Holidays

Being a teacher, I get plenty of holidays.

Keeping Safe

I mentioned in an earlier post that my Beloved and I (It's capital B again, she bought me a steak and Cheese Pie.  Bless) are going to Hawke's Bay next week for a short break.

Activities (Again)

It's that time of the year again, when we try and figure out something for our juniors to do on the last week of term.

Back from Melbourne

I'm back

It's so nice to be back.

Back amongst the sweet song of Tui echoing up the valley.

The Best of Times

Two weeks off.

Melbourne beckons

I was wrong.

Holidays are good for you

Now that all is sweetness and light chez TwistedScottishBastard, I settled down to a Sunday of relaxation and routine house maintenance.  Doing all those little jobs beloved of blokes, and essential to the smooth running of a family home.

VICTORY

In January, my beloved and I went back to the UK to see friends and family.  My son  (he of the pierced earlobe and tattooed forearm showing a delightfully rendered image of the Mexican Day of the Dead with the addition of a Chinese script which he was told meant "May the Lord Bless You" but which really says "I've got a Bastard of a Cold") went back as well, but because of other commitments (Not Guilty Your Honour) had to take another flight. 

Resting

It's been a week since I went on holiday from school, and it's only now that I am starting to feel a bit rested.
My body and brain still insist on getting up at 5:30am, as I have been doing all year, but yesterday, for the first time, I managed to go back to bed and have more sleep.

Even as I type this, I feel the call of the warm bed, the soft mattress and my gently snoring beloved.  Awww, she drools so prettily onto the pillow. 

Pain free

Yesterday was the first day she has been pain-free for the last two weeks.  I refused to allow her to do any work at all.  I even made dinner.  Actually, I quite enjoyed it.  I made a chicken casserole, with leeks, garlic and plenty of carrots.  I mixed the chicken with sesame oil, soy sauce, flour and turmeric in a plastic bag, and let it sit for 30 minutes.  Browned the diced chicken in a mixture of oil and butter, deglazed with some white wine, then added in some leeks, softened in oil, and the diced carrots.  Sliced some courgettes lengthwise, and fried in Olive oil.  Served with some boiled new potatoes (mine had butter on them, but none for her)

I quite enjoyed it, but from the non-enthusiastic comments of my beloved and son (back last night from Hawkes Bay) it wasn't as good as we are used to.

I don't really care, my priority is to get my beloved as pain free as possible, because when we get on that plane next week, I know she will suffer if her back is the least bit painful.

Joys of Air Travel

I'm going back to bed, for at least another hour of blissfull sleep.

The First Weekend of Freedom

And I'm still bored.

I managed to fix that technical problem at school, and I stayed around doing some little jobs. Back home, looking forward to a day of....nothing.

Maybe some vacuuming and wrapping presents. It's wet outside, so that's a big no to gardening.
I've got one unread book left, so I'll have to ration it carefully.
Unlike The Curmudgeon, my beloved is here all day, so no fry-ups, no hitting the vino, and probably no use of "That Satan-spawned electronic mistress", my poor inoffensive computer. (Shhh my darling, she doesn't really mean it. Don't worry, I'll give your fans a good clean later)

I could sit down with some pen and paper and write out all the evidence for the existence of God, but that would only take about 5 seconds.
Then I could write a list of things which tend to show that God does probably not exist; but then I'd be writing for the rest of the day.

I could write a list of all the things I like about my life here in not-so-sunny Aoteroa, and compare it with the my previous existence in Grim (and currently deep-frozen) Caledonia.

I could browse the web(before my beloved wakes up) and find a funny video to share with my friends. Yes I'll do that. Don't worry TC et al, no guns or boobs this time.

Bored

Bored

I can't believe it.
It's been less than 24 hours since I've really been on holiday from the education factory, and I'm bored.

It's gently drizzling, so I can't go out into the garden.
My beloved's at home all day, so I can't get sloshed.
I've read every book in the house, some two or three times.  I can't buy a new one, just in case I get it as a present on the 25th.
The library has 8 books on hold for me, but they haven't come back from the previous borrower yet.  Read faster you bastards.
The TV programs are either stupid, crap, really crap, mind-blowingly inane or repeats.

