Finished school on Friday - and as usual, managed to pick up a nasty cold from those bug-infested children. By Friday I had no voice at all - which was interesting! FACT: If you whisper at children, they will whisper back!! Actually this worked with the staff too! We were all doing hand signals all day!

We took the kids to the pantomime on Thursday - an unknown thing to the non-Brits, but it was very enjoyable. Basically its a comedy fairy tale usually(Jack and the Beanstalk this time) where the main character, the Dame, is a man dressed up as a woman. The lead young man, the Principal Boy is a girl and the jokes are usually VERY corny! The audience joins in a lot ("Oh no it doesn't! Oh yes it does!...BEHIND YOU!!) and is it great fun. Despite coughing my way through it, I loved it. Apart from our 200 or so kids, there were about 100 old folks, who actually really liked having the kids there. Pantomimes aren't much fun if no one joins in, so our children shouting along really helped.

Anyway, by Friday night and the staff Christmas do, my voice had some alcoholic lubrication, and I was able to croak at people. Sadly no one got that drunk and the Michael Jackson tribute band had us all sniggering. Now, just Christmas to survive...

I've had a rather nice BMW 318i while my Mini is in the garage for re-sprayed bonnet and door repairs, and I think I am changing personality! I feel the urge to zoom up behind people and drive in a really intimidating manner. I am inclined to cut people up and overtake on the inside...yes, I am becoming a BMW driver!! Thank goodness I am getting my Mini back tomorrow! (Although I do rather like the 150bhp engine in this car... should have bought the Mini Cooper..)

It's been Christmas play time at school the last few days, and despite a lot of rushing around, it is always fun. We had all 300 or so kids involved, and its quite heart warming to see them all singing their little hearts out. I'm a bit of a "bah, humbug" person when it comes to Christmas, but I must admit it is a nice time in primary schools. We had a serious discussion about the existance of Santa this afternoon while sewing some Chistmas tree decorations.

My kids are 8/9 and at the age where they aren't quite sure whether he's real. One girl said that he *must* be real because her mum couldn't possibly afford to buy so many presents. The kids have no idea how much debt their parents get into.

Well, my student Liz finished today, and generally speaking she did great. She's back after Easter, so I can nag at her more then.
I spent today with a couple of guys who were setting up the server at school - which was actually great cos I want to learn more about networks, but I did get lost a few times. :)

I now have to actually TEACH again next week!! Arrgh! I think I've forgotten how....! "Erm OK children, today we are going to do some...colouring!"

Sadly nothing dramatic to report on my student. She has calmed her voice down a bit and is doing fine - although not perfect. However, having some real old witches when I was a student, I ended up re-writing my lesson observation on her as I was being too picky I thought.

Todays big beef has been about DELL computers! They have the customer service expertise of an elderly hamster!! After getting 16 new PCs from them about 6 weeks back with the wrong operating system and not the software we wanted, I had a good rant. I had a long discussion with the supervisor of the complete idiot who is the education sales advisor and *thought* all would be better with DELL. They are an official recommened supplier to Coventry schools.

Anyway, talked the head into splashin out for a file server for the school network, but I kept out of it - having had arguments on the phone with this guy.
Anyway, the server arrives, we book in someone to install in next week(good timing as the student is in my class so I can see how the network operates.) Anyway, on unpacking the "server" today, I find that its a bog standard WindowsXP PC with none of the software that was supposed to be on it. Meanwhile the total prat at DELL has gone on holiday til Dec 9th!

Incompetance in people who you rely on to do your job is VERY annoying! So, while DELL are great computers, for God's sake do NOT try buying direct from them! (Well certainly not from the Education sales team!)

And on top of all that I have a sore throat.....boo hoo! (I hope you're feeling sorry for me by now :)

I am feeling rather guilty right now - basically it's Friday night and I don't feel I've really worked this week! My student Liz is rather disgustingly good! Consequently I've done about an hours teaching this week!

Today I had a bloke round to measure up for double glazing so went into school about 11am, then dashed off at 3.30 to see a fellow teacher's new baby (very cute incidentally!) and then a swim, but that usual Friday feeling - totally knackered but thank God it's the weekend - just wasn't there!

