Thursday, December 27
Take every opportunity...
I'm also glad that I told her I loved her many, many times.
" In a man's life, his time is but a moment, his being a mere flux, his senses a dim glimpse, his body food for the worms, and his soul a restless eddy … the things of the body pass like a flowing stream; life is a brief sojourn, and one's mark in this world is soon forgotten."
Marcus Aurelius
Sunday, December 23
How to cook a Polar Bear
[Global warming notwithstanding, it does seem rather gratuitious, to make a hottie out of an Artic animal!]
Friday, December 21
Some people don't get out enough....
But what does it say about me that I find this entry rather funny?
Tuesday, December 18
The Joy of Lego
This time of year always makes me think about Lego, as my bro. always used to request some huge set or other.
My Uncle found some of our Lego behind his sofa a few years ago. The pieces has telltale bite marks on them. Jerry used to hate me doing it, but how else do you get the damn bricks apart?
Thursday, December 13
Wednesday, December 12
A little note about anger
There is an exercise in the book about dealing with supressed anger with a person (which is for one's own benefit, not their's):
- Have a dialogue with them in your mind, say what you want to say, and let them talk back.
- Ring them up and arrange a meeting. Explain that you want to clear the air.
- Read the rest of the chapter before the meeting.
You turn the page, and the author says "Bet you didn't do it!" - and you know what? I hadn't!
There is someone I have a lot of anger towards. It all built up inside me and I ended up leaving a very angry and upset message on their mobile phone, and I haven't seen or heard from them since.
Am I brave enough to call them and arrange a meeting? I can't help feeling that it would just rake over old coals and do more damge than good. And yet, the anger and hurt I feel gnaws away at me like a sore tooth and comes up at the strangest times.
So watch this space...
Eco-card
What do you think?
Monday, December 10
Radical Honesty Conti.
As previously blogged the push behind radical honesty isn't a moral one, but rather a psycholological/health one. Interestingly, like the meditation techniques I learnt (and have let lapse!) last year, it anchors you in present experience - training you to ignore the evaluative voice in the back of the mind.
In trying to tell the truth at all times, it's made me evaluate why and when I lie. It's always because of how I THINK others are going to react to the truth, whether it's my slightly 'sexing up' an anecdote or trying to hide the fact the reason I'm not hungry is because I've been stuffing chocolate all afternoon. I want/need people to like me, to approve of me. And in the past that's meant my trying to hide my struggles, until I can't hold on any longer and break down or blow up.
So, in order to avoid the anticipated bad reaction (even if it's not an angry outburst, just a change in their view of me) - I blurt out some lie, which most of the time is so poor that it's seen through at once. Leading to guarenteed bad reaction/relationship breakdown. Or in order to make sure that people continue to want to spend time with me, I feel that I need to supply 'material' to keep them amused and to ignore my needs and feelings.
My plan, such as it is, is to keep on with the radical honesty, and monitor the consequences.
Sunday, December 9
Deck the Halls..
Thursday, December 6
I sold my soul to the IEEE
In theory it would be nice if all content/software/hardware was compatible with each other - hence standards. But who decides? We mainly have to think about SCORM - there are a number of different standards bodies fighting it out, including the US Defense Department, before you even think about all various interested parties in the industry. My friend Andrew chairs and industry software standard committee and I really feel for him. I need to understand this stuff to test if our products are compliant, but as no-one has yet agreed what they have to be complaint with, it's all a bit Kafkaesque.
In the meantime I'll listen to the nice CD I was given as a late birthday present and devise tests to make sure students can't do evil things to each others avatars.
Note to self: Don't listen to Johnny Cash singing 'One' at work - audible sobbing tends to spook your colleagues.
Wednesday, December 5
There once was a Lucy in Old Amsterdam...
- 'Our Lord in the Attic', a wonderful hidden Catholic church
- The Old Church
- A canal cruise
- The Rijksmuseum, it's being refurbished but has a 400 piece masterpieces exhibition
- The Katten Kabinet (see two living exhibits above), the oil painting of Stalin with a tabby has to be seen to be believed
- The History of Amsterdam museum
- The Rembrandt House, the highlight for me, lots of wonderful etchings. But then, I'm about the only person who would take up an invite to "come up and see [my] etchings".
