Batman and I have just seen the end of ET, which is the first film that I ever saw in the cinema (in Larne). Do I even need to say how good it was? I am troubled tonight, though, for I am now clearly considerably older than Elliott’s mother.
When…
…do I grow a Mammy eye in the back of my head?
Embrace your inner geek
I was at a meeting today in the lab where I will be working. I go to these occasional meetings to try to frighten myself into doing some reading, as the new lab has some common ground with my previous research, but not a lot. Today was terrifying, as I truly did not understand either of the two presentations. The pictures were good, though. Oh, look at the pretty green blobs! And the red blobs!
The best bit of the day, the moment when I suddenly felt like someday I’d fit in, was when there was a discussion about needing a new liquid nitrogen storage container for some various wotsits. The chat was about the price of such items:
“Well, the one we got for that other project wasn’t too bad. I think it was about £900.”
“How big was it?”
“It was about (indicates with hand), you know, this high, R2-D2 high.”
I love it already.
Good things, bad things
I thought it might be fun to come over all Transatlantic and see what I could be thankful for, given that a couple of weekends ago was Thanksgiving in Canada, where I spent such happy times. (In honour of my favourite holiday, I made a vast dinner for us and Jeff’s family. Thanksgiving is my favourite holiday because it involves an enormous dinner, a gentle snooze on the sofa, and that’s it. No cards/presents/nonsense. Truly excellent.) Of course, my Norn Ironish sensibilities forbid me from being thankful unless I can also think of something bad as well.
I am definitely going dotty. Batman and I went up to the airport today to meet his two sisters, who were arriving separately from England and then travelling together to the Fatherland i.e. Derryhi. In my defence, now, it was very wet and misty. I saw a plane and remarked was it not coming in at a very odd angle. Said Batman, “Ah, well, that would be because it is taking off,” thus explaining why it was pointing upwards. To his credit, he did not add, “you numpty/womble/twit”, which is what I would have said if I’d been him and he’d been me, and he (as me) had said what I’d said; or if I’d been me and he’d been him and he’d said what I’d said.
In case the point of this is unclear, the good things were seeing my nice sisters-in-law, and not being ragged by Batman for being a twit.
I have been purchasing things on the Hinternet. It is quite bad. The problem is that I cannot remember the course and relations of the aorta, but I can recall my credit card number, expiry date and security code with absolutely no difficulty whatsoever. I have been exercising my very small self control muscle, with only some success. This month I have bought:
- a secret thing that Batman doesn’t know about, but it might be a handbag. Actually, it might not be a handbag, it is more like a new briefcase for work, but just a bit less square than the one I have been using for the last eight or nine years. See how I am trying to justify it? Also see how sad I am that I think a new work bag is a cause for celebration? But it is a secret, so don’t tell Batman or he will think I have lost my marbles.
- a 2012 diary. It is violet, with a cunning elastic to hold it closed, and lots of room for notes. I am trying not to think it is wasteful because the College (of Surgeons, another of the outfits of which membership is compulsory, fees are high and benefits are…) send a diary every year, but have made theirs small enough to be inconvenient. See how I am trying to justify…
- another secret thing that Batman is getting in his Christmas stocking. It is small but quite cool, not unlike the Boy Wonder.
- a high chair (although that is out of family funds and not my account, so it doesn’t really count).
- a lot of beads. More later about the beads.
- two lovely wooden toys. Because this house needs more junk. But they were heavily reduced in the sale. See how I am jus…
Oh dear, that is quite a lot for someone who is on holiday. I think I maybe should do something like Ganching’s John Lewis list, but in an effort to shame myself into not buying so much stuff. Oh dear, oh dear.
What I done did on me holidays
Yes, it has been a while. Would you rather the full unadulterated or the Reader’s Digest version? Hmm, thought you might prefer the latter. Well, then, here’s what I have been at:
- Actually, what I have not been at was properly backing-up my blog and I have therefore lost all of it. I am at fault, and I deserved it. It is a nice outlet for my background guilt complex. It is time for a reinvention, in the manner of Stars In Their Eyes. I will be coming over all Madonna or Lulu or Kourtney in a minute. Or whatever.
- Becoming an Auntie. Excellent! Also a Godmother. Am awaiting the wings. They are very slow to grow. I should have known that from my previous Godmotherly outings. Jeff (previously known as The Sister; I have a feeling she’ll be featuring more often and Jeff is faster to type. Pls. see Dramatis Personae) and I have been enjoying a lot of time together.
- Been ill for exactly 241 days. Really not properly ill, just permanently bilious and sick and yuk to the point of wanting to fall into a hole and never come out. But then this happened:
- I had a baby!
- Given up any pretence that I was ever interested in clothes. I now don’t wear anything unless it is sporting a boke stain, a dried patch of pee, or both.
- Got a new job. I am still an indentured surgical trainee, but only half the time. The other half, I am going to be back in the University, footering away in the lab. Oh joy! I’ve not started yet; I’m not going back to work until next year, I hope.
- Eaten a lot of buns, pie, cake and other items of a fattening nature.
- Stopped eating items of a fattening nature. This is a work in progress.
- Considered what to do with this here blog. I’ve missed it, and all the Dear Readers.
- I can really only think of nine general things.
Erm, hello?
Yes. I have been away for a very long time. I am back now. Is anyone still there?