Beltane Is Coming... and So Is Mayday!

Right -- this is what incredibly tired feels like. Now I remember.

With cheshcat in the States, I have been taking advantage of free evenings[*] to catch up with important people across the pond. On Sunday evening, after returning from Birmingham, I spoke to the Kiddo for a couple of hours... then followed that call up by giving the delightful JCM a ring. Similarly, on Monday evening, after ice skating lessons, I rang up the adorable squeektoy42 for a bit. And last night I was up way too late talking to the beguiling iamthesphinx.

One result of all this chatty goodness is that I feel re-connected to the lives of several people that I care about from far away. Another result is that I have not had a full night's sleep in nearly a week. On both sides of the Atlantic, legend has it that I do not actually need sleep. Like most legends, this is partially rooted in truth... but is not entirely correct. It finally caught up with me today, and I am quite knackered. Any incoherence in this entry can be justly attributed to that.

As such, the ever-nifty gyades has agreed to reschedule this evening's conversation for next week so that I can get to bed early. This is probably a very good idea, as tomorrow is May Day.

As usual, I will be taking May Day off from work. I have not worked on May 1^st in six years, out of respect for my Anarchist forebears, the Haymarker Martyrs. To me, it is the most important Anarchist holiday, and I usually celebrate with some sort of activism[**]. Last year, for a change of pace, cheshcat and I indulged in the traditional Oxford May Morning activities -- starting with the all-night bonfire at Port Meadow, continuing on to the Magdalen College choir at dawn, and the Morris dancers and street performers after. Twas a very good time, indeed! We finished with a yummy breakfast at Frevd's -- and I was way too tired to remember now what I ate -- then she went to work and I went to sleep.

This year, I have decided to mix and match a bit of everything. It is good that I am going to call it an early night and retire soon after bell ringing this evening... as here is what I have in store for tomorrow:

Dawn: Listen to the Magdalen College choir sing from their tower overlooking the Magdalen bridge.

6:30am: Ring in the May with the Oxford University Society of Change Ringers at the University Church of Saint Mary the Virgin. I have never rung at this tower, so I am rather excited about this.

7:30am Lardy breakfast[***] at Keble College with the OUSCR.

Noon: May Day march and demonstration. I don't know if there will be an Anarchist contingent (besides me), but this is our holiday and I intend to be out there on the streets!

2:30pm Premiere showing of the Iron Man movie in Oxford! I already have my ticket and am -- perhaps naively -- psyched up for it!

5:00pm Take a walk, just to keep in practice. Only three or four miles.

6:30pm Handbell ringing at St. Giles, followed by tower bell practice.

11:30pm Beltane phone date with the enchanting frogcastle.

Looks to be a very fun day tomorrow, combining the best of several worlds. I'd best be off now to ring and then sleep, as I would prefer to be rested when the alarm sounds at 4:30am tomorrow...

---

[*] Well, free after about 10pm, anyway... which is when I usually get home.

[**] Sitting on a shelf at the Event Horizon, I still have the video tape of the nightly news showing a cop assaulting me during the Tempe May Day march of 2003. Whee!

[***] Vegetarian lard in my case.

Beltane Is Coming... and So Is Mayday!

Right -- this is what incredibly tired feels like. Now I remember.

With cheshcat in the States, I have been taking advantage of free evenings[*] to catch up with important people across the pond. On Sunday evening, after returning from Birmingham, I spoke to the Kiddo for a couple of hours... then followed that call up by giving the delightful JCM a ring. Similarly, on Monday evening, after ice skating lessons, I rang up the adorable squeektoy42 for a bit. And last night I was up way too late talking to the beguiling iamthesphinx.

One result of all this chatty goodness is that I feel re-connected to the lives of several people that I care about from far away. Another result is that I have not had a full night's sleep in nearly a week. On both sides of the Atlantic, legend has it that I do not actually need sleep. Like most legends, this is partially rooted in truth... but is not entirely correct. It finally caught up with me today, and I am quite knackered. Any incoherence in this entry can be justly attributed to that.

As such, the ever-nifty gyades has agreed to reschedule this evening's conversation for next week so that I can get to bed early. This is probably a very good idea, as tomorrow is May Day.

As usual, I will be taking May Day off from work. I have not worked on May 1^st in six years, out of respect for my Anarchist forebears, the Haymarker Martyrs. To me, it is the most important Anarchist holiday, and I usually celebrate with some sort of activism[**]. Last year, for a change of pace, cheshcat and I indulged in the traditional Oxford May Morning activities -- starting with the all-night bonfire at Port Meadow, continuing on to the Magdalen College choir at dawn, and the Morris dancers and street performers after. Twas a very good time, indeed! We finished with a yummy breakfast at Frevd's -- and I was way too tired to remember now what I ate -- then she went to work and I went to sleep.

This year, I have decided to mix and match a bit of everything. It is good that I am going to call it an early night and retire soon after bell ringing this evening... as here is what I have in store for tomorrow:

Dawn: Listen to the Magdalen College choir sing from their tower overlooking the Magdalen bridge.

6:30am: Ring in the May with the Oxford University Society of Change Ringers at the University Church of Saint Mary the Virgin. I have never rung at this tower, so I am rather excited about this.

7:30am Lardy breakfast[***] at Keble College with the OUSCR.

Noon: May Day march and demonstration. I don't know if there will be an Anarchist contingent (besides me), but this is our holiday and I intend to be out there on the streets!

2:30pm Premiere showing of the Iron Man movie in Oxford! I already have my ticket and am -- perhaps naively -- psyched up for it!

5:00pm Take a walk, just to keep in practice. Only three or four miles.

6:30pm Handbell ringing at St. Giles, followed by tower bell practice.

11:30pm Beltane phone date with the enchanting frogcastle.

Looks to be a very fun day tomorrow, combining the best of several worlds. I'd best be off now to ring and then sleep, as I would prefer to be rested when the alarm sounds at 4:30am tomorrow...

---

[*] Well, free after about 10pm, anyway... which is when I usually get home.

[**] Sitting on a shelf at the Event Horizon, I still have the video tape of the nightly news showing a cop assaulting me during the Tempe May Day march of 2003. Whee!

[***] Vegetarian lard in my case.