Watch this - if you love it, go to the Moro website and download the track to help out Cure Kids! May not be quite as funny for those of you who aren't familiar with New Zealand and our interesting little provincial bickerings, but still worth a watch!
So cold...
Whenever I see that typed (... so cold...) it always makes me think of death scenes in movies. I always wonder whether it is a realistic depiction or a huge cliche. I'm not eager to be involved in a traumatic death to find out though!
It is freezing here in little Aotearoa (NZ) at the moment. It's the first proper cold snap of winter and boy, is it doing a good job of it! Thursday and Friday last week were horrific for having ice build-up on my windscreen - ended up running in and out of PianoMan's kitchen with water to help melt it. Friday's ice decided to freeze in two layers so it took even longer to defrost. There's a real chill to the air during the day and nights are freezing - you don't want to spend too much extra on electricity to warm the house (especially when PianoMan is paying the bills for his house, but keeping it warm for me) but at the same time you have to think about your health.
We were able to enjoy the warmth of a fireplace on Friday - I finally met PianoMan's parents this weekend; he also met mine. Everything went well and we have a mutual appreciation society going on LOL. It was just so warm with crumble and tea and fireplace, dessert turned into three hours! We also had brunch at PM's aunt's cafe - the way to my heart is truly through pancakes with bacon, baked banana and maple syrup!
I didn't get through as much of my planning as I had hoped though, so I better get cracka-lacking on that! Hope you all had a good weekend! Are you keeping warm? How are you managing that? Let me know in the comments!
It is freezing here in little Aotearoa (NZ) at the moment. It's the first proper cold snap of winter and boy, is it doing a good job of it! Thursday and Friday last week were horrific for having ice build-up on my windscreen - ended up running in and out of PianoMan's kitchen with water to help melt it. Friday's ice decided to freeze in two layers so it took even longer to defrost. There's a real chill to the air during the day and nights are freezing - you don't want to spend too much extra on electricity to warm the house (especially when PianoMan is paying the bills for his house, but keeping it warm for me) but at the same time you have to think about your health.
We were able to enjoy the warmth of a fireplace on Friday - I finally met PianoMan's parents this weekend; he also met mine. Everything went well and we have a mutual appreciation society going on LOL. It was just so warm with crumble and tea and fireplace, dessert turned into three hours! We also had brunch at PM's aunt's cafe - the way to my heart is truly through pancakes with bacon, baked banana and maple syrup!
I didn't get through as much of my planning as I had hoped though, so I better get cracka-lacking on that! Hope you all had a good weekend! Are you keeping warm? How are you managing that? Let me know in the comments!
A need for temporary restructure...
For my few fans who sit by the Google Reader constantly refreshing, waiting for my usually-very-punctual blog updates, I apologise. No doubt some of you will have realised from both Monday's post and my despairing tweets that I am feeling decidedly overwhelmed with the teaching (38 odd hours a week), work (9 hours a week minimum), planning (4 hours minimum) and assignments (4 hours minimum also). Not to mention that I'm trying to catch up on sleep, not get sick again and spend time with the darling Mr. PianoMan (he's very special to me).
As much as it needles my OCD tendencies, I'm going to have to restrict my blog posting to, well, when I can. I hope that this will be a couple of times a week but I can't guarantee when. Add me in your reader (see Subscribbtions to the right side of the page) and when I have the time to create a quality blog post you'll be the first to see. Regular blog features (Literary Inspirations and Sunday Afternoon Reads) will return on the 14th of June, when I leave my practice school.
I always hate it when a blogger goes off the map without explanation so please bear with me until I get my life under control! And on that note, how cute is this?
As much as it needles my OCD tendencies, I'm going to have to restrict my blog posting to, well, when I can. I hope that this will be a couple of times a week but I can't guarantee when. Add me in your reader (see Subscribbtions to the right side of the page) and when I have the time to create a quality blog post you'll be the first to see. Regular blog features (Literary Inspirations and Sunday Afternoon Reads) will return on the 14th of June, when I leave my practice school.
I always hate it when a blogger goes off the map without explanation so please bear with me until I get my life under control! And on that note, how cute is this?
I don't like it when I suck at things...
Today was my first solo opportunity to teach a class. I went in really psyched, thinking I had awesome activities organised for the kids and that they'd be really engaged and into it.
*Insert depressing buzzer sound here*
Wrong. Some of the kids got really into it and followed through on what I wanted done. Some of the kids got really into the second activity - to the point that we were probably disrupting other classes. But there were boys kicking each other, girls opting out and the whole time I had a feeling that I was cocking things up. When I dismissed the class, quite frankly I felt relieved. I finished doing the roll on the computer system, locked the door and walked to the main staff room (where I knew I wasn't likely to see any of my associates ) feeling like I wanted to cry.
