Sauntering Vaguely Downward

1SE for May 2026

Sun, 31 May 2026 13:24:20 GMT

I seem to have been a little obsessed with the flowers in our garden this month, which have been blooming spectacularly. Our bank holiday weekend in Norfolk comes out rather well, too, thanks to the weather!

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The Friday Five

Fri, 29 May 2026 16:36:25 GMT

In an average week, how many nights do you eat home-cooked dinners?

7 out of 7, unless I’m on travel. We rarely eat in restaurants, not least because it’s fiendishly expensive for four people compared to preparing our own food.
Do you plan your meals out in advance, or just wing it?

Usually there is a loose plan at the start of the week, because we have to plan for nights the children have activities (most weeknights) and / or when one of the adults will not be there.
How many nights per week do you eat out or order food delivered?

If you average it over a month, 0.25 nights per week for eating out, 0 nights per week for food delivery. We live in a rural area so very few places deliver to us. Also, only one of our children likes Indian or Chinese takeaway; the other one won’t touch it, so it feels pretty pointless when you’re still going to end up preparing at least one meal.
Do you keep a stock of nonperishable foods from which you could whip up a meal or two if you needed to?

Oh yes. We have all the pasta shapes and all the tinned goods.
Have you ever tried preparing meals for the week all at once, say, on the weekend?

See the pinned post at the top of my journal. I don’t do this every week, but when I know the bloke is going to be away, all the meals get slow-cooked the weekend prior.

My slow cooker is hands-down my favourite electrically powered kitchen device*, followed closely by the KitchenAid stand mixer and now the Ninja Creami.

* Kettle, toaster and microwave excluded from this hierarchy as their presence is not contingent upon whether or not I like them.

[I have not been around here much. I apologise. I have been disinclined to write since Comet's death, but I'm starting to come out the other side of that period of silent grieving now.]

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The Friday Five on a Saturday

Sat, 02 May 2026 16:20:25 GMT

Do you like to spend time outdoors?

Yes! I like walking, hiking and swimming outside. I don’t get to do any of those things often enough, but when I do, they make me very happy.
What is your favorite flower?

Whichever ones are currently in bloom. Right now it’s the tulips, and an iris just opened so for a few days it will be them as they're ephemeral. The roses are getting ready to go as well, and all of our rose bushes are bursting with buds this year which is nice to see.
Any favourite warm weather activities?

Gardening for hours, and then sitting on the lawn afterward with a refreshing cold beverage, admiring my handiwork and planning what to do next.
Have you ever kept a garden? If so, what did you grow?

Yes! I’m not really the architect of our garden. The layout is all the bloke’s handiwork. I like weeding, trimming, and helping out the flowering plants and veg he chooses.
Do you know how to swim?

Yes, but not particularly well. I do wish I’d had proper swimming lessons as a child. Both my children swim very well because of their lessons, and Humuhumu has done lifesaving courses too.

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1SE for April 2026

Fri, 01 May 2026 14:28:08 GMT

This month features Trieste, Venice, Durham, and ice cream, as well as the usual dosages of children and cats.

On another note, I have just sent an e-mail to the wrong person with the same name *three* times. I think I need to step away from the keyboard for a bit.

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The Friday Five on a Sunday

Sun, 12 Apr 2026 16:28:57 GMT

What was the last book you read (or are currently reading)?

Jan Morris’ Trieste and the meaning of nowhere, for what I feel are obvious reasons. It is a very romantic, forgiving view of the city.
What was the last movie you watched?

We caught a bit of the Minions movie dubbed into Italian last night. It was (perhaps unsurprisingly?) easy to follow in another language.
What television series are you currently watching?

Nothing at the moment. We finished a few things before the Easter holiday (new series of Death in Paradise, Small Prophets).
What are some of your favorite blogs or communities online?

I really only read DW and LJ these days. That's enough for me.
What social media do you belong to and check often?

I still have accounts on the usual platforms but I haven't checked any of them since January 2025 when I removed all the apps from my phone. I vaguely miss contact with a few people but it has generally been a good move. I spend more time communicating directly through messaging or email, or more diffusely but in greater depth here on DW & LJ.