Ah well...Ready to cheer on England in the Rugby tomorrow :)

I hadn't said this as it was too painful, but I managed to dent my beloved new Mini last Friday - those damn gales and the HUGE Mini doors blew me into someone's wing mirror!! I was so upset I couldn't concentrate on Matrix Re-whatever! Its only a small one inch dent, but I was so annoyed with myself, the weather and life in general! Booked it in for the bonnet re-spray(there were dark patches when I got it) and a repair on the door, so will soon be perfect again, and I will have to be more careful!

What was that line from The Italian Job about blowing the doors off again???!!

Well the end of my student teacher's first week - although with various things happening she didn't do too much teaching! Honestly, what's the point in having a student if you can't put your feet up!!!

I am pretty relieved as she is actually pretty good - very organised and confident. However, I think she might have been watching me a bit too much this week as she is NEARLY as sarcastic as me with the children! They always tell you at college not to do that sort of thing, but it is very hard.

She does have the slightly annoying habit of ALWAYS TALKING VERY LOUDLY AND AT ONE VOLUME AND BEING RATHER STRIDENT. It's given me a bit of a headache and I've been in the next room. I'll try to think of a subtle way to get her to vary it a bit next week.

In many ways teaching is like acting - you HAVE to keep the childrens interest and attention, and your delivery is pretty crucial. I tend to perform a bit I think (try to get a few jokes in etc) to make up for the fact that I don't know what I'm on about at times. However, poor old students have to do loads of preparation - I remember it well! All those lesson plans...yuk! Whereas with your own class you tend to wing it a bit more - at least I do. I'm not a paperwork fan.

Anyway, I'll be doing some formal observations next week - *I* get to sit at the back and make notes!! Now then...how nasty shall I be????!

I have a student teacher starting next week - although apparently they must be called trainees now! She was in for a visit on Tuesday and then for the next 4 weeks.

I *hated* being a student teacher - it took me several years to get to like being an actual teacher! But it is very hard going into someone elses class and trying to establish yourself.

It's also quite hard having a student - us teachers are basically control freaks behind closed classroom doors, and having to stand back and let someone else take over is hard. You think you'll have all this free time to get stuff done, but almost never do. Still, she can't be much worse than my last student, a guy called Stacy(yes, a bloke!) who was totally useless. He did a whole lesson on how to work out the area of a rectangle by doing width times breadth!(For the ignorant, they both mean the same thing!)

Anyway, lets see how this Liz gets on....I'll keep you posted.

Well the half term holiday is nearly here. The kids finished today and we have a staff training day tomorrow. Trying to teach adults about computers is harder than teaching kids as several of them are slight techno phobes!

The girl with the pills is back and fine - with everyone keeping a close eye on her. However, some of the other kids have been playing drug pusher by passing around red tictacs in the playground!!

Its been assessment week this week - lots of tests for the kids, lots of marking for me! Still, they've done pretty well on the whole, which is a relief. Nothing more soul destroying that finding out you've been talking to 28 brick walls for 7 weeks!

Saturday is the Xenafest, and I'm looking forward to that. Should be a laugh.

This is turning into a bit of a school diary sorry, but had a disturbing incident yesterday.
A kid in my class came into school with a pocketful of pills! Caught her handing them out in the morning and marched her down to the deputy head. The little bleeder claimed to have picked them up in her garden and brought them in. She had 28 red pills, and my school is an a slightly rough area.
I had visions of some druggie dumping his stash over this girl's garden wall while on the run or something.
Anyway, after many, many lies later, her mother came in and took one look and realised they were her dad's antibiotics. The little devil had pinched them at the weeked, hidden them, told other kids she was bringing in tablets and then tried to give them to the others.
Thankfully the other children didn't take them, but she had, so had to be taken down to be checked out at the hospital.
We all rapidly did a discussion on the dangers of messing around with medicines with our children. I just kept imagining what could have happened if she or other kids had eaten some.(The girl did take at least 1, probably 2 herself) I mean 28 strong antibiotics could have killed her!

Anyway, to make the story even worse, we had a phone call from the hospital. They were keeping her in overnight to check her out, and were also concerned by the repeated lying she was doing - they wanted her to see a psychologist because they think she must be being bullied!!!!

