anarchist_nomad (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
anarchist_nomad) wrote2009-09-04 04:10 pm
anarchist_nomad) wrote2009-09-04 04:10 pm
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Day 5: I Come Not To Bury "Caesar", But To Review It
September 4th. The decade is now 96.7% over. Also, it seems like somebody flipped the Autumn Switch promptly when September began. Ever since the first, the weather has been cool and crisp, with leaves changing colour and falling to the ground.
I've been much too lax about updating this journal recently, gentle readers. Allow me to rectify that now, at least in part, with a RotRotWiRP[1] that picks up from after my evening out with my beloved![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
cheshcat last Saturday.
Sunday:cheshcat and I took a stroll through the sculpture garden at the Oxfordshire Museum in Woodstock.[2] Afterward, we snacked and had tea whilst working on our Sooper Sekrit ProjectTM. Planning for the Project, which shall be explained in due course, went quite well... with my dear cheshcat impressing me once more with how brilliant she can be. In the evening, the beautiful bunnypip came to visit us at the Flat With No Name; we all ate dinner together and watched Into The Woods before bunnypip and I headed back to the Leveret Warren.
Monday: This was the one year anniversary of my relationship with the breathtakingbunnypip. To celebrate, spent part of the day enjoying quality alone time and the rest of it having some new adventures. The theme for the adventures was "Geometrical Constructions in Northamptonshire."
We began with the Triangular Lodge in Rushden, built by a Roman Catholic in 1593 to celebrate the Holy Trinity in a time of increasing Protestantism. Next, we visited the Eleanor Cross in Geddington, which is also in the shape of a triangle. The Eleanor Crosses were erected in the 1290s, by order of King Edward I, to commemorate the stops made whilst bearing his dead wife to her burial in London. Seven centuries later, only a few of the crosses survive; the Geddington cross is the best preserved -- probably since Geddington is a small town in the middle of nowhere. I had previously seen the remains of the Lincoln cross last year, but there is no contest between the two. See the two photographs here to see what I mean. Third stop was Lyveden New Bield, an unfinished summer home in the shape of a cross, designed in the late 16th century by the same bloke who built the Triangular Lodge, Sir Thomas Tresham. Unlike the Triangular Lodge, this house was never completed... as Tresham died and his son was convicted in the Gunpowder Plot of 1605. Still, as with the Lodge, Lyvden New Bield is filled with Catholic symbolism. Our final stop was at Lowich Church, which immediately became my favourite parish church in England.[3] Besides being lavishly decorated, the building is quite impressive... with a high tower and lovely stained glass windows. Atop the tower is an octagonal structure, along with a dozen spires -- each with its own wind vane. Most pretty, indeed!
Additionally, the wonderfulcheshcat contributed to our anniversary celebration by making this delightful post in her own journal! Thank you, Love!!
Tuesday: Waking up at the Leveret Warren, I made my way to the university and worked there until evening. Arriving home fairly late, the only extracurriculars that I had time for were a dinner out withcheshcat and finishing up the Iron Man: Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. comic book series.
Wednesday: After work,cheshcat and I drove to Stratford-on-Avon to see the Royal Shakespeare Company perform As You Like It. This was the twenty-eighth theatrical production that I have seen this year and makes for twenty-one of the Bard's plays that I have seen the RSC produce. I had already seen this show performed elsewhere on more than one occasion -- so it did not help me on my quest to see all of the Shakespearean plays performed live on stage -- but this was easily the best production that I have witnessed. The entire cast was excellent... but Jaques, in particular, was phenomenal! Very emo... and very entertaining! Also, it was lovely to see many actors return from previous shows that we have attended -- particularly the History Cycle.
Thursday: In the morning, I made my first platelet donation. This imparted on me the valuable knowledge that platelets are orange. Who knew? I was less than impressed with the whole process, though, especially the incompetence displayed by the people at the blood centre. As such, I suspect that I will return to being a whole blood donor, rather than continue on making platelet donations. Giving blood saves lives, but I'm not sure that I can do much more good as a platelet donor than I can as a whole blood donor... and the hassle of giving platelets is much greater.
