liv | Entries tagged with logistics

I haven't really taken holiday yet in 2020, mostly because I didn't want to make any kind of plans during a pandemic. Now it's technically legal to travel and meet up with people in physical space with breathing, but I still don't feel safe doing so. But it's got to the point where I need a break, so I'm off work next week even though I have nowhere to go.

I would like to spend time with people while I'm not constrained by needing to be available to work 9-5. I have commitments this evening (Friday), Saturday morning 25th, Tuesday evening 28th, and Thursday 30th is a fast day. Otherwise I'm mostly available.

Stuff that might be fun:

Conversations. I can do basically any medium; video calls in Zoom, Jitsi, Skype, Google Hangouts, probably I can install other software if something else works better for you. I also enjoy voice calls using traditional phones or VoIP or whatever. And I enjoy instant messenger type conversations, again, I can use most reasonable software.
Playing online versions of board games. I am excited about the official version of Codenames. But I also play a lot on Yucata and I'm happy to try other sites if you prefer those. And I have a small collection of converted games on Steam.
Potentially, playing online video games. I haven't tried this much but it could be fun. Obvious platforms are Steam, standalone PC games, browser games, and Switch.
Watching shows together. I have Netflix and Disney+, I'm generally happy to do pay per view on Amazon or Google or YouTube or something else. Potentially could watch some theatre / musical / opera / ballet etc cinecasts rather than a made-for-streaming series or conventional films. The best way I've found to do this socially is to have a text channel open at the same time while watching something in different houses.
Virtually having a meal together. I know some people hate this but in other cases it works quite well, we arrange a time and bring a laptop to the meal table.
Learning Jewish texts, chevruta style.
Meeting up distanced and outdoors within Cambridge. Including in my garden if you like – we have a decent amount of space if you don't mind that it's a bit overgrown and messy, and you can get to the garden via a side-gate without going through the house.
Anything else you're finding a reasonable socializing substitute

Let me know if you're interested in arranging a time. Email or PM works if you don't want to put personal logistics in the comments. I am hoping for a week like the beginning of lockdown when online socializing was a novelty. Though I realize that not everybody else is off work so it's only going to be socially intense from my POV.

Moooooood hopeful
Whereaboooouts Pumbedita House, Cambridge, UK

sunflowerinrain alerted me to the existence of a film, Draw on sweet night, that sounds really cool, a historical drama about the Hengrave Madrigals. Since I have a strong connection to Hengrave Hall, I've been trying to arrange for a showing in Cambridge, but couldn't get hold of anyone. But just when I'd given up on it,

bugshaw let me know that it's showing at the Arts Picturehouse after all. So that seemed like a birthday present from the universe in general, and I'm really really pleased I will get to see the film.

In fact, it turns out that Capriol films did answer my enquiry, sending me several emails about the Cambridge showing. But the mails got eaten by my spam filter and I only discovered them today. So now I feel even more inclined to give the filmmakers my money!

The film is showing this Sunday, 10^th January, at 1 pm at the APH. I'm going with my partners, and my parents have been inviting old friends who used to go to retreats at Hengrave with us. You are extremely welcome to join us if it sounds like your sort of thing. I understand the music is very good, with serious period musicians involved, but I'm not sure about the historical accuracy otherwise. Also Kentwell Hall is playing the role of Hengrave; I know some of you have connections there.

I have dozens of things I want to post about, so of course I'm blocked on all of them. So let's start with this announcement, because it's time-critical even though not Wednesday Reading or a long thinky post or a review of 2015 or anything like that.

Moooooood excited
Tuuuuuune Autechre: Teartear
Crossposts: http://livredor.livejournal.com/329168.html

I have some small but extremely personally important connections to Hengrave Hall, which I visited once or twice a year from 1988 to to 2005 when the religious community based there had to close down due to lack of funds. And

sunflowerinrain drew my attention to the fact that there is a film about the musical history of Hengrave. I really want to see this film, though on closer inspection it turns out that it's not filmed on location, it has Kentwell Hall (a place I know several of you have connections) playing the role of Hengrave.