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Day 2: Risiera di San Sabba and walking through Trieste

Sat, 11 Apr 2026 15:02:26 GMT

After breakfast, we got on the bus to the museum at San Sabba, the rice factory that served as a concentration camp in WWII. As expected, it was quite harrowing, especially walking into the middle square where the Nazis had torched the crematorium before fleeing. The hole where the chimney had been ripped out has a small plaque and flower vase in front of it. I am not at all superstitious. However, the feeling you get walking in from the entrance is one of tremendously bad juju. The dank cells with the wooden doors and too-small bunks may be the only physical remains of the instruments of torment, but the walls are permeated with it. We did not take any photos. We read through all the exhibition materials in the museum. Keiki insisted we leave a donation to ensure all is preserved so no one forgets.

Our bus ride back to town was quiet, and at the end of the journey we walked to a gelateria. Everyone practiced ordering in Italian. We must have done reasonably well as the server smiled at us a great deal and our single scoop cones wobbled under the weight of gelato piled in.

Much of the rest of the day was spent walking, punctuated by stops for refreshments and a bit of shopping. We visited the Cattedrale di San Giusto Martire (photos in a separate post), and we watched the sunset from the harbour’s edge.

Random garden with large wisteria vines in full flower.

The drive leading up to the castle.

WWI monument.

Aperol, crisps and beer. Very acceptable.

Triestian sunset.

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Grotta Gigante

Thu, 09 Apr 2026 12:34:02 GMT

One of the Trieste trip activities selected by Keiki was the Grotta Gigante. Accordingly we booked timed entry tickets, and headed out on the bus on Day 2.

Spoiler alert: It is a gigantic cave. You have to descend 500 damp, steep, slippery steps bounded by damp, slippery metal handrails. As a person with acrophobia, I should have realised beforehand that this was going to test me, but somehow I managed to completely miss that despite it the access parameters being pretty clearly stated on the web site. I am quite proud that through much deep breathing and tight management of the pointing direction of my vision, I was able to cope with the descent and appreciate the visit.

( Many cave photos )

THE END.

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Some photos from Day 1 in Trieste

Wed, 08 Apr 2026 13:42:24 GMT

Keiki and his espresso.

( +4 photos )

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Things I have watched since new year

Sun, 05 Apr 2026 07:13:24 GMT

Death in Paradise, the newest series. I really like the new DI, Mervyn. “I'm not insensitive! Other people are just too sensitive.” Yeah, that's totally it, dude. Also, I feel you, mate. As ever, the actual murder mysteries are silly and improbable, but it doesn't matter because the scenery is beautiful and I love the characters and their relationships.

Agatha Christie's Seven Dials. Bumpy pacing and gaping plot holes aside, I enjoyed this because of Bundle's inquisitive angry little face, her coterie of hapless male admirers / accomplices, and Helena Bonham Carter's snooty lady-of-the-crumbling-manor.

Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man. Weirdly slow and ponderous, and according to the kids, quite confusing if you didn't know the back story. And yet they watched the entire film with us and thought it was good.

I was reminded of the Eddie Izzard sketch where he (at the time) talked about the differences between British and American films. How British films were all “A room with a view and a staircase and a pond”, and featured people walking into rooms and not saying things to each other. “Oh, I…” “What is it, Sebastian, I'm arranging matches.” “I'd better go.” And how you can't eat popcorn to that sort of thing. This film was like that, all long pauses and people staring moodily into the middle distance, punctuated by the occasional scene of ultraviolence and wrestling in pig muck.

The kids liked the atmosphere and the cinematography and the characters. Their one serious criticism: “That is NOT a Brummie accent.” They should know. Keiki’s still got one, and Humuhumu can code-switch effortlessly.

Oh, and we did eat popcorn during it.

Bonus pic: Ozzy the Bull with his PB flat cap on

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The Friday Five on a Saturday

Sat, 04 Apr 2026 15:48:05 GMT

Do you like the look of your country's currency (bills and coins)?

Yes, I do. I still don't live the plasticky feel of the new bills - they don't fold very well - but grudgingly concede that they are far more durable.
Regardless of their actual value, do you like bills or coins better?

I like the UK's coins. Especially the £2 coin, it's very pretty and has a pleasing weight in the hand. A shiny new coppery 2p piece is also quite attractive.
What is your favorite foreign currency? And why?

Euros. You can use them in so many countries. And they're also very pretty.
Do you collect coins or bills? Elaborate.

Not formally, I haven't got an organised folder or anything. But I do try to save a few coins/bills from trips to other countries as souvenirs.
Do you think human society could make do completely without money? Explain.

No. I think the sheer number of us and the vast variety of goods and services we use as individuals would make a bartering system very cumbersome. And it is still useful sometimes to conduct transactions in cash rather than card.

