Laundry and Cookies, er Biscuits, Oh My!

Getting used to a new place and routine can be very exhilarating if exhausting. I set out on Monday to carve out a schedule to keep me on track towards my probation review* at the end of October. I decided to divide most of my days into morning CrossFit sessions and afternoon writing/reading/general PhD stuff sessions. There are some students who can work 9-5 on their PhDs (or so they claim, I’m highly suspicious of such exertions) but I am not one of those people. I do best when I’ve had some time to look through things, have a cup of tea, read a bit more, watch an episode of Star Trek, do some writing, stare out of the window, answer emails. It’s a very organic process. (At least that’s what I’ve been telling myself.)

It’s been a good week. I managed to hit CrossFit every day with two rest days thrown in there so that I can appreciate my DOMS⁺ more fully. It has been awesome getting to the box more. Though I’ve been getting stronger, it has been a very slow process. Maybe I’ve increased my weights half a kilogram but at least it’s something. The walk to the box is much more enjoyable as well. Going through the park early on a crisp autumn morning is one of the most rejuvenating parts of the day. The leaves are stubbornly holding onto their colour at the moment, but every day that passes brings fall colours that much closer.

View across Victoria Park.

I can't wait until these trees are red and gold and orange.

One thing that I must confess will take some getting used to is drying my laundry here. In the past, it has dried quite quickly (maybe in three days at the most) on my drying rack. This was mostly due to the fact I’ve always had ready access to drying machines both in Durham and at my old flat. Unfortunately, I have but a washing machine here and after almost a week, my clothes were no closer to wearable. Reticently I hung them up on the clothes line outside. Now, just a quick reminder that I live in England. In true stereotypical form, the day I hung my laundry was very overcast. I had looked at the weather report which assured me that despite a high percentage of humidity, it would not rain. I worked through most of the afternoon but every two minutes or so I found myself squinting out of my window trying to tell if it were raining or not. I was just convinced that it would begin to pour and I’d have to start the maddening laundry process all over. After checking on my clothes three or four times and realising how difficult it is to tell whether clothes are still wet or just cold, I brought them in for good and hung them in the closet. I am greatly looking forward to the next time I get to go through this thrilling new ritual.

This is a dramatic recreation of events. No garments were harmed during the making of this photo.

A house is not a home until you have baked in it. I’m not sure what great person first said this, it is possible it was George Washington, though I doubt he ever lifted so much as a finger to measure out some flour for chocolate chip cookies. Last Sunday Ceciel and I set out to make some sugar cookies. Now I must pause here to mention that in the UK cookies are basically considered chocolate chip cookies, any other sort of cookie-like thing would be called a biscuit. At least, I think I’ve got that right. This comes after an earnest conversation I had with an English person in which we both became confused about all things cookie/biscuit. Now baking is very much about chemistry. You must put the right proportion of ingredient A with the correct proportion of ingredient B and as long as the ratios are good and proper you should end up with a delicious cookie. I’m afraid however, that using an American recipe but with UK measurements and gas mark ovens requires at least a first class Master’s degree from one of the UK’s top chemistry programmes. Something neither Ceciel nor I possess. Our first batch….well…they sort of melted. Thankfully Ceciel took matters into her own hands and saved the day with an extra egg and lots of extra flour. Truly, she is a cookie hero. The rest of them came out beautifully.

What you see here is a commentary on the hardships of life. Mainly that I suck at reading directions and measuring. By the way that's supposed to be a T-Rex at the bottom. 

Ceciel had so many cute cookie cutters. Biscuit cutters. Cookie cutters. Oh I give up. The T-Rex at the top is mine though, because dinosaurs.

That's much better!

I was very excited about having T-Rex cookies.

I suppose along with my baking and laundry adventures I have been eking out more work over the past week. My probation review document is coming together like Frankenstein’s monster. (I’m grafting parts of my two major papers together in the hopes of creating a brilliant review of my progress.) I’ve managed to list every paper, book, article, chapter, pamphlet, and journal I’ve read since January and I’ve produced my first Gantt chart laying out what the next two and a half years should (in theory) have in store for me.

I've got my windowsill of plants. (Two I rescued from the rubbish bins at my last flat.)

It's small, but very cozy.

I like my travel posters. Can you believe they make them for imaginary places like Cambridge? I know, me neither.

Mr. Fox guards my door from unwanted visitors. Luckily I like having visitors, especially kitty visitors.

All in all, it has been a pretty great first two weeks in my new home. Now if you’ll excuse me, I think I’ll just start a load of laundry. It looks rather like it might rain later.

*Basically I have to account for all of the work, reading, and research I’ve done up until this point. If I pass I can go on to field work, if not I have six more months to prove my worth.

⁺Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness otherwise known as the devil.