I was sitting in the staffroom texting PianoMan when the teacher of our independent learning centre started chatting to me. She ended up giving me this big pep talk and telling me to embrace the feedback that I get, even if it isn't positive (which I knew it wouldn't be). After a strong cup of black tea with sugar, I went back to my associate teacher for my feedback. It wasn't all negative, but as I knew there were vast areas for improvement. We altered my plan slightly for when I teach the class again on Thursday and I'm just praying it goes well then.
What I realised from this is that I don't cope well with failure... I always have ideals for things and then when it turns to shit I freak right the fuck out. I need to accept that I'm not always going to be perfect right off the bat at something just because it is something I want to be good at. Wanting to run before I can walk is not an option here and I'm just going to have to give it 110% effort if I want it to work out.
Now if only I didn't feel so burnt out...
Lifestyle changes...
In the 2 and 1/2 months PianoMan and I have been dating, I've managed to get seriously ill twice. I'm still struggling to kick this flu, although I think I'm almost there. They say that kissing boosts immunity but we're yet to see the benefits of that. Obviously something has to give, we (and especially I) need to start making some lifestyle changes to make sure that we're living full and healthy lives.
Don't worry, this isn't one of those posts where the author declares a huge change in their lives - we aren't going to go live on an ashram, we're not turning vegan or singing the praises of colonic irrigation. It's the small things that you often don't notice disappearing - you don't notice the nut wearing down until the wheel flies off the car as you're driving down the motorway.
Sleep - Both PianoMan and I have a habit of getting to 10:30 at night and then thinking - wow, I should really go to bed. Which would be fine apart from the fact that we both compulsively get things ready the night before. And the fact that when alone, I like to read before sleep. And when we're together, we like to talk before we sleep. On a weekend, that's fine. On a week night, not so much. We've made a committment to try and get to sleep by ten on a weeknight. So far this seems to be working for me. I don't always hit the hay as early as I had planned - and I will admit to sometimes having a sneaky read until half past ten - but I'm definitely feeling more energetic. If there's things that I feel like I should be staying up later and working on, I set the alarm an hour earlier - the reality is that I'm doing a much better job of things coming back to them when I am refreshed than if I kept on slogging on indefinitely.
Vitamins- I'm looking into taking some supplementary vitamins. Being lactose intolerant, there are some vital nutrients that I'm missing out of my food. The next time I visit my doctors I will ask for a Vitamin D blood work. I've had issues with it before and I worry that this is part of the reason for my general malaise. PianoMan might want to look into a general multivitamin too - while he's not allergic or intolerant to any foods, a general multivitamin could fill in the gaps.
Water- PianoMan is soooooo good at keeping his fluids up. I, on the other hand, am really shocking at it and it affects my ability to flush my germs out of my system. I'm making it my mission to drink at least 1.5 l of water a day. Hopefully I'll see an improvement in my skin also!
See? Nothing mind-boggling, just a few small tweaks to avoid major breakdowns in future. Are there any lifestyle changes you're attempting at the moment?
Don't worry, this isn't one of those posts where the author declares a huge change in their lives - we aren't going to go live on an ashram, we're not turning vegan or singing the praises of colonic irrigation. It's the small things that you often don't notice disappearing - you don't notice the nut wearing down until the wheel flies off the car as you're driving down the motorway.
Sleep - Both PianoMan and I have a habit of getting to 10:30 at night and then thinking - wow, I should really go to bed. Which would be fine apart from the fact that we both compulsively get things ready the night before. And the fact that when alone, I like to read before sleep. And when we're together, we like to talk before we sleep. On a weekend, that's fine. On a week night, not so much. We've made a committment to try and get to sleep by ten on a weeknight. So far this seems to be working for me. I don't always hit the hay as early as I had planned - and I will admit to sometimes having a sneaky read until half past ten - but I'm definitely feeling more energetic. If there's things that I feel like I should be staying up later and working on, I set the alarm an hour earlier - the reality is that I'm doing a much better job of things coming back to them when I am refreshed than if I kept on slogging on indefinitely.
Vitamins- I'm looking into taking some supplementary vitamins. Being lactose intolerant, there are some vital nutrients that I'm missing out of my food. The next time I visit my doctors I will ask for a Vitamin D blood work. I've had issues with it before and I worry that this is part of the reason for my general malaise. PianoMan might want to look into a general multivitamin too - while he's not allergic or intolerant to any foods, a general multivitamin could fill in the gaps.