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1SE for March 2026

Wed, 01 Apr 2026 20:46:18 GMT

Very much feeling as though I'm limping toward the finish line here. The University shuts down at CoB tomorrow for the Easter holiday. I'm running on fumes and caffeine, trying to clear my desk and inbox of things I really shouldn't leave until after it re-opens.

This month features the return of the canal boats*, two trips to London, and the inaugural ice creams from the Ninja Creami (thank you, semianonymous!). Making your own soft serve ice cream from scratch truly is a luxury.

* We missed them last year. The entire lock flight had to be shut for months so the Canal and Rivers Trust could carry out extensive repairs to a lock with collapsed walls.

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The Friday Five on a Saturday

Sat, 28 Mar 2026 11:48:59 GMT

What is a common ear worm that you get?

My children rickroll me pretty regularly, so That Song gets stuck in my head.
How long do they last?

Not very long. My brain is usually too preoccupied with other sources of worry and stress to spend long on an earworm.
What do you do to get rid of them?

I don't know if this will sound contradictory, but on the rare occasions when an earworm sticks, I find that playing the actual song gets rid of it.
What is the worst ear worm you've ever had?

There's this Robyn song that I dislike intensely, and it popped in and out of my head for a week. I don't like the song so was very reluctant to employ my usual remedy.
Do you get some guilty pleasure in passing the ear worm along?

Not unless it's reciprocally rickrolling my children.

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The Friday Five

Fri, 20 Mar 2026 21:10:49 GMT

The preceding two weeks of Friday Five questions didn't pique my interest, but this week's are great. Love a bit of meta-blogging. Thank you for the opportunity to navel-gaze.

What was the reason you began a Dreamwidth or LiveJournal account (or both)?

I started off on LJ in 2001 because everyone was doing it. I created an account and then let it sit for a couple of weeks while I figured out what it was for. I think it was victorine who prodded me into posting regularly and then I just…never stopped.
How many DW or LJ communities do you subscribe to?

A few dozen in total. Most of them are dead, the LJ communities in particular. The only one I participate in regularly is DW community awesomeers, because I'm one of the two people who puts up the daily “Just One Thing” posts. I find it easier to write a short comment about my day there than to write up a full post, especially during the work week.
Do you have a favorite community or one you check out often to see what's new?

See above. I also enjoy thefridayfive, and I like reading threeforthememories during its annual spate of activity.
How did you pick your user name?

My current username is a play on my actual name. My original LJ name was “lilith” as that's the pseudonym I first adopted when I started interacting with online communities back in the 90s. Eventually I felt I'd outgrown it, and I've been nanila ever since.
If you could change your user name, would you?

That would genuinely be a big decision after more than 15 years of using this one, in a lot more places than DW and LJ. I'd have to do substantive additional navel-gazing to work out what it would be.

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In summary

Mon, 16 Mar 2026 22:16:31 GMT

I am in the middle of writing three different posts about the whirlwind of the last two weeks, but unfortunately the storm won't pass until the end of the month. In the meantime, Comet here sums things up.

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The Friday Five on a Sunday

Sun, 01 Mar 2026 10:06:21 GMT

What made you happy this week?

Notification of winning a small summer research grant.
What made you sad?

I was disappointed in a colleague for trying to conceal some serious underperformance when it could have been dealt with easily much earlier on. As it is, now another colleague and I are going to have to put in a lot of effort to attempt to rectify the situation before a deadline next week.
What made you angry?

An academic colleague being outrageously disrespectful to a professional services colleague.
What are you looking forward to in the next week?

Getting that sad piece of work, which should not have been mine in the first place, off my desk at the end of the week.
What are you not looking forward to?

I have to be off-campus for two days next week. I'm not looking forward to the amount of meetings I've had to ram into the other three days of the working week.

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1SE for February 2026

Sat, 28 Feb 2026 22:10:57 GMT

I spent a lot of the first half of the month travelling, and the second half of the month recovering from the travelling while also working. I feel this video reflects those two halves pretty accurately.

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Bletchley Park

Sun, 22 Feb 2026 14:01:53 GMT

Last weekend, we stayed in a Landmark Trust property a mere half-hour journey to Bletchley Park. We were surprised by nice weather on the Saturday, so we made the trip. Below is an assortment of photos from the selection of buildings we managed to visit over the course of five hours. I don’t think we saw more than a third of it, so we’ll definitely take advantage of the year-long entry that the steep admission price gets you to see the rest.