But it's a tiny little indie film and none of the showings were in reasonable times or locations. So what I'm thinking of is seeing if I can bring it to the Cambridge Arts Picturehouse using this crowd-funding site (thanks to

bugshaw for finding that for me). The idea of OurScreen is that if you can get enough people to pledge to buy tickets, it's worth the cinema's while to screen something that wouldn't otherwise be on their schedule. If you don't find enough pledges, everybody gets their money back.

What I'd really like would be to have a custom showing of Draw on sweet night for my birthday, which this year is a Sunday, 27^th December. It's going to be fiddly, because in order to make it happen I have to persuade Capriol films to sign up with OurScreen, and then get enough pledges so that the cinema agree to show the film. So I'm starting out by gauging interest here. I realize that the middle of Christmas is a bad time for lots of people, but I don't think we'd need huge numbers, range of 20-30 tickets I think.

I reckon that even if you don't care about Hengrave, a film with sex and madrigals might be a draw. The story sounds a bit melodramatic, but the music is authentic and they've got some good early music groups involved in performing them. Polls don't cross-post well, so LJ people, please either come over to DW and vote using OpenID, or explain your views in the comments. When I ask for commitments, I don't mean absolute unbreakable promises, I understand that emergencies happen, but in order to do this thing I'm going to need a couple of dozen people who will actually put the date in their diaries and expect to show up on 27^th in most normal circumstances. And I'm going to need to know this at least somewhat in advance so that I can actually organize things.

( poll )

Moooooood hopeful
Whereaboooouts Hengrave Hall, Suffolk, England
Tuuuuuune Dar Williams: Mercy of the fallen
Crossposts: http://livredor.livejournal.com/324101.html

At the con: 3:15 pm Friday afternoon in the Fan Village. I will be there with a sign until around 5. All are welcome; if you've heard of Dreamwidth and you're coming to Worldcon, come and join us.

In the old-school tradition from back in LJ days, this is a meme. You are welcome to repost the above text on your own DW so that as many people as possible see the invitation.

Escaping from the con: 1 pm Saturday at Noodle Street. This is a modern pan-Asian (primarily Chinese) place with level access and the restaurant looks fairly spacious. They cater for veggies and can adapt dishes to other dietary requirements. They have both dim sum and main dishes, dim sum £3 - £5 per item, main dishes between £5 and £10.

Instructions for getting there: DLR from Prince Regent to Westferry, approx 15 minutes. Step free access to trains at both stations. The restaurant is close in distance to Westferry but somewhat awkward to get to across busy roads, and Prince Regent is the closest station to the ExCeL centre.

Everybody is welcome to join us for lunch, but I would like you to RSVP if possible so I can make a booking; we're going to be at least 7 and possibly twice that. I appreciate that you can't be absolutely sure if you're coming or not, and I'm not expecting a firm promise. If you happen to be in London but are not coming to Worldcon, you are still welcome.

So far the following people have said they are coming:
Me

liv

jack

kaberett

green_knight plus one

cxcvi

hairyears

emperor

starlady

rmc28 plus partner and two kids

Maybe:

atreic

doseybat

pplfichi

nanila plus kid

randomling

naath

legionseagle

If you have any thought at all you might want to join us for lunch, please can you comment by Friday 2pm UK time? Tell me how many people, if you need me to ask the restaurant to make any arrangements eg provide a highchair for a young child, and how certain you are about attending. It's fine if the answer is that you have no idea, it depends entirely on how you feel on Saturday. It's fine if the answer is almost certainly not but you'd like to keep the option open. It's also fine if you previously told me you were coming and now can't make it any more, just let me know.

ETA: Booking now made at Noodle Street for a party of 12 for 1 pm Saturday 16^th, name of Liv

I'm sure it's fine if the numbers fluctuate a bit, but if you end up with a more definite yes or no between now and the con weekend, please let me know?

