So we go shopping today. Markets, Coles. Bought a ridiculous amount of food. Yesterday when I was at the shops I ran into Ron, neighbour. Had Kate's Santa present with me, and asked him to smuggle it home so I can smuggle it inside without detection.
Tonight we put cookies and milk out for Santa and Kate went to bed. Around half an hour later, another neighbour, Dennis, knocks on the door with a present for Kate. Kate's still awake and calls out, so I tell her to be quiet because I'm talking to Santa.
Oh what fun! So I put her present in the stocking and put Dennis's out too. What fun!
So Kate gets up a little bit later and finds her presents. I quickly get one of the cookies and put it in the bin and take a gulp of milk. She's so now convinced Santa came. I tell her she has to go back to bed or Santa will take them away again. She's asleep now.
I think I'm going to remember this one for years. So much fun!
24/12/2010
15/12/2010
Marking is over, the journey begins
SO the interminable ordeal is over! Calooha callay! Now for PhD in all seriousness. I've got to get the bum down, the head down and get super serious over summer. I wonder how successful I shall be?
In other news, the lovely Martin Thomlinson had a research project in the inner city where he and Andrew had residents display their energy usage on blackboards in an attempt to reduce power usage. It worked. Well done guys!
Andy Dong has won a research fellowship and will be doing that for the next few years. And Rob Saunders is writing a paper on computational creativity. It's all good news on the University front.
Except Irene has lost her supervisors, which is not good news. She's a bit stuck in her project, and I don't think anyone there works harder.
Lucila graduated. Hooray for the Brazilian! But unfortunately her mum died and she didn't make the ceremony.
We had our screening night at TAFE last night. About 10 minutes into the first half the fire alarm goes off and we all had to evacuate! How funny! I'm very proud of Paul Beattie and Shaba Sanai for their animations. Wow. I feel either I am getting better as a teacher, or they are just two exceptional students. Well done on the animations, guys.
In other news, the lovely Martin Thomlinson had a research project in the inner city where he and Andrew had residents display their energy usage on blackboards in an attempt to reduce power usage. It worked. Well done guys!
Andy Dong has won a research fellowship and will be doing that for the next few years. And Rob Saunders is writing a paper on computational creativity. It's all good news on the University front.
Except Irene has lost her supervisors, which is not good news. She's a bit stuck in her project, and I don't think anyone there works harder.
Lucila graduated. Hooray for the Brazilian! But unfortunately her mum died and she didn't make the ceremony.
We had our screening night at TAFE last night. About 10 minutes into the first half the fire alarm goes off and we all had to evacuate! How funny! I'm very proud of Paul Beattie and Shaba Sanai for their animations. Wow. I feel either I am getting better as a teacher, or they are just two exceptional students. Well done on the animations, guys.
09/12/2010
Gnnn
I'd forgotten what hell marking is. Worked in a classroom with 2 other teachers today, which turned out rather well, as it appears that students do the work, then forget to hand in. Sheesh!
Saved the skins of around 4 people today due to other teachers having the assignments which were supposed to come to me.
In other news....gnnnn. There is no other news.
On the scale of 1-10 I'd put today as a 5. No end in sight - yet.
Saved the skins of around 4 people today due to other teachers having the assignments which were supposed to come to me.
In other news....gnnnn. There is no other news.
On the scale of 1-10 I'd put today as a 5. No end in sight - yet.
24/11/2010
Ah that time of year
So it's the time of year that students panic, I mark and the weather warms up.
It's Kate's brithday today. 5 years old. She is becoming more delightful by the day. I love her so much.
I was up till 10 last night making a birthday cake so she could celebrate at her preschool. I made a butterfly, inelegant in its execution but tasted fine. I've decided that canned cream is the pits. You know the type of cream that you've seen in countless movies where the young post-hormonal male opens his mouth and squirts a glob of it. He swallows with no apparent affliction to his hips. Great for squirting, no good for cakes. This is the second time it's flopped.
The problem with cream as I see it is that the squirty type (as above) is no good for cakes, but good for beside cakes. Thickened cream is no good for whipping, as they put something in it to thicken it up. It doesn't whip. Not even a little. And even if I could whip it (something that does seem to elude me, but probably has something to do with a lack of mixmaster) I would then need to get a piping bag to make it all pretty.
