writer22

writer22 @ 2009-07-27T11:27:00

2009-07-27T10:47:19Z

This is just a short entry before I finish writing about how an article I was given two copies of is relevant to my edition.
I had an enjoyable day doing conservation yesterday, despite the fact that it was raining at the beginning of the day and again later on. Initially, I was weeding round small growing trees protected with wire. Then, I felled a tree with somebody else in the group. Despite being almost cut through it would not fall down until we attached a clamp to it and pulled and pushed from opposite directions.
Other recent enjoyable days include a ride in a steam train from Bowness to a clay mine (quite cold and damp, and it would have been dusty too when people were working in it). There was also a railway museum to look at, although I did not realise until afterwards that I had only seen half of it - there was another shed which I didn't notice.
I have only bought 2 tickets so far for the Festival - one for No Name Horses at the Jazz Festival on Sunday, and one for John Burnside and Don Paterson on 29 August at the Book Festival.
Right now, it is quite bright and sunny outside, so I may go for a short walk now I have completed this entry.

writer22 @ 2008-12-04T09:03:00

2008-12-04T09:15:42Z

I'm presently spluttering with a cough, so I thought I'd get round to doing a LJ entry.

I've now done annotations for the 4 chapters of the commentary I'm editing, so I can carry on working on my main supervisor's comments and constructing the introduction. That is, most of the routine not very academic work of the edition (copying margin notes into the text etc) is over.

I haven't been doing my usual conservation etc lately since I fell in Buccleuch Place and broke a finger. It's now no longer strapped to the finger next to it, and is now not often painful. I have done a few other activities - shopping at Ocean Terminal for trousers and watching a few films (most recently Changeling, which makes a dramatic impact).

I plan to stay in Edinburgh over Christmas, to try to get towards the end of the thesis - will anyone else be here?

writer22 @ 2008-05-28T09:33:00

2008-05-28T08:47:00Z

I have just come back from a short break. I went to Yorkshire for a few days, where I coincided with my brother, who I hadn't seen for a while. I also spent a day in Leeds, where, amongst other things, you can buy several pairs of socks for £2. Then, I went to Cumbria for a few days, where I stayed at a centre of early Quakerism. It has a picturesque garden and wild flower meadow, which I was involved in cultivating. I also went on a trip to a sculpture park. This has, amongst other exhibits, some which can be interacted with, including a large wooden musical instrument. On returning to Edinburgh, besides doing housework, I did a conservation task amongst some ponds in Vogrie Park near Dalkeith.

My edition is now all 'stuck together' ie the transcript is in continuous chapters, and I continue to annotate ...

writer22 @ 2007-11-05T09:06:00

2007-11-05T09:25:56Z

I'm updating my livejournal whilst waiting for some work to be done on the door of the room I'm working in to make it more fireproof.

The biggest change in my life recently is that a week or two ago I finished putting the commentary I'm editing onto computer using O.C.R. This involved a lot of meticulous, time-consuming, laborious checking since there were errors in the text the software produced (there are just over 480 pages in the commentary). I also had to make consistent editorial changes to the text. Some jobs still need to be done to produce the finished transcript - the pages have to be linked together and I am inserting the notes in the margins in the commentary in the text in brackets where they belong. Beyond this, I am continuing to annotate the text and an introduction and table of biblical references are to be done.

Apart from this I've done quite a lot of countryside conservation on Sundays in the last several months. This has taken me round the Lothians. The tasks have been quite varied - cutting down (quite small) trees, weeding little trees, clearing vegetation from paths, chopping down sea buckthorn etc. I also go down to Yorkshire from time to time - last time I met some people in York whom I hadn't seen for quite a long time.

On Saturday I went on an endless shopping trail looking for small Osram light bulbs. In the end I bought 2 Philips bulbs which appear to have the same fittings. I also fitted a battery to my smoke alarm - although I'm not convinced that it is working properly. I also went to a ceilidh, not to dance, since I can't, but to talk to the people I knew there.

Well, that completes this entry.

writer22 @ 2007-01-15T20:33:00

2007-01-15T20:54:40Z

This is a post Christmas update of my Livejournal.

