Als adventures

Yep here again but only six weeks left. Going back full time to NHS with hon research fellowship. Two days per week clinical, bit of teaching and research and a lot of corporate crap defending why we need doctors, nurses, radiographers and what the board see as "expensive assests that dont sweat".
And talking of sweating....30c here and the tube is no joke! I got a great gig for the summer- VIP medical cover for the world cup. Did the first one on saturday-fab! Money is pretty good too....
Gonna enjoy the summer before the madness starts!

ah its Sunday and I'm at work just like old times! This is probably the last time I will have to do this tho which is a very nice feeling indeed! The real difference now is that the office space and the hospital on on two different sides of a thundering main road which means its very quiet and deserted over here. I have finally gotten around to playing the Sigur Ros album Takk which my my lovely pal from Denmark sent me for christmas. I havent seen her for ages and miss her a lot. Its a very good album, she thought I would like them and she is right-I am guessing they are not scandanavian tho, lots of unscandanavian letters on the listing. There is some Bjork like screeching in places.
Its been a busy week for me one way or another and next week is shaping up to be a make or break one job wise. Its nice to sit here for a bit and be quiet.
Ah well back to the audit!

It feels like it should be Friday...today has gone on forever it seems and I think soon I'll go home. Been writing papers to submit to various journals and proof reading and collating references, when you work in a massive open plan office is a real no no. I have retreated to the solitude of my cell at the uni which has been a very positive thing since the move.

Whats the weather like today?
Hmmmmm very cold and windy!!!!!!!!!
:)

Don't stand in the doorway
Don't block up the hall
For he that gets hurt
Will be he who has stalled
There's a battle outside
And it is ragin'
It'll soon shake your windows
And rattle your walls
For the times they are a-changin'


We live in interesting times. I am always surprised how people react to what goes on around them. Some face trouble head on, some hide and some just ignore it in the hope it will go away.
The last one at least hardly ever works.................

I love weekends, so peaceful. After the upheaval of moving I am now settled into the "call centre". On Saturday its almost deserted, just a few people about so getting lots done (have to wrtite a 10 min speech for Mr Blair's lugholes to hear and wash over-sounds easy but....well there goes my knighthood I guess) J is back from the states next week I am v.excited-I think living on my own has turned me a bit peculiar frankly. He is rounding off the worktrip with a trip to Vegas so I hope I get a little bling!

Things are still pretty bad but Ive decided:
I'm simply waiting for my real life to begin.

I've spent the last few sleepless nights just thinking about things, I sleep when I can now but its not easy. I dont know why I am so bothered about something I really cant control. Its also something I cant share with anyone for very good reasons but so want to. I am used to responsibility but for so much-its unbelievable really.
I saw Men in Black the other day, I think it was on UKGold or something-A person is intelligent but people are stupid-how I wish they weren't!
I'll get over it. Be here now and be grateful the great teacher says, so I will.
A

You ever had the feeling the sky is about to fall in?

I am so tired I am wired! I had a good weekend-massive family party-I have the largest family, 150 cousins, their kids, aunts, uncles the lot. It was great to see them. I dont see them much but its nice to have roots. I felt a little sad thinking about kids now, they wont get the chance to grow up in such a big family and the other sad fact is they wont get to ride a routemaster bus! i watched the design icons prog on the BBC and it featured these great old buses. As a kid I loved to sit in the open bit downstairs or at the front upstairs, as an older kid (and adult) I loved to hang off the open back (even fell off once) I even had my first proper snog in the seat upstairs at the back! I guess kids today will have their own memeories the same way we do!

I have had a nice couple of days. On weds it was our anniversary and we went out for a meal to the new branch Strada that has opened near us in the morelondon complex that Ken has built for himself. Food v.good and an excellent view over tower bridge! Was out last night so missed Boston Legal which I love-there is some good TV on at the mo. Just taking a break from the work of proofing an 80,000 word report, my eyes are going bananananananas! The boys in the north are planning a party weekend soon so hope to get up to that if I can. Fab!

