October 2004

One of the nice things about interacting with other parents is seeing that I am not the only one to do things or think things and often quite odd things. I was somewhat relieved to hear a mum say the other day that she has to be sure to get out of the house and talk to other people rather than just to herself all day.

When at home I talk to Foozley or the dog when I talk out loud but much of the day is taken with fairly odd conversations that go on entirely in my head. Happily I have not started hearing voices back so that’s a good sign. All the same such conversations tend to lead you to all sorts of strange places and doing something to slow them down is a good thing.

Lesson for the day - mental loves company.

Today we went to Danny’s first birthday and it was a lovely afternoon. Although Foozley started the day grumpy he was most agreeable all afternoon and played with his cousins and others.

It was the prefect day for an afternoon in the backyard, sunny and warm but so too much of each. I admit I am superficial but I couldn’t ask for more.

Lesson for the day - it is a rare day I am not asking for more.

I needed to pop into the supermarket on the way to Jen’s this morning and it just didn’t seem that I would need a trolley or his pusher. And it is not like is getting massively heavier at the moment, actually his weight is as good as constant.

Having said all of that I was clearly right out of my mind. By the time I got back to the car I thought my arm was going to drop off. While I am in no hurry for him to walk generally there are times when it would be nice.

Lesson for the day - it is ok to wish for different things are different times.

Some of the playgroup mums meet in a local park on Fridays when the weather is nice but yesterday it looked like today would not be one of those days. But I Jen, one of the mums, last night at committee and she invited Foozley and I over for a coffee in place of play in the park.

So off we went after the needles attacked him this morning. There were a couple of other mums and their kids there so it was like a mini-playgroup which was all good. Her kids have a wooden railway set on a purpose built table which was just too groovy. Quite aside from Foozley I thought I would like one but then that’s just me.

Lesson for the day - it is nice to go where freaks are normally not invited.

I just heard from one of my group members at uni that we got a High Distinction for the video and debate that we did. While I was not personally after this mark I do know that half the group wanted a HD so this is good.

I would hate to be known as the one who railroaded the thing and then we ended up with a less-than-ideal mark.

Lesson for the day - if you’re going to be unpopular it helps to be effective.

I heard love can fall so hard, it can bury a kingdom
I heard it makes the spring appear out of season
It’s a storm in a shadowbox, a force to be reckoned with,
When it finds you and find you, it will.

Dar Williams

Lesson for the day - the tune is terribly pretty also.

Well I took that assignment to uni and did about another eight minutes of work on it. I read it through and fixed the really glaring errors and typos and what ones I spotted. And I was all worried for about thirty seconds because I have not seen the mark for my second assignment so I was not sure precisely how blase I could feel about this one.

But then I got over it, send that puppy to the printer, and then handed it in.

For me at least the academic year is over.

Lesson for the day - I am so sick of assignments.

I went looking for a copy of Only You Can Stay The Same today and as it happens I don’t have one. Not on paper, not on file, nothing.

So if you happen to still have a copy as a pdf or something could you please send it to me, it would be much appreciated.

Lesson for the day - being forgetful is not all it’s cracked up to be.

Having lunch with Leonie she was telling me that she had to address some association at 6pm on a Friday before the audience get to have dinner and drinks. These are not pre-dinner remarks, this is an hour long presentation.

Lesson for the day - better her than me.

One way or another I am going to finish the wretched assignment today. I have written eighteen hundred of the thirteen hundred words and have another two sections to go. Now I really just need to go though each section and make sure it has something that could charitably be described as answering the criteria.

That might take an hour or so. And then I’ll drive to uni for the print and submit bit.

And then I am done for this year. I’ll make another trip to uni in a month or so to see what my various marks were for these assignments but that’s no hardship.

Lesson for the day - it’s nice to be at the end of the tunnel even if there is no light as such.