Car vs gate

Woops!  damage to car having somehow ploughed into the school gate after school.  i ripped the gate right off it's hinges.  it was truly terrible!!!  I feel an awful person!

Australia

Safety car out on first lap and ferrari facing backwards and msc in for a new nose and a wet track with more rain forecast...  worth setting alarm for 6am - which i had forgotten would feel like 5am with the hour change!

Lap 6 - all happening - Lewis overtakes button into P6 and Mass has a bad one in second losing to Weber and Kubica - oh no, Kubica doesnt make it...  Then Button pits for slicks - first man in - brave.  And through the gravel trap!

Lap 8 - they're all following him now.  i love the look of all the cars filing into the pits.

Lap 10 - it's paid off for Button - he's up to second!

Lap 11 - 7.25.  It's a good job I have a clever phone that's up for coping with time change as my other alarm has only just gone off... what was I thinking???

Lap 15 - Alonso making his way through the pack - up to 9th.  Still finding it hard to relate Alonso with the Ferrari - they are not 2 pictures that go together in my mind yet.

Lap 16 - woah - what a couple of corners.  Lap 22 it happens again!

Lap 27 - oh my goodness!!!  Hamilton charging now passing Rosberg for P4 which immediately becomes P3 as Vetel goes out from the lead leaving Button 1st and Ham 3rd!!!  im actually yelping with joy!!

Lap 35 - Ham gambles and pits for new tyres from 3rd, comes out 5th just in front of weber who has also made the second stop.  will the others follow suit with 22 laps to go?

Lap 50 - Alonso mechanic: "Hamilton is gaining on you.  3.5 seconds behind now." 
              Alonso "ok, I don't want to know".  Love it!

exciting note - have just accidentally again found how to change tabs on keyboard.  it's ctrl + tab.  horray!

Lap 57 of 58 - Hamilton on the back of Alsonso with Weber on the back of him collide and Ham and Web go off.

Lap 58 - Jenson Button - 'serenity itself', 'champion's drive'.

Poetry

This Wednesday, a poet friend came to visit Year 2 at school. It was a great day and the children all really seemed to enjoy it. Consequently I gave them all a poetry book to read at home over the weekend and next week's show and tell is all going to be about poetry. They can either read a poem they have written or one that they have read. I told them today that I was going to try learn a poem to read to them. This is another thing inspired by Sarah Outen - does my life seem to revolve around her?! On the ocean she aimed to learn poetry by heart and chatting to her when she visited I was inspired to give it a go too. I decided to start easy with some children's poems that I knew well. One that I liked was 'The King's Breakfast' by A A Milne. I really like the rhythm of it as it can roll off the tongue. So while lying in bed this evening about to continue my dvd adventures, I looked over the side of my bed to where my Oxford Treasury of Children's Poems has been sitting since Sarah visited. I then did my best to learn the poem and have been recording myself on photobooth to test myself. Here is attempt number seven, you can see a couple of instances where I hesitate but it's the first one where I haven't actually said the wrong words. Let's see if I can keep practising it for Tuesday.

Phew, that has taken me a long time to try and sort. Couldn't find the video upload button, must have been one of those that took a wander during the blogger redesign, like the spell check. Why oh why I wonder? Too tired to look into that further now... But I found my answer on this blogger tips and tricks site via a google search (actually this page is the main article on the updated blogger post editor from the same blog). Turns out you can switch back to the old style of blogger under the settings menu. What an un-evolutionary thing! At least it's hopefully working now!

On a fairly unrelated note, sometime this week when I was on my laptop, I hit a wrong key when trying to do a shortcut and it enabled me to toggle between tabs - really useful thing I would like to be able to do! But I haven't been able to find how to do it again and haven't yet taken the time to search for how it's done.  27/6/10 to switch between tabs you press ctrl + tab (as opposed to cmd + tab for switching between programmes).  I did find that out a while ago, just realised I had never updated on here.

'I love all that skulduggery'

What a great quote. The legendary Martin Brundell.

