Naoko's news, views and shoes thread

[Handley_Page]

Naoko. Your PM box is full - at least, it was a couple of days ago.

It usually is.

 

[NaokoSmith]

I am crawling out from under the harrow here! Thanks all for the good wishes. That was a really awful cold - proper man-flu. I can best indicate the true horrors by saying that on Wednesday I looked with loathing at a bar of chocolate and turned to fresh fruit instead. Piglet has been very good, though, and with not much assistance, made a really nice fresh veg and prawn noodle soup on Wednesday. I tell her that's what made me start to feel better.


Lori, you made me laugh! Yours and Will's stories are so wild, and I know how much you adore each other really.

Notwise, it seems that like Lori and Will, your wife is one of the nobler souls who make one believe there might be a God(dess). Her work must be very hard.

Sorry that my box is full! I have to sort out some work-y work and then I promise I will have a clean. (You can always message me via the Feedback form if you are desperate!)

 

[MichaelinChina]

Wouldn't a full box be a good thing? Welcome back to the land of the living Naoko!

I learned on the news tonight that some backyard operators in China had been manufacturing flu shots that were fake (did not work at all). Some doctors had been arrested too.

 

[beachbum1958]

I am crawling out from under the harrow here! Thanks all for the good wishes. That was a really awful cold - proper man-flu. I can best indicate the true horrors by saying that on Wednesday I looked with loathing at a bar of chocolate and turned to fresh fruit instead. Piglet has been very good, though, and with not much assistance, made a really nice fresh veg and prawn noodle soup on Wednesday. I tell her that's what made me start to feel better.


Lori, you made me laugh! Yours and Will's stories are so wild, and I know how much you adore each other really.

Notwise, it seems that like Lori and Will, your wife is one of the nobler souls who make one believe there might be a God(dess). Her work must be very hard.

Sorry that my box is full! I have to sort out some work-y work and then I promise I will have a clean. (You can always message me via the Feedback form if you are desperate!)

Glad you're feeling better, so brace yourself; now that you've had your Spring cold, it's cleared the old pipes and got them ready for the Summer cold waiting in the wings. Lori's recovered enough to go with Marina (Bryn's mother) to Cheltenham and swan around the owners enclosure; Marina's a breeder, and she has several running, so Lori's gone with her to watch brainless animals chase each other; I understand horses will be there too...

As I have many, many, much better things to do than watch idiot thoroughbreds stand around in a panic, or prance around in a panic, or race around in a panic, I handed her the car keys and told her to come back when she's had enough indecent proposals to last her until Ascot.

I don't have any worries about the two of them being unescorted there; Lori has 4 huge older brothers, and she handles them with ease, ninja-like knowledge of how to make a man feel huge pain in three seconds, and a vicious right knee, so her wandering around in that yob-harvest doesn't trouble me in the slightest; I just pity the poor bloke who chances his arm, because he'll be going home with his scrotum jammed in his ear.

I'm not a fan of racehorses; I've come to believe the only thing stupider than a racehorse is two racehorses, but she has this weird attachment to the things, so she got all dolled-up and fluted and booted, and they took the DB so they could arrive like ladies of style and substance. Of course, if the bystanders could have heard what she called me yesterday, they'd soon revise that opinion.

It's a horrible, horrible day here, exactly like how March in England's supposed to be, and my daughter Skypeing me from a poolside in Palawan, with blazing sunshine and birds of paradise hopping around and shrieking in the background wasn't appreciated. We're supposed to be going home to Lori's family in Dulac, Louisiana for a family gathering end of May, so that's our holiday plans for the year, and looking out the window at the grey sky, grey forest, grey dogs, and grey grass, all I can think is that it can't come a moment too soon.

 

[NaokoSmith]

Wouldn't a full box be a good thing? Welcome back to the land of the living Naoko!

Thank you

Glad you're feeling better, so brace yourself; now that you've had your Spring cold, it's cleared the old pipes and got them ready for the Summer cold waiting in the wings.

Thank you

I believe they have a splendid new stand at Cheltenham? I would love to go and check it out too. I like racing, but unfortunately the friend I found who lives near Cheltenham is unsuitable so I will have to find someone-else to go with.

