I've been back for a week now. You'd think, in that time, I could have posted something; but it's quite astonishing how the time fills up. Especially when I was so frantically busy just before I left that I got done almost none of the things I had planned to do. Including write the conference paper I was supposed to be going to England to give.

What did I do before I left? Far too much in the way of packing boxes, plus a story for fkficfest. The final days—which I had thought would be filled with researching and writing the conference paper—were somehow conscripted by my mother, the contractor, and my doctor. (At least all the tests done for my latest physical turned out to be negative/normal, which is nice to know.)

While I was away, therefore, I did not rewrite the two FK stories I had thought I might revise. I did not write character interviews for the 10YO festivities on maryrenaultfics. I did not write the Yuletide prompt that I started a treat for back last year, which very likely means that it will never turn up as a New Year's Resolution.

I did, on the other hand, read all the wonderful stories that people posted for fkficfest, including "Missing Persons", which brightknightie wrote for me. This is set after "Fever", in that curious gap when Vachon was nowhere to be seen (and sorely missed). It is told from Tracy's perspective, at a time when she is increasingly convinced he must have died, and burying herself in work. There is a mystery for Tracy and Nick to solve; and brightknightie clearly did a lot of background research, both for the police procedural aspect and on Toronto geography. I adore casefic and character and canon; and it has all of these. It is long and lovely; and I heartily recommend it.

I also got a story as a birthday present from my sister. She did this last year, as well: pulled one of my Yuletide prompts for a teeny tiny fandom I adore, and did me a New Year's Resolution. This time, she wrote me a Time Team story, "The only thing that gets dirty is...not quite their boots!". Yes, the title is a bit long; but it's a joking reference to my prompt. ("Gen, most definitely. The only thing that needs to get dirty are their boots.") The other joke, which I certainly got (though the casual reader might not), is the location of the dig: Flo's own back garden. Yes, the dreaded self-insertion fic, albeit done with an elbow to the ribs. It's not quite as silly as it sounds: Flo really does live in a sixteenth-century house, albeit with modern renovations; so the garden probably does have a few hidden secrets.

Once I'd gotten over my jetlag (and I slept a lot), I did my best to take the fortnight as easily as I could. Flo had asked me if I wanted to go up to London to see any theatre, or perhaps to Edinburgh for the Festival; but I had told her that I desperately needed as much quiet recuperation as possible, and she took me at my word. This is not to say that we never went anywhere: we spent an afternoon at Blickling Castle near the start of the stay, and went to Blooms of Bressingham near the end. In both cases there was a large garden-cum-park for me to browse around; but I finished up giving Flo advice on plants for her to get for her own garden.

The research for my paper, fortunately, could be done just as well at Flo's, for it simply involved reading several of Lois McMaster Bujold's Vorkosigan novels, specifically those with a detective story aspect to the plot. I just squeaked it done before we headed off to Cambridge to the conference. We had rooms at a student residence (about which the less said the better, at least as far as my room is concerned); and, after checking in, had a couple of hours to drift around the city centre, looking at the sights, though the colleges were mostly closing their gates by the time we arrived. The next day was spent at Anglia Ruskin University, whose English Department was running the conference: "Biology and Manners: The Worlds of Lois McMaster Bujold". The papers were the usual mixed bag, some very good, some potentially interesting but badly presented, and a few painful first efforts by terrified students. (We've all been there.) Afterwards, pretty well everyone went out for dinner at a local Greek restaurant. Being a culinary conservative, I stuck to grilled lamb cutlets; but Flo actually likes to try exotic cuisine.

As I'm still recovering from a wrenched knee, I eschewed more sightseeing; and we therefore returned home to her house in Norwich the following day. And then there was a bit of shopping, and the flight home, and ... more jetlag.

Altogether, it was a frustrating and delightful holiday. Frustrating, because so much of it had to be spend in writing the paper rather than holiday pursuits. Delightful because, not only did I get to see Flo, but I got away. Two whole weeks away. Bliss.