Charmed

Today. . .I'm afraid everyday for awhile. . .consisted of this and that. My primary and successful task was to get my U[niversity]L[ibrary] card. This is the key to riches and fame. I was given M[anuscript] A[ccess] privileges which repeatedly seemed to surprise the staff. But everyone was spectacularly friendly and helpful.
The cataloging system remains deeply mysterious to me--and to everyone else apparently. But I'll spend this evening trying to crack the code of "Newton," the card catalog[ue]. When, on a lark, I visited the Manuscripts Room this morning, I was handed this extraordinary handwritten catalog[ue] of holdings designated "Poetry." So, I already have too many leads to follow in a mere year.

Today I also trekked to Sainsbury's, the Stanza of Cambridge for my Rome buds. Actually, Sainsbury's sells only food and beer/wine but no 50c box o'wine. In a fit of efficiency, I remembered to ask for a discount card. I already have 74 pts. towards some unknown reward--very Calvinistic.

As suggested above, the Brits seem to love abbreviations: "UL," "MA," "PP" (per person), "Mtg" (meeting), etc. These little linguistic humps make you feel not quite at home. Yesterday, I was called a Yank, which used to be true. The porter is now consistently calling me "Squire."

The pictures today are the pile of bricks that is the UL and some lads playing football in ties on a pitch right next to library. How can you not love England?