When it comes to cream, I lack commitment. Cream and I have a love/hate relationship. I'm actually quite bad with it. I can't eat the stuff. Which is good for the hips. I have recently enacted my difficulties with it by banning icecream from myself also. It always makes me sick. Why does one yearn that which is bad for you?
You may note dear reader that I lack a mixmaster. Yet I still bake. Well it takes courage and strong fingers for mixing butter, and arms for mixing. I actually managed a pizza base the other day. Success! The trick in yeast based cooking appears to be to simply give it a couple of hours to rise. It can't be rushed.
Anyways, I digress. We'll be off to Canberra on the weekend for a little soiree with my brother and his lovely wife. I haven't seen the family down there in nearly 2 years. This is a function of my mother blowing me off each time I want to come. Take M out of the equation for a better life...
In other news, the house in Victoria is finally ready. Two years of trauma and bad building. Hooray for new houses.
My animation students are cruising. I think we'll have some good ones from this semester. The average is nice and high. Hugs to all doing study at this stage. It's the stressy time of year.
It's Kate's brithday today. 5 years old. She is becoming more delightful by the day. I love her so much.
I was up till 10 last night making a birthday cake so she could celebrate at her preschool. I made a butterfly, inelegant in its execution but tasted fine. I've decided that canned cream is the pits. You know the type of cream that you've seen in countless movies where the young post-hormonal male opens his mouth and squirts a glob of it. He swallows with no apparent affliction to his hips. Great for squirting, no good for cakes. This is the second time it's flopped.
The problem with cream as I see it is that the squirty type (as above) is no good for cakes, but good for beside cakes. Thickened cream is no good for whipping, as they put something in it to thicken it up. It doesn't whip. Not even a little. And even if I could whip it (something that does seem to elude me, but probably has something to do with a lack of mixmaster) I would then need to get a piping bag to make it all pretty.
When it comes to cream, I lack commitment. Cream and I have a love/hate relationship. I'm actually quite bad with it. I can't eat the stuff. Which is good for the hips. I have recently enacted my difficulties with it by banning icecream from myself also. It always makes me sick. Why does one yearn that which is bad for you?
You may note dear reader that I lack a mixmaster. Yet I still bake. Well it takes courage and strong fingers for mixing butter, and arms for mixing. I actually managed a pizza base the other day. Success! The trick in yeast based cooking appears to be to simply give it a couple of hours to rise. It can't be rushed.
Anyways, I digress. We'll be off to Canberra on the weekend for a little soiree with my brother and his lovely wife. I haven't seen the family down there in nearly 2 years. This is a function of my mother blowing me off each time I want to come. Take M out of the equation for a better life...
In other news, the house in Victoria is finally ready. Two years of trauma and bad building. Hooray for new houses.
My animation students are cruising. I think we'll have some good ones from this semester. The average is nice and high. Hugs to all doing study at this stage. It's the stressy time of year.
11/11/2010
School Days
My little girl is growing up. She's off to school next week. This month they're having orientation mornings and we can't make it, due to work. It's very sad, but she's quite an outgoing little one, so I think she will be fine.
I'm coming up for a month till the end of semester, and I dunno, feeling a little blue. I can't decide if it's lack of sleep or whether I'm getting low. Or it could be that the honeymoon is over and I'm not liking my job too much.
I've been feeling blue for a couple of days now. I hope it shakes and doesn't get worse.
I really want to have a break, but I've still got masses of marking to get done and I can't see the end of it. I'm going to reduce the amount of assignments next year. This is killing me.
I'm coming up for a month till the end of semester, and I dunno, feeling a little blue. I can't decide if it's lack of sleep or whether I'm getting low. Or it could be that the honeymoon is over and I'm not liking my job too much.
I've been feeling blue for a couple of days now. I hope it shakes and doesn't get worse.
I really want to have a break, but I've still got masses of marking to get done and I can't see the end of it. I'm going to reduce the amount of assignments next year. This is killing me.
02/11/2010
Another day another dollar
More work on the PhD today. I think it might actually be coming together.
In other news 3 point perspective is now under the belt, done and dusted.
To Do: MARK friday's class.
Other than that behind in just about everything.
Even chose PhD writing over the Melbourne Cup. Wonder who won?
In other news 3 point perspective is now under the belt, done and dusted.
