The place where lost socks go...

Today was a surprisingly good day. Not surprising because I had expected anything bad to happen -- I hadn't and it didn't. Just surprising because not very much at all happened... and yet a number of small but positive things contributed to making it a good day.

It actually started last night, when I was ringing at Mary Mag during the first OUSCR practice of Trinity Term. Right after walking in, the master asked me if I wanted to ring a touch of Plain Bob Triples. Now nobody actually rings Plain Bob Triples. They ring Plain Bob Doubles (five bells), Plain Bob Minor (six bells), or Plain Bob Major (eight bells). No one rings Plain Bob Triples (seven bells). Indeed, the standard book of methods that I use doesn't even have PBT in there!

As such, I am not at all practiced in this method. I do consider myself quite adept at Plain Bob Doubles, though, and getting skilled at Minor. Sometimes I can do Major, but not reliably. On the fly, I pieced together what I know from Major -- since eight is close to seven -- and Doubles -- since five is also an odd number of bells -- and gave it my best shot. Amazingly enough, my best shot was quite good! I kept the method consistently for quite some time... and I could even hear that my striking was well placed. Very nice, if I do say so myself!

I have been doing a fair bit of ringing lately, and I feel I am making more progress. So that put me into a happy mood that continued into today. From there, things just got better.

For one thing, the weather today continued its recent trend of being incredible! By and large, one of the things that I dislike most about living in England is the weather[*]. Of late, though, that complaint is baseless. Good! Coupled with the fact that the days are now nearly fifteen hours long -- and still growing -- it is positively a joy to be outside! On my way into work this morning, I had a lovely bicycle ride across Kensington Gardens, taking in the weather and the lake and the greenery!

Work itself continues to go reasonably well. I still have more to do than I can get done. But what else is new? Progress is happening, and I am getting excited about the upcoming trip to Japan. Not as excited as I will be about the September Japan trip -- where, at long last, I get to return to my "home" area of Gifu and Toyama after six years away -- but excited
nonetheless!

It goes on from there, though: Our flat was inspected today, and passed with flying colours. As a nice side-effect of this, the Flat With No Name is now quite, quite tidy. Just the way I like it! When I got home from work, cheshcat was in a cheery mood. No matter what else is going on, that always brightens my day. And if it is an already-bright day? Well, so much the better! And brighter! I arrived home just as her music -- set to shuffle play -- switched onto Another Day (from Rent). With no discussion, we naturally slipped into a very energetic version of this duet. We had a blast... though I think that we may have startled both kitties!

After eating dinner, I had a delightful "phone date" with the terrific tawneypup. She has only been gone for a couple of weeks, but I definitely miss her. Ah well -- at least it will be May very soon[**], at which point I can say that I am seeing her again in the month after next!

Finally, the day is almost done... but I have an excellent weekend to look forward to! Tomorrow, bunnypip is coming down to join cheshcat and I for a two-part theatrical rendition of Phillip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy at -- you guessed it! -- the Oxford Playhouse. Then there is a weekend of Beltane fun to follow! Huzzah!

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[*] In contrast, one of the things that I miss most -- aside from certain special Anarchists -- about living in Phoenix is the delightful weather there!

[**] In just over twenty-four hours!

One of the things that I love about Oxford is that it is small enough to get around easily by bus or push bike and, whenever you go out, you run into somebody that you know... whilst being simultaneously big enough that there is always something going on. Thus, although I did not leave the city this weekend, there was plenty to do and it made for quite a pleasant weekend, indeed!

On Friday evening, my beloved bunnypip came down for a date. When she arrived, we headed into Jericho to get dinner at my second favourite vegetarian restaurant in Oxford -- The Gardener's Arms.[1] As usual, the food was quite good. After eating, I took her on a stroll through Jericho before we headed back to the Flat With No Name. Upon our return, the rest of the evening was spent locked in a room together.[2] Although we see each other frequently, too much of our recent time together has been group social time, or dealing-with-practicality time, or child time. This left us both quite eager for some time with nothing to do but be alone together... and so we opted to forgo the various options for theatre or a concert in favour of sharing some much needed quality alone time.

Come Saturday morning, both bunnypip and I were quite happy, though moving a little slowly. Thus, I put her on the Oxford Tube at about the same time that I should have already been in city centre. Hopping on my bicycle immediately afterward, I arrived at the Town Hall twenty minutes late... but just in time for the start of the day's activities.

