I have a headache tonight, one of those persistent dull throbs that sometimes seems to disappear, but just when you think it’s gone it washes over you stronger than before. I suppose I went to bed last night a little too late, and I had to get up this morning for the postgraduate seminar. Two lecturers today: Bob Lawson-Peebles, who I had for Transatlantic Century last term, and Angelique Richardson, who teaches Lori’s other class this term. Bob told some wonderful stories about conversations in urinals and one-legged people (quote of the day: ‘it would be quite useful, wouldn’t it, to have a foot for an umbrella?).

All in all I was pretty grumpy today. Two of the books I needed have been recalled and I haven’t had a chance to fully read them yet, so I now have a £2 fine to pay tomorrow. I took USM library's “grace period” for granted. I could have added a couple of books to my collection at least for the amount I’ve had to pay in library fines this term. I worked some on my dissertation topic this afternoon – reading a book about the family and the French Revolution, which has some rather interesting illustrations from the Marquis de Sade. We made Cottage Pie for tea and watched Roman Holiday, which cheered us both up, and since then I have been reading Jenny Diski’s Skating to Antarctica, which I’m loving. Lori just made me a cup of tea, so things may be looking up.

How much tea do I drink a day?

Lori is sitting opposite me on her side of the desk making a schedule for tomorrow. This already means that tomorrow will be much more productive, since when she is positive about work it tends to rub off on me. I have so much to get accomplished and very little time to do it.

I'm tired and a little down tonight and could do with a little injection of faith.