Water- PianoMan is soooooo good at keeping his fluids up. I, on the other hand, am really shocking at it and it affects my ability to flush my germs out of my system. I'm making it my mission to drink at least 1.5 l of water a day. Hopefully I'll see an improvement in my skin also!
See? Nothing mind-boggling, just a few small tweaks to avoid major breakdowns in future. Are there any lifestyle changes you're attempting at the moment?
Literary Inspiration: Oprah Winfrey on being busy
The essential question is not, "How busy are you?" but "What are you busy at?" "Are you doing what fulfills you?"
-Oprah Winfrey
While not strictly an author (although I hope that she does personally write articles attributed to her in O magazine), this quote by the quintessential Lady O struck a chord with me this week. Am I busy? Yes I am. How busy am I? Very. My Facebook status currently tells of how overwhelmed I am currently feeling. That's all surface stuff though... the important questions to be answered require someone to dive deeper.
What am I busy at?
I am at this very point in time writing a blog article.
Is this fulfilling me?
Yes, I find it a great way of communicating with others. I find it a good way to maintain my writing skills. I find writing blog articles relaxing and a good stress release after what has been a very stressful twenty-four hours.
What am I busy at?
I need to finish a Writing Exercise assignment that I had an extension on.
Is this fulfilling me?
Possibly not so much at a personal level but it's a requirement to pass the paper. The satisfaction will come at the completion of the exercise (I need to hand it in Friday morning).
What am I busy at?
I want to go and have dinner with PianoMan.
Is this fulfilling me?
A want as opposed to a necessity, but spending time with PianoMan fulfils a need I have for connectivity, to feel that I am special and I matter - not to mention the man is incredibly sexy and I luff him a lot. I could can it, but I really don't want to.
What am I busy at?
I need to work on my plans for the classes I am teaching this semester.
Is this fulfilling me?
On multiple levels - it's finally making that connection within the classroom with the students, getting a chance to do what I have been trained to do. It's more personally fulfilling than the assignment that is due.
What am I busy at?
Tomorrow night I will be having dinner with friends I haven't seen in a while.
Is this fulfilling me?
Right now it seems like the one thing that could be culled but I worry I'd regret it. It's with friends, two of whom I haven't seen in years (emphasis on plural years), not likely to happen again any time soon as one is seven months pregnant.
I'm horrendously busy (and also completely knackered from a nightmare shift at work last night) but it's all relevant.
Damnit!
The things that keep you busy - are they the things that fulfil you? Let me know in the comments.
-Oprah Winfrey
While not strictly an author (although I hope that she does personally write articles attributed to her in O magazine), this quote by the quintessential Lady O struck a chord with me this week. Am I busy? Yes I am. How busy am I? Very. My Facebook status currently tells of how overwhelmed I am currently feeling. That's all surface stuff though... the important questions to be answered require someone to dive deeper.
What am I busy at?
I am at this very point in time writing a blog article.
Is this fulfilling me?
Yes, I find it a great way of communicating with others. I find it a good way to maintain my writing skills. I find writing blog articles relaxing and a good stress release after what has been a very stressful twenty-four hours.
What am I busy at?
I need to finish a Writing Exercise assignment that I had an extension on.
Is this fulfilling me?
Possibly not so much at a personal level but it's a requirement to pass the paper. The satisfaction will come at the completion of the exercise (I need to hand it in Friday morning).
What am I busy at?
I want to go and have dinner with PianoMan.
Is this fulfilling me?
A want as opposed to a necessity, but spending time with PianoMan fulfils a need I have for connectivity, to feel that I am special and I matter - not to mention the man is incredibly sexy and I luff him a lot. I could can it, but I really don't want to.
What am I busy at?
I need to work on my plans for the classes I am teaching this semester.
Is this fulfilling me?
On multiple levels - it's finally making that connection within the classroom with the students, getting a chance to do what I have been trained to do. It's more personally fulfilling than the assignment that is due.
What am I busy at?
Tomorrow night I will be having dinner with friends I haven't seen in a while.
Is this fulfilling me?
Right now it seems like the one thing that could be culled but I worry I'd regret it. It's with friends, two of whom I haven't seen in years (emphasis on plural years), not likely to happen again any time soon as one is seven months pregnant.
I'm horrendously busy (and also completely knackered from a nightmare shift at work last night) but it's all relevant.
Damnit!
The things that keep you busy - are they the things that fulfil you? Let me know in the comments.
