Sadly there's been only very fractional Draxian progress since my last post. Here are some of the Real-Life (TM) things which have contrived to act as chicane on my painting journey. Some of them were wonderful, wonderful distractions; some horrid; some dull and some genuinely tragic (though I won't mention those):
- House guests. Eight of them, in fact - in our little cottage. Two on the front room floor, two on sofas, two on the office floor and two in a tent in the garden! Great to see my old uni friends, but strewth was this place busy!
- The Fourth of July for my American wife. Guess who fired up the charcoal on the old bar-be-cue? Yay - meat for once!
- A village music festival: "Six great bands and a special guest". It was fun - especially with our guests for company...
- Too much work. Way too much work. It's a week-and-a-half before the summer holidays: I should be kicking back and putting on videos like my teachers used to do. Why the jiggins am I having to work til the early hours each night?
- Two more house guests today (the last lot left yesterday). A Canadian and a Geordie - what a mix! That's what comes of living in a pretty place in Devon: no-one ever bloody visited when we lived in Norwich...
- Tiredness. It's been a long slog this year: new job; new school and less money. Next year I'll be in charge of twice as many teachers and kids too. Sheesh. And my classroom's being demolished. And I'll have a sprog.
- Filing. I've shifted so many bloody manilla files and paperclips this term I feel like a bloomin' civil servant. Talking of which - are you guys familiar with the logo from the Office of Government Commerce?
Almost there. And my mind's not quite frazzled. Not quite."Aye, Mister Richie: it's Brigadoon!"
- Drax.
Hmm, those initials are a bit naughty when viewed from the right angle. Still, I'm glad to see I'm not the only one being run ragged with adventure and house guests. I've had more than my share of people here to visit too the last couple weeks. Why? Go read my blog and I'll tell you. Yes it's a cheap ploy to get you to come read me, but I've not blogged in over month and thought I'd invite you personally!
ReplyDeleteI feel your pain, being a college teacher rather than school our year has literally just finished, kids gone, just "staff development" left to do. and i'm shattered I always used to mock teachers for the length of holiday, but I've been doing this 10 years now, and it takes so much out of you that you have barely recovered before it time to return in august.
ReplyDeleteThis year "staff develoment" means packing up EVERYTHING because they are levelling our building. and I really dont expect the new one to be ready for spetember.
fun times.
But we in the UK are fortunate, we dont seem to share the American ideology that work=life. work is there to be enjoyed yes, to be fullfilling, but life is the other stuff, the freinds you've had to visit, the sprog on the way and the hobbies we endulge in.
I think we've got that right :)
I'm not a teacher, and real life's snuck up and beaten me about the head 'n shoulders.
ReplyDeleteI can relate, though. I've not updated ye olde blogoshere in a while, and barely even had time to attept a turn on Vassal to e-mail.
fixing up an old house for the Farmpunk clan to move into this weekend. it makes Mrs. Farmpunk all uptight, and bark orders at me like she's a drill Sgt.
no time for dollies! more work!
oh well, we'll all be back at it soon.
We had such a great time! Wish I was still there, (but maybe in a bigger house ;)
ReplyDeleteI feel your work pain..one of these days I'll leave on time and not exhausted.
Can we come back next year? We'll stay at the Geordie's instead and do some babysitting.
Speaking as an American, I have to say that Karitas has it right--sometimes I wish we didn't think work=life either. Ok, all the time. I'd rather enjoy life & indulge in my hobbies than go to work anyday. I keep saying that GW should support me financially and subsidize my hobby because...well, just because.
ReplyDeleteFunnily enough I have also been a bit overrun this last week... and also with houseguests! Although we only had two, not eight! It can get a bit difficult to find the time but it's always nice to use the blog to focus your ideas etc.
ReplyDeleteI would say "Looking forward to seeing the completed vets!" but yours are a lot more completed than mine!
CONGRATULATIONS TO THE INNER GEEK!
ReplyDeleteAnd thanks, all.
Karitas: You're right. Partially about that mythical work/life balance, but mostly about your new building - there's not a chance it'll be ready!
Farmpunk: Good luck with the move, and nice use of 'dollies'...
Saranga: THANK YOU! I wish you guys could've stayed another week!
Oh, and on the way in from the shed I somehow picked up a slug - I just had to remove it from my neck! Yuck.
Darkwing: you're right(!)
And Kron: against the odds I just did a bit more work on G/Sgt Harker. Huzzah.
Now I have to sneak past the Canadian in the office and clamber into bed before 0100 if at allpossible: to sleep, perchance to dream.
We're all guilty of slow/no progress - nothing to worry about! That logo, however... wow. I'm amazed that nobody noticed when they were designing the thing!
ReplyDeleteAnd it cost us about 40,000 for them to come up with it - what I could do with 40,000.
ReplyDeleteGood luck with those last few weeks, you'll make it and then be able to give so much lovely time to those Guards - lucky thing
Slug on your neck? Yeeuuch. Now I feel very grossd out :/
ReplyDeleteI just bought a new house, so I haven't been able to put up anything for a while (and probably won't be able to post for another month) while I move. I'm already hurting from the lack of hobby stuffs. =/
ReplyDeleteHeh, I'm having guests here too. While they don't sleep and stick around our house, still someone has to take care of them.. and act as a driver, yaay. *sigh*
ReplyDeleteI also seem to have a distinct lack of money and slowly running out of things to paint... Who am I kidding I'll never have _everything_ painted.
Real-life is evil. It takes some faith in the Emperor to get through!
Drax, I feel your pain mate, it's been much the same here. Just so much going on, it's the first proper chance I've had to even look at the blogs I follow.
ReplyDeleteI'm still not going to get the house to ourselves until the end of next week.
I think the phrase - "Normal service will resume shortly" is the most appropriate.