To Do: MARK friday's class.
Other than that behind in just about everything.
Even chose PhD writing over the Melbourne Cup. Wonder who won?
29/10/2010
Another creative day
Today I did a good job. I ran a creativity workshop with my CertIV guys. They seemed to like it. I ran through a whole bunch of stuff on creativity - did a bit of brainstorming and such like.
I think it helped them. I hope it did. They said they learnt a lot.
On other news, well I can see the end of semester just around the corner. Light at the end of the proverbial. I've been doing stuff for the PhD but it still needs loads of work.
I live in hope that I will make it.
Life is good. Seize the day!
If the weather is good we might go to Sculpture by the Sea tomorrow.
I think it helped them. I hope it did. They said they learnt a lot.
On other news, well I can see the end of semester just around the corner. Light at the end of the proverbial. I've been doing stuff for the PhD but it still needs loads of work.
I live in hope that I will make it.
Life is good. Seize the day!
If the weather is good we might go to Sculpture by the Sea tomorrow.
24/10/2010
It seems it rains when I post
Well it's raining again. It seems that I only post on rainy days.
Yesterday was glorious. The air was warm, the sky was clear with overtones of summer. DJ did a double and Kate and I went to the shops.
Actually Kate wrote the shopping list: Chocolate sauce and sprinkles.
You've got to laugh.
We came back and had lunch, rested for the obligatory hour and headed for the swimming pool. We went in, it was around 30 degrees Celsius. Mad storm hit. Thunder lightning. Children screaming everytime a thunderclap struck. Had a bolt land very close to us - as seen through the bank of windows at the pool.
The pool was super crowded. I told Kate the joke about not swimming in the rain because you might get wet. Not sure she got it.
So after a couple of hours, time to go home. Temperature had dropped around 10 degrees. Brrrr. Now it's winter again. Go figure.
On other news, I'm ridiculously behind in the marking but there's some very good assignments there. Except gaming. Super worried about the level 2 gamers.
Hmmm.
Yesterday was glorious. The air was warm, the sky was clear with overtones of summer. DJ did a double and Kate and I went to the shops.
Actually Kate wrote the shopping list: Chocolate sauce and sprinkles.
You've got to laugh.
We came back and had lunch, rested for the obligatory hour and headed for the swimming pool. We went in, it was around 30 degrees Celsius. Mad storm hit. Thunder lightning. Children screaming everytime a thunderclap struck. Had a bolt land very close to us - as seen through the bank of windows at the pool.
The pool was super crowded. I told Kate the joke about not swimming in the rain because you might get wet. Not sure she got it.
So after a couple of hours, time to go home. Temperature had dropped around 10 degrees. Brrrr. Now it's winter again. Go figure.
On other news, I'm ridiculously behind in the marking but there's some very good assignments there. Except gaming. Super worried about the level 2 gamers.
Hmmm.
04/10/2010
Rainy long weekend
Wouldn't you know it. A long weekend drenched in rain. The spring has turned to winter again, and the warm weather has given way to drizzle and overcast skies.
It was wet yesterday. I decided to bake some bread, success after 20 years of trying. Hooray!
Took Kate for a drive in the rain and in a break in the weather, found a park in Hunters Hill by the water. Played on the rocks and watched the boats on Paramatta River sploosh the waves onto our rock. We then went to Woolwich Ferry terminal and watched a man fishing. He caught a fish and Kate touched it. It wiggled out of her fingers onto the decking. The man threw it back into the water - too small for anything.
This week I made Kate 3 dresses no less, and today, wouldn't you know it she insists on wearing one of my old tops. Go figure.
DJ worked all last night. He is lucky to be working in a football club the night they played the Grand Final. They lost. He is very exhausted.
I've been extremely tired. I have no idea why. I can't sleep at night and I'm too tired for anything during the day. I'm sure it will pass, like everything.
It was wet yesterday. I decided to bake some bread, success after 20 years of trying. Hooray!
Took Kate for a drive in the rain and in a break in the weather, found a park in Hunters Hill by the water. Played on the rocks and watched the boats on Paramatta River sploosh the waves onto our rock. We then went to Woolwich Ferry terminal and watched a man fishing. He caught a fish and Kate touched it. It wiggled out of her fingers onto the decking. The man threw it back into the water - too small for anything.
