Two wasted days at LSE

Wednesday

A last minute, Tuesday-evening decision to go down to LSE for two days. It seems that the worst of snow has past and that the school would be opening again

The snow of the last few days has just about gone. Not too much bother sorting out the car this morning for my early start to get the "express" coach to Marble Arch - at LSE by 8:30. The library not yet back to normal - all fines will apparently be rescinded. Spent an hour or so working on a Kepler paper by Aiton from 30 years ago setting out the then-current research on Kepler (as such work peaked for the 500th anniversary of his birth in 1971)

I have a 30 minute meeting with Miklos at 10:00 to go through where I am with my dissertation - this is a general chat but seems to me to provide very little encouragement (just like Caroline said when she went to see Miklos about her dissertation a couple of months ago). But I am pleased with my progress and not that fussed about what Miklos has to say at this stage. Next person in at 10:30 was Mark, who I think is in real trouble with his dissertation given his hopeless presentation last week (and the fact that his is due this year, unlike mine)

Bought a remaindered book on Michelangelo and then settled in library for another couple of hours - more reading on Kepler. Then decided on making the long walk to my hotel in Lancaster Gate rather than going by tube - I am trying to improve my breathing a little so every opportunity for some light exercise should be taken. I am so out of shape at the moment. A nice room this time (esp as it has a bath rather than a shower). Dozed for an hour then spent a couple of hours reading Kennedy's Pursuit - the story of the sinking of the Bismark in WWII - then a couple more hours work before the football at 8:00.

Thursday

Awake at 5:30 after a very good night's sleep - finished Pursuit late last night. This morning was focused on the Westman paper on Kepler and the "realist's dilemma" - another really good Kepler paper (and one that makes me wonder whether there is really much left to cover on Kepler. A decent "Life and Thought" book would be good though)

Linda called as I walked to the tube to say that there had been heavy snow in Oxfordshire overnight and I should think about getting back asap. I was planning to miss Philosophy of Economics again, so should have been setting off home around 1:30. But got to King's to find that the seminar was cancelled because John Milton can't get into London. So have a drink with Caroline and Victor back at LSE and set off home about 12:00

A phone call this afternoon re possible work. This sounded quite upbeat while I have been less so this week. So maybe things are still promising on this front. I have been psyching myself up for work again - not very successfully it must be said. But it is true that it is hard to avoid finding the current economic situation some sort of concern and maybe this is an excellent reason to get back into work?