Halfway peoples

Ok, I’ve been slack. Not just a little slack, but on an epic scale. Since semester finished I’ve been spending more and more time away from my laptop. Time that has been channelled into far more pleasurable activities, like seeing my friends and reading. Always reading. This slackness has meant that I didn’t print my reading list for May or June, something that I have now rectified.

With the countdown to my final semester I have started getting things into order. I’m in front for my reading, which is a good thing. Today being the 1^st of July, and day 183, I am quite pleased that I am currently reading book 187. It’s all downhill from here. I realise that in lots of way this challenge has taken over this blog. The last few posts have been little but my reading lists. It would be easy to think that it has taken over the rest of my life too. But it hasn’t really. 

I don’t go out any more or less than I would if I wasn’t reading. I can honestly say that I haven’t missed out on doing anything with friends, or going places with Miss R. I don’t entertain any less, or see fewer movies (though there hasn’t exactly been a wealth of stuff worth seeing). In fact the only thing I do less of is watch tv. Which, in the grand scheme of things, I can’t take that as a bad thing.

On the baking front I finally sourced chestnut flour for my wheat/gluten free baking. It’s first outing as part of a vegan chocolate pumpkin cake was a success. I plan on consuming the last of it with a bowl of warm custard after dinner.

I’m running a second photobooks class on Tuesday morning, and have managed to pick up a few extra shifts, so the bank a/c is slowly recovering from the chunk my rego took out of it. Work also paid for my first aid course. I expect my certificate in the mail any day now. 

The quest for full time work continues. There are possibilities with the opening of the new library in September, but council is still looking over the positions. In the end what they decide will come down to money. I don’t want to leave my library, but it’s hard to live on only 17.5 hrs a week.

Maybe Miss R and I should open that dessert home delivery business …

February recap

Well, I survived. It was one hell of a month but I think by and large it was a good effort. My month long secondment to the training team certainly kept me busy. I can however now say with complete confidence that when I run the photo-books class this month I will not need to refer to my notes at any point. Which, when you think about it, is a shame because I’ve worked bloody hard on them. But, such is life.

The ongoing drama with the training computers not letting me save any of the work has meant that every time I use the photo-books software I’ve had to start from scratch. Mostly because the way council has set up the training and public PCs, there are so many restrictions that you can’t get into even the most basic program files, and anything that might have been saved by a user is wiped every time the machine is turned off. I understand the reasoning behind it, but still it made my job harder.

Other than that, my month at the higher banding wasn’t all that different from what I was doing before. I was just “officially” supposed to do it, as opposed to just doing it because it needed doing. There has been some talk from the head of the training team about keeping me permanently, but no details on what that would actually mean. More hours? Permanent higher banding? Who knows? Miss R thinks I should be more excited about the idea. Don’t get me wrong, I’d be thrilled if it became permanent. I’m also aware that no matter how much someone wants me, if there’s no money in the budget it’s not going to happen. Still it was fun, and it’s something else to put on the resume.

Now that the month is over I’m back to my regular hours, and of course uni has started. I’ve put all the important dates in my calendar and asked for two weeks off before each major assessment is due. I was too late for the assessments due this month, but not the others. The first lot of leave has been approved, but no word on the second lot yet. 

MQFF starts this week, and I’ve got tickets for about 10 movies. With that, uni assessments, and work, I’m not likely to get much reading done this month. Unless of course I’m procrastinating. 

Maybe just one game of bubbles before I start ...

