How many dancing Princesses?

I'm coming home tomorrow! For a dose of the Fringe. I am not planning on sleeping at all, but on seeing Rich during the day and then heading off to the Gilded Balloon at night. This plan has rather put me in mind of a book my Dad used to read to me - did anyone else ever read 'The Twelve Dancing Princesses'? I had the version illustrated by Errol de Cain and it was so beautiful. I think I wanted all the dresses. And the boats.

The premise, as far as I remember it, was that these twelve princesses were locked into their room each night, but each morning they had worn away another pair of shoes, and nobody could understand it. I could keep going like that for a while before anyone noticed a dent in my shoe hoard, but evidently the king was very attentive to his daughters footwear. Of course, what no-one realised was that they were traversing gold, silver and diamond forests, and sailing across a lake, to get to the Gilded Balloon and go to Late'n'Live or Hot Dub Time Machine every night. In the end they were busted, but I'm going to be keeping a sharp watch out for Princes in invisibility cloaks, so we should be fine.

See you tomorrow chums, I am so excited!
x

Off to GB...

Shameless plug post

Hello dear ones!

This is a shameless plug post. I have started a science blog. Apparently it's what all the cool kids do these days. It can be found by clicking right here. There's not much on it yet, but I am hoping to iron out some copyright confusion on my part soon and then there will be an avalanche of glorious pictures of neurons.

Also, if you are someone who takes pretty neuroscience pictures (Chantal and Rochey, I am looking at you) and you want them on a pretty neuroscience picture blog then send them to me!

Happy Friday one and all,
I am off to see some Rumba and Swing in an outdoor square, nice!
x

Word for the day - röstat bröd

Toast! May you be in heaven half an hour before the devil realises you are dead!*

What kind of chump doesn't keep any bread in the house? All I want in the world is some toast, and yet my dinner options are baked salmon (a bit much at 10.30pm) or muesli and yogurt (deeply uninspiring but the winner by default). Ahh, the minutiae of life!

Hope your evenings have been less lacking in baked goods, 

x

* This is a saying that Bam, Fran, Kate, Morven and I found on a wooden plaque when we were young and carefree and travelling round America. It took us a full week to realise it meant 'toast' in the raising a glass sense. Not in the warming of bread sense. Until this epiphany we were deeply confused by the juxtaposition but bought the plaque anyway. I think it is in the cupboard in Kirk Street these days.

Sigh

I just thought to myself that I'd do a bit more work, and then head off at 6pm. Then I looked at the clock and realised that it is already 6.22pm. Sigh. It's going to be another late night. On the plus side, Susanne has joined the lab. She's great, and she bought me a plant to keep my grant writing spirits up. And my files look awesome, so it is in no way all bad news.

Have a good evening all,
x

What a day in history!

Hej chums,

I know I have disappeared for a while (one word - grants), but today is a double celebration so I though I should say...

 and...

I hope you are both having days as splendid as you are. That could be a really backhanded hope, but luckily for you two, I think you are really splendid.

Much birthday love!
xxx