Spring, my birthday, trip to the USA and the Ball.

To say this blog post is overdue is an understatement, the problem is that every time I think about writing about what’s been happening these last few months I realise quite how long it is since I wrote an update about what’s been going on. In the hope that I may ever get back up to date I’m just going to ignore everything that happened between October and about May (namely lots of teaching, a cameo on GMTV (see left), a weekend in Brussels, and Christmas in France) and resume more wholeheartedly some time after then…

A lot of my work-time this spring has been associated with thesis writing (I’ve finished six chapters and one more is 90% written) and working on a big clinical trial we’re running in the US. The trial could be the definitive test of whether my research is a worthwhile thing to be doing, so it’s pretty exciting. I spent Easter in Oxford so I could get some work done, but had a picnic with friends followed by croquet (see right).

For the first time since 2003 I managed to go punting on my birthday (three successful years of birthday punting were interrupted by a few years of downpours). We got three boats out on the river (see left and below right), had lots of Pimm’s and Lemonade, a picnic with croquet at the sports ground, and then warmed up with some tea in the kitchen of house fourteen.

My focussed thesis efforts meant that I had only taken five days off work (except for weekends) since the start of October. Making best use of the freedom of distraction on bank holidays and outside of term time was great from a thesis perspective, but I was definitely feeling a bit tired by the end of May. Fortunately some relief was available as it was Hilary’s sister’s wedding and we went to the USA for it, and stayed on there for Princeton Reunions the following weekend.

The wedding was at West Point, the Military Academy - the wedding was preceded by the groom’s graduation and bar-pinning. It was a great sunny day, everything happened at the right time and after the reception there was a cruise on the Hudson (left). Hilary and I then spent one day shopping, one day hiking and then went to Princeton for reunions. It was very strange to back in the surreal place that is Princeton but it was really great to see people – I hadn’t realised quite how many people I got to know in the year that I was there.

We returned to Oxford for the end of term which was followed by the New College ball last Saturday night. The ball was great – I enjoyed it much more than the one I went to six years ago, as they used more of the space available in college, had better food, better acts, and more live music. Most of my time is now taken up with looking for somewhere to live next year. This isn’t helped by letting agents who never answer the phone, lie, and play people off against each other. Anyway, I’m sure we’ll find somewhere some time soon.

For those outside the UK it’s been a miserable June weather-wise. Although warmer than average it’s almost certainly going to be the wettest June on record, which has prevented a lot of the usual Oxford summer fun (punting, sailing, picnics, garden parties, barbecues) from taking place. Still, it’s sunny right now, and I’m off punting!

Ali