Great word

HUBRIS

Pronunciation: \ˈhyü-brəs\
Function: noun
Etymology: Greek hybris
Date: 1884
: exaggerated pride or self-confidence
— hu·bris·tic \hyü-ˈbris-tik\ adjective

Sunday cheers and jeers

It's been a busy week, so here are a few thoughts to wrap it up, and to get ready for the new week ahead...

Cheers to Jamie Roberts who completed the Country Music Marathon & 1/2 Marathon yesterday as part of Team Hammock. Amazing Jamie inspires us all with her commitment to excellence and the finesse she adds to all she does (and she has a lot on her plate). Well done, Jamie...

Cheers to myself for finally taking the time to watch Bed and Board, or Domicile Conjugal if you don't rely on the translations. The film engaged me on many levels, like the mesmerising use of Paris as the setting, the beautiful couple who are the main characters, the story of wanting something because you can't have it, and Francois Truffaut's beautiful directing. There's a scene where a bundle of tulips offers hidden written messages and although I don't have the sophistication to explain it in writing, it's fantastic...

Cheers to the Old Bailey for putting over 210,000 case transcripts on-line, free of charge to view. Thank you, thank you, thank you...

Jeers to today's oil refinery strikers. I's already a difficult time for lots of people and the feeling of political hopelessness is gaining credibility; why make it worse by striking?

The beautiful St Martin in the Fields

St Martin in the Fields has just reopened after a long renovation and restoration project. I am very much looking forward to visiting next time I'm in town...

Teachers' strike

Yesterday we had a national teachers' strike, which was applied in various percentages across the country. At my work, most departments didn't join in but the ones who did were on a picket line at the front of the college during rush hour. To get to the staff carpark I had to drive through the picket line, where teachers were stopping cars and knocking on windows so they could distribute NUT flyers about the strike. Quite honestly, this was not cool with me because although I know these teachers and work with them within the college, I find striking manipulative and ineffective in this case, since the only people to suffer are the students. So, I didn't put my window down and I didn't collect literature from any of the strikers, and felt generally crabby this was the start to my work day. And please don't let this be a sign of things to come...

Discussed at work

This afternoon the big question in the office was when to use "which" and when to use "what" when creating survey questions. After much discussion, I consulted Oxford Wordpower (the most appropriate reference book we've got on the shelves) and found which is used when there is a limited group to choose from in the answer, such as: Which is your favourite car, a two-door or a four-door? What is used when the group is not limited, such as: What is your name?

I feel so much better knowing the answer to this.

LiS, Birmingham

Yesterday my very nice boss and I went to the LiS in Birmingham. We spent most of the day speaking with vendors (it's amazing all the attention you get when you say you are creating a brand new learning centre on a new college campus in only two years) and going to presentations. Of all I saw, I was most impressed with the products offered by Texthelp Systems and all the RFID systems, especially by Intellident.

We got lots of free pens from vendors, always a good thing...

Still buzzing from last night

On a beautiful London evening, last night I got to attend the Simon Armitage event at the RSA. It was to celebrate his Gig book (the one I've already read and have been talking about for weeks) and it was a very good evening. His presentation style is low-key but incredibly focused, and his comments don't waste a word or contain any hesitations. His straight-forward statements included some witty bits (which I love), and he came across as very sure of himself but never cocky.

I am a very happy woman today (aside from last night's Pennsylvania results).

Shakespeare's party

Today Bailey and I headed to Shakespeare's Globe to get in on the birthday celebrations. It was a party atmosphere around the Globe, with balloons, flowers, tons of people, singing, custumes on display, mock sword fights (what's a birthday party without a little violence?), tours, games, contests, and a great vibe. We had some great fun.

I hope the pics show it. Images include Bailey in the queue outside the Globe (showing a bit of thatch on the theatre roof), a mock sword fight, and Bailey at the rose-covered Globe gate.

We used our afternoon in London to take care of some business, like collecting tickets to the Simon Armitage event at the RSA on Tuesday 22 April (I can't wait!!) and collecting our Eurostar tickets from St Pancras for our trip in mid-May. So much to look forward to...

This week's important celebrations

This coming week contains the birthdays of three very important people, William Shakespeare, my eldest brother Greatful Ted, and my dear friend, artist and bon vivant Eric Rutledge. Happiest of birthdays to these three influential men, and since Shakespeare has already met his maker, happy celebrations to everyone joining in on his party.

(sorry, guys, I'd love to include a photo of you three together but since that's impossible, I offer this black and white of Shakespeare, dark under-eye circles and all)

Perfect Portions

I've now lost 65 pounds and with a bit more to go, I'm starting the long learning process of how to manage portions (just one of the many lessons I need to master). One book that is helping is Perfect Portion, a fab DK publication with photos of the "perfect" portion size of all kinds of food. There are even easy to remember measurement standards, to remind you what a portion size really is. Thank you Linda Gassenheimer for this practical and simple reference tool.

