Aggh it's 1.02 am and I am still up! Mr C is watching Gladiator - it's near the end now. I have been messing about with the computer. Somehow, Excel has disappeared! It's really weird. The rest of Office is fine. If anyone has any ideas about what could have happened, please let me know!
Anyway, I hope you enjoy the new layout (all of my thousands of readers!), and hope you had a good Christmas or Hanukah or Yuletide or holiday as applicable.
Saturday, December 31, 2005
Tuesday, December 20, 2005
Gingerbread Haus
Here is our gingerbread Haus which we made last weekend. Mr C's colleague had a gingerbread house making party. Lots of people in a small flat had fun making the houses. Some people also expanded into small village buildings. We also enjoyed eating Margaret's delicious pasta. Here is the other side of the house:
Apparantly making gingerbread houses is a German tradition. They're usually broken up and eating on boxing day - I think that's right. Ours is still intact, although we have been eating the occasional sweet off the top. I'm not sure how long it will last.
Saturday, December 10, 2005
Tete a Tete
I finally managed to attend a Tete a Tete session at CCJ on Tuesday. I have been very remiss in not attending any before. My excuse is that I don't live in London, and they're held on a Tuesday evening, so it can be difficult to get there. This week, we had a committee meeting beforehand, so I went and combined the two. I was late leaving work because I got asked questions at the last minute, even as I was walking out of the office in my coat, and consequently missed the train I was aiming for. I was going to be late even if I had got the train, so I wasn't sure whether to go or not, but phoned Louise, and decided to go and stay for Tete a Tete.
On the way to CCJ I managed to slip over on Victoria Station (should I sue?!) and now have some great bruises, to go with the one still on my hand from the CAT scan drip. Nice. I was already cross due to (a) being late, and (b) having to queue to exchange my ticket bought on the train for a Travelcard, so (c) falling over was the final straw. Anyway, I made it in the end, for about 15 minutes of the meeting!
Glad I went though as T a T was good. We were talking about taking texts out of context. We looked at a variety of text including one by Roland Barthes, one from Isaiah, one from Mark's Gospel and a parody addressed to Jerry Falwell. Bizarre mix, but all good for the brain. It's really easy to let your brain go rusty, as it were. Although I do have to think about things in my work, it's not the same kind of thinking as the sort of thinking we were doing on Tuesday night, which was of a more philosophical nature I suppose. In a way I think I prefer that kind rather than the day to day kind, which seems more complex. I suppose this is because at work I'm dealing with real people rather than concepts or ideas, and people are unpredicatable and complicated in way that even the most complex idea isn't. Am I making sense? I do wonder.
This week at work was not so good. Mainly because of one incident, which I am doubtless overreacting to. Sometimes one bad thing just overshadows everything else and weighs me down. Basically I was told I should do something, did it, and then was criticised (by someone other than the person who told me to do it) for doing it and for how I'd done it. It wasn't major, but it just reinforced my opinion that I am bad at my job. My lovely team were sympathetic and agreed that you can't do anything without your head being bitten off by someone or other. The place is a hive of mis-communication. I am trying to address my part in the hive, and it's hard work. So, Wednesday night I was not happy, and was still not happy on Thursday morning. It's unusual for bad mood to carry over to the next day. Thursday was better though, and then it was Friday (no way!), and now it's the weekend...but I have a feeling Monday will involve more (mis/non)communication-related stress. It's not my fault I tell you! (But sometimes I feel like it is).
On the way to CCJ I managed to slip over on Victoria Station (should I sue?!) and now have some great bruises, to go with the one still on my hand from the CAT scan drip. Nice. I was already cross due to (a) being late, and (b) having to queue to exchange my ticket bought on the train for a Travelcard, so (c) falling over was the final straw. Anyway, I made it in the end, for about 15 minutes of the meeting!
Glad I went though as T a T was good. We were talking about taking texts out of context. We looked at a variety of text including one by Roland Barthes, one from Isaiah, one from Mark's Gospel and a parody addressed to Jerry Falwell. Bizarre mix, but all good for the brain. It's really easy to let your brain go rusty, as it were. Although I do have to think about things in my work, it's not the same kind of thinking as the sort of thinking we were doing on Tuesday night, which was of a more philosophical nature I suppose. In a way I think I prefer that kind rather than the day to day kind, which seems more complex. I suppose this is because at work I'm dealing with real people rather than concepts or ideas, and people are unpredicatable and complicated in way that even the most complex idea isn't. Am I making sense? I do wonder.
This week at work was not so good. Mainly because of one incident, which I am doubtless overreacting to. Sometimes one bad thing just overshadows everything else and weighs me down. Basically I was told I should do something, did it, and then was criticised (by someone other than the person who told me to do it) for doing it and for how I'd done it. It wasn't major, but it just reinforced my opinion that I am bad at my job. My lovely team were sympathetic and agreed that you can't do anything without your head being bitten off by someone or other. The place is a hive of mis-communication. I am trying to address my part in the hive, and it's hard work. So, Wednesday night I was not happy, and was still not happy on Thursday morning. It's unusual for bad mood to carry over to the next day. Thursday was better though, and then it was Friday (no way!), and now it's the weekend...but I have a feeling Monday will involve more (mis/non)communication-related stress. It's not my fault I tell you! (But sometimes I feel like it is).
Happy Birthday Miffy!
This year is Miffy's 50th birthday! There is a good exhibition on at the museum in town at the moment. It's really interesting to see how Dick Bruna created (and creates) the Miffy books. She even has her own website now - click here to view.