Gosh, I still feel so wobbly today that I finally cancelled my reservation for lunch and then afternoon tea in my favourite bar tomorrow. I was looking forward to sitting in there and watching the rugby, but suddenly I just knew that eight hours of drinking whisky surrounded by Italian men was not a good idea - I can put forward no further proof of how awful this man-flu has been!

 

[Handley_Page]

Gosh, I still feel so wobbly today that I finally cancelled my reservation for lunch and then afternoon tea in my favourite bar tomorrow. I was looking forward to sitting in there and watching the rugby, but suddenly I just knew that eight hours of drinking whisky surrounded by Italian men was not a good idea - I can put forward no further proof of how awful this man-flu has been!

I think you might be better off with a hot drink or three (have you considered Vitamin C tablets?) and the Rugby on your TV.

 

[NaokoSmith]

I think you might be better off with a hot drink or three (have you considered Vitamin C tablets?) and the Rugby on your TV.

You were right

You know that feeling, when you wonder if you will ever feel well again? The weather has been lovely but I can't get out into the garden, or do much at all. Piglet had this wretched thing for about five days and now is full of beans again (although a little pale still). I suppose I've only had it for five days. I was just enjoying swimming, and digging out my garden, and the rugby so much.

Oh well, I have got a loaf of nice bread - for some reason my local butcher makes delicious home-made bread with a salt and herb crust - and some pork dripping to spread on it. Panem et circenses - I have high hopes of the Ireland v Scotland match. I don't mean that I hope Scotland will win, because I do think Ireland are still a very good side and they are a bit sore so have points to prove. However the Italy v Scotland and Scotland v France games were both fast-flowing running matches with plenty of exciting tries, and I'm hopeful the match in the Aviva-Lansdowne Road stadium will be similar today.

 

[Handley_Page]

I suspect you may have fallen right.
Not well enough to go out and Do Things, but well enough to relax in front of the TV.
So, drink your effervescent Vitamin C (flavour of choice) and tell Piglet to shut up.

 

[MrBennet]

Pardon me sticking my head round the door so's to speak, but I heard Cheltenham mentioned. The racecourse is the coldest place in the UK without doubt and the town has been full of Londoners with fancy dress outfits on that they never wear the rest of the year... and prostitutes - well a girl's gotta earn a crust!
I have a friend lodging with me who had the girl-man-flu and the cough that went with it was horrendous, so you have my sympathy and wishes for a speedy recovery. Proper man-flu takes some weeks to recover from so please be nice to yourself. I think I dodged that bullet with the aid of Echinacea and lots of wood-touching... but not that kind of wood.
*bows deeply* to all and
exits

 

[NaokoSmith]

Pardon me sticking my head round the door so's to speak, but I heard Cheltenham mentioned. The racecourse is the coldest place in the UK without doubt and the town has been full of Londoners with fancy dress outfits on that they never wear the rest of the year... and prostitutes - well a girl's gotta earn a crust!
I have a friend lodging with me who had the girl-man-flu and the cough that went with it was horrendous, so you have my sympathy and wishes for a speedy recovery. Proper man-flu takes some weeks to recover from so please be nice to yourself. I think I dodged that bullet with the aid of Echinacea and lots of wood-touching... but not that kind of wood.
*bows deeply* to all and
exits

Why, Mr Bennet - how delightful that you should call by my thread; you are a favourite character of mine from P&P - tucked away in your library with a glass of port and some books perhaps slightly less delicate in character than your daughters .

Thank you for the information about Cheltenham, and your kind sympathy.

HP, that was a very enjoyable afternoon's rugby, don't you think? I know it must've been hard to enjoy the France v England match since you had a personal stake in it, but it actually was great to see France finally finding some form - although not sufficient to spoil the English party. I think the Ireland v Scotland match was a cracker, but I can't tell til I watch the replays as I was so on tenterhooks about it. The Irish were very smart and only let Stuart Hogg get out of the starting blocks once. George North got Wales off to a flying finish. I feel a bit sorry for Italy but they did get to score a couple of excellent tries - there is a lot for them to feel hopeful about in the way they are playing these days and I think those who mutter about relegation will get their just desserts when their own team hits the bottom of the table and people remind them what they were saying about Georgia deserving a chance.

