So I've been really busy all weekend. I went to Fairyland with the niece, saw a play, went to the farmers market, help host a dinner party (we made nectarine sorbet), defrosted our large freezer and brought pizza to my sister's house.

So busy but not getting much done on the job hunting front yet. Working on my CV -- needs to fit on one page if possible.

My new desk is late, so I'm still using my laptop in the dinning room, which means I'm online a bit less then I might otherwise be. However my room is now mostly tidy with on or two thing I need to find homes for.

My family likes to make elaborate desserts. For some reason we tend to us egg whites more then egg yolks. I guess we are big on the pastry cream and ice cream and light on the merange-type stuff. End result: lots of frozen egg whites.

I've started a push to use them up. Today my bother and I made Angel Food Cake. (It uses 3/2 cups of egg whites-- and tells us how many egg whites in cups). After the cake was made we have 15 cups of egg whites in the freezer, one cup short of a gallon.

We are plan more angel food cake. If you have any ideas/recipes for lots of egg whites please share.

I've been computing at the dinning room table till I get my new desk and organize my room a bit better. My desk is a mess still. The dinning room is kinda nice, but is odd computing in public space.

Got to see my niece yesterday. She "helped" me bake bread. It came out very dense and chewy -- it has oats, flax seeds, and sesame seeds in.

Also did some work in the garden. The native grassland bit I've been working on is still very weedy, but it looks better.

Not been online much. I'm still jet lagged which is showing up as falling asleep at dumb times, and not being very focused.

Am unpacked to the point of just having a few piles, and a stack of boxes (my books ect. shipped from Cam) to put away. Ordered a new computer desk. I hope this will make my back hurt less.

Been hanging out with Robert, and eating yummy food. So far had a burrito, Cheeseboard pizza, Thai food, and falafel.

I'm Home! Everything is the same but a bit different too. I'm writing this sitting on one of the lovely new dining room chairs my mother acquired in my absence.

I own too much stuff. I'm having trouble getting stuff to fit into my room. Been going on a mini tidying-and-getting-rid-of-stuff spree, but still have all my winter stuff to get put away some how. I may need to go container shopping too. And the need for a new book shelf is not gone.

So it's really over. Yesterday I was kinda grumpy. I think it was the heat. In my mind it doesn't rain when it's hot (it still doesn't at home) therefore, my brain is like it's raining it must be cold. Only it isn't.

So yes, yesterday was both hot and rainy. And my gown plus hood plus long black skirt (We had to wear black and white, or just black) was hot. Also stockings where required, and they are hot. I supose they make my hairy legs more conventional looking, but the skirt was long enough that you couldn't see them anyways.

Before the ceremony we got dressed up early for a official photo. Don't know why I signed up for early. They where silly had made me hold a white plastic tube with a red bow on it. I do not think I'm going to like this photo.

Then we waited around for a bit and had some cheese sandwiches. Then it was finally time for pre-ceremony drinks. It was raining, so we had to have them inside. There where strawberries and whipped cream though. That was good.

Then they pulled us aside for graduation rehearsal. The whole thing is in Latin and then you have to hold the Pralector's finger, and then you kneel in front someone else. (some people chose not to kneel). I was worried I'd trip or something.

A bit of post rehearsal mingling and we assembled to process to the senate house -- which is about 20min walk (in the heat). We got there, stood around for a bit. When through the ritual. I didn't fall over. Yay!

One thing I like about Cambridge -- great words for things. Someone who is about to graduate is graduand.

So last night we went to the Graduand's Dinner at my college. My mother was worried that my family wouldn't look nice enough, which was very silly of her because they all looked great.

Dinner was lovely. Before dinner we had drinks and I got to introduce my family to my DoS and my Tutor and they seemed to get on.

Dinner itself was lovely. Food was very nice. I was sat next to Sal as well as my family so conversation was also good. The veggie meal was so kind of frittata with peas and mint. Yum.

After dinner there where some speeches, and college prizes. Much to our surprise both Sal and I won prizes! Mine is for Personal Achievement.