In the evening,cheshcat and I returned to Stratford-on-Avon to see the RSC perform Julius Caesar. As I had not seen this show previously, it means that I have now watched twenty-seven of the Bard's plays performed live on stage. Ten more to go.[4] I enjoyed the production... though I was not as impressed by it as I had been by As You Like It the night before.
At this point, I have seen five plays in the past month -- all of them Shakespearean.[5] Much as I like the Bard's work, I think that it is time to see something different for some variety! As they say, all Shakespeare and no musicals makes Nomad a dull boy...
Friday: Had a good meeting at work this morning. Currently, I am on my way home, writing this entry on the Oxford Tube. This evening, I will go to Newbury to attend the annual meeting of the Newbury Astronomy Society. I am the invited lecturer for this month, kicking off their 2009/2010 season with a talk on Ultra-High Energy Cosmic Rays. Once I get home, I have just enough time to shave, shower, and get myself to Newbury for dinner at six o'clock.
Saturday: As Robbie Burns cautions, it is always risky to talk about plans for things that have not happened yet. Thus, I will not go on about the weekend plans in detail -- time enough to describe them after they have actually happened. Still, I will note that tomorrow I should be heading into London to join my friend TH on his narrowboat, the Walden III. In June, I spent a weekend cruising along the Thames, from Oxford to Reading, with TH; this time, we are going to spend a day exploring London's waterways.
Sunday: On Sunday, the plan is to continue developing the Sooper Sekrit Project. In the early evening, I will be ringing bells at St. Giles in a quarter peal attempt that kicks off the annual St. Giles Fair. Later on,feanelwa comes over from Cambridge to stay with us for a couple of days.
Meanwhile, of course, there are just over two weeks left until I leave for Japan; I expect life to get ever-busier in that time! At the moment, though, I am home... which means I'd best get that shave and shower done so that I look presentable for my presentation tonight!
Happy Friday to All, and to All a Good Night!
[1] As long-time readers will know, "RotRotWiRP" = "Return of the Return of the Week in Review Post" of course! (What else could it be?)
[2] This is the same place that we went to withbunnypip and the leverets in March to see Sharmanka.
[3] I am explicitly not counting cathedrals in this comparison. Although Lowick Church is a marvelous parish church, it still cannot compare to York Minster or Winchester Cathedral or the like. (Although it does easily outshine Chelmsford Cathedral)
[4] I realise that there is some debate as to how many plays Shakespeare wrote. For the moment, I am taking thirty-seven plays to be the "correct" number. This may change.
[5] The Comedy of Errors, Cymbeline, Henry V, As You Like It, and Julius Caesar.
I've been much too lax about updating this journal recently, gentle readers. Allow me to rectify that now, at least in part, with a RotRotWiRP[1] that picks up from after my evening out with my beloved
cheshcat last Saturday.Sunday:
cheshcat and I took a stroll through the sculpture garden at the Oxfordshire Museum in Woodstock.[2] Afterward, we snacked and had tea whilst working on our Sooper Sekrit ProjectTM. Planning for the Project, which shall be explained in due course, went quite well... with my dear cheshcat impressing me once more with how brilliant she can be. In the evening, the beautiful bunnypip came to visit us at the Flat With No Name; we all ate dinner together and watched Into The Woods before bunnypip and I headed back to the Leveret Warren.Monday: This was the one year anniversary of my relationship with the breathtaking
bunnypip. To celebrate, spent part of the day enjoying quality alone time and the rest of it having some new adventures. The theme for the adventures was "Geometrical Constructions in Northamptonshire." We began with the Triangular Lodge in Rushden, built by a Roman Catholic in 1593 to celebrate the Holy Trinity in a time of increasing Protestantism. Next, we visited the Eleanor Cross in Geddington, which is also in the shape of a triangle. The Eleanor Crosses were erected in the 1290s, by order of King Edward I, to commemorate the stops made whilst bearing his dead wife to her burial in London. Seven centuries later, only a few of the crosses survive; the Geddington cross is the best preserved -- probably since Geddington is a small town in the middle of nowhere. I had previously seen the remains of the Lincoln cross last year, but there is no contest between the two. See the two photographs here to see what I mean. Third stop was Lyveden New Bield, an unfinished summer home in the shape of a cross, designed in the late 16th century by the same bloke who built the Triangular Lodge, Sir Thomas Tresham. Unlike the Triangular Lodge, this house was never completed... as Tresham died and his son was convicted in the Gunpowder Plot of 1605. Still, as with the Lodge, Lyvden New Bield is filled with Catholic symbolism. Our final stop was at Lowich Church, which immediately became my favourite parish church in England.[3] Besides being lavishly decorated, the building is quite impressive... with a high tower and lovely stained glass windows. Atop the tower is an octagonal structure, along with a dozen spires -- each with its own wind vane. Most pretty, indeed!
