Naoko's news, views and shoes thread

NaokoSmith said:

Hey guys! I am back to tell you about one step I have managed.

(Toria, the phone number of that rugby player's dad? Or at least your story about him! although ... I have a whole novel of yours to review )

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Hi, hun.

Sorry I haven't been around. I'm pretty sure no one missed me though. A combination of a drowned laptop, being stranded in Wales, battles with the DWP and various other headfucks sucking the life out of me...
Just had yet another hip operation too - that makes...five? Woe is me.

I hope you enjoyed the novel, if you ever got round to it. (There's so much I would change now...)

NaokoSmith said:

My screwdriver set is really nice and comes in a neat little case with slots for all the screwdrivers, and in two colours. The flatheads have a blue handle and the Phillips have a red one so I can always have a screwdriver to go with my outfit.

I thought about a power screwdriver but I figure I will just be tempted to use it on flatpack furniture and then I will drive the screw too hard into the wood and spoil it. If I have to do serious screwing I get my butch single mum friend to come round and admire her doing it, or I get the builder to come. As it were. I have a lot of trouble keeping my mouth shut when the builder comes round, as he is always saying things like: "I need a screw," and "will you hold my tool for me," and I have to bite my lip and pretend I am coughing.

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I have a serious amount of tools upstairs, but nothing electric. I have two tool boxes full for my bikes alone. (My young lodger was always totally bemused by my lubing and greasing talk. The other day, I showed my exceedingly randy housemate how to grease her seatpost - we had to work it up and down a fair amount before clamping it, and we were both giggling our heads off.)
Plus a big tub of DIY bits and pieces.
Plus a hand drill. It makes me laugh every time I use it.


I shall be heading to Wales to cat sit next week. If you are anywhere near the airport, let me know. My sister has a pool which I'm quite looking forward to, if summer miraculously returns to the UK... *fingers crossed but breath not held*

Take care,
Txxx

redzinger said:

I shall be heading to Wales to cat sit next week. If you are anywhere near the airport, let me know. My sister has a pool which I'm quite looking forward to, if summer miraculously returns to the UK... *fingers crossed but breath not held*

Take care,
Txxx

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The good news is that the Long-range Weather forecast is for hot weather this weekend coming.

Handley_Page said:

The good news is that the Long-range Weather forecast is for hot weather this weekend coming.

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Really?

Really? Really? Really?

*bounces up and down like Tigger*

Err, that wouldn't be for every part of the UK except Wales, would it? As that's usually the case.

Tio_Narratore said:

I do hope you read all about Aunt Lucy and his sister, et cetera.

Yes, Jane (didn't you just love the graphic offered us by the Duchess?), it can (and should) be construed as rude, and in a number of ways. Shall we discuss them over a tumbler of Redbreast?

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I feel like Jane is being put on the spot a bit, Tio. Let's keep it light and fluffy!

I believe there are online recordings available of your favourite poem too.

redzinger said:

Hi, hun.

Sorry I haven't been around. I'm pretty sure no one missed me though. A combination of a drowned laptop, being stranded in Wales, battles with the DWP and various other headfucks sucking the life out of me...
Just had yet another hip operation too - that makes...five? Woe is me.

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Have emailed you!

Ohmigosh, five hip operations?

I missed you a lot. It's great to see you back posting. (that is a Welsh rose).

NaokoSmith said:

I feel like Jane is being put on the spot a bit, Tio. Let's keep it light and fluffy!

I believe there are online recordings available of your favourite poem too.

Have emailed you!

Ohmigosh, five hip operations?

I missed you a lot. It's great to see you back posting. (that is a Welsh rose).

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It's not a welsh rose, dear. It's English!

Handley_Page said:

It's not a welsh rose, dear. It's English!

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Sssh, ssssh! That is a Welsh rose. redzinger will not like an English rose, believe me!

NaokoSmith said:

Sssh, ssssh! That is a Welsh rose. redzinger will not like an English rose, believe me!

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Tudor roses were Welsh!

oggbashan said:

Tudor roses were Welsh!

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*whisper* I'm not sure that's a Tudor rose! they look like this, don't they?



Anyway - most of our cultivated roses are actually from China.

NaokoSmith said:

I feel like Jane is being put on the spot a bit, Tio. Let's keep it light and fluffy!

