Ides

Hey kids, it's the Ides of March. Beware the Ides of March. Somebody might try to stab you if you speak in the Senate. I remember that from Sophomore English. And even though I've never spoken in the Senate, it might be best to turn down all public speaking engagements on the Ides of March.

In fact, I did turn down a public speaking engagement today! I wasn't due to speak today, but next week, but today I backed out. It's a 20 minute slot on my very dull specialty subject. When I agreed to talk they'd given me more time - but my slot got squeezed because they'd secured more speakers. Usually, I don't get out of bed for less than 45 minutes to bore entertain the masses. It takes me the first 15 minutes to woo the crowd with lame anecdotes, which would have only left 5 minutes for actual content. I told the organisers I wasn't feeling well enough to travel.

I actually feel ok today, but it's probably true - my feet are a bit swollen, and I'm moving a little slow. This pregnancy thing is kinda catching up with me. But I might have tried to go if I'd had a 45 minute slot.

Did you know that Julius Caesar is buried in the Roman Forum - which wasn't a normal place for Romans to dispose of bodies? Yep. And did you know that people still leave flowers on his grave. It's a tradition. I saw it myself when me and VolBro visited Rome.

What a waste of flowers.