rainin' in my heart

It is raining actually, but I am in fact overjoyed by this because it has been unceasingly humid and roasting for a few weeks now. I exist most peacefully in a temperate climate with occasional showers, so this is completely to my liking. I mean, I bought the magenta rain coat and elk-adorned rain boots for a reason, you know? I just want it to be overcast and chilly all the time, then I don't have to obsess over SPF and hats.

• Lately I've been compiling print-outs and books to read on holiday next month (all academic, the serious life starts here). I'm in my second last week of work, I cannot wait to just sit at home doing research every single day for 3 weeks and then go to Croatia. 

• I've been experimenting with my own deodorant, that I made out of alcohol, lemon juice and essential oils (lavender and tea tree, my favourites). I'm an immense emotional sweater, so I live in hope that I can ditch the anti-persp forever.

• I have a secret guilty pleasure, and that is to patiently wait for each new episode of Pretty Little Liars to come online, and devour it greedily when Leo isn't home. 

• I'm moving to Durham at the end of September. Holy cow, I'm moving to the north of England in basically one month. 

•  I am trying to ensure that the 19,600 pictures I have gathered over the past 5/6 years remain safe somewhere, preferably online as well as in hard drive form. This is no mean feat. 

• I came across this wonderful article on a 90 year old sex guru in India on the BBC. I believe in sex education (so much so that I wrote my Masters dissertation on the topic) and this man's work makes me very happy indeed.

"Sex is a joyful thing," says Watsa, "but a number of writers tend to become rather medical and serious." Rather than taking the scientific or moral high ground, he prefers to put the reader at ease with a witty one-liner. As a columnist for the past 50 years, Watsa has been privy to the deepest, darkest sexual fears of his countrymen and women. His replies are short, sharp and to the point - occasionally bruising, often hilarious. But whether he chastises or reassures, with every shared reply he educates his readers. "I'm talking their language, they accept it better," he says. "The man talking to you is one of you."

• Last week there was a guest at the hotel who literally took his little pet hamster with him, his cage including a little home made hamster home. I melted.

The sun is still shining! Summer Solstice, museums and weekends

It's gone from long beautiful sunny day to long beautiful sunny days interspersed with torrential rainfall. I can't count on one hand the number of times I've unwittingly ventured out wearing just a tshirt and leggings in +20c just to arrive home half an hour later like a drowned rat. I'm so grateful for the last few weeks (months?!) of gorgeous weather, but part of me isn't ready for it to end yet. I'm spending all of July in Ireland, and that will be a surprise to the system, I'm pretty sure.

It's the Midsummer celebrations tonight so we're going to a local park to watch a bonfire and eat strawberries. It's rained a lot today, so let's hope it lets up until tomorrow. I love both the Winter and Summer Solstice. There's something magical about those times of the year, it's so unique. 

This weekend I wasn't working very much (actually, I did a two hour shift and that was it), so I've been switching off the 'worry, you need money' side of my brain and enjoying long cycles outside, trips to museums, free coffee and snacks at my friend's café, a trip to see Only God Forgives (oh God, so bloody, so violent), and thinking a lot, as usual, about the future.

Was very impressed by this coffee, was not impressed by the pretentious coffee snobbery of the baristas

OMG! Collection of Oddities at the Geological Museum

Stuff in jars e'er day

Best balcony

Cake Making the week before last

Sheer Concentration

A work of art

What's that? A section about Foucauldian theory in an art book? Ok, cool!

These images of tranquility and serenity...

...are not from today. For today it is torrentially raining. 

In other news, Copenhagen is basking in the glow of the Eurovision win. To be honest, I'm suprised so many people made it into town for the marathon this morning, I can image the collective hangover of the country is fierce at this point. 

In addition, the Gumball Rally 2013 took off from Copenhagen this morning! (!!!!) I have been fascinated by it since I was a kid watching it on the Extreme Sports channel, and, cynicism regarding the culture industry and the commercial world aside, I'm really just extremely jealous that I'm not on it. One day.

Source

I'm going to vegetate for the rest of the day (I've just come back from a 6km walk, I left Leo to continue on alone, enough is enough),  play some Battleship (loves me some Battleship), then watch Into the West tonight. 

Happy Sunday!