music and all that

I made this mix cd a while ago, in a bit of a female angsty place (my status quo, I know), but listening to it this morning, I remembered just how great it is, and have played it about five times today. Although now it might be time for something a little more cheery :)

 

I just met up with a young woman who's doing her MA dissertation on music and suffering... I thought from her emails that her wrk sounded similar to mine - but on the whole, it wasn't. Not sure whether to be pleased or slightly sad about that. As the PhD months roll on, I feel more and more isolated in my work. No one, not even my supervisor, actually knows this topic, in the same way I do (and I know if they did, there'd be no point in my PhD), which means I don't really get to talk to anyone about work in the way I'd like to. In some ways I miss working in an office where everyone had a common cause. I can't see myself going back to an NGO now, knowing what I know, but there's something very solitary about research that doesn't always make me happy. I'm at the point now  - which I did *not* understand when I first started - that when someone asks me what it is that I do, I'm genuinely at a loss for what to say. I used to say that if you couldn't describe your PhD in five words, you didn't have a clear enough idea of where you were going. And while I still believe that (my five are 'sexual violence narratives in music', or 'trauma narratives in pop music' - depending on the day), it's the follow up question, 'so what does that mean?' that has me more stumped for an answer without long, academic words in it than it used to. 

While we're in Memory Lane..

...and speaking of things looking smaller that they used to, here's my old school, Kirk Merrington Primary School. My gran used to be the lollipop lady!

Spennymoor

Spennymoor. It's one of those places where everything's changed and nothing's changed. I guess what's changed is me. It certainly looks *smaller* now than I remember it - every time I see it I think this. I guess it's been 13 years since I actually lived there, and not much less since I stopped going there for anything. 

Two of my friends from those days are coming to stay this weekend, and I'm really excited to see them. We met up at Christmas and had a great time. I think it's going to be weird catching up on so many missed years of each others' lives... but there's something really great about being able to spend time with people who knew me that long ago. I don't think I remember a time when I didn't know Joanne, and I think Jude and I must have been friends since we were about 9... will have to ask her if that's right. 

I'm excited to show them where - who - I am now, and to hear their stories. I feel I should be apprehensive about whether or not we'll all still like each other... but somewhere, I seem to know that we will.

Who needs oxygen anyway?

Well, yesterday was frustrating health-wise, but excellent sports-wise! Spent the whole day pretty much struggling for breath, and did some work from the comfort of bed. Seeing as I won't get my chest x ray back for about a week, I decided there's no point worrying about it, and I might as well try and get on with everything. So, that in mind, I played my second Hartswood ladder match, against Simon. Simon is above Dominic - who I drew 6-6 (1-1) with - in the ladder, so I was slightly worried about getting a spanking. Fears seemed to be confirmed when I went 0-3 down in the first set, and I was thinking how nice it would be to get off the court and go back to bed. But then the pace increased and I started to hit better and was able to run him around a little more. I was pleased with how I played, despite hitting way more out than normal - but I think this is because I am going for more winners. Anyway... I managed to win that set 6-4, and then took the next 6-3. Yay!

Monday blues

Ugh... well, I don't normally hate Mondays, but the breathing problems I've been trying to ignore every evening over the last couple of weeks have now visited during the day, forcing me to take them a little more seriously. Got an emergency appointment with the doctor who promptly sent me off to hospital for a chest x-ray... so I guess we now wait and see. Too busy to get sick, so definitely planning to carry on ignoring it unless told otherwise. On that note, I will be playing tennis this evening, or at least trying too. My last league match ended rather disappointingly when the floodlights went out at 6 games all, 1 point all. Let's hope tonight is more conclusive - whichever way.

Jill Sobule

This is such a great idea. I hope everyone who's ever heard of her or wants to support fantastic musicians to do their own thing gets involved, however little they can afford. I'm definitely going to... 

Have a listen to Bitter (a song she wrote after Jewel hit the stratosphere and Jill didn't - despite the hype being the other way around in those pre-Lilith Fair days) if you need convincing.

Burns night