Sunday 21 September 2014

Sunday Sundries: Happy Birthday, Stephen King

Hey guys, hey guys, hey guys! How is everyone? I am on the back end of nine days off work, so naturally I'm really grumpy that I have to go back tomorrow- but since I'm not a normal person and only work three days a week, it seems churlish to complain. But let's not think about tomorrow, let's talk about this week just gone.

It wasn't anything spectacular- I went to a few places, made some MOOMIN related purchases (pjs and a phone case and a book, thanks for asking), and just generally tried to relax and recharge before my life becomes so ridiculously busy that I can't stand it (but I will. I so will.) In preparation for that, I took a little trip to my new uni just to see how long it takes to walk there from the station, and I did already know this but LOOK HOW PRETTY IT IS:


I mean, right? That's worth the fees right there.

So. A good week. Apart from work, this week holds my last Wednesday off until reading week (and then Christmas. And then another reading week. And then Easter) and my induction day at uni on Thursday. Can you be excited for and terrified by something all at once? If you can, that is what I am right now. Eeeeeeek.

But anyway, the important thing is that today is Stephen King's birthday. (Yeah. THAT'S the important thing...) I don't know if I can overstate how important Stephen King has been to me as a reader over the last few years, but you probably know all about that if you've been around here for any length of time. Choosing to read his books in order gave me something to focus my mind on when I had literally nothing to focus my mind on, and gave me a project for when I didn't really know what I was doing, in any area of my life. There were times towards the start where I was pretty much reading his books because I literally didn't know what else I should be doing, or because my mind felt so empty but so dark that I couldn't think of anything else I could do.

I got better. I don't necessarily credit Stephen King with that, but having a project really did help at the darkest points. Things have changed so much since reading his books was my only project (which explains why I still haven't read all of his books...) but I'm still always going to be grateful that I had them when I needed them, and maybe even more grateful that they'll be there when I want them, too.

When I think about Stephen King, I can't help but think about this blog too- the two things really go hand in hand for me, and my relationship with them has really shifted in the same way. There was a time when I needed this blog, because I needed things to do, to keep me going. Now, I have so little free time that it's not necessarily the first thing I think of when I do have some (that thing would be sleep) but it's such a part of me that I can't imagine it ever not being here. I know I'm only going to have less and less free time as this academic year gets underway, but the thought of not having this space anymore hasn't even crossed my mind. I'm not saying I'm going to be posting regularly- I think that would be unrealistic for me to believe, both in a sense of how much I'm going to be able to read, and then how much I'm going to be able to write- but I'll be here, sometimes. And then, also, always.

So there it is. In case you were wondering (you definitely weren't) if you'll ever see me around here again once I get sucked into the sixteenth century, then this is your answer. I'll be around, and I'll be thinking of you often. The fact that this blog isn't everything to me anymore is undoubtedly a good thing, but the fact that I want it to remain as something is still there. And that's a good thing too.

16 comments:

  1. Complaining about going back to work (especially after a vacation) is ALWAYS allowed, regardless of how many days you work per week. Well, maybe if it's just once a month, then be quiet. But otherwise!

    THE SCHOOL IS SO PRETTY AND FANCY LOOKING.

    (It would be pretty neat if you posted some stuff on here about/related to your school stuff. Or at least I think it would be super neat cos SHAKESPEARE WHAAA)

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    1. Haha, oh my gosh, can you imagine? 'I have to do my one day of work tomorrow, my life is so awful!' Thank you for validating my pain, anyway.

      I meaaaan... I'll probably be posting weekly about how difficult Shakespeare is, and how hard my life is and blah blah blah while hopefully loving every second of it. I AM thinking of reviewing all the Shakespeares I read on here, 1) Because I think it'll bring a bit of levity to all the taking them seriously I'll be doing, and 2) They're pretty much going to be all I'm reading. But we'll see how that goes, I guess!

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    2. OMG PLEEEEASE review Shakespeare on here. It will be great

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  2. I would also like to hear about your studies! I'm quite jealous, I would like to go back and study something again (I think I would be a much better student if I went back now - if nothing else, I have learnt how not to procrastinate (for the most part)), I just have no idea what I would study, hehe.