Moooooood hungry
Whereaboooouts not at Worldcon yet
Tuuuuuune The Clash: London calling

Coming bank holiday weekend. I'm planning to be in Cambridge and specifically at the last day of the Beer Festival on Saturday. Who else is going to be there? I may be free Sunday evening or Monday, if anyone wants to get together?
14^th-16^th June: I'm returning from travels with jack late on Thursday evening 13^th. Would anyone like to see us either in London or Cambridge on the Friday or, more likely, during the weekend? If people can offer crash space in London Thursday night and hang out on Friday that would be perfect, but most likely we'll end up heading back to Cambridge to recover from travelling.
The first crop of doctorlings whom I've personally taught are graduating in July. This is slightly terrifying, knowing that kids I remember as callow second years are going to be actual doctors in just a few weeks! Anyway, the Medical School have very kindly invited me to represent the school in the formal academic procession. This is the first opportunity I've had to wear my PhD gown in a professional capacity (first academic dress occasion since my own graduation).

Although they've changed this now, when I graduated Scottish universities mostly didn't have caps, so I have to process bare-headed. pseudomonas came up with the brilliant suggestion that I could make up for this by getting hair-falls. Dundee colours are black and something called "Stewart blue" which is basically as near to royal / liturgical blue as they could get away with without actually being royalty or the Virgin Mary. I am really struggling to translate the official British Colour Council code (BCC149) into a modern digital code, but it's something close to #002266. And a secondary colour of eggshell blue which is approx #0088ff. Does anyone who knows heraldry or any relevant aspect of formal colour stuff know how to get a more precise identification? And does anyone have any recs for where I might order hair-falls in my academic colours?

( tech )

Moooooood acquisitive
Whereaboooouts ST4 6QR
Tuuuuuune Soundgarden: Limo Wreck

I have managed to end up with only one free weekend in the first four months of the year. Um, oops?

In terms of seeing people, I'm likely to be in Cambridge weekend of 2^nd – 3^rd March. Potentially in London Saturday either afternoon / evening of 16^th March and Sunday morning, or maybe just Sunday lunchtime depending who's around. I may be in Cambridge weekend of 23^rd – 24^th March, but mainly busy with family stuff ie Passover prep, and likewise may have some limited social time in Cambridge on 20^th – 21^st April.

I had totally intended to make plans with

khalinche,

syllopsium,

loreid,

doseybat and

angelofthenorth at some point in the next 2 1/2 months, only stuff happened. I still want to see all of you, and some of those weekends I'm only busy for one quarter-weekend so could well be available to host people or to travel somewhere for a short visit. If you would like to get together, whether or not you're on the list of people I already promised to see, please do talk to me before May and June get eaten up as well (I am going to be away in Bosnia in the middle of June.)

Also in Nottingham this weekend for a party that won't take up the whole weekend; do I know anyone in Nottingham or Derby? Are there any fun things you recommend me doing in either city on Sunday?

Annnnd the main thing I wanted to note is that

jack and I have finally got round to booking Eastercon. Who's planning to be there? I volunteered to be a Real Live Scientist (and one who is also mostly female) on panels, no idea if they'll actually want me though.

Moooooood busy
Whereaboooouts ST4 6QR
Tuuuuuune The Decemberists: The legionnaire's lament

There's a non-controversy that's been blazing up from time to time in Sweden over the popularization of the epicene pronoun hen. Swedish has han for him and hon for her, so hen just plain makes sense, it's rather easier to use without stumbling over than many proposed novel pronouns in English. It does have the disadvantage that it's a bit similar to the English word hen, which obviously sounds feminine, which slightly the defeats the point of conveying person-ness without specifying gender.

However, for reasons I don't entirely understand, some people think that the word hen in popular usage is somehow going to lead to all kinds of implausibly awful consequences like forced castration of all men or outlawing heterosexuality. If you think I'm exaggerating for the sake of sarcasm, you can read some of this discussion, but if you want to retain any kind of faith in humanity then don't follow the link. That comment thread is chock-full of sexism, cis-sexism and I don't know if there's even a term for the really nasty prejudice against non-binary-gendered people on display there. Comment threads at The Local are a bit of a cesspit because since it reports on Sweden in the English language, all the Americans who think that Sweden is the symbol of everything that's evil about socialism show up there. But there seems to be a similar level of outrage in the Swedish media and I can't at all tell why people would feel that threatened by the existence of an accessible epicene pronoun!