Just what were the activities of which I speak, gentle readers? It is a fair question... and -- fear not -- I shall tell you! Yesterday, to celebrate its 275^th anniversary, the Oxford Society of Change Ringers had a ringing day. Those of us who were participating were divided into four teams that were to compete in five areas: (1) Ringing six bells down in peal and then up again, (2) Tune ringing on twelve handbells, (3) Ringing an Oxford method on eight tower bells, (4) Ringing Stedman Cinques on twelve tower bells, and (5) a trivia quiz. I am not experienced in tune ringing, which is very different than change ringing -- indeed, one does not even hold the handbells in the same way! Still, I joined in the handbell tune ringing competition.[3]. Our assignment was to learn Ode To Joy; we practiced for some time in the Priory Room at Christ Church, then gave our performance back in the Town Hall. I rang on the fifth and sixth bells of the twelve... and thought that I did reasonably well. Shortly after our performance, it was time for lunch... during which I had several enjoyable chats with fellow ringers.

As I was not participating in the tower bell competitions during the afternoon, I snuck out after lunch and met up with my darling cheshcat for a trip to the exhibition hall at the Bodleian Library. The current displays were entitled Hallelujah! The British Choral Tradition and After Arundel: Religious writing in fifteenth-century England. The first display covered one thousand years of British choral music in various settings: in churches, at coronations, et cetera. There were a number of impressive manuscripts; true to form, my favourite was the oldest -- the Winchester Troper, used one thousand years ago at the Old Minster in Winchester[4]. The second display was smaller, featuring seven religions manuscripts from the early and middle of the fifteenth century. All were concerned with the suppression of heresay, in the aftermath of John Wycliffe and the Lollard movement[5]. Thomas Arundel himself, as archbishop of Canterbury, had fought to suppress the Lollards; these works were written as the legacy of that religious conflict.

Once we left the Bodleian, I headed back to Christ Church to rejoin the Oxford Society's Ringing Day. We had a group picture taken on the Great Stair of the college[6], then congregated to learn the results of the day's competitions. Our handbell ringing had come in a close second, out of four, in technical merit. Unfortunately, our artistic presentation was rated the lowest of the four groups. I think that this may have something to do with our choice to ring loudly; the judge thought that this detracted from the music. Ah well -- it was all in good fun.

When done with the Ringing Day, I rejoined cheshcat, who was reading in Oxford's lovely[7] Bonn Square. We went out for dinner together, then headed to the Oxford Playhouse to see a performance of The Fiddler On The Roof. The Playhouse puts on many high quality shows and has hosted the Royal Shakespeare Company, as well as shows headed to the West End. This production, however, was put on by the Oxfordshire Youth Music Theatre. As such, it was very much a student production -- good, but not quite the same caliber as other shows that we have seen there. Perhaps I am a bit harsh here, but I have seen Fiddler twice before -- both times on Broadway -- and so there were very large shoes to be filled. A sixteen year old playing Tevye -- no matter how good -- is not going to compare to the performance I saw Topol give in 1990 or the one that pomoloco and I saw Harvey Fierstein put on in 2005. That said, it was still an enjoyable show... and I always seem to forget just how difficult Fiddler is to watch. It is a testament to the potential of these kids that there performance still managed to tug on my heartstrings with the sad plight of Anatevka.

After the curtain fell, cheshcat and I returned to our flat in Headington. Here, we continued making plans for our fifteenth anniversary -- which is coming up in less than four months -- and then ended the evening by watching the last two episodes of Smallville Season Seven.

Today, I began my day by heading out to St. Giles to ring for the Sunday morning services. Then I came home to meet up with the charming dr_jen, who joined cheshcat and I on our annual trip to Oxford University's Harcourt Arboretum. The Harcourt does not measure up to the fantastic Morton Arboretum that the Event Horizon is near in Chicagoland; however, it does have one advantage. For two weeks each year, at the end of April and beginning of May, the bluebells are in bloom. During that time, the Harcourt has a spectacular bluebell meadow, which is a wonder and a delight to behold. The three of us spent hours wandering around the arboretum, taking in the seasonal beauty. Thankfully, the weather was quite obliging and there was ample sun to take many lovely[8] photographs.

When we finally left the arboretum, which is on the southernmost edges of Oxford, we made our way to the Wolvercote, in the northernmost part, to get lunch at The Trout[9]. Sitting outside by the Thames, we spent a couple of hours enjoying a delicious meal whilst taking in the greenery and the waterfowl... including a very amusing trio of frisky ducks!

After eating, I dropped off dr_jen and cheshcat, then proceeded back into the city centre to ring for evening services at St. Giles. Amongst other things, we rang a couple of extents of Plain Bob Doubles, during which I finally realised that I have this method down quite well. Indeed, I find it safe to say that this is the first real method[10] that I am fully comfortable with. Yay for me! Next, I want to extend this comfort to Plain Bob Minor, as I would love to ring a quarter peal on this sometime in the not-TOO-distant future.

When we were done ringing the changes, I returned to Headington, picked up the first Sandman trade paperback, and headed out to Bury Knowle Park to read some more. It is not quite summer yet, but it is still nice to read outside in the evenings, just before the sun goes down.

