The New Year

So, not updated for a while.

Christmas was pretty good - family based, so loads of eating, drinkig and lazing about watching telly.
New Years - went to Leicester for real ale pub evening followed by house party. Got to see lots of old friends and catch up on stuff.

This weekend was a conference in Leeds. Well, I say a conference -actually more of a continuation of the new years drinking in the company of a lot of disreputable scientists. Its great to see a knight of the realm, an FRS and the head of research for a major pharmaceutical company on their hands and knees making a vaulting horse for one of the students to jump over on the dance floor. Nothing like free wine to bring out the best in people.

Back at work properly today, writing grant applications - very dull but neccessary for us to actually be paid next year...

Resolutions...

In the spirit of things, the New Year resolutions is to eat more ethically

Was inspired over the break to cut down on food miles. Was appalled, on looking through the fridge to find vegetables and fruit from new zealand, the USA, sri lanka and africa - all of which had been flown to me in a plane. I'm going to try and eat more locally produced food, ideally from the UK or things which have come by ship. Nigel Slater (in between writing food porn) has good ideas about being inventive with food that is in season (and therefore also cheap) rather than just buying the same things every week.

I've been trying to eat only properly reared meat for a while, but this year I'll try harder. There are loads of farmers markets in Cheshire so I'll aim to buy in bulk and stick stuff in the freezer.

I need to check up on which fish stocks are low, and avoid those. People should eat more herring and sardines. Well, they should do that anyway since oily fish is healthy.

Damn I sound like a hippy....