Monthly Archives: March 2013

Burnt breakfast and a wet trip to Edinburgh Zoo (Rousse)

All the ingredients were laid out in the kitchen so I made a start on breakfast: one slice of bacon and a fried egg for me in one pan; three fried eggs for TPR in another. While all this was … Continue reading

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A wasted trip to the University of Birmingham’s Muirhead Tower (Rousse)

I found my timetable on a scrunched up piece of brown paper in the bottom of my handbag. I’d looked at it so infrequently that I was unsure as to which way it read: were those the hours across the … Continue reading

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A relationship break-up and a reunion (Rousse)

My husband and I separated. He got to keep the flat and I moved in with a woman who had also just suffered a similar relationship break-up. I survived just one night without TPR. I missed him so much, just … Continue reading

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The bicycle rack thief (Rousse)

Petty theft in the Scottish highlands was at an all-time high. We came out of our bed and breakfast one sunny morning to discover that someone had stolen the bike rack from the roof of our car. Strangely the yellow … Continue reading

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Mafia threat over late PhD (Rousse)

The Mafia boss grabbed both my wrists, pulled me within inches of his ugly mug, and spat out his threat: “If you don’t finish that PhD soon, I’ll sue you for the sponsorship money”.

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Student presentation overload (Rousse)

This was going to take forever. Every student that I had ever taught was lined up to give a 5-minute presentation. I most pitied those at the back of the queue. What a wait it would be for them!

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A bad job interview soon forgotten (Rousse)

I’d been drafted in to help recruit some new research staff for Sunderland University. The panel members compared their notes after the interviews. We agreed that one of the candidates was hopeless. The chairman also noted woefully that it would … Continue reading

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Birthday celebrations with the latest iPhone downloads: Champagne, cake and candles (Rousse)

SL led the running group on a seemingly never-ending set of circuits around the quad. I was doing surprisingly well up at the front. Poor DT was struggling, however. When she fell over NP rushed to her rescue. Perhaps this … Continue reading

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Rousse shares some website design tips

My friend proudly unveiled the freshly pressed website for her new online business. What a disaster! Given that her business was built up around the concept of selling coloured craft materials, it made no sense at all that she had … Continue reading

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Rousse reveals the secret talents of her mother’s son-in-law

My mother looked really depressed. “What’s wrong?” I asked. “The decorating”, she replied. “Why not pay someone else to do it?” I suggested. “I can’t. The terms of the grant specify that the work must be completed by a family … Continue reading

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