A busy week

This week has been the last week of teaching before the Easter Break - so it has been quite busy students wanting to see tutors before heading off for Easter to get final assignments finished and projects written up and although we will have a few weeks of teaching after Easter before exams there is a tendency to take stock. There are students that when we first met appeared to be the most basic of base earth that now are becoming stars - which is what makes this job so great. There others that have not fulfilled their early promise - but I feel we have got the best out of them; and of course there are those who are making their way along the bumpy road.

It is all of this that makes decisions about what I should be doing so very hard - two lovely second years whom I have not taught this year came to see me and ask if I would be taking them next year - which I hope I will. But one of the things about cancer is that it makes you want to get as much out of things as possible. I am very lucky because in my job I can - or at least should - be able to be very flexible, and I am trying. I have submitted two papers for peer review and should really be working on more; but it seems that we are being asked to do more and more - and frankly the systems in the university do not support our work well. I am a keen advocate of e-Learning and despite an generous budget and a wealth of equipment - there is no joined up thinking and the leadership that is required to make the cultural shift required to effectively implement e-Learning.

However this is not what I had intended to post - Grafham Water has opened and I hvae made several forays with some success. More importantly Y came back from her parents last week and announced that we needed a motor-home so she could accompany me when fishing, also I have still been getting tired and we could use it as a base for a day (or a weekend?) allowing me to fish and enjoy a walk or a meal with Y when convenient. (Y thinks that I might enjoy a bike ride - how wrong can she be?)

Anyway with the wonder of eBay an ancient, but very tidy motor-home now sits outside Owl Cottage - we shall see if it transforms our life for the better. I am being curmudgeonly - am secretly looking forwards to the open road Poop Poop!!



But this does not really sound busy - check my diary!

Friday - To Birmingham to see the Cirque du Soliel (Visit site) with Y and daughter - Birmingham has been transformed since my last visit.



Sunday - God parent to a beautiful baby boy



Sunday afternoon - Y's family and another cracking Irish chap!!



Tuesday - Y collects motor-home

Thursday Evening - the Old Rope String Band - with neighbours - a really fun evening - See for yourself