Finally, that brings us to the present. It is still relatively early in the evening, but I expect to go to bed soon after posting this. There is a very busy week ahead of me, and I want to get an early start on it whilst also being fresh and rested.[11] Many pentacles need to be hammered in the coming weeks!

So, on that note, dear friends, I will end this entry by saying this: Happy Sunday to all... and to all a good night!

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[1] The Pink Giraffe, whilst not strictly a vegetarian venue, holds the title of my favourite vegetarian restaurant in Oxford. Every one of their dishes can be made in a vegetarian form, with a variety of fake meats. As such, it is good enough for me to count as a vegetarian restaurant, since I can eat anything on the menu.

[2] Figuratively, not literally.

[3] Besides, it should give me some appreciation for what it is that jadesfire55 does with her ringing.

[4] The Old Minster, built in 660, was the precursor to the New Minster which, in turn, was predecessor to Winchester Cathedral, which I visited last month during my birthday weekend.

[5] Wycliffe was a prominent theologian at Oxford in the mid-fourteen century... who was then kicked out for his heretic teachings. He did such devious things as translate the Bible into English. Terrible, really!

[6] Harry Potter fans may like to know that this staircase appeared in the first Harry Potter film, as the steps leading into Hogwarts.

[7] "Lovely" in this one instance meaning "ugly as all get-out." Last year, the city spent two million pounds renovating the square into something quite drab and awful.

[8] "Lovely" actually meaning "lovely" this time!

[9] Somewhat well known, in part, because of its mention in Colin Dexter’s Inspector Morse novels.

[10] Ignoring non-methods like Plain Hunt.

[11] And I did not sleep enough either night this weekend!

Hadn't planned to write another entry today, but this is too good to miss. It really bookends my day.

I am writing this entry from Ye Olde Oxford Tube, heading out of London. No bus racing this evening... particularly since, after dark, I cannot cut through Kensington Gardens so I wait at the very last London stop. If I miss the coach there, there's no place to race to.

I did have to wait for the coach to arrive, which never sits well with my impatient self. After all, there are always better things that I could be doing than waiting for a bus! When the coach did come, however, the driver greeted me with a smile and said: "Glad to see that you're still alive! Did you have a good day?" Turns out, he was the same guy who warned me to be careful this morning!

This came as a bit of a surprise to me. After all, he picked me up in Oxford a little before nine o'clock this morning... which means that he must have left Gloucester Green -- Oxford's central bus station -- at about half eight. He then picked me up this evening at seven forty... which means that he won't be back at Gloucester Green until about half nine. That's a long day! From what I understand, a typical day for the Oxford Tube drivers is two round trips to London. He must be on his third!

In any case, it was an amusing way to end what was a reasonably productive workday!

Ended up doing another short bicycle versus bus race this morning, as the Oxford Tube was already between me and my stop when I left my flat. I'm not sure why, in recent days, I keep coming in so close to the coach that I have to race. This time, however, I ended up making it to my usual stop before the bus, so no need to chase it on to the next one[*].

Ensuring that I beat the bus to the stop did require a bit of weaving about through different traffic lanes... though I did not have to run any stoplights (this time). When the driver pulled into the stop, he hopped out of the bus to unlock the luggage compartment where I store my cycle during the journey. The first words out of his mouth to me?

You have to be more careful riding that bike! You could get killed!

I assured him that I don't normally ride so recklessly, that I only did it to make sure that he didn't miss me. He was, however, unswayed... insisting that it did me no good if I got killed in the process.

Perhaps I am just deranged, but this amused me a great deal[**]. Maybe because it was actually quite sweet to see that the bus driver cared about my health and safety? Maybe because I only learned to ride a bicycle at the age of twenty-nine and didn't ride in real traffic until less than two years ago -- thus, being skilled and confident enough to ride recklessly[***] is a milestone? Maybe just adrenaline pumping from having successfully raced the bus, mixed with relief that I didn't have to chase it to the next stop yet again? Maybe some combination of all these reasons?

Ah, the world may never know... but sitting here on the bus into London, I am still grinning!

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[*] Ergo, no increase in the official Nomad vs. Bus score.

[**] Indeed, enough to enshrine it for posterity in a LiveJournal post!

[***] At least in Oxford. Whilst cycling in London, I am significantly more nervous and careful.

Astute readers will have noticed that I have not yet written the promised summary of January and February. Do not abandon hope, all ye faithful! I still plan to do a synopsis, as there were several important events and milestones in that time. Not least of which were two weekend adventures -- one in Cambridge and one in Essex[*] -- to celebrate important anniversaries. At the very minimum, I plan to write a travelogue for each before embarking on my next weekend adventure in eight days!

Meanwhile, what has March (i.e., this week) brought to everybody's favourite Nomad?

