Lunch and Goldenford

[Anne Brooke]

Enjoyed the opera last night, but have to say it wasn’t the best production I’ve seen, and I was very tired, so found it hard to concentrate at all. The sets were nice and the singers were good – but I wasn’t convinced by the band. Not that I’m musical at all (heck, I can’t even read the stuff) but it just sounded off-key here and there to me. I was also a bit disappointed with the spectacle side of it – Ellen Kent operas usually have something exciting happening – eg real golden eagles, white stallions, whole circuses etc. Last night we had a fire eater, some pyrotechnics and a few dainty ballet dancers. Also there was a family in the row below us and along a bit with a young girl who just wouldn’t stop whispering all the way through. Really irritating behaviour. I’m sorry to sound fogey-ish, but I would never have got away with that when I was a gal. Thank goodness we were able to move along a bit after the first interval, and then they left after the second. Hurrah.
This morning, I have finished off the minutes for the Nursery Management Group, distributed the office’s P60s and had a long chat with the Head of Security about TV appearances (he’s done some in his anti-crime capacity) and strange meetings which don’t disappear from the calendar even though I’ve cancelled them. Sigh. My email system is just pants. I am also attempting to recharge my phone ready for my action-packed social weekend (which is becoming wilder by the second!) and I really must get some money out so I can actually eat.

Hmm, my legs are beginning to ache from yesterday’s exercise class too. Hope it stops there – I don’t want to be seized up like a rod over my action-packed weekend … Though I am having trouble actually walking. Groan.

Oh and someone came into the office to be introduced to everyone and find out what we do. We in the Student Care Services Central Team aren’t very good at this – we always look like we’re rabbits caught in the headlights of an oncoming Jag, and have no idea how to answer. I think this is actually my problem – my brain always goes blank if someone asks me what I do. Which can be awkward in meetings when we’re all being introduced round the table. When it comes to me, I find I have absolutely no idea. And am lucky to remember my own name. Now this is beginning to affect Ruth also, who used to be good at this kind of stuff. At least the Dean’s Office (good old Andrea!) can still sound like a professional. Perhaps the disease I appear to be spreading hasn’t caught up with her yet – she’s only been here a year. Anyway, we’ve decided that we need to practise for next time, so are hoping to persuade David to pop out of his office now and again and ask us both what we do. Not sure this will work, but at least we might know what the words should be, even if we can’t form the sentences.

Then lunch with Julia – very civilised indeed. And nice to catch up. Also amusing to watch the poor gal struggling to put a brolly up before dashing back out into our ongoing summer rain. Have you not opened a brolly before, Julia?!? Hope your finger survives, m’dear … I got cash out from the Students’ Union specially for lunch (though Julia bought – thank you!), but when I asked for a transaction slip, the machine gave me one, but with no writing on. Useful. Perhaps I should have asked for the printed version?...

Seem to have broken the blind again at work today. Hmm. I’m a demon with that window pole, I tell you. I will have to confess to Ruth when she returns from her meeting as she’s the only one of us with enough agility and courage to shin up to the top, using only a rubber band and her native wit, and fix it. We hope.

Tonight, I’m off minuting the Goldenford (http://www.goldenford.co.uk) meeting – if they ever make taking minutes an Olympic sport, I’m going for gold. Heck, I’m sure I’ve said that before, but I’m a sucker for repetition. I’m a sucker for … oh, sorry, getting a bit carried away there.

And after my desperate attempts to get back to writing, I’ve managed to do another 1,000 words or so to The Gifting, which brings me to c118,500 words. It looks like I will reach the magical 120,000 for a fantasy novel after all. Hurrah! And I have a whole new twist idea for the end. Double hurrah. Funny how ideas only ever seem to come, if they come at all, when I’m actually doing the physical act of writing. Never before it.

Today’s nice things:

1. Chatting in the office
2. Lunch with Julia
3. Goldenford.

Anne Brooke
http://www.annebrooke.com
http://www.pinkchampagneandapplejuice.com