The dingy basement has had a lick of paint and yet somehow doggedly retains its character.

Listening stations.

Keiki does some Morse code-breaking.

Humuhumu does some Enigma encoding.

A surprisingly dry and sunny day after all the rain we’ve been having.

Daffodils were not quite ready.

The Mansion seemed like it was a bit of all right.

Not so sure the Intelligence Factory needs this.

Humuhumu and I spent quite a while on this interactive exhibit, plotting the locations of various maritime assets and enemies.

Many of the personal testimonials in the exhibition mention how boring and repetitive some of the intelligence work was.

You can see why they resorted to putting frogs in the pneumatic tube system to liven up the day.

The Park is beautifully maintained and the interactive exhibits are well designed and engaging - I’d say from the age of about 10 on up - so well worth a visit. I restrained myself to one book in the gift shop (The Walls Have Ears by Helen Fry) but could easily have brought home a stack.

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The Friday Five on a Saturday

Sat, 21 Feb 2026 20:43:57 GMT

When did you last…

Scrounge for change (couch, ashtray, etc.) to make a purchase?

I honestly can't remember. So many places are cashless now that I often don't carry any. It must have been pre-Covid.
Visit a dentist?

Five months ago. My next clean is in March.
Make a needed change to your life?

The most significant recent change was changing to a gym I actually want to use, at the start of the year. I really needed that. I feel so much healthier.
Decide on a complete menu well in advance of the evening meal?

Most nights, tonight included. We have to plan because of the kids. Most days we eat breakfast and supper at home as a family because we have the luxury of schedules that allow us to do so.
Spend part of the day (other than daily hygiene) totally/mostly naked?

No idea. I hardly ever do this. It's flippin’ cold here most of the time. For those who say the UK temperatures are mild, okay, maybe to you, but I spent most of my life in the tropics before I moved here and I wasn't wandering around naked there either.

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Conversations with my father

Fri, 06 Feb 2026 01:16:31 GMT

[phone rings in my hotel room]
Me: “Hello?”
Concierge, sounding very uncertain and slightly bemused: “Um, hello, is that Nanila, who just checked in with us today?”
Me: “Yes, that’s correct.”
Concierge: “Um…I have a gentleman on the line who would like to speak to you. I…I think he’s your father? I’m so sorry, I’m really not sure.”
Me, chuckling: “That sounds like him. Did he say his name was [Firstname Lastname]?”
Concierge: “I couldn’t understand him when he said his name. I think it’s my phone line.”
Me, drily: “Please don’t be sorry. That will be one of two things: his accent, or he hasn’t got his teeth in.”
Concierge, now relaxing a bit and giggling: “Would you like me to put him through?”
Me: “Please do, thank you.”

*pause*

Me: “Hi Dad, how are you doing?”
Dad: “I tried to call you but I kept getting the prison! Where are you? Are you in XX hotel?!”
Me, patiently: “Yes, Dad, I’m in the hotel.”
Dad: “What room are you in? I need to write it down. Are you sure? Are you okay?”
Me: “Dad. I’m in Room NN. I am fine. And if this is the prison then it’s had a tremendous facilities upgrade.”
Dad: “Oh, okay. Was the traffic awful? Are you very tired? When do you want to meet for dinner? Should we go to the sushi place? Do you remember the sushi place? I need to put my teeth in!”
Me: “Yes, yes, whenever you want to eat, yes, yes, and yes, you do.”

For anyone who has met me in person and has thought to themselves, “This woman has no idea how to hold a conversation like a normal human being,” this is 100% where I got it from. Thanks, Dad.

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1SE for January 2026

Sun, 01 Feb 2026 10:33:38 GMT

I went a few days of January without taking videos, apart from when it was snowing or I was on travel, which wasn't very frequently. Consequently there are a lot of cats as well as a few of Humuhumu's drawings.

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The Friday Five on a Saturday

Sat, 31 Jan 2026 18:55:31 GMT

Rejoice, friends, for it is finally the 185th of January, the last day of the month. 🫩

How many times a day do you . . .

Brush your teeth?

Two, morning and evening. Also, before going to the gym, which is a weird quirk I've never bothered to unpack.
Shower?

Once. Twice if I go to the gym.
Check your E-mail?

I do not want to count. Near-continuously from waking until bedtime. I cannot keep up with it. It doesn't help that I have work email from two different institutions and multiple personal email addresses.
Check LJ? (or DW?)

