working at it slowly

1817081718173817581768188

Comments

  • Now there's a quote and a half "I did a bit of chicken watching last week. Don't really get chickens".............

    One of our kennel dogs, Sue, gets chickens.............to the point that the manager now has 2 not 3 which given that the chickens were in a run and Sue in theory in her kennel is quite impressive :D  Luckily he is quite philosophical about these things and this is the same dog which caught a rabbit through her muzzle!!
  • Brave decision MC - not sure I could leave without something to go to.....
  • SlugstaSlugsta ✭✭✭
    MC, I hope you soon find something that is more conducive to your mental wellbeing.

  • Bear on the settee with Tom in the foreground
  • Clockwise from bottom left, Bear, Badger, Tom and Elvis  <3<3<3


  • DLDL ✭✭✭
    What does one call a gathering of greyhounds?

    A sofa?

    Great pictures and you're getting very good reception on your telly!

    MC - how about working in a special school? Quite a few special schools are in the independent sector too so not quite the same data reporting requirements.

    It was my birthday on Tuesday. I'm a bit older. Somewhat underwhelming after last year's biggie!

    M.eldy - new country festival in Leicestershire  http://thelongroadfestival.stage-umg-uk-wp.com - yeeeeeha!

  • DL - I have wondered about the independent sector, and there is currently a job advertised at an independent school in Nottingham that I will apply for. Not sure about special schools - I don't think there are any in Notts, although there are the 'indepdendent for kids that have been excluded from mainstream' schools, but I am not sure I am suited to that kind of work. 

    My plan is to apply for jobs, leave anyway whether I get one or not, I can always do supply or temping from September. I think I partly need to get out and away from my current working environment and get rid of the daily stress before moving on. I am not at breaking point but not far from it. A few weeks ago if I hadn't have been on a course I would have rung in sick, but I want to avoid going down that route....

    I am sick of this weather! Supposed to be doing a local tri on Sunday but not feeling the love for it really! 

    I did a half marathon last Sunday and got the best time since my first ever half in 2005!! Didn't quite match that one but only a minute off.... And then on Monday had a really long walk along the Beeston Canal and back to Nottingham along the Trent (including part of the Outlaw run route) and ended up walking 13 miles - my legs and feet were not very happy with me but it was a good day!

    youngest (13 years old) has been catching the bus to Nottingham and back every day which has been a big step - he has been doing a film making course and tomorrow we get to go and watch the screening
  • TubsterrTubsterr ✭✭✭
    Morning lovely waisters

    (((( win )))) 

    is it just me or has Spring gone awol?! Most of the trees still look bald! My Shetlands are still wearing lightweight rugs, I'm sure they're usually naked at this time of year! 

    I am doing masses of cross training - lugging boxes up and down stairs doesn't half get your heart rate up! 

    (((((( waisters )))))) 
  • I think I saw the sun for the 1st time this year today........... :)

    MC - sounds like you have a plan :) and well done on the half time

    Tubbs - dare I ask what percentage of unpacked you're at currently? :dizzy:

    Tomorrow I am going on a swim training course with 2 swim sessions and a classroom session in between.......but can only find 1 swim suit which I can fit into :(  don't really want to sit through the classroom bit damp and drippy :dizzy:

  • Pippi LSPippi LS ✭✭✭
    Well done, MC, and good luck! I would have thought maths teachers were desirable if you want to continue, just in a different setting ... you don't fancy being a primary head, do you? We have had one applicant ... I'm giving it 2 more years, but then let's see what we get with a new head next year! At the moment, I just feel work is getting in the way of living, but getting out now is a bit like giving in/giving up. 

    Prague was lovely. Not as full of stag parties as I had feared (much quieter than Liverpool at the weekend!). We did one of the free walking tours with Sandemann - we did one in Brussels as recommended by my colleague and this one was excellent too. the guide really knew his stuff, not just a prepared tour. We were so impressed we booked to go on a day trip with them to Terezin (I know it as Theresienstadt) which was a transit/concentration camp. You might have heard of it as it was the "model" camp with older, artistic and intellectual inmates which the Nazis showed to the Red Cross and as a propaganda exercise. It was really interesting and moving without being too depressing. Again, the guide was amazingly well-informed.  We don't usually do organised trips and we didn't get enough time to see the museum etc, but on the other hand, by ourselves, if we had spent time in the museum we would never have got to see all the other things!