So yesterday was lazy. Got out of the the house a bit after 10. Went to the market and bought some chocolate for my brother's friends. Then my parents went back to the apartment leaving us to our own devices.

We went up to Lucy to pay the fine for my room being not up to their standards of cleanliness (which are quite high). Turned out I didn't have to pay it though, as they are returning my rent deposit and it came out of that. However my project supervisor send me a present, (a guide book for iding insects) which I found it my pigeonhole so the trip was not a waste.

We wandered around, had lunch and poked our head into various museums, then met up with a bunch of friends and my parents for punting. It was very very busy so we where only allowed to take the punts for an hour. However we had a nice time. Always a bit odd introducing people to your family, but I think it went ok.

After punting a few of us walked down to Grantchester for cream tea. They where out of clotted cream though. Still scones are almost as nice with just jam and butter.

Yesterday we went to Birmingham to see a family friend. Took the train out through the fens. They are still very flat.

Birmingham was much nicer then we thought it would be. There are canals and footpaths. Like most cities I've been to here there are not a lot of non-chain stores, but lots of public space you can get around on foot. New St is still an awful station though.

Our friend took us to the botanic gardens and for a quick tour of the uni. We had nice time.

On the way back our train broke. So they had us all get off and get on another train -- which was supposed to be going somewhere else. People on that train got kicked off. I felt sorry for them.

Went to Ely with my family and Sal. Its about 15 min on the train. Had lunch by the river, it was yummy, I had curry. The chips where extra good. Saw the Cathedral which is amazing -- had a lovely old woman as our tour guide. Had nice tea in a tea shop. I had a scone with cream and jam, but the other cakes where nice too. Went to serival charity shops (my dad ran away and napped) got a shirts that meets the graduation requirements properly. (I have nice shirt, but it's off white with no buttons -- I need a button to attach the hood to or so I'm told)

I other news I got my hair cut yesterday after not having it done properly for years. I like it. However he angled the bit around my face to help make the bit I burnt off a few years ago look right (I was cooking -- it happens) and now the bit around my face keep escaping form my braid. Not sure what if anything can be done.

So I am now packed and moved out. Most of my stuff is in 5 suitcases. I've been staying with some friends, who very helpfully moved me out of my room and helped me clean it up.

In terms of fun stuff I went to a very nice party, full of lots of very nice people, and stayed up very late.

I also went and collected elderflowers. We when along the Roman Road which is quite nice. Though I some how mangeged to cut myself with a pair of sissors. Bah.

Tonight my parents get here. So I will be staying in an apartment with them.

Been running around a doing fun stuff the last few days.

Tuesday I baked stuff for the pooh soc garden party -- spent a lovely morning it the kitchen. I made blondies, and Fudge Pie, and chocolate cupcakes. In the afternoon I went on the Bridge Crawl (we go along the river and play poohsticks at every bridge) Which then morphed into watching the fireworks with people, and then just hanging out. Didn't get to bed till quite late.

Unfortunately I still woke up early the next day. Bah. Puttered around all morning, around 11 people showed up for garden party stuff. It took us bit to get organized but we got every thing form my place to where the garden party was being held. We went shopping and then made sandwiches and cut up fruit and such.

The garden party was good, though it rain so we had to run inside. Lovely people though. Seemed to like the food, but there was a bit too much. I guess I was over excited -- but I really had fun.

Got home and more or less collapsed. I had wanted to go to a party that night but it wasn't going to happen. So Tried.

Still not feeling great today. Meh. I want to see people because I'm going away and will likely not see then again for a long time if ever, but I also want to feel a bit better.

My room is now a full on packing zone, with suitcases and boxes. Ick.

Meh packing -- I haven't got as much of that done as I'd like. Trying to get my books and papers packed before I get the suitcases out of storage and start really living in a state of unrest. Today I got a box of books packed and went through more papers. Lots of stuff is being recycled.