We're two minutes from the end of the second qualifying and I haven't heard MSC mentioned once. In reality he seems to have had the most unnoticeable race return.

I woke up at 6am with my formula one clock. Somehow (well, through laziness) I didn't close my curtains last night. I don't normally close them on school nights but do at weekends to try and sleep in with it staying darker. But it was light enough for my clock to go off at 6am. I kept my eyes closed for 15mins and then realised that Australia qualifying might well be on. I hadn't checked the times but had thought I would just think about it if I woke up. And it was perfect. I put the radio on and they were just finishing the first qualifying. So computer on and am now watching from my bed. Thank you BBC for letting us watch online. Nearly time for Q3 now - without Hamilton.

Photos of the year - week 6

Monday 15th March

Spring is still coming!  Think this was after 6pm, but sun definitely still up there shining bright!

Tuesday 16th March

Housemate girls all set for speed dating!

Wednesday 17th March

The first day so far that I didn't take a photo.  I thought I would be really disappointed when this inevitably happened.  But after initial frustration realisation I was quite content about it and felt it was a reflection of the day which had a generally down feel to it.  Class assembly that wasn't swell, having to plan for a lesson observation on Thursday, a ton of marking to do before heading to scottish dancing to practise for the ball.  Highlight though - ticks from speed dating!

Thursday 18th March

A boy in my class brought in this bird's nest that his Grampy had got from a tree he was cutting down.  I did genuinely think it was amazing.  As phonics was just cancelled we spent a while looking at it as a class.  What I hoped teaching would include!

Friday 19th March

Games night for teachers - including: can you catch a lindor chocolate with your eyes closed and then keep your eyes closed to work out which flavour it is.

Saturday 20th March

Wimbledon Ball.  Look at that kilt go!

Sunday 21th March

 Walking back along the river from date no 1 past the scene of our ice skating with the hot air balloon up in the sky.

Discussion - 

• on the speed dating we got mentioning photography on one date and his recommendation was to take photos of things you're passionate about as that will come out in the photo.
• the only other person I have told about the photos of the year and the blog turns out to be quite the pro photographer.  makes me feel quite silly!

Two Dates and an Ambulance

Woah, what a day: Sunday 21st March.

The title is inspired by one of my favourite films that I happened to mention on both dates ;-)

So... last Tuesday my housemates and I went speed dating.  That was something that I never thought I would do - far too corny and desperate!  But just before Christmas a friend of mine told me she was on an online dating site and by the end of the evening I had been converted and was on it too!  What a slippery slope...

Tuesday night came with varying degrees of excitement and apprehension!  Almost turned around when I went in at the look of some of the guys.  The age range was 26-35 and it appeared to me that most of the girls were at the lower end whereas the guys were at the higher end.  It did turn out quite fun though, and there weren't that many awkward silences during each of the four minute dates!  I ticked three guys and was highly flattered to receive 16 ticks out of 21 guys - what an ego boost!  I received emails from two of the guys hence the two sunday dates.

How much detail do I go into?  Do I try to protect people's feelings?  Not that I have bad things to say.

Well, I guess first I will discuss the ambulance part.  I was part way through getting ready for date number 1 with about half an hour till I was to be at the ice rink (points for fun suggestion) when the doorbell rang and there was a man there holding a piece of paper saying

HOSPITAL                      TIA?  (although I didn't realise that's what it said for a while)
AMBULANCE

Turned out it was my next door neighbour who was having a stroke and couldn't speak.  So I called an ambulance and they were there when I hung up the phone.  I hung around in his lounge while the paramedics took vitals and tried to get as many details as possible while he was writing things down.  Although I offered, I didn't go to the hospital with him.  When he got in the ambulance it was 2 o'clock - date time.  So I phoned the guy apologising and explaining what had happened but saying I would be along as soon as I could.  I think that's when the shock set in and it was a possibility that I was going to burst into tears on the phone.  It was liberating in a way, having planned my outfit and make-up, just to head out the door as I was.