    Prague half-marathon was on the Saturday - we only saw the aftermath. Looks like a good course though!

    Poor Mr P has a bad back at the moment - not sure what he's done. He came home from work early and went to the GP as there is always the possibility of an infection with his heart valve, but she thinks it is a muscle strain, but is sending him for blood tests just to be on the safe side. 

    (posting now in case the site gives up etc)

  • Pippi LSPippi LS ✭✭✭
    We had planned to do a walk together as I am leading one for the Ramblers soon. However, with his back, I went alone. There were a few odd little backtracks where the gate was at the other side of the field, etc - just normal stuff - but then after a tricky scramble down a hillside with no apparent path (I found one later when I was down, so went back up to see where it started! not obvious!) the road turned private with signs about no right of way etc. I had feared it might be private looking at the map - no real way to tell though unless you go there ... So I had to find an alternative. This wasn't too bad, apart from 2 paths that didn't appear on the ground at all and one that seemed to go into somebody's garden!. If it had been just me, I might have given up and found a straight route back to the car, but I did want to get a proper route sorted. 
    Anyway, a 9 mile walk became nearer 16 ... but I think I now have a 9 mile route for the Ramblers - just need to do a middle section which looks straightforward on the map to join the first half to the last quarter!!

    I had a short bike ride this morning - the warm sunny weather of yesterday wasn't maintained and I was glad I had on arm warmers. I nearly turned round and came back for a jacket, but I didn't really need it. I had forgotten it was the Tunnel 10K today - they run from Liverpoool, through the tunnel, then along our promenade. I caught up with the tail end at about their 6K mark.
  • SlugstaSlugsta ✭✭✭
    Afternoon all,

    Tubs, I hope the unpacking is going well. We lived surrounded by boxes for months until we could get storage built, it is really not something I would recommend!

    Pods, good luck with the swim training.

    Pippi, you have been a busy bee! Sorry to hear about Mr P's back problems and really hope he is soon on the mend.

    MS and I went out for a nice meal last evening, to celebrate tolerating each other for 34 years of marriage.
  • pippi - sounds like a lovely interesting holiday. Sorry to hear about Mr P

    I know what you mean about giving up/giving in, but I just know I can't spend the next 17 years until retirement age doing this! (I am 50 but as I only started teaching 11 years ago I am on the newer version on the pension and have a later retirement age :( )

    slugs - 34 years of marriage is something to celebrate, congratulations


  • YumsYums ✭✭✭
    Good evening.

    Lol at the collective noun for greyhounds being a sofa :-)

    I hope you're feeling better, DL as you need to repair the anomaly in the space time continuum by going running.

    Pippi, I love the sound of your walking adventures. It's quite a commitment to be a rambling leader. I hope Mr pippi's back is on the mend soon.

    Podds, don't you get to change out of your cossie? Can't you just wear underwear and clothes for the classroom bit ?

    Bless bear? I love the idea of his mum worrying more about him than her kids.

    MC it sounds as though your change of job or sabbatical can't come soon enough. 

    Sluggy, NYL is feeling much better and much more her old self, thank you. 

    Been a busy week at work however a relaxing weekend with brekkie with NYL in a lovely, quirky coffee house run by a young German lady so she'd made lots of gorgeous German cakes. We sat in the sun in the park, came home and watched the cracking england/Jamaica netball match and the saw A quiet place at the cinema. Today I have mainly been eating cake at a mad Hatters themed afternoon tea
  • Pippi LSPippi LS ✭✭✭
    edited April 2018
    Mr P has gritted his teeth with his back and got Pippettes drain unblocked! She was in tears after buying drain rods and struggling unsuccessfully. I said I was going round with a hosepipe and moral support and suggested he came too to direct operations. I had to pop back home for the correct hose connector and came back to find him hands on ... or rather, hand down!!!  :s but it worked! We brought her back here for a chippy tea. 

    Mad Hatters, Yums? What were you?
  • Morning All

    Nice updates all round :)

    Sorry to hear about Mr P's back Pippi but better that than a problem with the heart valve.  And any bloke who gets down on hands and knees to unblock drains is a real treasure!

    My friend who's adopted Bear and I are very bad for each other as we both want to go part time and spend more time with our hounds and keep egging each other on!!  Unfortunately I can't see school going for it with my role as they know that if I go part time it'll cost them a lot more than the balance of my salary to take on the other part of my job!

