Mmm . . . front loading washers . . . mmm

Wednesday I spent very happily in the library doing my research and enjoying the last day of free wireless access. Goodnight, sweet Prince, goodnight. sigh. I definitely miss it. I would have posted these installments with others then, but the library closed early due to Industrial Action on the London Underground. Industrial Action is BL polite speak for Tube Strike. They kept announcing every so many hours with this very posh woman's voice: "The British Library will close early due to Industrial Action on the London Underground. We apologize for any inconvenience caused." So basically, all over London people take the day off or show up late because there's a strike. The odd thing is everyone knows about the strike and seem to have scheduled into their day like picking up the dry cleaning. I'm not really sure why they don't simply do something to prevent the strike, but I haven't really been reading any of the papers for the past two weeks. I like the phrase "Industrial Action" and am going to try to incorporate it into my vocabulary. For example, "No, I haven't finished that chapter yet, Dr. Snodgrass. There was Industrial Action" or "Sorry kids, the Industrial Action prevented me from grading your papers." I think it could really catch on - maybe I should patent it;-)

I finally have some pictures of the outside of the BL, as the weather was nice today.

the front gate from inside the courtyard -- notice that it says British Library above the guy walking out

the giant sculpture in the courtyard, titled Newton

side view of Newton

This where I eat lunch when it's nice out.
The piece is called Planets, and each of the rocks have figures sculpted on them.

the actual library is the part on left of the clock tower, the part on the right is conference center
(the reading rooms are located where the gray brickwork is on the roof)

Some more interesting finds from my manuscript work:

*George Gissing on Hardy's Jude the Obscure:

My copy of "Jude the Obscure" [had typed Obscene and corrected it in pencil] is just now in Alg's hands. As soon as ever he returns it, it shall go to you. A sad book! Poor Thomas is utterly on the wrong tack, and I fear he will never get back to the right one. At his age a habit of railing at the universe is not overcome.

*A letter from Hardy during his visit to Rome, interestingly this letter contains pressed violets from Keats's grave:

We have been pottering on from city to city - and have not been here about a week - I am so overpowered by the presence of decay in Ancient Rome that I feel it like a nightmare in my sleep - Modern Rome is full of building energy - but how any community can go on building in the face of the "Vanitas vanititum"(?) reiterated by the ruins is quite marvelous.

From this you will gather that we are mostly confining our attention to the older sections of the city. This morning we drove to the English Cemetery to see the graves of Keats and Shelley - I send you a violet or two which I gathered from Keats's - he is covered with violets in full bloom just now, and thousands of daisies stand the grass around. The whole place is indeed quite lovely at this time with the greenery of spring.

Just a reminder to everyone that I will not be posting installments as regularly now that I don’t have constant wireless access all day long. Also, be aware that when Nicki and Karen come on Tuesday and we go on our tour of the countryside, I will not be checking my email regularly for a week. However, you can all look forward to tales of my further adventures with my sister and company.

*Please note: All sisterly spats will not be recorded in the interest of keeping this travelogue under three million pages.

See you soon, Nicki and Karen!