It really annoys me how EVERYTHING kids do wrong is blamed on that, rather than a devious and sly little girl who was incredibly stupid and could have injured herself and other children.
Lets see if we get plastered over the front page of the papers now..

Had parents evening this week at school. I always quite enjoy meeting the parents - tells you an awful lot about the kids. The spoilt brat whose mummy complains there's too much homework and she doesn't have time to do it (I told her to *gasp* let her daughter actually do her homework herself...)

Then there are the thick-as-two-short-planks parents, whose offspring are often similarly blessed. Remember that kid who asked me how to spell ICT? Her mother listened to my explanation of how she was in a lower groups because she was struggling and needed the extra support then said, "so, she's doing alright then is she?"

Some other teachers had parents give them a lot of grief. Many parents just don't want to hear that their kid is less than brilliant. If they are struggling, they want to know how we can fix it. Some kids will never be geniuses but some mums and dads can't seem to accept it and keep wanting them to be up with the top groups.

However, the pest parents are only a small minority, and most people are fine. As long as their kids are happy, they are happy.
I've had a very long week - as well as 2 parents evenings, I've been setting up PCs in the school computer suite, and I think my brain has short circuited. Sick of the sight of keyboards....infact, I'm off to go watch some mindless rubbish on tele...

Splashed out on a shiny new laptop on Saturday - I love buying new toys!! I *do* have a newish laptop, but its through a laptops for teacher scheme, and so isn't really mine, and I've always felt a bit awkward about that. ie No point in really upgrading the memory etc. Plus that damn thing is so SLOOOOW!! A 1Ghz laptop should be OK, but it's always freezing up on me.

So, now I have a super slim Samsung, that is very pretty, and seems able to cope with my demands (plus it has a CD writer.) It's one of these new Centrino ones - which means I can use it with a wireless network - but don't have one. Ah well, thinking ahead...
Now, lets see how long before I become dissatisfied with this one...

Eat your heart out Gadget Queen!!

Doesn't time fly. Well sometimes anyway.

(a nice short and philisophical post!!!)

Never mind work stuff, I was really proud of my achievement this week - I managed to change my kitchen taps. Plumbers? Who needs them? (or can afford them!)

My brother showed me how to change a washer a while ago, and after the very irritaing dripping came back due to the rather corroded inside bits, I took the plunge, went down to B&Q and got these very nice lever tap things, managed to fit them, and haven't flooded the place yet! (Although if you don't hear from me in a while after water/electricity fries everything in the house, you can laugh..)

There is something very satisfying at managing to do something you never thought you could isn't there. Next week I build an extension, fit double glazing and re-wire the house!!

Slow on the old Blogger update again - sorry.

Back at work now - good old school! Despite all the moans, I actually enjoy teaching most of the time. I always enjoy the actual working with kids bit, its the marking and planning and meetings and all the rest that gets boring. Our head teacher does THE most boring assemblies in the history of schools I think! (And as a technophobe, is highly unlikely to read this thankfully!)

Funniest moment of last week, one of me "less able" pupils came up to me while we were giving out books. "Miss, how do you spell ICT?"

Honestly, what *do* they teach them in schools these days...

Well my visiting cat, Thomas is gone, much to the relief of my two scaredy cats! They have emerged from under the bed and behind the settee and seem totally delighted, purring their heads off!

Meanwhile, I had to contend with the macho "I'm doing front crawl and top speed and sid you" guys and the pool tonight. I'm still trying to find the optimum time to go to avoid either
a) Annoying muscle-y blokes
b) Women who don't want to ruin their hairdo
c) kids who make far too many splashes!

It's back to work for me tomorrow (groan) and lets see how long I keep up this fitness thing... I predict about 3 days! Tomorrow is a training day - all the teachers, no kids. A perfect school environment.

Can't believe how fast my holiday has gone! Us teachers just don't get enough time off... :D

I am doing some cleaning/decorating this week. I am possibly the LEAST houseproud person I know. I have been clearing the spare bedroom and my bedroom, and quite a lot of the stuff has just sat there for the last 9 years (since I moved in here.) Once of the remnants of living with family that never goes away is hoping that if you leave something long enough, someone else will tidy it up! Damn, wish those cats could work for their keep...