Books read in February:

41        50 people who buggered up Britain by Quentin Letts

42        Storm from the shadows by David Weber

43        Torch of freedom by David Weber & Eric Flint

44        Mission of Honor by David Weber

45        Hellsing vol 8 by Kouta Hirano

46        Hellsing vol 9 by Kouta Hirano

47        Hellsing vol 10 by Kouta Hirano

48       A crown imperilled by Raymond E Feist

49        After school charisma Vol 2 by Kumiko Suekane

50       After school charisma Vol 3 by Kumiko Suekane

51        Rapture for the geeks by Richard Dooling

52        Shadow prowler by Alexey Pehov

53        Shadow chaser by Alexey Pehov

54        iD_entity vol 1 by Son Hee-joon

55        iD_entity vol 2 by Son Hee-joon

56        iD_entity vol 3 by Son Hee-joon

57        iD_entity vol 4 by Son Hee-joon

58       Claymore vol 1 by Norihiro Yagi

59        Claymore vol 2 by Norihiro Yagi

60       Claymore vol 3 by Norihiro Yagi

61        Claymore vol 4 by Norihiro Yagi

62        Claymore vol 5 by Norihiro Yagi

63        Claymore vol 6 by Norihiro Yagi

January recap

Obviously I haven’t had a great deal of time for blogging. In truth I haven’t had time for much outside of work and reading (and chores, always find time for the chores). I have managed to catch a few movies, and am working my way through a few dvds, but other than that it has been all about the reading. This month will be different.

With people going on leave I have been asked to work fulltime in February. I’d be happy with this just for the extra hours, but I’ll also be working at a higher banding as part of the training team. This is a good thing. I met with Ms E (the head of the training team) yesterday to have a brief chat about what we’ll be doing, and it all sounding interesting. She is also interested in keeping me permanently. Not sure what that’ll mean when the month is over, but for now it’s nice to feel wanted.

The National Year of Reading is being officially launched this month. I’m 40 books in to my challenge. I’m not following any particular strategy, just reading whatever grabs my attention. I know working is likely to have a serious impact this month, and uni will definitely eat into in come March, but I’m not too worried. If I hit the target I’ll be happy, but mostly I’m just doing it for the reading.

Books read in January:

1. Savage City, Sophia McDougall
2. The Elements; a visual representation of every known atom in the universe, Theodore Gray
3. Sex Pistols Vol 1, Tarako Kotobuki
4. Sex Pistols Vol 2, Tarako Kotobuki
5. Sex Pistols Vol 3, Tarako Kotobuki
6. Sex Pistols Vol 4, Tarako Kotobuki
7. Sex Pistols Vol 5, Tarako Kotobuki
8. Sex Pistols Vol 6, Tarako Kotobuki
9. More than Honor, David Weber
10. On Basalisk Station, David Weber
11. The Honor of the Queen, David Weber
12. The short victorious war, David Weber
13. Field of dishonor, David Weber
14. Flag in exile, David Weber
15. Honor among enemies, David Weber
16. In enemy hands, David Weber
17. Echoes of Honor, David Weber
18. Ashes of victory, David Weber
19. In fire forged, David Weber et al
20. Changer of Worlds, David Weber et al
21. Worlds of Honor, David Weber et al
22. The service of the sword, David Weber et al
23. War of Honor, David Weber
24. Crown of slaves, David Weber & Eric Flint
25. The shadow of Saganami, David Weber
26. At all costs, David Weber
27. Clone: the life and legacy of Al Parker, gay superstar, Roger Edmonson
28. ES Vol 1, Fuyumi Soryo
29. After school charisma Vol 1, Kumiko Suekane
30. Return of the Black Death, Susan Scott & Christopher Duncan
31. The Subject Tonight Is Love: 60 Wild and Sweet Poems of Hafiz, Hafiz, translated Daniel Ladinsky
32. Hellsing Vol 1, Kouta Hirano
33. Hellsing Vol 2, Kouta Hirano
34. Hellsing Vol 3, Kouta Hirano
35. Hellsing Vol 4, Kouta Hirano
36. Hellsing Vol 5, Kouta Hirano
37. Shattered silence: the untold story of a serial killer's daughter, Melissa Moore & M. Bridget Cook
38. Hellsing Vol 6 Kouta Hirano
39. Hellsing Vol 7, Kouta Hirano
40. The World of Downton Abbey, Jessica Fellows

 Miss R and I are off to RedHill for her birthday (and the market) so I imagine I won't get much in the way of reading done. But there will be cake.