    Typically now that the ankle biters - large and small - are back, the sun's come out!!

    Happy 34th survival- versary Sluggie and MS  :)
  • SlugstaSlugsta ✭✭✭
    Afternoonicles,

    Podds, it would take at least  people to do your work - but school will have to do it eventually, like it or not!

    I hope that Mr P does not suffer as a result of sorting out Pipette's plumbing.
  • Evening all

    ive skimmed and retained little, that’ll learn me for missing a few days ...
    DL I did see about that festival, it’s got a good line up as well !

    Podds, did you get the transport email? 

    I have just fromtlined the dear little little ginger furry thing, i suspect he has gone out to beat up one of the ladies in revenge

    i am on a 2 day training course to learn our whole new system that is coming in imminently ... oh what joy of never knowing what on earth you are doing ever again 

    had a nice little bike ride at the weekend and just realise I’ve a 67 mile sportive on Saturday ...think that might be a slow one then ?
  • Loving a ‘sofa’ of greyhounds!
  • I emailed you back Melds............asked if you needed me to look at southern softie flights :)

    Morning everyone else :)

  • Morning all. Still unsafe to leave even for a few days, I see :-) Lots going on here!

    Podds, how is Mummy Podds doing? I think you said it was initially 6 weeks recovery period, so she must be halfway through by now? And how's Mr P? Good to see that the hounds are all in fine fettle, at least. Loved the photos, especially the sofa of hounds! Hope you do manage to find a better balance with work---as Sluggie says, the school couldn't replace half of you with even 2 others, so they might be more flexible...?

    Tubs, hope you are mainly sorted by now. Moving into a dirty house doubles the work! (Our house in Cobham belonged to a lovely old couple who both smoked like chimneys...everything was dull brown from the soap, went through 3 packs of sugar soap in as many days.) But it sounds like a brilliant move. 

    Yums, glad NYL is feeling better. DVT is no joke. I think your weekend sounded fab---I mean, who doesn't love eating German cakes??

    DL, very belated happy birthday! Rather unfair that Fate gave you a cold as a prezzie. Hope you're starting to pull out of it by now. This is apparently the time of year when everyone's resistance is at rock bottom, after months of dark and cold. Hopefully things will get better now.

    MC, it's a brave decision to leave, but your work has been weighing you down increasingly for the last few years and you really need to get away. Since you can do supply work, you can take your time to investigate options---maybe an independent school, as someone said. And you may come across other possibilities that don't even know about right now. Leaving the wrong place is the first step to getting into the right one. And hats off to you for such a fab half marathon with all this going on!

    Pippi, Prague sounds great. A good tour can really help: shows you things you wouldn't notice, or wouldn't understand. Theresientstadt must have been sobering, but worthwhile. Hope Mr P's back is getting better: what a lovely dad to go to his daughter's aid like that! Are his test results back yet? And well done you for that long walk, the Ramblers had jolly well better appreciate it!

    Sluggie, happy 24th! I hope MS realises just how lucky he is!

    Meldy, you have a new system at work? Lucky, lucky you! A one-woman lesson in how to make a 67 mile bike ride seem like light relief ;-) 

    Fantastic weather here, sunny and warm. Fortunately Monty loves long walks, and of course in this weather we can bike everywhere. Just waiting to take Mr C to the clinic for his second skin op. The chest has healed nicely, have to see what the tests showed for the spot on his nose and whether they got it all. If not, they will nibble a little more ;-) Big weekend last weekend, C2's gf has moved in with him. As she has been living on the other side of the country, doing her Intensive Care experience in a hospital over there (she's a doctor), living together will save them loads of time as well as being nicer. And she's starting a PhD in Rotterdam in June, so it works out well. Everyone delighted. 

    Right, time to get a move on, so have a lovely spring day, everyone! xx
  • quick whizz through


    25 degrees it was here !!!    Bloomin' lovely


    Podds,  I didn't get any email from you? 

    I'll revisit my in-box,  I think we go for the train that gets us in some time in the evening that Cougs found and that gives us time to get over to Munich ... I have to work the evening before so it might be easier to go from Luton or Stanstead and get a b&b the night before and I can come straight from work ?


