Novel events, meetings and shopping

A mixed bag of a day today, and a real feeling of Monday gloom and existential terror. Dammit. How I hate days when I feel like this. I’ve taken my usual dose of Vitamin B Compound Strong tablets, 2 Quiet Life pills and several sprays of Rescue Remedy and am hoping for the best. I think I’m missing my Britebox light, which is currently with the neighbour who’s finding it helpful. Maybe I should buy another one?

In the meantime, here’s this morning’s meditation poem:

Meditation 57

In the midst
of all that sprinkling

of oil and blood
to purify the men

for their holy,
unknowable task,

it is of course
the women who do the washing.


Had my rescheduled meeting with Fiona in the English Department today to sort out the plans for the upcoming novel reading event on 10 February with Emma Darwin. I think we know what we’re doing – sort of. But what a lot there is to do, fun though it is. Fiona and I feel as if we’re putting on a show – let’s hope the audience don’t riot on the night. Mind you, with Emma it should be inspirational for sure!

And we’ve also had our first Steering Group meeting of 2009. So a set of minutes to write up at last – though my goodness it’s been tough getting back into the swing of this year, I can tell you. I also had the additional problem of the fact that my first pen ran out in the initial few minutes of the meeting. Then my spare pen wouldn’t work. So, desperate for ink, I ransacked my personal pen supply in my handbag, found one I liked the look of and began using that. Which was fine – just – although it gradually disintegrated in my hand. First the top came off, then the spring popped out and by the end of the meeting I was just left with the skeleton of the poor pen. I’m not sure I could have coped with a fourth version without reaching hysteria … A secretary’s lot is not a happy one.

I’m also worrying about vaccinations for our upcoming Istanbul holiday (booked at last, hurrah!) so will try to sort them out with the doctor sometime this week. Thanks to the lovely Monique at the University Health Centre, I at least know what I should be aiming for – much appreciated, Monique.

Tonight, I have the long, slow trawl through Tesco, double groan and someone pass me the Rescue Remedy spray again … Lordy, how I hate Mondays.

Today’s nice things:

1. Poetry
2. The normality of minutes
3. Pen shennanigans
4. Getting home, hurrah.

Anne Brooke
Anne's website - hoping the approaching light isn't an oncoming train ...