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Jane is a student, Naoko; we are profs. Our job is to put students on the spot. Has the "Open Uni" turned you soft?

Besides, not much could be lighter and fluffier than a discussion of Finnegans Wake over a tumbler of the uisce beatha.

Thank you for the .
I am a little English (nobody's perfect).



Have I mentioned I'm going to be spending the next two days selling rubber?

Unfortunately, it's not as exciting as it sounds to you. Although I do like a new set of tyres on my bike.

redzinger said:

Thank you for the .
I am a little English (nobody's perfect).



Have I mentioned I'm going to be spending the next two days selling rubber?

Unfortunately, it's not as exciting as it sounds to you. Although I do like a new set of tyres on my bike.

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(I know, I have a little English in me too. Or I'd like some, one of the two )

Selling rubbers? Do tell!

oggbashan said:

Tudor roses were Welsh!

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Well, the Tudor rose is a combination of the two houses, York (White) & Lancaster (Red).
Quite what happened before is a bit of a mystery, I feel.

NaokoSmith said:

(I know, I have a little English in me too. Or I'd like some, one of the two )

Selling rubbers? Do tell!

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I shall try to tweet explanatory pics later today.

redzinger said:

I shall try to tweet explanatory pics later today.

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Oh do tell us all, please. . . .

It's more disappointing than it sounds, sorry - I was helping out on a tyres stand at a cycling show. Was hoping to take some amusing pics, but it was totally manic.

Rubber does not smell good. And make-up does not stay in place in a hot convention hall.

Absolutely knackered now. Can hardly move my legs, they hurt so much. Got free food and booze for two days though, and met some interesting people.


On a side note, there was a Jehovah's Witness convention in the other part of the place. One guy tried to convert me. He seemed normal, if a little earnest and desperate for someone to talk to.

I've had the weirdest fucking sleep paralysis/visitation while catching up on my sleep after the weekend.

I have the 'old hag' syndrome quite often (I've blogged about it here before: http://www.torialyons.co.uk/2015/02/14/a-true-horror-story/).

However, today I had it when it was light so it was just annoying. There are often two different sensations ("presences") - a foreboding one, and a playful one. The foreboding one started on my upper body, but I shook it off. The playful one then appeared around my lower legs. I mentally told it to get on with it (shit or get off the pot). It moved up my body and started pressing between my legs. Which was actually rather nice.

First time the sleep paralysis has been enjoyable. Interesting.

Guys, I'm sorry I have been off the board for a while. However I have come back with good news!

(I am doing some reviews of Summer Lovin' stories. More on those soon too.)

I had to focus in on a couple of interviews for new teaching contracts.

For those who don't know this, my work is not a permanent job sort of thing. I have to make up a portfolio of several different small contracts so my colleagues and I are always fighting to get enough to keep us going. I was particularly anxious just now, as I had no work at all for the winter months so I was nervous I'd have to go and sign on unemployed - which is a pretty horrid experience these days.

The downside was that some of my colleagues, who have work but had lost some of it, would be prioritised ahead of me - if you have lost a contract, they are supposed to put you ahead in the queue to get a new one. Even though I was worse off than them really, having no work at all to lose!

However the upside was that they sent us three tutorial tasks to complete for the interview, focussing on our teaching like wot I told them they should , instead of bombarding us with highly advanced questions about research in the interview. (We are not even allowed to do research, our jobs are so teaching focussed - which is why I thought it was stupid to ask about it in the interviews but what do I know, you can see why I'm not a manager, can't you.)

Plus, along with the tutorial tasks, they forgot to edit out the instructions to the interviewers telling them what to look out for in our answers. That's right - they gave us the answers with the questions! You couldn't make it up, could you.

Anyway, I went to the interview, which went swimmingly well. (Except that by then they'd realised there was no way we could go through three tutorial tasks in the time allotted, so they said: "Just tell us about one of the tasks you have spent many hours working at and considering and drafting and polishing all week." ) But I was still nervous because I knew I was quite far back in the queue behind people who had lost a teaching contract.

Good news! they phoned me the other day to say they have been able to put together a teaching group for me.

