Too much coffee! As always, I identify with Brak. The day before yesterday, I took the bus into Newcastle All By Myself Like a Big Girl and, among other things, I bought a coffee maker. I have very much enjoyed having coffee that isn't a) instant or b) espresso – the only kinds of coffee available at establishments in Britain (because the British enjoy their coffee in only one of two varieties – weak and nasty or sludgy, chocolaty, and nasty), but I made too much this morning, and so I drank too much. Which, like Brak, makes me jittery.
Newcastle was an attempt to start small with giving my days routine and purpose. I made a resolution to at least go outside every day, hopefully involving walking somewhere. So far I've explored the neighborhood a little bit, walked down the road to Tesco for dinner supplies and an alarm clock, walked down the huge hill to the post office and Blockbuster in Stoke, and walked to the vet in Newcastle to get Ernest more food. All have been relatively rewarding.
I'm starting to get a handle on the area just a little bit, which is nice. As I prepared for moving, I kept thinking how I'd miss living somewhere where I knew where everything was. It took a long time for that to happen with Charlottesville, and I doubt I'll get to know Stoke well enough to really know where everything is, but it helps to at least walk around my neighborhood a little.
Today's outside activity does not involve walking, but will involve thinking, at least a little bit. I'm going to a research talk at Keele on life writing. The papers don't fit with any of my existing interests, but it is salutary to attend an academic Thing of some sort, and it will, hopefully, help me make friends with Nick's colleagues. Last night we went to the pub quiz at Keele, which we'd been to the week before as well, which was fun. We came in second, although Amber amazed everyone by pinpointing exactly the year in which the paperclip was patented (1901).
Ernest continues his regime of constant snuggling interspersed with sleeping on the couch. I continue my resolve to get him a bird feeder to watch so he'll let up on the snuggling a little. I love him, and I love snuggling with him, but it's hard to concentrate on aimless computer-reading when he keeps getting my face. It's Ernest Time all the time around here.
In other news, having linked to the coffee clip above, I watched all the related videos, and the Milk one still fills me with both joy and a sense of nostalgia. Chocolate pudding...da na na na na NA.
I love the Brak videos! And I'm proud of you for getting out and about in a new place. Believe me, I know exactly how tempting it is to stay in all day with a snuggly cat, although getting out does always make me feel better.
Tell me who's speaking at the life writing thing a doodle, I might know some of them!