Fri 13th

Calligraphy practise while watching the first of the new Sherlock episodes reveals how dreadfully out of practise I have become. Outrageous heat and Mercurian UV levels have made for a mostly unproductive day. Praying for rain and a break in the weather. Still picking away at After Effects tutorials, still unsatisfied with the results.

The new Sherlock has lost some of its shine, feels overly melodramatic and for shame, predictable. Hopefully the other episodes are better. Once I’ve watched Ep 2 I can watch the new Nerdwriter clip, so there is something to look forward to.

 

Books, Podcasts and Buster Keaton

Have a listen to this.

Attended a niece’s birthday party today.
Realised the big move is four weeks away today. Some packing is done, some started, some cannot even be begun until the week prior. Carpet cleaning, truck booking and some paid heavy lifters for the day are all booked. A house cleaner is still required, as are boxes, packing paper and hours and hours of toil.

Catching up on some cinema history tonight. I’ve previously only ever seen very brief clips from this.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fwls7oS-MHI

Also found a delight from childhood; Behind the scenes of Danger Mouse.

Last night I ended up listening to the whole 2 hours of this interview with Alain De Botton. I’ve read a couple of columns by him and most of his book ‘Religion for Atheists’ which is great. I’ve found a couple more of his works to listen and read through in the future.

Spent some time working on story book rhymes, some of which are being elusive. I found the Ctrl-Paint Perspective Pt1 on an older drive thankfully.

Tonight I’ve altered the theme of the blog to this fancy set which I got in the weekly freebies from Creative Market some months back. This theme has some fancy touches, animated transitions and it displays the header images better. I’m hoping swapping to it may also reset the Fbook post image settings.

I finished listening to ‘Surely you’re joking Mr. Feynman‘ a couple of days ago. Apart from a couple of moments of historically appropriate sexism I enjoyed it immensely. Feynman is a very entertaining story teller, each anecdote is filled with wit, often with pride and some with a kind of amiable fury at the ineptitude and frustrating willful blindness exhibited by so much of the population. One story that sticks with me in particular concerns the generosity and welcome he was granted in visiting Japan to attend a physics conference. This of course after having been integral to the design of The Bomb. He makes no mention of it but surely there must have been some awkwardness there.

Practiced calligraphy for a while. Not really worth sharing but in the spirit of accountability:

WOTD + drills

A photo posted by @liatach on

L is still inspired by the game Grow Home which I played with him on my lap some months ago. I built him a costume at the time, only the helmet of which has survived. Today he asked me to build the MOM rocketship to match his self constructed BUD. Together we then added a Meep (sheep), mushroom and the main feature of the game; The Starflower Vine.  

A photo posted by @liatach on


The costume in case you missed it:

Of Pen boxes and baby birds

Started reporting in earnest today.

 

Doing a Word of the Day (#WOTD) from a while back as there isn’t a fresh one up on r/calligraffiti today.

A photo posted by @liatach on

I have an unfinished vector template for this pen box I prototyped at… I think probably Christmas last year.

 

Intention was to have it laser cut in two versions. One with moorish or celtic calligraphic etched knotwork, one plain. Just one of the many creations I would like to see through to completion. I’ve really let calligraphy practice slide so I’m going to focus on that and I’m pretty sure the pen box will work its way through to the front of the queue in short order.

 

The currawongs nesting high in the branches outside my classroom window have a big fat fluffy chick in their nest. Bloody impossible to get a decent photo of but rather cute and pretty exciting for the kids.  I’m really hoping I get to see its first flights. It’s in this photo but mostly as a smudge on the left edge of the nest.

A Wednesday in Brisbane 2015

Personal Archaeology Project 1

5:50AM start.
Shower.
75 swing kettle-bell workout.
Boiled eggs on toast and protein milk.
Banana toast for L.
Coffee for me, the thermos and the wife.
Made lunch, chicken, lettuce and mayo, cake, a boiled egg and two pieces of fruit.
L fell back asleep, unusual.
F not awake, also unusual.

Late out the door at 7:30
The good Bus driver -stopped and waited for me running one day- who plays his little personal radio and announces every stop.
Exchange at South Birsbane.
Missed connect, ten minute wait standing next to, by chance, the same man as I had on the way outbound the previous afternoon. Shifty looking, short, sweaty, buck toothed bloke, gave me a bad feeling.
Bus to School in the door after 8, very late for me.

N texts to say L has vomited.
Sympathies conveyed.
Reading Rotations.
Mini reading assessment for the first three of four groups.
English.
Students begin analysis of their key event in “Rowan of Rin” By Emily Rodda.
Behavior still an issue after the departure of my former prac student and intern.
Standards have slipped due to my reticence to jump in and do all behavior management for her.
Have to use the voice, consequences and multiple repeats to achieve 100% compliance more than once in the session and multiple times throughout the day.

Reflection: Need to use more forceful positivity and enthusiasm from the moment they walk in the door tomorrow.

Reading cont.
Environment student team meeting in my room at lunch.
Ongoing poster and sticker design projects.
Class rotations completing and marking Geography posters.
Afternoon session on Wednesdays has religious education rotations.
Fortunately this year my colleague and I have non religion and hence its a half hour of silent reading for about 60 3’s & 4’s in our rooms.
Finished a label for the scraps buckets after roll marking, forgot to photograph it.
Had my class clean up some.
Practiced speeches helped with printing for sustainability posters.

Got to do some marking and data entry as we met the scheduled meeting requirements yesterday so today’s was cancelled.
Emailed colleagues.
Emptied school compost buckets.
Spoke to a student and his parent on the way past tennis training.
Was whisked away home in our white chariot by lovely wife, L & F all in better spirits now.

Drank tea.
Began this post.
Ate dinner; penne bolognaise.
Listening to a few minutes of ‘Cryptonomicon’ By Stephenson.
N and I started it during our September honeymoon in Tasmania (The book is a 40 hour epic that I will discuss it in a a books post sometime soon.)
Bathed infants, played with Schleich sea creatures.
Cleaned the living room floors, put toys away and vacuumed.
Read Where is the Green Sheep listened to Greetings from Sandy beech.
Sat with the boys until F fell asleep.

Ironed shirts.

Watched these while ironing:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=39SOrft2sy0

 

 

and  1, 2, 3 and some of 4.

Saw the lady in link 3 in the Brickumentry over the weekend. Found myself some Mouse Guard to try on the basis of this build.

Completed my first r/Calligraffiti  WOTD in more than 6 months.

A photo posted by @liatach on

I’ve gotten sloppy on my calligraphy practice.

Dishwasher still has an hour running.
9:13 PM Posting this.
Going to read Tim Ferris books and canoodle with N.

Something different tomorrow.