I did feel a lot better yesterday, although that might be because I just lay round stuffing my face and drinking juice with high vitamin C content. I did go out in the morning and do some food shopping with Piglet and made her help me clean round, and I still felt well, so I am a bit hopeful I'm genuinely recovering. Perhaps I'll be able to go out and dig a little bit today?

The Fella came round to have lunch and watch the Wales match on my 43" HD ready smart tv, and then took Piglet away so I could watch the rest of the rugby in peace. I laid on a splendid lunch. This new butcher near me has started making some highly delicious snack-y things. We had some lamb kofta Scotch eggs, sausage roll, that nice bread with dripping. I made a coleslaw type salad, but not too much mayonnaise and I put a bit of lime in it. The Fella brought some chocolate eclairs and I also put out chocolate finger biscuits, custard creams, chocolate chip cookies and some hot cross buns. Piglet contributed some chocolate tulips which the Fella had brought back from the Netherlands for her a couple of weeks ago. There was a big bowl of fruit of course, and some pickled quails' eggs and other things. I meant to take a photo but I was too busy eating.

 

[Handley_Page]

Oh they were indeed good games.
I noticed that the Medics were in good form; pity they were needed, though.

I see that the F1 season has been well carved up.
What makes it worse is that Lewis H. came 2nd, from what I hear. I'll check it out after breakfast.

Ah well, on with the day.

 

[NaokoSmith]

Oh they were indeed good games.
I noticed that the Medics were in good form; pity they were needed, though.

A Dr. in good form is always worth having around

I don't feel in very good form yet Just have that listless, grumpy feeling you get when you've been poorly. I still have a slight sore throat so I'm reluctant to go swimming yet. The next couple of days will be hectic, too, with Piglet's Grade II violin exam and two parents' evenings - that being the manic way they organise these things at the Academy for Exceptionally Ordinary Piglets.

OK, I am just procrastinating a bit before I do some marking. It's only 8 am so I have made a good start, really.
*grumbles off*

 

[Handley_Page]

A Dr. in good form is always worth having around

I don't feel in very good form yet Just have that listless, grumpy feeling you get when you've been poorly. I still have a slight sore throat so I'm reluctant to go swimming yet. The next couple of days will be hectic, too, with Piglet's Grade II violin exam and two parents' evenings - that being the manic way they organise these things at the Academy for Exceptionally Ordinary Piglets.

OK, I am just procrastinating a bit before I do some marking. It's only 8 am so I have made a good start, really.
*grumbles off*

Why TWO 'parents evening' ?

 

[beachbum1958]

A Dr. in good form is always worth having around

I don't feel in very good form yet Just have that listless, grumpy feeling you get when you've been poorly. I still have a slight sore throat so I'm reluctant to go swimming yet. The next couple of days will be hectic, too, with Piglet's Grade II violin exam and two parents' evenings - that being the manic way they organise these things at the Academy for Exceptionally Ordinary Piglets.

OK, I am just procrastinating a bit before I do some marking. It's only 8 am so I have made a good start, really.
*grumbles off*

Well do I remember turning up at Parents Evening at Tripehound's primary school and being told by some sallow harpy that 'we really do prefer that both parents attend these evenings, is there a good reason why Tripehound's mother is unable to attend?' My reply that she wasn't there because she'd been dead for eight years always brought the proceedings to a crashing halt, and kept them off my back for another year. I would have thought the fact my wife wasn't a member of the PTA or any one of the several thousand school committees would have given them a big fat clue, and stopped them asking the same mindless question; apparently no-one picked up on the fact, despite me reminding them every bloody Parent's Evening when they asked the same bloody question...

When she was 10, just getting ready to move up to secondary school, the school asked Tripehound for contact details for her mother, as they knew I was off with MSF a lot of the time, and she told them to get a ouija board; I think they were quite glad to see the back of her, she and her smart mouth did not fit in well at that temple to mediocrity...