Additionally, the wonderful
cheshcat contributed to our anniversary celebration by making this delightful post in her own journal! Thank you, Love!!Tuesday: Waking up at the Leveret Warren, I made my way to the university and worked there until evening. Arriving home fairly late, the only extracurriculars that I had time for were a dinner out with
cheshcat and finishing up the Iron Man: Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. comic book series.Wednesday: After work,
cheshcat and I drove to Stratford-on-Avon to see the Royal Shakespeare Company perform As You Like It. This was the twenty-eighth theatrical production that I have seen this year and makes for twenty-one of the Bard's plays that I have seen the RSC produce. I had already seen this show performed elsewhere on more than one occasion -- so it did not help me on my quest to see all of the Shakespearean plays performed live on stage -- but this was easily the best production that I have witnessed. The entire cast was excellent... but Jaques, in particular, was phenomenal! Very emo... and very entertaining! Also, it was lovely to see many actors return from previous shows that we have attended -- particularly the History Cycle.Thursday: In the morning, I made my first platelet donation. This imparted on me the valuable knowledge that platelets are orange. Who knew? I was less than impressed with the whole process, though, especially the incompetence displayed by the people at the blood centre. As such, I suspect that I will return to being a whole blood donor, rather than continue on making platelet donations. Giving blood saves lives, but I'm not sure that I can do much more good as a platelet donor than I can as a whole blood donor... and the hassle of giving platelets is much greater.
In the evening,
cheshcat and I returned to Stratford-on-Avon to see the RSC perform Julius Caesar. As I had not seen this show previously, it means that I have now watched twenty-seven of the Bard's plays performed live on stage. Ten more to go.[4] I enjoyed the production... though I was not as impressed by it as I had been by As You Like It the night before.At this point, I have seen five plays in the past month -- all of them Shakespearean.[5] Much as I like the Bard's work, I think that it is time to see something different for some variety! As they say, all Shakespeare and no musicals makes Nomad a dull boy...
Friday: Had a good meeting at work this morning. Currently, I am on my way home, writing this entry on the Oxford Tube. This evening, I will go to Newbury to attend the annual meeting of the Newbury Astronomy Society. I am the invited lecturer for this month, kicking off their 2009/2010 season with a talk on Ultra-High Energy Cosmic Rays. Once I get home, I have just enough time to shave, shower, and get myself to Newbury for dinner at six o'clock.
Saturday: As Robbie Burns cautions, it is always risky to talk about plans for things that have not happened yet. Thus, I will not go on about the weekend plans in detail -- time enough to describe them after they have actually happened. Still, I will note that tomorrow I should be heading into London to join my friend TH on his narrowboat, the Walden III. In June, I spent a weekend cruising along the Thames, from Oxford to Reading, with TH; this time, we are going to spend a day exploring London's waterways.
