I saw someone wearing the PhD robes for my uni today. It was almost enough to put me off doing one for life! Really hideous maroon colour, matched with a grey bonnet. Must look dreadful on anyone!

The robes for my current degree aren't too bad, though light blue with olive green and gold is also a pretty dubious combination.

The computer's being really slow, I think it's the heat. And I don't want to have my piano lesson, because I still haven't learnt the piece he told me to.

Hmm, I think my second toe is broken.



Ahh, this always happens to me, funnily enough thought it's always with piano though, never flute.

I suppose I can easily sightread a flute piece, and pretend I've practiced, and with the piano it's a lot harder. Plus my piano teacher is a lot more intimidating... also I prefer the flute so far.

I almost feel like faking sick I feel so bad when I haven't worked on something I was supposed to. But it's always a lot better than I anticipate, and my teacher just lets me sightread through it, then work on it together.

The BA Hons robes at my university aren't very exciting

They're pretty though, Nicki - much more attractive than the BSc ones.

I like my MA ones (black gown and hood with lilac lining on the hood) - but the PhD ones are truly awful and, assuming I do get to the point where I'd be eligible to wear them, I'm inclined to skip the graduation ceremony.

LOL at HC's signature. It's all too familiar!

My University was non-functional for about ten weeks this year due to protests about reform. This meant part of this year's exam session will be held in September, which means that next year's calendar has been squashed into a shorter than normal period of time. As one colleague cheerfully pointed out, we'll probably just start up in October and the whole place will be shut down because of Swine Flu and all the negotiations over the calendar will have to start all over again

Yes... Last week at a practice, attempting some rounds on 3, because no one else was there yet.
Look to, trebles going, hang on i've forgotten something crucial!

It never seems to happen to anyone else at our tower, just me. It generally takes me putting about half my weight on it before it dawns on me that it's not going anywhere.

Haha, in Ipswich somewhere, they have a Nylon stay on the treble, so it feels like it is down when you are going to pull it off, so people often think it is up, and the stay is just bending, but no, its down, haha.

A nylon stay sounds a bit unnerving!

... I really think it's going to rain.... wonder how long I can leave it till I get the washing in.... Do I bring it in now - still wet - or risk it a bit longer?..... Ho hum....

Playing Chicken with the rain was silly!!!! Just when I thought I'd timed it right I got half the washing in and..... The heavens opened!!!!!! Ah well.... C'est la vie

I don't feel that my washing is really clean until it's been through three downpours - in the winter a good frost is also required. They do say that rainwater is so softening

If you're near a major city, the acid rain will make your clothes look like a swarm of moths have been at them

The Guide Dogs for the Blind charity has today asked me to be in their team for the Brighton Marathon...

I seem to have become obsessed with picking modules, for the second year of a degree I don't know I'm even going to get on to yet, let alone survive the first year....ohhhh dearrrr Must not get heart set on degree, must not get heart set on degree, must not get heart set on degree...is it results day yet?...

Well I'm not, so it won't

I'm rural enough to get away with it thankfully but when I lived in Leeds it was another story..... My mum always rewashed things if they got caught in the rain at all.

I can't actually see my computer properly any more because the sun has got so low, it's streaming through the window and right into my face!

Solari has made 1001 posts since April 28th...is this a record?

Well done anyway Solari!

And about 500 of those were in the last week!

Great minds...I almost put that too!

He doesn't get out much
You don't want to know how many PMs he's sent...

Er... that is crazy.. I must have verbal diarrhoea

FYI I mostly post while I'm at work waiting for tasks to complete... I have a gargantuan project going on at the moment which involves a lot of waiting while the stupid thing recalculates everything when I change stuff I *do* have a very active social life, actually (and a lot of friends who like to get me drunk, despite my protests, obviously!)

So ner!

Just finished packing (at the last minute, typical bloke!) and I'm off shortly

S'ok - we like you really!

Well you can have a break from my nonsense until tomorrow evening anyhow I will resist using the Blackberry to check things I think!

Just waiting for my sister to bring my car back, she stole it for the week and left me with her girlie puma (which I don't want to be seen driving in all honesty as I look ridiculous in it... it's so small, my knees are up by my ears if I try)

Oh, and thanks all for putting up with me

Vaccine injection today
Hope it isn't too bad. The first one wasn't as bad as I thought

Big daughter has finished her GCSEs, so we purge the wardrobe of uniform, and see the empty spaces. Off we go to shop for some clothes and............................we had a nice shopping trip. Really . No arguments.
She chose lovely tops and some white linen trousers after taking on board Gok's idea of black and white with brights. It all goes together and with what she already had (mostly black).
SHe did get a bit cross with me again though I succummed to some very pretty, flowery Doc Martens. Says she won't be seen dead with me if I wear them Bet my Mum won't like them either
LIttle Jen loves them, and Basil grinned.
Bev

FLOWERY Doc Martins?

