nineveh_uk

I spent today working from home. This was partly because I was expecting a delivery, which considerately arrived in time to allow me to go for a walk at lunchtime. It was also because I needed to start work on a report. I worked all day, but I did not start the report. This is partly my fault - I should have accepted that one thing I wanted to do quickly could wait until Monday - but also the fault that some things can't wait and there is just no bloody time. Oh well, the key thing was done, and I shall just have to rejig the start of next week. It is now the weekend, and after attempting to get to bed earlier tonight (expected result: failure), I am off to Nottingham tomorrow night to see Opera North's The Merry Widow. Cheerful operetta is what I need - I might rather have seen their Tosca, which has had stonking reviews, but it was not on a convenient date.

Anyway, in the absence of a brain for more interesting content, I invite you to gaze at the Strid and Strid Wood - from a safe distance, obviously.*

Now, does anyone know how I can correct the over-exposure of the sky with zero photo editing skills?



*There are some brilliant batshit "most dangerous river** in the world" pieces on the Strid on the internet. People have drowned in it, you couldn't pay me enough to try to jump it, and falling in will indeed almost certainly kill you, but not falling in is extremely easy, by dint of the method of staying a couple of feet back from the edge in accordance with the big signs. In recent years there have been more deaths in the Wharfe in the parts that people swim in voluntarily - it's quite cold, there are slippery rocks, can be quite strong currents and with a lot of visitors, some are careless or have accidents.

**Which is also incorrect, because the river is the Wharfe.

It has been quite a busy week. I went to Chelsea flower show with my mother, had an interview for the job I applied for a couple of weeks ago, and visited undergraduate university friends in the Yorkshire Wolds.

Chelsea - I'd never been before, and it was a lot of fun. We went for the second half of the day, which is sufficient time to see everything that matters, i.e. you completely ignore the shops, the flower arranging, and the food, while walking all the way round every single garden, and each stand in the pavilion. There were some lovely gardens, some amazing nursery displays, and some extraordinary tat. It doesn't matter how expensive it is, tat is still tat. I would have enjoyed it on my own, but with my mother it was much better, because she used to be a landscape architect and knows what she is looking at and can actually explain why something is innovative, impressive or otherwise. She is also indefatigable when faced with plants - we did not stop once, no cafe, no bench, no Pimms or champagne (there were surprising numbers of quite drunk people).

Job - I didn't get the job, which is disappointing, but given that it is the first thing I have applied for in five years I am looking on the bright side of having got back on the horse and put in a decent application, decent paper, and - not getting the job notwithstanding - decent interview performance. I shall not be asking for feedback, as I feel I'm much better off analysing my own performance and considering how to address shortcomings, than being

The Wolds - were lovely, and we went to York and round the Minster, which now costs a whopping £9 entrance fee*, but this was all right because Wolds Friend (as opposed to visiting-from-Ireland friend) had already paid this for a bunch of visiting relatives and was determined to get every penny out of the 'annual' ticket (a great deal if you live locally and want to pop in often, seriously off-putting if you don't. I hate annual tickets in general). We also went to Betty's, where I ate a raspberry frangipane, and bought this postcard. At this time of year, the Wolds themselves look exactly like this (as portrayed by David Hockney). A much-needed restful weekend, and delightful catch-up with friends.

Work continues mad on all fronts, but one front only has about a fortnight to go, which is something.

*Insert rant about CofE mismanagement of its money here. Friend in the Wolds had to buy insurance when purchasing her house against the possibilty of chancel repair liability.