I spent Christmas in Yorkshire. There, I did my last minute (Christmas Eve) Christmas shopping, having previously ordered a tool for my brother on line. I stopped off in York a couple of times to meet up with people. On New Year's Day I walked round the walls of York with members of a club I belong to. It was an enjoyable walk although we got dreched with rain before we started. Afterwards we had tea in one of the few teashops open that day.

After Christmas I spent a few days in Edinburgh before travelling down to Hereford to stay with a friend from University and her family. This was a complete change from life in Edinburgh. Her three children lead busy lives which require lifts in the car etc. On Saturday, my friend and I went to a performance of Twelfth Night held in the school which two of her children attend. This was definitely the production of the play which I have seen which involved most audience participtation. It was quite lengthy, so it was a late night for my friend's younger daughter, who was staying with friends during that evening.

Now I'm back in Edinburgh, I can get on with producing a text on computer of the commentary I am working on. I will also return to doing conservation tasks on Sundays. All this should keep me completely occupied for the time being.

writer22 @ 2006-06-27T15:59:00

2006-06-27T15:04:21Z

I've just been catching up with Livejournal after some time away from Edinburgh.

First, I went to Yorkshire to visit family and see friends in York. There we went to a few pubs in one of which I played pool badly - potting the reds/yellows for half an hour or so after the opponent had potted the black.

Then, I went on a countryside conservation residential near Lochinver in the NW of Scotland. The tasks included digging a garden so that it could be made into a tree nursery or a vegetable garden, and cutting back gorse from the edge of a path. As well as this work we had two days off. On the first of these we walked towards a large hill but on the second we mainly visited indoor attractions such as a visitor centre and bookshop since it rained heavily practically all day. We took it in turns to cook (there were 6 of us) and went to the pie restaurant in Lochinver. Altogether, it was an enjoyable experience.

After this holiday, I went on a boat trip to Castle Leven which is in the middle of Loch Leven. This Castle once imprisoned Mary Queen of Scots, and a significant amount of it remains, apparently because of the need to preserve a view from nearby Kinross House.

Well, that completes my recent explorations.

writer22 @ 2006-03-06T10:31:00

2006-03-06T10:51:12Z

Since it's almost spring, I thought I would update my Livejournal.

I've just had a relaxing weekend. I printed some photographs I took a few weeks ago of my parents and myself with their rapidly growing puppy Westie. Actually, I think she's fully grown now. She's about twice as big as she was when I saw her previously a few months ago. Her hair was rather long at the photo session, but I gather she's had it cut now.

Besides catching up with my flat cleaning, I saw two films - Brokeback Mountain (good photography) and The French Lieutenant's Woman (a DVD). I also went to Aberlady Bay to do conservation yesterday - we were cutting down and digging up the roots of sea buckthorn. This is a plant which was introduced about the end of the second world war to stabilise the sand dunes, but it spreads prolifically. Conservation groups therefore go to the site regularly to try to control it. It is a very picturesque area. The work was slow because of the large number of lengthy roots.

I've started swimming on occasional lunchtimes and going to the gym. At the gym I've been using the exercise machines - bike, crosstrainer, stepper etc. Also, I've been trying the weight machines, where you usually sit and move your arms/legs to lift a variable weight. I don't know that it has reduced my weight much, though. I didn't get to the swimming pool or gym last week because of other priorities, but I will probably get back to them from the middle of this week.

Well, that completes this update.

writer22 @ 2005-10-25T14:50:00

2005-10-25T14:13:02Z

Since it's nearly the end of October, I think it's time for another LJ entry.

The only unusual thing I've done recently is to go with the University conservation society on a trip to Craigleith Island near North Berwick in order to clear tree mallow plants so as to encourage puffins to return to the island. The plants were to be tackled with shears and saws. We were to travel to the island in a small boat. This entailed signing several risk forms since dangers included jumping from the boat onto possibly wet rocks. In the event, the boat journey was cancelled because of the wind so we could't do the task. Instead, we looked round the bird centre for free. The main attraction here was that you could control the cameras to produce footage of the birds on the nearby islands.

Also, recently the Independent newspaper was running an offer for at least 4 days. This consisted of paying 20p for a newspape and a different daily selection from a bar of chocolate, a book, a DVD a CD and number puzzles. This kept me up late in the evening reading the paper. Also I watched the DVD (Swimming with Sharks) on Sunday. It reminded me a bit of The Talented Mr Ripley.

