In which I have a delightfully boring day, and feel the need to tell you all about it.

[raven]

I am ever so slightly less pissed off today than I was yesterday. All the drunken people I shepherded independently became convinced of the need to feed me breakfast. I acquiesed without complaint. And I finished with my Economics this morning with a sudden observation: I have used more bad language in regards to Hal Varian, author of the textbook, than I have of anyone else in my life. He's "bloody Varian" as a matter of course, "fucking, fucking Varian" somewhere near the end of chapter thirty-two, and "that total arse" according to Claire, who doesn't even do Economics. Round about fifth week, we're planning to have a ritual burning. Page by page. (This week's brillance from that quarter: the entire chapter the man spends discussing the "Robinson Crusoe economy", where Robinson is the sole consumer, producer, firm and shareholder on the island, and presumbly its only schizophrenic, too.)

But I finished with him, the total bastard, and for the first time since 0th week, realised I didn't have any other work to do. It was a novel and remarkable feeling. Therefore, Claire and I went out onto Cornmarket and attempted to amuse ourselves. That was the plan; somehow we ended up on the High Street and I ran into kuteki. I'm proud to say I actually recognised her, and we had a sane conversation. See, I am capable of it. And then Claire and I did such interesting things as going to Sainsbury's and buying milk. Actually I did buy one interesting thing: I am now the proud owner of a Balliol hoodie for being grungey in. It's all snuggly and warm, and I've just noticed that the college crest, being a lion on red and gold, is more than a little Gryffindor-like.

But that, I think, was the most interesting thing that happened; beyond that, Claire and I chatted about crap, ripped CDs to iTunes, ate too many chocolate digestives, and looked at random websites. We spent a lovely evening a couple of nights ago doing nothing but looking at moon landing conspiracy sites, but did not reach those dizzy heights this time. After realising the college keep a comprehensive list of all the people who have died here and post it online, we had a deliciously morbid five minutes. My favourite is Thomas Somebody, who died in Balliol's garden quad in 1936, and then in bland parentheses, we have: "(probably murdered; unsolved mystery to this day)".

Such brilliance. I then discovered a very funny (and honestly fascinating) article on the Gordouli, which amused us for a further two minutes, and then I disappeared to wash my hair. Such a boring day, but so nice not to have work! And for some reason, Sundays are the designated day for sleeping and catching up on work, and the atmosphere is so wonderfully serene. One day, I will learn to write poetry, and then I will write a poem called "Sunday Morning In College" that attempts to capture that perfect autumn serenity. One day.

Talking of which, another thing that will keep me busy for the beginning of this week is my entry for the Isis Prize. I've finally thought of something to use for a prose entry, but I need to look something up in a particular book that I haven't brought up with me. I remembered this afternoon that this is no problem, the Bodleian is a copyright library. So I will pay it a visit some time tomorrow with Bod card in hand. I've never actually used my Bod card for its stated purpose. Shame on me.

So I apologise for the boringness. Tomorrow I will be fannish, at least if I make it to DocSoc after Logic; they're showing An Unearthly Child and Rose, in quick succession! It should be fun.

And now I'm going to do my ironing! Rock 'n' roll, indeed.

Comments

[pinkishmew.livejournal.com]

Oh, I had a really cool moment when I saw someone in London wearing a Loughborough University hoodie. I want one, dammit!

http://217.206.205.82/clubs_RenderPage.asp?clubid=4846&pageid=18052

Doesn't really show a proper one, but you get the idea.

[loneraven.livejournal.com]

Hee! I highly recommend them. *snuggles own hoodie*

[pinkishmew.livejournal.com]

[snuggles new hoodie] It is the comfiest thing I have ever owned, oh yes.

[jacinthsong.livejournal.com]

Iona, will you call me an axe-grinding pedant for muttering about how schizophrenia has nothing to do with split personalities? Sorry. Pet peeve of mine.

