Monday, July 9, 2007

Accidental warblogging

[The title of this post is a play on the term "warchalking."]

I'm in the BL. I enabled my wireless because I wanted to use the catalog from my seat. I'm not supposed to be able to access the real internet without paying for access (the BL site and its catalogs are free to access), but somehow I did. I feel naughty. And this is bad, because I don't need distractions from work. In fact, enough said -- I'm getting off the bloody internet.

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In other happy accident news, I ran into JJCohen and his lovely family while we were each on our respective way to our day's destinations, just walking down the street. How funny to run into someone you know (and mostly virtually) in a city of some 7 million people and about as many tourists and visitors. Granted, I was only steps from my home here, but it was still a pretty surprising coincidence. Although I didn't get a chance to talk to them for long, I pronounce them all delightful. Kid #1 especially cracked me up, in part because he's about the same age I was the first time I came to London. I'm glad I got a brief chance to meet them all in real life.

7 comments:

Another Damned Medievalist said...

I'm laughing at this! Nice to see someone I know across the aisle!

Dr. Virago said...

Maybe it's *your* paid-for wireless I'm piggy-backing on. If so, I apologize for being an accidental thief.

Another Damned Medievalist said...

Not so much! I think "The Cloud" is pretty hard to piggyback -- I forgot to log off properly the other day and it took a couple of hours to get back on. I'd like to say that all I'm accessing is a bunch of forn language dictionaries but ...

Jeffrey Cohen said...

It was such a good surprise to see you, Dr V! And thank you for not sharing the fact that Kid #1 was chastising me for mixing up Regent's Park with Hyde Park (the former is the location where he found what he claims is a neolithic flint arrowhead), or for letting people know that I admitted to you that we had just asked Kid #1 to stand on the steps of the Foundling Museum while we took off -- forever (that is, after all, what a Foundling museum is for).

By the way, Coram Fields is a great playground, but I did feel guilty being there on the slides and swings with the kids rather than at the BL. Then again, I WAS just there (albeit munching muffins at the cafe and showing the kids the manuscript of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, opened as it is to the beheading scene).

Enjoy the rest of your trip!

Dr. Virago said...

What really cracked me up was when Kid #1 said, "When did *I* say I needed a day at the park. Stop saying 'kids'!" I don't know why, but his adamant need to distinguish himself from Kid #2 was really funny and charming to me. I love that age, when they're really starting to insist on their individuality. Kids are cool, even when I'm kind of loopy and un-caffeinated (as I was).

And, um, didn't he find the arrowhead at *Hyde* Park?

Steve Muhlberger said...

JJ==
You will never regret playing with your kids on the swings and slides instead of going to the BL.

How long till they grow up and move out? It will seem like a matter of seconds.

Jeffrey Cohen said...

He did indeed find his artifact at Hyde Park. Leave it to me to get those parks all mixed up. And it is very touching how he strives to distinguish himself from mere kids. God help the server who places a kid's menu before him at a restaurant: if looks could KILL...

But, he spent a several hours at Coram's Fields swinging and sliding merrily. And, Steve, you're right!