Blunt words

Yesterday I had a bit of time to read the latest issue of The New Yorker (latest for me, which is one issue behond because I'm on the international subscription circuit) whilst sitting in the parents' gallery at Bailey's gynmastics class. One of the articles I finished was Steve Coll's Comment column in The Talk of the Town, entitled Military Conflict. It's a concise,unbiased and straightforward assessment of funding the current war, and a summary that I think should be required reading by all US citizens (except President Bush, who, if he could comprehend the above-5th-grade reading level, would simply deny it all anyway). For anyone who wonders why the States is in an economic downturn (and lots of countries who follow that lead), this article makes it pretty clear; funding an expensive military campaign for the past five years, without an end in sight, will drain any economy, even the mighty USA's.

Friday morning

We are at the end of a week that included another round of tonsillitis for Bailey (she's been home from school for the last two days and isn't at all happy about it). Simon and I have dealt with crazy busy work schedules in our respective workplaces, BP Shipping and WHC. We also received news that one family friend is nearing the end of his battle with cancer and another dear family friend has been diagnosed with glaucoma. These issues of course put all the other trivial daily stuff in perspective, but my heart is heavy for our friends.

Last night I finished Gig: The Life and Times of a Rock-star Fantasist. I could hardly put it down and it was the first non-fiction title in a long (ever??) to make me really laugh, cry, underline passages and ponder my own mortality (yes, I do that on my own but not after reading non-fiction by a popular poet).

As if Simon Armitage doesn't already do everything cool and interesting, he's started a band, The Scaremongers. Give them a listen...

I didn't realise my music was peppered with so many expletives

Now that I'm using my iPod for all-day music enjoyment (thanks to the car adaptor Simon gave me for my birthday and the home speakers I purchased over the Easter break) I find myself diving at the next track button far more than I ever anticipated. This is due to expletive-filled lyrics. I had no idea the magnitude of the concern, because since becoming a parent my music life has remained private (or at least amongst adults). Since becoming a parent, all public music has been child-friendly, either being child-oriented music (like endless renditions of nursery rhymes) or adult music of no blatent offense (Ella Fitzgerald, Johnny Cash, XTC, the Monkees, various G-rated film soundtracks, and I could go on). Not so anymore and Bailey is rather confused why I'm running toward the remote control at regular intervals (I've told her the track has skips in it...sometimes you have to go for the easiest option).

No one told me being a parent was going to involve this type of life editing...

Flowers in our front "garden"

Calling the patch of soil at the front of our house a garden is optimistic at the least, but we are managing to get some gorgeous tulips right now (thanks to all the planting a few months ago). Here's a great pic of it all, including Bailey ready for school.

Why I'm reserved about discussing my love of Ryan Adams

I've loved Ryan Adams' music for a long time. I think his Love is Hell two-parter (well, in two parts when it was released here but now I see it's all on one hell CD) confirmed my love for him, but it had been developing for a while before that. Now, even with the country-music leanings, I still think he's the cat's pajamas. Even with all this adoration, I don't talk to many about my feelings because I live in constant fear someone will mis-hear and think I'm speaking in glowing terms of Bryan Adams. Last night Simon made a simple joke about this, when the family was listening to my iPod and Bailey asked who was singing World War 24 , I replied Ryan Adams, and so Simon said, "BRYAN Adams is mummy's favourite singer. Don't forget it." How can I live under that type of horrible misunderstanding?? Even the joke made me very nervious, because all I can imagine is someone arranging for Bryan Adam to sing at my funeral because of all the times people heard how much I loved him...

Good-bye dear friends

With the elimination of chemical colourings (called E numbers) in food on the horizon, the Guardian asks what chemically-enhanced treats we will miss the most. I too will miss the battenberg, oh!, and pink wafers too...

The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency

Over Easter the BBC broadcasted their film adaptation of The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith. We saved it and just watched it this week, and I must say it was really well done. It was Anthony Minghella's final film before his untimely death and just beautiful to watch. And as if I wasn't already engaged, late in the film a baddie played by Idris Elba was introduced. I was thrilled!

By the way, I'd love to be a private detective.

Foody pleasures

I'm still on my hardcore nutritional programme (the one I started in the beginning of January... I've lost 58 pounds thus far so I'm not at all complaining) so food and drink related pleasures have been nil. OK, that's not completely accurate because I can have black coffee and have been enjoying that when possible. My fav coffee at the moment is courtesy of Fortnum & Mason, their PicKadilly Blend. It is gorgeous and a cup of it is a very civilised way to start the day.

Super spy

Although I do pride myself on being an amateur detective, I've never done this (and I certainly hope spouse hasn't done it to me...).

Exploding (stink) bombs

This afternoon I was working at our Cassio campus and got to experience real live stink bombs for the first time. The explosion was silent but the aftermath was hideous. Some pranky students detonated them pretty much all over campus. I've never smelled anything so disgusting.