The bad news is that the teaching is managed by basturd idiot line manager, he of consummate stupidity. He has already sent us an invitation to join him in a Dropbox Folder so we can read a draft timetable he has put on a little Excel spreadsheet, which he could much more easily have just emailed round to us all. And he has forgotten to invite one of the team to the Dropbox. The draft timetable is a dog's breakfast so we are having to spend time trying to get hold of each other over the Bank Holiday weekend, and sort it out, before we even have contracts - never mind start getting paid for the work. Plus basturd idiot said: "Give me your comments, but I will be away till 16th Sept as I have decided to take a holiday at the most crucial time of year for managing teaching." Lots more fun to come, I'm sure! Ogg and HP will be rubbing their hands with glee at the prospect of hearing about more academic management practices which make them gasp in disbelief, LOL.

Now I have got three contracts, and am 99% confident I will have paid work all the year round. I think this might be the most secure job I have ever had! which tells you something about the economy these days. With this financial security, I should be able to build and make something more for myself, too. (Possibly literally! if the builder doesn't come and sort our shelves out soon.)

More soon! (Much more, I fear! LOL.)

So kinda good news / bad news huh?
You've got a solid income / working for idiot manager
...that would take the edge off things, but in this case nicely silvered lining. Remember to come back and look at your post when things get stupid annoying in the year ahead and/or come back and let off steam here!

So, to more important things -
shoes?

Good Morning:

NaokoSmith said:

Good news! they phoned me the other day to say they have been able to put together a teaching group for me.

The bad news is that the teaching is managed by basturd idiot line manager, he of consummate stupidity. He has already sent us an invitation to join him in a Dropbox Folder so we can read a draft timetable he has put on a little Excel spreadsheet, which he could much more easily have just emailed round to us all. And he has forgotten to invite one of the team to the Dropbox. The draft timetable is a dog's breakfast so we are having to spend time trying to get hold of each other over the Bank Holiday weekend, and sort it out, before we even have contracts - never mind start getting paid for the work. Plus basturd idiot said: "Give me your comments, but I will be away till 16th Sept as I have decided to take a holiday at the most crucial time of year for managing teaching." Lots more fun to come, I'm sure! Ogg and HP will be rubbing their hands with glee at the prospect of hearing about more academic management practices which make them gasp in disbelief, LOL.

Now I have got three contracts, and am 99% confident I will have paid work all the year round. I think this might be the most secure job I have ever had! which tells you something about the economy these days. With this financial security, I should be able to build and make something more for myself, too. (Possibly literally! if the builder doesn't come and sort our shelves out soon.)

More soon! (Much more, I fear! LOL.)

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You couldn't invent something that stupid, could you ?
We've all had idiots like that, I guess.

stickygirl said:

So kinda good news / bad news huh?
You've got a solid income / working for idiot manager
...that would take the edge off things, but in this case nicely silvered lining. Remember to come back and look at your post when things get stupid annoying in the year ahead and/or come back and let off steam here!

So, to more important things -
shoes?

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Erm . . . .

And Shoes are important ?

Handley_Page said:

Good Morning:

You couldn't invent something that stupid, could you ?
We've all had idiots like that, I guess.

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I've fired, relocated or retired idiots like that. But usually moved them into jobs where their other talents were useful.

Handley_Page said:

Erm . . . .

And Shoes are important ?

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HP! Shoes are not just important. They are objects of sexual desire.

oggbashan said:

I've fired, relocated or retired idiots like that. But usually moved them into jobs where their other talents were useful.






HP! Shoes are not just important. They are objects of sexual desire.

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Shoes maketh the man

I mean, when it comes to dating older men^^
nuff said

OK. I get it.
The 'right shoes for the job' is important - provided that the job is important.
For instance, wearing sandals to a formal job interview (or a hot date) is not the best thing to do; it might take some hard explaining, for example.
But I get the point. I had to walk into a store on a Sunday wearing only my socks (the shoes had split open) and managed to obtain a new pair of suitable appearance.
But my point is that for shoes, the job or task is the important bit.

First lot of jam made this year. I'm still shocked by the amount of sugar needed

While I was away, the greengages ripened and my housemate let them all rot.

Rather pissed off.

redzinger said:

While I was away, the greengages ripened and my housemate let them all rot.

Rather pissed off.

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make some wine with the flesh ?