Finally, also on Sunday, I watched a video, The Story of Ruth. This was an embellished version of the Book of Ruth which, nevertheless, brought out the main points in the story, and alluded to the lore of the medieval Jewish commentaries on the Book of Ruth.

I think that completes my account of recent activities.

writer22 @ 2005-08-03T21:04:00

2005-08-03T20:21:41Z

This is my summer livejournal entry. Last month was a welcome change to routine for me. I went on the Make Poverty History march, once it was allowed to set off, in the heat of July 2. It was the first march I've been on, and I found the solidarity amongst the thousands of marchers a positive thing. I marched with a CND sign calling for water not war. One of the people I was with did the whole march barefoot.

Several days later I went to an archaeological dig near Castle Douglas in Dumfries/Galloway. There were two sites - a medieval motte and a site with neolithic and bronze age burials and evidence of a crannog (platform above water). I didn't find much - a possible hand tool and a small piece of pottery. We were only rained off one day, and the heat on other days wasn't too oppressive either. I met people I remembered from my previous stay two years ago and new people. In the end, it was quite sad to leave.

I then went on a trip to Knaresborough, where I again stayed with family and visited York, touring pubs, specifically pubs with quiz machines, where I very occasionally assisted with answers.

Since I've been back in Edinburgh, the buses have been striking but otherwise life is normal for the summertime. It has been good to get away for a bit, but Edinburgh is my preferred location.

writer22 @ 2005-04-04T14:49:00

2005-04-04T14:25:35Z

Since it is now spring whereas it was winter when I last wrote in my Livejournal, I have decided to update, it. I have mainly been in Edinburgh, spending my spare time doing conservation (such as the frequent task of constructing cycle paths from heaps of gravel), roleplaying, and attending events such as the Folk Club Burns Night, and the exhibition of Andy Warhol's self portraits in the Gallery of Modern Art. I went to this exhibition yesterday, and it certainly gives you a good impression of what he looked like.

I also finished the New College course I have been auditing this semester. It was very informative, with lots of hand outs and varied lectures and seminars. The lecturer took us for a drink after the last class. Because there was a power cut on the Mound we had to walk almost to the Grassmarket to find a functioning pub. It was interesting to talk to the people who I had previously only seen in the class.

There is scaffolding on the building opposite my flat whose gable blew out in the wind a few months ago. They appear to have replaced the missing parts but seem to be waiting to finish the job off.

Last week I was in Knaresborough for a few days. This has been particularly difficult to arrange because they are working on the East Coast rail track and only release tickets for travel on Saturdays and Sundays a week or two before travel. By then the cheap tickets for the trains on Fridays have sold out so you can't buy a cheap return ticket. Therefore I travelled both directions mid week around Easter Day. I went over to York on the Saturday, where I assisted (occasionally) with pub quiz machine questions and had a drink with the club in York I belong to before they went on to a Spanish meal. I had more trouble with train tickets on this trip since when I rang the traim information line I was told that because of engineering works it was necessary to travel from Knaresborough to York via Leeds and the ticket would be a Knaresborough to York return, but on the Leeds train I was charged for a York to Leeds return journey since buses were being used for the Knaresborough to York return journey. However, the Knaresborough to Leeds train journey is quite scenic so I enjoyed the trip.

Well, I think this brings me up to date. Also, I seem to have run out of space for the entry.

writer22 @ 2005-01-17T11:33:00

2005-01-17T11:43:55Z

Since my last update I have spent Christmas and the New Year with my parents in Knaresborough. It was good to spend several days with them. I also went shopping in Leeds, and went to York where I assisted occasionally with pub quiz machine questions and briefly met up with people in a club of which I am a County member. I did my Christmas shopping in Harrogate, following the requests of the people who would receive the presents.

Since I have been back in Edinburgh there was an eventful windy night last week when the whole gable of the roof of the building opposite my flat on Gilmour Street fell into the road, with bricks floating down the road. The next morning the police were there and also lookers on, some with cameras (not me). However, judging by the lights in windows, it looks as if some of the residents are still living in the building, even though the wall structure around the gable looks fragile.

Yesterday I did conservation, which involved making a cycle path from a large heap of gravel. This was good exercise and quite enjoyable, although it rained at one point in the afternoon.

