Saturday and today

I had a very nice day yesterday. I had a good bike ride in the morning (seven miles or so), including a close-range heron-sighting. Then gr_c17 came over and we went to Manassas and walked a circuit of the battlefield (a mile or so, plus the bit where I got the map orientation wrong by 90* and we went off down a service road thinking it was the walking trail). We perused the little museum and the gift shop, where I resisted buying several books (though almost anything by Don Troiani except his 'American Battles', or anything by Keith Rocco would make good Xmas presents ;-). Then we came back here and I made us Indian for dinner, we talked and watched some telly, and Bryan took off for home and I for bed.

Today has been a slow start. I'm getting old and my insides apparently no longer deal well *at all* with spicy food, so I've been feeling a bit blearg. I did get most of the large quantity of dishes cleared up, but I have several loads of laundry to do, lots of ironing, and a good bit of house-cleaning. The adorable three-legged kitten is going off to the adoption fair this afternoon; as Bryan pointed out, even though *I* may be sad if he doesn't come back, Mr Tripod will be going to a good home where people will love him and take care of him, so that's good.

I had a very mild brunch (toast, eggs, and tea), and I'm just catching up on Studio 60 while getting started with the laundry et al. After the second of the two Nevada Day eps, though, I'll be taking a break to plot a long-awaited Luftwaffe raid over the White Cliffs of Dover. Then maybe some vacuuming...

a few quotes

While the saucepan I used to cook the eggs soaks in the sink... a few quotes from my grandfather (my mum's dad, the Elizabethan lit. scholar and Yale prof.) My mum sent them to me recently, just as examples of the sort of things (mostly silly) he would say (I never met him--he died fairly young).

Oh dear, how my chest has fallen! I fear my honey-haired youth is behind me!

[in reply to my grandmother accusing him of 'escaping' into books] Of COURSE I read as an escape! Is there anything wrong with that? Doesn't everyone?

I can't do dishes--I have a heart murmur.

I only go to Battell Chapel when they need me to take the place of a potted palm.

Drink WATER? Don't be ridiculous! It rots leather and rusts iron.

Edmund Keane my favourite actor? Certainly not--the Marx Brothers!

The only civilised way to travel is east [to the UK].

[After he and his wife had a weekend trip to visit friends in Albany, someone pointed out that the little mica side-windows in the back of his touring car were broken.] Alas--they were shot out by Indians with arrows as we neared Albany.... There's nothing but Indians west of Albany.

(no subject)

I love my housemates! They are so goofy! :-)

(no subject)

Dishes, two loads of laundry, refilled the salt-treatment for the well, set out new mousetraps and disposed of one poor corp-us. Raid planning time, then time for tea, more laundry, and some ironing. Plus another Studio 60.