Taking a Break

This afternoon I have decided to take a little break from working my way through what is proving to be a tough little assignment. This one, TMA02 is due on 6 Feb so it almost seems I have loads of time. But really, it is not that long. Especially not as I have to do the coursework once I get home from work. Keeping myself motivated is not always easy but I just keep reminding myself that once this course is over and the exam is done I am allowed to read whichever book I want! My scheduled date of release is 24 April, after the exam! The reading for this part of the course was not the biggest problem. There were not too many pages to get through but some of it was a bit vague and sometimes it is hard to see how all of it is going to apply on a practical level for my PM work.

One good thing to happen this week is that I got my end of year review and it was really good. Apparently I have Exceeded Expectations this year. Which is good to know as it was a year of change and transition for me moving into my PM role. Not that it will get me a rise on the back of it as last year there were "other indicators" that were used to give people pay rises. Ah well... never mind. Hope to get a little extra once this course is done, you never know.. fingers crossed.

I have been treating my ears to my Ben Howard CD recently and although it is a bit more of a grower than mr James V McMorrow's it is also very good. I found myself humming along to half of the album after only about 10 listens.. in fact.. I'm off to stick it on again now!

Lucrative business

As the first month of the new year has almost ended I decided that it was time to treat myself to a little trip. My destination of choice: Liverpool. I did not get to see everything I wanted to last time I went for a visit last year, so I decided to go back for a second helping. It proved to be a very good trip in a book buying sense. Two second hand bookshops visited and two books bought! One of them a little gem with three gothic novels, one of which is Walpole's Castle of Otranto (which I have been wanting to get for some time) and the second one contains some eerie Scottish tales. Lovely!!
My trusty travel companion on the trip was a cold that I have now been nursing for a week or so. The good news is that I do think it is on the way out. The bad news is that now my left eye seems to be getting infected and I am not sure if the two are related? Also hope that once the eye infection goes no limbs start falling off! You never know with these colds and infections!

Books bought: 2
Books to be read: 82

I must be getting old

One thing I did forget to mention last week was that apart from getting a new bike I also got my eyes checked. I was getting some twitching in my left eye and I was not sure what was causing it... was I just tired (which I have been lately) or was something else going on? So I went to see Mr Optician and got my eyes checked. Guess what? I am apparently "developing a reading prescription"!!! My brain was immediately doing a John McEnroe ("You've gotta be kidding") but there was not denying it. The good thing is that at the moment it is not strong enough for me to require a new prescription and change of glasses but it is coming. The optician very kindly said that problems with reading usually start somewhere between 38 and 42 so it is nothing to worry about, but still... I am not ready for this yet.

Still on my tight schedule for my course reading. Aiming to start book 4 today after meeting my mate B for a coffee in Stony. Then only two more books and 1.5 assignments to go (doing the second one now, due on 6 Feb) and then the exam in April and then.... FREEDOM to read whatever I want returns to Chez Karin! You know.. I might have to treat myself to a new book for being so good and not reading anything else whilst doing this course.

The Replacement hobby

For the moment I may have found something to replace my reading hobby... or obsession, if you will.
I got myself a new bike!!!!! It is a lovely Giant bike, black, sleek and very very shiny.I cycled it into work today for the first time and it was pure bliss. I am sure that as the weather turns and gets more nasty I will not be saying this any more but or now... MAN IT WAS GOOD! I had a bike but it was on it's last legs and I had to put it down. I then got myself to work on the buses but now I am a free agent again! I get to cycle wherever I want and leave work whenever I feel like it. I had really forgotten how nice it was. I have always had a bike and cycled to school and work wherever I lived. I grew up on a bike basically and it is part of the Dutch culture having one. I did not know any kid that did not have a bike. I have certainly always had one. I can even remember when dad took the training wheels of my first bike and how chuffed I was that I could now cycle like a proper grown up. It was a great feeling and I still really enjoy riding. I am not super quick, I am not super trained but I do really enjoy cycling to work again now. Gives me a chance to clear my head before I get home. The main thing to do now is avoid glass and keep the tyres at the correct pressure.

My reading for my course is still progressing well. I think I might be getting used to the more tedious technical language. At times I am still finding it more of a ploughing contest that a reading one but I am still getting through it. I figure it is not my reading material of choice but as long as it gets me where I need to be and gets me a decent grade I cannot really complain too much. Am still really looking forward to finishing the course though and getting back to my normal reads. I miss them but I really do not have the time to read anything else. At the moment it is all work, bit of telly (News/Hollyoaks/Only Connect/Sherlock), eat, do my coursework and sleep. I have now moved on to the next two books we have to do for the second assignment and as I am typing this I realise that I really should get back to trying to complete the first question of the second assignment as the work is not going to do itself.... unfortunately... off I go... wish me luck.

Round numbers

I cannot believe I almost ended the year on an uneven number of books! But, just in the nick of time my present to myself arrived. I got my first Terry Pratchett book ever. I have been meaning to get one for some time and thought about starting at the start of his Discworld series at one point but then that creates the obligation to read all of the other ones as well... and as I do have plenty of others to read I decided against that plan. Not that I will not end up reading all of them anyway but I wanted one to start me off. Then someone at work mentioned one he was reading to me and it was about Death getting an apprentice. I kind of liked that idea and now am the proud owner of Mort ( 4 in the Discworld series I believe!).

So... books bought:
Books to be read: 80
I am now rapidly running out of room on my bookshelves so might have to call a moratorium on buying books. Alternatively.. I will have to restack them all and relocate some DVDs.

Oh yeah... apparently a new year has started as well. 2012... year of the London Olympics, lots of lovely food to eat, many more cities to discover, books to buy and much more fun to be had. Make it a good one!

One last thing.. I am listening to James Vincent McMorrow at the moment.. utterly beautiful!! Both my brain and my ears are smiling.