Thursday, October 27, 2005
Yesterday..
We went for a walk. It was very sunny when we set out, so I had high hopes of getting some excellent pictures of me looking at clouds like in the poem I blogged this week, but we had a few delays trying to find an open pub for lunch and by the time we walked it was cloudy and rained too. (The good news is my new Rohan 100% waterproof jacket is just that.) But afterwards we went to one of our favourite places for tea, which is a cafe run by people who also run a windmill which makes the flour they use in the cakes, and the windmill started working while we were there. Really you need to see this as a video but I think these pictures give some of the sense of how these vast sails went very close to us as they turned.
We went for a walk. It was very sunny when we set out, so I had high hopes of getting some excellent pictures of me looking at clouds like in the poem I blogged this week, but we had a few delays trying to find an open pub for lunch and by the time we walked it was cloudy and rained too. (The good news is my new Rohan 100% waterproof jacket is just that.) But afterwards we went to one of our favourite places for tea, which is a cafe run by people who also run a windmill which makes the flour they use in the cakes, and the windmill started working while we were there. Really you need to see this as a video but I think these pictures give some of the sense of how these vast sails went very close to us as they turned.
Tomorrow..
We are going to this place for a long weekend staying here and visiting here. So I should have some very interesting pictures to blog next week! (As long as it doesn't rain all the time. It says here that it won't..)
Tuesday, October 25, 2005
Today
I saw SimplyClare's poem last night and while I was looking for something else today and avoiding planning my professorial lecture I found this one which people might like. I used to have it on my wall at work.
TODAY
Today I will not live up to my potential.
Today I will not relate well to my peer group.
Today I will not contribute in class.
I will not volunteer one thing.
Today I will not strive to do better.
Today I will not achieve or adjust or grow enriched or get involved.
I will not put up my hand even if the teacher is wrong and I can prove it.
Today I might eat the eraser off my pencil.
I'll look at clouds.
I'll be late.
I don't think I'll wash.
I need a rest.
(By Jean Little )
I saw SimplyClare's poem last night and while I was looking for something else today and avoiding planning my professorial lecture I found this one which people might like. I used to have it on my wall at work.
TODAY
Today I will not live up to my potential.
Today I will not relate well to my peer group.
Today I will not contribute in class.
I will not volunteer one thing.
Today I will not strive to do better.
Today I will not achieve or adjust or grow enriched or get involved.
I will not put up my hand even if the teacher is wrong and I can prove it.
Today I might eat the eraser off my pencil.
I'll look at clouds.
I'll be late.
I don't think I'll wash.
I need a rest.
(By Jean Little )
Monday, October 24, 2005
I nearly forgot..
Today I went to see the unfurling of A Flag For Lincolnshire. Yet another of those very special treats I get as Head Bear. And I have just found myself in a very grainy BBC Lincolnshire video on their website! (Can't work out how to add the link but it is the one for Lincoln in the same story, see the link above.) If you watch it, I am the small person in a black coat and black trousers holding a blurred umbrella. I am not sure why I was at this but I do know it rained very hard. There was a cake iced like the flag but as I am on a detox I could only have a tiny bit and even that made me feel guilty.
Today I went to see the unfurling of A Flag For Lincolnshire. Yet another of those very special treats I get as Head Bear. And I have just found myself in a very grainy BBC Lincolnshire video on their website! (Can't work out how to add the link but it is the one for Lincoln in the same story, see the link above.) If you watch it, I am the small person in a black coat and black trousers holding a blurred umbrella. I am not sure why I was at this but I do know it rained very hard. There was a cake iced like the flag but as I am on a detox I could only have a tiny bit and even that made me feel guilty.
Oops.
I am embarrassed to see how long it is since I blogged. I have been meaning to every day but have been very tired lately and so I just browse a bit on other people's, check out the fuss on Mustardland about the newstyle message boards and play a bit of patience. I was also going to do a very clever blog based on the meme Dr Joolz did (Oct 18th entry) of 10 things you don' t know about me and had a lot of fun planning it all about Mary Plain but somehow the moment passed. I have some time off this week so hope that will inspire me to write something interesting and take some pictures. Meanwhile, I guess it is time to visit Guy's site as I have been to all the others I visit regularly. (I very much like Kate's site but haven't yet been able to think of any sensible or interesting comments to make on it.)
