consolation

Things Which Make Me Happy, despite minor academic irritations:

• Silly weblinks. The dreaded Mich, veteran of several years in digs with me, but mostly quite sane really, pointed me to this rude article about role-players this morning. It's very funny. And rude.
• Good online comics. Am now addicted to Girl Genius, which is steampunkish and rather endearing, with a nice line in pseudo-German villany, something I enjoy given my Evil Landlord experiences.
• Walking past the UCT fountain (a silly, flat, Chinese sort of thing with concrete trigrams) this morning to see four happy pigeons and a starling, all bathing madly. What is it about birds in bird-baths that's so enjoyable? I think it's the zest with which they splosh around, and all the unnecessary flutter and splash. And the cute punk feather-styles that result. I was all grumpy because of internet withdrawal (Humanities server fell over with a thud this morning), but it cheered me right up.
• Faint signs that my department may love me. I now have a telephone in my office, for the first time in my teaching career. (Extension 5366, for you fellow campus types). It has madly enabled me to phone all sorts of bookshops in order to discover that Player of Games will not, in fact, arrive in time for my students to read it. Ain't technology wonderful.

Bugger, I was going to stop this daily posting thing. I can give it up any time I like, honest.