My neighbour's son came round this evening.  He had just got back from hospital and was able to speak now and it was really good to hear more details, though I was more shook up again afterwards.  Very pleased he's doing well.

So, I feel like I'm living a bit now, what with the dates and all.  Bridget Jones might even be proud - well, not that far, but at least I have stories to tell now!

Wimbledon Centenary Ball

Last night, Saturday 20th March, I attended the St Andrew Society (London) Wimbledon & District Scots' Association Centenary Ball with a group of Oxford dancers to help demonstrate a new dance written for the occasion (The Centenary Reel).

Some dancers I liked from the evening to add to my ball list are:


Pelorus Jack 8x32J 41.1  (danced with Sam)
Seton's Ceilidh Band 4x64J  Morrison's Bush Coln.5  (danced with Max)
The Bees of Maggieknockater 4x32J  Candian Bk.2  (although I didn't actually dance it last night)

These might not quite make it to the final 20 but worth recording nonetheless.

Sport Relief

Totally loved to today, it's why I want to be a teacher, and I had to record a quote from a child.  I haven't been doing very well at recording cute sayings.  To be honest they haven't been 10 a penny.

Todays: 'Miss Greig, I ache all over'.

The day started well with me waking up early and excited to dress into my Sarah Outen outfit.  Although it makes me feel more of a loner I think i will have to go and take a photo of myself to prove my attire (oops - had a shower before remembering about the photos again)!  Had a meeting with my mentor before and at the beginning of school which went much nicer than I was expecting and set me into a good mood.

Then it was assembly over the road which I got to partake in :-) 5 teachers took part in a sporting challenge.  I was asked as I was sitting down while the children were coming in.  I admit I was a little nervous but definitely excited - this is something I had been waiting for my whole (even though limited!) teaching career - getting up in front of all the kids and making a fool of myself for their enjoyment (inspired but the stars in their eyes events at my secondary school which were highlights of the year - thanks teachers!).  I didn't know what I'd have to do but fortunately I was given the task of trying to catch a ball in a hoop type thing and I amazed myself by managing it twice!!!  When the children were asked how many times we had done it I showed up 10 fingers so that's what they shouted out.  When asked how many the others (football keepy uppies, so glad I didn't have to do those!) had done a boy in my class answered four.  He told me afterwards that he said that so that I would win.  I was delighted with his maths and quick thinking and support of me!

After a mega improvised maths lesson and a surprisingly relaxed lunchtime, it was time to get psyched with our class for the mile.

woah woah woah - rereading this morning and can't believe I forgot to write about the highlight of the day - tough though that is as there were so many great moments!  It was actually one of the highlights of my year.  Am going again to copy from an email to Sarah - still so surprised I didn't write about this.

they were going out for lunchtime and somehow (im hazy about who said what) but it ended up with me going out to the playground with my half blade to row in a sunken rowing boat they have in the playground.  i was absolutely amazed, taken aback and delighted, that by the time it took me to pick up my blade and head out there, that half my class were in the boat excitedly waiting for me - one of my top moments this year.  i stopped to take a photo and then got in and pretended to row - apologies that i sat the wrong way.  kids swarmed round and it was such fun!!!!   they were yelling are we in Mauritius yet!!!!

back to the original post: 

I showed them on mapmyrun.com where we'd be going and talked about ways to encourage each other (a very little bit of pshe that I was fairly proud of!).  Then over to the juniors to start.  It drizzled most of the time but it didn't dampen spirits and they did a great job at running.  Twice round the route was a mile but I had kids doing 10 laps.  I went round twice and then a break before doing a third a little while later.  I also entertained myself with some Scottish Dancing with mine at the start/finish line.

The children didn't seem to get bored but in the end all the classes headed back over.  The children were exhausted and all moaning about sore feet.  We sat and had a quiet time talking about how it went and we watched a sport relief video about a girl in India which I was impressed they engaged in.  It was while we were talking then, that the little boy got up and walked all the way round the classroom to come and tell me the above line.  Bless him, I had to giggle!

