Buckwheat

I think both of the sisters had their own problems. But Bridgerton might just be the kind of show where it is best to not think about it too hard, too too hard, don't think about it too hard, too too hard. How are you, H? Is everything okay with your work, family, puppy?

Weather is still weird. But I have a few days off! I mean, nominally. Practically I still do some work, but there is less stress. Uhhhh, ant infestations are terrible. I very much sympathise. I have some ants in my flat too. At some point, I suppose I accepted them as roommates?

It rained yesterday. Today I was on a school trip - it was cold, windy and mostly cloudy, but at least it didn't rain. I wouldn't mind higher temperatures and more sun. One more day! Nope, apparently not. Hi Fomn, it is great to see you stop by! Tell us about your cool plans.

We visited my relatives, whom I haven't seen since New Year. So that was nice. It is stupidly cold after a very sunny and spring-like weather last week. I hate it. There won't be this trip again. I do hope we manage to plan at least something in the next few weeks. I had planned to stay here in tiny town this weekend and have the gentleman over, but then I remembered there is the election on Sunday, so I need to go to where my main address is to vote. So need to go to my parents' place this weekend anyway. This is a shorter work week because the Monday was off. Only a few days till the short holiday. I can survive it, I hope ... did I mention that I have a lot of work? I feel like this is the only thing I talk about anymore.

This is the Friday before Easter, right? Nope, we don't get that off. Just the Easter Monday. The 6 days will probably be spent at home and at the gentleman's home. My whole family will travel somewhere, but I haven't organised anything, so I hope I can at least spend some more time with him (he has to work part of that time). Enjoy your rest then. I agree. The weekend plan was to be visited by the gentleman and go on something like a trip near where I live, but that fell through due to weather and his other obligations. Booooo. Also I don't have a car this week, so I have to figure out how to come to the city tomorrow after work. Looks like I cannot carpool with any of the coworkers this time and the public transport sucks.

Congratulations on sorting out the work crisis! Our elections are in about two weeks. It should be fun to listen to the news until then. I get Easter Monday off. And then 6 days from the 27th April till the 2nd May. Short, but it is something I suppose. I am going to continue watching, still have 2 episodes left. I think the best idea is to go pick it up yourself! Yay for the week off. Are you staying at home or travelling somewhere?

We had actual snow on Saturday. Now we're back to nice spring weather, mostly sunny. How is it possible that I have 3 classes less this week (because the students have some sort of other activities), and yet I am still drowning in work? Uhhhhh. I will survive this school year. I hope. Oh yes, it is because of this compulsory seminar/workshop/whatever thing we have to take part in tomorrow afternoon, which means I will have to prepare at least most of the stuff for the long Thursday today ... such fun. I haven't been able to watch Bridgerton any further than the 5th episode. To which I can only say ...

It started raining a bit today. Apparently there is going to be more rain tomorrow. Which means no hiking. Although our news are largely taken by war and election too.

Bridgerton

Yes. Also because there have been reports of wildfires from around the country in the past few weeks. Hopefully the rain will prevent this for some time. You are right about Simon.

Agree to disagree. It looks like there won't be one on Thursday anyway, because it is apparently going to rain. I am glad you think so. I don't remember exactly. I just know we usually had wildly different opinions on this topic. I ended up watching the first episode last night because of course I did.

We changed it yesterday and now I have to go to work and the sun hasn't even risen yet. This is ridiculous. My workplace has ridiculous hours anyway. Starting classes at 7 AM for high schoolers is not in line with their biological clock, and I am pretty sure it is not in line with most of the adults' biological clock either. They explain it with the bus and train schedules, as most students live quite far away and the public transport is so poor that a lot of them are/would be in town where the school is before 7 AM anyway - as there isn't a later transport available, even on days they start later. Which I suppose I can understand, but it is still stupidly early.