The real reason my beloved does not like compuiters

The computer is out-of-bounds because my beloved's going through another "The computer is the Devil's Device" phase, and I really don't want to start Christmas with a fight.  Just for a change.
My son has come home and the signs do not look good.
The signs indicate that he's going to move back in with us.  His flat in Wellington seems to get a bit hot and airless in summer, and he can't sleep very well.  It's nice to have him back for Christmas, but I was getting used to just the two of us.  Our routine was established, and it was pretty comfortable, now it'll change again.

It's so boring, I'm going to vacuum the carpets. Again.
[edit]

I'm not bored anymore.  A nice friend noticed my plight, and sent me this link to a You Tube video.

Cheered me up no end.

I think I'll share it with you all.

Sunshine

It's 7:30 in the morning, the sun is blazing in our dining room windows.  All I can see is blue sky, so the storms we've been experiencing over the last week seem to have abated.

If the weather stays as nice as it is, I guess I'm destined to spend at least 2-3 hours weeding.  As I've mentioned before, my beloved does not hold with "Chemical Gardening", so it's all manual back-breaking work.  The god-botherers would probably say that it's good for my soul.

Maybe (The debate about the existence or non-existence or even what the hell is a soul can keep for later)

But it's not good for my back. 
I'll give the lawns their first exposure to Yates' Turfix to knock back the dandelions and other broadleaved weeds. (Curiously, my beloved does not object too much about this, maybe because none of her prized plantings are in any danger)

Look, it was an accident OK?

One little mistake, 2 years ago.  I forgot to wash out the sprayer before I changed to a fungal treatment.
It certainly proved the efficiency of Glyphosate. 
My beloved was not amused.



After Glyphosate

 After gardening who knows?

Maybe down to the Library.  I've got 2 or 3 books on reserve, and I hope they're ready.  One of the joys of these two weeks is the opportunity to actually read in peace, without that vague feeling of guilty "I should be doing something more productive and work-oriented" that creeps in during a normal working week.
Maybe down for a coffee, or a stroll along the Petone esplanade, or a wander through the Bays.

That is what is so delicious about the holidays. 

NO BLOODY PLANNING.

Nothing is fixed, all is free, like the wind blowing through what little hair I've got left, like the direction fart gas drifts after the event, like the flight of a bumble bee in the strong spring sunshine, like the potential in a new born baby.

We shall see.

Have an absolutely bloody nice day.

I'm pretty sure I will.

Rest and Relaxation

During the Vietnam war, the Americans realised that their troops needed not only frequent breaks from the conflict, but also needed to know when they would be taking "time off" from the battlefield (R&R).

Teachers are the same.  We plan towards the breaks at the end of each term, most of us arriving at the due time and date absolutely exhausted.

I managed to get the reports completed yesterday at 3:30.  The usual last minute scramble to find missing teacher comments and competence sheets.  I was supposed to be teaching from 2 'til 3, but C volunteered to take my class while I got the reports corrected and reprinted.  We wouldn't have got them finished by the deadline otherwise.  Thanks C, you saved the day, enjoy the choccies.

Since I started this new responsibility of Reports and Relief, I've found out a lot about my colleagues.  Some are incredibly helpful, most are pretty efficient, completing all stages of a set task by the agreed deadline, and some are a bit lackadaisical, completing their tasks at, or soon after the deadlines.

There are also 1 or 2 who just ignore all the rules and do as they see fit.  They see nothing wrong with the students playing their i-pods in class, or students not wearing uniform, or swearing at their students, or getting their reports ready by the agreed date, or getting their comments proof-read, or getting their form class to complete their self-assessment sheets. I would think that some form of counselling is required, or the application of a big stick.  Or fire the buggers for not reaching professional standards, there is at least one who I think deserves to get the chop.  I hear his classes are a shambles, that their is no overall plan and the kids in the classes are not progressing in their learning and will probably not be passing their assessments next term.  He's a nice enough guy, but I really wonder if he's a real teacher.  Has anyone actually checked his references?  I'd give him one more warning then if no improvement is seen, chop.

Farce

ManofErrors arrived to take his pre-arranged classics trip with his senior pupils.  This is true dedication.  A new baby at home, with a (probably) exhausted wife, yet he came back into school to take his pupils.  Unfortunately, the day before, the powers that be had decided to cancel the trip, and had so informed the pupils.  No one informed MoE (the person, not the Ministry), so no one discovered that he had actually booked and pre-paid for a meal at a Wellington restaurant.  So the trip was suddenly back on, and I had to scramble around and find a reliever to cover for the other teacher who was suddenly needed to accompany the trip.  It was a comedy of errors (note the play on MoE's user name), which I am sure that Basket Maker could turn into a traditional farce with little change.

