Freezing

So, since my last post Spring has not arrived. This means that I have marked dissertations under my duvet rather than outside in my sunglasses with a cool drink and the dulcet tones of Radio 4 in the background. This is absolutely not good at all. While riding last Saturday I was so cold that my fingers stopped working; Tommy was deeply unimpressed by the whole thing too. Coupled with this, I finally got sick last week and, due to general chilliness, I seem unable to fully shift it.

As you might be able to tell I am a little grumpy about all this...

On the plus side, term is over and writing has begun in earnest. The 'Can I Write a Journal Article in a Month?' project is coming on. I now have over 6000 words which is rather brilliant, although I am not sure if any of the actual words are brilliant. I'll work on it for the next four days (discounting Sunday) and then leave it for a week to cogitate before deciding whether it is really ready for peer-review. Strangely, this week has been one of academic disappointments and failures; not huge things but big enough to make a difference. It has got me thinking more about failure which is, I guess, the other side to striving for excellence. No striving, no failure. But you get mediocrity instead which is, when I look at it in the clear light of day (oh, wait, the clear chilly dullness of a grey Lincolnshire Spring morning) ten times worse. So I will plod on regardless and continue striving for what I believe in and what I think is important.

In other news I have watched the second Sherlock Holmes movie again (as always, enjoyed it better the second time), have got into Homeland (it has grown on me and now we are quite gripped), read the first third of Terry Eagleton's magnificent Reason, Faith and Revolution: Reflections on the God Debate (I will write a full review of this soon so I won't spoil it. Suffice to say, it is beautiful and has so far made me laugh out loud at least five times and cry a little bit. Not bad for a crit theory book), done a couple of good workouts (including Trish Stratus' yoga DVD yesterday and don't my abs know it), drunk a number of soy lattes from our new on campus coffee shop and finally seen the bottom of my washing basket.

So I guess things are really good with moments of greyness...if only our weather could work that way round!

CSW