 

[MrBennet]

A Dr. in good form is always worth having around

I don't feel in very good form yet Just have that listless, grumpy feeling you get when you've been poorly. I still have a slight sore throat so I'm reluctant to go swimming yet. The next couple of days will be hectic, too, with Piglet's Grade II violin exam and two parents' evenings - that being the manic way they organise these things at the Academy for Exceptionally Ordinary Piglets.

OK, I am just procrastinating a bit before I do some marking. It's only 8 am so I have made a good start, really.
*grumbles off*

AEOP
Are you questioning the exceptional wisdom of schools bound to enhance the parent experience by engaging them in the teaching protocols dictated by our target-obsessed, over-regulated educational system of which you are but a small coglet? My lodger has been unable to return to teaching because she has been unable to illicit a response from the local police station in a remote Pakistan village, where she taught for two years. Far from embracing the experience she could bring from teaching abroad, she must be rightly regarded as a potential drugs smuggler or child molester by govt agencies and police forces rotten to the core with pedophiles and wife beaters...Well they would know wouldn't they?
I had to deal with two govt agencies today. It was a mistake to start my week that way, but the PAYE letter was insistent that I still had not paid them and that I had not contacted them ('oh but that's a computer generated letter'). It's not the UK that should leave the EU but the govt that should leave the UK... And take the educational admins with them.... And that dreadful admin of yours.... Oh dear, the list is growing.
You see- a problem shared is a problem multiplied!!
Hope you've made progress today. Puzzled by the domesticated dragon hereabouts. Can someone explain?

 

[Handley_Page]

Well do I remember turning up at Parents Evening at Tripehound's primary school and being told by some sallow harpy that 'we really do prefer that both parents attend these evenings, is there a good reason why Tripehound's mother is unable to attend?' My reply that she wasn't there because she'd been dead for eight years always brought the proceedings to a crashing halt, and kept them off my back for another year. I would have thought the fact my wife wasn't a member of the PTA or any one of the several thousand school committees would have given them a big fat clue, and stopped them asking the same mindless question; apparently no-one picked up on the fact, despite me reminding them every bloody Parent's Evening when they asked the same bloody question...

When she was 10, just getting ready to move up to secondary school, the school asked Tripehound for contact details for her mother, as they knew I was off with MSF a lot of the time, and she told them to get a ouija board; I think they were quite glad to see the back of her, she and her smart mouth did not fit in well at that temple to mediocrity...

Oh, I love it!

 

[NaokoSmith]

Why TWO 'parents evening' ?

Because there are so many teachers and parents milling about that they can't fit them into one. Some teachers come on the Tuesday and others on the Wednesday. As they have to do several parents' evenings for other Years of students, I suppose it's fair enough.

Well do I remember turning up at Parents Evening at Tripehound's primary school and being told by some sallow harpy that 'we really do prefer that both parents attend these evenings, is there a good reason why Tripehound's mother is unable to attend?' My reply that she wasn't there because she'd been dead for eight years always brought the proceedings to a crashing halt...

Jeepers! what a bunch.

Puzzled by the domesticated dragon hereabouts. Can someone explain?

Do you mean HP's pet dragon? I think he keeps it in the woodshed Sometimes he designs saddles for it so he can give deserving people a ride. It means he always has boiling hot water for a cup of tea if people drop by.


Well, I of course cannot boast about this on any of the networks where fellow mums prowl so I'm going to do so in here. Piglet had an absolutely stellar set of reports from ALL her teachers, even the ones she claims hate her and mark her down. At primary school I got very fed up of being told what a good sociable child she was (do you think I gave up my career in order to bring up a troglodyte?), and of her being surreptitiously placed with problem children so she could bring order to the classroom while her maths and spelling abilities went downhill. She has really enjoyed secondary school and taken to the new intellectual challenges like a leaping salmon. (And let's not forget that Somebody got her through a major bereavement plus leaving the Fella, and settled her into the new domestic arrangements in good time for her to find her feet at secondary school without additional emotional turmoil distracting her.)

