Chaos Theory

Okay, so this morning was UNNATURALLY bad on the roads - A1 solid from M25 practically. No accidents, no reason.  Just a lot of people trying to do their thing.  Must always look like I'm crippled when I get out of the car on arrival - so stiff.  However the 'te deum' was broken by playing Mika over and over again ' 'Blame it on the Girls'.  Note from Wikipedia for the uninitiated:

"In an interview with Q magazine, Mika says:

“	["Blame It on the Girls"] sounds like No Doubt. It's about a wealthy, handsome boy who has everything, yet pretends to be miserable.	”
—Mika, Q Magazine[4]

The song was inspired by a well-dressed, good-looking man Mika and his sister saw walking down a street in London shouting down his phone. The song uses a musical technique called musique concrète in which the music is devised by using every day objects to make sound. In this particular song, the beat is created by Mika hitting his desk, clapping his hands and stamping his feet."

I love the preamble with the speaking voice - one of Mika's specialities.  Here, having seen the guy bemoaning his bad luck but showing off his good looks and gold credit card, Mika says, "Dude, your perspective on life sucks!"  A lesson we all need in our privileged little corner of England when we start thinking more of what we DON'T have than what we really DO!

Coming home - well that was exceptional.  Saw a fire engine shoot past so put the satnav on to negotiate possible delays.  Where shall I start?  Pile up on the A1; one car practically underneath another - emergency services everywhere - fire engine just arrive to cut people out as I went past, thankfully on the other side.  But with rescue vehicles and rubber-necking I think I got past JUST in time.  M25 - Breakdown, lanes closed my direction.  Car on fire on other carriageway.  Rubber-necking.  Diverted off to go cross country (thank you radio updates and Nissan Connect - the best in-car Satnav ever; yes, shameless advertising here).  Dartford Tunnel closed after two lorries pile into each other - soooo glad I'm not going that way.   Jon was watching me on Google Latitude craaaawwwling the last few hundred yards to our turning as the whole access area to the M25 turns into gridlock. He's going up to town on the train tonight.  Smart move.  What's my theory about all this chaos? Personally I think it's this windy weather - it's been blustering for three days now, drivers are going a little crazy...

PICTURE: Local News tonight:

Car fire causes M25 closure

Nothing like it looked this morning!!

So, the rest of the day - well, busy: up at 5.45, answering urgent emails until 6.15. Breakfast, ablutions, out of house 7.30.  Driving.... First workshop from 9-11am, then meeting with new assistant to set up internet access to materials and discuss the course.  Lecture 12-2pm, student consultation 2-3pm, colleague catch-up session, answering emails, register updating... had enough by 4pm.  Lunch? Stuffed down whilst waiting for assistant to remember gmail password and whilst student presents essay plan... Arrive home 5.15pm.  Feed the babies (feline variety) then COFFEEEE!  - Decaffeinated of course. Feet up, start my blog and now?  Eyes drooping and I could hardly be bothered to cook until daughter phoned and cheered me up as always.

Thinking of Joe tonight - 8 hours ahead of us and will be rising soon for his final day of torture and training before the weekend.  We'll be home this weekend, hope we get a chance to Skype (note new verb for the dictionary there!).

Still getting the hang of this...

Wednesday 30th January

Sophie just jumped off the cat tree.

To set the scene we have Sophie on the top shelf of a floor to ceiling tree.  She is a stocky little tank of a girl and can't CLIMB down like the kittens.  After a few hair-raising vertical leaps (think nearly-splatted cat) she has developed a SYSTEM.  Vertically down from the top shelf onto the back of the green leather chair - bouncing off against the edge of the seat of said chair and from their onto the ground in front of leather stool. Slight slide on laminate floor but managing to stop before collision.  Sorted.

Now she's just used used this excellent technique with one difference - Jessie is sitting peaceably in the green chair.  Large tank of kitty misses her head by a WHISKER and breezes onto the floor.  Jessie looks up like a startled goose - what just happened??  She's looking at the top shelf with interest.  Did something just go past me?  Anybody see anything?? Was I dreaming??  I'm still amazed at the delicate agility of Sophie despite her rotund frame.  Oh, if only that applied to me as well.  Oh no, don't get started...

Here is Lara on top - Jessie still sitting in the chair.  Note the angle of descent and imagine a fat little body deftly skimming the top then the seat of the chair.  Jessie still looks bemused!  Lol!

Just watching Michael Mosley doing his high intensity exercise again - old Horizon programme.  All very nice but his contribution to being 'overweight' consists of a gentle convex curve around the belly area.  I wish... Ah, silly me, 'Africa' is on, much nicer.

Still blustery today, Jon out singing tonight with the 'mad German' and sounds quite breathless.  He can have a nice lie-in tomorrow when I get up for my 5:30 am start.  Ridiculous (and a symptom of the busy little corner of England we live in) that I have to leave the house so early to travel about 20 miles into London. Thank goodness for the automatic car.

Busy day today, three workshops all teaching the same thing with mini lecture on Psychometrics, reliability and validity followed by first testing session.  How to make a dry subject interesting?  Add a few pictures of cats :-)

Convergent Validity...

Discriminant Validity...




Three more tomorrow (one only by me, fortunately) and one of Friday then next week we move on to Statistics calculated by hand.  They will love it ;-)

Life in Cameo - my first post!

Tuesday January 29th

Today was windy.  The weather is much milder than it has been of late - 12 degrees when I went out to the surgery for an appointment about my eyes and to collect our prescriptions.  Vision in my right eye is deteriorating - most likely the cataract; needed a referral letter back to Barnet Hospital.  Do I try to be brave (a useless exercise last time) or go for a general this time?  Ocado phoned whilst waiting for the prescription and said they were at the door - early by an hour and would wait for me :-)  Saves me wasting (working) time wandering round the supermarket.  Haggis with mash and swede tonight (mmmm, yummy) - there goes the healthy eating... a bit late for Burns night but thank you Ocado for the ready mash and swede - just as good as home made! Oh the joys of fast food :-)

Jon out singing this evening so decided to start a BLOG - mainly so that I can update wonderful Joe with all the boring irrelevant things we're doing in this little corner of the world without taking over his amazing ShaolinQuest blog.  Took me a while to find a free Mac app and it seems Google is it :-)

Still sore today from our amazing Beagle walk on Sunday - glorious weather in the Lea Valley Park.  Balls of feet feeling all the stones (oh hell I've worn out my running shoes :-( ) and then there's the KNEES.  My knees do not appreciate the weight I'm dragging around...  Here's Lilly's new car (she's that petite little person with the pink socks delving in the boot) - it's absolutely perfect for family + dog, or should that be a doggie family :-).  Here's Conor as well, Jon taking the picture.

I'm the pudgy one in the pale blue jacket with enormous bum bag underneath.

Speaking of which I am seriously starting to think about long-term solutions to my weight problem - otherwise I'll be joining the ranks of the over 60's with walking sticks in the doctor's waiting room.

Took me 2 years to lose my weight 10 years ago - 2 to maintain it (hungry most of the time) and then 5 to slowly and inexorably put it all back on again...

I've been trying to tell myself that I should just accept me the way that I am, but it's the PAIN... my dainty little feet and my knees are not agreeing with me.  Every time I walk anywhere I'm aware I'm struggling with aches.  Every time I look at steps and stairs I groan.  Been struggling with my weight and diets since I was 20 but when I dream I'm always a slim person never fat. Odd, isn't it. There's a little me in there somewhere trying to get out, the one that used to run through the house instead of walk because it was just more fun :-)