This week I made Kate 3 dresses no less, and today, wouldn't you know it she insists on wearing one of my old tops. Go figure.
DJ worked all last night. He is lucky to be working in a football club the night they played the Grand Final. They lost. He is very exhausted.
I've been extremely tired. I have no idea why. I can't sleep at night and I'm too tired for anything during the day. I'm sure it will pass, like everything.
22/09/2010
BBQs and springtime
Spring is here at last. The wisteria are in full bloom over the archway outside of ours. The jasmine flowering in the bush nearby infuse the air with a glorious scent.
Dj has just got a new job at Easts over in Bondi, so he's ever so happy. His first pay arrived today.
My brother Steve has scored his first job in (wait for it) 8 years! So I can stop worrying on that score also.
I'm looking forward to swimming again. I need to cut out the carbs and get some fitness in.
My friend Mark and his wife Marlin are over from England and we had a lovely BBQ at his folk's place. So good to see him again. They look very happy.
Also need to concentrate on the PhD. Very exhausted. Kate is unwell. I'm not too good either, think I'm coming down with a cold.
Will probably get her gastro in a few days too.
Roll on vacation.
Dj has just got a new job at Easts over in Bondi, so he's ever so happy. His first pay arrived today.
My brother Steve has scored his first job in (wait for it) 8 years! So I can stop worrying on that score also.
I'm looking forward to swimming again. I need to cut out the carbs and get some fitness in.
My friend Mark and his wife Marlin are over from England and we had a lovely BBQ at his folk's place. So good to see him again. They look very happy.
Also need to concentrate on the PhD. Very exhausted. Kate is unwell. I'm not too good either, think I'm coming down with a cold.
Will probably get her gastro in a few days too.
Roll on vacation.
13/09/2010
Too busy to scratch meself
I've been given heaps of hours at work at the moment, and I'm sooo busy. Too busy to scratch myself.
I use my spare time in class just keeping up with the marking.
Run away!
I use my spare time in class just keeping up with the marking.
Run away!
01/09/2010
Tales of mundane humanity
I worry about the absolute shlock encompassed and propogated by our daily newspapers. I used to live and breathe news, but really. The banal humanity of our daily lives. The shocking acts of betrayal. The bare arsed rump of humanity exposed in all its ugliness.
Life is and remains a wonderful treasure. But the daily tabloids would sully, disfigure, dismember all that is beautiful and just and right about life. It's the daily uglies. The daily horror.
I'm getting so that I avoid the newspapers, the nightly TV news horror report. The tales of mundane humans filling their mundane lives with pond scum. Why do we raise the ugly above the wonderous beauty and love that is all that life is?
Much better to smell the wonderous scent of the garden that I have nurtured for the past few years. To enjoy the perfume of spring while carrying my slumbering child inside to bed. To treaasure, to enjoy, to cherish every living moment that I have on this earth.
On another note, a colleague did a talk today on his wonderful tool that his has developed to help the analysis and visualisation of content analysis. He has his tool on his website that you can download. Yep. The page is in Arabic. Ha ha ha!
Life is and remains a wonderful treasure. But the daily tabloids would sully, disfigure, dismember all that is beautiful and just and right about life. It's the daily uglies. The daily horror.
I'm getting so that I avoid the newspapers, the nightly TV news horror report. The tales of mundane humans filling their mundane lives with pond scum. Why do we raise the ugly above the wonderous beauty and love that is all that life is?
Much better to smell the wonderous scent of the garden that I have nurtured for the past few years. To enjoy the perfume of spring while carrying my slumbering child inside to bed. To treaasure, to enjoy, to cherish every living moment that I have on this earth.
On another note, a colleague did a talk today on his wonderful tool that his has developed to help the analysis and visualisation of content analysis. He has his tool on his website that you can download. Yep. The page is in Arabic. Ha ha ha!
27/06/2010
End of Semester
Typically at the end of Semester we have the usual dramas. Students failing themselves. Students submitting (but not checking) their assignments. Students not getting the work done. Typical typical. Not any surprises. But for some reason this semster has been a little more fraught than usual.
Students aren't aware that they actually grade themselves. How well they do is usually a function of 90% how much work they put in and 10% talent.
Those who work hard ususually do well.
This is something I must remind myself of while doing the PhD. Hmmmm.
