“Though we travel the world over to find the beautiful, we must carry it with us, or we find it not.” ― Ralph Waldo Emerson
Another long week, another needed weekend. I promise to write blog posts again in the near future, but I still have to clean the house, especially since we spent the afternoon at the market and then carting home my birthday present.
Meet our new coffee table, once we varnish it and get some plexiglass to protect the top. Jeff tried to tell me I was a hipster, I told him if I were, I’d try to use it for actual traveling rather than nice interior design taste and practical storage. Here are your links, tell me what you’ve gotten up to this weekend!
So if we could stop talking about the supposed crumbling of the family, that would be great. Unless you want to talk about the growing gap between education/opportunity vs. lack thereof, plus outmoded gender roles instead of egalitarian partnerships (also usually based on a degree of education or work privilege). Because I’d be all over that.
Fell into a Wiki rabbit hole a while back, and apparently this is a thing.
Only Robinson Crusoe had everything done by Friday. ~Author Unknown
Let’s face it, this regular feature might move permanently to Saturday if recent trends are anything to go. Anyway, excuse the delay. Another long week at work has resulted in a tiny bit of brain fry and a weekend is required to clear out some of the cobwebs. Here are your links, add your own internet finds for the week in the comments, and let me know what you’re getting up to!
I knew multiple people who ran the London Marathon this year, alas none that dressed up.
Arguments began for the Supreme Court regarding the legality of same sex marriage this week and I’m going to be following the story closely. Living in a country where gay marriage is very much legal (with nary a hint of the apocalypse, I note), it’s interesting to watch this debate playing out from somewhat afar, as strongly as I feel on the subject.
The general election is next week here in Britain (America, let’s get on this, k? Two year campaigns are ridiculous) and we are preparing with the proper seriousness of thought.
Terribly amused by this site, currently taking over my Facebook feed. I might not always cooperate in photos, but it’s only a year off!
“There is no time for cut-and-dried monotony. There is time for work. And time for love. That leaves no other time.”
― Coco Chanel
Kittens, this was the week my new manager came onboard. And she’s lovely! She’s also wonderfully experienced and highly knowledgeable, and I know I’m going to like working with and for her tremendously. There’s a lot of structure she can put in place to support the projects we work on and I’m really looking forward to helping and learning.
Enough gushing! It was also a massively busy week since two of our directors were out of the country and one worked a partial week, so a lot of the onboarding orientation fell to me. There were also the usual schedule changes (construction is a fickle business, and luxury construction doubly so) and a lot of late hours. All for a good cause, though. There are a lot of new projects coming up that are partially daunting since I’m having to do work that I’ve never done before, but pretty exhilarating for the same reason.
Here are your links, tell me what you’re getting up to this weekend in the comments!
“This is the real secret of life — to be completely engaged with what you are doing in the here and now. And instead of calling it work, realize it is play.” ― Alan W. Watts
Another busy week and I literally worked myself sick (again) and lost my voice as of this morning. But on the whole I’m pleased with how my projects are moving along, freelance is becoming much more manageable, and the weather is gorgeous. There’s nothing to complain about! Here are your links, tell me what you’re up to this weekend.
“Hashbrown, no filter.” And if you’re not watching Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, get educated!
Food for thought. Since I stopped following most of the parts of the internet related to mormonism (affectionately referred to as the Bloggernacle), it’s been interesting to see how things that pop up in my Facebook feed, for instance, have changed. Our world is built on algorithms and information is no different. When I was immersed in one community and its conflicts, it’s news and conversations and events was practically all I saw. When I stepped away, it was eye opening to see how comparatively small that amount of information had been. And it was even more interesting to see how the algorithms of information created echo chambers. In spite of the torrential flow of data out there, unprecedented in human history, I think media has allowed us to isolate ourselves pretty easily with those with whom we already tend to agree.
“Every person needs to take one day away. A day in which one consciously separates the past from the future. Jobs, family, employers, and friends can exist one day without any one of us, and if our egos permit us to confess, they could exist eternally in our absence. Each person deserves a day away in which no problems are confronted, no solutions searched for. Each of us needs to withdraw from the cares which will not withdraw from us.” ― Maya Angelou, Wouldn’t Take Nothing for My Journey Now
It’s Friday, and a long bank holiday weekend so I’m on vacation. Adios, kids!
Because I am still fascinated by the whole arc of this story.
It’s been a while since we’ve had vintage photos with colour on the blog, let’s amend that!
I have very little patience for people who bang on about how much more horrible things are these days than [insert time period here]. Sure, we’ve definitely got some issues as a species, but as a collective, we’re doing demonstrably better than we ever have.
