What is success?

Turned down a job today. Lecturer at one of the top universities in the UK, paying a good £8k a year more than I earn now.

I felt it wasn't quite the right step for me and that I would be academically and possibly socially isolated there. I don't want to skip too many developmental stages.

It made me think about what IS important in my job, and more generally, in my life. Feeling competent, learning, having a laugh, being cared for and caring for others - these are life's valuables.

Don't get me wrong, I want prestige and money, just not at that cost.

MJ lives!

Reading about Michael Jackson's death on the Guardian website this morning, I was overjoyed to notice that it is still possible to buy tickets for his "Final Performance". I just wonder how I will get to the venue?

Old git

David Dimbleby announced last night that the BBC's School's Question Time wants "a young audience". "If you are under 24, you can apply" he told us.

I'm such an old git.

Snot

Snot ain't good.

Thanks Arthur.

Although he was very cute yesterday. It was time to say goodbye and I said "I won't kiss you because I don't want to catch your cold" [note the irony of that statement] so he kissed my skirt instead - the top of his head only reaches my thigh.

Ooo hope it's not swine flu (cue my mum insisting I visit the doctor). At least my mum won't have to keep telling me not to pick my nose and eat it like Arthur's mum had to tell him yesterday.

Richard Long...

...made me want to create and record. Realised I've got a real thing about art that categorises like his does. F thinks I like things that show visible progression and I think he's right. Time lapse photography is particularly cool. Counting, recording, categorising. It is way of measuring progress and encourages reflection and improvement.

Urban Garden (not mine)

Stumbled across the Phoenix Garden in WC2 yesterday. I love the fact that people bother to try and make their living areas prettier, more community-oriented places, particularly right in the heart of central London.

Comparing one's own life with those of journalists

Hot on the heels of Charla Murray writing about offering her husband sex every day for a year comes Hepzibah Anderson writing about her year without sex.

Is this supposed to make me feel better or worse about my own life? I presume the only point of these articles is to provide insecure people with yet another person to compare themselves to?