Journal Entries
Saturday
Posted Apr 16, 2005
Started off bright and sunny at 7.00 this morning, but has been rather chilly and changeable ever since - not raining though, so mustn't complain I suppose.
Got the supermarket visit over early: I usually try and go before 9 on a Saturday, and buy myself a treat to have for breakfast when I get back. Today it was a little crusty baguette.
Then I went round to visit a friend from my Spanish class. She missed the last class, so I had collected copies of the handouts and homework for her and took them round to her house. We had tea and talked about her new job: she's a teacher and has just got her first promoted post, but it means she'll be moving away from Cambridge, which is a pity for me.
This is the second time in the last few years that I've made a new friend in rather unpromising circumstances and then they have moved on. Both quite a lot younger than me, so I suppose it's inevitable that they would be more mobile. And actually I'm going to visit the one who moved to Canada in a few weeks' time, which will be great!
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Latest reply: Apr 16, 2005
Back to work
Posted Apr 15, 2005
15 April 2005
Well, just for one day before the weekend - and Friday is a short day for me: I work 8.30 to 5 Monday to Thursday and finish at 4 on Fridays.
Even with the accumulated post and emails from the last couple of days, I managed to finish most of what I needed to do by lunchtime. Still, my boss will be back from her hols (China - lucky thing!) next week, so there may be more work then. If not, I think I'll talk to her about how we can deal with these quiet periods in the office - last year they didn't seem to go on for so long, probably because I was learning the job so everything took longer. I also did quite a lot of work on the website which can now be updated really quickly, and I produced a PowerPoint presentation for her to take when she goes to give talks to schools.
Anyway, at going-home time it was cold and raining - yeuch! Not good for biking home, so I called in at the Arts Picturehouse on the way, bought a ticket for Sunday ("Keys of the House"), had a coffee and read the paper.
Came home, waited for the rain to stop a bit and walked down to the supermarket to stock up on fruit and other basics for the week. As I don't have a car, I have to do my weekend shopping in two trips - luckily *sda is only 5 minutes away!
Omelette and salad for supper - I'm a rubbish cook and don't enjoy doing it, but I do make a great omelette, though I say it myself!
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Latest reply: Apr 15, 2005
Lazy day
Posted Apr 14, 2005
Second of my two days off this week. There are lots of little jobs I should be doing round the flat, but have decided to be lazy and treat these two days as holiday.
Started off the morning with a wander round the bookshops in Mill Road - Cambridge is a paradise of charity/second-hand shops for bargain hunters. I was looking for the book we are going to read next in my book group: Bulgakov's 'The Master and Margarita'. Didn't find it, but I did get a couple of Iris Murdochs (we've just done 'The Sea, the Sea') - 'The Philosopher's Pupil' and 'The Italian Girl' - the latter in an old Penguin edition with the price printed on the front: 3/6! Also bought a collection of A S Byatt short stories: 'Sugar' and other stories, because I love her stuff.
Made my way up Mill Road into town and popped into LakelandsorryBella for some magic limescale remover - essential in Cambridge, where every tap in the house gets caked in the stuff. Every time I go into LsB now I find myself looking at people and wondering "Are you Squirrel?" Also had a browse round the market before coming home.
That's all for now.
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Latest reply: Apr 14, 2005
13 April 2005
Posted Apr 13, 2005
Following the excellent examples of martine, moo and others, have decided to take the plunge and start a journal. Have got today and tomorrow off work (office very quiet, boring even, at the moment), so this gives me a bit of time to play with too.
This morning went with a friend to buy her new bathroom curtains - to be paid for by the insurance company as she had a fire in her bathroom. Luckily they caught it before it spread to the rest of the house! Then we went for coffee chez another mutual friend whom we haven't seen for some time.
This afternoon I've been doing some homework for my Spanish evening class tonight. I'm dreading it. We've just had a two-week break - it's an AS-level class in a local sixth form college - and I took the opportunity to jot down some of my thoughts about the teaching and send them to the teacher by email. I did my best to formulate it as positively and constructively as possible, but she has taken it very badly, so I'm not really looking forward to seeing her!
The main problem is that she talks *all* the time, and doesn't give us enough 'thinking space'. For example, she starts the tape for a listening exercise, and then repeats the instructions while the tape is playing!!! She also code-switches all the time, i.e. changes between Spanish and English in mid-sentence. Her husband is British, so she probably does this at home and I don't think she can help it, but it is extremely irritating.
Trouble is, it was quite an expensive class and we had to pay upfront at the beginning of the year, so there are still about 8 weeks to go.
Oh well - I'll report back tomorrow ... watch this space!
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Latest reply: Apr 13, 2005
annie_cambridge
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