Anyway, someone made a funny internet meme thing which is getting reposted on FB by some of my Swedish connections: they have combined Princess Leia's dress and iconic hairstyle with Han Solo's rugged visage and big gun, and labelled it Hen Solo. I lol'ed, and then realized that it might fill the icon gap I have for talking about gender stuff. It's not as clever as

kaberett's Swiss army gender. It's also not quite perfect, because it's in many ways a lot more androgynous than truly gender-neutral, and I don't find guns to be a particularly positive symbol of masculinity, or Han Solo a particularly good role model in general. But I sort of like the combination, the image of a bold, adventurous person with pretty hair and a cute dress and a pronoun that doesn't tell people which box to put them in.

Anyone around in north or central London on Sunday? I've booked uncancellable train tickets and accommodation for a party which ended up being cancelled. And I was so disappointed that I wasn't going to get my much anticipated fun day out that I decided to go anyway. The tentative plan is to go out for dim sum or similar in Chinatown, and then do something cultural in the afternoon. Possibly the National Gallery, as I'm quite taken by the Titian / Olympic bandwagon-jumping exhibition that's finishing this weekend.

It's fairly flexible and we're open to suggestions of something different that you're passionate about doing, or recs of more exciting places to get food. Happy to meet up Sunday morning as long as it's not too early and accessible from the Hackney-ish area; because this trip was originally planned around a party, we're staying overnight in Walthamstow. Sunday evening I have to catch a train home, so early dinner somewhere in the vicinity of Euston is doable, but sadly I'm not going to have quite enough time to make it to the Pembury.

Moooooood busy
Whereaboooouts ST4 6QR

jack and I are returning from Croatia on Friday 24^th August, flying in to Gatwick. It would be really lovely to meet up with people over the long weekend, so who's around? I know it's short notice and a lot of people will be away because of the bank holiday, but it seems worth a try.

The ideal itinerary would be if someone can give us crash space London-ish or otherwise reachable from the airport on Friday night, and we could then hang out on Saturday. We have plans in Cambridge for Sunday evening but not before that, so we could do Saturday night / Sunday either in London or in Cambridge depending who's free. We'll be in Cambridge Monday. If you'd like to see us during the day but don't want overnight guests that works too, the main point is to be sociable!

Moooooood hopeful
Whereaboooouts ST4 6QR
Tuuuuuune Triakel

OK, sorry to do this via DW but I think it's about the easiest way. I'm also really sorry that we couldn't invite everyone on my friends list; anyway, if you're not coming to the wedding this post is completely irrelevant and boring, so please do skip!

( matching people up )

Thanks to

despotliz for reminding us that it would be good to have a central clearinghouse for this.

Moooooood nervous
Whereaboooouts ST4 6QR
Tuuuuuune VNV Nation: In defiance

Work is sending me on a course in London next month, and I've arranged things so I can have a few days in the metropolis. Would anyone like to get together between Friday 18^th November and Wednesday 23^rd? And can anyone offer me crash space for some of that time? I should mention that

jack isn't going to be around for most of the weekend, so if you have a preference for seeing me sans partner, this is probably a good time to speak up.

( tentative logistics )

Moooooood hopeful
Whereaboooouts ST4 6QR
Tuuuuuune Hadag Nachash: Ma sheba ba (What comes around)

On 7^th April, to

j4 and

addedentry, a daughter, Imogen Ruth. I know that offspring don't turn out exactly like their parents, but I have great hopes for the future of a new person who may be more like Janet and Owen than most other people.

( misc social plans )

May 1^st marks the official second anniversary of Dreamwidth. This means that the

three_weeks_for_dw project is in full swing from yesterday. I'm a bit behind with that stuff, but it seems to be doing pretty well without me. It's a fun fest, but seems a lot less necessary than it was this time last year, which is an encouraging sign. As you might have guessed from the above list, I'm pretty busy for the next three weeks, but I'll see if I can contribute something. I might do a FONSFAQ, perhaps on a Jewish or sciencey topic, and I might at least attempt one of the floating memes. But anyway, let me know if there's anything you particularly want me to post about and I'll see what I can do.

