juliet

This is another of those bits-and-pieces updates.

I went to Glastonbury! I really am going to write a proper post about this (possibly when I have sorted the photos out & put them on Flickr) so I will restrict myself here to saying: SUNNY. ALL OF THE SUNSHINE. Awesomeness.

Sidney spent the week of Glastonbury with my parents, where she had a splendid time charging round their local park (far superior to ours, being about 4 times the size and containing a river, in which Sid accidentally went swimming), trying to drink from the sprinkler, and waking up far too early. She then came back and behaved like a total brat for about a week, culminating in dragging down and eating the head of Superted, my teddybear. (I've had him since I was 2, and doop brought him out to Australia for me last year.) I was *seriously* livid and very upset, but I've found a toy hospital who specialise in repairing damaged elderly bears, and for now he's tacked back together and bandaged up while he's on their waiting list. Sid has been behaving much better since. [sigh]

I have had a couple of stories accepted by non-paying venues, which is very pleasing. I will update you all when they come out! Possibly also other good news on this front, but I am waiting to talk about that for now (jinx issues).

I spent this last weekend at an *awesome* workshop on consensus decision-making and facilitation of same, run by Seeds for Change. Inspiring, informative, and bloody knackering. Plus I got to meet some really cool people, and hang out with some whom I'd already met. They're doing an advanced version in Oxford in October, which I'm seriously considering going to.

The Balcony Book meanders onwards (onto month 7 now already!); other sorts of work continue to occur; financial destitution continues to be staved off. I was entertained to read this blog by someone who's given up buying new clothes -- this year I have bought precisely one new clothe (a fair-trade cotton dress, at Glastonbury) and one second-hand clothe (a v nice tunic top thingy). I suppose this probably is partly due to my wish to reduce my carbon footprint ekt ekt (i.e. I continue to endeavour not to buy stuff, in general), but mostly it's just due to financial prudence. Clothes or (e)books? The reading matter has it, every time.

Got back this morning just before 8 after an epic return home involving striking uon's tent in the pouring rain at 2am & then a further 3 hrs standing around in big puddle of muddy field/smaller puddle of muddy field/tarmac before actually getting on lovely warm train.

In summary:

( one sentence... )

That was partly constructed with the aid of Twitter (which was great fun!) which might be cheating, so, the things that Right Now I remember:
( stuff )

Undoubtedly the most *difficult* Glasto I've been to since 1998. So. Very. Much. Mud. And rain. Zen attitude essential, & mostly maintained through the odd hiccup, & I did still have a fantastic time & I miss it :-(

Also: my friends continue to rock x lots & lots, hurrah!

Hurrah, dogrando, martling, & myself have Glasto tickets (now awaiting confirmatory email, eep...)!

9 million or so thanks to uon who is a star & sorted us out when it wasn't working over here but was over there. Hurrah for doop!

as per last year (proper writeup In Due Course)

lovely sunshine cheering sunset at the stone circle noisy neighbours even more sunshine wandering through the Green Fields permaculture garden sparkly bra siesta in the Glade more wandering perry! stone circle again awakening to thunder HOLY FUCK THERE'S A BRAND NEW RIVER OUTSIDE THE TENT post-panic medicinal wine & bourbons breakfast Nizlopi making things happy again acoustical beer lovely Elvis Costello vegan chocolate cake and accordianist in Green Fields folding chair = Best Thing Ever Lost Vagueness late at night Pussy Parlure very shiny fantastic Levellers set ballgown-wearing for lovely lovely LV dinner Guardian interview! New Order inadvertently stranded at JP Tent navigate to Darren Emerson back to LV Brit-Asian Indian rock! dancing to hippy drumming in stone circle at sunrise time dilation on way back to tent lovely sunshine! Attila the Stockbroker v fine sit in sunshine more acoustical beer playing with bubbles Ukelele Orchestra of Great Britain fantastic Brian Wilson set in lovely sunshine Billy Bragg of course 2ManyDJs dancing in Pussy Parlure watching Silent Disco across site & out in the dark very early train sleeeeeeep

*Top* weekend despite the flash food, with many very fine people who all rock. [bounce] Can I go back now & become a hippy & live in a field forever?

ps: Marna & me in the Guardian!

(OK am getting FAR TOO OVEREXCITED HERE, but hey)

In further weather news: the BBC also say fairly solid prediction of 'sunny' or at least 'dry & generally OK'. (see also Metcheck)

Update: (pinched from katstevens) best glasto weather site evah.

And the BBC Glastonbury webcam is up!

And I found my writeup of last year.

And Pete's & my brand new tent arrived today (it is lighter, & smaller-packed, than the old one, & also has the advantage of not being 10 yrs old & getting a bit worn). Also my decent jacket, & some new hiking socks, & a mallet. And my new vegan hiking boots arrived yesterday.

I wish to pack & go TODAY, curses curses.

[bah, must switch to S2 for this 'tags' lark]

wind perry bands in sunshine veggie Greenfields breakfasts compost leaflets! acoustic beer Chemicals pole dancing pirate girl on mutated shark pirate lorry vegan chai rain sitting in the Greenpeace wicker basket mud more acoustic beer balldress&corset across the site mud lovely lovely dinner with no mud no AFX cool Lost Vagueness music bounce bounce dodgy chips cheering the sunrise at the Stone Circle sleeeeep mud and sunshine and Wagner John Otway turning somersaults more acoustic beer Billy Bragg still not looking for a new England Suzanne Vega prettiness Orbital sleeeeeep vodkaredbull on train

many very lovely people who rock mightily