You can never give, the finger to the blind

It's been over a week now since I returned from Rome. Outside the rain mists the windows, and rustles like tissue paper on my roof.

DSpace meetings are made all the more enjoyable by the unusually high availability of good people to talk to. And the locations so far haven't hurt: Cambridge, Bergen, San Antonio, Rome (I'll reserve judgement for next year' s Southampton meeting...). They're the kinds of meetings where you'll meet someone who goes out on tequila nights with your colleagues and who was at the same University as you at the same time, even at some of the same gigs. As Steven Wright once said: it's a small world, but I wouldn't want to paint it. They also fill me with renewed enthusiasm for what I do until I return to my desk with the crashing realisation that reality is exactly that, and not some terrible dream I've yet to wake from.

I liked Rome very much. It has a vibrant madness to it that somehow complements the space and landscape littered with ancient monuments and ruins. I think most of all I enjoyed being away for a few days. I took some pictures.

There's been so much movement this year. Pat's now working in China, Neil moved to Winchester, Evil walked ("behind me"), Jules went home to Australia, Hazel's the other side of town, Grace and Jono are missed at the office and sister no 1 is off to Washington soon for 3 years.
I made myself a Halloween jack o' lantern yesterday.



Listening to: The Best of Luna