the view from the tower

arcite's day

Monday, October 31, 2005

Bright yellow-green piss as I taken nutrients to help me to return my metabolism to an earlier state. Yes, we're having a bit of spring clean.

In half and hour I'll taken the boys out trick or treating. Tyger's costume is a basic white sheet with two holes for eyes. Fancy, eh?

...arcite at Monday, October 31, 2005...

Friday, October 28, 2005

The spider was still there this morning. I blew gently and was sure that the spider was dead until slowly the long legs began to move. A small brown speck of a passing mite crossed my vision. Now, if only I could get Tyger to play less of The Simms. Quiz night last night at Doriath with the work crew. We didn't do that well. The song this morning in my head: "Til Victory" (P. Smith.)

Oh, by the way, Arcite's Day is now three.
Shall we go on?
Shall we?
Do you want more or not?
This year has seen many blog become cold dark sites in the blogsphere.
Shall I put this Day out of it's misery and move on?

(5 comments or more please).

Yes, yes, yes, I know it's a bit petty but I do need to hear from you all at least once a year.
After all, today is the blog's birthday.

...arcite at Friday, October 28, 2005...

Wednesday, October 26, 2005

Oft him anhaga...
(etc, etc, etc. I spied
a small long-legged spider
above the staffroom urinal

...arcite at Wednesday, October 26, 2005...

Sunday, October 23, 2005

Started work on an Orfeo sequence of poems—not that they would fit into the current book, not to say that they will even work in their own right—and a short short SF/Fantasy story for next year’s anthology even though I haven’t finished the Low story yet (too painful). But I was busy working on the book and now I just need to leave it in the top drawer for a while and get on with something else. Diwali today so we headed down to Civic Square for the celebrations. Ho Hum. It’s a long weekend here.

Thinking of setting up your own wireless network? Are you running Windows? Are you with xtra? Well good luck to you... I've just returned a Router to the electronics store and picked up my in-laws from the airport.

...arcite at Sunday, October 23, 2005...

Friday, October 21, 2005

I'm writing this on word at school. I never blog directly from work.
I've been told that I have a 90% chance of being employed next year by the school. This has all to do with them trying to create a position for me rather than any doubts about wanting to hire me. But I'm not so lucky that I'll play this game of roulette. Or, to put it another way, I see myself as having a better chance of being gainfully employed next year if I increase my odds by applying for other jobs.

Just what is it with me and finding permanent, stable work?
One aspect of the job I'm enjoying is reading kids' lit which I'd quite like to have a crack at writing someday.

I did finish Crime and Punishment. Yes, well, it was all very harrowing and undoubtedly a masterpiece but very far removed from my own concerns. Will I enjoy Madame Bovary and Villette-both also on my reading list as much? Aside from kids' lit and the usual poetry (Harry's new book), I'm reading David Blayney Brown's gorgeous introduction to Romanticism in the visual arts.

And Sir Orfeo. I go back to Middle English and read how she was abducted by elves.

...arcite at Friday, October 21, 2005...

Sunday, October 16, 2005


McCleod Ganj

I thought that I’d finished the first draft of the book but looking through two new books of poetry I bought at a book launch, I’m convinced of what I already knew: I need at least seven more poems in the book. Not that there’s that much shortage of ‘outtakes’ but I don’t want to include any seconds.

I should know tomorrow if my contract is going shifted to permanent at the school. I’m confident that it will be as the school isn’t an attractive proposition to most teachers. And I’m being assessed on my social studies teaching on Thursday. I had so many evaluations at Teachers’ College that I guess I’m all evaluated out. So this Sunday I’m planning all my classes for the week.

It’s just an idea but we’re thinking of going to India next year. We’re thinking of going to Dharamsala, specifically McLeod Ganj. Tyger’s a bit young so we might leave him behind with the in-laws for a fortnight and take him again when he’s older. Word-girl brought all this information on Dharamsala late last week and I’ve been thinking about what it would be like to go there all weekend. It’s just sorting it out with family. We have family in India and it’s considered rude to go there without visiting. And then there’s how to get there from Delhi (planes, trains or coaches) and how to do it all within one fortnight and...and ...and mainly getting the in-laws’ buy-in.

...arcite at Sunday, October 16, 2005...

Tuesday, October 11, 2005

yesterday was 101005.
numrology anyone?
it felt significant.
nostalgia site of the month
sf monthly covers
i loved these as a kid—they were massive, A5 size

...arcite at Tuesday, October 11, 2005...

Saturday, October 08, 2005

Word girl's 500 word story came out in print yesterdat in the new anthology Home: new short short stories. (Hint, it's about the Taj Mahal and you need to search by title).


Number 5

Top whatever

1. A centre-left government on the cards (even if by the skin of our teeth)
2. The meglomanic excess of Baxter's Jerusalem Sonnets.
3. Singing bowls
4. Not having to get up at 6.30 AM during the hols.
5. Patti Smith's vocal performance on Easter (1978).
6. The pink apple blossom trees--I think that they are apple blossoms--flowering everywhere.
7. "There's a monkey in the jungle
Watching a vapour trail
Caught up in the conflict
Between his brain and his tail"
Gorillaz
8. The wind blowing through the pines in the unspoilt bush behind us.
9. Strength to dream.

...arcite at Saturday, October 08, 2005...

Thursday, October 06, 2005


Don't forget to ring in the morning.
Made Borsch for dinner.
Roishan still sick--the antibiotics aren't working so the doctor put him on another prescription.
Trying to grade boring literacy tests and not think about writing.

...arcite at Thursday, October 06, 2005...

Saturday, October 01, 2005


Jerusalem

Spent the morning driving up the Wanganui river road to Jerusalem, the poet J.K. Baxter's communal haunt. Cut back our weekend trip early as Roishan has a very bad cough. We want to go back and stay in a camp near the river before tourists flock there after seeing Ward's The River Queen (which has yet to be released but had a troubled shooting). When I get to Jerusalem one of the churches is being completely renovated and I know that we have to get back. A glorious start to the new month and with us changing our clocks a good start to summertime.

...arcite at Saturday, October 01, 2005...