‘A mixed bag’ describes accurately both the weather and my experiences of the last week.
Meteorologically, the week started with the snow and ice and ended with drizzle. Personally, the week began very frustratingly for my two sons. As passionate Hull City fans (clearly a penance for the sins of their father), they travelled to the (planned) game, only for the referee to call off the match less than 15-minutes before kick off. As annoying as it was for them, they only had a 50-mile trip to endure for no reason…spare a thought for the Watford fans who had travelled for the game!
Although the pitch was playable, the surrounding areas of the pitch were deemed unsafe (despite the use of both grit and blowtorches). This isn’t a “health and safety gawn mad” observation…but I do wonder what has changed since the fairly recent days when a pink or red ball was used for such occasions….and only the snow covering the pitch markings was cleared…?
It COULD have been an expensive week for me, I have to admit. I try to listen to audiobooks and podcasts as often as I can, and often deploy my AirPods when visiting the bathroom to change my appliances. Proceedings normally start with a quick pee…(trust me that is important), but on one occasion this week, I clearly hadn’t positioned the left ‘pod’ securely enough. I watched as it hit my chest, and the toilet seat….before deciding to take a plunge in slow motion – rather than meet the safety of the floor. Thankfully, ‘proceedings’ had yet to commence, and I was able to retrieve it rapidly and more hygienically than could otherwise have been necessary! Amazingly, it still works and charges (I did clean it first I assure you).
Once you have published any academic paper, you’re exposed to a plethora of regular emails inviting you to submit your work to various (unknown) journals….and the odd one inviting you to give a keynote speech at conferences which have no apparent bearing on your specialism. I only give them but a cursory glance before deleting, but do smile inwardly at the names of some of them. It’s staggering to think that a group of apparently intelligent people sat around and all agreed that that ‘Nano Intellect’ would be a great name for a Computer Science journal…I won’t be submitting, thanks.