Sunday, December 04, 2005
That book again
I've finished reading The Time Traveler's Wife now. It was beautifully written and incredibly sad. Like the reviewer below, I've been crying about it even when I haven't been reading the book. I really recommend it. Go and read it if you haven't already.
Anyway, here's a review from Michael Farrelly of Bookslut, that says it all.
Anyway, here's a review from Michael Farrelly of Bookslut, that says it all.
Friday, December 02, 2005
Haunted by a book
I'm being haunted by The Time Traveler's Wife at the moment. By that I mean I keep thinking like the characters, and lines from it keep going through my head. It's a lovely book. It's made me cry about ten times already, and I haven't got to the end yet. This can be slightly inconvenient when on the train to work! Definitely recommended. The book that is, not crying*.
*Actually, in some cases this is recommended, for reasons of catharsis und so weiter (as Henry would say).
CAT scan
Today didn't begin very well. I used Mr C's keys to open the door and left them in the lock as we went out. Not knowing this, and thinking I had taken them out, Mr C shut the door, locking us out. I had my keys with me but obviously they wouldn't work as the other keys were still in the lock on the other side. So, panic ensued, but I had to go to catch the train. Mr C waited til the estate agents opened and got a spare set of keys and got in through the back door and all was well.
Meanwhile, I got the train, which then became very delayed, and I missed my slot for my CT scan. I had to go and have a CT scan because the consultant hasn't been able to see my replacement valve very well on the echocardiograms I've been having. This is because of the position of my heart/the valve I think. At first she sent me for an MRI scan, but this was not a success - see previous entry. So, she scheduled the CT scan for today. Anyway, they fitted me in. My pulse was a bit fast (probably due to me being scared), so I had half a sedative, and then went for the Echo while it kicked in. Then I went back to the CT scanning place.
The CT scan is a lot better and less scary than an MRI scan. I probably would have been fine and not fussed at all, apart from the fact that I had to have a drip in my hand through which they injected dye to show up the arteries and vessels. I hate needles. It wasn't pretty. The consultant radiographer (who put in the drip) was great and just told me to stop whinging. I'm serious about him being great by the way! It took two attempts to get the drip in - I have very small and uncooperative veins. Anyway, the scan itself was fine, although my hand hurt and I was still scared, but I could see the radiographers in their little room, so that made me feel more reassured. They got some could pictures, which was the main thing.
After the scan, I went to see the consultant. It was my last appointment with her, as she is retiring at Christmas. She was pleased with the pictures. They show that the valve is narrowing slightly, but it's not bad enough to need treatment at the moment. I will just go for yearly appointments again now, and have it kept an eye on. She said I'm ok to go on long haul flights, which was a relief - thought I'd better check before the honeymoon!
After I'd finished at the hospital, I went back into London. I had an appointment with a student from UCL, who is doing a study about how people with long term medical conditions cope (or not), and why some people cope better than others. The study is focussing on people with Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia (PCD), which I have. It was interesting to take part in the study. Basically I just had to be interviewed about how having PCD may have affected my life, and the lives of my family. I'm not sure how representative I am, as my symptoms are not very severe now. They were more so when I was a child, so I was able to talk about how it affected my childhood. Because I have/had other medical conditions, such as the 'heart thing' it was tricky to separate out the effects of the PCD as opposed to anything else. Hopefully I was of some use.
The train on the way back was also delayed. I am very tired from everything today.
Meanwhile, I got the train, which then became very delayed, and I missed my slot for my CT scan. I had to go and have a CT scan because the consultant hasn't been able to see my replacement valve very well on the echocardiograms I've been having. This is because of the position of my heart/the valve I think. At first she sent me for an MRI scan, but this was not a success - see previous entry. So, she scheduled the CT scan for today. Anyway, they fitted me in. My pulse was a bit fast (probably due to me being scared), so I had half a sedative, and then went for the Echo while it kicked in. Then I went back to the CT scanning place.
The CT scan is a lot better and less scary than an MRI scan. I probably would have been fine and not fussed at all, apart from the fact that I had to have a drip in my hand through which they injected dye to show up the arteries and vessels. I hate needles. It wasn't pretty. The consultant radiographer (who put in the drip) was great and just told me to stop whinging. I'm serious about him being great by the way! It took two attempts to get the drip in - I have very small and uncooperative veins. Anyway, the scan itself was fine, although my hand hurt and I was still scared, but I could see the radiographers in their little room, so that made me feel more reassured. They got some could pictures, which was the main thing.
After the scan, I went to see the consultant. It was my last appointment with her, as she is retiring at Christmas. She was pleased with the pictures. They show that the valve is narrowing slightly, but it's not bad enough to need treatment at the moment. I will just go for yearly appointments again now, and have it kept an eye on. She said I'm ok to go on long haul flights, which was a relief - thought I'd better check before the honeymoon!
After I'd finished at the hospital, I went back into London. I had an appointment with a student from UCL, who is doing a study about how people with long term medical conditions cope (or not), and why some people cope better than others. The study is focussing on people with Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia (PCD), which I have. It was interesting to take part in the study. Basically I just had to be interviewed about how having PCD may have affected my life, and the lives of my family. I'm not sure how representative I am, as my symptoms are not very severe now. They were more so when I was a child, so I was able to talk about how it affected my childhood. Because I have/had other medical conditions, such as the 'heart thing' it was tricky to separate out the effects of the PCD as opposed to anything else. Hopefully I was of some use.
The train on the way back was also delayed. I am very tired from everything today.
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