Christmas

It's 19.50 on Christmas Eve, and I don't feel very festive. My husband has 'forgotten' to buy the Xmas tree, and it feels as if my whole existence has been called into question. Today he has walked the dogs, gone to the gym an then walked the dogs again at lunchtime, with no regard to what day it is. I go out to buy a 21st present for a friend's son, and I come back to an empty, uncleaned house - he is walking the dogs again. I wouldn't mind so much about the tree, but it is as if Xmas just happens by magic - and all my hard work over the past 30 years has been for nothing. I feel so empty inside...

Preserve the wilderness

Three cheers for the US senate, which has blocked a plan to allow drilling and exploration for oil in Alaska. Wildlife and the environment are just as important. The republicans may claim that it is essential to find new sources, but perhaps it is time for the US to stop wasting so much of the worlds natural resources and wake up to the fact that it is NOT necessary to drive huge cars everywhere, and it is about time they paid a fair price for their oil like the rest of us.

Senate blocks attempt to allow oil drilling in Alaskan wildlife reserve

Some people are just stupid

It is feared that Toga the baby penguin is dead, after somebody rang a TV company saying they had dumped the body in Portsmouth dockyard. The theory behind the theft and abduction of the baby penguin, is that somebody saw the current film 'March of the Penguins' and decided they wanted one of their own. It is always the same - a film featuring an animal or bird comes out, and there is a surge of 'wannabe' owners - it was very apparent when the Harry Potter films came out - loads of people wanted an owl as a 'pet'!! In the meantime, it is a shame for Toga - but now, even if he is found alive and well, the likelihood of being rejected by his mother is now very high.

Zoo fears worst for missing penguin

Why do children keep falling through the net?

Two separate articles in the past few days about how children have died from appalling abuse by their parents. In neither case did any agency seem to talk to others, and they saw very little of the children. After each case, the mantra 'it won't happen again' is repeated, but until child services get adequate funding, and social workers are not expected to cope with huge caseloads in understaffed departments, it will keep happening. Children should not have to put up with such abuse in this day and age, and perhaps as a society, we should say something if we see abuse happening, not just pretend that it is only a one off. We owe it to them, they deserve a safe, and hopefully happy, childhood.

Father jailed for 'possessed baby' murder
Children's services 'failed to spot neglect'

Civil partnerships

678 civil partnership ceremonies were held yesterday in England and Wales - including that of Elton John and his long time partner David Furnish. Today's tabloids were full of photos of them, but I think they had a wonderfully restrained ceremony - and then went to town on the party in the evening!! The wedding rings were a bit OTT for my taste, but I wish them all the best. I loved the fact that Elton's spaniel was an invited guest at the ceremony - I am sure he was a dam site cleaner than my pair of muck magnets! Let's hope that in a few years time, the next step will be taken from civil partnership to full marriage for gay and lesbian couples.

I, Reg, take thee David

Bath

It was a hard frost on Sunday night in Bath - resulting in an incredible pattern of ice feathers on the windscreen of my car on Monday morning. It was a good trip - despite having to open the windows several times on the way down, as I was suffering somewhat from an overindulgence the evening before - not many of us were drinking white wine at the meal, and I then had one or two too many glasses of port back at a friends house. I then committed the cardinal sin of not removing my makeup before I went to bed, and was horrified 5 hours later to wake up looking like death warmed up and discovering my clothes in a heap on the floor where I had left them!!! Next time- I must not drink so much...

Beauty and the Beast

I went to the Sunday afternoon matinee performance of this ballet - the Xmas production by Birmingham Royal Ballet.
It was wonderful. Absolute magic. I didn't care that I was surrounded by little girls in their frilly frocks - I just enjoyed it. The dancing was incredible, and the sets were just amazing. David Bintley certainly has a creative mind when it comes to choreography, and I am looking forward to the next trip [late February, a belated birthday trip, but this time I will have company - which always make a trip to the ballet even better - I missed his company this time, but he was busy...].

Course F completes

Today was red letter day for my current crop of students - the end of the course! It has been the most demanding and draining of the six courses I have taught so far on the programme - out of 18 participants, 14 were reflectors, and some days it has been like wading through treacle to get them to respond. Their time management skills didn't improve either - every day we started late, despite me reminding them all the time about the importance of punctuality. They were really nice individuals though, but I think some of them are still not ready for employment , despite my efforts! Oh well, I made them do some work, we had some fun and games, and then we had birthday cake [yep, we always seem to have a few birthdays on each course!], gingerbread men, certificates and a race to build their toolbox! The record was 45 seconds, and held by one of the women on the first ever course, but it was well and truly smashed today by Iskander, who built his toolbox in 38 seconds flat! I think that one is going to take some beating...

So, tomorrow, I have a massive evaluation meeting for most of the morning, then out for lunch with the team, and then clear my desk - as it is also the last day of term, and I won't be back in work until the 9th January. Sheer bliss - except that I have 2 assignments to write for my MA, and I do need to finish my course work and reading as well. Oh, and somewhere in there, I am expected to sort out Xmas at home as well. Ummmmmm. I know where my priorities lie - Xmas will have to take second place this year...