And this evening has finished off with fun and board games at a colleague's house - can't get much better!  For a week that has felt like it has had a few lows I'm in a pretty good mood now :-)

Photos of the year - week 5

Monday 8th March

While posting that I wasn't sure what to photograph, I took a photo of the post with the exciting package that had arrived that day for me.

Tuesday 9th March

The end of Parents Evening for the year - my table that I had met parents at.

Wednesday 10th March

Cycling back from the OUSDS film night at Oriel college.  Forgotten to take an interesting photo so snapped one at the lights.  (So yes, I did go, although took a while to set up and I did fall asleep a few times!)

Thursday 11th March

Such a choice on this day.  Day ended most enjoyably as I introduced housemates to tutpup (courtesy of a colleague) and geosense.  Such addictive fun.

Friday 12th March

Ever so proud that I had a great Friday evening session thoroughly tidying my room (well, except for the desk behind the camera) including around half an hour of hoovering ???!

Saturday 13th March

School tournament.  Beautiful and enjoyable morning.

Sunday 14th March

Mothers Day.  Lizzie and I surprised Ma by appearing on Saturday evening.  Lunch out at Four Season's chinese.

Decisions

I am sitting here on the sofa in the lounge with my feet up on the coffee table and laptop on my lap trying to decide what to do tonight.  It's 8.30pm and in a few minutes I have to choose if i am going out to Oriel College for the Scottish Dancing End of Term Social.  I've already missed the meal part of it, that was planned.  But I have said I will go along to the film part which follows it.  They will be watching Local Hero which I would like to see as I know it has something to do with Scottish Dancing or Scotland and it is one of Mark Kermode's second favourites.

But... i'm kinda tempted to stay put and get into bed.  I'm feeling a bit in a daze and ready to sleep.  And i have been reading a couple of blogs that have been quite sad and have brought my mood down.  So, I'm really not sure what to do.  I don't like being this indecisive.  I thought maybe writing would help me decide....  if i just sit and stare at the screen long enough that's my decision made ;-)

Photos of the year - week 4

Here we go again!

Monday 1st March

The most exciting photo to date.  Lizzie and I meeting the great Dr K.  Lizzie feeling the most terrified she has and me feeling greatly excited as I have just bounced off him as I walked around the back of the table!

Tuesday 2nd March

An evening spent marking maths tests after a couple of days of the kids having a go at them. Was pleasantly surprised by how well they did! Helped along by a large toberlerone from Lizzie.

Wednesday 3rd March

A little collapse in the lounge watching the end of the England match after coming in from Scottish Dancing (which I had left early due to being so tired).  I was loaned some information packs for teaching Scottish Dancing to children which were really exciting to look at!

Thursday 4th March

 

So tired that the only thing I could think to take a photo of was the clock on my laptop showing what time I was in bed.  In fact, I was in bed at 7.10pm with my tea and at this point was on my third 4OD episode!  Like the fact that it also shows I had been googling 'words for maths signs'!  I must have at least been trying to do some work first! Even had to take it on my phone as camera was downstairs and I didn't think I would be able to descend!

Friday 5th March

 

Actually had a choice of photos for today.  I decided to be modest and go for the one without me in it - though lost any modesty points by mentioning that here!  It was a Friday night out with school staff at Coco's - ideal for me as closest possible place to where I live!  Chose this photo as it shows us looking at the camera - we got quite snappy happy so I was easily able to get my photo of that day!

Saturday 6th March

 

St Hugh's Boathouse - Saturday of torpids.  Can't believe it has been 5 years since my glory torpids day!!  that'll have to be a flashback friday post :-)

Sunday 7th March

 After Sunday lunch with housemates at the Royal Oak pub.  Wonderfully sunny day, though still quite chilly. 