It depends on the week. In non-teaching weeks and during holidays, I can usually read through both once a day. During term time, I do all my f-list / circle catchup at the weekends.

There are exceptions: camping holidays in remote parts of Wales result in zero signal, and grant proposal submission deadlines result in zero personal bandwidth.
Eat?

I usually have two or three meals a day: just after waking, around noon (if I don't have back to back meetings all day), and late afternoon or evening depending on children's activities and exercise classes. If I have the latter, I'll sometimes eat quite late.

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The Friday Five on a Saturday

Sat, 24 Jan 2026 15:40:04 GMT

What type of hair do you have? (Thin, Normal, Thick, Frizzy, etc.)

Thick, fine, and wavy. There is a lot of it and it grows very fast.
What color is your hair currently?

Starting from my scalp, the first 5 inches are my natural salt and pepper, which I quite like. Then there are a couple of inches of very faded blue. Then there are another 7 or 8 inches of stripped brassy blonde, from when I was dyeing it at home and then stopped because we redecorated the bathroom and I don't want to mess it up. I mostly wear my hair clipped up or in a tight bun right now. As you may have spotted, I have thus far failed at my new year's resolution to find a new hairdresser.
What colors have you dyed/highlighted your hair?

Black, brown, red, green, blue and purple. When I had dreadlocks, I often had synthetics woven in in bright colours.
If you could dye your hair any color, what would it be?

L'Oréal Blue Mercury is my current favourite.
What is your hair's length?

It's down to my shoulder blade, which is longer than I'd like it to be. I prefer it closer to the tops of my shoulders.

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The Friday Five on a Saturday

Sat, 17 Jan 2026 16:21:17 GMT

If you could change one life-changing event in the life of someone important to you, would you?

I know there's a philosophy that experiences make you who you are and you shouldn't wish them away, but I have a few friends who have been through what I feel is a disproportionate and unfair amount of tragedy in their lives. Partner suicide, early death of parents, sudden loss of physical health, financial hardship, homelessness. I don't think any one person should have to go through all of those before the age of thirty. And yet. Here we are. So yes, I absolutely would change that for certain people if I could.
Which do you think is easier to do, being friends for many years, or being life partners for many years?

Uh, neither? Both take work! You have to listen and try to empathise and forgive and communicate. All relationships require effort, and if they don't, someone is being used.
Have you ever walked away from someone you considered a friend?

Yes. It's not very pleasant. But occasionally necessary for the sake of self-preservation.
If you had to choose between telling the truth and hurting a friend or lying and making them happy, which would you choose?

Barring a handful of exceptional circumstances, most of which involve an immediate threat to life, lying and making them happy. Life is difficult enough without intentionally causing pain.
Which would you rather hear--the truth which will hurt, or the comforting lie?

The comforting lie, if it comes to that. I'd hope it wouldn't, most of the time. I'd like to believe that truths can be delivered kindly, most of the time.

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The Friday Five on a Sunday

Sun, 11 Jan 2026 22:20:09 GMT

Do you have a favourite cause that you support?
I support multiple causes through charitable donations, but one of the most important to me is the Abortion Support Network, which does exactly what it says on the tin: It helps people in the UK and Europe to get abortions, particularly those who live in areas with restrictive laws.
If so, how do you support it?
I give them as much money per month as I can. When they have fundraising drives, I donate more. When they ask for comments they can use in their promotional materials, I provide as much detail as I can.
Have you been an active member of an organization (attending meetings, volunteering, etc)?
Yes. I was a school governor for a while, and I’ve also volunteered for Parkrun, as well as other charitable organisations.
Have you ever led any group?
No, I’ve never had the capacity with either full-time work or academic study to lead a volunteer group.
If so, how was your experience with it?
See above. I’m sure I’d find it very fulfilling, but it’ll have to wait until I retire (or go part-time).

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Snow, but no Snow Day

Fri, 09 Jan 2026 20:23:21 GMT

Remember how I was being salty about our lack of "significant" snow? Well, it all arrived at once last night. We got hammered. The picture is my view as I stepped off what would transpire was the final service to arrive at my home station last night. All the trains were cancelled today.

However, the children were furious this morning because despite the high school and the other middle school in the area being closed, their school was...open. And, cruel parents that we are, we made them attend. A third to half of their classes were missing, some of whom we know live within walking distance of the school. (Our children don't.)

I'm not sure how long we can expect to be in the doghouse, but I suspect it's going to take more than a packet of Haribo to get them to forgive us.

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