On the adopted cat front, Thomas is still ruling the roost here. He might be an OAP in cat terms but has started chasing my 2 off when he is in a grumpy mood or wants first bash at the cat food. He tried to wake me up the other day by sitting on the pillow and patting my face! After I kicked him across the room he might not try that again....I HATE having my sleep disturbed...

Well, I ordered my new car! Yes, a nice blue metallic Mini with a white checked roof will be mine....in about 3 months! Damn waiting lists.

I suppose I should feel guilty or extravagant about spending several thousands of pounds... But I don't! If you aren't into cars you might not get it, but I've always loved cars - thanks to having dad and 2 brothers also car fans I suppose. Even my mum was a bit of a demon driver!

I am cat-sitting for my brother's cat while he is on holiday. Being too lazy to go over to thier house every day, I decided to move him in with me, Boris and Steffi - besides, Thomas was my cat too for 4 years when I lived with them. Thomas is a really old cat now - we reckon about 17 or 18 and deaf as a post. However, he has totally taken over the house! My 2 cats are such wimps that they just run when they see him coming! He eats their food (not his Wiskas Senior) and has even learnt how to use the cat flap.

How can I teach my cats some guts?! They have taken to skulking in corners and only venturing out when Thomas is safely asleep.

I went out star gazing the other night. Apparently this is the time of year that is the busiest for meteor showers so I put on a few jumpers and coats, laid out a sleeping bag, chased off the cats and lay down to look at the stars...

Where I live the light pollution is pretty bad generally, but it brought back memories of one of my best ever holidays. I used to do these conservation holidays - you pay a small amount to go and live in a hostel with 12 strangers and do something for the environment! This particular holiday was at Malham Tarn building a boardwalk over some wetlands. Malham is a gorgeous part of England too. Anyway, one night we all went out to stargaze, drink a few cans and chat in the dark. It was amazing - we saw probably 50 shooting stars, plus everyone spilled all their deep dark secrets to this bunch of strangers they would never see again after the week was over! However, it was the stargazing that I remember the most.

There is just something amazing to look up at these dots of light, and realise that most are millions and billions of light years away. Of course the shooting stars aren't! And I even learnt how to spot a satellite. I think there are supposed to be a few thousand satellites of various types orbiting the earth these days too.

Anyway, my hour or so in my back garden wasn't quite as successful, but I did see one really good shooting star and a few little ones (that MIGHT have just been my eyes, but I'm claiming them!) and also spotted two satellites. It's the first time I have seen either since that night at Malham Tarn. I just love space stuff... Time to watch Jodie Foster in Contact again I think.

Huh? What? Another update? Is Cathy drunk again!!!!(no actually...)

I've been seriously sorting out my finances over the last few days, and planning my mega trip south of the equator for (hopefully) next July/Aug - can't say summer if I'm going to the southern hemisphere can I!

Anyway, money situation is looking good, and I am hoping to get a nice new car AND a trip out of it! (Hmm, new Mini One looks fab...)

I really want to visit Hong Kong as part of the Mega Voyage. My mum was born there and was a prisoner of war until 1945, so I bought a guide book and spent today reading up on the place. Sounds interesting - although a little scary too!(I don't know ANY Cantonese or Mandarin.) It's likely to be a solo trip, but what the hell - I want to see it. HK is quite western-ised. In many ways, it would be REALLY fascinating to see China and a totally different culture.

Anyway, right now, hopefully I'll do HK, Australia and a good pal who is moving out to New Zealand. Now if only you lot had decent weather...(yes, I saw that about snow in Aus!!!)

Firstly, apologies for non-update!

I did actually do one a few weeks back, but the blogger site appeared to lose it.

It was party night tonight for me - and alcohol=updates!

My sister-in-law's mum is filthy rich, well, sort of! She bought a run down HUGE hotel and has spent the last couple of years converting it into FAB luxury apartments. Anyway, tonight was the family and friends party to celebrate the opening. A marquee, posh food, booze etc. Unfortunately it PISSED down with rain, but we still had a great time.

