Today I've mostly bin...

[giraffe]

I can't bear to look at that cake. Must be very realistic! The lemon one sounds wonderful.

[Bunnylump]

Where did you get the giant lemons from?

(Whistles innocently)

You are a cheeky superhero. Expect a slap when I see you next.

D's just eaten a giant slab of left over cricket cake for breakfast. (How ANYONE can eat ANYTHING other than meusli or toast for breakfast is completely beyond me!!)

The cricket was removable - it was made from home made marzipan covered in dark chocolate frosting. The legs were made from chocolate fingers (for the back leg "thighs" welded to orange matchmakers with chocolate "welds." The antennae, ovipositor and cerci were made from different chocolate- covered breadsticks, and the eyes were maltesers. You can't see it in this rubbish photo, but the wings (which were correctly folded one over the other) had all the markings etched into them.
The "grass" was green coloured buttercream icing with glittery green cake sprinkles on the top, and there were little pink, blue and white flowers in the grass. The cake was a vanilla sponge with home made seedless raspperry jelly filling.

So yes, it did look revolting. But it tasted yummy.

The absolutely best thing about making these cakes is coming up with the idea for the design and then working out how to actually achieve it. I would hate to follow anyone else's design, that would take all the fun out of it.

That's what I like about writing puzzles sometimes. It's being able to come up with some crazy idea and MAKING IT WORK. I'm the same when I make home made cards or do glass painting. The best bit is the planning. It's my absolute dream to one day design my own extension or better still, my own house. One day.

[giraffe]

(How ANYONE can eat ANYTHING other than meusli or toast for breakfast is completely beyond me!!)

I find muesli rather indigestible first thing in the morning. Although I do like the occasional bowl of Alpen. I have found recently that it makes my lips tingle, so wonder if I'm slightly allergic to nuts. I love a cooked breakfast, but not at breakfast time.

[Laura]

Now, I'm the complete opposite of you there Bunny. I can't eat anything vaguely solid at breakfast time. Yogurt, or porridge, or rice pudding if I'm feeling ill and need cheering up - something that doesn't really require swallowing - is more my thing. Mind you, by the time I get to work at 7.30, and hit the staff room, I'm fully up to attacking the chocolate biccies!

[dramaticat]

I have problems with breakfast too - I can't face any type of food for at least an hour after I wake up (but won't function at all without a cup of tea!)

However, that all changes if I've had a 'good night out' the night before, after which I'm happy to wolf down any left-overs, including cold pizza, cold Chinese take-away, crisps and nuts and any cake going.

I also remember when I lived with my parents I regularly had cold Christmas pudding on boxing day for breakfast. Now we only buy a small one for two, there isn't any left over

[eirian]

I *have* to have breakfast - a bowl of cereal as soon as I wake up. Not a massive fan of cooked breakfast at breakfast (bit like Giraffe), but I will eat it if that's all that's on offer!

[Redfraggle]

I have been officially insulted by my mother. She's says Im too fat! There's nothing like a mum to tell it like it is

[Laura]

Well, I have been laughed at by many strangers today, and quite frankly, I don't blame them. My dilemma is this:

I am trying to be healthy. Therefore, I am walking lots of places. But the boredom would kill me. So I bought an MP3 player (49p plus many nectar points. Bargain of the year!)

If I listen to music, I am no longer bored, but cannot stop myself from singing along, out loud. Hence members of the general public thinking I'm a complete loon.

So, I put some recordings of Victoria Wood and Miranda Hart on it. I now wander around laughing to myself. Result - members of the general public thinking I'm a complete loon.

And when we get to the bit where Victoria Wood sings! Well, I certainly hope no-one I passed can lip-read.

[Bunnylump]

Oh I understand that problem completely, Laura. I just can't help myself either!! Still, well done on the new exercise regime!!

[Scurra]

I pretty much only listen to comedy shows on my MP3 player. I do try hard not to laugh out loud when sitting on the bus, although I do when I'm walking.

It's not nearly such an issue these days, given how many people wander along talking on their mobiles. Although I concede that singing along might look somewhat more peculiar. But not that much more to be honest!

[Bunnylump]

Oh, the singing's not such a problem as the jiggling...

[dramaticat]

*sitting here contemplating my own embarrassing jiggling moments*

I've been feeling smug thinking I'd managed to write my first essay for my current Open University course in one sitting - only to re-read the question and decide I hadn't really answered it ...