And last but very much not least,

jack and I are getting married on Sunday 20^th May 2012. We still have lots of details to think about before we can officially invite people, but just so you know.

Moooooood optimistic
Whereaboooouts ST4 6QR
Tuuuuuune Siouxsie and the Banshees: You're lost little girl

OK, I'm an idiot, I signed up for a four-day text study event on the assumption that it was a residential thing. And in fact it's yet another of those events that are really only aimed at Londoners, preferably those who live in the NW London enclave. So can anyone offer me crash space for any of Wednesday evening (21^st July) through Saturday evening (24^th July)? I should emphasise I'm not expecting to stay for that whole time, but just one or two evenings would give me a chance to socialize with people I like, and also make the event less prohibitively expensive. If I can do two nights in a hostel instead of four, that's a big help. The actual location is ~~Hampstead~~ Hampstead Garden Suburb, but anywhere in London or surroundings would be a start.

Moooooood awkward
Whereaboooouts ST4 6QR
Tuuuuuune Pulp: Love is blind

I have spontaneously decided to come to Cambridge this weekend. Anyone like to meet up sometime eg Saturday afternoon? I'll likely be mostly in north Cambridge or the town centre most of the time.

I'm planning to go to this early music concert Saturday evening; any takers for joining me? Tickets are quite pricey, as tends to be the case with Cambridge Early Music.

Moooooood spontaneous

I would like to catch the tail end of the Cambridge Shakespeare festival this week. Anyone want to join me? There is Measure for Measure in Robinson, or The Tempest in Trinity, both 7:30 pm on Saturday night. MfM also has a charity matinée, 2:30 on Saturday afternoon. Tickets cost £14, which is a little steep but the Shakespeare festival have been pretty good in the past. Plus, outdoor Shakespeare in college gardens in period costume is always fun.

Moooooood okay
Whereaboooouts Cambridge, England
Tuuuuuune Radio 4

I am planning to spend Sunday evening in the Pembury. See some of you there? I am not going to be very contactable between now and then, cos I am having a wild social life over the weekend and don't have a UK phone just now, but if you know

jack's phone number you can contact me via him.

Anyway, it would be lovely to see lots of people on Sunday, I miss you all.

Moooooood cheerful
Whereaboooouts Shelford, Cambridge, UK

The final part of my summer was completely wonderful;

jack came out to join me, and we spent a glorious week in California with

darcydodo and

forestofglory, and then we came back to

hatam_soferet's and "did" New York in three days. I have a backlog of several dozen blog posts and book reviews and stuff, but I think I'm more or less up to date on reading.

( help me plan my life, please )I plan to be in the Carlton Thursday evening (tomorrow), in shul Saturday, at P'tite Soeur's housewarming party in Brighton on Saturday night, at

miriammoules's housewarming party in London on Sunday, and just possibly at Pembury Sunday evening if that looks sensible with geography and timing. After that, I'm probably more free than usual for the next few weeks; give me a shout if you'd like to get together!

Moooooood tired
Whereaboooouts Shelford, Cambridge, UK
Tuuuuuune Rihanna: Umbrella

I'm in Stockholm airport, waiting for a flight to England. The flight is delayed by half an hour, which gives me 20 minutes from touchdown to get to the bus station, not very likely in Heathrow. If I miss the last bus, I can take the last tube to KX, and that gives me 6 minutes to get up from the underground station into the mainline station and catch the last train to Cambridge. If I miss that, I'm stranded in Kings Cross, which seems worse than being stranded in Heathrow! So most likely I will end up hanging around Heathrow for 4 hours, getting into Cambridge some time after 6 am. That sucks very badly, and it's exactly what happened a year ago; it's almost enough to make me want to go back to Ryanair.

Oh well, even if tonight is hellish, I will end up in England where I'll get to see

cartesiandaemon and my parents and maybe some sibs and any other friends I manage to catch between Xmas and New Year. And in the middle I'll go to

cartesiandaemon's family in NW England for my first real Christmas. And celebrate my 30^th birthday.