Sunday: On Sunday, the plan is to continue developing the Sooper Sekrit Project. In the early evening, I will be ringing bells at St. Giles in a quarter peal attempt that kicks off the annual St. Giles Fair. Later on,
feanelwa comes over from Cambridge to stay with us for a couple of days.Meanwhile, of course, there are just over two weeks left until I leave for Japan; I expect life to get ever-busier in that time! At the moment, though, I am home... which means I'd best get that shave and shower done so that I look presentable for my presentation tonight!
Happy Friday to All, and to All a Good Night!
[1] As long-time readers will know, "RotRotWiRP" = "Return of the Return of the Week in Review Post" of course! (What else could it be?)
[2] This is the same place that we went to with
bunnypip and the leverets in March to see Sharmanka.[3] I am explicitly not counting cathedrals in this comparison. Although Lowick Church is a marvelous parish church, it still cannot compare to York Minster or Winchester Cathedral or the like. (Although it does easily outshine Chelmsford Cathedral)
[4] I realise that there is some debate as to how many plays Shakespeare wrote. For the moment, I am taking thirty-seven plays to be the "correct" number. This may change.
[5] The Comedy of Errors, Cymbeline, Henry V, As You Like It, and Julius Caesar.
no subject
So if it isn't age, then what is it? I think it comes down to location. There is a lot of theatre in Oxford... and much of it tends to be Shakespeare. Especially during the Summer, when outdoor productions abound. The other advantage of being in Oxford is that Stratford-on-Avon is just an hour's drive away. If you ever decide to pop on down for a visit, we shall have to see what is playing in the theatres when you come.
And, yes, I completely acgree with you that the film versions do not count.
As for the plays that you have seen, here are my opinions:
MacBeth -- Good solid Shakespeare. Not particularly riveting, but quite fulfilling to watch.
The Winter's Tale -- Seen it three times. It failed to impress me in the first, two... although I loved the bear when I saw the company from Shakespeare's Globe do it. Then, in March, I saw the RSC do this. Holy macaroni! They seriously rocked it and my opinion of the play jumped several notches.
Much Ado About Nothing -- I don't see how it would be possible to not love this play!
The Merchant of Venice -- Along with The Taming of the Shrew, this is in the category of "nearly too offensive to watch" for me. The religious intolerance offends my modern sensibilities. I have only seen it on stage once, though, when the RSC did it last year. Chesh thinks that a different production might offend me less, so I am willing to see it again.
Hope all is well with you! *hugs*
no subject
I completely agree that the end of The Winter's Tale is quite silly. One of several reasons why I have not been such a big fan of that play. However, the RSC production that I saw in March was astounding and raised it several notches on my scale.
As for Merchant... well, I would be willing to give it another shot and see a different production at some point. Thus far, though, it really isn't one of my favourites.
no subject
I have seen a total of 2 Shakespeare plays (King Lear and Richard III.) Didn't understand a word of either of them. Haha!
congrats on your 1yr with Bunnypip =D looking forward to seeing you again on the 16th! x
no subject
Thanks! I do try! :-D
I have seen a total of 2 Shakespeare plays (King Lear and Richard III.)
Ooooh! Two of my favourites! Especially Richard III -- I love that one!
Didn't understand a word of either of them. Haha!
Careful! I'll tell
congrats on your 1yr with Bunnypip
Thank you!!! Hooray for anniversaries! *bounce*
looking forward to seeing you again on the 16th!
*nods vigorously and enthusiastically* Yay!!!
no subject
no subject
*smile* Thank you!
And I'm very much looking forward to your (pl.) Sooper Sekrit project
Oh! Has
no subject
And nobody's told me anything. But, IIRC,
no subject
Fair enough! Although I could fix that, if you like...
And nobody's told me anything.
Then you guessed well. And correctly.
Speaking of the delightful
In any case, your last statement is quite correct: It's gonne be a fun couple of years! (Yay!)
no subject
Maybe it's the following year that my beloved offspring and his wonderful wife