With all our visitors gone, "I" in Oman, and just 2 of us at home, it is so quiet.  Not that anyone was noisy before just the buzz of more people around I suppose.  Got my budgets today for 2007-2008, they look realistic but of course they always do until the spending figures go in!!

Feb 4th I am on a First Aid trainig to renew my St John Ambulance certificate, it is a training to be held on school premises by external trainers and I am pleased for this opportunity to update my certificate.

Looking forward to confirming the EPICT course, the more I read the more I am convinced this is a valuable route to take, (even If I have to finance this wholly myself!)

Wednesday is "the day of reckoning" for "J" as she herself puts it - a triple heart bypass at 89.  The procedure worries me to say the least. 

I thought I would feel elated on uploading my final module last week.  In fact I felt more as if I had lost an old friend.  However, keeping to the original time scale allowed me some quality time with visitors before they left "R" last Friday and "M" tomorrow.  I have still kept an eye on FC and WebCT and managed to offer a final peer review within the learning set. However, as I promised "I" I have resisted the temptation to spend too long online.

Am actively pursueing undertaking EPICT online to start at the beginning of Feb, and maybe ICDL in tandam!  A tall order but worth the commitment I feel, and excellent pre cursor studies prior to PGCE in September. 

Out for a BBQ with friends tonight.

A fantastic night out last night to see the New Year in!  Have found time today to tweak my final study module, just a few bits to do now and am on target to finish 3rd Jan so as to spend 4th with "R" before she flies back Friday, and the next week back at work and afternoons free to spend with "M" before she leaves the next Saturday. 

Will do a few bits early tomorrow and then we will go to Hatta, always a welcome break, up in the mountains.

Happy New Year!

Back to some study work today and have managed to eliminate most of the 600 + words I had over the 6000 word word limit for this final module. Just 87 over now! Nearly there.  Have been looking for a quote which I think is in FC , to substantiate my claim of the peer review "breadth", but second thoughts have told me to leave it out - it will only cause me more problems with my word count!

"J" and "M" have flown in from China on their way to the IOM and came over last night for a meal - handy as I had quite a bit of meat and veg chilli left over from our Boxing Day "do".  We are meeting again tonight , out this time, for a Lebanese meal. Might go to Garden Centre this afternoon if I can satisfy myself that I have got down to the correct woird count, and I should empty the PO Box which I haven;t done since before Christmas.

Have managed to record the audio for my conclusion and shared it with "B." Recorded as a WAV file and then converted to MP3 to make the file smaller. "B" found it clear so that was pleasing.  Had shared in FC but with the off air time I then found it was not easily accessible fo emailed it instead.

Made mince pies and stollen  this afternoon, also loaf of bread (no change there)  and am about to marzipan Christmas Cake. Sausage rolls pending until tomorrow because each time I have mad then these last few days they have been eaten - I know that is what they are for but I am having a problem keeping up!

Have arranged a BBQ for Boxing Day.

I am SO pleased I worked so hard to keep up to date with my degree studies so I do not feel under so much pressure now.  Its a good feeling!  After Christmas I will revisit my work, recount my words and check the appendices and bibliography and confirm details in my contents page.

The first day of my school holiday had a good start. I woke to about 50 hot air balloons drifiting over to mark the start of the Dubai Shopping Festival (I think) It was a lovely sight!

    

 

Strange, I link to these balloon pictures and sometimes they show totally and sometimes they don't!

Then checked FC to find my provisional mark, which I have to say made me breathe a sigh of relief.  It was such a motivation to see the mark and comments.

Tried my voice recording for my Conclusion this morning but the hot air balloons made my dog bark!!

Through sheer hard work and determination I feel I am going to manage to achieve my aim of completing MOST of this module before Christmas, leaving appendices (which I have tried to keep to a minimum) and bibiography to check and double check before early Jan and upload, as per the original timetable so as to allow time to spend with "R" and  "M".  The supportive motivation of a dedicated peer review partner has really helped keep us both on track.

Having written my conclusion I am now preparing to make this into an audio file and contemplating how to present this - maybe the MP3 option is good to maintain quality with a minimum file size.  I woud like to share this with "B" by Friday leaving Sat and Sun for mince pie and sausage roll making! (Not to forget decorating the Christmas cake!)

Warning light came up on my car today, something to do with the brakes if I am reading it correctly - fortunately I can use" I''s car as he is away I Tehran. Just what I didn'r need!!

Carols in the playground tonight at scool, it was really lovely.  HUGE traffic jam coming home though.  Have managed a little more of my Peer review in defence and have "B's" work to take a skeet at tomorrow.  "I" is off to Iran tomorrow and we have yet to pack!  Not enough hours in a day but at least I still feel I have some time in hand for my last module.

A frantic rush to upload Defence yesterday before heading out - I'm glad I made it though, albeit with provisos.  The night before I went to the BBC Young Musicians  concert, I had intended to work afterwards but due to a huge water flood on the main arterial road home I didn't get home until after midnight by which time all I wanted to do was sleep,  hence the panic yesterday , time planned to sort out the finishes touches to my Defence was diminished.  Some constructive comments already from "S."

Out again tonight but should have at least 3 hours, before I head out , to get some study work done. 

Life is a real balancing act at the moment - thank goodness my time management skills have improved since I started my online study otherwise I think I would have had a nervous breakdown by now.

4 days until "R" arrives - I can't wait!