Moooooood grumpy
Whereaboooouts Arlanda airport, Sweden
Tuuuuuune airport muzak

I am coming to the end of my fantastic summer holiday. I haven't done anything very dramatic, but lots of little things that have been just perfect. I've spent extended time with my beau, and taken time to socialize properly with various Stockholm people, and done a little bit of fun travelling, and this past week I've been in England defeating geography and seeing some of my favourite but rarely seen people, notably

hatam_soferet and

darcydodo. This has involved some horrendous logistics, and I am most grateful to everyone who's put up with my ever-changing and excessively complicated plans.

Before I head back to Sweden, I am going to be visible at

cartesiandaemon's party on Saturday afternoon (tomorrow). If you know me and you're in the area you're probably invited, but check with me first if you can. Contrary to earlier messages, there will be no bridge or stripping.

Then I am going to be at the Pembury Sunday evening, along with

hatam_soferet and

cartesiandaemon and hopefully

pseudomonas. I hope to hug as many people as possible, but you should know that I'll be coming out of a fast so might not be the perkiest.

If you would like to see me but need more info, text (don't call, please) +46 73 693 8186. That's a Swedish number, I don't have an English one cos I'm a bit dopey with mobile phones. Otherwise just show up at either the party or the Pembury and it will all work out.

Communication wise I've been grabbing email every couple of days and skimming my friends list extremely lightly and sporadically. So basically I have no idea what's going on, and am long past hope of catching up. Email me if it's important.

I am waiting with bated breath for the arrival of a new cousin, due today (8/8/8 would be a fantastic birthday, so I hope she does hurry up and come out into the world). Also,

shreena is married, yay!

Moooooood loved
Whereaboooouts Shelford, Cambridge, UK

This is a picnic meme. There will be an LJ picnic on Jesus Green, Cambridge, UK on Sunday the 22nd of June (today), from around 2pm. We'll meet toward the town end of Jesus Green, by Lower Park Street. Nobody is organising this; it'll just happen. Please turn up, be sensible, bring food and drink, meet new people, have fun.

I plan to be there from about 3 pm, and will head to London and the Pembury after a couple of hours. I'm bringing other cool people. Whee! I've never done one of these before.

Moooooood cheerful
Whereaboooouts Shelford, Cambridge, UK

I'm still reading faster than I can review, but here are reviews of:

Diane Duane: Deep Wizardry / High Wizardry
Lois McMaster Bujold: The warrior's apprentice

Plans for this weekend are really not properly sorted out, because a major point of the trip is to see my cousins and they don't have firm plans yet. But since a few people have asked, most of the possible scenarios do involve me showing up at the Pembury on Sunday evening, and hopefully bringing

cartesiandaemon,

hatam_soferet and

pseudomonas.

More tentatively, I may show up to some or all of: a May week Ceilidh,

atreic's party, and the LJ picnic meme. Or maybe not; I want to make sure I have time to spend time with the people I'm planning to see on this visit and not get distracted with random socializing. There are lots of lovely people I'd like to see, but I am hampered by too much annoying geography. I am probably going to be around in Cambridge for the first week in August, and that will be a better time to make more general social plans.

There's a lot going on at the moment at work, so I am probably going to be concentrating on that for the next couple of days, aiming to get a few important things finished before I leave for England.

Addendum 19 June: I'm about to leave for work and then straight to the airport from there. Please note I don't have a UK mobile any more, cos I gave my old handset to Joanna. That also means I don't have most of the phone numbers that were stored on it. If you think I'm likely to want to contact you over the weekend, please text me on +46 73 693 8186.

Moooooood busy
Whereaboooouts Älvsjö, Stockholm, Sweden
Tuuuuuune Joni Mitchell: Michael from mountains

Livre d'Or

Not sheepish, but individ-ewe-al

Who would like to hang out next week?

Film outing on Sunday

Potential birthday plan

Worldcon meet final details

Misc social

Overcommitted, moi?

GIP

Who's around bank holiday weekend?

Wedding logistics

Seeing lots of cool people in London

Dates

Crash space in London 21 - 24 July?

Cambridge flying visit

Cambridge Shakespeare

London socializing?

I'm back

Travel woes

Liv spotting

Picnic meme

Couple of book reviews + vague plans

Profile

Soundbite

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