Also today I made a birthday dinner for Paul. Made tomato and mozzarella salad, macaroni and cheese, and cupcakes with frosting. We went out in the afternoon to go pick fruit but the place was closed (well they sold us some raspberries but no picking) so we just drove around and looked at the big rain clouds. Came back and had a leisurely dinner -- was nice. Now I have too much cake.

I'm back in Cambridge. Paris was lovely. I ate lots of good food. Lots and lots.

The trip back was hot (well mostly ok, but the station was hot and I had to stand in line for a long time) So just now I'm feeling a bit tried and out of sorts.

I'm taking Eurostar to Paris! I'm excited by both the trip and the method of transit. Go trains! I'll be back late Sunday.

Results are out. I got a 2.1 and my whole plantsci class did really well.

I've spent my afternoon being happy about this. Went and saw my project supervisor to tell him and we had tea. Went to a reception for the class in the early evening probley the last time I'll see many of them.

So I don't have viva. Results are out tomorrow. eep!

So I lent Cordelia's Honor to a friend form pooh soc, and she’s about half way through and mentioned to me that she was very happy that it was non-heteronormative. I was bit surprised by this because it’s fairly low key in the book. One character is bi and his homosexual relationship took place off screen. Also there are hermaphrodites. Any way the conversation ended with me telling her I’d write up a list of some other non-heteronomative spec fic. So this is what I’ve come up with so far.

The Vorkosigan books by Lois McMaster Bujold –See above
Special Mention: Ethan of Athos – The main character is form planet of only men where romantic relationships between men are the norm. (Also taking care of children is considered valuable work—they have something called social duty credits to keep track of it)

Bujold’s Five Gods books: Some characters are gay – the Bastard is the god of all things out of season including gay people

Elizabeth Bear: Promethean Age, Jenny Casey books. There are people who just happen to be in same sex relationships rather then that being a main plot point.

Sherwood Smith: Inda books, The Trouble with Kings. In Inda a fairly major character is gay; in The Trouble with Kings only fairly minor characters are homosexual. Both books are set in Sartorias-deles, where homosexual relationships are not stigmatized.

Ellen Kushner’s Riverside books, starting with Swordspoint: In these books everyone is bisexual. Both Swordspoint and The Fall of Kings both have gay couples as main characters.

A Door Into Ocean by Joan Slonczewski and all women planet where pair bonding between women is common (called lovesharing).

Glory Season by David Brin – women are factually clonal (ie they can clone themselves or reproduce sexually) and generally form romantic relationships with other women.

Nicola Griffith: I’ve read Ammonite which features an all women world, and I think her other work also deals with Queer themes.

Darkover –Marion Zimmer Bradley, especially the Free Amazon books (Currently in print in omnibus as The Saga of the Renunciates) but also in general. The Terrains have rather US in the 50’s attitudes about sexuality, but Darkoveran culture is generally accepting.

Small Change by Jo Walton: An Alternate history, some of the characters just happen to be gay dealt with in historically realistic way.

Anything I should add to this?

So I haven't been updating much. A family friend died, and I don't want to talk about it, but I don't feel I can not talk about it either.

Mostly I've been hiding in my room and reading. Friday I had curry with people to celabrate the end of their exams.

Yesterday I went on field trip lead by Peter Grubb, who is lovely. We went out to Devils Dyke which an Anglo-Saxon earthwork covered in chalk grassland. It was fun. I was unreasonably tried after.

I was mildly productive. Took a bag of clothing to Oxfam. Ordered some photos for my scrapbook. (not as many as planed because a bunch where low res -- but got a few of the low res ones to see how bad it will be)

Went to the market where I bought real local tomatoes! Also some eggs and raspberries. Bought myself an sandwich in a triangle box. (I love those -- they are British thing I will miss.) Which I ate sitting under some trees along the backs. Then I went and visited a friend, and we ate most of the rest of the raspberries, and generally had a good chat.

Wandered home, via the supermarket where I got cheese and onions and such not. Read for a while. (Yay books!) Got on the internet and bought tickets to go to Paris in 10 days! My parents have rented a apartment -- so I'm going to pop over and visit them.

Now I've mostly done the easy stuff on my to do list. phooey.