My brother was in a band for years in my teen years, and the band re-formed for tonight, so it was fabulous to hear them again, plus we had fireworks (once the rain stopped) and I got to be insanely jealous at this amazing place my sis-in-laws mum now is selling. (£230,000+ for the apartments! I offered £75 but I don't think I'll get one..)

Will this do for an update?

Well, I just finished the latest Harry Potter book, and enjoyed it immensely! I used to read books by the barrowload, often had several on the go. However, I regret to say that with the rise of the internet, I now spend all my time in front of the computer screen instead of a book.
However, I still read a lot - I am still into fanfiction. Fanfiction is a lot of fun, easy to read and you can immerse yourself further in a world you love - usually a TV show for me. However, it was such a relief to read a book with no spelling mistakes and correct grammar!

I really must get back to real books one of these days. While I read quite a few of the classics as a teen, there are loads I still have on my "to do" list.
Anyone got any recommendations?

I've had a catching up period lately - catching up with old friends who I had lost touch with - all thanks to email! (Well, mainly.) Managed to contact 4 old college friends and 2 old school friends in the last few weeks. It's is so easy to gradually lose touch with people when you don't see them every day like you used to.

I had a terrific bunch of friends at college, 4 great years and I missed the social life a lot when I started work - all the teachers where I work being married with young kids then. Over the years, people move on and change - several of my no-good boozing college friends are now in very sensible conventional jobs. Like me really!

I enjoyed being a carefree student, and being taught rather than being the teacher! I even quite enjoyed studying and exams. Best of all were the Friday and Saturday nights trawling the pubs of Southampton....ah, happy days!

Hmm....yes it HAS been too long, but I am finding it hard to pick a topic to write about. Still, with the aid of half a bottle of a nice Australian Merlot, I feel inspired once again :)

I think alcohol is a topic that I should expand on today. I am really not a huge drinker, and never when I have to work the next day, but intoxicants of varying sorts do have a certain appeal. Red wine is my top tipple I think. A nice Merlot or a Shiraz are my current favourites. I went through an Italian/Spanish phase a while back - Chianti or Tempranillo. Then again, vodka with a mixer can be nice too..with plenty of ice.

I wonder who first discovered the wonders of alcohol? Some caveman who let his apples ferment? I guess with all the infections in the water in past, alcohol really has been a safer alternative sometimes. You are more likely to catch diseases from the water (although I have always been a BIG water drinker...and after tonights Merlot, water will definitely be needed to avoid a hangover I think..........)

I am no beer drinker - after getting exceedingly drunk on lager at a 15th birthday party years ago, I can't touch the stuff without heaving. Never have been a whisky connoiseur(sp?). And why DOES gin make you weepy and depressed?

When it comes to booze, I think you have to be in the mood, and it affect everyone in different ways (like making me more talkative and more likely to post this drivel), but lets give it up for alcohol.....woo hooo!!!!!!
Who needs the wheel...lets hear it for the booze..

Had a lovely non-children day to day at school. Teacher training stuff. Its amazing how much you can get done with no children around!

I often get into trouble at school because I can't keep my mouth shut at staff meetings. When someone says something that I don't agree with, I find it hard to just sit there and think, "ok I will fill in 100 forms and 50 planning sheets because she told me I had to".

I guess I am regarded as the disruptive child in these meetings. Bet they all agree with me really though....!

I am ICT coordinator at school - which means all the computer stuff. The head at our place doesn't know anything about computers...hell, he doesn't know anything about anything!! (Lets hope he is similarly ignorant of blogs!) This means, I pretty much make all the decisions - the latest being, we have about £8500 to spend. Our computer suite has 16 ageing Win95 PCs that struggle with MS Word, and I need to figure out how to spend the money.....

I know...a round the world trip to San Francisco (hi Joyce) and Aus! Think anyone would mind?

You know that saying about old dogs and new tricks? I had a frustrating day today trying to be a teacher...no, not the kids - the TEACHERS!! OK, so kids can be dense, but I was trying to teach the teachers some computer skills - just stuff like opening files, saving files, copying and pasting text - all pretty straightforward stuff that they should know anyway! Honestly, you'd think I was extracting teeth or something!

I guess it *does* get harder to learn, the older you get, but technology is something some people just think that if the ignore, it will go away.