I want a college hoodie, but am probably going to have to bat eyelashes at parents or other People With Money to get one after having spent such a ridiculous amount of money lately. They look so comfy and warm, too. *pines* And I had a little game of Varian-insulting with a random E&Mer whilst cooking earlier and thought of you!

[loneraven.livejournal.com]

I'll introduce you to hathy_col, who will be along shortly with a sharper axe to grind. Truthfully, I did know that; I wanted the sentence to scan better. :)

What's Wadham's crest like? Hogwartish? The hoodie is the most comfortable thing in the world. I'm actually sleeping in it, because my room is freezing.

Hey, you must join us when we burn him! Incomprehensible page by incomprehensible page!

[jacinthsong.livejournal.com]

OK. I can't not snap at even the nicest people misusing terms like that after growing up with psychiatrists and having less than perfect mental health myself. Same sort of Pavlovian wince as 'gay' as an insult causes, I think.

Woe, my Wadham icon is no more, but I can show you the crest anyway - college loyalty all the way <3 (http://www.varsityshop.co.uk/view/0803/Wadham/WadhamScarf.jpg) And I'm torn between "but, but, burning books is wrong! also I need it to revise for Prelims" and "BURN, BABY, BURN"...;)

[loneraven.livejournal.com]

Just to set your mind at rest: I know that MPD involves multiple personalities, and schizophrenia much more generalised disorder. Sadly I grew up with gynaecologists, who are far less forthcoming about their work (and perhaps they should be, in retrospect).

Woe! Your poor icon. Who needs houses when we have college rivalries? :)

It is, technically, against my religion to burn books; I am still tempted to burn one copy, to symbolise all of our copies and curse the man's name as the sparks fly upwards. Or something like that. *g*

[ladyfalcon.livejournal.com]

I'm going to assume that a chocolate digestive is nothing at all like a chocolate laxative chewable, no matter that that's the only thing I can think of that they sound like.

Are they tasty?

[loneraven.livejournal.com]

*g* Oh, dear, definitely not. Digestives are heavy flat biscuits. The chocolate ones are covered on one side with flat milk chocolate, and they are rather nice (http://www.thewhitewhale.com/products/mcvities-milk-chocolate-caramel-digestives.htm).

[hathy-col.livejournal.com]

The sentence does scan in a lovely way, it is just WRONG I SAY. I keep on doing this at people who do not know my upbringing and it confuses people a lot. Bleargle.

I have bad feelings towards the Bodleian library. It is referenced in every damn work on damned Charlemagne known to man, and trust me, this is not a good inference. STOP LIBRARY-DROPPING BAD BAD PEOPLE. But I am sure it is lovely and I'm quietly jealous, as our library is lovely but spread out across three different sites and the main one? Is 1960s decor. 'Nuff said.

[loneraven.livejournal.com]

I know your upbringing and I expected the backlash. :) Also, your upbringing is apparently contagious; have met someone else with both parents as psychiatric nurses at Ashworth!

As for the Bod, in reading week, I'll smuggle you in and you shall see the gorgeousness. I was there today and if you could marry a building, I would. How come it's being referenced? Just because it's a copyright library?

[hathy-col.livejournal.com]

ALL THE TIME.

"In Libris Dictatum (Bod. 345982) something something..."

Or in the prefaces: "I am grateful to the Bodleian..."

It just leads me to think that if I actually want to do history of any sort, I need to be able to use the Bodleian. Expect hysterical messages from me begging to send you to the library...

Did the Corn Laws thingie help, by the way? That was all I could remember off the top of my head, I'm afraid.

[loneraven.livejournal.com]

Did I not reply to that? *smacks forehead* It was incredibly useful. Everyone else was nodding and going "aaaah", while I was scratching my head and blinking. Apparently the Corn Laws represent an artificial demand curve, or something, and thank you, you saved me trawling through many books for one snippet of info.

Like I said before, I will smuggle you into the Bod. Somehow.