Flaming Zinc

I don’t have to go anywhere or see anyone.  Phew!

The last few weeks have been gruelling and all consuming with my mind solely focused on things classical. Now exams are behind me, summer stretches out in front and I have lots of things to look forward to, but I did have fun being a full-time NYLON for a month. I caught up with a few friends and more importantly I got to spend a lot of time with the parental units. 

My dad was my on call chauffeur, dutifully picking me up from my flights and dropping me off at my mum’s in deepest darkest SE London.  He is currently working at the Beeb, I met him for lunch a few times at Television Centre and got to see the Blue Peter garden!  It is much smaller than I remember, but very cool all the same. The only problem was when I got back to work there was no-one who could fully appreciate the significance of my experience and I just got confused looks when I tried to explain the concept of the Blue Peter show….’sticky back plastic’…..’collecting tin foil’…..’Tracy Island’……’how to hibernate a tortoise’….

With each of my trips I made sure that we organised a night at the theatre with my mum. We saw  a solid production of The Crucible, with Iain Glen as John Proctor and the possessed girls were not too OTT. Next up was Hayfever with Judi Dench, Peter Bowles and a very strong supporting cast. It was just perfect, a gentle farce were no one gets hurts and you have a jolly good laugh as the mishaps unfold.  Finally, Titus Andronicus at the Globe which was the cherry on top. It is awesome; a raw and energetic production.  Douglas Hodge’s turn as Titus is magnificent and pulled off the tragi-comedy balance. It is a gruesome play, but the second half is very much a black comedy of sorts.  I am definitely ready for the Romans, bring ‘em on .

I am a creature of habit.  I find myself frequenting the same salad shop every lunch time, and rotating between 2 choices. Spinach with either breaded chicken, avocado, chopped tomatoes and cucumber with balsamic or tofu, pasta, chopped toms and olives with balsamic.  The first creation is as close to eating a chicken nugget salad as I can get with out marching towards the golden arches.   Given that the salad bar give you a free rein to create your own and it is tossed right in front of you for the bargain price of $5.50 (up to four toppings, additional toppings $0.50 each) I really should cut loose and go wild.  But, I don’t because I thrive on routine. 

Any how my main complaint is that this salad place also sells bottles of  Moby’s over priced iced teas, and like a fool I keep buying them. I am sucked in as the label is in "friendly" lower case and they are not overly powerful (= weak) taste wise. Today I had white tea with blueberry – yum!  I can feel the antioxidants working already  

Yesterday I sat my last exam for this year (it was horrid) and afterwards I found myself wandering around Heathrow like Willow the Wisp.  I really didn’t know what to do with myself, it was very bizarre not to have something that I needed to study and not be pushed for time.  To linger over a latte and start Alexander McCall Smith’s 44 Scotland Street.  To not be juggling so many things  that I fear if I stop for even a moment my world will come crashing down.  To have some space to breath and reflect on all that I have learnt in the past 8 months.

Later that night I get home to discover we have no cable or internet at the flat, and our cable providers can’t even ping our box!  It is typical that now I can legitimately gorge myself on telly and cyberspace I can’t…..

Eeeeeewwwwww

Last nights episode was wrong on so many levels (but things were so right with Nick’s hair). The main DB was a dude who was into corsets, not in a Bird Cage context but in a freakish 20″ waist entombing corset that he wore whilst doing civil war re-enactments. Strangely enough that was not the most disturbing image of the evening, that goes to the closing scene of Grisholm reclining in an Asian style robe talking to a “mysterious” women. Some people should not wear robes on any occasion, and I really don’t think sleep with a subordinate is a good idea.

Is how long I have left till the Greek lit exam.

I have reached the point were I just want to sit my last exam and move on to the Romans.  I would like to have a wee bit of a social life and be free to read what ever I darn well want.  I am tired of waking up at 5am to fit in two hours of revision before having to get ready for work. 

Don’t get me wrong, I love classics and I love studying. But, whoa this external student, distance learning gig has seriously impacted every aspect of my life.  As well as books piling up to be read, I have series one and two of Chancer on DVD (hours and hours of a young Cliver Owen to be enjoyed). I bought them for myself back in December and they still have the secruity seals on them.   I just have to keep the faith for a few more days, buckle down and learn to embrace Plato’s literary legacy (when you are not having to read them from a philosophical view point some of them are quite funny).

New York appears to have had its weather exchanged with another city, either Manchester or Oban by the look of it. It is dreich. 

So, let’s think about something nicer than the rain (or the importance of the Greek novel) and turn to the wonder that is 24.  Last night was the penultimate episode, and yes it is exciting that Audrey has made it to the 22nd hour and that Jack is running about LA with Robocop in tow.  But, it is the solid supporting cast that are the most interesting especially one Secret Service agent Aaron Pierce. Let’s face it we were all suspicious when the Presidents told the First Lady that her number one agent had been returned to DC, but little did we suspect that he was tied up in the trophy room of the stables being beaten into submission and my word didn’t he have  the greatest line of the night:

There is nothing you have said or done that is acceptable to me in the least. You’re a traitor to this country and a disgrace to your office, and it’s my duty to see that you’re brought to justice for what you’ve done.  Is there anything else, Charles.

I am a sucker for a bargain, and my shoulders ache from the all the book offers I took advantage of in London last week:

Waterstones

• Never Let Me Go by KazuoIshiguro
• The Talented Mr Ripley by Patricia Highsmith
• 44 Scotland Street by Alexander McCall Smith

Plus Lionel Shriver’s We Need to Talk About Kevin was half price.

Foyles (from the Penguin Epic series)

• The Madness of Nero by Tacitus
• Jason and the Golden Fleece by Apollonius
• The Legendary Adventures of Alexander

Plus a 3 for 2 on Penguin book cover mugs (I was forced to purchase The Body in the Library, Crime and Punishment, and The Wide Sargasso Sea).

Books etc (@ Heathrow)

• Rubicon by Tom Holland
• In the Name of Rome by Adrian Goldsworthy

Yesterday I sat Greek History and it wasn’t too bad. There were at least three questions I could answer, but I REALLY need to work on my timed essays for next year.  I did have a wee bit of a panic at the start and I did end up doing a verbal vomit. But, as I said before, I now have a clearer idea about how to organise my time come October and which weaknesses to focus on.

So today finds me reading a Greek romance novel on my mum’s decking and trying to get my head into the right frame of mind to tackle my last exam which is on the 22nd.  I am fighting hard not to get distracted by my impending holiday to Rome (just over two weeks to go) and leaving the travel guide well alone.

I feel like I have all this discombobulated  information in my head and I need to try to sort it into some sort of order. I am hoping a good rest on the flight over tonight is going to do the trick. I am very tired so I should sleep like a baby, unless of course I am seated next to a screaming baby. 

I got through four highlighters in two days.

The vastness of Greek history revision is rather overwhelming, but it is okay because I bought a multi-pack of highlighters and have six left.