Christmas day

Dear Universe,

No I didn't have too much to drink last night. I didn't have too much to eat either. But boy, I was cooking non-stop for 3 hours! BF helped, of course. By the time our only two-course dinner was finished, we were so shattered we couldn't eat our food anymore and we just wanted to go to bed. I am only glad that we decided against doing a three-course meal.

So on the menu:

Nut roast and on the side: brussel sprouts, red potato with red onion & red wine vinegar, and parmesan parsnips.
Dark chocolate mousse with mascaporne and welsh cream

I have recipes if you fancy any of that.

Not on the menu: asparagus, cheese and egg tartlet.

I hope you all have energy to enjoy this day with your loved ones.

missy xx

on snowy Geneva and ear poppers

Dear Universe,

I arrived in Geneva last night for a work thing. I had the most horrible journey from Cardiff-Amsterdam-Geneva. Because of my stuffy nose and sore throat, my ears did not pop immeadiately and remained blocked way until after the plane landed. The left one did pop and it startled me! My goodness, it sounded like there was a balloon in my head and someone popped it with a pin! It literally 'popped!' and made a hisssssing sound like the sound of a tire makes when you are trying to sabotage it.

My right ear has not popped so it feels like I am under water all day. I can barely concentrate on what people are saying in this workshop.

Plus I'm sniffing and nose-blowing and just plain gross and sick.

Please, please, please make me feel better, dear Universe. Or at least pop the other balloon in my head.

love
missy xx

ps. Geneva is so beautiful - it's been snowing all day!

winter news

04.12.2008

'Sup Universe!

I have been thinking about you lately and have been looking forward to this day when I have time to give you a li'l poke.

I wasn't really THAT busy, it's just that I don't have much to blog about and I have been filling up my free time with catching up on tv shows like Heroes, Fringe, The IT Crowd, South Park, Family Guy, SNL... before you start thinkin' I is 'cool'. No no no... I is not! I also watch Gossip Girl, Pushing Daisies, Desperate Housewives, Ugly Betty etc etc

Oh and you know, I also started reading the Twilight 'saga'. The first book was ok; the second, a bit lame; the third, really lame, and the fourth... well, I haven't read it. It's still on hardback here in the UK and I am not paying big money for more lameness. So, I shall wait until someone can loan me a copy :-)

I forgot that I was supposed to write about Budapest! ...Which reminds me that I should upload my photos on flickr... which reminds me that I also have not uploaded my pictures from Chicago and Nice. Ugh (makes note on her to-do list).

So yeah, I went to Chicago with the BF who presented a paper at the Film & History conference. He was super good and super cool. I didn't understand 85% of what he was saying (too academic) but if you are clever and you are into films, you can read about his paper about Cloverfield here. It's a long but worth a read.

I was in Nice, France for a work thing. I presented! Well, co-presented really. I wasn't as yucky as I thought I would be.

I remember now my sad excuse for neglecting my universe... I am setting up the blog for work! It's an internal blog so you can't see it.... unless you work for *********. I decided I will do my own... errr, work blog. You know about education and education-stuff. It's not exciting.

So, what's everyone's plan for the holidays? I have tons of xmas cards to write this weekend, then off to do some work in Geneva next week but after work- I get to meet with BF at Nürnberg for the xmas market. Yay.

In case you don't hear from me for the next few months, happy holidays and I hope 2009 turns out well for all!

love
missy xx

Hello from Budapest

Dear universe,

Now I can finally breathe after weeks of preparing for a presentation here in Budapest. It is over and I is good.

It is very hot here - so it will be a shock to go back to the UK where it seems to be perennially "slightly nippy".

How's everyone doing?

love
missy xx

PS. Sorry no picture this time. I decided not to bring my powerbook so there's no way to post photos. I will when I get back!

blog anniversary

Happy three years to my little blog! A few days late but blogs, unlike real life, can wait.

I've decided to create another blog to talk about work, well... mostly about work. A blog I can share with colleagues and keep this other space for the things I will normally not say to people I work with.

For instance, last week, I went to an academic seminar. The second one since joining the company. I have learned that to sound important, you have to say the words profound effect, dichotomy, and fundamentally different. Call it our catch phrases. In fact, I have been practising in front of the mirror.

The dichotomy between my blogging about work and my secret life is fundamentally different; all the same, they have no profound effect on humanity. On my part, it is merely an act of egotism and vanity.

--
Dear universe,

It was so nice of you to give us a sunny day yesterday even if it's already September! It was hot enough to go to the beach for a quick swim. I say quick swim because British water remains a tad cold in the summer. Every time I tell people here in the UK that I went for a quick swim. They all have to stop and admire me for my bravery. I feel that if they have a gold medal in their pockets they will ceremoniously hang it on my neck. For more shock effect, I add that that I was wearing bathing suit and not a wet suit.

People here love to go to the beach when it's sunny. This means about 5 days in the UK. They all dash to the beach– from the chic to the great unwashed. They flop themselves on their big towels, wearing tiny bathers and then get a tan. Really that's what most people here do. Except those few brave souls who embrace the British water. Gold medal!

Ok, I didn't really go for a swim yesterday. Are you kidding me? Water must be freezing! I did in the summer while out camping. I didn't tell anyone but the only reason I went in the sea was because the camp site did not have any showering facilities. Still, gold medal!

Yesterday was a day for a good walk in Wales (where I now live btw). It was a short but strenuous walk of 2.5 mile (4km) but the ascent took us up 1017ft (310m). I wasn't feeling very well so it took Dan (the BF) and I longer to do the whole thing. Here's the map of the walk for you map-lovers out there:



It's really hard to capture a great view on top. You just have to be there! Can you see a man walking?



Today is another sunny day and we planned to do another walk. A long (6 miles) but flat one. So I guess I better wake up Dan.

love lots,
missy xoxo

PS. Congratulations to my fave blogger couple Fab and Trueborn who met on blogger and are now engaged. Yay!