When I wrote last week about upping my marathon training, in my head I was actually thinking about slowing down. Over the last seven days there have certainly been plenty of opportunities to note that Life sometimes just puts a big road block in your path to ensure she has your full attention and that…
Spandex Speedypants
Confession time: I am out of self-inflicted retirement again and marathon training is mission-creeping my life. I spot my tell-tale anorak behaviours and the snarkiness which always accompanies the pyramid schedule of long distance runs. If you zoned out on reading the word ‘marathon’ I don’t blame you. I am even boring myself. I promised…
Name and Shame
If you believe what you read, January should be a mammoth slog to get through. I must be bucking this trend because relatively speaking, January – so far – has been very good to me. I think the bad press January gets arises from the media’s obsession with naming days. If I found myself a…
It’s a wonderful life
On the last day of term I realise that I still have deeper depths to plunge on the chocolate orange front. It is the Sixth Form Christmas Review and one tutor group challenges the others to take on their Chocolate Orange Challenge. I am officially teacher tired and tetchy but my interest is piqued by…
Work, rest and play
Now that we are actually in December, I can feel my inner Grinch starting to slowly thaw. The students have a Christmas playlist ear-worming its way through the Common Room and I have reluctantly relinquished THE master key to the Sixth Form store cupboard so that they can unleash the box of tat they like…
In a spin
Now that I am through the petulant, incredible sulk evoked by the hijacking of my birthday by General Election shenanigans – i.e. who is going to want to stay up we me all night on December 11th, when they can stay up all night in cross-media infographic heaven on December 12th? – I have poured…
Watch this trend
When I hear this week that wrist watches are making a comeback, it makes me smile. Apparently double wrist watching is ‘trending’ on the catwalk (models wearing more than one wrist watch, people) and I have it on good authority that it is not just double denim that is now making a comeback. Although the…
Minted
Mama J spent the day with Mama J Senior yesterday and, as ever, it was a mission just to keep up with her relentless energy and caffeine-fuelled encyclopaedic chat; 93 and she could give most teenagers a run for their money. If I can keep up with her pace, I am finding these days that…
A Tense Present
Sadly you already know that my sister ‘changed address’ at the start of the summer; you may not know though, that yesterday was her Thanksgiving Service – a big party that she arranged before she left us. She must have felt that we would need a little space before we held her celebrations, perhaps she…
The big picture
My latest senior moment means that I can not remember where I read the information I am just about to share with you. I don’t think I imagined it; it makes perfect sense to me, so I am going to share this scientific research with you anyway – well, I think it was scientific, but…
The Dragonfly Jar 