:)
Students aren't aware that they actually grade themselves. How well they do is usually a function of 90% how much work they put in and 10% talent.
Those who work hard ususually do well.
This is something I must remind myself of while doing the PhD. Hmmmm.
:)
20/06/2010
The World Game
I have taken an interest in the soccer, for probably the first time seriously.
It has been fun watching Australia lose, Algeria draw against England.
I confess to two 4am starts and to staying up until 2am last night.
Other news. DJ becomes an Australian on Tuesday. I'm so happy for him.
PhD going okay. Getting it done, but need to stop phaffing around with graphs and get on with it. I've been quite rigorous, so Andy should be happy.
Work's okay, really loving teaching design. The Photoshop class has been great. Really enjoyed it and the class. Lovely people. The web class not so good, still nice folk but they're just not into it. Gamers as usual are fab. I feel quite excited about the future of a lot of them. Very talented bunch.
It has been fun watching Australia lose, Algeria draw against England.
I confess to two 4am starts and to staying up until 2am last night.
Other news. DJ becomes an Australian on Tuesday. I'm so happy for him.
PhD going okay. Getting it done, but need to stop phaffing around with graphs and get on with it. I've been quite rigorous, so Andy should be happy.
Work's okay, really loving teaching design. The Photoshop class has been great. Really enjoyed it and the class. Lovely people. The web class not so good, still nice folk but they're just not into it. Gamers as usual are fab. I feel quite excited about the future of a lot of them. Very talented bunch.
12/05/2010
An then came Autumn
I'm thinking of starting a design blog. There's lots of them out there. Or maybe a design teaching blog. Or something cutting edge with my musings on design trends.
I've been having an email argument with the editor of Computer Arts magazine about his recent edition of Photoshop Essentials. He mentioned a member of the female sex ONCE in his entire magazine. All contributors, interviews and roundtables were done by men.
He maintained that there are no photoshop designers who are world class and women out there! And that his magazine represents the breakdown of the industry as a whole. I find that very hard to believe. This sort of misogynistic attitude was ok back in the 1950s but this is 2010. His competitors appear to be able to find female artists to write for them...!
Advanced Photoshop magazine has the majority of contributors as women in their latest edition! So now I'm really confused, and have probably put a black mark against my reputation in the UK.
I suspect a systemic anti-female attitude on the part of the editors. They just don't take the female artists seriously, and hence devalue their work and don't include them.
My mum says she has a friend who has a daughter who is an artist. She refuses to have her photo take and makes her name ambiguous. She makes $20,000 per painting. If she revealed she was a woman, I wonder if she'd be making that much....
I've been having an email argument with the editor of Computer Arts magazine about his recent edition of Photoshop Essentials. He mentioned a member of the female sex ONCE in his entire magazine. All contributors, interviews and roundtables were done by men.
He maintained that there are no photoshop designers who are world class and women out there! And that his magazine represents the breakdown of the industry as a whole. I find that very hard to believe. This sort of misogynistic attitude was ok back in the 1950s but this is 2010. His competitors appear to be able to find female artists to write for them...!
Advanced Photoshop magazine has the majority of contributors as women in their latest edition! So now I'm really confused, and have probably put a black mark against my reputation in the UK.
I suspect a systemic anti-female attitude on the part of the editors. They just don't take the female artists seriously, and hence devalue their work and don't include them.
My mum says she has a friend who has a daughter who is an artist. She refuses to have her photo take and makes her name ambiguous. She makes $20,000 per painting. If she revealed she was a woman, I wonder if she'd be making that much....
04/05/2010
Study study where is the study?
Getting there at last, doing actual data visualisations, which is utterly amazing.
So need to get back into it.
In other news, Kate is joining a soccer team. Should be fun.
Training tonight, hope she sleeps well. DJ is still in Algeria, should be home in a couple of weeks, volcano ash permitting.
Other than actually getting on with the PhD, not much to report. I'm loving my new design and web classes. They doing good.
So need to get back into it.
In other news, Kate is joining a soccer team. Should be fun.
Training tonight, hope she sleeps well. DJ is still in Algeria, should be home in a couple of weeks, volcano ash permitting.
Other than actually getting on with the PhD, not much to report. I'm loving my new design and web classes. They doing good.
21/04/2010
A triumph!
