I badly need to be someone who has Staff

[liadnan]

Well, I've spent the last two days sunning myself in rural Hampshire (and am pleasantly burnt as a result) with almost all of my family (sister 1 + husband + 3 of their 4 children weren't there but I can still say "most" quite accurately: that's what coming from Irish farming stock means). Spent today becoming mildly sozzled while reading something undemanding (Anne McCaffrey, for my sins) and vaguely listening to the sounds of a gymkhana floating over the village ("numbers 3 and 10, we are waiting for you in the ring..."). Coming back to London rather depressing as a result, lacrimae rerum an' all that. I shall have to become rich simply so I can afford a large house in the country and a flat in London.

On the train on the way back, the woman opposite me was reading a copy of The Rough Guide to Greece, so I ended up feeling homesick for my favourite island as well. Comewhat conflicted here... unless I become very rich I suppose.

When I finally arrived home I decided, for no apparent reason, that I had to find my copy of C.P.Cavafy's poetry. This has involved dismantling half my bookstack, which now lies on the floor. And I have two people coming to stay at different times this week. Anyone know of (a) a carpenter who can build me as many shelves as my walls will take; and (b) a qualified cataloguer?

***

According to two articles I read over the weekend, Michael Howard has now jetted off to his holiday with Anne Robinson and Tony Blair is off to stay with Cliff Richard. Look, if the heads of the two main parties are going to make stupid bets about who can dream up the worse holiday host then I think the least they could do would be to invite Charlie to play too. Anyway, isn't Howard Welsh?

***

I am in a holiday mood, hence my inane ramblings above. Unfortunately I do have to work this week, which I somewhat resent.

Comments

[dr-lovely.livejournal.com]

Sounds nice. I know some builders. They built our wall from nothing and it was good, and also fixed our windows and doors, so I reckon they'll know a bit or two about shelves. Can't remember their names exactly, but we lovingly refer to them as Irish Brendan the builder and his alcoholic mate. Want number ?

[liadnan]

Possibly (I have another offer of a number from Phil as well), but it'll be September before I get around to anything anyway.

[frankie-ecap.livejournal.com]

My nominations: Anthea Turner, Nicholas van Hoogstraten, anyone in any of the Premiership teams. Also my ex-boyfriend, with whom I have actually been on holiday. Once.

I can't help with builders, but do have a copy of the Cavafy if you still need it?

[liadnan]

What's so bad about Anthea Turner?

I found the Cavafy in the end, though by that time I had gone off down several sidetracks, particularly trying to find my Patrick Leigh-Fermors and trying to identify whether I actually owned a copy of Rosemary Sutcliff's Flowers for Adonis (which I keep mixing up with Mary Renault's Last of the Wine.

The point actually was that I wanted to find a copy of "Waiting for the Barbarians" and didn't think that the internet-available translations were as good as the one I remembered.

[fi.livejournal.com]

Well, I'm a qualified librarian (*snigger*) but I'm a bit busy at the moment...!

Having Staff is overrated.