I am now about to go to a class in Judaism at New College, which is filling in gaps in my knowledge.

writer22 @ 2004-12-17T16:45:00

2004-12-17T17:08:48Z

I thought I would update my Livejournal as the end of the year is approaching and I haven't done so recently. The highlight of the last few weeks was my brother's visit to Edinburgh one weekend - with two impeccably behaved dogs, Basil and Pike. He is looking after them since their owner has moved into accommodation which is not suitable for dogs. Pike visibly recognises when his name is called. Both dogs enjoy walks, so they are keeping my brother occupied. Apart from introducing the dogs, he fixed various bits of furniture which were broken and tried (parly unsuccessfully) to link my computer to an old model of printer. I cooked a chilli casserole on the Sunday, which went down well.

I have also done conservation some Sundays. On one occasion we were cutting buckthorn at Aberlady Bay and after the task two of the men went swimming in the sea, although it was only a few days before the start of December. It must have been absolutely freezing! Last weekend the conservation task I went on involved planting trees and chopping pine trees down. We cut off the tops of some of the trees to use as our Christmas trees. I am just wondering how I will get rid of mine in January since it is probably too big to go in the outside rubbish containers.

On 5 December I went to visit the Titian exhibition at the National Gallery in its final afternoon. Apart from seeing the pictures, I also met my supervisor, who was also visiting at the last minute.

Also recently I managed to install the printer on the computer with a friend's assistance over the telephone. However, it is sending out pages in the wrong order and not in a neat pile, so it may need to be reinstalled.

Just to finish off, Happy Christmas to any readers!

writer22 @ 2004-11-01T17:18:00

2004-11-01T17:32:12Z

The major happening recently was a trip to London for a conference the weekend before last. This was enjoyable although I was without access to food shops/canteens for 2 days. The Roehampton campus is not within walking distance of any restaurants. I had to save some of my buffet lunch for my tea. On Sunday I went to my cousin's house for coffee before travelling in the tube back to King's Cross. Regarding trains, the train I caught to go to Roehampton was of the slam door variety, and I had to jump from some height onto the platform at Roehampton, which left me with aches and pains on account of the heavy rucksack I was carrying. There was an item on the local news that evening criticising slam door trains as dangerous.

Last weekend I went to a roleplaying session. Two weekends ago I did conservation at a kind of community centre. This involved weeding by digging. Some people also lit a fire and went on an assault course. I think I went on a walk probably the weekend before that.

My brother continues to say he will be visiting me (probably with friends from the Newcastle area). However he continues to be busy working on his house. I think he is in a roofing phase at the moment. None of my family have been invited (allowed) to see his house. However, I look forward to visiting.

I think this brings me up to date again.

writer22 @ 2004-09-28T17:45:00

2004-09-28T17:07:56Z

Since my last livejournal entry the Festival finished, although my brother didn't visit since he was too busy working on his house. I'm sure he'll get here sometime. I went to a few shows, including "Shakespeare Asleep" ("Midsummer Night's Dream and "Macbeth") and a concert by the London Philharmonic Orchestra. At the concert I was sitting in the choirstalls behind the Orchestra so I could watch them playing. I also went to a jazz event in Princes Street Gardens, which was packed out.

I have also been on a few walks, including ones with the group whose pace is too fast for me. I am really an occasional walker. On Thursday I came back from a week in Yorkshire. This week was spent partly in the garden, removing ivy and lopping bushes and partly in trying to teach my parents to use a computer. I also went across to York, where I played pool (badly) for the first time since I last went to York and occasionally assisted in answering pub quiz machine questions.

Since returning to Edinburgh I have visited the cyclorama at the Talbot Rice gallery (an illuminated colourful painting on a material surface), have been to a party where I met more livejournal people, and have been to a pub evening and to the dentist's. Today I went to a divinity class on the dead sea scrolls which I will continue to attend this semester. These scrolls have been painstakingly reconstructed from fragments, and cast light on parts of the Old Testament. This brings me up to date.

writer22 @ 2004-07-28T16:29:00

2004-07-28T15:41:12Z

Since the Festival is about to start and my brother likes to see some of it, I sent him a few of the Festival programmes so he can select what he wants to go to. He usually brings friends from the Newcastle area (where he works) when he visits, so that is something to look forward to.

I have been on a few walks in the last few weeks - on Sunday the walk was around mid Calder. We had good weather and picturesque surroundings, although the pace is always a little faster than my natural one - I feel as if I'm constantly catching up!
I missed another walk a few weeks ago since I wasn't feeling well.

