If you could only drink one beverage for the rest of your life (not including water), which one would you choose?
Need I say more? mmmmmmmmmm.... chocolate :)
I've just realised I'm fucking terrified. This has been brought on by the fact that I have to do my first solo teaching tomorrow. They're only 12 year olds but they can bit pretty scary. I think mostly I'm scared in case I'm no good at it. It's a long time since I properly used my French and I'm scared of making mistakes. I'm not used to not being good at stuff; when I was at school I was pretty much good at everything. I got less good at stuff as I progressed in my education but no-one read my university essays except me and my tutor so it didn't really matter that much. If I fuck this up there will be an actual teacher and 30 kids there to witness my failure.
On top of this I've got so much work to do for my course and I don't really know where to start. Well, that's not quite true; I'm going to start with a list just as soon as I've finished writing this. And I bought some new stationery today, surely that will help?
Mostly, I'm just fucking terrified that I've made a huge mistake in embarking on this teaching lark in the first place. I've never made a serious career decision before. I've pretty much just drifted along into whatever seemed the easiest at the time. And now I've given up a (admittedly boring, and not very well paid) job, my Dad has invested a chunk of his savings in my life (well, he's been doing that my whole life), and I'm scared that I've committed to do something for the rest of my life that I'm not even sure I want to do for the next six weeks.
I'm fairly sure this is just pre-show nerves as it were and once I actually start doing it I'll be OK. This isn't really like me. I usually give the impression of being sure of myself and in control but just now I don't feel like that at all. One of the reasons I left my old job in the holiday industry three years ago was because I often felt an underlying sense of impending doom. And now that feeling is back and I don't like it one tiny bit.
I've been so busy lately, and been having so much fun enjoying comedy adventures that I think I'd just pushed all this stuff down in the hope it would go away. And now there's no comedy to distract me it's coming bubbling back to the surface like those hot mud pool things that sort of burp and splutter their sulphurous gases out into the open.
Sorry. This is all a bit depressing. I hope for some improvement soon.
How old do you think children should be before they join social networks like Facebook and MySpace?
I think that really depends on the parents. If they are willing (and able) to understand social media and teach children about how to use these sites, then the earlier the better. The principle is no different to 'stranger danger' really. The sooner the internet and social media sites are seen as tools rather than toys and accepted as just another aspect of operating in society, the better off our children will be.
Go forth and fill your libraries with media.
Seriously, thanks to everyone for being so amazing and patient. You are the reason I love Vox.
I drove home from a meeting across town in quite a spectacular lightning storm tonight. Apart from the driving in heavy rain, this was rather nice as it had been stinking hot again today - and it's only November!
It's November again and it's time for me to pay some attention to my blog..
I wonder if twitter counts?
We actually got Trick or Treat-ers last night which was kind of cute.
My mother, who has been very anti-Halloween until now, caught herself saying "Happy Halloween" to a 6 year old fairy. She was absolutely mortified and so naturally we won't let her live it down.
I think I will have to organise a proper party next year :)
The weekend of Tim Minchin shows that I blogged about the other day was the middle weekend of my two week induction placement in school – the very first school experience of my teacher training course. Going away for the whole weekend probably wasn't the best idea but it was worth it. I was only observing classes in school, although I did do a little bit of teaching. And so far so good; I'm still pretty sure I've made the right decision to do this. I'm about to start a six week placement, back at the same school, and this time I'll actually be planning and teaching lessons so I hope I survive!
Anyway, after the Minchin shows in High Wycombe and Birmingham I didn't have too long to wait before I got to see the show again. Two weeks later on 8th October Tim played the first of his Scottish dates in Perth at the recently built Concert Hall. From what Tim has said these new venues, although great for the audience and very impressive to look at, are quite difficult to play as all the audience noise and applause is sucked away and doesn't make it to the stage. The show in Perth was brilliant, despite an audience who did seem a little slow on the uptake at times. I had another front row seat which is great, apart from getting completely spotlit during If I Didn't Have You and Storm when Tim is lit from behind. I think my favourite part of this show was the encore – there were lots of shouts from the audience for some old favourites and Tim treated to quite a few intros before settling on White Wine in the Sun. My shout for You Grew On Me went ignored, although when I complained that 'it's only just October' I earned myself the finger from Tim and the assertion that it was OK to play a song about Christmas because 'there are big socks in the shops'! I also met another couple of Angry(Feet) twitterers at the Perth gig – Helen (@glamlovinkitty) and Adam (@sturmwulfe) – which is always nice. I got a chance to have a quick word with Tim after the show too, where I gave him a birthday card which I had seen and couldn't resist because of the quote on the front – 'My opinions may change the older I get, but not the fact that I am right'. Pretty spot on I thought! We also had a bit of a discussion about whether or not Horton actually did hear a Who – provoked by my t-shirt, one of several I own with Minchin quotes on them.
The day after the Perth show came the show I had most been looking forward to in the whole tour. Tim was coming to The Alhambra in Dunfermline – not only my home town but the theatre where I volunteer as a steward – which meant I managed to get access to the theatre all day. Until the theatre manager decided I wasn't allowed due to Health and Safety issues, I helped unload all the lights and set from the truck and get everything set up on the stage. It was all very cool, and Tim's crew were all lovely. It must be a bit of a nightmare for them turning up at a different venue every day, never quite sure if everything they need will be there or not. Tim showed up with John, his tour manager, late afternoon and I was very excited to be able to witness some sound checking and warming up. I think the most surreal part of the day for me had to be actually scrubbing the ground at Tim's feet!! There had been a show called 'Vampire's Rock' in the theatre a few days before and there was still some fake blood on the stage which wouldn't come off with mopping so while Tim stood at the mic singing a little bit of If I Didn't Have You, I cleaned up the fake blood – surely not an experience that every Tim Minchin fan gets to have?!
