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Friday 30 December 2011

Still not resolved

It's all simmering at the back of my mind all the time.

But Christmas was great - lots of pleasant meals and time spent with TSH's children. Had a great purple sparkle polish on hands and feet but hands only lasted a few days becasue of cooking and handling food.

DVD presents included Killing Series 1 and Downton Abbey Series 2. CDs of Bruce Springsteen, Adele and Elbow.

Just laid out outfit for TSH's daughter's engagement party. Usual black top and trousers with purple velvet cut-out long jacket. Grey sweater and scarf for day after. Do I paint nails silver?

Hair has been good but needs attention now from Old Faithful.

Wednesday 21 December 2011

Decisions

Reasons why I should give up the MA:

1. I am totally discouraged by my final OU score. Not only is it so low but I don't understand the comments, they don't seem to relate to my work. It's a lottery and I am getting rebellious and resentful.

2. I don't like the way the MA course is structured. Lots of trivial activities and then a longer piece of work just a few times a year. I liked the OU structure where you are working on something all the time - I like writing and analysing more than I like reading.

3. Lots of the MA students are A level teachers, who are much more knowledgeable than I am.

4. It doesn't seem to be giving me any pleasure right now.


Reasons why I should carry on:

1. I want to keep my brain active.

2. I have enjoyed so many aspects of English Language in the past. There must be some good bits on this course.

3. I want an MA.

4. What would I do instead ( the answer to that is write my novel)?

4. I'm not a quitter.

Tuesday 20 December 2011

Macca is amazing

He sang and played and joked around for almost three hours and we never even saw him take a drink of water. He's 69!! It was the most amazing evening - I think I enjoyed it even more than the exceellent concert he gave in about 2003. Of course, I saw him at the Apollo in Manchester in the 60s at the height of Beatlemania. This has to be the best, really.

His band are excellent and a real bunch of performers, especially the drummer. But Paul's ego and presence is much bigger than theirs (or anyone else's).

There were people of all ages and they all sang along and some danced. Some of the numbers were big productions with noise and fireworks and fast videos. My favourites are the quiter ones with Paul and guitar, keyboard or ukelele. He sang 'Something in the way you move' for George and one of his own songs for John. I've never seen him sing a Lennon song before but this time he led us all in a chant of 'Give Peace a Chance'.  I'm still high!!

Monday 19 December 2011

An icon

I'm very excited about the Paul McCartney concert. He really is an icon. I know 'sound track of my life' is a cliche, but in this case it's true. No worries today!!

Saturday 17 December 2011

Its still not going too well

The MA course is really difficult and I'm worried I won't pass. It's a real possibility that I will give up - and that is so unlike me. The bad OU mark has really knocked my confidence. And I am worse at Tai Chi now than I was a year or two back - I just can't remember the sequence since he started changing it.
But if I give it all up it will seem like the end and then what will I do?

Tuesday 6 December 2011

TSH is playing Leonard Cohen to cheer me up

I just got the result of my latest OU course and I'm appalled. All year I had no score lower than 85. My project proposal - which was very specifiec and detailed - got 87. And they've given me only 61 for the actual project!! I worked really hard on a linguistic comparison of speeches by Pankhurst and Mandela and I thought I did it to the same standard as the rest of the course - and I really enjoyed doing it!! If I'd got the same sort of mark as for my other work I would have got a distinction. I genuinely thought that the worst outcome was a Class 2. And they've given me Class 3. I know its just one course and I already have my BA and I don't want a job. But everyone likes to be appreciated.

And Leonard is droning away in the background about 'sentenced to death by the blues' and 'garden of freshly cut tears'. I can always rely on TSH.

Sunday 4 December 2011

Its going well

I have written about 4,000 of my 5,000 words on prosody and I am really enjoying it. I have a recording of an over dinner conversation between me and TSH and the analysis is fascinating. How does turn-taking really work? How do you know that the other person has finished? Most of the time we speak in a rhythm which is as predicted but all of a sudden we get interested in a topic and all the parameters go non-standard. I will be shocked now if I don't manage to pass this part of the course.

Only a couple of weeks now until I get my course result from the OU. I've got great hopes for a good mark from that one.

We've been busy entertaining this weekend - a dinner party on Friday night and Sunday lunch today.

Christmas shopping partly done - hair and nails appointments booked - what will I wear?

Did I mention we're going to see the Paul McCartney tour?