Content analysis - quantitative analysis. The bane of my existence. Or anything to do with numbers, really. But a triumph! 85% agreement between me and the lovely Lucila. Hooray! It really was doing my head in.
So now I'm doing the real thing with Subject G's long talk-aloud. I did have to do the longest first. Well I suspect Kaz will have a long one too.
Dr Andy Dong is stuck in Reading in the UK, unable to leave because of the volcanic eruption in Iceland.
DJ was stuck in Singapore for a while, but he's now in Algeria, happily ensconced with his family. It really is necessary for him to go home regularly. It becomes a reality check/brain fix for him. He misses his family. I don't know how he survived in Paris so long not seeing them.
So onwards and upwards, I'm going to keep at it and plug on. Roll on December!
I really must get this PhD finished.
So now I'm doing the real thing with Subject G's long talk-aloud. I did have to do the longest first. Well I suspect Kaz will have a long one too.
Dr Andy Dong is stuck in Reading in the UK, unable to leave because of the volcanic eruption in Iceland.
DJ was stuck in Singapore for a while, but he's now in Algeria, happily ensconced with his family. It really is necessary for him to go home regularly. It becomes a reality check/brain fix for him. He misses his family. I don't know how he survived in Paris so long not seeing them.
So onwards and upwards, I'm going to keep at it and plug on. Roll on December!
I really must get this PhD finished.
25/03/2010
March Already!
Oh mi gosh, it's March already. The plants are gearing down, blooming their last show before winter. The weather in the past couple of weeks has been nothing short of delicious. Cool, with a hint of the fading summer. We are able to at last get a brilliant nights sleep as the cool winds allow a light blanket to snuggle under.
I'm still teaching and studying. I wonder which affords the more learning to be honest. I'm having heaps of fun researching the design courses and I hope that I'm coming into stride with that. I seem quite skilled at the software now, getting to guru status.
I spent last night working on a brilliant powerpoint on logo design for the games students. Even went into a touch of semiotics.
Must get back into the PhD. Did masses on it a couple of weeks ago, I suspect I shall have to do so again...
I'm still teaching and studying. I wonder which affords the more learning to be honest. I'm having heaps of fun researching the design courses and I hope that I'm coming into stride with that. I seem quite skilled at the software now, getting to guru status.
I spent last night working on a brilliant powerpoint on logo design for the games students. Even went into a touch of semiotics.
Must get back into the PhD. Did masses on it a couple of weeks ago, I suspect I shall have to do so again...
09/01/2010
It's finally here - SUMMER!
And about time too. We were wondering last week whether it would finally arrive. So the heatwave has hit, we're not going to the pool as Kate has a throat infection.
However she's okay, or appears to be I hope. I overreacted and we're on anti-biotics.
After her stint in hospital, I'm an overly sensitive mum now!
I'm enjoying the break but I have to get my ass into gear if I ever want to finish the PhD. Big timey. In the meantime, being a mum, which I'm loving and generally having a nice time with hubby.
However she's okay, or appears to be I hope. I overreacted and we're on anti-biotics.
After her stint in hospital, I'm an overly sensitive mum now!
I'm enjoying the break but I have to get my ass into gear if I ever want to finish the PhD. Big timey. In the meantime, being a mum, which I'm loving and generally having a nice time with hubby.
05/01/2010
Hospital, New Year and Hope
Well it's been a while since I've posted and heaps has happened. Just after I posted last time, Kate was stricken with a golden staph infection and was in hospital for 6 days. I only went home for an hour in the whole six days.
DJ and I alternated between looking after Kate or being with her, whatever, and working. Very stressful, she was a sick little girl.
Then we got her out and it was a flurry of marking and Xmas. The marking nearly killed me this semester. Urgh.
Parents came here for Xmas and I surprised myself with rather good cooking. I even impressed myself!
Kate is ill again today, with a temperature. We hope it's not too nasty this time. Gosh I hope she is okay.
DJ and I alternated between looking after Kate or being with her, whatever, and working. Very stressful, she was a sick little girl.
Then we got her out and it was a flurry of marking and Xmas. The marking nearly killed me this semester. Urgh.
Parents came here for Xmas and I surprised myself with rather good cooking. I even impressed myself!
Kate is ill again today, with a temperature. We hope it's not too nasty this time. Gosh I hope she is okay.
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