musings (201) fun Monday (76) friendship (64) K9 (13)

Monday 20 February 2012

and today

has been spent reading with a break for carpet cleaning...
Postie arrived early bringing a book from the Saint book store, Southport. Not a books on shelves and go browse place, but a repository of texts accessible via Abebooks online. Double bonus, usually new books at discount prices with further discount when accessed via Topcashback.
Why carpet cleaning? I have a snazzy machine from Bissell which deep cleans and uses a formula containing cleaner and protector. OH let Z-dog in without paw cleaning and there was therefore a set of dog footprints in mud to be cleaned away. Why get down on hands and knees when you can use in succession the vacuum cleaner followed by the carpet cleaner. So for a while all smells cleaner and less 'doggie'.




Tuesday 14 February 2012

Life like Flanders and Swann

Feeling sorry for neighbour who is enduring her personal version of Flanders & Swan 'gas man' song.
Gas supply is 'inadequate' not enough from the mains...
So, no gas yesterday and still none today. She's got two small fan heaters and a hotplate to cope with. 
Men in fluorescent jackets have taken up residence outside her house and are 'digging to Australia' thro' the pavement.
'Twas on a Monday morning the gas man came to call. The gas tap wouldn't turn - I wasn't getting gas at all. Oh, it all makes work for the working man to do.'
When you remember that she is blind and finds great difficulty coping with any changes in routine; I really hope they hurry up and let her get back to normal. 
P.S. intermittent posting here now have begun blog for latest OU course.

Saturday 4 February 2012

It can pay to ask...

My latest in a long, long line of courses in my OU studies commences today. SXN390 Science in Society project. 
Mid-January notification of tutor allocation; ought not to have been problematic but it was...why?
Reason being the said tutor lives in Galway, Ireland. Beautiful place and all that. but any phone-calls would be prohibitively  expensive. Seeing as this course is more dependent than most on tutor contact this information was worrying.
Typically, I had to investigate further, well why else have access to the world-wide web.
Having honed my skills over the years, I soon found out that not only was the tutor in Ireland, but specialises in Chemistry and Education. Whoa! Not promising especially as tutor also has a Ph.D.


This knowledge set the alarm bells ringing. Okay, I have no axe to grind with folk being highly educated, but I'm not including any chemistry in my project. Last year's tutor was chemistry Ph.D. as I found to my cost we were not on the same wavelength. So, I phoned learning support over a period of a week and a half without reply. In desperation, I sent an email and a lovely lady called Sue worked her magic. Today, when I logged on I found my tutor is in the Lancaster area and has listed a phone number, cell phone number and email address.
So, it pays to ask...please might I have a tutor located on mainland UK instead of one in Ireland? Thank you ever so much Sue.


Happy now!

Friday 3 February 2012

As the weatherman said...

There's a large area of high pressure over Russia, Scandinavia and central Europe. It's so large and such a heavy airmass it could stay for a while.
So, Jack Frost is here to stay for a while. Not only nipping at fingers and toes, but jamming locks and making it treacherous underfoot. On a brighter note...tis a lovely, sunny day!


Dear Mr. Weatherman, I know you have forecast snow for overnight, please let it pass by and head further inland.

Thursday 2 February 2012

Dearest OU

 my old friend, my old bacteria (apols Charteris) the c*ourse has not begun yet and am already at screaming pitch.
"log format is not mandatory" but "I prefer portrait orientation" we'd prefer "not to waste time trying to understand a unique format."
Yes your log is personal to you...



Oh and by the way...you know my polite request, followed up a week later by phone-call...?
It is two days to the start of my Course and I still have no tutor...