Laugh my ass off... or a girl can dream :D
Off tonight to watch a comedy show - I bought the tickets and gave them to PianoMan as a little celebratory gift last week. The weather here is absolutely miserable and I'm flicking between looking glam and being warm... it's a hard decision :D I think I'm going for the layered look - it'll be a little too cold for heading to and from the car but I have the ability to shed layers in the theatre. It's so hard to get it right these days... and my only super warm coat I have is at PianoMan's house... not entirely with the program yet. It can get really annoying being bihousal.
First day back at school was fantastic but I'm wondering how I'm going to manage getting all my planning in order, complete the assignment still outstanding and also sleep this week. Lots of planning and less frivolous net time... but I love my frivolous net time. You'll have to excuse me if my posts are a little short and sweet this week... some time is needed to get my life back in order. Anyone else feeling guilty for their online time this week? Let me know in the comments.
First day back at school was fantastic but I'm wondering how I'm going to manage getting all my planning in order, complete the assignment still outstanding and also sleep this week. Lots of planning and less frivolous net time... but I love my frivolous net time. You'll have to excuse me if my posts are a little short and sweet this week... some time is needed to get my life back in order. Anyone else feeling guilty for their online time this week? Let me know in the comments.
Sunday Afternoon Reads: "Strawberry Fields" by Katie Flynn
When I hear about the Sallies (or the members of the church of The Salvation Army), I think of food parcels and op-shops - thrift stores for those who don't speak Kiwi. I didn't really know much more about them than that. I picked up a book with two girls in period attire on the front cover, knowing that I love historical fiction. What surprised me about Strawberry Fields was the key role that The Salvation Army played in the story.
Set in early 20th century Britain and Ireland, the story follows a "Crash"-type structure, where seemingly unrelated lives become this interwoven intricate puzzle the further the story progresses. There is Sara Cordwainer, born to privilege and loveless parents; there is her beloved nanny. Brogan and his father work in the railyards, sending money back to their family back in Ireland. There are the Carbery girls who lead lives of hardship and the one who gets away from it all - but will she find out about her past?
Strawberry Fields is the home for children established in the novel by the Salvation Army; it, and the religious denomination, play a key role in most of the characters lives. I love when stories have an overarching motif and I found the explanations of the philosophy of The Salvation Army, plus the description of the work they do in their communities, really interesting. I'm a strong believer that charity starts at home and this ties in with the "Sallies" philosophy.
The novel does come across a bit chick-lit in places but brings enough grit into it that it does make you think. The characters do go through some rough periods but you are still left thinking that some characters, including Sara, do lead a little bit of a charmed life. It's "when things are good, they are very very good, and when they are bad, they are horrid". A good read for under a blanket on a raining, stormy weekend.
3.5 stars out of 5.
Set in early 20th century Britain and Ireland, the story follows a "Crash"-type structure, where seemingly unrelated lives become this interwoven intricate puzzle the further the story progresses. There is Sara Cordwainer, born to privilege and loveless parents; there is her beloved nanny. Brogan and his father work in the railyards, sending money back to their family back in Ireland. There are the Carbery girls who lead lives of hardship and the one who gets away from it all - but will she find out about her past?
Strawberry Fields is the home for children established in the novel by the Salvation Army; it, and the religious denomination, play a key role in most of the characters lives. I love when stories have an overarching motif and I found the explanations of the philosophy of The Salvation Army, plus the description of the work they do in their communities, really interesting. I'm a strong believer that charity starts at home and this ties in with the "Sallies" philosophy.
The novel does come across a bit chick-lit in places but brings enough grit into it that it does make you think. The characters do go through some rough periods but you are still left thinking that some characters, including Sara, do lead a little bit of a charmed life. It's "when things are good, they are very very good, and when they are bad, they are horrid". A good read for under a blanket on a raining, stormy weekend.
3.5 stars out of 5.
Back in some semblance...
My general view of the world Monday morning. I had a cough over the weekend but PianoMan was far sicker than I was and I just wrote it off... until I tried to work on my assignment Sunday afternoon. In the words of Scooby-Doo - "ruh-roh!"
Not a huge amount of memories of Monday... PianoMan returned the favour and hauled my decrepit carcass to the GP. Bless his little (also ill) cotton socks, he returned me to the car and got my prescription filled, bought my groceries and was generally a superhuman. He's soooo a keeper - especially when he still wants to kiss me after my description of my cat-like vomiting (you know how they get all shaky and convulsive... LOL TMI!). Diagnosis is virus + chest infection with the added bonus of cold-related asthma. Yes, asthma... which I may have had when I was about nine... what is it with me getting childhood illnesses this year?
