Interesting things I have learned recently

Here I am at work, the day after everyone has left (well, there are a couple of interns still around but they appear not to be in the office today... alas). I am reading an interesting piece of work called "Everyday life in the 1800s" which is not so informative about the events of the war of 1812 but which is generally interesting. As there is nobody around to tell the facts I learn from this book, y'all will have to do (some of these are not from the book, as you may note as you read them):

• Graham Crackers (like digestive biscuits, but AmericaniZed) were originally convieved as a cure for "carnal desires", particularly the sin of, er, self-abuse. Apparently blandness stops you from wanting yourself. Who knew?
• American housewives liked to wash their hair in rum and use honey and charcoal to clean their teeth
• American ring binders, and thus American hole punches, have three holes- one at the top, one right in the middle, and one on the bottom. This means that the hole punch is an enormous thing unsuitable for any kind of portable activity (not that hole punches are ever *that* portable I guess...)
• Tomatoes were widely considered poisonous up until the end of the 19th century
• "Bungee cord" is the same in both languages
• There is such a thing as too much Kate Rusby, although what I actually think it might be is too much time spent with headphones in. I really want to spend some time alone somewhere where I'm allowed to make noise without it being pumped directly into my ear...

I have tried to write this blog three or four times now, but each time it starts off with moaning and then moves on to me worrying about people disliking me and then being sad that everybody is leaving. This is the kind of thinking which makes me even sadder because I feel like I haven't made enough of the opportunities I've had. Even though, with the exception of academic work, I've done all I can and more besides. Such are my thought processes, tiring things that they are.

Much good stuff has happened this past two weeks- met my hero (not elaborating here), finished writing the second play, completely finished redrafting the first and had a reading out in the wilds of Maryland (I need to stop referring to places in Maryland as the wilds, to be fair... but it's fun, Washington suburbs are so much greener and more open and all the houses are actually pretty; I still dislike the prevalence of driving where I see it but it's nicer than a British housing estate). I went to the Holocaust Museum which was really good in a heavy way, didn't go into the same league of horror as some of the memorials in Europe itself do which left more opportunity for the human side to come through. Hats off to the Danish and the Italians and the people of Budapest, you did good it would seem.

Ten days left here, then off to recharge back in the Shire for a couple of weeks before it all kicks off again with a vengeance. I also have a play to write. Again.

Also did I earlier say too much Kate Rusby? No such thing.