How sad Andreas K has died-what a lovely man he was. I really got on with him, we talked about California and Harrison Ford a lot (probabaly too much! poor guy but what else is there to do in Blackpool?)It said on the news sites that he died of lung cancer, the very thing I have spent the last two weeks writing about as research is so woefully underfunded in that area.

Also did Ger's "which sci fi show should you live in" quiz DS9 for me so no surprises there! Not seen or read any skiffie for what seems like years unless you count the excellent Life on Mars.

Work is busy but manageable, I have lowered my expectations a lot of what I can expect in terms of reward due to one financial disaster after another so have decided its time to move on, only to be offered a pay hike.
So where am I now?
Answers on a postcard please.

Ah I love Mondays-always so much crap to catch up on! Thats the consequence of having weekends off tho I guess. It was a good weekend cos I didnt do very much. Been scribbling away trying to get my ideas out and even a little journalism.
Listening to an old Mercury Rev CD I keep at work all Is Dream and the track The Dark Is Rising is so mornful but beautiful. I have spent most of the day giving advice to people and am not sure why!
Thought for the day
"A wise man does once what a fool does finally" Baltasar Gracian.

I gave up commercial writing ten years ago, me and the beeb parted company on good terms and I closed that chapter to go off to uni-only to reopen it now! I dunno, one PhD on something and suddenly you're an "expert"! Ah well the money is useful I suppose and its good to write.
I was lucky enough to see Max Born's son give a talk on Wednesday, it was inspiring.

I have just had the most fab time at the weekend. In the olden days we used to go on something called a "Soul weekender" its basically four days of non stop partying.
Well I have just come back from something very similar with a dislocated thumb and a medal for archery.
I LOVE it-best thing for stress!

Today feels as if it has lasted forever, I got up at 5am and am still at work, its not been the best day-I seem to have work coming out of my ears and everyone wants (or needs) something.
Ah well off home in a mo and thats my weekend gone too by the looks of things!
A

I spent yesterday invigilating exams at the uni-I can't believe how nervous the students were. In contrast J's day was somewhat worse. A colleague and pal of his at work dropped dead of a brain bleed. Thats the thrird one in about two years and these guys are in their 30s/40s. I knew inhabiting this nice little academic cocoon would make me go a bit soft even for the short while I am here, but it has also made me push Rule Number One to the back of my mind-life really is about Carpe Diem!

After the mammoth phd writing effort I thought I would be spent, but no, I want to write more! I have also been inspired by some of the books I got for Christmas. I have just finnished the excellent Owl of Minerva, the auto biography of Mary Midgely and am currently on the Born-Einstien letters, fisrt published in the 1970's with the original Max Born notes. On the subject of the 70's I found aunties latest "Life on Mars" very entertaining-Sweeney on acid!

I've been doing academic things for the past couple of days. I went to the BL yesterday to see the "Beautiful Minds" exhibit-I am always amazed at the sacrifces people make for their craft and the way that many of the people I respect in the context of history didn't simply want to do something, they were driven, to the point of obsession. I spent weds in Cambridge and also managed to get to the Fitzwilliam, unfortunately the Maccalsfield Psalter and others have been returned to their sources.
Its been great just doing research for a little bit.

How I love the festive season and particularly when two festive seasons coincide!
My house has been full of people for two weeks now and I have come into work as the last of the party goers is going home today. Strange thing is they are all family members but have found so many distant rels (the one going home today is from Oz) the 7/7 marlarky certainly doesnt seem to have put people off coming to london.
Ahhhh London-I love it! Went up to Waterloo bridge to see the fireworks at New Years. The only downer was the good people at London Underground trying to keep Waterloo station open without any staff-this caused them to keep closing the station every 30 seconds causing mass panic in the inebriated crowd outside, most of whom were not from London and so not used to foibles of LUL and threrfore proceeded to surge upon the station with great force-my feet left the ground and I was carried along-how rock and roll is that?

Work is same old same old. Thats no bad thing at the moment. I dont fancy much excitment!
Stay well in 2006 and have a good one!
Al