A Day in the Life...

2006-06-09T09:19:00.000+01:00

Yesterday we went to the beach!

After days and days and sun and saying "We should really go to the beach" we finally made it.

Of course, the saying, 'You learn something new everday' is so true. I think I learned one of the most important things I have learned while at university yesterday, on the beach, among friends. How to skim stones. A fairly key life skill I'm sure you'll agree and yet I have never been able to do it, but I can now!

Cricket in the sea was quite fun too. I have never been much good at cricket but it's definitely more fun and a little easier in the sea! I thoroughly recommend it.

Then there were the dogs and the rat! There was another group of three just along the beach from us and with them were their three pets (one quite large, one extremely small) and a rat. The rat spent some time in the sun held by one of the people before being returned to the safety - and security - of his cage. The big dog spent most of his afternoon being enouraged to go in, and indeed placed into, the sea. He had other ideas though and evidently thought they were out of their minds. Everytime he was put in the sea he swam straight back out. The little dog appeared to be drunk as it slept or stumbled around. I had commented how I could probably deal with a dog that size quite happily and if it was sat next to me that would be fine. The dog seemed to understand English and took that as an invitation; it stumbled and wobbled it's way towards me and then over the towel and me and off again!

So yes, a very fun enjoyable afternoon rounded off with cholesterol in a cone (aka a Devonshire ice-cream, with Devonshire clotted cream, and a flake)!

2006-05-20T23:14:00.000+01:00

I found my pigeon hole at work today.
It appears to be very useful as lots of important notes and communications were in it, some of the dating as far back as September. I should probably check it more regularly!

2006-05-19T17:05:00.000+01:00

I quite like the intellectual graffiti that one can observe on the walls of university toilet cubicles.

However, someone was clearly confused when he wrote the word "Communist" next to the suggestion that "David Cameron Rules".

2006-05-19T16:00:00.000+01:00

I am back doing theatre stuff again, which is great.

The university theatre company is doing a new writing festival. In other words six plays written, directed, produced and performed by students. I'm directing a short piece with the writer acting as a co-director. She finds it quite strange and, I suppose, quite magical to see her work (her words) being performed/acted and having her play directed.

I'm having fun working with ideas and experimenting again. Brings back memories of 'Fanshen' last year, as this is quite a surreal play too. We're enjoying that childish sort of excitement when you try things to see if they work; ending up either in hysterical giggles when it doesn't or feeling really quite smug when it does. Drama and theatre does prove whether or not you've grown up or whether you're still a child at heart (I'm glad that I'm discovering that I'm still a child!)

2006-05-07T07:08:00.000+01:00

Yesterday I attempted to do some recycling.

At about 10am, I looked out of the window and decided that it was pleasantly sunny and warm enough for the 15-minute walk across campus with a bag of newspapers to dump into the recycling bin. It was a very enjoyable walk.

However, imagine my surprise when on arriving at the recycling bin I discovered it to be padlocked shut! I attempted to prise it open but it was not going to give in. I have tried, without success, to work out the reason for padlocking a recycling bin. It is evidently not, I assume, to keep papers in, as you would also be unable to put them in the bin to start with. It is also unlikely that it's purpose is to prevent people from putting papers in the bin, as this would make the bin unecessary and pointless. Someone suggested that it could have been preventing against people setting alight to the bin of newspapers, but this does not explain how you are supposed to deposit newspapers for recycling in the first place.

Any suggestions for the reason would be gratefully received.