Christmas cards

Have decided not to contribute to the overflowing coffers of commercial card manufacturers this year - so friends and family are getting handmade cards this year. My desk still has bits of glitter stuck in the grain of the wood, and I managed to spill some onto the parquet floor - but I think it looks quite nice making the floor shine! Or perhaps it is just that I can't be bothered to fetch the vacuum cleaner...

Have stuck to a restricted colour palette for the cards, and to silver and gold for the lettering, but they do look good.
I just hope people appreciate them...

Chronicles of Narnia

Went to see this film this evening, as I was on my own. Didn't expect to get in really, as I hadn't booked and it was only released yesterday. But, I did get in, and was able to use my student card to get a discount as well. The review I read today was not very good, but I felt it was well done. No film follows a book completely accurately - but it was close enough. Was not sure why they had to put in a totally false bit at the beginning though [air raid in London] - perhaps they thought that people would not be able to associate with boarding school holidays - but hey, it didn't distract from the overall film! The scenery was wonderful, and I thought some of the fantasy animals were well done. It made me laugh when Mr Beaver first spoke, as his accent was VERY different to what I had expected.

So, if you haven't seen the film, go!

UCAS personal statements

It is that time of year again. Young people in their second year of A levels etc are currently putting in their applications for university - and yet again I end up checking the personal statements of offspring belonging to friends, relatives and acquaintances!! The current one is for someone to study maths - and is in need of a serious overhaul as regards spelling, grammar and sentence construction! At least it is before the closing date of 15 Jan - last year I was literally re-writing one for a young person [who shall remain nameless, but he knows who he is!] on the last day.

So, I will have to find some way of expressing how fascinating maths is - hey, I have been doing this for nearly 15 years, I can be enthusiastic about ALL sorts of subjects I know naff all about!!! - and tart his statement up to give him a sporting chance. He IS a nice lad, and once he gets to university, he will have a ball drinking the bar dry and playing rugby - oh, and doing some maths every now and again!

New windscreen

Have just had the third windscreen in 8 months installed in my car. Not how I would prefer to spend £60 at this time of year, but it goes for it's MOT on Monday - and it certainly wouldn't have passed with a stonking great crack on the passenger side of the glass!! With luck, I can avoid traveling behind a lorry, and getting hit by a flying stone - as I don't really want another screen. At least, today is dry, and the windscreen man was able to work in the open - although I had evicted the Saab from under the carport and put my little baby under it last night, just in case... So, I have to wait a few hours before I can remove the tape from the screen and to let the resin 'cure', and then I can drive again. In the meantime, I will just use those legs, and walk into town to start thinking about xmas shopping [think being the operative word at present - its hard to get motivated at the moment...]

Festive cheer

Free festive funpack for every reader


Join in the fun - download the screen snowdrift, baubles and paper chain to decorate your computer!!
The ones in the careers office at university look wonderful [!!]] - but I must confess that the screen decoration looks better on my mac at home - probably because it doesn't hide the start button!

German Christmas Market

The Frankfurt Christmas market has returned to Birmingham. Today, some of my colleagues and I went shopping in B'ham, and then we went up to browse round the market. It is better to wait until it gets dark, it gives it more of an atmosphere - and although some of the stalls sell quite tacky stuff - some of it is very pretty. The gluhwein went down well, as did the bratwurst, and it was a BIG surprise to say hello to the Archbishop of York and the Archbishop of Canterbury who were rushing through the market, closely followed by some policemen on pushbikes. Where they were coming from, or going to, I have no idea. Introduced Melissa to fresh pretzels - just got one to share, but should have bought a bag of them, as she really liked them, but by then, we were miles past the stall, and didn't want to go back.

Earlier shopping was also good - even though at one stage I sent a panic text to Patrick, as I needed him right then, to pass comment on a jacket I was trying on. In the end, after much dithering, I bought it, and it was even better at the till when paying, as not only was it a 10% off day, it had also been reduced, so I paid £24 instead £40! Melissa was trying to buy shoes. Ummm. I think I have problems buying size 4 - Mel takes a size 10. I kept taking big shoes off the shelves for her to look at, thinking they looked massive, only to find they were only a size 8 max!! We did find one pair eventually, but in the end she decided to think about them, and if she decides yes, she can get them ordered in at the Stafford branch of the shop. What a hassle, I will NEVER complain about my size 4s again. Nor will I complain about the lack of choice of clothes for my height [5'2"], shape and size. I was totally unaware of how little choice there is on the racks for a woman who is 6'2" in her socks - I know I would like to be taller, but on balance, I would rather be short than tall.

Sheer indulgence

After my abortive attempt to buy these shoes when I was visiting Patrick in Leeds, they just had one size 4 in Hobbs in Birmingham, when I went into the shop on Friday afternoon - so I just HAD to get them... I didn't intend to go shopping, but my meeting at Birmingham University finished early, so I was just passing time round the shops rather than going all the way back to work. There was also an incredible pair of red shoes in my size, but I really could not justify spending over £200 on two pairs of shoes on a whim. But they will still be there after Xmas, and its my birthday soon[ish]...

In the meantime, a gorgeous pair of black shoes are sitting in the box, waiting to be worn. Although I have bought them for work, I will wear them to the ballet on the 11th, and some of the Xmas meals I have to sit through first.

Red ribbon day