Time Management

Some of my male colleagues have a problem with time management. It is all too common to witness them leaving the gents, still doing up buttons/zips/belts and rearranging themselves. Gents, I know you lead busy lives and that at times there just aren't enough hours in the day but it would take seconds to put yourselves right before exiting the toilets.

Blowing a fuse

On Saturday night the bulb blew in one of the bedside lamps and caused the fuse to go in the process. So yesterday we went into an electrical shop looking for fuses. We ended up spending half an hour playing on a keyboard but settled for an ice-cream machine instead. We found the same model of keyboard for half the price on Ebay. It's being delivered tomorrow. (For years I had keyboard lessions when I was a kid and have been wanting to get back into it for a while - I was never very good but I enjoy making a noise). And the ice-cream is delicious.

Wild life

The day started at about 5 this morning when we each realised that we were both wide awake and things rapidly descended into a state of giggles. Yet today was one of those days when a good nights sleep would have been the preferred preparation - we had three of the grandkids for the day, ages 3, 4 and 6. The idea was that we'd take them out into the country, feed the ducks and run around to expel some energy and the wife spent the morning putting together a yummy picnic. Of course the kids had already had a McDonald's by the time they arrived so weren't interested in lunch but they enjoyed the rest of it. For me the highlight had to be the 6 year old saying "wow, I've never seen a horse in real life before" as we stepped aside to let two horses pass. I don't think their parents ever take them anywhere yet we had travelled less than 10 minutes out of town. They, and I, had a great time - there is something special about doing this sort of thing.

I did have to bow out early however to get my hair chopped - I only go when I have to so I've been cropped and the draft around the back of my neck is strangely enjoyable. And me being the fool I am arranged all of this despite Scotlands last match in the Autumn tests being on this afternoon - fortunately the Aussies beat us, otherwise I might have been upset. Phew, is it bedtime yet.

Gibbering Gibberish

This afternoon my motivation for work is promotion. One day I want my own office where I don't have to sit listening to people spending hours on the phone gibbering gibberish. Any minute now I'm going to lose it. Just shut the f... ahhh it has! And a peace descended on the office. For now.

Broken Things

I know I keep going on about her, but she's brilliant and I've just discovered an old Juliet Turner video on YouTube. The song is actually called Broken Things and she performed it at the Memorial service after the Omagh bombing in 1998. This is Juliet at her best - just her and her guitar.

Hear more of her here and here.

Itchy and Scratchy

The Grandkid has got headlice! I only discovered this after spending time with her sat on my knee, playing computer games. Now I can't stop scratching. The wife and I have been inspecting each others heads and can't see anything but I'm still feeling itchy. I spent last night getting nudged if I dared stray too close to the wifes pillow then I turned over this morning and wrapped myself around her, only to be told "I hope your head's not too close". The kid was supposed to be staying with us tonight but she won't sleep on her own, she has to sleep with her nan. Her nan isn't having any of it and is now feeling guilty for rejecting her own grandchild! I on the other hand am going to book a hair appointment - I'm going short.

The Grey Train Robbery

I couldn't help but laugh when I saw this story and the cctv image of the criminals involved. Thankfully they came forward and gave themselves up to police. But why is it that when our town makes the news it's for something that makes the locals look stupid?

The Real Reason

Last week at work I felt like I was constantly banging my head against a brick wall. Just when I think I've got the methodology sorted it all goes wrong again. I wasn't sure if it was something I was doing wrong and that it should be working or if it was just one of those things that goes wrong in every lab on a regular basis. Then I got to talk to some people affected by the disease I'm working on and who took a real interest in me and my work. That followed by a couple of days training and I'm now convinced that I can get the experiment to work, get some useful results and hopefully do something to make a difference. It doesn't have to be a big difference, just move things forward a bit.

Sometimes it is very easy to become engrossed in the small tubes of colourless liquids that I play with all day in the lab and forget about the human side of the disease. Meeting those people was just the motivation I need right now.

Edinburgh

We had a great time in Edinburgh last weekend, so nice to escape and get some time to ourselves. We wandered around the city, dodging the rain (who said it doesn't always rain in Scotland, twice we've been up this year and both times we got wet), andseeing the sights. The food was good, the wine was good and the hotel was perfectly positioned, right beside the Scott Monument with views of the Castle in one direction and Arthur's Seat in the other.

The Castle at night taken from our hotel room.

The Castle from Princes Street Gardens

The Ross Fountain and Castle in Princes Street Gardens

The Scott Monument (and the corner of Jenners - my Granny's favourite shop)

Travels

I compromised and watched the first half of This Life and just managed to get up early this morning. This morning just reiterated why I don't normally bother trying to get to work too early - I left the house 45 mins earlier than the day before and got to work just 15 minutes earlier, with the amount of traffic those extra few minutes just ain't worth the hassle.

But, just one more working day this week before I'm off to a conference. It's only one day so the wife is coming with me and we're having a long weekend in Edinburgh. It's a city I love, my Grandmother lived there all her life and I have many childhood memories of the place. It's also the first time in two years that the wife and I are going to get some time away for just the pair of us. So, although I'm having to present on Friday I'm actually really looking forward to the trip.

Bloody Typical

In the space of half an hour today I found out that This Life is on late tonight and that I have to be at work early in the morning. Normally I wouldn't worry but I was told that the early meeting had already been put back by half an hour to allow me to be 'fully functioning'!

So, do I stay up and watch it and suffer the consequences tomorrow (I'm an eight hours a night girl) or do I splash out on the DVD boxed set? It has to be one or the other since the BBC put it into my head that I have to see all episodes again before the reunion episode.

One of those days

I thought Sunday was supposed to be a day of rest! After a morning spent cleaning and washing it was off to a grandkids birthday party where I made the mistake of sitting on the floor (I was trying to be polite and let the other big people have the chairs). Of course once one of the little people discovered that it was fun to jump on me and launch a balloon attack they all decided it was fun. Then it was back home to finish off the crap I didn't get chance to do at work last week.

The best bit of today? Hearing that the wifes son told her that I'm part of the family. I was always worried that being virtually the same age as the wifes kids and moving in just as they moved out, that they might have a problem with me. It's good to have this adopted family, I've been made to feel welcome and really do feel like part of the family. And even if they do inflict pain at times, I adore all of the grandkids (and the kids aren't too bad either)!