Ugh

I feel shocking today.


Last night my friend Fi and I promised camping to our children. We promised a week ago, and kept telling them that "if it rains....we're not doing it!"
However, the forcast said that there would be scattered showers, but not anything to bad, so we met up...Fi and her 3. Fi's friend Di and her 2, Me and Small. ...oh and there were 4 dogs...a very old and grumpy one, Stinky, and two 6 month old medium sized puppies. Excelent!

We were camping in Fi's garden...which is huge.... So we set up camp with 6 very excited children and 3 excited dogs.....(the old grumpy one watched in horror from the sofa! )

We had just gotten the tent up and it hailed! .... in august!!!.... hailed!!! as it stopped us grown ups looked at each other and opened the wine!

We drank though feeding said kids and dogs. Though blowing up air-beds. Though kids going off to bed. Though loosing a pair of very important glasses. Though setting the world to rights.

It was marvelous. I had the best time. Fi and Di have known each other since their eldest children were born (8 years) and are really close friends. I was noisily welcomed into the fold. We all think pretty much along the same lines about big things, which is lovely. We talked and laughed until really it was well past our bedtime, and were slightly dreading the headache of the morning!

...... when we woke up it was someone quieter than the night before's atmosphere!

Fi, who is a cooking diva, putting meals together at a moments noticed, all from scratch whilst talking and laughing nineteen to the dozen, made pancakes for everyone for breakfast, we packed up the tents really very slowly and Small and I made our way home.


Since we have moved here I have felt isolated from my friends. They dont live a long way away, but I think both my friends and also myself have gotten out of the habbit of making an effort of seeing each other.....and I have to take some of the responsibility for that.
I have known Fi slightly for years, and much much better reciently, as her daughter and mine share The Gentleman, and she is a hoot.....nearly always laughing.....she is kind and can talk about anything. I havent met Di before and thought she was brilliant.

Our children got on fantasticly.
I hope that all of us have many more evenings like last night.


lybxx

At last.

Within the university that I am at we have two terms. Not the traditional three. Two terms of twelve weeks.

This sets us apart from the 'proper' cambridge university, but as we are called 'The Early Learning Centre' by boffins in old buildings and hallowed halls (I think its hilarious!) I think it gives us early learners a head start on things. Summer, for us is 4 months long! .... which has got to be a good thing (we finish in may...they dont 'go down' (!) until july)

However, as bits of my life had gotten in the way of my learning, the university said I could hand things in later than the other students. I have finished my final essay. "Deviance is in the eye of the beholder, discuss in relation to protitution" (fantastic!!)

Deviance is such a cool concept. I really like the word. Deviant. In my mind its all sorts of things; behaviour, thoughts, concepts, ways of living, dressing and speaking. Its political, sexual, cultural and religious....... and how many words can boast of that?!!!?

And there is so much written about it, pages, chapters, books and shelves in the library full of it. (grin)

So, I have typed my last essay of the university year. I now have a month of not thinking about essayage, and can start the next term afresh and new, with a spring in my step and a grin on my face.

Excelent!


lybxx

Second Coming

Is the summer having another go?

During the 'heat wave', that didnt actually last terribly long but was very hot and sticky, forsing us to have long leasurely days full of picniccy goodness and lots to drink, I didnt think that a month later we would be inside watching rain running down the windows.

However today it seems like summer is here again. I have been in the garden all morning weeding and mowing with washing hanging on the line and the guinea pigs squeeking happily in their run.

I hope this weather hangs around a bit. I like it when its not so hot you have to choose shade to sit in otherwise you will fry, but hot enough to want to spend time in the garden, be it your own or belonging to the local pub. I like wearing summer clothers, and am not ready to go back to jumpers yet.


lybxx

Monkey on my back

For the last 18 years I have had a "monkey on my back".

The monkey's name is maths. I can do day-to-day maths, I have worked in pubs, and goddamn it, I am a fantastic barmaid! The mix of smiling/chest/chat and addition was something to behold! You could order 12 drinks in a round and by the time you had stopped talking I would tell you the price and come back with all drinks, without having to ask you to repeat yourself. (am quite proud of that! ...also could juggle bottles, but only when pissed....sober and they all hit the floor)

However, as previous posts be-moan I have a real problem with maths in the classroom. I took an evening class for a year to achieve the unachievable. To pass my maths G.C.S.E.

And today I got the results.


I am finally the owner of a 'C' grade in maths G.C.S.E.



(and only on the 6th attempt...not bad huh??!!! grin)


lybxx