The beast is tamed!

Today I tamed the beast!

In essence I learnt how to take my overlocker apart, clean it, oil it, put it back together and thread it (5 times in a row!).

I found out that with my particular machine I have to thread the top looper first BEFORE anything else. If one of the loopers break mid sewing I have to re thread the whole thing!

Now if top looper means nothing to you - you are not alone. Before I went to this class I didn't really understand anything to do with my machine.

After threading so many times I found myself taking less than 2 minutes threading four threads!

We then learnt to check our tension, the differential feed, the width of the slicing blade and finally ...... I learnt how to roll a hem. You know those fancy-schmancy hems you see on ballroom dresses? I found out how to do one of them.......fishing line and stitch on the bias. I also learnt a few "tricks" of the trade for current trends. Oh my mind is swimming.

The ladies in the class were lovely and some of them had never sewn anything before. The teacher was really quite lovely - although I couldn't stop laughing as she kept stating that if she was any more perfect she'd be fabulous! I might have to take that one on.

I had such a good time that I put my name down on a waiting list for a drafting class. I have the basic idea in my head, which I have used, but I am now wanting to get some professional advice on how to do interesting things which will help me make some individual outfits.

Great day all up!

just stuff

I love a good lie in. Unfortunately I can't get my head and body to work together on a decent sleep in.

7am! What is that meant to indicate in terms of sleep ins?

Ok - it's an extra hour but come on! I like the idea of sleeping in a little bit longer - say to 9am......no much to ask really.

Now I am going to address a rumour.....

The head of department that I work with does NOT, to my knowledge, have swine flu. Yes, he has been absent, sick with a respiratory infection, for the past 3 days but he hasn't been traveling etc. It is a mere coincidence that another staff member is absent with flu-like symptoms as well.

I have started my 230+ reports........I have entered all names into the program and I am slowing starting to input marks.

Before I can finish them I have to mark kids ICT projects which I can't do at home, and I have to allocate marks for their participation and performance in the big ensembles........this week will be busy!

But I am off to trivia tonight with a group of friends. I am trying to remember the balance issue I had promised myself to look out for at the beginning of the year. One thing I noticed is that the more I stayed at home, due to my back being a cactus being, the more reluctant I was to go out. So now I make sure I am going to be out at least 2 nights per week...........which means having to get work done at work. Nice concept that I am aiming to follow......

Enjoy your weekend.

I was right!

My suspicions were right......Violet sent me a text last night asking if I was going to the online group party on Saturday and could I give her a lift........

She's only interested in me for my car.......well actually that's pushing it a lot!

Well I realised that I was going to be elsewhere on Saturday night.

In all honesty I don't think that I would ever turn up to another online group party. Been there, done that. Don't have time in my life for that much desperation......

I truly hope she meets someone.

last night

Last night I went to a social group outing - a different group to who I have met up with before.

Summaries first -
Age group: 50s - so I was out of my depth there! There were 8 of us all up. Then two other ladies arrived.....
Venue: a very old fashioned social club where every man, his wife and their children were! The food was excellent - home cooked Italian, but the ambience - well.........
Host: nice guy who did more than enough for all of his guests.
Potentials? I spent some of the night talking music with one guy for most of the night who seemed interesting. He was a little under 50 but disappeared to talk on the phone......

NOW let me tell you about two of the women who arrived later. I seriously think I have had something tattooed on my forehead that I can't remove which states "come and chat to me about your issues". I believe this is only really visible to people I have just met!

First lady - let's call her Ita. Mid 40s. She is from a traditional Italian background (hence Ita) and is an only child. Last year she stopped her job to become an advocate for her mother. Her mother had fallen and broken her neck and spent a great deal of time in hospitals etc. Her father has lost some of his standard functioning abilities. She was quite upbeat about everything but did she TALK. I didn't know anyone else there so I couldn't chat to anyone else - but they all moved around and away...........she kept talking.

Finally a new lady appeared - Violet late 30s mid 40s - who provided me with some interesting cultural differences between Chinese culture and Australian culture in the world of internet dating. It was fascinating to hear those differences BUT this lady is so intense about the social world and finding a partner.

Violet explained her usage of online dating sites and how she has found it hard to find the serious daters and those that are online for something extra. I understand this - one of the reasons I won't go near online dating sites now......too much hard work just in the sorting process - I think it is a full time job to read those profiles and get an understanding of what is true and what is false. BUT Violet was very angry about the fact that the government allows flase advertising on these sites.

