Multi-tasking

It's a habit I got into in my teens, when I regularly did my homework whilst also watching the television, much to the disapproval of my parents, and maybe they were right. Maybe if I hadn't,  I would have ended up with three 'A' levels at grade A and gone on to be a brain surgeon - or maybe not, but I have continued with the habit ever since. During the years when I was working full time and had four growing children, plus a dog, two cats and numerous rabbits and other small vertibrates, it seemed the only way to get everything done in the measly twenty four hours a day, seven days a week that I was allocated but, truth to tell, I still find it amazingly difficult to focus on one thing at a time. Even accepting that we women find multi-tasking so much easier than mere men - yes, Yorkshire Pudding, it's true so live with it! - I can see that concentrating on one thing at a time would probably be a better way to go. At least that way, when I asked Keith a question, I would actually listen to the answer and not have to repeat the question five minutes later.
Anyway, this morning, after the usual dog-walking duties, I have been mainly listening to Radio 4, drinking coffee, responding to emails, in between reading blogs, stroking dogs and buying and downloading 'Clever Dog'  by Sarah Whitehead for my Kindle via Whispernet.
And the handy thing about a Kindle is that you can be reading it while you are waiting for the kettle to  boil and listening to the 1947 film of 'Brighton Rock' by Graham Greene.
Yes, I know - doing everything at once and nothing well...

Teddy

Elder Daughter found this little fellow while doing a clear out at her house over the weekend. This was her first teddy, made and given to her by my mum, who at the time, did a lot of soft toy making. He's looking rather worse for wear now but he is over thirty years old and got a lot handling in his early days, hence the loss of an eye and the almost disappearance of his nose. Hopefully, he will once more have pride of place somewhere in her house!

OFSTED cometh

Actually OFSTED has already been - to Younger Daughter's place of work, a high school in the Gateshead area. They had been expecting it and, as these days, only a few days notice is given, the staff had been preparing since September. They and the support team from the local authority felt that the school was performing well and indeed, the last inspection had resulted in their being graded as 'good'. but things have changed. Under the new inspection framework, whereas 'satisfactory' used to mean 'good' (Don't ask!), now it means 'unsatisfactory' and as their grade this time round is 'satisfactory', which means it isn't, they can look forward to another inspection in 12 to 18 months. Even if they had got another 'good' it wouldn't be any help to them, as Michael Gove has indicated that schools have to continually improve. How that plays out when they get to an 'outstanding' is a point for discussion.
It seems that the staff of the school overwhelmingly felt that the OFSTED team were inconsistent in their approach and are feeling pretty annoyed at the whole experience to say the least, but I have to feel a strong sense of pride in the way Younger Daughter has picked herself up (her only gripe was that she didn't get any feedback!) and made a list of all the things she and her department need to do before the next visitation.
You see, if that were me, I would be saying something along the lines of "Sod 'em!"
Which could explain why I never got further than deputy head...!


Plaster board and dust

So, we're still no further forward on the British Gas smart meter front and I've given up making non-existent appointments with them...