Journal Entries
hello clouds, hello sky...
Posted Sep 26, 2013
My new OU course website went live today and begins in earnest next week.
Which means that either I'll get a grip of myself and stop faffing on the interwebz, or I'll be distracted a lot by... oh look 
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Latest reply: Sep 26, 2013
Give me STRENGTH!
Posted Sep 18, 2013
Where is the paperbag smiley when I need it.
as you all know I spend most of my time here moaning about w**k. Specifically the stresses and strains of being a full time working parent.
And for years the younger women (and some of the men, mostly older ones with wives at home or working part-time) have told me not to be so stressed and why always so much stress with the w**k / life balance.
But now they are getting older, married, having children and coming back part-time. For which, it must be said, they have me to thank for it in a large part because i fought their corner that we could manage with part-timers (as long as they pull their weight).
However part of me wishes I'd never bothered. There are 2 in my team, one works 4 hours a day, the other 6. Their children are kindergarten age (notwithstanding: in my day - eek, how that sounds! - children under 3 couldn't have a kindergarten place). The four hour one has a husband earning shedloads of money (well well well over the minimum 6 figures) who says he "won't let her get a cleaner" so she cleans a lot, and her daughter is constantly being ferried to pony riding, music, dance... blah blah blah. And spends a large part of her time with doting paternal grandparents. (oh yes, she is a PFB* in mumsnet speak).
The other leaves at 2, collects her children at 4 (lives 30 minutes away). And has to order their clothes and hers online... and had to take a day off to go shopping after her 3 weeks holiday (over a month end... we're the accounting team...) because she just doesn't have enough time.
And of course, part of me is jealous because I don't have family here, spent a shedload of money on a childminder etc etc and spent at least 10 years permanently running around trying to get everything done.
And then. And then. I mentioned today that next week 
and I are going to the cinema to see Othello (being broadcast live from London). And what did I hear? From both of them? "oh it's ok for you, I can't possibly go out because I have little children" as if I have spent the last 10 years floating around on a 
cloud of "nothing to do"
So. What do I say to them? nothing and smile sweetly? or get out the slapping hand?
*Precious First Born
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Latest reply: Sep 18, 2013
Ow ow ow ow!
Posted Sep 13, 2013
Every now and then the people at work arrange something in the evening, a couple of us go to the cinema sometimes, or the guys play football (actually 1 of the women joins in with that too) and several times a few of the guys have been Karting.
Yesterday 7 of us went Karting, I was the only woman which caused some consternation (not from me) and it was great fun, but very stressful because the course is very wiggly, and I'm rubbish at Karting.
After our 30 laps I was, as I expected, last (last time we went there were more women, I was Female Champion and 6th overall so I have something of a reputation as a bit of a fiend on the track) but it was a few minutes before I could actually stand up and get myself out of the kart. my legs were quite wobbly, but my arms ached so much, I could hardly move my left arm and couldn't actually make my fingers grip anything for about 2 hours.
I went home on the train, with sore arms (but still managed a short typed conversation with someone, so that was good) and eventually fell into bed at just gone 11pm. (a pain, I have to get up at 5. was with me at that point - he'd been working _very_ late and met me at the station so I didn't have to cycle home alone in the dark. He had to be up at 4)
But my arms were so painful it was difficult sleeping and i kept waking up. Cycling to the statin was horrible because of my arms aching, my bum aching (I guess from the strange driving position and using the pedals, even though I don't actually brake while karting) and my ribs, particularly on my left side really really hurt.
when I got to work I was puzzled about my ribs so I went to the ladies to check. And I have massive bruising on my left side, and it really really hurts.
I hope I manage to sleep tonight. My arms still ache but not nearly as much. 
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Latest reply: Sep 13, 2013
Bak in the Jug Agane
Posted Sep 4, 2013
School starts back today. All over Nordrhein Westfalen schools open after the long summer holidays*. Today I have #2 going into the 10th grade (last year at secondary school - she has school leaving exams at the end of the year. If she does well - as well as last year would be great - she can go to the gymnasium, do her Abitur and hopefully have the chance to go to Uni. More options anyway).
#1 finished 10th grade last year and is now going to the Berufskolleg (technical school) to do what they call the FachAbi - which should give her more time to think about what she wants to do, and apply for apprenticeships etc.
Yes. The World Famous Gruesome Twosome aren't the cute little girls that some researchers have met. They are young ladies. And sometimes they are a complete and utter pain in the rear end. But they are lovely at other times.
I took today off because I was under the impression that I should go with #1 but it seems not. Usually I'd get up with #2 and go to the bakery to get the bread rolls to make their lunches, but she told me to stay in bed and went to get the rolls herself. She even brought me a cup of tea at 7 just before she left.
#1 has to go in a bit later and since it's nice and i have the day off and a few errands to run, I'll jump on my bike and head off to town to see what it looks like on a weekday.
Tomorrow all the shiny new first graders will start. The parents go, they get a huge cardboard cone (their mums make them usually - ocassionally a dad does it and one or two people buy them) filled with the things they need for school and a few sweets or presents. Usually there is a short church service, or some kind of welcome ceremony and then the children meet their teacher and classmates for about half an hour while their parents have coffee and cake. It's Germany. Of course there is coffee and cake.
After that the families usually go out for lunch together or something. It's quite lovely.
I remember my first day at school: my mum waved me off on the school bus with all the other children going to the army school in Hobart Barracks, Detmold. And that was it. On the whole I prefer the German way, even though it did make me 
* German Länder stagger their school holidays so the entire country isn't off at the same time. The intention being to minimise problems on the Autobahn and at airports.
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Latest reply: Sep 4, 2013
It's about time too...
Posted Aug 24, 2013
Although I have spent most of my life in Germany, and with the exception of about 2 years in the 60s, I have never owned (nor worn) a Dirndl. But for the last few years at work we've suggested that on the last (dress down) Friday in September we wear clothing in an Oktober-fest-stylee and hit the town after work.
This year it seems we're really going to manage it. So today I got myself a Dirndl. And even though one of the women in the office said "don't forget to get a push-up bra to go under it" I decided not to. Probably better all round that way. 
the killjoy declined to get some lederhosen. Killjoy!
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Latest reply: Aug 24, 2013
Sho - employed again!
Researcher U129860
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