Notes and Jottings

Of course, the story of Beren and Lúthien is a classic love story,
and is well worth a read in the Lay of Leithan. I think
it was detailed in The Book of Lost Tales, but I’m not sure, it’s
been a while since I read that. It is, of course, detailed in a chapter of
The Silmarillion, a book which I’m never sure I should recommend,
but which is essential for a full understanding of Tolkien’s world. Though
most people really don’t care that they don’t have a full understanding
of that world - the fact that the LOTR is a good story is enough!

As they say in the Shreddies ad, When hunger strikes….
In this case, the phrase should end with … Gareth orders Chinese for
us hungry workers. Mmmmmmmmm…

In tune with the upcoming Lord of the Rings season, here is a poem
to go along with it:

Farewell sweet earth and northern sky,
for ever blest, since here did lie
and here with lissom limbs did run
beneath the Moon, beneath the Sun,
Lúthien Tinúviel
more fair than mortal tongue can tell,
Though all to ruin fell the world
and were dissolved and backward hurled
unmade into the old abyss,
yet were its making good, for this–
the dusk, the dawn, the earth, the sea–
that Lúthien for a time should be.

The Minolta DImage 5 has a
VERY good specification, and I’m tempted! But despite its having possibly
the best quality digital pictures of any digital camera, its habit of
eating batteries for breakfast and annoying build issues make me feel
that I’ll wait for another version!

A new
ballooning
record now exists. That is, the highest anybody has flown, powered by
ordinary toy balloons!

Phones. Yes. Somebody just rang up the company to ask How do we change the
time on the phones? This being one of those internal phone systems. And
obviously I didn’t have a clue, but before I could say that, she said, half
to herself, Wrong company, isn’t it? I could only agree.

And in OTHER news, well it’s about four and a half months to Ski Trip Mk 2!!!
Whoppeee! Can’t wait. Swish swoosh. I loved the trip home at lunchtime, skiing
across country. Such a beautiful place, Livigno. And cheap drink too

Oh - and Dominic? My phone currently is barred from making international
calls Sorry… I’m going to have to get that changed tomorrow.

And that was a pretty darn good weekend. Two evening ‘parties’, one meeting
up with friends in pub, one just sit down evening watching TV at home…
It’s such a change to have an extra day off!! Maybe I should start to
do that more often… hmmmmmmmmmmm.

Another date for the diary: Monday November 5, at 7:30am, on Nickelodeon.
If you’re at all curious about Cardcaptors, it’s back on TV after
a hiatus of about… two months? I’m glad they’re advertising it ahead of
its coming back - I would have hated to miss any episodes after seeing
them all up until now! I think unseen (as of yet) cards include the Dream
Card, the Sand card, the Light card and the Dark card… and it’s nearly
time for the test, given by Yue…