Wednesday, April 23, 2008

A Starbucks crisis, unusual reading matter and a possible night out

Just as we got used to the sun, the rain has returned in all its glory. It’s so dark outside the office window that it might as well be the middle of the night. Perhaps we’re all on Australian time now? We may even be having their winter. Anyway, I’ve rung Mother who’s just got back from her first post-op holiday and it’s all gone very well, hurrah. So she might feel confident enough to go abroad next year, or even later on in this year, depending on how things go. That’s good news then.

In the meantime, we trudge on in our day though, to be fair, it’s actually quite quiet on campus at the moment – students are poring over their exam timetables so have no thought to spare for anything else. And the same is true of the academic staff. I’m hoping to go for a walk at lunchtime, but if the rain keeps up, I might have to think of something else to do. I have to get out of the office if I can though – it clears the brain. UPDATE: the weather cheered up, thank goodness, and the lunchtime walk was much-needed. Though I don’t know if it’s pepped my brain up much.

Tonight Lord H and I are supposed to be out to dinner at the Mythos Greek Restaurant in Cranleigh but we’ve heard nothing from our friends who were in charge of booking it, so it’s anyone’s guess as to whether we’ll actually get there or not. I’ve sent an email asking if they’d like us to pick them up and what time that should be, but no response. If it gets to 8pm and all is still silent, then it’s fish, pasta and an early night, Carruthers. UPDATE: We're going so best brush my hair - soon!

Oh and I finally got round to watching “Wedding Date” on the video last night – I really enjoyed it. Romance, comedy and Debra Messing. What more could you want? The bloke playing the lead was pretty hot too, but to my shame I don’t remember who he was. I was so impressed by it all that I’ve even added the book on which the film is based – Asking for Trouble by Elizabeth Young – to my Waterstone’s wish list. Yes, I have now entirely given up ordering any books from ruddy Amazon at all. It’s not my usual dark and dangerous reading matter, I have to admit – but what the heck. I’m allowed a slushy sassy moment once in a while.

Back in the office, Ruth and I are pretty much on our own today and desperate for a Starbucks special to warm us up – but everyone is having the same thought, darnit, and the queues are too damn long! UPDATE: we managed to infiltrate the queue and I ordered a frappucino, hoping it would be a nice hot caramel flavoured coffee. Um, not. Once again, I have been stymied by the complexities and modernity of Starbucks – nobody told me a frappucino is ice cream! It is now terrifying me, like some huge alien beast from a very cold planet sitting on my desk. Which often happens of course, here in the University outback. I’ve managed a few teaspoonfuls of the beast and have now put it in the fridge, hoping I might feel more kindly disposed to it later. Hey ho. Next time, I’ll order something I understand. Oh how I long for the old days when a cup of coffee was … um … hot. And I think I’m nursing a cold, groan. Echinacea pills, here I come.

And here’s an office poem, of all things:

My strange yet compelling relationship with my staple remover

It's a small tiger -
black mane, silver jaw -
biting the noses
of people at work I don't like.

It's the thing I fiddle with
when there's nothing to do:

sharp incisors
graze my skin,
baptism of self-inflicted
bearable pain.

A barrier between me
and the outside world.

Teeth tear into paper,
liberate thought
back to the air
it came from.

My boss doesn't like it:
uses paperclips.



Today’s nice things:

1. Mother’s successful holiday
2. A quiet campus
3. Poetry.

Anne Brooke
Anne's website
Goldenford Publishers

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