- Van Gogh musuem, absolutely heaving so heaven knows what it's like in the summe
Thursday, November 22
Authenticity and Radical Honesty
The Boy heard an interview with the Dr Brad Blandon. He advocates what he calls radical honesty - to tell the truth at all times. Not from some Kantian imperative, but because it is more psychologically healthy. This includes social 'white lies'. I don't want to give the impression that I'm a total miscreant, but I do lie (hard to believe I know), to myself as well as others. So I've decided to implement radical honesty for a week. I wonder if anyone will notice.
Tuesday, November 20
Miss T 'at home'
Wednesday, November 14
Which Puppy for Anastasia?
Tuesday, November 13
More on creatures I detest...
Saturday, November 10
Cat Torture
Picture Perfect
Wednesday, November 7
News from the Asylum
As a result the entire team is completely bonkers – the machine room with all the testing kit in it isn’t called The Asylum for nothing!
However, I’ve had more fun in the last few days than I’ve had in ages, wiggling cables; troubleshooting networks; baiting engineers and doing more registry editing than I’ve done in a lifetime! I think I’m going to like it here.
PS If you want to know more about Moby the duckling, like Lorna, he has his own blog.
Tuesday, November 6
Creatures I detest...
- Slugs
- Snakes
- Tigers
- Killer whales
- Sharks
- Leopard seals
- Rats
- Wasps
- Insects that bite and sting
- Men who prey on unhappy, lonely women
And I'm not that keen on gerbils or Tories.
Sunday, November 4
Season of Mists...
Thursday, November 1
A Poor Crop
However, this was our ENTIRE aubergine crop!
Ah well, at least the cavolo nero is going strong (and very tasty) and The Boy has put some purple sprouting broccoli in. What with that, and the SINGLE butternet squash we grew, we have some produce from the garden.
Next year we will DO BETTER. After our trip to Kew I am determined to grow lots and lots of chillies. Plus some more of those lovely golden pear tomatoes, as well as the usual cherry toms, cut 'n' come again salad leaves, courgettes and squash.
Who knows? The mushroom logs may even have a crop 8-)
Tuesday, October 30
The Other Lucy Traves
BTW - this isn't the Traves coat of arms, you can find that here.
Reasons (for me) to be cheerful
As The Boy has commented, it's a horrible time of year, and we have had some bad news of late. In the spirit of following my own advice - here a few little things that have been pleasing me lately. Feel free to add some of your own.
- I've planted lots of bulbs, it's going to be lovely in the Spring
- My Christmas cake is baked, and ready to be 'fed' under the stairs
- The inclement weather means that I'm wearing my boot collection, most of which have heels, and I can tower of my colleagues
- My sister's birthday, my Uncle John's birthday, the Welshman's birthday, Cari's birthday, my birthday, Fr Rattue's birthday, Dr Bones' birthday, my brother's birthday and my name-day are all coming up
- It's a new academic year, which means it's a new business year at work, and so there are lots of new projects coming up
- Lorna is cracking on with my portrait
- The Archers is now available as a podcast
- A kind friend picked up some Assam tea for me from Cardrews yesterday. After a week drinking Earl Grey I was in sore need of it. I'll drink any old tea (well not quite ANY OLD Lorna) when I'm out, but when I'm home 'proper' tea is important to my wellbeing
- I’ve picked up a pile of books from a colleague at work for next to nothing
- Vince Cable has shown some backbone by refusing to meet King Faud
Saturday, October 27
Wednesday, October 17
A wee bit of advice...
It was led me to thinking about other advice I've been given...that works...
From my Mother:
- Never trust a dog with ginger eyebrows
- Never trust a man who wears a cravat (Jimmy Muir proves the rule!)
- Never agree to date a man you've only ever seen in black tie
From my Grandpa
- There's always time for a cup of tea
- Scrimp on the food but never on the wine
- Cheap shoes are a false economy
And my advice to you
- Never leave a hamster with your contact lenses
Tuesday, October 16
Scottish Thoughts...
Sunday, October 14
Rudding Park - in God's own county
Peter and his staff (especially the laconic Felipe in the bar) made us feel really welcome. The chocolate, toffees and little ladybird massage thing were all nice touches, but sybarite that I am I think I'll recall 'The Cheese Experience' for some time to come.
Saturday, October 13
Tuesday, October 9
More Memories...
Chatham Historic Dockyard
I was rather taken with the figurehead on HMS Gannet...(esp. the feet)