Nicky's Journal

Oh, when the label on the jar of Green Thai Curry Paste claims that an appropriate ratio is 1/2 the jar to one tin of coconut milk: It Lies!!!

The resulting volcanic food is, however, excellent for clearing the sinuses...

It took a while for the weird seasick feeling you get after leaving a boat to wear off.
Ferry got in at 7am, so we took a walk round Aberdeen for a while and are now on the train South.

After the Ring of Brodgar we went out to Birsay (a tidal island with a Viking village on) then to Marwick Head. Sat on a scary outcrop for a while watching seabirds, then stalked some remarkably tame rabbits on the headland.

Dinner at the Kirkwall Hotel where they risked the wrath of the Coca Cola company by serving Pepsi when asked for a coke. :-) Older Daughter really enjoyed the salmon there.
Cherry sorbet was good too, although a bit of a surprise as I'd ordered raspberry... :-)



No puffins. :-(
Will have to be content with the one we saw out fishing two summers ago. It did fly pretty close, so it was a very good view.

Yesterday we saw Skara Brae, Broch of Gurness and Maes Howe.
Today we saw Orphir round church and Earl's Hall, Unstan chambered cairn and Stones of Stenness. We're headed for the Ring of Brodgar next.

Skara Brae is the favorite so far.

Today we saw a seal (at Windwick Bay) and a wide variety of birds, including some nesting ones.
No puffins yet.

We visited the Italian Chapel, Scapa Flow, St Margaret's Hope, the Churchill causeways, a blacksmithing museum and the marine defences at Hoxa Head.

Kids were pretty good during the six hour ferry ride to Orkney.
We did have to clarify the rules of "I Spy" to specifically exclude metaphysical concepts and words in languagues invented by the participants.

Today we've wandered round Kirkwall. Earl's and Bishop's Palaces this afternoon.
Tomorrow we pick up the hire car and head off to see various prehistoric sites and maybe some puffins.

Ejected the DVD of David Attenborough that the kids and I were watching earlier and discovered a bunch of people singing "Free Nelson Mandela" on the TV.
Not sure if it's old footage or a modern version. I recognised Annie Lennox, but nobody else there looked particularly familiar.

Quite a blast from the past.

I remember when I was at University in the 80s discussing the poor quality of the union's Biko Burgers with a fellow student. We were about ten minutes into the conversation before we remembered we were actually at different universities... but back then a lot of universities had a bar or cafe called Biko's. These days you never really see them.

It's so very good that apartheid is gone. The world's far from perfect, but that's one evil that was eventually defeated.



(Ah, the news is on now, it's Mandela's 90th birthday... that would explain it)

Throat is very sore. Didn't actually say "Good luck, hope the weather holds and be careful the ground is muddy" to all 12,000 walkers individually and personally but it feels like it... :-)

Early part of the evening involved minding a doorway and a scalp cooling machine stall (used to stop hair loss during chemotherapy), and taking photos of people.

Glad to have done it, but utterly exhausted now.
Have retired to The Hoose for beer.


Did TreeFest earlier. Weather was a bit dodgy but it was nice to meet up with people for a picnic.



( The more detailed write up I did for work )

( picture )

Well, here's hoping it doesn't rain tomorrow.
I've to report to Moonwalk central at 6.30pm and be part of The Directional Team. I assume this means going: "You dump your bags over there, the toilets are there, and the start line is there..."

Got £40 in sponsorship. (Thanks to people who contributed)


Other than that, life continues busy, with occasional outbreaks of sneezing. Not sure if it's hayfever or the remains of a cold.

No surprises here really :

23 As a 1930s wife, I am Very Poor (Failure) Take the test!

Further to the previous post on cutting down on meat eating.

Can anybody suggest non-meat meals that meat eaters might enjoy and also find sufficiently solid to count as a Real Meal (TM)?



Baked potatoes would seem like a good starting point. With baked beans and cheese works well, or with cheese and onion, or with coleslaw (useful if you're lactose free), or with vegetable curry or chilli or anything like that.

There's also pasta. If you get the real stuff again it's lactose free. The packs of fresh pasta and pre-made jars of sauce make a good solid hot meal in under ten minutes, including time taken to boil the kettle.
You can also make a decent vegetable and tomato sauce in 10-15 minutes just by frying/sauteeing up an onion, a bit of garlic and some selection of carrots, peppers, courgettes, mushrooms and whatever and adding some herbs and a tin of chopped tomatoes.


Feedback from meat eaters on the definition of A Proper Meal particularly appreciated. I know it's often a sticking point that somehow a vegetarian meal doesn't feel like a full meal to somebody who is used to regarding the meat as the defining point.

