February 2024

I am very tired, which I feel like I keep saying. Maybe I need more iron. Or maybe I need to stop doing so much. Or maybe this is being 35. WHO COULD SAY.

Emma can have a little tattoo, as a treat. Went to an artist who makes pieces out of lino prints. He also had a puppy Irish Wolfhound cross who was a perfect angel. Then I went for lovely dinner with our old housemate Camille and her partner Cathy, and played boardgames! It was so nice to see their cute new flat (and also so nice to stay friends with someone we lived with who we originally found on Spareroom but actually vibed with)

Bought some new procreate brushes, and trying to test myself to try new styles and techniques in my digital diaries (but then I just get lazy and fall back on what I know, oh well)

WHAT IF though? (Made a couple of relatively minor social faux pas in quick succession and felt real gross about being me, a bad person)

I'm very much enjoying my PG Cert (teaching qualification) so far. As part of it, I got to go and observe a colleague teaching, and give him feedback. Got to go to Central Saint Martins, which is much nicer than LCC...

Took up a guest lecturing spot in Leeds, which was a LONG DAY but made me feel big and powerful and important (they want me in LEEDS, all the way over there!)

The tasks, where do they all come from

Another part of my PG Cert course was to deliver a 'microteaching' session (a 20 minute long activity delivered to 5 of my fellow PG Cert students, and I in turn get to enjoy their 20 minute activities). I did mine about maps, semiotics, symbols, and experiences of wayfinding. It went well!

Sometimes I don't get to play any boardgames for ages, then I played three in one day! (So Clover, Seikatsu and Patchwork)

Ventured to Anerley (still enjoying having a new neighbourhood — I had pretty much exhausted everywhere to walk within a 3 or 4 mile walk of Battersea, and all my favourite walks are to somewhere new)

In return for observing my CSM colleague, he had to come back and observe me. Regrettably he joined me during not my finest session, ugggghhhhh. Still, feedback is always useful (even if it was a bit 'Yes, I KNOWWW')

Took a half day out to go visit my friend Kath, who works at the National Archives. I mostly went because I wanted to hang out with Kath and hadn't seen her for ages, but ended up getting VERY EXCITED about the National Archives, touched a 13th century scroll, talked a lot about boats, and decided to try and bring my UX students on a field trip here to learn about SYSTEMS and DOCUMENTATION and why humans will always come up with some weird hacky way of doing a thing.

We're going to get a dog again soon. Real soon!! As soon as some big terrible repair work to our house is done. For a while we thought we might be able to bring this good girl home but sadly the timings don't work. As a kid I was raised to be scared of German Shepherds (my dad's friend was a police dog handler and he used to bring them round to our house in his van and tiny Emma was not allowed to say hello to them) but maybe they're not so frightening...

I mean, I do have a real job. I kind of have three real jobs. But one of them is a temporary contract, one of them is... wobbly and stressful... and one of them is freelance. I've hustled hard for quite a few years now, and the allure of a stable salary and the ability to switch off at 18.00 and weekends is... tantalising (tantalisingly out of reach, for now) (and hey maybe I'd hate it anyway, I do like being my own boss)

Still hacking away at those brambles

Finally finished the Capital Ring!! Did the last section with one of my oldest friends Alex (who also did the first section with me). It's taken a lonnnnng time (I started in January 2022) but I finally made it.

Look it's called 'pastoral care' okay?!?!?! (Samaritans taught me how to do the 'No but are you really okay' in a way that cuts to the heart, apparently, sorry in advance if I ever get you) (Also I am clearly not a professor but some of the Chinese students call me that in emails and it makes me laugh)

Did anyone get invited to that 'my future health' thing or was it just a weird creepy scam to get my blood for nefarious purposes? Oh well

You know what else won't quit? Me complaining about my task pile

The UAL fire alarm always goes off at the most inopportune moment and derails any given session by a solid 45 mins to an hour (once all the students have filed out of the building, stood around for 15 minutes or so, got waylaid queuing in Pret for a cheeky milkshake, and finally returned to class ages later)

The all day workshop gets turned into a 2 hour online workshop at the last minute. WE LOVE TO SEE IT

Ever since Barley left I have been quite anxious about the prospect of getting a new dog. Barl scared me so much that I worry I won't be able to feel relaxed around a new friend in the house. And I miss my sweet, familiar, kind girl Chase every single day. And my weird, wouldn't-hurt-a-fly, idiot-genius Charlie. Will I ever be so lucky again?!

Anyway, while I still had Barl I met this nice couple in the street who also had a greyhound. We stayed in touch, and they asked if we'd be able to look after their black boy greyhound (just like Barley), the ridiculously named HORATIO for the weekend. He was a perfect guest, and slightly softened my fear by showing absolutely no inclination to lunge at me, teeth gnashing. (He mostly just wanted to sleep, fart and have his butt rubbed)

We found out a few weeks ago that we have to completely rewire our flat if we are to avoid, for example, seriously electrocuting ourselves or dying in an electrical fire. Spoiler alert, IT'S REALLY BAD!!! DON'T EVER DO IT!!! DON'T BUY A HOUSE THAT MIGHT NEED REWIRING!!!

Step one was box up lots of things. Step two was my partner go away and stay with their dad for a fortnight because they absolutely cannot handle this bullshit (rightly so). Step three is I hide in my bedroom while two cheery lads slowly chip large, dusty holes into every one of my beloved, hard earned walls, while taking all my money for the privilege. 

And next week they have to do the bedroom!!!! where will I hide!!!! Everything is extremely bad!!!! (I write to you from my bedroom cave with all my possessions)

It's VERY NOISY in the house and there's no electricity (for some of the daytimes, they do turn it on again for me every night). To escape the madness, I decided to start the nearest section of the London Loop. The Capital ring (which I just finished) encircles London and is 87 miles long, 15 sections. The London Loop also encircles London but is nearly 150 miles long and 24 sections! Let's get to it...

Went to this weird social mingling event organised by a local social media events account, met lots of people but no one I really vibed with enough to ever actively seek out again. (Apart from one person I'd already met somewhere else but who might be too cool for me). Did do a cute collage though.

One thing you need to know about me is that, no, I have not seen whatever the latest hot Netflix drama is. But I HAVE seen every single episode of 'Gregg Wallace in the factory', all the masterchefs, and every other TV chef show going. So with that in mind, I was genuinely quite profoundly saddened to learn of the passing of Dave Myers, one of the Hairy Bikers. For all that I watch these shows, many of them I do so through gritted teeth (WHY does Rick Stein keep getting commissioned?!!? Mary Berry gives off way too much Tory energy to actually be enjoyable?! Marcus Wareing is a real weirdo?! Gregg Wallace is (devastatingly) cancelled?!

The Hairy Bikers were always just lovely, and fun, and they went cool places and met real people, and yeah there was a bit too much meat for my liking, but I never felt any doubt that they were just like, nice, real people, who made good, gentle TV for my tired brain. 

Anyway, after a weird long February (literally), onwards to March. Those of you sick of my complaining about being too tired and overworked will be pleased to know that I am finally going to do something about it. More on that next time though...