I nearly burst into tears when one teacher said Piglet's abilities are not fully recognised, that although her little set of friends shout louder than her, she is the diplomatic one who gets them to work together, and that she is going to make her a Team Leader for the next project they do, plus raise her target grade as Piglet is greatly improving on the levels at which she arrived at the school.
*sniffle*

Wow, this has been a hectic couple of months. With the Easter holidays here, my new sets of students more settled, my old set of students sorted out, I'm hoping that I can have a little time to myself. I still feel a bit sniffly but I think I might make it back to the gym for a swim tomorrow. I shall just do some languid breast-stroking ... uh, lengths of breast stroke, and lie about in the hot steam of the sauna. Although if I want hot and steamy, I could probably go and read the April Fools' Day competition stories instead .

 

[Handley_Page]

Do you mean HP's pet dragon? I think he keeps it in the woodshed Sometimes he designs saddles for it so he can give deserving people a ride. It means he always has boiling hot water for a cup of tea if people drop by.


. . . and of her being surreptitiously placed with problem children so she could bring order to the classroom while her maths and spelling abilities went downhill.
I nearly burst into tears when one teacher said Piglet's abilities are not fully recognised, that although her little set of friends shout louder than her, she is the diplomatic one who gets them to work together, and that she is going to make her a Team Leader for the next project they do, plus raise her target grade as Piglet is greatly improving on the levels at which she arrived at the school.

I thought the idea was the stretch the brighter ones, not put them in the mix with the idle/ dimwits. So put her in with the other Einsteins/ Newtons.

PS. The Dragon now has his own shelter. It was hitherto occupied by my electric mobility scooter which seems to have died of a frozen bearing.

 

[beachbum1958]

Because there are so many teachers and parents milling about that they can't fit them into one. Some teachers come on the Tuesday and others on the Wednesday. As they have to do several parents' evenings for other Years of students, I suppose it's fair enough.



Jeepers! what a bunch.


Do you mean HP's pet dragon? I think he keeps it in the woodshed Sometimes he designs saddles for it so he can give deserving people a ride. It means he always has boiling hot water for a cup of tea if people drop by.


Well, I of course cannot boast about this on any of the networks where fellow mums prowl so I'm going to do so in here. Piglet had an absolutely stellar set of reports from ALL her teachers, even the ones she claims hate her and mark her down. At primary school I got very fed up of being told what a good sociable child she was (do you think I gave up my career in order to bring up a troglodyte?), and of her being surreptitiously placed with problem children so she could bring order to the classroom while her maths and spelling abilities went downhill. She has really enjoyed secondary school and taken to the new intellectual challenges like a leaping salmon. (And let's not forget that Somebody got her through a major bereavement plus leaving the Fella, and settled her into the new domestic arrangements in good time for her to find her feet at secondary school without additional emotional turmoil distracting her.)

I nearly burst into tears when one teacher said Piglet's abilities are not fully recognised, that although her little set of friends shout louder than her, she is the diplomatic one who gets them to work together, and that she is going to make her a Team Leader for the next project they do, plus raise her target grade as Piglet is greatly improving on the levels at which she arrived at the school.
*sniffle*

I think you have huge much to be proud of, time for a big pat on the back and a choc-ice and chips sandwich to celebrate, your girl is a credit to you, and a stellar example of how smart the kids today can prove to be if they're given the chance to shine. My own Tripehound was more the kind of kid you backed into a corner with a kitchen chair and poked with a sharp stick, and it took a lot of effort, bribery and death-threats to make her shape up.

 

[NaokoSmith]

I thought the idea was the stretch the brighter ones, not put them in the mix with the idle/ dimwits. So put her in with the other Einsteins/ Newtons.

PS. The Dragon now has his own shelter. It was hitherto occupied by my electric mobility scooter which seems to have died of a frozen bearing.

Well, we have a semi-comprehensive system here. They start the kids off all in a bunch, so that they can assess them and figure out who is really an Einstein and who is a potential single mum/layabout for themselves, rather than rely on the primary school's judgement. And I am grateful for this, as if Piglet has one top skill, it's hiding her lights under bushels. The primary school thought she was 'doing fine', while I thought she was significantly under-achieving and cruising along in a pretty low gear compared to what she could have been doing. And now, hooray-hooray!, the secondary school agree with me. It makes such a difference when you feel that you and the teachers are pushing in the same direction, rather than them trying to shut you up (while at the same time persuade you to be a governor ).

