all quiet again

I've got a work off work next week, so blogging may be quiet. I might get to a computer at home I suppose.

See you soon!

you can learn a lot through procrastinating

I've been wandering through the archives of the Proceedings of the Athanasius Kircher Society, a compedium of intriguing and downright bizarre objects, images and stories.

From the society's webpage: "The Athanasius Kircher Society was chartered to perpetuate the spirit and sensibilities of the late Athanasius Kircher, SJ. Our interests extend to the wondrous, the curious, the singular, the esoteric, the arcane, and the sometimes hazy frontier between the plausible and the implausible — anything that Father Kircher might find cool if he were alive today."

Apart from the objects themselves, I'm fascinated by the variation in the comments from readers. For instance, most posts seem to get half a dozen comments or so, if that, like this one abut the largest flower in the world or The Museum of Scientifically Accurate Fabric Brain Art. Yet this post about a cat piano (admittedly a rather cruel idea) had gathered 129 comments when I last looked (some of them offensive, be warned). Worth a look, although some of the exhibits are a little on the macabre side. Perhaps not a website to browse while eating.

own up

Who arrived here looking for a picture of a pig dressed as a reindeer?

I do love site meters.

squish

autumn into winter - berries, originally uploaded by the pig wot flies.

These berries are everywhere, all over the carpark and the bike racks, squished onto bikes and the soles of my shoes.

sleepy Friday

I had fun last night. Singing in a concert with my gospel choir, then after performance drinks, then sampled the delights of that Cambridge institution Gardies for the first time (Falafel, delicious, but enormous), then sat around in someone's room in Trinity, eating biscuits and being silly. It was good pretending to be a student again, but not so good when I had to get up for work this morning. Good thing it's nearly the weekend.

gold on brown

autumn into winter - leaves, originally uploaded by the pig wot flies.

Not this morning, but a couple of days ago. As I walk from the bike racks into work each morning, the low sun hits the leaves and the gravel just so, making beautiful patterns.

Off to sing soon. Hooray!

Wednesday morning 8am

Wednesday morning 8am, originally uploaded by the pig wot flies.

Or thereabouts.

The view from my bedroom window.

autumn into winter

autumn into winter 3, originally uploaded by the pig wot flies.

Remember what these trees looked like a few weeks ago? This morning, they're bare and wintry.

Christmas silliness

reindeer, originally uploaded by the pig wot flies.

Not a great photo, but representative of a surreal interlude yesterday. The gospel choir I sing in performed at the turning on of the Cambridge Christmas lights (I think we sounded good. I had a solo, which is always fun). Beforehand we warmed up inside the Guildhall, where someone found a reindeer costume hanging around. Soon after this was taken, a pearly king arrived to claim it. We wondered along the corridor, past people with bunches of balloons, giant instrument cases and people dressed up as a fairy (very brave, it was cold) and a duck (or maybe a goose). We waited in the cold for a brass band to finish and gave them a huge round of applause as they trooped past. Then we squeezed onto the tiny stage, sang our songs to a friendly, but not overly enthusiastic crowd, trooped off again, and dispersed. Fun, but a little surreal.

November evening

The day got better. As the sun got lower in the sky, it lit up the leaves so that they glowed, making then look almost unearthly in their contrast to the grey sky.

lonely horse and friend

lonely horse and friend, originally uploaded by the pig wot flies.

I first noticed him at night, when he looked lonely and sad. But this morning, I discovered he has a friend, if only in daylight.

(I tried to post this yesterday morning, but blogger wasn't co-operating. Yesterday was beautifully sunny, but today is wet and grey and gloomy.)

oh dear

Every time I see the title of yesterday's post, the radio inside my head (everyone has one of those, right?) starts playing Kiss me by Sixpence none the richer. Not good. It's a sweet song, but not to have playing in your head all day.

I have a picture to post, but blogger's playing up. Perhaps tomorrow it will co-operate.

bring bring

bring bring, originally uploaded by the pig wot flies.

This is the bell on my (t)rusty bike, Gertrude.
It's very useful when cycling across Parker's Piece, especially in the dark, because otherwise pedestrians can't hear you coming up behind them.
Wellington Womble* reminds me of my friend Kate from university, who had a Womble rucksack. The red thing is a squashed berry from the tree which overhangs the bike racks at work.

*You can find out what a Womble is here.

weatherbeaten

dead bug, originally uploaded by the pig wot flies.

I have nothing to say at the moment. Well, I have, but most of it's whiny. I thought I was feeling better about life, but I'm not, right now. I'm going to try to post pictures of stuff every day until I have something worthwhile to say with words.

not dead, busy

It's going to be quiet here this week. I've got lots on at work and no time to think.

bizzy backson.

unhappy bug

furry bug, originally uploaded by the pig wot flies.

Turk got bashed. :-(

It wasn't my fault, he was parked and someone went into him. I think all that's damaged is the running board on the driver's side and some scrapes on the paint. Fortunately, the person who ran into him was honest enough to own up and was very apologetic. Still, I could have done without that news last night after a long and frustating day.

It's only a thing and it's fixable. It's just it's one more thing that needs doing when I've no time to do anything about it.