an impact this decision has is something that a co-worker passed along to me today. She stopped me and mentioned a child in year 2 (about 6 or 7 years old). She pointed out that he is either from Africa or has African roots (I can't remember which). And then she told me that he said he was going to be a president someday. This is not a coincidence. A six-year-old noticed this huge thing happening and it made an impact on what he felt was possible. That little event is more amazing to me that all the parties and rallies and speeches you can offer.

Similarly, eight-year-olds in the class I taught this morning pointed out that Obama is the U.S.'s first black president and brought up the election themselves! I don't remember being this aware of politics when I was eight. But maybe I was just unusually unaware of that sort of thing. These are, I must point out, children (from a variety of countries) who live in Britian. It matters to them all the way over here.

Anyway, I feel terribly relieved. Saj pointed out the reality check post and I agree that people need to realize that this is NOT an instant or even four-year fix. It's a start and a chance.

We’re Civilized!

Sun, 02 Nov 2008 19:15:28 GMT

I’m soooo behind on updates, but I have one of the best excuses in the book: I just got married! ( :

Kate and I tied the knot one week ago yesterday. I thought marriage wasn’t for me for almost my entire life, but so far, being hitched is agreeing with me. Actually, I’m thrilled and so overjoyed to be officially linked with Kate.

The wedding was gorgeous, sumptuous, but small and fairly simple. It took place at Miller Howe Hotel in Windermere.

The staff were amazing; balancing effortlessly between being extremely helpful and accommodating and being friendly and relaxed. The suite we stayed in (not room, but suite) was amazing. I've never stayed somewhere so luxurious. We had heated tiles in the bathroom, a huge bed, handsome old furniture, a sitting room with huge picture windows. It was just stunning. For that and the wedding venue and everything, I'm so grateful to Kate's mum. However, I think I'm most grateful to her for bringing Kate into the world and for welcoming me so effortlessly into their family.

And, on top of everything else that was wonderful about the wedding Kate, of course, looked absolutely lovely. She wore a beautiful dress and just shone in it.

We were blessed with a small contingent of family and friends, including my Mom, Terry, and Sarah all the way over from the States. Sarah played her violin and Nikki played the oboe. They also improvised and created a beautiful duet. It was perfect. I was doubly grateful to have everyone there as the weather was absolutely horrific. It was streaming down rain and gusting gales. Flooding was popping up everywhere around us and many people had a hard time driving between places. Despite all that, Kate pointed out that the “gods are pleased” and I preferred dramatic weather to drizzles. I just wish it hadn’t been so traumatic for drivers and cars.

The wedding was a simple collection of words, music, a reading, and signings. It was gentle and lovely. Kate and I exchanged rings we had custom made in Olympia. I love them and am very much enjoying wearing mine. After the ceremony, we had photos, including one of all the guests and ourselves (thank you James!). Then, as people moved into the dining room, Kate, Mom, Terry, a hotel staff member, and myself struggled to tie our trains up into bustles. Clearly, the lady at the dress store made it look far easier than it actually is. Eventually, though, we managed something approximating a bustle on each of us and went in to dinner. The food was scrumptious and gorgeously arranged. All in all a most elegant affair… if you ignored the fact that the flowering plants we bought as centerpieces had pots wrapped in aluminum foil (last minute fix). Really, though, neither that nor the storming outside mattered. It was a wonderful celebration. ( :

We spent the evening in a pub function room grooving to a mix Kate put together and chatting with everyone. It was definitely a good idea to tack a casual get-together onto the end of the day.

Oh, if you want to see some professional grade pictures, go check out jordax .

I just realized that in going straight into talking about the wedding, I missed talking about Mom and Terry visiting. They were with us for a week before we went up to the Lake District for the merry-making. It was really good to see them both and spend some time with them. We went into London on the previous Saturday to see the British Museum and eat a yummy French dinner. Sunday, Mom, Terry, and I jumped down to Windsor and ticked off Mom’s required cream tea.

Mom came to my school Monday and Friday to do a fascinating talk about how neurons in the brain operate and how that helps us better understand learning and behavior. Finally, we all went and viewed the absolutely hilarious “Avenue Q” on the night of their 1000th performance. It was brilliantly done and the puppeteers were incredible. I really enjoyed it, though it was a bit difficult to sit through extended puppet sex while sat next to my mom. Go see it if you have a chance.</lj>

More updates to come.

Meanwhile, I’ve decided to try out NaNoWriMo. I have the beginnings of my effort on 52 Weeks.

Perhaps I should have stayed home.

Sat, 11 Oct 2008 08:28:47 GMT

I woke up this morning feeling like someone had been driving mountain bikes in my throat. Achy body? Check. Stuffed nose? Check. Huh, some combination of the various cold/virusy things I've had on and off for the past couple weeks seems to have returned. I should have stayed home another day (maybe two) from work.

So now it's the weekend. Let us see what sucks:

1. I'm ill.
2. Kate is ill.
3. I'm stressed about money (student loan, guests coming for visits to London, honeymoon, wedding costs, normal bills).
4. Kate is stressed about her course.
5. We are both stressed about the kitchen and our lazy-ass builders who are going to take six days to install the fucking thing. That means that it'll supposedly be in and everything else done (tiles sealed, lounge cleaned, rubbish hauled) THE DAY BEFORE my mom and her partner arrive from the U.S. to stay with us. Yeah.

Needless to say that the fact that I'm not keeping up very well with 52 Weeks is low on my list of worries at the moment.

On the plus side (hard as it is to feel positive right now):

1. Our rings are done and paid for.
2. I get to see my mom next week.
3. We will (eventually) have a new kitchen.
4. We're getting married. ( :

Life is just being a little temperamental at the moment.