Just around the corner...

And this is Chanterlands Avenue - which has been sealed off. If you follow the road down and to the left, it dips to go underneath a railway bridge. (There's no way through at the moment). If you did get through, you'd turn left onto *my* street - strangely unaffected at my end. A little bit further down my street and you get down to the fountain (see picture a week or two ago) and then to the other barricaded half of the street - being pumped out by the Fire Brigade. It's a strange, surreal thing to cycle home through so much water. (And yes, my feet still get wet!)

This is the A63 out of Hull.

And this is today. Not yesterday. :)

More flooding

Doctor Who was good last week. Who doesn't like "The Master", eh? Still, with Daleks, Cybermen and The Master all used up in end of series finales, who's next??? I can't think of anyone!

But enough Dr Who - Jase has done it too - it's raining in Hull again. Seriously raining. Due to some crossed wires today, Dave set off for work by car - I didn't see his note pushed under my door (no point knocking as I don't have my hearing aids in until I'm about to set off) so I ended up having to walk in. (Cycling seemed suicidal). Couldn't do it! It was chucking it down and with so many road closures and every way I have to get in - four of them - making me pass through at least one two foot deep bottleneck, I gave up, came back home and e-mail in to say I was working from home. Proper working, I may add - not "working". I've just got an e-mail now, the dept has closed until Health and Safety grounds. Those who did get in...(!)

And this is June! What's going on??

A is for Atkins

As those of you who peruse Sally's Blog will know, she's started off on the Atkins diet. What you might not know is that in moral support, *I* have too. Whether it's my age, or more likely, my attempts to keep to the eating/drinking lifestyle of someone ten years younger, my weight has slowly crept up over the last two/three years to a stately fourteen stone. I want to get that down so this seems like the ideal opportunity.

However, it means only 20g of carbohydrate a day for two weeks. Then 25g the next week. Then 30g etc. until you find your comfortable "losing a little bit of weight zone" zone. But the problems are thus. [1] I like carbohydrates - no bread, rice, pasta, almost anything for James. [2] No caffeine for two weeks. *sob* I mean, can you imagine me in the first stages of caffeine withdrawal?? After two days, even my teeth hurt. My teeth! All of them. :( Things are getting better now as it's been nearly four days. (The reason for lack of caffeine BTW, is that it stimulates the production of insulin with affects your metabolism. After the first two weeks, you're allowed to creep back onto it again. As a side note, I'm shocked by my dependency). [3] No alcohol either!! God, it's gets worse, doesn't it? (The reason for this is that the body burns alcohol in preference to fats and should be avoided). It means that I'm giving up the beer and the wine - though wine isn't too bad, but might calm myself with the occasional vodka - no sugar - and diet lemonade if I've been good.

Will I lose the pounds?? Only time and this Blog! - will tell.

Note: I don't actually know how much I weigh as I couldn't be arsed to weigh myself before I started. ;-)

Glug, glug glug...

Wow, (again with the wow), we're underwater. Well, not quite, but Hull is on the coast, Hull is flat, on sea-level, and it's been raining constantly for a few days now. With severe weather warnings across the country, Hull has been hard hit. In fact, while my end of the street seems OK, the fountain in the picture below and the other end of the street are under one/two foot of water. The water is up to car radiator grills, huge pools of water are everywhere and there were staff waiting outside shops at 10.20am because bosses haven't managed to get to work yet to let them in. The traffic is appalling, and my ability to get to Huddersfield this weekend is in doubt. See the memo that has been sent round the University this morning:

"Dear colleagues. Today's exceptional weather conditions have resulted in the closure of the Bynmor Jones Library until further notice. Flooding caused by the weather has also placed many electrical systems at risk of sudden failure. It is therefore recommended that colleagues save their work on a regular basis due to the possibility of an unannounced power outage. We will issue updates to colleagues as further information becomes available."

Hmmm... this has definitely not happened before!!

Sage advice

When you go to the beach...

NEVER!

NEVER!

NEVER *EVER*!

NEVER *EVER* *EVER*!

...rub sun tan lotion on someone you don't know.

Erm... what now?

Wow, I don't have anything to do!!

It's 9.53am on a Thursday morning and I don't have anything to do.

Now, before you wage slaves (I am one too, btw) start leaving oodles of comments about what a slacker academic I am - and I am - I'd best qualify that. ;-) For the first time in possibly months, I don't have anything that I *have* to do. I walk in thinking "do this" then "do that next" and for the first time I can remember, I actually get to pick what I do today. Again with the wow.

Will I actually get to write some of my paper?

On a side note, I got a letter from the Royal Society of Medicine the other day. Leaving aside my thoughts about how they know where I live, it cheerfully informs be that "as someone holding a senior position in the field of psychology, you almost certainly qualify for membership of the Royal Society of Medicine". Almost certainly? The cheeky so-and-so's. Still, the HQ in London looks quite nice - I hope you get the chance to put your feet up at Wimpole Street once in a while Serena. Still, it's a wee bit more pricey - at £341 - than the British Psychological Society (who only fleece me for £90 a year) so I'll give it a miss.

But it's nice to be almost asked...

Mobile Phone problems (cock-ups)

BTW,

After a cracking party in Huddersfield over the weekend, it appears that I may have conspired to put my mobile phone into someone else's jacket. It's currently 300miles away and on the verge of being posted back. If you've texted me in the last few days, normal service will be resumed by Wednesday night, I expect. :)

Hull vs. Huddersfield - on the back foot.

You've probably seen the continuing "battle" between Sal and myself to see whose town is crappiest; Hull or Huddersfield. I thought I was onto a winner last week when a man was arrested in the square outside Huddersfield station - with the Queen was approaching - with an axe in his carrier bag...(!)

However, there was a bit of excitement here in Hull - on campus! - yesterday. I even got to see the Police helicopter roaring overhead. Check out the BBC local news (Humber) here to see what I mean. (You're looking for the "Armed Robbery at University" link. *ahem* It's on the right hand side at the top - it's an actual news bulletin - lots of shots of the Union Building. Note: I get my daily cash from this cashpoint on a regular basis. In fact, I wanted some yesterday, but it had all been stolen... :( Second student girl interviewed is actually one of my 1st year supervisees!!)