The bad thing I find about these holidays is the change in routine.  All term I've been getting up at 5:30, leaving at 6:30, and I know that for at least the first week I'll be continuing with the same routine, waking at 5:30 every morning, and almost impossible to get back to sleep.  Then at the end of the second week, just as I've got used to sleeping in until about 8 or 9, I'll have to get back to the 5:30 start.  Bugger.

Never mind, I've got these 2 weeks to look forward to, no kids, no planning and no bloody relief.

Have fun.

I plan to.

Saturday and Survived

What a pleasant feeling to wake up without the buzzing of an alarm. No need to go into school at Nuova Lazio for two weeks.
Cuddle up back under the covers of the warm bed.
How is it that you can be warm sitting in a heated room, or under a blazing sun, but the warmth of snuggling under a quilt is so much more delightful?
Last day on Friday was thankfully uneventful, at least as far as the pupils went.
Basket Guy was running a stage show for the kids called MyTube, and by all accounts was a great success. Richard (of RBB) was doing the music and sound system stuff, so we didn't see much of them for most of the day.
Recognising our closeness to exhaustion, Der Fuhrer shouted a morning tea, and not just pikelets. Potato topped savouries, pies and sausage rolls by the kilo. Much needed and much appreciated. If you've never been in a staffroom when they deliver food, all you need to picture the scene is to have watched a nature program. The way that vultures swoop and tear at a dead Gnu, or the way that Hyenas burrow their way into the guts of a Wildebeast will give you a idea.
You have to really watch where you put your hands, someoone might rip it of.
The stress of the last day really got to some of us. I spotted crying, sobbing, weeping, screaming, shouting, nervous tics and twitches. And that was one person over 5 minutes.
One of our staff fell at the last gate. The other Scot in my department succumbed to a seizure just before lunch. He was conscious as they wheeled him away to the ambulance, but not quite compos mentis. Poor guy, he was due to start work in a school over the hill next term. I think he finds our kids hard work.
He's right of course. Our kids are very hard work, but mostly it's worth the effort.
Looking out of the windows, I can see blue sky and a pinky sunrise.
I wonder if this is some sort of good omen. I really haven't seen much sun or sky for 4 weeks. It's been gray, wet and cold. Just like Scotland.
But that's the reason I travelled 13,000 miles. To get away from the cold and gray.
Ah well.
Never mind.
Cairns on Monday.
Enjoy!.

Wet, Cold Tuesday

Global Warming?
Ha.
It's been a miserable two weeks of cold wet weather.
Everyone has the cold or 'flu.
So to cheer us up, we've booked a holiday in the Lucky Country.
Yep, we're off to Cairns in July.


Ah Australia. Land of Sun, warm blue water, blue skies, lethal jellyfish, snakes & spiders.


Will be fun. Then off to Alice Springs and Uluru.



At least it'll be warm. And dry.


















But back to good old Stalag Luft Nuova Lazio for another bracing day of education.

We were told at appell (see the Colditz Story) that one of our new Junior Führers had been posted to the Eastern Front. Not Stalingrad, even worse, Porirua!
Poor bastard. He's a really nice guy and a dedicated christian(but not a bible thumper). He'll be missed. He's always supportive, considerate and best of all he's bloody competent and efficient. When you look at his attitude to work and to his colleagues compared to his predecessor, it makes me worried that we'll revert to the previous distribution of duties amongst the junior Führers.
Ringo in power again? Shudder.
Of course the posting to Porirua will make a vacuum in the power structure.
Now the intrigue will start.
The quiet mumbling over coffee. Who will make the first move.
This time there's so many variables.

Will the previous Führer return from his campaign in the desert?
Will the acting ReichsFührer try to stay in power
Will ObersturmbahnFührer von Ringo attempt a putsch?
What happens when the Führermädchen returns from study leave at the ViktoriaInstitute.
What happens to the current acting Führermädchen.
It's like the supposed Chinese curse.
May you live in interesting times.

Almost as bad as our current motto.

Arbeit macht frei

Have a nice day now.