“You’ve Been Chosen as An Extra in the Movie Adaptation of the Sequel to your Life”

Just thought I’d pass that on – I filched it from one of John Fodge’s blog entries. I did mention I’ve been reading random blogs lately, didn’t I?

Reminds me of the start of one of the episodes of My So-called Life, Angela (Claire Danes) says: “This life has been a test. If it had been a real life you would have been given instructions of where to go and what to do.” (Or words to that effect, I only saw it once and am quoting from memory.) Sometimes I wish for a voice to come out of nowhere and say that to me, and then I would get to start over with a purpose of sorts. Today is one of those days.

Music in the room: Me and the Major (Belle & Sebastian)

No parade. It is raining cats and dogs. It is also cold (at least it’s cold inside, I have not been out to check).

Good day for reading.

Uhm, tired. Why? I went to bed at 10pm last night and fell asleep pretty immediately (within 30 minutes, that’s immediately relative to what I normally do). So why am I tired? Maybe I slept too much? Since when is a comfortable 8 hours too much?

Tomorrow is 1 May. I am wondering whether to join the parade, I’m feeling a little revolutionary (or whatever). I could at least get behind the “Anti-racism” banner or something, that’s pretty applicable generally. Or I could just spend the nice day off getting some stuff sorted out. (Like those piles of papers that have accumulated through various last-minute panic tidying sessions. I think some of them date from before moving.) And this photo page thing I was going to construct for the gallery. Time to get that done, so that the digital camera can be put to proper use.

I like May, all these holidays.

Music in my head: You suck (The Murmurs)

Yay for the flea market season. If one’s going to go on a shopping spree, a flea market is much better than ordinary shops (especially when one is hard up, and one always is). The sun was out in forte today, and I have been to two flea markets and came home with loads of books (that I have no room for…) and an oil painting that I really have no idea why I bought. Actually, I know precisely why, it’s got a ship in it and I was a bit carried away at the auction (all flea markets in Oslo have auctions, they’ve figured they can get more money for “desireable items” that way). I will decide whether I really do like it or not later in the week. I also got two small bowls from the Clupea design by Figjo Flint – I sort of decided to start collecting them. They’re very “retro” and therefore getting expensive. On qxl.no there are some breakfast plates for sale at the moment, at about $9 (75nok) EACH. So I figure I did ok.

And tomorrow is Monday. Yeuch.

Music in my head: some Janet Jackson song, it’s so vague I don’t know which…

Did I mention the library building is WONDerful? All light and airy and wood and glass. Also, on a Saturday, very quiet.

ABE is dangerous. Also, thesis is dangerous in offering perfect excuse for hanging out at ABE. Oh dear.

As if I hadn’t spent enough on books today as it was – I went to a fleamarket and found a couple of books there. Though not as many as I tend to, which must be good, considered I Do Not Have Room For Any More Books (repeat to self in mirror 100 times daily, maybe it’ll sink in eventually). Then, on my way to the campus, I passed Adamstuen Antikvariat. Well, naturally one can’t pass a second-hand bookshop without ‘just checking’. A little later and I’m the proud owner of Alexander Kielland’s collected works in five volumes. And 350 NOK poorer. Oh, well, I was thinking just the other day that I really should have read a bit more Kielland. I was sort of planning to check the library, of course, but this is better. I think.

Music in the room: Moulin Rouge soundtrack

Yay for the university library. Can’t understand how I’v managed to live in Oslo for 8 months before going, but I have. Today I found plenty of books on Jane Austen (thesis material), which I expected, but also HUGE collection of ficton in English in teh basement, including (doing jiggy dance) Have his Carcase and several other of the Sayers books I’ve been looking for.

Spent an hour or so with Gilson’s Bibliography of Jane Austen and found loads of titles that might be useful, unfortunately, the library does not have very many of those (neither do the other University libraries in Norway…). So I’m off to ABE to see what they can do (quick, hide my credit card!)

Music in the room: You Oughta Know (Alanis Morisette)

I could rather do with linking this from somewhere, too, couldn’t I?

I’ve been to the gym. Yay me. Ok, so I had a programme set up and then did about 15 minutes of excercise, so maybe not so terribly impressive, but still. Also, rather mortifyingly, one of the excercises is too hard. It’s one of these weight-lifting machine things designed to strengthen your shoulders (notoriously uncooperative part of my body, they tense up when I read, and what do I do much of the time?) – the least weight you can have is 5 kg. I was supposed to do 3×15 repetitions. Did 15 at 10 kg, as that felt ok to start with. Then decided 5 was a better idea and started the second set with that… Managed 8. No way I could do more… Then third set… 5, and my left arm gave out. So I did a fourth set of 5, but that’s hardly the idea, is it?

Just saw Parkinson on BBC Prime (love Parkinson). Russell Crowe was on, plugging A Beautiful Mind (the programme was obviously a few weeks old…). I’ve been somewhat antagonistically minded towards Mr. Crowe lately, as he’s going to play Jack Aubrey in Peter Weirs attempt at adapting one of Patrick O’Brian’s novels (it is rather unclear which at the moment, they are talking about Far Side of the World, but that’s in the middle of the Canon and must leave a lot to be explained…). And I’m not really expecting them to pull it off, at all, at all. I was, however, charmed by Mr. Crowe’s performance on Parkinson, and think maybe I ought to try watching one of his movies (which I have so far failed to do for some unfathomable reason), Proof of Life, for example, which I actually own on DVD… Whether Jack gets butchered or not remains to be seen, but Mr. Crowe may be a decent actor in any case.

Music in the room: Royal Station (Melissa Etheridge)

Oh, forgot to mention I finally got around to getting a gym membership Wednesday. As my employer pays the fees, not taking advantage would be rather stupid, especially when the gym has a branch two blocks down from where I live, on my way to work. So this afternoon I’m having an intro-session and a programme set up. The chances that I’m going to follow it much are slim to none-existent, but it’s worth a try.

Problem with this sort of excercise is it cuts into my reading time…

Talking about reading, I really need to get a grip and do some work on this master’s degree I thought I’d get (yes, I know I already have one, this is the Norwegian two-year model, and I’m basically doing it because I want to write a thesis). I think scheduling a major session in the library reading bibliographies this Saturday would be a good start. I need to get a reading list together, then I can get down to reading. Reading relevant stuff, I mean.

My grasp on time is slipping (ooops, there it goes) – my honourary nephew (see friends page for proper explanation of phrase) Christopher recently had his birthday. His first, I thought, blithely. No-no-no, his second. Hey – where did that year go??? My sincere apologies to the young man.

Music in my head: Always look on the bright side of life

It’s the first meeting in the new year of NMWL tonight, and as I’m helping to get everything ready, I really need to go in a mo’

Just wanted to mention that I have conquered the monster –
Music in my head is now: The Wild Rover (e.g. The Dubliners)

mmmmm whisky here I come (and we’re tasting cask strength tonight, too, double-mmmm)