I am embarrassed to see how long it is since I blogged. I have been meaning to every day but have been very tired lately and so I just browse a bit on other people's, check out the fuss on Mustardland about the newstyle message boards and play a bit of patience. I was also going to do a very clever blog based on the meme Dr Joolz did (Oct 18th entry) of 10 things you don' t know about me and had a lot of fun planning it all about Mary Plain but somehow the moment passed. I have some time off this week so hope that will inspire me to write something interesting and take some pictures. Meanwhile, I guess it is time to visit Guy's site as I have been to all the others I visit regularly. (I very much like Kate's site but haven't yet been able to think of any sensible or interesting comments to make on it.)
Thursday, October 13, 2005
23/5
My 23rd post was about our days out in the summer. The fifth sentence is not that exciting:
'The next picture is from Coalbrookdale, the Museum of Iron.' But following California Eating's example, the sixth was better- it was about this picture, an advert for an Aga:
I just liked the way the guy looks so sleazy now, with the cigarette hanging out of his mouth- a reminder of how times, and advertising approaches, have changed. Where is the gleaming expresso machine? or amazing hand thrown pottery? And that dressing gown is amazing.
It was cool to go back to that post, though, and remember a good day out. Go on, try it yourself. What was your 23rd post about?
My 23rd post was about our days out in the summer. The fifth sentence is not that exciting:
'The next picture is from Coalbrookdale, the Museum of Iron.' But following California Eating's example, the sixth was better- it was about this picture, an advert for an Aga:
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I just liked the way the guy looks so sleazy now, with the cigarette hanging out of his mouth- a reminder of how times, and advertising approaches, have changed. Where is the gleaming expresso machine? or amazing hand thrown pottery? And that dressing gown is amazing.
It was cool to go back to that post, though, and remember a good day out. Go on, try it yourself. What was your 23rd post about?
And another thing..
Just logged out, spotted this interesting blog on the blogspot login page and then got intrigued by the blogging game here.. thing is, have I got 23 posts yet? need to check.. but DrJoolz, you have, so go on, I tag you! Meanwhile I am off to do some counting. BRB..
Just logged out, spotted this interesting blog on the blogspot login page and then got intrigued by the blogging game here.. thing is, have I got 23 posts yet? need to check.. but DrJoolz, you have, so go on, I tag you! Meanwhile I am off to do some counting. BRB..
Avatars, icons and pictures
Some of were chatting last night on MSN and the topic of avatars came up, and we began to wonder about the actual difference. One of us suggested to me that Mary Plain is an avatar- and on reflection maybe she is, as I use her as a kind of alter ego, not just a pseudonym or cop-out to avoid using my photo.. but there must be someone out there who knows properly where the boundaries lie? Any ideas?
Some of were chatting last night on MSN and the topic of avatars came up, and we began to wonder about the actual difference. One of us suggested to me that Mary Plain is an avatar- and on reflection maybe she is, as I use her as a kind of alter ego, not just a pseudonym or cop-out to avoid using my photo.. but there must be someone out there who knows properly where the boundaries lie? Any ideas?
Thursday, October 06, 2005
Walking the students
By popular request (thanks Guy and Joolz) a few more glimpses of student life. These are from a walk last week (part of the freshers thing though actually these are all second and third years, many of them our SU exec). I went so I could have another chance to drive the minibus.
It was a not very nice day and the forecast was rain. Two of the students rang the person organising the walk to ask if they could wear wellies. (Yes, they are at least 19 years old and they asked permission.) They had matching wellies- not a very well composed shot, sorry, but you get the idea:
Then on the way home it rained a lot (while we were in the bus) and the next day I was ill. I have the Freshers Virus which is a lot like kennel cough for any dog owners out there. A very deep husky cough and a low grade fever. Have had two and a half days off and am way behind with everything which is why this blog entry is very late arriving.
By popular request (thanks Guy and Joolz) a few more glimpses of student life. These are from a walk last week (part of the freshers thing though actually these are all second and third years, many of them our SU exec). I went so I could have another chance to drive the minibus.
It was a not very nice day and the forecast was rain. Two of the students rang the person organising the walk to ask if they could wear wellies. (Yes, they are at least 19 years old and they asked permission.) They had matching wellies- not a very well composed shot, sorry, but you get the idea:
.jpg)
However, only the members of staff had coats with any degree of waterproofing.
We saw this very strange plant in someone's garden:.jpg)
We crossed a bridge so the students tried to play Poohsticks. All the sticks got caught somewhere under the bridge though.
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And we saw this wonderfully useful sign in a field by a narrow kissing gate:
cropped.jpg)
Then on the way home it rained a lot (while we were in the bus) and the next day I was ill. I have the Freshers Virus which is a lot like kennel cough for any dog owners out there. A very deep husky cough and a low grade fever. Have had two and a half days off and am way behind with everything which is why this blog entry is very late arriving.
