Postgraduatum

FOR TODAY
Outside my window… still light, which is nice
I am thinking… that there is so much to do this weekend
I am thankful for… feeling a little overwhealmed by the next 5 months. I have to produce a gantt chart; this means I will have a metric to measure against.
I am learning… methods to deal with working while tired and a bit out of it.
I am creating… little models out of beeswax. I bought it because I like to have something to fiddle with when thinking.
I am going… home! : )
I am reading… not much today, but on a personal note, I am feeling the desire to read some good fiction soon.
I am hoping… that this weekend of shed cleaning goes well!
I am hearing… a quiet lab
Around the lab… there have been very few people. Same for uni. Today was the last day of exams, and a lot of people have finished theirs, so everyone is chilling a bit.
One of my favorite things… is a thank you message I got from Tom for helping him revise for his exams – he was really pleased with how it went.
A few plans for the rest of the week: Work in loft. Clean garden shed. Buy and install new tumble drier?
From my camera…

Sudo enjoying the warm air vented from the bottom of my laptop!

FOR TODAY
Outside my window… It’s dark. I’m looking forward to the lighter evenings in the summer
I am thinking… That I don’t have so much to show in my supervision tomorrow, but I am very excited to hear about a bid that is being submitted.
I am thankful for… having a super awesome Kempo session tonight. I trained with 3 black belts and had a fantastic white-belt time!
I am learning… to code in python. I want to be able to make webpages for php experiments and other projects, but php and I have a mutual dislike for one another.
I am creating… (in my head) a competence-structure based sewing course curriculum. I’m quite excited about using it to show off the potential, but I *hate* implementation.
I am going… to bed soon!
I am reading… not enough papers. And I’m not properly recording what I am reading, which seems to be a lot of specification documents at the moment.
I am hoping… that my involvement with the bid is going to be as awesome as I envisage
I am hearing… Russell typing away behind me.

Around the lab… things continue as normal. I haven’t been in pretty much all week. Around once a month, I’m not at 100% or anywhere close, so I tend to avoid intense social situations! : D

One of my favorite things… is that Russell picks me up from Kempo each session. I could walk home, but I’m generally exhausted and it is so nice to climb into a warm car, and know that he has made the effort to come and get me <3
From my camera…

The tumble drier tried to burn our shed down

FOR TODAY
Outside my window… it’s dark, but it has been clear today
I am thinking… that I may not have time to finish this – time for Kempo!
I am thankful for… Lester looking at and commenting on a diagram I constructed.
I am learning… that I need to get better at staying on task – I got distracted today by non-PhD things
I am going… to Kempo! More next time!

FOR TODAY
Outside my window… grim weather!
I am thinking… that I’d like to get the blog going again by trying something like “The Simple Woman’s day book”
I am thankful for… the fact that I am still in the tender first 4 months of my PhD. I feel overwhealmed, but I still have plenty of time.
I am learning… about “difficulty”, as it applies to educational objectives. How can we measure difficulty? How can we measure scaffolding?
I am creating… a big mindmap-thingy on the factors of difficulty. It is on the whiteboard behind me – I borrowed the whiteboard from Russell.
I am going… to Kempo tonight. I wish I didn’t feel nervous, but I still always do. It make me not want to go, even though I’m sure it’ll be fine.
I am reading… papers about competence and competence structures in Human Resources. They are pretty useless and don’t consider enablement at all.
I am hoping… that Kempo is good tonight.
I am hearing… a debate about how to get people to publish research openly on the web in html rather than in closed journals and pdf.
Around the lab… things are fairly quiet. No one seemd to be mentioning the impending structural change, though we get emails vaguely pertaining to it every now and again.
One of my favorite things… is that I brought Russell’s buckyballs to the lab and have enjoyed fiddling with them.
A few plans for the rest of the week: sort Sudo’s pet insurance…. Kempo….umm, oh, we are in the process of sorting out the bathroom at home. We have taken off the wallpaper now.
From my camera… a picture of my favourite bucky ball arrangement!

Bucky Ball Star