    And you are allowed to complain, going back to work after any amount of time off sucks.

    I hope you manage to post more often than I do on average, hehe.

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    1. I'm HOPING I'm going to be a better student now. Even reading back some of my old essays when I was applying, I was like 'ok, I can write better than this now, and daaaaamn I needed to proofread more.' (I really did. It was getting embarrassing!) So I feel like I've learnt things and hopefully I can put them into practice.

      I am going to tryyyy to post! Even if it's only once or twice a week, I don't want to lose this!

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    2. Haha, yeah, proofreading! Since I started working as a translator I've really had it hammered home to me how important it is to check your own work really thoroughly, I've found some completely bizarre mistakes in stuff that I've translated, hehe. I have "unfortunately" lost all of the essays that I wrote while at university (at least digitally.. there might be a few paper copies lying around somewhere), so I have nothing to re-read, but I'm sure that they can't have been good!

      If you manage to post more than once every 2-3 months you're already doing better than me!

      Ahh, I'm really excited for you! :D

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  3. I AM SO EXCITED ABOUT YOUR MASTERS EOM

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  4. Duuuuude, your university! I want to live there. It's SO pretty!

    And of course you can complain about going back to work after time off. I do that every Sunday night / Monday morning.

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    1. Isn't it so nice?! There are totally places to live on campus but I definitely wouldn't be able to afford them. But still! Beautiful. I've (been) driven past that first photo so many times and now I get to go there, eeeeeee!

      Hahaha, so do I! You'll be glad to know that going back wasn't as bad as I thought, so that's awesome.

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  5. Woohoo, Royal Holloway! So jealous. I've always known I wanted to go back to do an MA, but it wasn't till reading your post that I realised, yes, Shakespeare is the way forward. I didn't read nearly enough of the Bard in my BA. So do let us know about the course.

    Very glad you're keeping the blog up, even if you're too crazy busy to post all the time. It's nice to know you're here. :) I always like to see what you have to say when there's a new post on the site.

    Best of luck with the studies!

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    1. * correction: I want to go back TO UNI for a Master's, not specifically Royal Holloway, which is lovely but not where I studied so I can't go BACK there.

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    2. Katie, I didn't read ANY Shakespeare for my BA. Sad but true. I played this down in my application, of course... Haha. I was about to say that I totally recommend doing a MA, but I'm not sure if that's true yet... We'll see!

      And aww, bless you! I'm absolutely going to have this blog for a long time yet, but obviously what it means and what part it plays in my life is going to shift and I think that's totally a good thing- I'll just try to stay interesting hehe.

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  6. "If you'll ever see me around here again once I get sucked into the sixteenth century..." OMG ARE THERE WEEPING ANGELS AT YOUR UNIVERSITY TOO?! Aaaaah, nerd jokes. Seriously though, those buildings are glorious.

    I think a lot of us who started blogs around the same time are sort of reorganising a bit at the moment, getting busier, shifting our priorities from posting ALL THE THINGS to doing OTHER things. I probably isn't as much fun for my readers, I don't know, but I have to say I'm enjoying posting mini reviews instead of full ones, for example. I'm getting so much more reading done, knowing that I don't have to sit down for a day and pull together a complete polished blog post after each book. Yet I still have my blog THERE to share the books I've read, and post other things if I want, and take part in reading events, and catch up with my friends, so... best of both worlds, innit?

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    1. *It... IT probably isn't as much fun. I wasn't just having a gangster moment.

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    2. OMG I HOPE THERE ARE NOT WEEPING ANGELS! Why would you say such things, Ellie? Whyyyyy?!

      You're so right about all of us shifting what our blogs mean in our lives, and I think that's really a good thing- or at least not a terrible one. I like your mini reviews and whatnot, but the thing is (whispers) at this point I'm kind of in it for the more personal stuff, if you know what I mean? I mean, reviews are great and all, but I KNOW you guys now, so I'm going to be more interested in hearing about book shopping trips than about books I've never heard of and probably won't read...

      I feel like I've just been really mean about the whole concept of book blogging, but I didn't mean to be! (obviously...) But I'm just saying I like the stuff that isn't necessarily giant reviews. Although sometimes I like that too. I don't even know what I want, man.

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