'The best solution would be for us all to become vegetarians.'
So suggested the head of the UN climate agency, Yvo de Boer, who is attending UN-led climate talks in Germany this week.

Speaking as a vegetarian : that sounds a bit drastic to me.

I am, of course, appalled by the cruelty inherent in intensive farming and I frankly don't believe the pro-hunt lobby's claim that foxes really enjoy a good chase just as much as they do...
... but we did evolve as both omnivores and hunters so I don't think it's realistic to expect the vast majority of people in developed nations to become vegetarian overnight.


A more realistic aim might be to ask people to not eat meat every day of the week.
Many of my meat eating associates cope with meat-free meals when in my company, and I'm sure other vegetarians can confirm that meat-eaters do seem to positively enjoy at least some non-meat items.

Poll #1199453 Eating meat
Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: All

How would you describe your eating habits / preferences?

If you eat meat at present, would you be prepared to try cutting down the amount you eat, and if so, why?

I'm stewarding for the Moonwalk on June 14th.
I'm not actually walking it, on account of 'Ow, my arthritis'(TM) but helpers get given sponsorship forms too.

I know there are a million charities wanting money and that most people here will have sponsored marathon runners already, got roped into the office Red Nose Day, and been accosted by randoms waving collecting tins every time they go out shopping, and I'm not wanting to put pressure on anyone, but if anyone is inclined to make a donation please do drop me an email (address is on my profile page).

The kids are definitely growing up.

Oldest now towers above her Granny and her GreatNan. She's as tall as some of the students and generally a young woman not a girl anymore.

I was thinking today that I'm glad I don't appear to be in mourning for the loss of their childhoods. Babies and toddlers are cute, of course, and they're not tiny cuddly bundles anymore, but the growing and developing personalities as they move from infancy to adulthood are infinitely fascinating and rewarding.

Currently looking for something a bit different for lectures for the medieval group next term.

The newbies won't have heard my lectures on guilds, medieval surgery, and women in armies before of course, but I'm getting a bit bored of doing them.


So, anyone on my Friends list free on either a Monday night or a Sunday late afternoon and wouldn't mind imparting something of interest to the students?
Era covered is approx 600 to 1600.
I'm quite happy to use Librarian Superpowers to help with research and stuff if you know a bit but need to flesh it all out.

So far have tentatively arranged a talk about medieval perceptions of gender, medieval combat schools, armour and metallurgy, as well as a couple of crafts workshops.


Any other offers/suggestions?

Moderately busy on the socialising front this week.

G was round last night to drink beer (well, it turned out to be cider, but the principle is sound). I got slightly lost in the technical review of CSS and its uses, and had to disagree with some of his points about relationship dynamics on the grounds of his use of undue cynicism and a Keynsian model.
Was good to catch up. People are reappearing after Beltane now.

On Thursday I met up with frazerpenman for coffee. Chewed the fat about academia, work experience etc.


suzerain and Older Daughter went to the museum on Friday. They met tehblahhh there.
Daughter very impressed with the beard. She also liked the exhibits. But mainly the beard. :-)


This morning N and her son came over for coffee.
Wrote her a reference for the Home Office to say why she's great and why she should be allowed to stay in the country.


Currently failing to organise to meet bassresistance.

I Am

Which tarot card are you?

Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 come into force on 26th May 2008
'The Regulations state that "Making persistent and unwanted solicitations by telephone, fax, e-mail or other remote media except in circumstances and to the extent justified to enforce a contractual obligation" will be an unfair commercial practice in all circumstances. Again, the maximum penalty is two years in prison.'

... they just get called away to deal with childcare issues 2/3 of the way through Dead Kennedys sets.

Kid is fine. Nothing that warm milk and a cuddle from Mum wouldn't sort out.


Early part of the evening consisted of laughing at fenland and original_aj drooling over Daisy Duke.
Clearly she made a big impression on them in their youths... :-)

... that is, a vigil in the medieval sense meaning "the previous day / night".

A Vigil of Knighthood back in the old days meant the proto-knight spending the whole night before the ceremony awake and contemplating / praying about the meaning of it all.


Our version of that in PA is to spend an evening beforehand with the existing Knights and the proto-knight sitting around and contemplating what it all means.

It's not just about being a good fighter, although that is part of it. There's also an obligation to pass on knowledge, to be willing to train up newbies.
And then all the stuff about honour and chivalry, about being an example to others. About trying to be fair and just even when other people don't entirely deserve your consideration or respect. Understanding that chivalry isn't about riding around on chargers making grand gestures, it's about quietly living your life well and with due diligence for the effects your actions have on those around you.
And it's about understanding that knighthood isn't the badge you get when you've finished doing those things, it's a statement that you intend to carry on doing those things.