"Here comes the sun, do do do dooo"

Well, just when we'd all got used to the snow, we've had the most amazing couple of days in the East Midlands. The sun has shone almost continuously and, had you visited Chez Warden at lunchtime today, you would have found us sitting in t-shirts on our balcony. Now we live on the fourth floor so our balcony is really quite high. Not for the faint-hearted, but sitting with my back against the warm stone drinking Pepsi Max (slightly warmed in the sun) and reading a couple of excellent books I really could not have been happier. Here's to more sunshine to come over the summer.

Had a jolly evening with the folks from the department last night. D got to meet my work colleagues and we ended up tackling topics as varied as the election, university politics and the relevance (or otherwise) of the work of Zelda Fitzgerald. We got back just before one to find out that Tiger was still doing well. We'll see how he gets on tonight.

Am reading a very interesting book currently entitled How Proust Can Change Your Life by Alain de Botton (Rach, if you read this, I will return this book to you when next in Auld Reekie...I promise!). Now, it is with shame that I admit to never having read a Proust novel. But this book looks at some of Proust's ideas and, in very vibrant prose, writes what is really a self help book of sorts. I really enjoyed the chapter on slowing down. Proust believed that it was important to spend time reflecting on the world and really seeing things. As I was reading it I was looking out over busy Lindum Road. We really are obsessed with speed in our culture. We want to get everywhere quickly, want to get everything done quickly. Proust slows everything down and I quite like that.

Anyways, we are looking forward to meeting our new friends again at LEC tomorrow morning and then having a nice peaceful Sunday of letter writing and reading. I love Sundays :-) Then we start with four very busy weeks. I'm just girding my loins...

CSW