I was amused by the visual thought of the Prime Minister checking the website ads before they are published to check if the people really are single.........

I tried to explain that it is reliant on honesty, which is hard to find, and it is private enterprise. This was when she told me about China 10 years ago (when she last lived there) and online services. ANYONE who has their name on these sites is single. They have either never married or they have been married and have sought a divorce. Either way they have a Certificate of Singleness. (What?)

Violet was adamant that it was a much better system as you knew why everyone was there. They were seriously looking for a long term relationship. None of this extra on the side. The idea of a married person seeking extra really made her angry. She told me it was immoral (agreed) and in China, illegal. (well 10 years ago - I wouldn't know now).

She was thinking about petioning the government to have a law enacted to make online dating sites only for single people..........

She spoke to me for an hour - and somehow in amongst all of this I found myself contemplating meeting her at a social night run by one of the online agencies next Saturday! I am sure I am busy. I don't think I could have another night of such intensity.

I think if I looked at one of the sites I will find her ad very easily. She practically told me what was written on there. The most striking feature was the fact that she has written 'looking for a serious relationship. No others should apply'. Apparantly this hasn't turned away the others looking for extra.

Each evening she spends about an hour looking at male ads......then she told me about how much of a rip-off the purchasing of stamps was.

In summary of Violet - she wants to find a serious man who will understand her very traditional values. If you know of anyone please get them online NOW!

Back to the group - a nice bunch who actually do more walking than dining. The man who runs it was telling me about all the relationships that have formed under his caring eye........

I'll keep you posted.

grumbling

Went out to dinner last night which was a fun catch up with some staff from work. Being so overworked at the moment I feel lucky to make an occasional lunchtime.

Got home, went to bed and finally asleep by 11.30pm only to be woken at 12.30 and not able to sleep again until 4.30am! So cross. BUT the fun didn't end there. The grumbles hit my insides.

I might just tell you that there is nothing like the internal machinations of something really untoward working it's way through your system. Pain, incredible pain.......and you know those grumbles only leave one of two ways........I didn't like either but was only really persecuted with one way that involved my lower half.

I ended up going to work for 4 hours this morning as I have a theory group who are sitting their external exam tomorrow.........final class and all. Also my Year 12 Group kids had an assessment task that needed to be done for their overall grade. I left at 11am and got home by 11.30 and slept on the couch until 12.45. Feel so much better.

Going back to the theory class....the kidlet turned up this morning with the other three gentlemen. They gentlemen should pass really well. I don't think she will. Poor poppet - she is under pressure from her mother to do well in everything and so she is pushed to succeed. The kid doesnt know if she is coming or going....hence what happened on Sunday.

I've been sitting and reading assignments for the past hour and loving the fact that I am just about up to date.......Year 12s to do next.

bad attempt at ranting

I have just read a number of blogs by many teachers and I realised there is a common factor out there in teacher land.

Ranting.

I felt like have a decent go but I haven't really got the energy.

Here is my feeble attempt. I went to bed around 2am and woke up this morning about 7.30 with the cat looking intently in my face and purring REALLY LOUDLY.

Back off!!!!!

I'd arranged to meet a kidlet at work at 9.30 am but SHE. DIDN'T. F*+/?NG. SHOW.

Now I am going to correct some work and I hope they put me in a nice mood.........

On an aside - I made some really yummy pasties. Yumm!


4.28pm: Just off the phone to Frogdancer in response to her comment. I woke up from a 2 hour sleep to receive the news that the kid had turned up at 2pm - 4 1/2 hours after the agreed meeting time! How nuts is that? Frogdancer is right she is an optimist!

is it really saturday?

I watched part of the Eurovision song contest semifinals - then I woke up and the news was on. thank goodness Scott watched them and was able to let me know who got through and has links for the acts.

But this is typical of where I am at at the moment. I am sleeping in a really haphazard way at the moment. I woke up yesterday morning at 4am and couldn't get back to sleep so I got up and corrected year 8 work. I haven't laughed so much in ages. They were great - I have about another 40 Year 8 assignments to go.

As a result of having had such a long day I fell asleep on the couch around 7.40pm and then couldn't get back to sleep once I went to bed.