A week ago last Sunday I went to a barbecue. It was the first I'd been to this year. It was held in a small garden but we spilled over onto the river bank, so it was a pleasant afternoon. Another first this year was the punnet of strawberries I bought from Tesco on Saturday. Strawberries always bring back the memory of strawbery picking when I was (very) young.

I've just realised that now I no longer have any interlibrary loan books to remember to return - I had a stream of them over the last couple of months.

Well, I reckon this update is now complete.

writer22 @ 2004-05-21T12:53:00

2004-05-21T12:02:25Z

Last week I went to the Engine Shed for coffee with someone writing up his thesis in theology. The cafe is a large room with several baby chairs at the back. I got a cafetiere of coffee. My friend gave me a chapter of his thesis to read. I feel quite familiar with his thesis since I have previously read another chapter. It makes a change from my own research focus. I also cooked a meal for three - vegetarian lasagne. This was quite enjoyable but involved a lot of chopping, frying and washing up. I might see if I can get my DVD player to work this weekend.

writer22 @ 2004-04-27T15:28:00

2004-04-27T14:34:05Z

I just managed to wipe out the entry I was making here a minute ago. How? So I'll try again. I went down to Yorkshire this weekend, including a visit to York on Saturday evening, when I met some people and had a starter in an Indian restaurant before catching the 9.57 train to Knaresborough. This was instead of meeting one of these people in between my train journeys on Sunday. I have also been on a few walks recently - one from Auchtermuchty and the other to see the Falkirk wheel. The Falkirk wheel is a feat of engineering which uses Archimedes' principle in conveying boats. I have also been reading Paradise Lost, which I've finished, so I'm paying more attention to other things now.

writer22 @ 2004-03-30T17:04:00

2004-03-30T16:10:49Z

The weekend before last I went to Yorkshire for four days, but only managed to socialise in York once. Last weekend I went on a photographic walkabout in Leith. This was enjoyable, particularly because I haven't taken photographs with my SLR for ages. When I get to the end of the film and get it processed I will find out if I have yet managed to compensate the exposure for a bright sky. I have started to read Paradise Lost - I am just about to go back to it, having read the bit early on where the devils are depicted.

writer22 @ 2004-03-16T11:09:00

2004-03-16T11:20:25Z

Last Monday I helped out at Greyfriars Kirk House, serving meals to the homeless. This is something I did more of when I first came to Edinburgh a few years ago. I still go along from time to time. On Wednesday I gave a work in progress paper, which seemed to go OK. On Saturday I went to help clear up after the Peace and Justice Centre book sale, and bought three second hand books - 2 recipe books and Comedy of Errors. On Sunday I went on a walk starting in Ratho and ending in Edinburgh (The Tickled Trout to be precise). We visited then new climbing adventure centre at Ratho. The centre is built around a quarry face and has huge artificial walls. The building, which is built onto the quarry face, is five stories high, and at the top level you can look through glass at people hanging from the roof by harnesses propelling themselves along. Nothing would make me try it! This afternoon, I'll spent some time clearing up after the book sale. At the weekend I'm going to Yorkshire, and will fit in some visits to friends in York.

writer22 @ 2004-03-04T14:29:00

2004-03-04T14:35:49Z

The only outstanding thing that has happened in the last week is that the police came round to my flat at 11pm one evening at the weekend, reporting a smell of gas and wanting entry to the flat below me. It turned out the cooker had been left on in that flat. The next afternoon I noticed a smell of gas and called TRANSCO. They fixed the cooker, and things have been fine since then.

Has anyone else had unexpected e mails from regusers@miscorps.ed.ac.uk? I am going to delete all mine.

writer22 @ 2004-02-24T15:44:00

2004-02-24T15:50:42Z

Only a few things have happened since my last entry. One of these is that I went on a walk near Peebles on Sunday. This was quite scenic although the pace of walking meant there wasn't much time just to look at the view. Since then it has been quite cold in Edinburgh. I just found out that a Christmas parcel sent to me was not delivered, presumably because the front door doesn't have a letterbox - the postman can only get in during part of the morning

writer22 @ 2004-02-20T16:24:00

2004-02-20T16:26:22Z

Does this entry exist? Has anyone read it?