Currently struggling to think what to take for my photo today.  The ideal thing would have been to take it of the table in my classroom where I was conducting parents evening as that has by far and away been the focus of my day.  But i'm home now and guess it would be cheating if I took it in the morning.  Also could have taken the fish and chips i sneakily bought on my way home but that is in my stomach with the wrappers away in the bin!  Do you have any suggestions for me?  All welcome!

Cinema - Avatar

I finally made it to see Avatar tonight - 11 weeks after it came out!  I didn't feel much about it at first, but for the probably the last four weeks I have felt I really want to see it, as I want to be a part of it.  I loved seeing Titanic when there was all the hype and felt I might feel I had missed out otherwise (more sheep behaviour).  I had seemed to have missed it in 3D - still don't know if that was a blessing or a curse - at least I didn't have to make the decision!

And, I liked it.  I really did.  I did have a lot of Mark Kermode's views going through my head while watching which may have hampered my enjoyment slightly.  But I enjoyed the story line and puzzlingly didn't mind at all the sci-fi-ness of it. Thought the dialogue was great for me and didn't feel it was too explainy for me - I like to know what's going on, and there seemed enough missed out that you had to assume to keep me on the ball.

Bizarrest bit of the eve though, walking back home from the cinema I realised I was following a man fancy dressed as a smurf!!!!!!  Couldn't have been more hilarious timing!

Randomsy - late night

Been for an evening out with staff.  In bed now, and hoping that typing a few moments on here is going to tire me out enough to send me off to sleep.  I can still feel the drinks in my head- think I have had three or four glasses of wine.  It is a little tricky focussing on the words I am typing.  It was a jolly evening and I was pleased to go. I wasn't that nervous entering the restaurant which i think must show how comfortable I am starting to feel with these people.  I am definitely appreciative of them - they make the job so good!  I wonder what they think of me?  I generally don't give a lot of myself and I reckon it takes a long time for people to get to know me.  I don't think many of the staff do actually know me yet, whatever they may think.  Have plenty of pictures from tonight so will maybe try posting at another time.

Is this post really worth posting?  It doesn't seem to say much...

I am still really happy with the colours on the blog, though still not sure about the stretch setting?

Stars

I was walking to Marks and Spencers this evening and loved seeing Sirius up in the sky.  I assumed on first glance it must be a plane as there was a plane flying just by it so I didn't believe it could be a star in such close proximity but it was the main man! 

 

Lots of happy thoughts upon seeing Sirius and thinking about stargazing from my bedroom back in Thornhill Road.

Wittertainment

Wow - what a night last night.  For about three years now I have been a fan of Dr. Mark Kermode, film critic, primarily (entirely probably) through his 5Live show on a Friday afternoon with Simon Mayo.

I was wondering what to get Lizzie for a birthday present when I happened to hear that Dr K had an autobiography out.  Feeling chuffed that this was a good idea I headed to waterstones (because Borders had closed down and it was closer than Blackwells and it was cold!  not that I'd normally avoid, was just explaining the fairly randomness) as she had recently become a convert/addict and we have been able to compare notes on podcasts and i have been introducing her to some of the classics (Mamma Mia, Pirates).  As a man was leading me to where the book was, he asked if i knew mark was coming to oxford for a book signing... what!!!!!  excitamento!!  March 1st, Playhouse theatre, talk and book signing and later turned out film showing as well!!  truly couldn't have been more perfect.  I was so excited about giving her present and her reaction didn't disappoint.  She was as keen to go as me so i booked two tickets and turned out to be on the last row of the circle - he is that popular!

Book signing was before the talk, but Lizzie decided she would be too nervous to get him to sign it so we decided to eat and then head over in time for the talk.  Sitting in noodlenation awaiting our food at 6.40 I looked at the tickets and discovered the talk was at 7pm, not 7.30 as imagined so it was a mighty wolf down of the noodles, spring rolls and tofu puffs!  Got to the theatre round the corner for 7 and were slightly smug to see signs saying the signing would now not be before the show but at the interval.  We got our seats and awaited the big moment.  Audience was fairly mixed though i would say the biggest contingent were 20-35 male.

