Being a student isn't as much fun as I remember

So I've been out of work for two weeks. I kinda like it. I'm supposed to have one more week off before I start my PhD and lecturing schtick, but coz I'm such a sad little go-getter, I've signed up to do a seminar course and a consortium next week. I may have slightly underestimated the amount of work I'd have to do to prepare for it.

The result of this was that I spent the last fortnight, allegedly on holidays with my family, ignoring my husband and yelling at my kids to "shut up, mommy's reading", or "be quiet, mommy's working", or just plain "go away and annoy your dad, mommy's busy". I'm not proud of it. I'm just saying, is all.

Anyway, I've 2 days left before the seminar course begins and I've read 10 of the required 16 papers. I also need to meet up with one of the other students and prepare a presentation based on 3 of the papers I haven't read yet. I've also got to read a bunch of research proposals and prepare another presentation based on my own for the consortium. And I still haven't had a chance to review the course material for the lectures I'm supposed to start giving on Monday week...

Busy, busy, busy.

Going on hols

I cannot wait for this time Wednesday evening, because then it will be the longest possible time before I have to go back to work. That's right, I'm going on holidays. Yeay!!
I'm off to Adelboden (near Interlaken, near Bern) in Switzerland with a group of Girl Guides - 18 aged 11 to 15, 8 aged 16 to 21 and 7 of us golden oldies. (I'm so depressed that I get counted with the golden oldies. I'm too young for that!) We'll be staying in a chalet that's tucked into a side-valley, half-way up the Alps.
There's loads of stuff planned, like abseiling and whitewater rafting but due to the fact that I'm infanticipating, I'll be restricting myself to the hikes and (hopefully!) a daily swim. There's plenty of walking to be done, seeing as the coach can't actually get to the chalet (the road is too narrow and steep!), so I'll be trekking up and down the gorge on a daily basis - with full kit and rucksack on at least two occasions. Hence, I am packing more lightly than I have ever done in my entire life!
We'll be going to a Cheese Maker (blessed are!) and a Wood Carver and Our Chalet, (which is one of the Guiding World Centres for those of you who don't know and are interested). I'm hoping to bring home some decent cheese for Conor, some wood carvings for me and if I can find it in one of the tourist shops, a pair of mini-lederhosen, preferably complete with a little hat with a feather in it, for David. If I'm really lucky, there'll be a grown-up sized pair and I'll bring them home for Conor! Imagine that photo on the Internet. Cute, not creepy...
I may not get a chance to blog again before I go away (mad busy in work, will actually have to do stuff before I leave) and I'm not sure whether it will be possible to get on-line while I'm away. Anyway, I'll post pics and news when I get back.

Yodel-ay-he-hooo!

Holidays are coming...

For the past fortnight, I've been anticipating today, and now that it's here, I hardly know how I'm going to manage to retain a professional veneer for another 7 hours because at this stage I just do not care. I have lost the will to work.

At 4.45 this afternoon, I will down tools and go home a little early. (I say a little early, but I go home at that time nearly every day. I haven't got it that easy though, because I usually start work at around 8.30, so it's all swings and roundabouts.) Strictly speaking from 4.45, I will be on my holidays. In reality, I am on my holidays already.

Both of my bosses happen to have taken today off work and I don't share my office with anyone else, so who will know if I lock the door and curl up under my desk for a little nap before I go for coffee later this morning? Who will catch me if I spend the entire day with my feet up on the desk, reading the newspaper? Who will be concerned that I spent my last few hours in the office blogging and emailing friends that I haven't been in touch with for a while? Who?

Oh, that's right, NO-ONE!!!!!!!!!

A-ha ha ha! A-ha ha ha ha ha!! Ahhh!

So, what am I doing for my holidays? Well, nothing too exciting. Tomorrow, my husband and I will head down to Cork for a party and then on Sunday or Monday, we'll tootle across the south, through Waterford, to Wexford. We'll spend a fortnight in Kilrane (a little village just outside of Rosslare, but nicer) pootling about, following brown sign-posts, walking, swimming, fishing, reading and writing my thesis. (He doesn't know it yet, but it will be a joint effort - oh yes!)

After that, I might decide that I like the life of leisure so much that I'll hand in my notice and quit my job. Though that's not terribly likely. I need my salary more than that particular moment of gratification... Dammit!