Anyway, this has put a significant dent in my life. I've had to get extensions for two of my assignments, cancel the planning meetings I had with the teachers at my practice school this week, take leave from work and miss an entire week of university. I've missed almost a week's worth of blog posting - thanks guys, for sticking around anyway - and PianoMan and I had to cancel our plans to celebrate two months of being in each others' lives... no fancy restaurants for us, just keeping warm on the couch. We did have a good time anyway - eating a fantastic "pity meal" made for us by PMs mum and exchanging gifts - comedy tickets for him, feijoa cake for her (Lord knows, I love me some feijoa).
I'll be making every effort to get back on track with everything - including this blog - in the next week or so. Hope that you Scribblettes are in good health - keep up the fluids!
Not a huge amount of memories of Monday... PianoMan returned the favour and hauled my decrepit carcass to the GP. Bless his little (also ill) cotton socks, he returned me to the car and got my prescription filled, bought my groceries and was generally a superhuman. He's soooo a keeper - especially when he still wants to kiss me after my description of my cat-like vomiting (you know how they get all shaky and convulsive... LOL TMI!). Diagnosis is virus + chest infection with the added bonus of cold-related asthma. Yes, asthma... which I may have had when I was about nine... what is it with me getting childhood illnesses this year?
Anyway, this has put a significant dent in my life. I've had to get extensions for two of my assignments, cancel the planning meetings I had with the teachers at my practice school this week, take leave from work and miss an entire week of university. I've missed almost a week's worth of blog posting - thanks guys, for sticking around anyway - and PianoMan and I had to cancel our plans to celebrate two months of being in each others' lives... no fancy restaurants for us, just keeping warm on the couch. We did have a good time anyway - eating a fantastic "pity meal" made for us by PMs mum and exchanging gifts - comedy tickets for him, feijoa cake for her (Lord knows, I love me some feijoa).
I'll be making every effort to get back on track with everything - including this blog - in the next week or so. Hope that you Scribblettes are in good health - keep up the fluids!
This blog has been quarantined...
I'm very sick with the flu (although yet to make buddies with my white porcelain friend this morning) and am having difficulties staying upright for more than 5 minutes. On top of the flu I seem to have had a resurgence of asthma so I am not a happy chappy. Please bear with me and I will be back in about a week with the top quality content you have come to expect.
Kind regards,
ScribblesNZ
Kind regards,
ScribblesNZ
Quiet Day...
Usually Friday updates don't come until later in the day as I have a morning class... today, I am not there. Yesterday and today I have had a scratchy throat and I can quite frankly do without the glares from fellow classmates that think I have the swine flu.
The furore over the swine flu is bugging me. In one of my previous incarnations I worked as a medical receptionist and learnt quite a lot about infectious diseases. You want a freaky scary disease - try malaria... try yellow fever... try rabies, for goodness sake. Yes, people are dying of swine flu but people also die of ordinary flu all the time. The very young, the very old and the infirm are always the first to go... it sounds harsh but it's true.
On the bright side of the coin, which is the side I wish to dwell on, PianoMan and I have booked our flights and accomodation for our Christchurch holiday - we're so excited. It would have been great to go to Sydney but we wouldn't want to shorten our holiday to work in with his work's current leave conditions. We're going to be typical tourists - we plan on going on the Christchurch Gondola, a tram tour, punting on the Avon River and the boy is really keen to go to Akaroa (as am I, I felt like I didn't get to enjoy it as much as summer with the perishing heat). It feels exciting to be planning our first couple holiday - I know it's early but I can't think of anyone I'd rather go on holiday with.
Better go and rest and keep my fluids up... may you stay cold and flu free my Scribblettes.
The furore over the swine flu is bugging me. In one of my previous incarnations I worked as a medical receptionist and learnt quite a lot about infectious diseases. You want a freaky scary disease - try malaria... try yellow fever... try rabies, for goodness sake. Yes, people are dying of swine flu but people also die of ordinary flu all the time. The very young, the very old and the infirm are always the first to go... it sounds harsh but it's true.
On the bright side of the coin, which is the side I wish to dwell on, PianoMan and I have booked our flights and accomodation for our Christchurch holiday - we're so excited. It would have been great to go to Sydney but we wouldn't want to shorten our holiday to work in with his work's current leave conditions. We're going to be typical tourists - we plan on going on the Christchurch Gondola, a tram tour, punting on the Avon River and the boy is really keen to go to Akaroa (as am I, I felt like I didn't get to enjoy it as much as summer with the perishing heat). It feels exciting to be planning our first couple holiday - I know it's early but I can't think of anyone I'd rather go on holiday with.
Better go and rest and keep my fluids up... may you stay cold and flu free my Scribblettes.
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