“A good half of the art of living is resilience.” ― Alain de Botton
Woof, this week. The training wheels are off, kittens. Development, project management, and construction planning is such an interesting industry because there are so many moving parts going on at any given moment. Our project managers conduct architects, artists, constructions workers, heritage societies, politicians, contractors, suppliers, and truly heroic amounts of paperwork. Though slightly less harrowing, working on marketing means that I don’t get to focus on just one project. I’m on all of them, all the time. It’s a lot of fun and the good kind of hard work, but there inevitably comes a moment each week where I feel like I’ve put together a really solid timeline or project and got all the moving pieces into a beautiful line…only to have one tiny thing that no one can control because it’s a provider or external system fall out of the row and take my meticulously laid plans down with it. I knew I’d “arrived” last week when a major timeline was pretty significantly impacted by months and my reaction was not to panic but to sigh, make a cup of tea, and just crack on with some solution options. Britishisation is almost complete.
Pictured: world domination plans for the week falling slightly through. Dealing with it.
Here are your links, tell me what you’re up to this weekend in the comments!
Perhaps telling you that Katarina and i have legitimately speculated on turning a good portion of 15th century British history into a totally fictitious web series, set loosely in a modern day high school or some place correctly hormone charged and overly-dramatic…will explain why I found this hilarious. No?
And while we’re on Buzzfeed, apparently I’m “West London Posh.” Ha. I’m a quarter WASP, a quarter Slovak, and half who knows, thank you very much!
Downton Abbey has little redeeming value anymore besides being a well-costumed soap opera. So here’s an interview with the costumer! I make no apologies for my continued plan on turning into the Dowager Countess in my old age.
There’s historical treasure everywhere. One of my favorite memories of the PD was being told to bin a ton of paperwork only to discover it was an unintentional archive of information about my alma mater from the perspective of its resident law enforcement office going straight back to the 50s.
A bit of a downer, but there’s this from the world of Mormon news. Whether you agree or disagree with the actions, this has been an interesting year for excommunications in the community and it’s worth having a conversation about why. You know, if you’re into that sort of conversation. If not, just ignore it.
“There is no time for cut-and-dried monotony. There is time for work. And time for love. That leaves no other time.” ― Coco Chanel
Better late than never, kittens. A slammed week ended with my first ever proper British holiday work party, the stuff of stereotypes and pop culture memes. It ended up being a lot of fun and quite festive. The company I’m working with is chock full of interesting and driven people with amazing stories–such as a managing director who nearly joined the Household Cavalry regiment at one point, and had to participate in a hazing event where he and other recruits were hunted…on horseback! Or a project manager who, as it turns out, is also an Olympian silver medalist for Australia. I have to be careful not to feel quite dinky in comparison!
This weekend it’s freelance reports, Christmas shopping, and general meandering with Jeff, trying to take in as much of the city during the holidays as we can. Let me know what you’re getting up to, and share anything else worth reading in the comments.
Interesting. Apparently I’m pretty resilient, though I could improve in some ways that I find useful to think about.
More things to read. My US library card recently expired leaving me in a terrible conundrum! I usually have about five books going at once and quite suddenly I shot down to zero on my kindle, and I still don’t have a London library card–due to the ongoing and deeply annoying problem of trying to get a bank account, and thus bills, information, and credit in my own name to open a library account. I cannot imagine how women lived without a legal identity, and in the not too distant past. I simply can’t.
“Be thankful for what you have; you’ll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don’t have, you will never, ever have enough.” -Oprah Winfrey
Happy Thanksgiving weekend, ducklings! Jeff and I finally made it to The Mayflower for Thanksgiving dinner, and it was about as charming a British pub as you could find anywhere. In less happy news, Black Friday has crossed the Atlantic in all its greedy glory. I like a deal as much as the next kid but I can’t say I like this development.
One writer tells of their experience sending celebrities fan mail, and who wrote back. I wrote to President Clinton as a little girl and got a note back on White House stationary that was QUITE impressive at show and tell.
Our taxi drivers put those of any other metropolis to shame. I will fight anyone who says different.
Trigger warning, this story is about sexual brutality towards children. But it’s an important read to know what women and girls are up against in some corners of the world. And the last two sentences will get you right in the gut.
Simplistic, but more or less spot on, I think. (Can’t stop chortling over the, “Guys….”)
“Be steady and well-ordered in your life so that you can be fierce and original in your work.” ― Gustave Flaubert
It’s Friday, I’m putting the Russian event to bed and gearing up for one involving Rolls Royce. Life is surreal right now. It’s also Jeff’s 29th birthday and I get to tease him about being old (while wiser people roll their eyes at us). I have to say, he is aging marvelously.
We celebrated earlier in the week with an excellent dinner at a restaurant we’d both wanted to go to for over a year, and it was worth it! Tonight it’s pizza and movies with presents. Over the weekend it’s freelance, food, and writing/editing. I’m pleasantly tired and looking forward to it. If I could find a way to mix in regular exercise again, I would be downright impressive. Here are you links, with extra holiday cheer, and share anything else worth reading in the comments!
The view from Jeff’s birthday dinner. Not bad.
The John Lewis Christmas film has arrived. And I am in irrational love with it. Call me ridiculous, but as the companion of an intrepid and well loved teddy bear, I think this advert nails both the relationship and the general loveliness of the season. Sue me.
Sainsbury too?! Guys, my heart grew three sizes this day.
Small Dog Syndrome 
