![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Four years ago right now, my beloved ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
cheshcat and I landing in London to begin our lives here in England.
Hard to believe it has been so long, really. I have lived in seven places; Oxford now ranks third, in terms of longevity. It has passed Phoenix, Arizona (2 years); Osawano, Japan (2 years); Chicago, Illinois (2.5 years); and Amherst, Massachusetts (just under 4 years). If I am still here in one more year, it will displace Long Island, New York (just under 5 years) and move into second place. Moving into the top slot would involve displacing New York City (17.5 years), where I grew up. That is not likely to happen any time soon...
Meanwhile, here in Oxford, I survived the Day O' Many MeetingsTM and am now doing my share of putting the final pieces into place for Oxford BiFest! One day more! How did that happen?? Anyway, it should be lots of great fun; we have a fantastic team and a most excellent venue -- our BiFest is going to rock! In between BiFest preparations, I also have a T2K document to finish today. Add to that a talk on neutrino physics to prepare for an audience of students at Imperial College London on Tuesday and a talk on ultra-high energy cosmic rays to present to the CODY Astronomy Society on Wednesday. All I can say is that I am glad next weekend is a long one! I'm going to need a day or two to recover... by which I don't mean "rest" so much as "catch up on my normal work."
It has been a pretty good week here. Since my previous update about the Life of Nomad, I have been doing my best to stay fairly active:
On Tuesday evening, I went to the pool and swam a mile, then had my monthly massage appointment. This was followed up with bell ringing at St. Andrew's Church, complete with more practice of Stedman Doubles. Finally, I ended the evening by driving to Northamptonshire for a lovely date with the even-lovelierbunnypip!
On Wednesday morning, I took the four youngest leverets through their morning routine and then dropped them off at school. Alas, when it was time to go in, L4 took my hand and said something that sounded to me like "cake and biscuit". Not knowing what he was talking about, I assured him that he could have cake and biscuits later... but now it was time for him to go to class and me to go to work. I was later made aware that, on Wednesday mornings, parents can go in for "Book & Biscuit", which involves reading to the children and eating... well, you get the idea. Had I known, I would have gone in with him. However, I know now... so I can do it next time.
On Wednesday evening, my darlingcheshcat and I went to see Jean Anouilh's Antigone at the Oxford Playhouse. This makes the seventh theatre outing that we have had this year. We seem to be a touch behind, compared to the last two years. Ah, well -- the year is still young; we shall catch up! I enjoyed the show very much, although I had not quite realised before how utterly emo Antigone is! Oi! Also, I was amused that this is the second show I have seen this year featuring the character of King Creon of Thebes[*]. When the show ended, cheshcat and I rounded out our theatre date by getting dinner at a relatively new Thai restaurant in the city centre.
On Thursday evening, I had a brief respite from the never-ending meetings by going to ring bells at St. Giles. The most significant thing about this practice was that I made my first (and second) attempt at ringing Stedman Triples. Since the triples method is not terribly different from the doubles, it went relatively well. My Stedman still needs quite a bit of work, of course, as I have only been ringing it for eight days now. Still, I am very much enjoying the process of learning a completely new method! As much as my Grandsire and Plain Bob need work -- and they very much do -- it is nice to try something different!
That brings us to the present once more, my dear friends. Which means that I should put the computer down... and get back to work and preparing for Oxford BiFest! I hope that all of you are having the most excellent of Fridays... and I am quite excited to see many of the UK portion of my f-list tomorrow!! HUZZAH!
[*] The first being a very different Creon in Medea
cheshcat and I landing in London to begin our lives here in England. Hard to believe it has been so long, really. I have lived in seven places; Oxford now ranks third, in terms of longevity. It has passed Phoenix, Arizona (2 years); Osawano, Japan (2 years); Chicago, Illinois (2.5 years); and Amherst, Massachusetts (just under 4 years). If I am still here in one more year, it will displace Long Island, New York (just under 5 years) and move into second place. Moving into the top slot would involve displacing New York City (17.5 years), where I grew up. That is not likely to happen any time soon...
Meanwhile, here in Oxford, I survived the Day O' Many MeetingsTM and am now doing my share of putting the final pieces into place for Oxford BiFest! One day more! How did that happen?? Anyway, it should be lots of great fun; we have a fantastic team and a most excellent venue -- our BiFest is going to rock! In between BiFest preparations, I also have a T2K document to finish today. Add to that a talk on neutrino physics to prepare for an audience of students at Imperial College London on Tuesday and a talk on ultra-high energy cosmic rays to present to the CODY Astronomy Society on Wednesday. All I can say is that I am glad next weekend is a long one! I'm going to need a day or two to recover... by which I don't mean "rest" so much as "catch up on my normal work."
