If Music Be

Archive for February, 2008

In the last 12 months I have lost 36lbs in weight. Which might seem good until you realise that in order to reach my goal I need to lose another 25lbs. Problem is that I seem to be stuck where I am and can’t see a way to get the lbs shifting again. I probably don’t help myself by not eating enough food but my morning routine (and stomach) doesn’t really allow for it.

Monday – Friday:

0630 Get out of bed, feed dog and cat, make lunch, perform ablutions.
0710 in the gym 45 minute workout, nearly die, perform ablutions
0830 – 1630 work including lunch (usually sandwich and apple)
1800 dinner (some kind of meat and indeterminate vegetables…occasionally chips and sausages)

Weekends I pretty much lose the routine completely!

So what do I do? Try harder or give up and cry?

Well I suppose it’s good that another one is done, but I do wonder if writing essay after essay is the best way to retain information. Invariably I leave them until the last moment (deadline is today) and promptly forget all about them until I get the mark back.

Luckily I have a very good tutor (I might have 2 I don’t know the other one yet) who tells me not only what I have done wrong, but does it in a way I understand and helps me to not do it again…so I suppose my essay writing skills are getting better.

I don’t quote in essays either, some people do, but I don’t think it’s necessary to illustrate points if you write in a coherent style. Contrarily actually, I think that it detracts from the essay if it’s peppered with quotations and referencing. It breaks the flow and you often lose the point you were trying to make.

Only recently have I stopped re-telling the story at the beginning of each essay as well. I’m told that I should assume my tutor knows what the story is and doesn’t need to be reminded…gives me a lot more space for actual writing as well!

The only thing I dislike is this weirdly short word count we’re all meant to stick to. I mean what happens if you have something to say that takes you over it? Have you got to go through afterwards ruthlessly taking out words until you hit it? Some tutors allow leeway but most don’t any more!

At least it means tonight I can do housework without being procrastinating.

It’s been a quiet day today, so with that in mind I thought I’d tell you about an incident that happened on the bus home last week.

It’s only a 15 minute journey and I decided against the iPod (other makes of MP3 player are available) and elected to listen in to the conversations of the two blokes sitting behind me.

It later transpired that they were slightly tipsy however then conversation went as follows:

‘What are you doing tonight mate, are you going out’

‘Nah, I think I’ll just go home put my pyjamas on and sit in front of the telly with a chippy’

‘Pyjamas’?

‘Yeah, but they’re mens ones’

‘What like Scrubs’

‘Yeah, I like Scrubs I’m on season 3 now’

A group of bloggers have come up with an idea to raise funds for Warchild. The idea is simple; to submit a written piece about something you’ve been through from any aspect of your life that you want to share. It can literally be about anything: your relationships, your past, a road not taken, being a parent, an illness or your regrets etc. We’ve called it “You’re Not The Only One” to reflect the camaraderie of blogging.

For full details of the book, and more importantly, how to submit check out Peach’s blog about it here.

Go and read about Plastic Bags on Z’s blog. It’s an interesting read because it echoes the way I think about how we recycle things.

About 2 weeks ago I got a new recycling box left outside my front door. Inside it was a letter telling me it was replacing the old box and I should use it in the usual way and put it out at the usual time…which would be fine if it wasn’t for the fact I’ve never had one before and I don’t know what I can recycle in it. So far I’m doing paper and it’s just sitting there filling up really slowly. There’s only one of me and it’s massive and will take a lot to fill it up.

On the flip side of the plastic bag argument there is the I’m not a plastic bag problem, a £5 bag that’s made in a sweatshop.

So what do we do? How do we know who is right and who to trust?