My liking of Mark Kermode is a little bizarre and I think the best way to describe it is to quote the one and only 'Hello to Jason Isaacs'.  I have gone back to find the podcast from after the Sony win to get it right: 'you've transcended the subject material of your show because people listen just to be entertained and they completely ignore all your opinions.'  It's totally the way I feel.  For quite some time, my views were that I would like stuff mark doesn't, and never see something he likes (back in the Pan's Labyrinth days).  But then things got confused when he 'liked' Mamma Mia and our views crossed.  But now it is just so rare that I have ever seen a film that is being reviewed and excitingly novel when I can understand and relate to the review.

Sooo, quite a lot of the talk went a long way over my head, especially the horror film references.  But it was still ultimately way exciting!

to be continued...after a night not getting to bed till gone midnight, 10 o'clock tonight is pushing it!  

7/3  Mark was exactly like he seems on 5Live.  He talked in exactly the same manner and he even said some of the exact same things that I'd heard on the podcast as I was walking there, but that wasn't a let down, as I do enjoy watching and listening to his things over and over!  Lizzie and I were suitably excited when he came onto stage; we held hands and kept squeezing if there was something significant.  He talked for about an hour and then had questions from the audience for about 20 minutes.  There were some interesting questions but I like to think most people were in awe like us!  There was an interesting discussion about whether to see the exorcist and Mark surprised by saying no.  There was a mention about the Hyde Park Picture House so Lizzie and I nudged each other then!  The final question was asking if Mark was - oh no I've forgotten the phrase now, will have to check with Lizzie who was very good at explaining it to me, something to do with Hitler and Stalin - and if that affected his reviews.  3/4 Just asked her and she says it's a 'cult of personality'.  Mark gave a special comment to the guy who had asked the question so Lizzie and I thought he must be so honoured.

Our seats were at the back by the door by the stairs that you would have to go up at the interval to get your book signed by Mark.  By this point Lizzie was feeling a bit keener on the idea so we did indeed dash up and joined the queue, we made it into the room of the signing - which turned out to be very near the front of the long line.   We were nervous but had a while to discuss how we were going to manage it, what we might say, if we were able to get photos.

3/4 After a while he arrived and we were pleased to see he was taking his time with people and some people were taking photos.  I started practising with my camera!  Mark had mentioned that his mother was in the audience that night and she came into the book signing room and he introduced the room to her.  She looked small and very inoffensive - can't imagine what she must make of him being so (relatively) famous.  I can't imagine she would be as opinionated as him.  Lizzie wasn't as impressed at me taking a photo of her and bashed my hand away so it was rather blurred!!  We got brave enough to ask the man behind us if he'd be willing to take a photo with us so we all got into the excitement together.  It was a good moment when we met and we even bantered about having gone to Habs and the coaches - what legends!  You'll have to wait till photo of the week posting to see the glorious one!

We excitedly called Ma and basked in our glory then it was time to head back into the theatre to watch the film.  It was 'It's a Wonderful Life' which neither I nor Lizzie had ever seen but were keen to as being one of those classics shown at Christmas time.  Mark came back on stage to do an intro for it.  He said the exorcist is his favourite film but there are a few that float around the number 2 spot including 'It's a wonderful life' and 'Local Hero'.  He talked about how he makes his family watch it every Christmas and they always ask him why they are watching it as they are bawling their eyes out.  I was quite looking forward to a sob fest.  Although I was finding it sad I didn't feel like I was about to cry at any point.  And then it seemed like the film was about to end.  And indeed it was at most 2 minutes from the end and all was happy now and I totally burst into tears!!!  I was so surprised but also kinda pleased ;-)  The lights went up and I was pleased to discover Lizzie had had a really similar situation as well as quite a bit of the audience seemingly!  We walked out back home dabbing our eyes as we went.

Totally lovely evening.  So grateful to Lizzie for being able to share it with her!