Did you read about Rhys Webb the Welsh scrum-half? You know, the one who had a bad foot injury just before the World Cup. He was laid up for quite a while with it, and going off his head with boredom because he wasn't allowed to put weight on the foot. So his Dad had a good idea, and came round with his Nan's mobility scooter in the back of his van Webb said it had two speeds, tortoise and cheetah, and that he spent happy days trying to burn up the tarmac with it

I think you have huge much to be proud of, time for a big pat on the back and a choc-ice and chips sandwich to celebrate, your girl is a credit to you, and a stellar example of how smart the kids today can prove to be if they're given the chance to shine. My own Tripehound was more the kind of kid you backed into a corner with a kitchen chair and poked with a sharp stick, and it took a lot of effort, bribery and death-threats to make her shape up.

Thank you!

Believe me, kitchen chairs, sharp sticks, bribery, emotional blackmail and death-threats have all been employed practically every day to get the Piglet up to scratch! I know that it will continue to be hard work, especially once the hormones really start to kick in, but first year at secondary school is IMHO a key stage. If the teachers spot your kid as a budding genius at that stage, they will start asking questions if it flags later on but if it gets pinged as a twerp at the outset, they will sigh, smile and tolerantly shake their heads as it veers off after sex, drugs and hard alcohol later on down the line.

 

[R. Richard]

If Piglet were my kid, I would arrange for her to be tested at least at the end of each school year. Nothing like a test to pull forth the maximum effort.
I would also have Piglet study dance. The form of dance that I recommend is capoeira. I was in Rio, some years back, and Master Satan and some unknown white guy cleared out a low class bar, leaving behind major casualties. Capoeira works!

 

[NaokoSmith]

If Piglet were my kid, I would arrange for her to be tested at least at the end of each school year. Nothing like a test to pull forth the maximum effort.
I would also have Piglet study dance. The form of dance that I recommend is capoeira. I was in Rio, some years back, and Master Satan and some unknown white guy cleared out a low class bar, leaving behind major casualties. Capoeira works!

Piglet and her friends do have assessment tests about once a term from the sound of it. The Welsh government have got rid of yearly exams, since these are viewed as very stressful for kids, parents and teachers and only teach the kids how to pass exams, not about the actual subject.

Piglet does apparently learn dance! although the PE teacher mumbled something about not being sure of her assessment level (? in dance?) and afterwards Piglet said she was actually away on the day they were assessed - that would explain the PE teacher's uncertainty. I taxed her with why the girls only learn netball and hockey, and not football and rugby. She looked disconcerted and explained that the girls' PE teachers are not trained in how to teach tackling (which I accept as I know tackling has to be very gradually introduced for school children and carefully taught), but I insisted that given the level of expertise available to boys in the Academy for Perfectly Ordinary Piglets (which happens to be very high), I felt it was a missed opportunity. I shuffled my three inch blue suede court shoes, opened my nicely made up eyes a little wider, fidgetted with a pearl earring and added: "I ask because I am an ex-[famous London rugby team] player myself." We helped the PE teacher scrape her jaw back off the floor, and moved on - dissatisfied.

 

[MichaelinChina]

Happy Easter.

 

[Handley_Page]

Happy Easter.

Thank you:
And similar wishes to you.

 

[stickygirl]

Piglet and her friends do have assessment tests about once a term from the sound of it. The Welsh government have got rid of yearly exams, since these are viewed as very stressful for kids, parents and teachers and only teach the kids how to pass exams, not about the actual subject.

I can vouch for the teachers side of it as two of my cousins teach primary. Piglet is a perfect example of what happens when you offer carrots not sticks ( bribes, threats, and lock-ins excepted of course )

I taxed her with why the girls only learn netball and hockey, and not football and rugby.

Because it's important for girls to use weapons

Happy Easter.

Stands in line for es