Changes in the weather.

After a weekend of paper writing and raindrop dodging, the sun has finally, if tentatively, come out.

First of all, England imposed a smoking ban as of July 1, which means smoke-free pubs!

Second, Kris and I had an adventure at the clothing outlet yesterday where everything costs £6—a major bargain—but there are no dressing rooms. Wonder of wonders, miracle of miracles, I bought a pair of jeans that fit perfectly right off the rack, without knowing the conversion from US to UK clothing sizes.

Third, we had High Table dinner last night with the director of the production of Taming of the Shrew we saw last week, who looks not unlike a British Benicio Del Toro (meow.), and, though I briefly contemplated the Macbeth-like murder of Kris in order to usurp her place next to him at the table, I was content with gazing dreamily at him in the Q&A session that followed. My own High Table experience last week involved being sandwiched between the Lincoln College librarian, Fiona, and a world-famous chemist, with whom I had to communicate through a giant silver candelabrum. Fiona was lovely, and it was by watching her that I learned that the funny mini-spatula at the right of my plate was a fish knife, but since it was the first day of the session, I was more than a little intimidated and more than a lot awkward.

Fourth, we are on our way to see Macbeth with Patrick Stewart in the title role. The weather is bright sunshine with patches of phenomenally black clouds from which rain pours steadily, but every once in a while, the sunlight hits the grass on the rolling hills (yes, they really are rolling), turning it a preternatural, glowing shade of yellow-green (ectoplasmic, really, especially on the background of a nearly black sky).