  • Ooh, I love hearing the plans for an IM coming up! Keep us posted, ladies ;-)

    Just quickly to report that the place on Mr C's nose was another melanoma, but the good news is that they got it all the first time. So this time they did a tiny little skin graft to cover the place, stitches come out next week, and then he'll be as good as new :-)) (Note: I really, REALLY hope that this time he might take it more seriously and start wearing sun block!!! But it's up to him, I'm not his mum....)
  • SlugstaSlugsta ✭✭✭
    Chuggy, I am glad that Mr C's melanoma was detected and has now been removed while it was still small (I assume?). I share your hope that he will take this as a real warning and start using sunblock!

    When I first moved to Bournemouth, I met a lovely lady who, in her 40's, had recently been diagnosed with melanoma. She died several years later, leaving a teenage daughter with no parents :( It made me very cautious - both with patients and myself!

  • morning all - excuse my absence - I have put a note on Meldy's desk

    bliddy work is now even preventing me popping in here regularly now that is just ridiculous

    I am loving the houndy photos - they are so funny :)

    congratulations on the anniversary sluggy, happy new house Tubs, fab walking Pippi, and well runned MC, congrats to C2 on his new living arrangements, good news on Mr C and a reminder to us all to take sun protection seriously

    It is totally scorchio here but I am of course stuck in the office. It seems a few of us are at the stage of wanting to get more from life than work. Luckily for me I don't feel particularly stressed but I am totally fed up of work taking up so much of my life and am looking to do something different as soon as possible. 2 years left on the mortgage and this should give me more options. I don't have the sort of job that could be shared or worked part time so I want out!

    Mr FF has had his op it went well as far as we know but he is really struggling (as predicted) can't use the crutches, is in a lot of pain and is really miserable :( I am trying to be sympathetic but I am a bit cross with him about his attitude - it seems he is planning the 6 weeks where he is off his feet just watching the TV, well that is enough to make anyone miserable!

    and to top it all off the washing machine is broken and the man has been round several times but its still not working I have bags full of unwashed and part washed clothes everywhere - my worst nightmare!

    oh I did do a half marathon on Sunday though and did 1:56 which is my best time for a few years - I think the running is keeping me sane :)

  • SlugstaSlugsta ✭✭✭
    I'm glad that Mr FF has finally had his op and hope he feels a bit more positive as the pain recedes. I also hope you are able to get out of the current job asap Jenni!

    TM and I went to the riverside pub today and enjoyed watching the kingfisher/s going u and down the river. I think their nest hole must be behind some foliage this year, we could see them disappearing into the bushes and not coming out again for a while. Previously we have been able to see them going in and out of the hole :)
  • morning all

    podds - with exam season coming up hope it is an uneventful one for you!

    JFF - well done on the half. Men are infuriating when they are ill, hope Mr FF gets better soon

    chugs - good to hear they got all of the melanoma. 

    I have a half marathon today and it doesn't start till 11:30 - I am going to melt in this heat, I will just take it very easy....

    maybe there is something about getting older that makes us realise there is more to life than work??
  • Dr DaffsDr Daffs ✭✭✭
    Ha, I've spent most of my life trying to avoid many types of work for that very reason :D Sadly can't avoid it now but planning an escape route at the earliest opportunity too, much as I love my job :D 

    ((((((waister pals))))))))) lots of ailments, operations and general miserableness around here lately :( 

    It's cooled here considerably in the last hour MC so I hope it's done the same wherever you are! Take it easy! 

    Glorious few days in the sun here. Friends have stayed for the weekend and we have done a lot of garden pottering. Yesterday was pruning a rose bush, got lots of scratches of course, but one thorn went right in the back of my hand and was proper painful, and it just got worse over the afternoon, hand swelled up til I almost couldn't move my fingers. Ended up ringing 111, and being sent to the out of hours GP, who told me it was a good job I didn't wait til Monday (why? everyone here sees to think I was overreacting) and gave me industrial strength antibiotics which have now upset my stomach. Pah. 

    Hey ho. Off back outside to plant my raspberry canes before the rain sets in... 
  • Afternoon All

    So much for the predicted overnight storms and cooler day today.... I love the sun but the boys don't especially my old bones boy.............

    Also I intended to get loads done with Mr P away but the weather is way too nice to waste inside so I guess we'll live in a tip for another week at least  :p

    What's Mr FF's problem with the crutches JFF?  Is he just struggling to coordinate?
Sign In or Register to comment.