Hikes are ones of the worst evils of the school system. Teenagers can be scary, true. Most of the times, they are completely harmless, though. I try to make them communicate as much as possible. It works with some, others, not so much. When I give grades for speaking, they need to be able to put together some whole sentences and directly understand my questions and respond appropriately. Right, Simon being about the only TV character we can agree is hot. Now, it is waaaay too late for me to start watching an episode if I want to be awake tomorrow, BUT ... this conversation is tempting me to start watching it ... I was really really good and graded all those essays ... tempting tempting ... I will. At some point. I do hate wasting food, but it looks like in this instance it will be inevitable.

Yup. I hope to do more outings in the next months. I have to go for a long hike on Thursday with the students though. I am not looking forward to that. I do like the students. I don't like hikes. I did some grading online last year when we were online. But when we are actually in school, we don't. And tests are so much easier even on paper. Also, I like to set up tests when the students have to write their own answers, and you can only really set up digital self-grading tests and quizzes with short answers/multiple choice/yes-no answers, and I don't like to use this format of testing that much because it doesn't show what the students are actually able to formulate for themselves. Hopefully! Although I cannot imagine they made the 2nd season lead nearly as attractive as the 1st season lead was ... I still have half a bottle of wine the gentleman once brought to my flat open in my fridge. That was months ago. It is probably not good anymore. Hmmm.

I had a lovely trip with the gentleman yesterday, we had a long walk through the park/botanical garden thing. It is not yet all in bloom though, we probably should have waited a week or two more before all the daffodils and tulips and tree blossoms open up. And since then, busy with grading essays that I've been putting off for the last week. This is easily the most boring and tedious part of my job. Also extremely time-consuming and difficult, because there is such a great danger of being subjective that I constantly doubt my own judgement and my own capability to do my job properly. I am planning to watch it over the next few days - it will be my prize after I finish grading these essays. I do hope my judgement is going to be different than yours, I actually want to enjoy it! I am here! Not tipsy, though. Have to be concentrated, cause again, essays. And driving to the tiny town to my tiny flat later in the afternoon. Nope. How is waking up the next days after strawberry wine working out?

I think this school year has taught me that this is the standard, sadly. I used to tell myself that it would get eaaier after this one assignment, but then a new assignment crops up every time. And then there is the next parent-teacher meeting, and the next test/essay to prepare and to grade, and the next class to plan, and the next assignment I have to accomplish and seminar to attend for my own continuous education ... and somehow I still end up thinking I don't know and am not prepared enough. And I have to go to the dentist today.

I had a week long holiday like two weeks ago, and I am exhausted again. Uh. I stayed late at work today to catch up with some things, and work just keeps piling on still. It is getting quite spring-like in the afternoons here too. Mornings are still very cold.

This sounds lovely. I am just ... overworked, as usual. And spring cannot come soon enough for me.

Hello? Don't let my post be the one that killed TTTNE, pretty pretty please ...

My condolences to timmett and all who knew her. This was beautifully written.

I am not that close to the Ukraine, but still ... too close not to be feeling uncomfortable. It is scary. Poor people in the Ukraine.

Well well well, what brings you here. Welcome back. Bad news is an understatement. I hope you are all well too. I still have one more day of work and then I have one week kind of "off". Will still probably have to prepare stuff for classes and all, but at least I will have more free time.

I had these meatballs. They didn't live up to the hype. Maybe they were a bit stale, as it was quite late in the day and they seemed to have been standing there for a while, as well as the mashed potatoes. I definitely don't want to spend several hours in a store, especially when I am not looking for something specific.

A day or even half a day in a store? *shudder* Are you trying to torture me? Yay for working through the electricity crisis this time. I let some of my students watch the Olympic skijumping for a part of the class today. I hope I earned some cool points with that.

It was at least somewhat fun. The gentleman needed some shelves for his apartment, and looking at shelves did take quite a long time ... but otherwise, it was nice. I am so sorry your life is currently full of crises! Best of luck to sister with her health - and to you, be sure that you both wear masks and air out the place! And I hope the electricity comes back soon ... uh. Keep us updated and stay safe.