Work-wise things are so hectic at the moment. Year 12s are starting to either turn the screws on their study and increase their expectations on themselves and their teachers OR they seem to be falling apart. Some are falling apart due to the sheer volume of work, others don't seem to have a realistic expectation of what standard they should be working at. Either way it is hectic as you are either finding further opportunities for the kids to succeed or you are using every possible device available trying to get kids to produce enough.

Then I have the super excited year 8s - well mostly. There are some kids who are just pleased when the lesson is over. and the uber-excited year 7's -OMG! they are nuts!

The year 9's? Well they cruise between excited and serious musicianship.....

Choir is going fairly well and I am loving the sounds that I am hearing from them.

The school production opens this week - I endeavored to have little to do with it. Due to the very tricky nature of the music I found myself working with a few kids here and there. Then I found myself being a sounding board for a number of the staff involved. I think I got myself more involved than I wanted and therefore have become an interferer...........I'm sorry to those involved closely. I will run away now.

Weekend is looking good but busy.

Love this

I was sent this and I think it is very funny. To all those mums out there......it was mother's day here yesterday.

artistic weekend of sorts

Saturday and I am exhausted. I think this might have something to do with the fact that I went out last night and got to sleep about 1am and then woke up at 6am!

Went to Pilates class and was a bit overwhelmed how hard this teacher works the class. Think I'll stay with the other teacher for a little longer than I anticipated. At least that way I can feel like the muscles are stronger before going back to the harder teacher. I will go back.

Got a offered a ticket to Billy Elliot for tomorrow so I'm going.

Last night watched "Defiance" with Daniel Craig and loved it. The interesting coincidence is that Jamie Bell, the guy who played the lead in the film version of Billy Elliot, is in Defiance. I thought that was an interesting fact.......

mind in overload.....

I am thinking crazy thoughts about my classes at the moment. They are going to get lessons that really will make no sense but should be fun.

Year 9 music: Opera via Meatloaf. Can't give away too much. Playing with ideas.......

Year 8 music: about to plan how to get their chants going......there will be a lot of pounding and rhythmic work and singing and stuff. Not sure if the kids want to sing too much.....but should be fun.

Year 7 music - rhythmic bingo and loving their compositions.

off to correct work now.

tweet tweet

The PD yesterday was ok. I don't think it was worth the 2 hours drive there and the 2 hours drive back of which 1 hour each was was in peak hour traffic. My back particularly doesn't think it was worth all of that effort. I worked it out. I spent about 11 hours sitting yesterday. Not happy!

So, what did I learn? I learnt that the group running the PD have a major political position that they are trying very hard to push. In fact, they set up their own music association to do so. The whole day there seemed to be some sort of need to prove how good each of the people presenting were. There was a great deal of ego brushing. Very frustrating.

But I did hear a few good things and I also realised that my school is doing quite well in the musical field. I also learnt a lot about the thinking of my boss. I also had a quiet word about the load that I have. He thinks that I asked for the load that I have. I did ask for junior and senior classes but, as I pointed out, I was not expecting to have the sheer number of classes that I have been fortunate to get. I don't think it made any real impact but there you have it.

On other news, I have purchased a new printer. I have found that I really would like to have my own printer at home so I can print out my work sheets here and then take them to work and photocopy them. I can have the file ready to go and just pop them into the machine on my way through. This printer can also print onto CDs which excites me no end.

I have just made a batch of ANZAC biscuits and had to eat the burnt bottom ones......they don't count do they?

I have also stocked the shelves JUST IN CASE we are told to stay home. I have more food here than I have had in yonks. I don't think we will be but better to be prepared.

I have also been playing on Twitter. I am being followed by a few people that makes me laugh. Andrew O'Keefe (only Australians will know the host of 'Deal or No Deal') and Kevin Rudd. Well I decided to follow Kevin and he's following back. I was just hanging out there on the twitter site and went looking to see who is there.......I don't think Kevin will be that excited by my updates...."waiting for the piano tuner" etc.

Others that I am following include Oprah - just coz! and Hugh Jackman. He has thanked everyone for the nice comments about his film Wolverine. Also he is going to be on Oprah this Friday - although here in Australia we might have to wait a fair bit longer.

Re reading the above I realise I sound like a twat. I also realise that I have started rambling again.

Right! Off to correction...woo hoo!