Friday, June 15, 2012

More mundane marking moaning

I'm still in Sydney. I've marked 957 scripts. We were scheduled to have finished today, but it looks like I'll still be marking on Sunday, Monday and probably/possibly/perhaps Tuesday.

My flu has been and gone. The family have been and gone. It bucketed skyloads of rain over Sydney while they were here, so the planned park visits/outings did not really eventuate. But hubby and I managed to pretend we were child-free and snuck out for breakfast...

Yum - spinach & feta crepe for me,
peanut butter and banana crepe for hubby

...a movie (Prometheus - not for kids! Graphic alien surgery!), and even a quiet beer (well, we had to shelter from the rain somewhere).

Cheers, big ears!

It was seriously wet out

I only had one day off and then had to go back to work. But we did get in a trip to a soggy park...

She's swingin' in the rain...just swingin' in the rain!
...and I took the family to my "home away from home" the Sushi Train, where the kids shocked me by eating raw fish and tuna (note to self- must take them out more often).

Cavier!

No one went hungry that night!

They have now departed the premises (taking their mess and snoring with them), leaving me in peace, with three ragdoll cats for company.

Rose, Coco and Mr Smith

I'm glad I've only got a few more days of marking left, because I'm seriously losing my mind (note the correct usage of "lose" not "loose"). I am drowning in a sea of mediocre writing (with the odd bit of high quality driftwood) - it's getting to me. I know, I know! Not unlike homeschooling, I chose this option, so I have no real recourse to whinge, but bear with me (and if I do this again next year, I promise to lay off the complaining and regale you with humorous cat anecdotes instead).

Maybe it's the fact that I keep reading about all these parents leaving their children unattended - they are either off napping, vacationing or even dying. To make matters worse, these callous bastards haven't even taught their offspring how to cook! How selfish. Now the poor things are all starving and dying all over the place. And if they do try their hand at breakfast/lunch/dinner, they are all burning their houses down.

I'm also concerned at the high numbers of school aged children abandoned and lost in the wilderness/jungle/bush without any supplies. But luckily we are teaching them how to slaughter the wildlife, and if they are clever, they know how to cook it and survive. Just as well. I'm a pretty good cook - I can see how killing and eating stuff in the wild would come naturally to me now. Just call me Bear Grylls.

Also worrying is the large numbers of fast-food outlets that require advanced cooking skills from our teenageers. Did you know that if you can't cook, then you can't get a job at McDonald's, KFC or Hungry Jacks? Me neither. So get cooking kids, because cutbacks have obviously meant no training budget for these corporations.

And were you aware that once you know how to cook, you never have to go to a restaurant or have takeaway ever again? And that henceforth, your menus will be filled with healthy, nutritious snacks? Or better yet, you have discovered a beautiful way to express your emotions through the fun and exciting combinations of flavours and ingredients? And here's me just dutifully following Jamie Oliver's instructions. Duh.

Don't even get me started on the creative spelling...


5 comments:

  1. You know, Ingi, I think it takes great Fortitude to withstand this many days reading about the same subject over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over (taking a breath in) and over and over again!

    You are a legend. While bowing to you for your legendess-ness and stamina and fortitudination (yep, I just made some words up), I am also noticing all the Newtown loveliness going on in your pics. I know Kelly's! I wonder where you got your crepes? I know Sushi Train! So as I'm imagining you in the Wilderness of All Those Words, I'm also smiling to think of you in one of my favourite parts of Sydney. Has the Dendy opened back up yet? Did you go to Better Off Read? Have you popped by the tea shop to taste something delectable in your spare minutes? I hope so.

    Good luck for the last few days, Ingi. I've peppered this comment with lots of caps and strange words, to keep you entertained just a little bit more! Here's a hug and a smile to help get you to the finish line :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes Helena - you are spot on - it is getting a little repetitive! If some kid writes something original, or better yet, humorous, I want to kiss the screen! I wish we could write them a note (actually, probably not a good idea). I was just venting on a Friday afternoon. It was a long (short) week.

      But I am totally loving the Newtown lifestyle!!! The crepes were in the "dead zone" at Cathies Crepes - nice and quiet and very yum. The movie was indeed viewed at the new, improved Dendy! Yep, bought books at Better Off Read! I might have to visit the tea shop this rainy Saturday. Ordered YUM Nepalese takeaway on the INTERNET and they HOME DELIVER! Yep - living the high life, baby!

      And thank you for your lovely new words, Random (but cleverly placed for emphasis) Capital Letters and your smiles and hugs. They make my day and I just might get there now :-)

      Delete
  2. When I first saw the title, all brain read was "More Moaning" and I was rather hoping for something...erm...salacious, shall we say.

    Also, how is it that you have 3 cats with you? I thought you were in a hotel-ish place?

    Well, good luck! You are at the finish line! There is light at the end of the tunnel! It's all downhill from here!

    (if I think of any other cliches I shall come back.)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Deb - if you want moaning of the more salacious type, you'll have to go read Fifty Shades of Grey. This is a family blog (hence my lack of swearing - most unlike the real me).

      I have 3 cats because I am staying at my brother's place. It is very much like a hotel - clean and swish. Not like my house at all.

      Only a couple of days to go...not sure how many, because they are not. But only single digits surely. Then back to my family. And the laundry and the filing, and the cooking, and the cleaning, and the homeschooling. Actually, marking isn't looking so bad at all... ;-)

      Delete
  3. Yep, it is sad about kids who can't cook :( - I was lucky I did Home Science at school (and enjoyed it, well most of the time anyway), otherwise, I wouldn't have a hope in Hell if I had moved out of home :P

    ReplyDelete

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