Stress....

I now have three documents open. In total I have written 1,342 words. Unfortunately it's about as dysfluent (it's a word, honestly) as some of my stammerers. I'm sort of writing things down as I find them, and then hoping I can make it hang together at some point. It's terrible, I hate it, and I cried a lot earlier. But hey.

I found this poem from Lewis Carroll (a stutterer - did you know the character of the Dodo was based on the man himself?) which amused me:

Learn well your grammar,
And never stammer,
Write well and neatly,
And sing most sweetly,
…Drink tea, not coffee;
Never eat toffy.
Eat bread with butter.
Once more, don't stutter.

-from Rules and Regulations

Now I'm trying to work out where I can slip it into my project...

Writer's Block

I was working on the proof of one of my poems all the morning, and took out a comma. In the afternoon I put it back again.

OSCAR WILDE

I cannot think of anything more to write. I have written about stammering. I have written a little about Conversation Analysis. I have written about why we should look at stammering in the light of Conversation Analysis techniques and theories.

I am bashing my head against a brick wall.

With apologies to Helen Fielding (and Bridget Jones)

Cups of tea: 3 large (not v.good)

Cups of coffee: 1 large (not v.good)

Glasses of water: 0 (very not v.good)

Lines of Chocolate Eaten: 3 (not good, but choc is fair-trade and therefore allowed?)

Cookies eaten: 2 (ok, except that the only other thing I’ve eaten is 2 slices of toast)

Work done: minimal (very not v.good – deadline is fast approaching)

Naps: 45 mins (awful, bad, terrible)

Blogs read: numerous (very very very bad)

Blog articles written: 3

Television watched: none (very good!)

Games of Solitaire: none (very good!)

Please stop writing interesting blog articles. In the last 2 days I have found 4 more people I want to read on a regular basis. I am never going to get my thesis done.

Photo Hunt - Row

PhotoHunt

My First Official Photo Hunt!

When I first saw the theme for this week I initially thought of this:

Collingwood College Boat Club, Women's Eights Head of the River Race 2005

And then I read on tnchick's blog that she meant something more like this:

Looking out over Budapest, August 2003

Or this:
Tunisian Shoes, Sidi Bou Said (June 2007)

International Fun at the Jamboree

The uniform makes for brotherhood, since when universally adopted it covers up all differences of class and country.
Robert Baden-Powell

Unless you've been living under a rock, you probably have noticed there's been a lot of stuff in the press about Scouting recently. The Scout Association is 100 years old this year, and there has been a lot of hoo-hah about it in the papers in the last few weeks because of the Scout Jamboree in Essex.

I was lucky enough to go to visit last Saturday and it was amazing! 40,000 Scouty people in a huge field (Hylands Park, where the V Festival is held), with national dances, food, games and even a huge ferris wheel made of wood and string!

I thoroughly enjoyed myself, and immersed myself in the wonderfully Scoutiness of it all. I've got plans to take a group of girls to Iceland next year for an international camp there - how cool would that be??

PS: I know I'm a big geek, I can't help it, and make very little apology for it!

Lots of little nice things

I found an old purse in my car a few weeks ago. Didn't look in it, as I thought it had been in there too long to be of any interest. Mum found it the other day - it had a £20 note in it!

*********

I lent some books to a friend of Phil's mum as Nina is worried that her 2/3 year old son is beginning to stutter. Sergei was adopted from Russia last year, so has a lot on his plate for any toddler, so I lent these books to put Nina's mind at rest. She gave them back a few weeks ago, and again I didn't look in the envelope cos I thought they were just books. I opened the envelope yesterday and found she'd also given me a bar of fruit and nut chocolate!! Even better, it's Fairtrade, therefore guilt-free, therefore calorie free :)

*********

Mum was given a voucher for Jigsaw for Christmas. She doesn't want it so she's given it to me, as she owes me some money. I am very excited about legitimate shopping opportunities, though looking at the prices on their website, I'm not sure how much I'll get for my money. Anyway, I'll post pictures when I've been shopping!

*********


Last but not least I have been awarded a Power of Schmooze Award from Chris. My first Blogging Award - I'm so proud. I now have to pass it on to 5 more people... So, Pete, Chux, Liz, Becky & Anna, here you go!

*********
What a lot of loveliness for one post. Back to Project Doom and Gloom now....

More distraction, yay!

OK, scrap that. I saw this on Delmonti's blog, and thought I'd post it here:
You just have to answer the questions...

My Name is Clare, and I'm a blogger and I'm female

The Last.....

person you punched.
I once slapped someone at school - unfortunately it was in front of the head of year. I've never punched anyone though...

haircut, how much was it
£20, just before I went to Tunisia

time you thought you were gonna die
Every time I fly anywhere. But particularly when I flew home from Italy in 2000 and the turbulence was so bad we were dropping 50ft and then rising again.

holiday
Tunisia, about a month ago

flowers you sent/received
Sent, some time ago when I stayed at my Godfather's so I could do work for my dissertation.
Recieved: on 3rd July, my anniversary

album/single/song you bought (and how, store, download, bribe?)
My Fair Lady Soundtrack - bought in HMV

paid job you had
Researcher for Sacoor Medical Group, West Byfleet

alcoholic drink you had
Glass of wine at Phil's house on Sunday

bowel movement
Umm...You can tell a boy wrote this!

Kiss
Last night under an umbrella in the rain

Stitch (either cosmetic, accident, or self prescribed (like Rambo))
4 on my 4th toe on my left foot, after I dropped the wheel of a trampoline on it at school when I was 14

time you cheated on a loved one
Never. I've always split up with them before I cheated!

lie you told your boss
Never I don't think...

time you felt that initial "I'm in love!" feeling
Last night....

pair of shoes you bought
A pair of black ballet-type shoes, and the same in bronze. They are the most beautifully comfortable shoes, ever.

Over to you now... you can ignore the bowel movement question!

Tunisia...a month late!

I was uploading photos on to Facebook and I remembered I haven't posted about mine and Phil's holiday in Tunisia. Anyway, it's been almost a month since we went, and there is very little that is more boring than looking at other people's holiday snaps (well looking at all of them anyway), so I thought I would post a few choice ones here and be done with it!

I may be a bit quiet on the posting front for the next few weeks - thesis is due on 13th September, and I start work at More House on 3rd...Though having work to do has never stopped me blogging before...
Phil on the Salt Lake (Chott El Jerid)

Me (L) and Phil (R) on
camels in the Sahara
(my camel was called Alice,
Phil's was called Trevor)

One of the beautiful blue doors in Sidi Bou Said

Some very funky shoes on a
stall in Sidi Bou

Apparently

So there we are. Small children, old people, and others are welcome!

Handsome Man

Yesterday I was a dog. Today I'm a dog. Tomorrow I'll probably still be a dog. Sigh! There's so little hope for advancement.
Charles M Schulz (1922-2000) - Snoopy

Here is a picture I found on my phone of William looking regal. It must have been taken some time ago because he hasn't looked this calm since before the puppies were born...