Crepeys say Bah Humbug, (it's not Christmas yet)

[beachyhead]

Here we go

Crem - even when I was young I have to say I wasn't keen on parties that started so late. Practise your presentation lots before and in front of your family. I find this helps.

Rose - where would we get the pervy guys from?

Just had DD on Skype in tears because she missed a supervision. I think she is just exhausted and got her times confused. She has emailed the prof concerned so I'm really hoping he'll be sweet and give her a catch up session. I'm sure she is not the only student who has missed a tutorial but she feels it knocks on to her essays and everything. Very difficult to advise her.

Just been catching up. Sorry to hear of so many Crepeys having sleep problems sleeping, I am afraid you will have to get used to it. I didn't stop having sleepless nights until I retired. And even now I can still wake up in a cold sweat if I am anxious about something.

The stories of working back in the days made me smile but didn't really ring any bells with me (joins BD and Rose). I am awestruck at the qualifications you all have. I had to leave school and start working - that's the way it mostly was back in the 60s. I do regret it, of course, but absolutely nothing I could do about it at the time.

Sorry to hear about your knee, BTM. Good luck with the exams, etc. Crem, how lovely to be meeting up with your DDad. I hope everything goes well with your DM, Rudy. (And the visit to the vet with the dog reminded me of an episode of "All creatures great and small" from way back! ).

Stropps and Herbs, carry on carrying on.

DH has been taking the doors off and disappearing into the garage to plane them down with a new piece of equipment he has just bought. At least it keeps him happy!

Hatty, poor DD and you.

Phew. Snatching a quick five minutes before footy pick up...

The builder was in today to patch up the brickwork above our bathroom window. Great, thought I, we're back on track. Then the plasterer phoned...

Looks like there will be little progress next week (apart from flooring) as the plumber can't do much until the room is plastered. And then he has another job to go to on the 1st.....aaargh! I made him swear on his life that we would have a functioning room by Christmas.

Gibber. Very frustrating working with my mentor. She says one thing, and I write it down, try to the plan the lesson accordingly, then nearly every week she shifts the goalposts, though so slightly I feel like I'm going mad. There then ensues a day's worth of emails to get things straight, which I just HAVEN'T got time for, and gives me a feeling of rising panic.

On the plus side, just back from DS's parents' evening, and top marks all round. Miss is very pleased at the way he's settled in, made lots of friends, and is such an enthusiastic pupil. Apparently he's a super-strong reader, as we knew, and 'as expected' for writing and maths. Not G&T material, apparently.

Crem, super good luck for the interview. No words of wisdom from me about the presentation. I can be sick for you, though. The mere thought of having to do a 10 mins presentation...

Aww, Hatty, poor dd.

CV, I'm sensing now is not the time to tell you about my unfortunate "this bathroom we have just gutted will be finished by Christmas, oops no, sorry, make that January the 15th" story.

Herbs, how lovely about ds's parents evening. How unlovely about your daffy mentor.

I just took 2 hours off from the computer to go to a local church hall and hear Kate Adie give a talk on literacy (and other stuff). I think I lowered the average age of the audience by about 15 years. The lovely lady sitting next to me said to me "oh you're so young". I am feeling the need to go to meeting of that group every week. (It's a group of volunteers who work as literacy coaches for adults - they go into traveller camps and prisons and such like) Ms Adie was fab. And funny. And poised. Worth staying up late to meet my deadline for, even if I am totally knackered.

Ugh Herbs, that sounds tough. Aren't mentors supposed to be helpful? (Although I am a mentor and I am not sure that I am always as helpful as I might be.)

Stropps, you rock! I keep a note book by my bed and when the whirling subconscious keeps me awake, I write everything down and then go peacefully back to sleep. No, I lie. But it does help occasionally.

My job is mad at the moment. I have had over 1000 emails since Monday, and feel like I am in a squash court, having balls lobbed at me, and as fast as I bat them back, more come to hit me. We are missing things (of course we are, with this volume of traffic) and then the shouting starts. I feel like the Duracell bunny.

Stropps that sounds fab - Ms Adie and the compliment

Herbs, so pleased for you and your lovely little DS. Less so the mentor.

CV, sorry to hear about the bathroom woes - hope it isn't a repeat of Stropps' experience.

Horrible evening here - the volcano of teen and parent angst erupted big-time Bit calmer now.

Oh dear, BTM Hope things settle down.

I'm not listening to you, Strops. It will be finished for Christmas, it WILL.

At least we still have one functioning bathroom, the one upstairs next to our bedroom. DS went up for his post-footy shower this evening, but forgot to bring a dressing gown with him, so decided to streak through the house with only his iPad Mini covering his modesty. He stopped at the kitchen door to shout, "Tactical iPad!" How we laughed. No one laughed louder than the Tesco delivery guy, who was standing in the kitchen at the time.

Top way to spend two hours Stropps .

BTM, hope you are now with feet up and glass of something nice. I have hardly seen ds this week (he is doing a lot of school Stuff that I strongly suspect is nothing to do with GCSEs).

Herbs, that's lovely.

Oh no BTM - teenagers - who'd have them! My DD seems to have bucked up - she met up with one of her friends who was at the supervision and they went over it together.

I see we're letting The Apprentice loose on the Americans. I think sending James to the US is a bad idea!

No Hatty! It's a great idea to send the lot of them over the pond. Thie apprentice is making me stabby. I am trying to imagine what it would be like if I went into the interview next week and made out like any one of these dipsticks. (Daniel especially)
They hate Lauren don't they?

Btw, Hatty I'm glad dd got sorted with at uni. You just feel so unable to help at a distance, don't you? Really tough

Yes Crem - it's heartbreaking when they're upset and you can't hug them. How's your DD doing?

The Apprentice - James and Dan still there - what prats!

I usually love the Apprentice, and the sense of superiority it brings, but this lot are so objectionable I haven't really been watching it. Not that I have time, anyway, when rewriting lesson plans 40 times.

It's also a bit depressing, as although they are all utterly useless and talk drivel, a lot of that drivel - used to disguise similar uselessness - now seems part of our business culture.

When are you going to let us know who our ss crepey to buy for is Miss?

Thanks for asking, Rudy! It was interesting. The prof seems to have taken strategic steps to wrest control of the class back from The Mother. He sat very firmly at the head of the table. The Mother continued to interrupt and talk over him, but he just shouted on. Other members of the group made noises to stop The Mother telling us all what to do, eg by saying: "I know Mother doesn't want us to talk about X, but I want to point out...." Flirty stole one of my ideas and ran away with it, but was otherwise less infuriating.

So I would say the Prof and we the remaining members of the class are being reasonably assertive. We all said "No" a lot to the Mother's categorical statements. Don't hold your breath, though. I expect I'll be exploding again next week - which will make it a more interesting update. Along the lines of "Mother dead. Flirty seriously injured. Posting from police cell. Pls send lawyer."

Molly

I'm sitting at the driving test centre....eeeek she's out there somewhere!

Oooh, fingers crossed. Get a Walnut Whip or something time-consuming to eat?