Couldn't be bothered to rewrite the whole thing, so I've tried to rejig it to fit the question. Actually I'm not sure I could rewrite it, having got the ideas I wrote about firmly in my mind!

Well, it's being submitted today. In any case you're never quite sure what they're looking for when you start a new course, so it's a learning curve anyway.

[MBH]

Do you get contructive feedback and a chance to 'rework' assignments like that? After week 7 of my PTLLS course I've done all 7 theory assignments but half of them are back in for remarking following comments like "Good - but add a conclusion"

I'm gearing up for my "Micro-teach" next week. We ALL have to do a half-hour lesson that we've prepared using some of the class as our students - then we get feedback on it. Most of the class are terrified about the prospects Especially when they found out it is being filmed

Like a good boy I've created the Session Plan for the lesson, and the 6-lesson Scheme Of Work for the supposed (fake) course it is a part of. I have discussed privately with the teacher how unnecessary I feel these formal plans are [I'm not against planning AT ALL, I just don't want to be told what I've got to include and how to lay it out ] but I'm beating my head against a brick wall The word 'Dogma' comes to mind.

Since this week was a 'workshop' with 10 minutes private time with the teacher, she's totally happy with what I've done and bemoaned the fact that I am not of an academic mind that will allow me to progress to CTLLS or DTLLS. She tried to convince me otherwise but we ended up having to agree to disagree [as flaming always] about the unfair expectations of qualifications to teach I even chucked Equality & Diversity at her claiming the rules actively excluded me and my weird style of learning.

So - quick off-the-cuff Member's Puzzle - what do you think I'm teaching in my 30-minute slot next week

[Bunnylump]

Web-spinning?

One day, remind me to tell you about when I was filmed whilst interviewing a member of the public who was so fat she got stuck in the chair, will you?

My lessons are ALWAYS better when they are off the cuff. When I try to stick to a plan it all goes horribly wrong. On the other hand, I completely rescued the most boring lesson on Earth in science with a lovely NQT today. She was trying to teach them about chemical weathering, and she might as well have been telling them about paint drying for all the interest or attention they had. However, once I'd found pictures of a limestone pavement and told them how stalactites and stalagmites are formed "PING" on went the attention, and they ALL really took notice and started asking questions. (Well, all of them apart from the Polish elective mute. But even he was drawing stalactites on his whiteboard... )

It is very nerve-wracking being observed when you're teaching though. Not that I think that will phase YOU in any way, shape or form!!

[MBH]

Oh Very Funny



Well done on the science 'save'. a follow-on link would land you at England’s Oldest Visitor Attraction - Mother Shipton's Cave

A follow on from my last 'rant', I ended up on Radio Newcastle this morning talking about the same thing following the idea of bringing Army staff into schools to teach. I advised them of the hoops needed to be jumped through and gained some support from the panellists that my skills should be able to be used without overly-difficult 'extra training'.

[Laura]

Well done on the science 'save'. a follow-on link would land you at England’s Oldest Visitor Attraction - Mother Shipton's Cave

No it wouldn't. It's closed!

[Bunnylump]

Got a result today. I prepared time sheets myself, documenting every MINUTE I'd spent working since September*. This, along with a carefully worded memo pointing out just how much "they" stand to lose if they pee me off (but obviously not in so many words ) has resulted in me being allowed to take 3 days off next week.

*Basically, don't try telling me I have no proof and don't pull my weight... They certainly didn't expect me to have been so anally retentive as to have written it all down. Oh, and I have another three days still owing.

[pebbles]

Bernie asked today about the 11 days holiday owing to him, because he probably won't be going back to work before the cut-off, 1st April. He was told he wouldn't lose it, but he had to take it before the 27 days for next year's holiday.

[MBH]

Well done Sis Facts and Logic - by keeping calm there is no way anyone can argue against them

[Bunnylump]

(To Pebbles) Well, at least they are going to honour that. Hope he's improving daily. I'm sure it won't be long before you get to the stage of WANTING him to go back to work!! (It generally takes me about 2 days to feel like that about my husband. Not because I don't love him dearly, just that I feel like I should be doing things like housework and gardening when he's here... )

(To MBH) I know. It was most uncharacteristic of me to be so level headed!! Maybe I should try it more often... And anyway, what's all this about being on the radio? It's really nerve wracking, isn't it? When I rang in to the Danny Baker show about the pigeon on wheels I was shaking!