Craig has inspired me to go into a little more detail instead of just posting links. So…
It’s hard to believe my parents only arrived on Thursday.
I ditched them for the night to go to Foo and Miss Jo’s birthday party on Saturday, which was just brilliant. Then I went on to Ghetto, still wearing my ’50s college girl led astray’-inspired outfit, breakfast at Balans.
Took the parentals to Stokefest on Sunday, then sent them home while I dropped in on the afterparty at Foo’s, then All Time Top 100.
Today I am trying not to be nervous before I head out to give a paper at a seminar before a project launch tonight. Eek.
I’d tell you what I did Friday night but only my phone knows these kinds of things and I’ve mislaid it.

Things they never told you in school: that while finishing off a conference paper you’d also be wondering if you could fit in a leg-waxing appointment before tomorrow night’s parties.

Entirely too relevant this week: procrastination.
“If you want to work on big things, you seem to have to trick yourself into doing it.”
And this is far too true: “I’ve wondered a lot about why startups are most productive at the very beginning, when they’re just a couple guys in an apartment. The main reason may be that there’s no one to interrupt them yet. In theory it’s good when the founders finally get enough money to hire people to do some of the work for them. But it may be better to be overworked than interrupted. Once you dilute a startup with ordinary office workers– with type-B procrastinators– the whole company starts to resonate at their frequency. They’re interrupt-driven, and soon you are too.”
And frustratingly, “What’s the best thing you could be working on, and why aren’t you?”. Based on that, I must also read You and Your Research, where the questions, “What are the most important problems in your field?”, “Are you working on one of them?” and “Why not?” are posed.

It’s days like this I love Hackney. The gay boys walking down the street holding hands, the baby christening party that spilled out on the street, playing “guess the language” with each group I pass.
Tesco on a Sunday was a bit of culture shock after the markets of Ukraine.

It’s not even 4pm and it’s already been a long (but productive) day. Up early to jump on my bike and go to give a conference paper.
Survive that, meet Foo for brunch. Pop over to Min’s for a gossip and to pick up stuff I’d sent home from Turkey with Dan.
Now I’m going to read the papers and do nothing for a little while until I have to go out again tonight.
And happy birthday for Tuesday for the birthday person (and thanks for a lovely party last night).

“Mr Beazley has written to the Australian Tourism Export Council asking it to help with establishing the best way to ensure all people visiting Australia know and understand Australian values.” Age
Perhaps a quiz at the airport, like when you go to a boat party.