Sunday in London

After our snowy start on Sunday, Bailey and I headed into London, to the Peacock Theatre to see the English National Ballet's Angelina Ballerina show. It was a full house (lots of yummy mummies, of course) and everyone seemed to enjoy it. My only complaint? I couldn't take coffee into the theatre (even though all the kiddies had food and drink galore).

After the ballet, we headed to Liverpool Street to visit the Spitalfields Market. I hadn't been there in years and was thrilled to see the changes; lots of eateries and shops in addition to the market stalls. Although it was still bone cold by that time of day, we had a good browse through the funky clothes (and I got some fab skirt bargains...market stalliers are still willing to haggle, I'm pleased to report) and organic food.

Monday morning and back to reality. Bailey is back to school today (she can't wait!) and I'm back to work (I'm not as excited but I'll be fine by 8:30AM...).

Back home and in the snow

This morning we awoke to a bunch of snow, even more than we had on Easter. Bailey made the most by running around in the garden before breakfast (whilst I was inside, making coffee).

As I previously wrote, this week we were up in Yorkshire. We headed up on Wednesday and went straight to the National Media Museum in Bradford. I was so relieved to get out of the car; the M1 is an efficient motorway but boring to drive so our arrival in Bradford was a huge relief. The National Media Museum is cool. I could've spent much more time there than we did, but am pleased to say we watched a National Geographic IMAX film titled Lions 3D, and got to see the Henri Carier-Bresson Scrapbook exhibition.

My impressions of Bradford? Really nice people (everyone we met was smiley and chatty...one stranger even volunteered to take a photo of Bailey and I together. I thought that was something only Americans did). Really difficult parking (with a huge university, all the city-centre stuff and lots of people living in the area, parking was very difficult to find. It's far easier to park in London).

We moved from there to our accommodation, the Cedar Court Hotel in Huddersfield. I had selected this hotel because they offered a pool, which I thought would make swimming-mad Bailey very happy. I was right about Bailey thinking this was the coolest hotel in the universe and, again, we had incredibly warm interactions with everyone we met. Nice people AND got to swim. How great is that?

The primary purpose of this trip was to see our friend Debs and her family. Debs and I met as librarians long before we had children and still keep in touch, even though she and her husband Colin moved up north just after they had their first child. Debs, Colin and the boys live in Mirfield, a gorgeous village with beautiful views just about everywhere. Although we sadly missed seeing Colin (he's got the skills to pay the bills, so he was at work), we did get to have some quality time with Debs, James and the newest member of the family, baby Thomas. Getting to hang out with good friends is great for the spirit, and this visit was a real treat.

Friday brought us to the end of our trip, so we spent the morning with Debs and the boys then headed across the Pennines to see Bailey's grandparents. We got to use the fab M62, a road that takes you straight through the mountains and offers the highest motorway peak in England. We made it to Jack and Jean's in Atherton where Bailey had a lively and fun visit with her grandparents, and I got to relax amongst family.

Our drive home was long and not very speedy, due to Friday traffic and major roadworks on the M1 near our part of the world. I've lived in this country long enough to know Friday is the worst day for traffic, and you may as well count on a 2 hour journey taking at least twice as long just because of the day of the week.

Heading to Huddersfield

Today Bailey and I are headed Yorkshire way, to see friends and do a little site seeing. Today's first stop will be the National Media Museum in Bradford. We've got afternoon tickets to an IMAX film, and I am very much looking forward to seeing the museum's photography collection.

We'll be back home on Friday...

A powerful read

Alice Walker drives it home with an open letter to women.

Monday's outings for young and old

Yesterday's activities were divided by day and night. Bailey and I spent all of yesterday at Whipsnade Zoo, with her baby friends (our post-natal group). Bailey's had the treat of going to this zoo a few times, and this was my second time. This was by far my best visit, mainly because we made most of the dry weather and walked all over the zoo. Although I'm aware this area is not the natural habitat for any of these animals, it is really nice to see the animals spread out over so much land (with the beautiful landscape of the Dunstable Downs). There's just a really good vibe of humans visiting the animals, instead of the animals being on display. This is still the feeling when you visit the other ZSL in Regent's Park. They obviously do their best for the animals in London but they simply can't give the residents the space available at Whipsnade.

By night, as Bailey slept, I went into London to see God of Carnage at the Gielgud Theatre. Yes, I was drawn to it by the good reviews and the cast including Ralph Fiennes, but the story and acting gave me a completely enjoyable theatre evening. I did have a front-row centre seat (when I sat down, this seemed way too close but it ended up being perfect) so I saw it all and loved every minute of it. The story has a dark side and that was the part that kept me engaged, and the humour was so close to the bone, I was laughing and covering my face at the same time. As a spouse, I saw a bit of myself in the female characters and a bit of my husband in the male characters, and this is why the face covering instinct kicked in, I'm sure. If you get the chance, go see this one.