The show itself was awesome as ever, apart from a ridiculous number of people with conveniently weak bladders getting up and down throughout the show (Tim had stopped and waited for a boy who got up and walked right across the front of the audience causing much hilarity, but unfortunately encouraging a lot of copy-cat wee-ers). Shell had come up for the show (and the Edinburgh and Glasgow shows which followed) so we went out for a drink afterwards as we weren't sure whether Tim would come out or not (due to the presence of the legendary Karen Coren) and the fact that it was pissing with rain. The whole day was certainly a brilliant experience and one I felt lucky to have.
The third, and last, of the Scottish dates that was going to was in Edinburgh the following day. And it brought another visitor – Kate (@kateweb) came up on the train and after meeting her at the station we headed to a pub next to the very impressive Usher Hall. Before the gig we met up with Shell again, and also Helen and Adam who were back for a second dose of Tim. The venue was particularly impressive in Edinburgh – a big, round, concert hall which has recently been refurbished. Again it was great from an audience perspective (Kate and I had front row seats again) but from what Tim said after it was another venue where he felt a bit detached from the audience reaction. We hung around after the show and got a chance to have a chat with Tim again which was pretty cool – I do wonder if he ever gets fed up of us waiting after shows and wishes we would just leave him alone. If he does then he certainly hides it very well, for which I am grateful!
When tickets for the Scottish shows went on sale I convinced myself that three shows in a row was plenty and didn't get a ticket for the Glasgow show. After the Edinburgh show though, and knowing that the others were all going to the Glasgow show I changed my mind! Unfortunately for me the show was sold out and despite my best efforts I couldn't get my hands on a ticket. Still, I only had a three week wait before seeing the show again. On the 23rd and 24th October I went to two out the three sold out shows at the Hammersmith Apollo – the second of which was being recorded for a DVD. But before that I had plenty of other excitement planned – and that deserves a post of its own so for now I'll leave this here.
I love meeting random strangers. So much so I've started activly seeking them out on omegle
Here is some highlights:
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You're now chatting with a random stranger. Say hi!
Stranger: hi
You: hey
Stranger: from? ^^
You: UK here, how about you?
Stranger: Germany
Your conversational partner has disconnected.
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You're now chatting with a random stranger. Say hi!
Stranger: Hey
You: hiya
Stranger: Are you older than 25?
You: nope
Your conversational partner has disconnected.
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You're now chatting with a random stranger. Say hi!
You: hi
Stranger: want to talk dirty?
You have disconnected.
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You're now chatting with a random stranger. Say hi!
You: hi
Stranger: hi
You: how goes it?
Stranger: how goes it?
You: Heh, it goes good. How are you?
Stranger: Heh, it goes good. How are you?
You: Echo...
Stranger: poop...
You: Is it a whole pile?
You: Or just a stain?
Stranger: a metric fuck ton
You: Not an ass load then?
Stranger: much more
You: Beautiful.
Your conversational partner has disconnected.
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Fun Fun Fun
Every Tuesday and Thursday, Scooter Kitty and I take part in early morning swim sessions with a bunch of other co-workers. We get into the outdoor pool (which thankfully is heated since it can sometimes get as cold as the 40s even in La La Land) at about 6:20 and we swim until about 7:15 or so. What is really nice is that our school has faculty locker rooms and they even provide clean towels for us to use (pretty crazy, huh?).
Anyway, here's the thing ... Most of the time the place is pretty clean, but I guess men being men there are times when it crosses the line into grossness. This morning I got into the locker room, changed into my swim gear and got going with my swim. Nothing seemed much out of the ordinary and the locker room was in normal civilized human being locker room condition. After finishing my swim I entered the first of the double-doors to the locker room and I was greeted by the very distinct smell of gym clothes in VERY BAD need of a LONG dance with some 2X Ultra Concentrated Tide with Febreze!
OMFG!!!
Talk about RIPE!!! Thankfully, whoever belonged to the togs had left by the time I returned to the locker room and wasn't there. As curious and I am about who the offensive togs belong to you should know that there was NO WAY IN HELL that I was going to touch any of the togs left sprawled on the locker room bench in order to find out!!! Geez, though ... I just CANNOT believe that someone actually allowed that set of clothes to touch their epidermis!!! OMFG!!! GROSS!!!
Ewwwwwwww!!!
Honestly (and this is NOT hyperbole for entertainment value, but the honest truth), I literally threw up a little in my mouth before catching my self and forcing myself to breath through my mouth!!!
Ewwwwwwww!!!
I successfully finished my shower without gagging any further, but ...
Ewwwwwwww!!!
And just so all of you know, I NEVER shower in locker rooms without my trusty flip flops
Ewwwwwwww!!!
If people will wear clothing that smells like that who KNOWS what they have on them when they get in that shower!
Ewwwwwwww!!!
I was just told that the Amazon Conduit will be fixed by tomorrow. I will post here as soon as I get word that it's back up and running.
I know this has been frustrating and I am sorry there wasn't more I could do to make it less so. I really appreciate your patience though.
Cheers,
