Friday ramblings...

I think I might make this the regular title for my Friday posts - I don't seem to be able to do much more than that by the time Friday afternoon roll around!

So what's on the To Do list?

Let's see...


Get reading for my fiirst assignment! Just found a pile of stuff on US immigration and migration that will be a good start, so here goes! Also finding data so that I can make some nice maps to go with it. Feeling good so far!

Finish preparation for our son's birthday on Tuesday. More or less there, should be a good day. He gets to choose the food for the evening meal and has chosen to have a barbeque! So I will be dashing home and firing up the coals that night! Hope the weather holds out for him!

Finish painting up a few soldiers that I have had on my board this week. Nearly there!

Get a song written down! I know that once I get to it I will be able to nail 2-3 really quickly, but it is just making the time.

Give my daughter more bass guitar lessons. She is doing well so far. Working on Black Parade by My Chemical Romance.

Take a photo of myself with my tongue sticking out. Don't ask, there are some real perverts out there, you know! :-)


I think that about wraps it up for this week! A busy time for everyone, so have a great weekend!

Hey, that's my daughter!

OK, I know that this is my second teenage daughter, but it doesn't get any easier.

Boys and guys are starting to look at my 13 year old daughter in THAT way.

Yes.

It is a difficult time for a parent. You have to let it go, but there is the constant urge to grab the guy by the throat and shout

"Hey, she's 13 years old, you f-ing paedophile!"

But you can't, can you? Not without looking like a total psycho. Not without risking arrest. Not with out permanently scarring the child you want to protect!

This morning we had a talk about ideal boyfriends and came to the conclusion that one that resembled Custard, our Labrador, would be great. Someone who is happy to be patted on the head, talked to in silly voices and fed nice things. Yeah, that is a boyfriend that I could be happy with.

Of course, Mrs RC has another plan, which involves introducing them to Mr Baseballbat who lives under the stairs...

Global Warming

Next week one of my classes is having a discussion about Global Warming, and one of the questions is:

Are Canadians pro-Global Warming?

You see, on the face of it, Canada has a lot to gain from a warmer world.

• Currently inhabited areas would have less severe winters.
• Areas that are currently uninhabitable could be open for settlement and farming.
• The opening of sea routes across the Arctic Ocean would allow the development of major dock facilities there. Canada could become a major hub for world trade.

What do you think? Do you really want to fight it or is it a case of "Bring it on!"

Similarly, are those of you who live in the northern USA happy with the thought of warmer winters?

The Start of Term...

Yes, I have my first lecture in the new academic year this afternoon!

It is always something of a shock to the system, sitting there, pen in hand, taking notes.

My big problem is that my mind often fires off in random directions, triggered by something that has been said. In past lectures I have found myself drifting off and thinking about Charles the Bold of Burgundy, or something that General Patton once said!

Must learn to control my mind!

Yeah, right! If I can't control it now I don't think I ever will!

My other problem is my awful handwriting. I start off moderately bad and just degenerate from there. I have to make a point of word processing my notes into something readable before I completely forget what they were about. To be honest, though, this isn't a bad thing as it helps me to remember what was said and often gets me looking up extra stuff to flesh out the notes.

A final quote that I rediscovered the other day when looking for something to read in the bath - this is very applicable to University life:

"Of course, it is very important to be sober when you take an exam. Many worthwhile careers in the street-cleansing, fruit-picking and subway-guitar-playing industries have been founded on a lack of understanding of this simple fact."
Pratchett, T. (1991) Moving Pictures.

Have a great Monday!

Friday, AGAIN??????!!!!!

I swear that someone stole a couple of days this week!

Where did they go?

I am sure that it should only be Wednesday right now!

So come on, then, own up! Who had a couple of extra days, MY DAYS, this week?

I want them back!

GIVE THEM TO ME!!!


Anyway, as a couple of people on Facebook pointed out, it DID make the weekend arrive nice and quickly so I guess I shouldn't throw too much of a tantrum...

The weekend?

Well we are having a spot of leisure shopping on Saturday, partly to finish buying birthday presents for my youngest. These are pretty much chosen but still lack something really silly and age appropriate. Will see what we can find.

Sunday sees us visiting Humphrey, my mom's pony again to do a few minor repairs to his stable. For a small, old pony he can still cause damage! Poor old thing. In fact, the vet recently told us that she thinks that this might be his last winter. I hope not, as he is a great character and we will miss him a lot.

Have a great weekend, more RC rubbish next week as my new year of studying really gets under way!

Last night's dream...

Inspired by Wreggie's posts about odd dreams, here is one I had last night.

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Mrs RC and I had arranged to have an evening at home to ourselves. The kids had gone out doing stuff, so Mrs RC set out the dining table while I popped out to grab a load of Indian takeaway.

The table was covered with food - various types of curry, rice dishes, naan bread, poppadoms, etc, etc. We were about to start tasting it all when the door opened and our kids, each accompanied by a friend or 2, came in.

To cries of "I love this" and "Thanks I'm starving!", they cleared the table, leaving Mrs RC and me at the table, looking at each other with smiles of resignation.

"I'll go and get some more."

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Changing the subject somewhat, I have decided that I need to get some serious song writing done. I have got these half written songs sloshing around in my head and I need to get them out. Doing those silly songs in the summer was great fun but it is now time for something a bit more gritty.

Who knows, if I overcome my stage fright I might even post a vblog of myself singing one of them. I know that some of you want to hear me regardless of how awful I will be. Or is that BECAUSE of how awful I will be?

Hm, I sometimes wonder about some of you...

Lies, Damn Lies and the Beauty Industry

OK, we all know that the beauty industry tells lies:

• Use this mascara and your lashes will be 3 feet long!


• Use this cream and you will look 500 years younger!


• Use this hair conditioner and your hair will look like the wig on this famous actress!

And so it goes on.

But I heard a real corker the other morning! It was a woman who worked for Chanel talking about face wrinkles.

Do you know what she said was a major cause of wrinkles?

Her new scapegoat?

The mother of all evil?

SUGAR!

Yes, sugar!

Now I don't want to come on all boastful, but I eat and drink a stupid amount of sugar each day, but I don't think I have that many wrinkles. OK, I'm not the most handsome hunk around, but I don't look like this:

which I would do if sugar caused wrinkles!

Do you have a favourite Beauty Industry lie?