Simple Pleasures

Sitting on my front deck, watching the sky change colour as the sunrise begin

Winding Down

Only 36 hours to go, then I'll be winging away to the land of unfriendly people, congested roads, unpleasant weather and gangsters.
Luckily I'll only be in Auckland for a couple of hours before we set of for LAX.  Definitely not looking forward to the 32 hours stuck in a confined space, packed with irritable and angry people.  Just like being back at school.
I'll try and put up some posts while I'm over in the UK, but my beloved will be in full "Machine of Satan" mode, so it might be a little tricky.
I'm sure that Richard [of RBB], The Curmudgeon et al will be keeping you all amused, and I look forward to reading all the crap interesting posts when I come back.
My beloved is focused on cooking the Christmas dinner at the moment, which is how I've got time for this.  She is decidedly tetchy at the moment for some unknown reason, but I will have my revenge.  I've got her a Christmas present from heaven.  It will fulfil a long felt want (Frankie Howerd joke here) and make her the happiest lady in NZ, for at least a wee while.

A very happy lady

More anon.

Just to keep you interested, here are what I think were the best posts this year.(Not all mine)

The amateur dramatic show
Men are always wrong
Computers are bad
The FBI
The FBI again
Trikes are Cool

Have a lovely Christmas and a Guid New Year. (This is not a misspelling, it's traditional Scots.  So there)

Over 13000

Who would have thought that just 6 short months ago, as I started this very self-indulgent habit of blogging, that I would reach over 13000 views.

I am very happy.

Thank you for all your support, but I am curious.

Who's been looking at the archives. The post on the ABC of England which I posted in November has been looked at more than any other.

Come on, 'fess up, who's been peeking?

Days of Wine and Posers

Senior Pupils discovering the joys"of horticulture"at Nuova Lazio's largest Marijuana Plantation

Our Seniors had their prizegiving last night, and as we wish them adieu with a song in our heart, we can look back on a year filled with many delights, hard work and a hard core of little shits.

The majority of our kids want to achieve, are pleasant young adults, showing increasing maturity and good manners. I remember:
Students holding the corridor doors as you struggle past with an armload of books
Students spontaneously creating a Birthday card for me (She should have been making web pages, but bless her little cotton socks, it was just what I needed)
Students laughing at my jokes

Students laughing at their own foolish mistakes
Students laughing at my lack of hair. (I'm not sensitive about it, and it gives me the opportunity to laugh at their (often) bloody stupid hairstyles)
Students discovering a method in advanced programming to complete a task which was more efficient than my example method
Students developing a working semi-professional database, utilising techniques they had discovered themselves.
Students who take up part-time work to support their single parents and siblings, yet never spend money on themselves, and study and work really hard to make successes of themselves.
Students showing me a new shortcut, a hidden area I didn't know was there, a beautifully designed poster.
Colleagues who volunteered their time to cover someone else's classes, when the teacher was unexpectedly taken ill.
Colleagues who sent in work for their students when they were really ill
Colleagues who came in at the weekend/evening to help their students pass a major piece of work/assessment.

I also unfortunately remember the little incidents which make teaching an increadibly difficult job.

The student who threatened a female colleague with a firework because she hadn't won a prize.
The three idiots who decided to play football on our flat roof while lessons were on in the class rooms underneath.
The morons who turned up completely pissed out of their heads at a junior school disco. (And who threw stones at staff)
The unbelievably disgusting buggers who left bottles of urine and crap-filled pants in Richard [of RBB]'s music room.
The usual 5 - 10 kids who resolutely refuse to go to classes and roam the corridors, disrupting every class they pass by shouting obscenities and banging on the doors.  But who also refuse to leave school because they know that home is worse.
The very difficult student who swore at me because I was trying to make her do some work.  The same student who broke down and cried when she saw that we were really worried for her health and about her succeeding.
The countless kids who turn up to class stoned out of their tiny little skulls.
The countless parents who give their kids weed and booze without control.

Enjoy the beautiful late spring, look forward to a beautiful summer to come, look forward to the end of the bloody term.

Look forward to going back to visit bloody Scotland in the middle of the bloody winter, which was one of the main reasons for leaving the bloody place 7 years ago.

The Idea of WInter

The reality of winter

It's Legal

Due to a decision made by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), it is now perfectly allowable to tell people that there is (probably) no God.

"In the beginning, man created god, there's probably no god, now stop worrying and enjoy your life".