( Bell ringing )

( Particle Physics )

( Bus racing )

( Watching the Watchmen )

( What else has been noteworthy? )

So that is the Great Nomad Update (GNU) for this week! Tune in next time, gentle readers, for more... ah, but that would be telling, wouldn't it?

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( Footnotes )

Writing this entry, as usual, from Ye Olde Oxforde Tube[*]. This morning, after I left the flat, I started cycling towards the bus stop. On the Oxford end, it is only a two minute cycle ride[**] -- shortly after I started, I could see the Oxford Tube waiting at the bus stop already. Meanwhile, I was stopped behind a red slight. Apparently, I was going to just barely miss the bus. Feh... or so I thought.

Turns out, enough people were waiting to get on that I made it. Nice! Zero minutes wait is the best kind! As an added bonus, the coach was very nearly empty. I have two seats to myself and desktop space for this morning's commute. This is about as good as it gets!

If I were superstitious, I would take this as a portent that today is going to be a good day. In fact, I think that I will choose to take it as such anyway!

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[*] Not nearly as exciting as a decommissioned underground nuclear bunker in Southern France, but there you go.

[**] The point of bringing the bicycle is for the London end, when it turns a forty minute walk into a thirteen minute ride.

Today was one of those days that, while productive, are not really terribly exciting to write about.

I did my 2007 taxes and mailed them off to the States. I started writing my talk for this weekend. I did a bucketload of bicycle maintenance, from replacing punctured tubes to adjusting the brakes and other assorted whatnot. I rang bells at Mary Mag.

Like I said: Nothing particularly exciting to write (or read) about. Except for one little get well gift that I arranged to be sent by surprise to a certain lovely person on the other side of the pond. That was sneaky and fun and, judging by the e-mail I received tonight, successful!

Other than that, I think I got a fair bit done today but, as days go, it will not be particularly memorable. In any case, it is off to bed with me now... as tomorrow promises to shape up a lot like today did. In particular, there is still much communing with PowerPoint that needs to happen before the weekend...

Cycled in to the University after all. It is dry and rather warm for the middle of the night... in January... at fifty-two degrees latitude. In fact, it is fifty degrees (F) out there. So why not?

I am glad that I decided not to be a wimp about it and drive. Although I cycle in every day, this was a particularly pleasant experience. The cool night breeze in my face... the full moon peeking out between holes in the clouds... having the main road in North Oxford all to myself.

Well... almost all to myself. On the ride, I heard many a bird chirping in the trees. At one o'clock in the morning. What the...?!? Um, Nomad to birdies: Why aren't you sleeping???

The last time I remember hearing so many birds wake up in the middle of the night was when I lived in the Phoenix area, lo those many years ago. There it made sense! When the daytime temperature breaks 110 degrees, then of course sensible creatures want to take advantage of the cool of night. Heck, we would always hit the hot-tub around midnight, ourselves.

But here??? Doesn't make sense, I tell you. Weirdo birds...

So yesterday was one of those days. You know the type? Nothing special actually happens, but all the ordinary things go really well... which leads to a general good mood and sense of well being.

I realize that I've been rubbish about updating this journal recently. In an attempt to get back into the proverbial swing of things, ( here is what my day looked like yesterday: )

See what I mean? All ordinary things... but somehow they combined forces to produce quite an excellent day! It is days like this one that remind me that I really like my life here in Oxford!

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[*] Pun intended.

It is 11:15pm. I cycled home from work forty-five minutes ago, with the shimmer of twilight still in the air. On my way, I caught a glimpse of the three day old moon smiling at Venus in the Western sky. Upon arriving at Skullcrusher Mountain, I did not go inside; instead, I summoned cheshcat to join me so that we could take a walk and enjoy the view of Moon and Venus in the 11pm twilight. Damn, but life is good.

Right now, so close to the solstice, sunset in Oxford comes at 9:27pm. I am basking in the abundance of light, and the joy of riding home[*] in such beauty after a productive day at work. Today, JI and I worked a twelve hour day, but we managed to pre-cool the K-400 cryostat with liquid nitrogen and then cool it with liquid helium all in the same day. First time we've done this -- that part of the process used to take two days. We're getting better all the time. And, in between doing all this, I still had time to take an ice cream break with cheshcat at G&D's this evening. And I had a good conversation with my lawyer about the new settlement offer that New York City has just made in my suit over being wrongfully arrested at the RNC.

I know, it really isn't a very exciting day -- doesn't make for a great story. But there's something about topping off a fulfilling day by taking a walk with my beloved and watching her smile that just fills me with a great feeling of contentment[**]. I promise to try to write soon about more interesting things, like the OUP summer ball on Saturday night or my Sunday outing in London with LS.

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[*] Note to resourceress: As the terror continues to fade, I am indeed getting enjoyment out of using my [as-yet unnamed] bicycle as my primary means of local transportation.

[**] Coming home to three loving kitties immediately afterward does not hurt any, either!