Where have you been?

When I compare myself with the rest of the blogosphere I am hugely embarrassed about my lack of posts. I do, however, have a list of good reasons...
1) Our internet has been playing up and causing huge problems. Finally Sky have decided to send a new router through so we are hoping to get back online soon. This has meant conducting all my business on my phone. For reference, this is hard work even though the iphone is clearly amazing!
2) I have had graduation and a three day conference in Kent. All went very well. The former was a jolly opportunity to celebrate with the marvellous third years. The conference in Kent was for the European Network of Avant-Garde and Modernism Studies. This was a very interesting event with some great papers and lots of prominent folks to schmooze with. We even took a couple of hours out to explore Canterbury Cathedral. I was excited that they had a plaque to commemorate where Thomas A Becket was killed. T.S. Eliot wrote a strange ol' play all about it. The cloisters were pretty beautiful too.
3) D has started his new job which means longer hours all round. This morning we got up at 5.30 and that is becoming pretty normal. Actually feeling pretty good on it and, if you start work at 7.30 after a jolly workout, some quiet time and double tea, then you really feel up for the day.
4) I have been doing a huge tidy up. The last time we moved, I realised quite how much stuff we had. Simply unbelievable for just two people! So, I decided to begin a big clear out and get rid of anything we didn't need. Yesterday I recycled all my old PhD notes. Crazy to think that when I started research I wrote everything by hand on lined paper. It was only six years ago and now feels almost Medieval!

Surely that is enough excuses! One of the good things about D working longer is the amount of reading I am getting done. I have read so many books over the past month. It has been wonderful, although I am reading a rather traumatic one about the Chechan war right now. I'll post about it when I've finished - suffice to say, I would really recommend finding out more about this conflict. Last night we enjoyed a wonderful BBQ with our friends. We reopened Pizzeria Warden and the food went down rather well. We then got a bonfire going and sat out until 10.30. We are making the most of those last summer days.

I am now officially on sabbatical and am loving the peace and quiet. I have so much time to read and write, and to make new research plans for the future. The fact that I am doing all this in one of my most favourite places (that'll be our lovely country house) makes me feel mega blessed.

So, that's the update for the time being.
CSW