It has been a pretty good week here. Since my previous update about the Life of Nomad, I have been doing my best to stay fairly active:
On Tuesday evening, I went to the pool and swam a mile, then had my monthly massage appointment. This was followed up with bell ringing at St. Andrew's Church, complete with more practice of Stedman Doubles. Finally, I ended the evening by driving to Northamptonshire for a lovely date with the even-lovelier
bunnypip!On Wednesday morning, I took the four youngest leverets through their morning routine and then dropped them off at school. Alas, when it was time to go in, L4 took my hand and said something that sounded to me like "cake and biscuit". Not knowing what he was talking about, I assured him that he could have cake and biscuits later... but now it was time for him to go to class and me to go to work. I was later made aware that, on Wednesday mornings, parents can go in for "Book & Biscuit", which involves reading to the children and eating... well, you get the idea. Had I known, I would have gone in with him. However, I know now... so I can do it next time.
On Wednesday evening, my darling
cheshcat and I went to see Jean Anouilh's Antigone at the Oxford Playhouse. This makes the seventh theatre outing that we have had this year. We seem to be a touch behind, compared to the last two years. Ah, well -- the year is still young; we shall catch up! I enjoyed the show very much, although I had not quite realised before how utterly emo Antigone is! Oi! Also, I was amused that this is the second show I have seen this year featuring the character of King Creon of Thebes[*]. When the show ended, cheshcat and I rounded out our theatre date by getting dinner at a relatively new Thai restaurant in the city centre.On Thursday evening, I had a brief respite from the never-ending meetings by going to ring bells at St. Giles. The most significant thing about this practice was that I made my first (and second) attempt at ringing Stedman Triples. Since the triples method is not terribly different from the doubles, it went relatively well. My Stedman still needs quite a bit of work, of course, as I have only been ringing it for eight days now. Still, I am very much enjoying the process of learning a completely new method! As much as my Grandsire and Plain Bob need work -- and they very much do -- it is nice to try something different!
That brings us to the present once more, my dear friends. Which means that I should put the computer down... and get back to work and preparing for Oxford BiFest! I hope that all of you are having the most excellent of Fridays... and I am quite excited to see many of the UK portion of my f-list tomorrow!! HUZZAH!
[*] The first being a very different Creon in Medea
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
From:
no subject
In fact the play opens with 3 queens begging Theseus and Hippolita for help because Creon has killed their husbands in battle and will not let the bodies be buried.
The last few weeks have been marked by the ubiquity of King Creon.
and I always want to write I song about him to the tune of 'King Creole' but I never get round to it!
From:
no subject
Creon seems to have a thing about not letting bodies be buried. In Antigone, as I am sure you know, the ostensible reason that the title character risks her life is because Creon has ordered that the body of her brother, Polynices -- slain in battle by her other brother, Eteocles -- is not to be buried... and she goes to do it anyway.
Of course, the real reason that she dies is that she is emo and wants to die. But that's besides the point, which is just that Creon has a think about unburied bodies.
The three queens[*] beg Theseus and Hippolita for help, huh? Any cameo appearances from Lysander, Demetrius, Hermia, or Helena? How about Bottom?
[*] Those three queens of ancient Greece are...
From:
no subject
faces full of anguish and gloom
kneeling, crying,
tell of the dying
Husbands who have no tomb
From:
no subject
From:
no subject
It's the same shakespearenised Athens and the same Theseus and Hippolita but a really twisted tragicomic plot.
there are also appearances from (even more) grotesque versions of characters from earlier plays, like the Jailer's Daughter, who is basically Ophelia
It's most odd.
From:
no subject
All seems very strange for a play that is adapted from one of Chaucer's Canterbury Tales!
I must confess that Two Noble Kinsmen is one of the eleven plays that I have not yet seen, so I am not terribly familiar with it. Must try to find somewhere that is producing it, though. The more I learn of it, the more I want to see it!
From:
no subject
From:
no subject
(Actually, I shudder to think of what a "grotesque, twisted Ophelia" would be like...)
From:
no subject
From:
no subject
From:
no subject
The scene also features Shakespeare's ever present pinching fetish as well as lots of stuff about thrusting buckles all the way in etc. It's great!
From:
no subject
From:
no subject
I mean I do want to see H8 and all, but I really want to see 2NK
From:
no subject
If I become aware of a production of 2NK, I will definitely let you know, Sweetheart!!
*crosses fingers and hopes*
From:
no subject
Here's to many more!
I love you
xxx
From:
no subject
I love you lots... and will see you in about ninety minutes! Hooray!
*grin*
*kiss*
xxXxx
From:
no subject