Feel like crap

I feel terrible. Apparently, the weeds are starting to bloom--not sure which ones, but I know I'm allergic to ragweed--and as a result, I've spent the last three days doing my best to hack up my lungs. I probably need to call to get my prescription for Advair renewed. I don't think I'll be making it to sparring tonight. Tea and cough drops don't help much. I didn't get much done this weekend. Went to the Powderhorn Arts festival Saturday, but didn't do anything Sunday except read. I'm dreading the bike ride in today. I'll probably take the bike on the train today. Breathing hurts. Can't blow work off today; there's a huge filing tomorrow I have to help get ready for today. Urgh.

Throwing in the towel

Thank heavens, the attorney filed a motion for an extension. I'm coughing so badly that I can't stand it any more and am going home, and then to my pharmacy to pick up my inhaler and a Neti pot. I may not make it into work tomorrow, depending on how long it takes my lungs to settle down.

Jane Austen's A History of England (by a partial, prejudiced and ignorant historian)

This came up on my Jane Austen Google alert today (and yes, dear reader, I am such a geek that I do indeed have a Jane Austen Google alert):

The British Library has started a monumental project: to put a number of the rare books stored in its archives online, so that anyone can virtually thumb through them from the comfort of their home, and without the worry that they'll get grubby finger smudges or jam on the delicate, highly valuable pages.

So far, around twenty books have been added to the Turning the Pages project, including rare religious texts, Jane Austen's early work, the first atlas of Europe, Diamond Sutra, printed in China in 868, Lewis Carroll's original "Alice in Wonderland", sketches by Leonardo da Vinci, and Mozart's musical diary.

The Jane Austen work included is her A History of England, written when she was just sixteen. It is copied out in her handwriting, and illustrated with Cassandra Austen's delicate little watercolor portraits of the kings and queens Jane writes about. It is also screamingly funny. Her entry on Mary I begins:

This woman had the good luck of being advanced to the throne of England, inspite of the superior pretensions, Merit, & Beauty of her Cousins Mary Queen of Scotland & Jane Grey. Nor can I pity the Kingdom for the misfortunes they experienced during her Reign, since they fully deserved them, for having allowed her to succeed her Brother - which was a double peice of folly, since they might have foreseen that as she died without Children, she would be succeeded by that disgrace to humanity, that pest of society, Elizabeth.

The scan is beautiful, and they have reproduced the text in the touch of a button if you have trouble reading the handwriting. Go take a look!

Wah

Rob did not get the Thompson West job.

Phooey.

From Fiona's backpack

Fiona finally cleared out her backpack today and passed something on to me that I found quite amusing: imagine what would happen if an English teacher got a hold of Lincoln's Gettysburg Address.

( See me after class, Mr. Lincoln )

(Click on it three times to see it close up.)

In other news, I passionately want to rip out my lungs. My family is trying to dissuade me, telling me that I need them. My response is that they are absolutely no use to me right now and in fact are driving me crazy.

Hmm. I guess I'll hold on to 'em now, at least until I finish this cup of tea and see whether that allows me to sleep.

Feverish. I hope I don't have to go into work tomorrow--unless there is some snafu with that order for an extension we're expecting from the Court and I have to go in to do a filing after all, hacking away.