I fail at toilets

15/1/09 2:00 PM

No entries in the past couple days—sorry about that! I’ve been rather bored and lethargic lately. There’s very little job-job hunting I can do at the moment. I’m waiting for people to get back to me. Five job agencies and countless others are helping me look.

It’s even hard just to find someplace to volunteer. The cathedral wants you to take a class before offering tours, and the woman at the front desk offered no other volunteer posts. Sarum College… Linda’s never in when I visit and the old man at the front desk just says, “Try again later.” I have agreed to volunteer at the Salisbury Museum, but that doesn’t start until next week, when the librarian is in.

It’s getting awfully windy, so I’m going to head inside now.


(these pictures show where I was sitting in relation to the cathedral and a close-up of the cathedral. Cold and windy day, but I was waiting for Linda to be done with lunch, so I took a walk and found a bench near a river)

16/1/09 1:30 PM

I will admit, I haven’t been writing in this blog as often as I should because I’ve become addicted to a little internet game called “Flood-it” (do a Google search to find it). Here’s a screenshot:

When you click on one of the six colors on the left-hand side, the top-left-most square in the big square will change to that color, as well as any adjacent squares of the same color. For example, if I were to click the yellow button, that top-left blue square would become yellow. If I then clicked pink, it would turn pink, but the two yellow squares connected to it would also turn pink. Clicking light blue next would turn all of the pink squares connected to that top-left pink square light blue, and so on and so forth, until the entire grid is ‘flooded’ with one color. Trouble is, you only have 25 moves to do it in. It’s trickier than it seems!

So, yes, I haven’t been writing because I’ve been trying to fill a grid with one color. I’m sorry! What else have I been up to in the meantime?

Well, I still haven’t heard any good news from the five agencies I’m registered with, though I keep my fingers crossed every day. I was supposed to meet with Ed Probert, the Canon Chancellor, yesterday at a little after 2, but his plans had to be suddenly rearranged due to miscommunications, so instead, I met with him at 9:15 this morning and after a meeting, he sent me on to the volunteer coordinator. I now will be volunteering at the chapter house, answering questions people have about the building and the Magna Carta. Meanwhile, Ed is talking to the HR person, Kevin, and to Suzanne Ewards, the Cathedral’s librarian, for me.

Right now, though, I think I need to go and get some lunch before I head off for the Cathedral! My first day ‘on the job,’ as it were, is today, at 2:30. Woo! Wish me luck!

16/1/09 5:17 PM

Aside from achy feet from standing for the past three hours, I’m rather satisfied. I spent two guide-shifts in the Cathedral chapter house, and I had a great time passing out information and explaining things such as the medieval frieze to people. Now I just need to brush up on my Magna Carta knowledge…

Professor Quinn would be proud of me. I was actually able to make out bits and pieces of the Magna Carta today, no small task even for a Latin major! The handwriting is very small and old-fashioned, and it’s written in abbreviated Latin, so most of the words have letters missing. The scribe was very thoughtful, though, and put a line above every word that was abbreviated.

I got a name tag, though, and I got to wear one of the rich green Salisbury Cathedral Guide sashes! Yes, it doesn’t take much to keep me happy…

Next Monday, I’m scheduled to work at Sarum College, in the bookshop, and the Tuesday after that I have agreed to meet with the librarian at the Salisbury Museum. I also just got an email from one of the agencies about a temp job starting Feb. 9th, and would I like them to send my CV there for consideration? I said yes, of course, so here’s hoping I get a job…

Let’s see, what else is there to say? I certainly won’t starve over here, or go unwashed. Linda stopped by a few days ago with something for Sally and a box of goodies for me, including food, drink, a box of tissues, and some shower gel. That was quite sweet of her.  Mother Ann was just by last night as well. She didn’t have time to stay, as she was going to dinner with friends, but she wanted to drop off a puzzle for me to do and the local newspaper. People around here are so kind!

I met Wulfie today, as well. He is the Cathedral Cat, and is in a book by that name. He did belong to the Dean of the Cathedral but decided that roaming wild around the close was a much better life. He comes and goes as he pleases in the Cathedral and has been found curled up in the manger with baby Jesus sometimes, in the nativity scene in the center of the building. Today, he was strolling around the bookshop, eyeing everybody coming in to make purchases and being haughty and in charge as only a cat can. He’s a gorgeous big black tom, very glossy coat and bright eyes.

It is interesting, though, the sorts of differences between America and England, little things you’d never even think to brush up on. For example, I have the darnedest time trying to flush the toilets. Not all toilets, some behave themselves quite nicely, but I’ve had some real losers. The one in the bathroom beside my bedroom, for example. The trick seems to be that you have to flush the handle in one smooth, determined motion. Don’t hold it down long enough, and it just dribbles a bit of water in the bowl. Hold it down too long, and it just dribbles a bit of water in the bowl. It usually takes me three tries to get it to flush properly. Some days, I will admit, I just walk off and leave it for later.

I’ve taken several pictures for you, to make up for the lack of postage. I hope you enjoy them!

This is a bridge I walk across to get into town. The house I live in is just on the other side, just out of sight.

This is a stone on the bridge. Built in 1243, widened in 1771! WIDENED! It’s practically a 1-lane road as it is!

But this is the view of the river over it. It’s lovely now, just imagine what it will look like in the spring!

The Cathedral is surrounded by a wall. Here’s a picture of it.

The wall’s stones came from the original cathedral of Old Sarum, up on a hill. There’s a plaque to that effect, but more haunting are the remnants of the old cathedral’s decoration. There are several of these faceless heads sticking out of the wall, and carvings in some of the stones.

And how can I have pictures without one of Gizmo? She’s keeping me company, even if I did almost call her Sophie today.