After my 30 mins or so, two of them came up .."So, we click on...erm...what was it again?"

Let me get back to dim 8 year olds!

I've decided, I want to be a Sim. You know that game? The Sims? Well, I installed it on my new PC the other day and have been creating families (One from Buffy, a TV gang, a bunch of staff from my school, next up, the XENAVILLE crew!!!) and making them all interact.

If you have never heard of this game (and are wondering what the hell I am on about) basically, its a sort of God Game. You create a family and have a certain budget to buy/build them a house. They get jobs and have to get promoted by being happy and having lots of friends!

The thing that makes ME want to be a Sim (back to my first point) is that life is so straightforward for a Sim. You can see how hungry they are, or how full their bladder is, or how happy they are, all by looking at their little colour scale.

And they can sleep anywhere! Plus making friends is a doddle, and relationships?? It's easy... "talk" "compliment" "joke" "back rub" "flirt" "hug" and "kiss" and you're hitched!! (well almost....)
Just stay away from the Guinea Pig!

Plus I bet the Sims don't have cats that projectile vomit! (Bloody Boris!)

Its 2am on Saturday night, and I say - THANK GOD FOR VODKA!!!
Oh, and the internet, and especially broadband cos I just watches about 8 episode of 24 :) While I'm at it, thank you God, for Friday nights, payday, comfortable pillows, cheese (exluding goats..YUK), cashew nuts, Joni Mitchell, sunny days(but not too hot), starry nights (but not too cold), Paul Weller's "You Do Something To Me" and all those other things that I might remember....without the vodka!

I am not sure of blog ettiquette - ie, how often I am supposed to update, whether I need to do a running commentary of my daily life or whether this should be an exporation of my inner self. Guess blogs are whatever you want them to be. I doubt whether an account of which snotty kid was a pest and which little angel got a gold star holds much fascination - I mean hearing a teacher go on about kids...*yawn* Almost as dull as proud parents, someone elses holiday photos or people who like to tell you what they dreamt last night. In detail.

How about I tell you why I chose that title up there. What the hell is Bookends, Pumice Stone and West Germany about anyway? Well its from a TV show - what a surprise hey :) It is from the BBC comedy classic, The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin. It some out in the late 70s I think, and at one point, Reggie is doing a survey into favourite ide cream flavours for his firm, Sunshine Desserts. All the results of the tasting went into their computer and the top three flavours in reverse order were....yes, bookends, pumice stone and West Germany. Technology is a wonderful thing... It was a very funny show in that it explored the bizzare behaviour of a very funny character, instead of relying on the same tired jokes. Plus I liked the daftness of this title.

Can I also explain the Psycho photo. I have a rather bland print hanging on the wall in my bathroom - fluffy cats I think. Anyway, I wanted something more appropriate and decided to go for an Andy Warhol-esque Janet Leigh in Psycho - perfect for the shower room I thought!! (Also I have very few photos on my new computer still... )

OK, so it's time I joined in the BLOG trend. But what the hell is that bizzare title about???

Hmm, well I'll tell you later - see if anyone can guess :)

So, my topic of the day is....BUTTONS. See, I was trying to think of a word beginning with B so that I could join Joyce's B Bloggers, and considered "Buttons" as I have always had an odd sort of button phobia. Yes, its true...I just HATE buttons! I hate the word - it just sounds horrid - I think it's those double 't's. Do you pronounce them with a hard t sound, of sort of swallow the t?

And I have always hated the actual things themselves, and try to avoid them where possible. I very very rarely wear any sort of button up tops - and before anyone asks, this does NOT mean I wander around unbuttoned all the time! Yes, my trousers DO have a button on the top - but they have to be metal. Plastic buttons are just....ick! And those sort of translucent clear ones are the worst! Mostly I go for t shirts and jumpers, coats must be zip ups. I had to get rid of this duvet cover recently....instead of press studs, the wierdo makers have but these huge brown plastic buttons!!! Well, I couldn't sleep at nights...it had to go.

I have no idea where my aversion to buttons came from, but maybe this sessions of releasing my button phobia and standing up, coming out of the closet and saying "My name is Cathy and I HATE BUTTONS!" will be cathartic for me.