Why is it that when you specify "no sugar", you always get sugar? I suppose the most sensible thing to do is never to mention sugar, lest the idea form in a tea-lady's head that you would like some.

Vile, vile, vile.

Yechhh.

I don't even understand why - I mean, I like sugar, and I like tea, but the combination repulses me. Kinda like mango and salt I guess.

[A]s a certain teacher of this world has said: "No one dances when sober unless he is mad."
- St. Ambrose. Concerning Virgins. Book III.

I wonder who said it first?

Neminem saltare sobrius, nisi forte insanit.

Ah, Cicero.

Lord, open our lips.
And we shall praise your name.

The Lord has truly risen, alleluia.

The earth is the LORD's and the fulness thereof,
the world and those who dwell therein;
for he has founded it upon the seas,
and established it upon the rivers.

The Lord has truly risen, alleluia.

Who shall ascend the hill of the LORD?
And who shall stand in his holy place?
He who has clean hands and a pure heart,
who does not lift up his soul to what is false,
and does not swear deceitfully.
He will receive blessing from the LORD,
and vindication from the God of his salvation.
Such is the generation of those who seek him,
who seek the face of the God of Jacob.

The Lord has truly risen, alleluia.

Lift up your heads, O gates!
and be lifted up, O ancient doors!
that the King of glory may come in.
Who is the King of glory?
The LORD, strong and mighty,
the LORD, mighty in battle!

The Lord has truly risen, alleluia.

Lift up your heads, O gates!
and be lifted up, O ancient doors!
that the King of glory may come in.
Who is this King of glory?
The LORD of hosts,
he is the King of glory!

The Lord has truly risen, alleluia.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen.

Been learning the Greek alphabet properly, and now to write it. This is a good thing, as I should be able to write out my own declensions and so forth wihout trying to find a font and enough time on James' computer. Huzzah!

While I'm here, I guess I could practise it again:

alpha, beta, gamma, delta, epsilon, zeta, eta, theta, iota, kappa, lamda, mu, nu (I think I may well be spelling these all wrong by now, but I can definitely pronounce them), xi, omicron, pi, rho, sigma, tau, upsilon, phi, chi, psi, omega.

You might have to take my word for it that I can write them.

I didn't have the best Saturday last weekend, everything started to go wrong. A clock stopped for no apparent reason and has since been going all week. The glass spontaneously cracked in a clock waiting to go, and assorted other not-my-fault problems occured. Unsurprisingly having started the day feeling down, I did some therapeutic crying in the washroom. David kindly allowed me to go home once I had composed myself. Dad suggested that this might be to do letting out some of the disapointment and hurt from my university farce and later IT dead-end career attempt. Somewhat reassuring.

The rest of the week has been quite reasonable, although I may start paying my rent in cash to prevent their delay in paying in my rent check from mucking up my budget.

I ended up working longer than the usual half-day on Thursday, in order that David wasn't alone in the shop since, two of his staff were off and the other one was attending a funeral in the early afternoon. Still it means I can finish two and a half hours earlier one day if I so choose.

I'm in Camberley for this weekend, enjoying the time with my parents and enduring (sorry enjoying) Nicholas's company.

Emma's landed an interview at Sale Grammar School after Easter. I reckon she's doing something right - after sending off four applications, she's had interviews at three schools. Her school broke up for Easter today, so hopefully she'll get a well deserved rest from her PGCE course. She's got a ton of work to do over the two week break (well, two and a bit - it includes Good Friday) but is hoping to get it out of the way in the first week.

We'll be heading up to Kendal to see Mum & Dad at the caravan and maybe a bit of youth hostelling while we're there.

I think I'm getting sufficiently involved with my studies: I'm starting to view holidays as an interference with mathematics, rather than a break from it. Scary, eh?

Well, fancy that:

First General Grant
Third General Grant

I believe in God
Christian doctrine
Mental prayer
Reading of Sacred Scripture

I was having a really crap day, but, on the plus side someone just opined that I have a "Christian attitude" towards the people who call us (they're not exactly customers...).

Score.

As I've not blogged for a while, I should probably update on the state of my PhD. Feel free to study this text in detail if you're having trouble sleeping, if you're a masochist, or if (bizarrely) you're genuinely interested.

I'm in my final year, so probably need to think about starting to write up my thesis. I get paid for three years, but don't have to hand it in at the end of that period - I can take up to four years - but that's probably not a great idea. I still need to eat!

I managed to get a couple of calculations that I've been working on finished. I would write down the results, but I don't know how to import .pdf files (just need a line or so - let me know if I can do it!). The techniques used seem likely to generalise and I'm confident about churning out similar results in the near future. The good news is that a pattern seems to be emerging, so hopefully I can prove a general result - which would be ideal for a nice thesis - the tough part will be proving it.

This tickled me: In response to America's new willingness to try diplomacy & financial aid to encourage Iran to halt their nuclear weapons programme, Iran is offering to send George Bush truckloads of pistachio nuts if he will dismantle America's huge nuclear arsenal.

Iran is now my favourite country.

Are you up to the challenge of local democracy?

Some Psalms (and a canticle) that I might try and write music for.

5th Sunday of Easter
6th Sunday of Easter
Ascension - God goes up with shouts of joy; the Lord goes up with trumpet blast. Ps. 46
7th Sunday of Easter - I am sure I shall see the Lord's goodness in the land of the living. Ps. 26
Pentecost
The Most Holy Trinity - To you glory and praise for evermore. Dan. 3:52-56
Corpus Christi - O praise the Lord, Jerusalem! Ps. 147
9th Sunday of the year
(n.b. St. Justin, Martyr)
10th Sunday of the year - I will show God's salvation to the upright. Ps. 49
11th Sunday of the year - We are his people: the sheep of his flock. Ps. 99
12th Sunday of the year
13th Sunday of the year
Ss.Peter and Paul
14th Sunday of the year - I will bless your name for ever, O God my King. Ps. 144