A reluctant speaker at the Melrose Chamber of Commerce (Rousse)

Posted on April 14, 2016 by Dreamaticus

I went into hiding again. I really did not want to give a presentation to the Melrose Chamber of Commerce.

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Where to source Moomin wrapping paper (Rousse)

Posted on April 14, 2016 by Dreamaticus

Delegates who bought conference souvenirs of the conference were wrapping them up in Moomin paper as presents for friends and family back at home.

Due to luggage restrictions – and laziness – most people were only using tiny sections of each sheet of paper, then dumping the rest in the recycling bin. I couldn’t bear this waste, so I reclaimed all the discarded paper for myself.

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Imprisoned by the Taliban (Rousse)

Posted on April 13, 2016 by Dreamaticus

The pilot instructed the air stewards to set the alarm, and explain its function to the passengers. My response to the news that we were under attack was to send a farewell text to my parents – just in case.

The plane landed in an aircraft hanger, while the military jet that accompanied us nose-dived into a nearby field killing all on board. We were now in extreme danger. From the shadows emerged a dozen or so fully-armed members of the Taliban. They separated couples and families, then led the men away.

The next time I saw TPR he was still wearing his green jumper, but padlocked to a long chain as a prisoner.

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Pregnant at 50 (Rousse)

Posted on April 13, 2016 by Dreamaticus

My sister-in-law SMc made her announcement.

‘I’m expecting a baby’, she beamed.

This was clearly a planned pregnancy. S and her partner A were delighted.

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A tempting offer to come out of retirement (Rousse)

Posted on April 11, 2016 by Dreamaticus

I picked up the call on TPR’s mobile. It was his old boss.

‘Keith Falconer’s left the company and I need a quick replacement’ he said. ‘I’m willing to pay £33k for a one year contract. Do you think TPR might be tempted back?’

I always thought that such a proposal would be out of the question. However, when I told TPR about it he seemed interested.

I was completely against the idea. I did not want to return to shared domestic duties.

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Inadequate marathon training (Rousse)

Posted on April 10, 2016 by Dreamaticus

This marathon relay was never going to work. For a start DT, SL, my sister J and I had not done enough training. Our other problem was that we had not yet discussed who would do which leg – even though the race was due to start in under an hour.

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Estate agent lies (Rousse)

Posted on April 3, 2016 by Dreamaticus

The kitchen in our new flat was long, skinny, and crumbly. The light fittings would have to go, new power points were needed so that we could move the appliances in from the middle of the room to positions flush against the wall, and it looked like the only way to create any space for a table would be to take out some cupboards at the far end of the room.

I had to admit that I was still puzzled as to why we were moving house, especially to one that was in worse condition than our own. Perhaps we had been fooled by the marketing?

The mention in the schedule of a ‘banqueting hall’ was particularly annoying. This description should really have read ‘small dining room’.

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Chaotic Pitlochry guest house – with Catan (Rousse)

Posted on April 2, 2016 by Dreamaticus

R and JG relocated to Pitlochry then sold their business. They warned us about the new owners and predicted (accurately) that our reservation would get mixed up with that for Mr Lewis.

Although we despaired at the chaos – including used towels and bedding strewn across the landing – we looked forward to a game of Settlers of Catan with a young, female Canadian guest.

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Lost classmate found in yellow flares on TV talent show (Rousse)

Posted on April 2, 2016 by Dreamaticus

I tracked GK down singing in a TV talent show, dark-haired (obviously from a bottle), bare-chested, and wearing bright yellow, high-waisted, flared trousers.

Although his body was in good shape, GK was clearly not as fit as TPR.

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Celebrating Easter on Holy Island – as an alternative to Match of the Day (Rousse)

Posted on April 1, 2016 by Dreamaticus

I lost control of my class completely. Instead of discussing the latest research in knowledge management, the students watched repeats of Match of the Day in class each Wednesday afternoon. There were some who objected to this – including PhD student LK – but they were powerless to win over the majority (who appeared to be happy to waste their education).

Eventually a South African student declared that he had had enough. He and two friends (one of whom was a football fan) took me on a road trip to the north of England. We ended up on Holy Island at Easter. The minister mistook us for pilgrims and invited us all to join the celebrations.

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