Wow. I live in my black ones in the winter and although they take ages to get in and out of they make me feel braver walking through a dark churchyard after organ practice!

Flowery ones for summer.....

Braver than me, I run through the churchyard in the winter before/after bell practice...

Is it cerivax? If so, the second one isn't so bad either, imo!

My random thought... I got an electric shock at work today. Was most unpleasant!

I used to (aged 8) have some of those! They were cool, I think I still have them, as I couldn't bare to throw them away! *sighs at now having huge feet*

They make them in size 6, and they are in the sale at Schuh

Aww, just looked them up, and indeed they are exactly like my old ones. Sadly I don't wear leather shoes anymore (become a more strict vegetarian), so will just have to remember them being utterly cool when I used to wear them!

Are you ok?

Jacob.

"van" replaces "cab" in predictive text on a blackberry.

I was out with a friend quite late last night, we went to a great gig and were laughing and meandering our way slowly back to the station - Soho late on a summer's night feels like a great place to be. I get the mainline train home and she gets a tube. But it was quite a long wait for the next train, so I got on the first train to Lewisham intending to get a bus home from there. But I went onto autopilot and forgot to get off at Lewisham. My friend always gets home first and texts me to check I'm home safe, I replied "I'm so stupid, forgot to get off at Lewisham, I'm in the back of a cab now". But cab was replace by van. Frantic texts "what are you doing in the back of a van?! R U OK?".

I'm very lucky to have friends who worry about me.

Miss Ross, the first thing to ask is that you are feeling OK and not suffering from any unusual symptoms?

Secondly I would like to know if it was from the mains electricity or a static electric shock? The latter is unpleasant but rarely injurious if it comes from normal causes, such as brushing your feet over a dry synthetic carpet and then touching some earthed metal.

But an electric shock from the mains is not acceptable under any circumstances. There are rules and standards that cover these, from the design of the equipment to how often it should be tested. If the shock came from a fixed piece of electrical equipment, such as a wall switch, socket, air conditioner (these are examples as you don't say what caused it) then these items are covered by Wiring Rules which apply to all buildings, including homes and places of work. If it came from an appliance that is plugged into a socket (kettle, printer, computer and so on) then these are known as portable appliances and in places of work must be tested every year by an expert using a Portable Appliance Tester (and this process has become known as PAT testing).

If one of these is the case, it is essential you report to your superior that this has happened. Assuming you weren't poking a metal object into something you shouldn't have, it is not your fault that you got a shock. It could happen again, to you or someone else, and next time it could be fatal.

Gerald, I'm ok now but felt very funny for a few hours afterwards. It's a hard feeling to describe.

It was an electric fan... I was putting something on to a shelf near it and was avoiding going to close to it for fear of my hair getting caught up in it (of all things...) But somehow I managed to brush against it and there was a rather ominous 'cracking' sound and I felt really... I don't know, not 'tingly' but more extreme. I got the feeling that if I was to touch my hands together or something it might happen again, which I doubt could happen, but I felt that it was still going through my system, if that makes sense.

Ouch. Glad it's ok now. Hope it doesn't happen again

sorry, double post

I've had quite a few electric shocks... a few years back I was installing a load of power supplies, and despite my colleague telling me he'd turned off the mains, I put my screwdriver on to one of the terminals to unscrew it and got a massive belt. Cue me being sent flying backwards - I didn't speak for hours and went white as a sheet.

Cue my geordie workmate calling me a "soft, southern p**f" for being generally traumatised as that was the biggest belt I'd ever had

My mutti has found facebook, and comments on EVERYTHING

So now I've started posting nasty photos of her on her wall

Oh we do have fun

That's good news, I am glad you are better now. Electric shocks can be a more extreme form of tingling, and they run from the point of contact to the nearest earth. The worst possible case is when it comes in on one hand and goes out on the other, since it has to cross over the heart area. I am not a biologist, but I know many parts of the body function on minute electric currents, which is why when you give them a large one there are often unusual effects that can last a while.

So the thing to do now is get that fan unplugged with the socket switched off and without touching it again until power is removed, and get it PAT tested. If you can't get that done, get it properly scrapped. It really is not worth the risk.



You should consider yourself very lucky for surviving your accident. Nobody should have "quite a few electric shocks" - the first one should always be the last one. Which is another way of saying that if it doesn't kill you, you should make 100% sure the mains is off before touching electricity again.

Haha

My parents don't know I have Facebook

I think it's still possible it was static shock. A fan's blades would generate quit a lot of static when running at speed

If they know who you are on here, they probably do now.

Probably. No harm done this time anyway. Thanks Gerald and fsharpminor for your contributions.

Also, fsharpminor, if you have some sort of problem with me could you please let me know? You seem to be attacking or questioning a lot of my posts at the moment and I don't think I've really done anything to provoke it. Apologies if I have.