Well, I spent this week doing things I'd been planning and looking forward to for some time, but somehow it wasn't all that exciting. I think this is partly because I'm just in a big chunk of time where I just have to write grants and won't get much feedback on that for 6 months -- it's just work. I'm doing a lot of the work on trains & planes which I enjoy, but still. I spent Tuesday talking about a grant with smart people in Oxford. Monday night I saw an enlightening talk on the new Creation museum in Kentucky. What offended the people most was that the museum had smallpox as one of the consequences of The Fall / "human reason", when in fact curing smallpox is one of the great triumphs of science. But of course the whole point is to undermine science. But I find it weird they are embracing a lot of localized evolution while claiming to embrace Biblical Literalism -- they don't think having all the species created in one day means they are immutable for some reason.
I tried to work in Nottingham on Wednesday but the internet there is even worse than at the KLI so I have been finish a bunch of the stuff I had scheduled for that day today. Thursday afternoon I spent going around Shrewsbury with Patricia attending various things about Darwin's growing up in that town, and then we had a happy birthday dinner for him, Will & I (though Will & I were two weeks off in either direction). Will's brother David & his fiance Nancy also came.
Saturday at 6am Will had a flight to New York where he's been asked to talk at a conference. I was going to go to a meeting in Bristol Friday morning but I got so little done Wednesday we stayed at Patricia's home & caught up (Patricia also has better internet than KLI or Nottingham, as do we at both our homes & as do most cafes!) Then we went to Birmingham & saw a concert & then stayed overnight in an airport hotel. I had wanted to come back to Vienna afer he left but it was much cheaper to fly back Monday due to the holiday. But then KLM lost my reservation! So by then it was cheaper to fly ON Valentine's day so I got back after all, but for 150 euro more.
I think it's hard to get excited about things right now because we are all getting email about how much our universities are cutting back etc. so we have no idea what will happen in the future, presumably our jobs will get worse. At least I have a permanent one. Honestly, if Will's job is not renewed it will be worth it if we can be together every night. But the problem then would be how he will keep his career going & be happy with himself. I am also unhappy because I had a paper rejected so that is more work resubmitting it somewhere else.
Ha, someone has just got a birthay cake in our cafe! I can't imagine the British letting you light 20 candles in a cafe. They had the fire brigade standing by when they lit the candles for Darwin's cake outside! I guess I'll close with a picture of that.
I tried to work in Nottingham on Wednesday but the internet there is even worse than at the KLI so I have been finish a bunch of the stuff I had scheduled for that day today. Thursday afternoon I spent going around Shrewsbury with Patricia attending various things about Darwin's growing up in that town, and then we had a happy birthday dinner for him, Will & I (though Will & I were two weeks off in either direction). Will's brother David & his fiance Nancy also came.
Saturday at 6am Will had a flight to New York where he's been asked to talk at a conference. I was going to go to a meeting in Bristol Friday morning but I got so little done Wednesday we stayed at Patricia's home & caught up (Patricia also has better internet than KLI or Nottingham, as do we at both our homes & as do most cafes!) Then we went to Birmingham & saw a concert & then stayed overnight in an airport hotel. I had wanted to come back to Vienna afer he left but it was much cheaper to fly back Monday due to the holiday. But then KLM lost my reservation! So by then it was cheaper to fly ON Valentine's day so I got back after all, but for 150 euro more.
I think it's hard to get excited about things right now because we are all getting email about how much our universities are cutting back etc. so we have no idea what will happen in the future, presumably our jobs will get worse. At least I have a permanent one. Honestly, if Will's job is not renewed it will be worth it if we can be together every night. But the problem then would be how he will keep his career going & be happy with himself. I am also unhappy because I had a paper rejected so that is more work resubmitting it somewhere else.
Ha, someone has just got a birthay cake in our cafe! I can't imagine the British letting you light 20 candles in a cafe. They had the fire brigade standing by when they lit the candles for Darwin's cake outside! I guess I'll close with a picture of that.
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