Limax

Scattered things, from a bear of very little brain:

1) Limax means "slug". Somehow I find it very satisfying that such a strange little animal should have a Latin name (why I'm surprised, I don't know - but I've never wondered what that name was before). Next time I stand on one with bare feet (that is, me with bare feet, not the slug. It only has one foot), I shall exclaim: "Ghastly limax!" instead of the usual "Fucking slimeball". The study of slugs is "limacology". If I have a (dramatic) change of heart re: career, I might endeavour to become a limacologist. As it is, I'm heading more towards being "limaciform" [slug-like]. Fantastic word.

2) Fugues, fugues, fugues. I'm meant to be doing an English degree, right? Apparently this involves me teaching myself all that music theory again so I can attempt to form a coherent argument about a book. It is, of course, a good challenge and I'm enjoying it a lot. But I really wish I'd carried on with it earlier (ah, the joy of retrospect) - I only studied it up to the required level in order to continue with my practical instrumental exams...and that was when I was 12...Anyway, I've always hated playing fugues on the piano - have never been able to get my head (and fingers) round them when they're more than 3 parts. But playing with the theory is quite a different matter, and allows me to read brilliant books that aren't just about the music side of things (a Good Thing, because I am NOT doing a music degree!) . Particularly Hofstadter's Godel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid, which makes much more sense now than it did 7 years ago. (A relief). Leading to...

3) ...fugues, seuguf, fugues...An inevitable result of my reading about and taking apart fugues again is a renewed attempt to play them. It's not proving much more successful than before, but I'm enjoying it more (certainly the result of the non-presence of Evil Piano Teacher).

4) Volunteering to make the committee T-shirts for College seemed like a good idea months ago. Two weeks before going back it is no longer such a great idea. Whoops! I like my design, but getting it onto the shirts [a] in time and [b] without making a huge mess is going to be a hassle.

5) A warning from the Hofstadter book above, which rings worryingly in relation to my Interminable Essay (of which, without doubt, more later - it's not submitted till April, so plenty of time for dithering and moaning about it): "It is of course important to try to maintain consistency, but when this effort forces you into a stupendously ugly theory, you know something is wrong." Quite. I shall keep an eye out for stupendous ugliness. Good way of putting it.