Tag Archives: stress

The disappearing doughnut (Rousse)

Posted on October 26, 2024 by Dreamaticus

I could see a fresh doughnut through the back window of a parked car. I tried the door, found that it was unlocked, and stole the snack. I ate it a few steps further down the road. It was obvious … Continue reading →

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Holidays for widows (Rousse)

Posted on April 18, 2023 by Dreamaticus

Out of earshot TPR’s earshot, DJ told me that he and his wife FB were making plans for future holidays with me. ‘What about TPR?’ I asked? ‘He’ll have died of stress by then’, he responded without emotion.

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A missed opportunity to bed Chris Addison (Rousse)

Posted on May 29, 2021 by Dreamaticus

I deeply regretted missing the chance to sleep with my co-star Chris Addison, but this was partly my own doing. I should have refused to meet CS in a Glasgow hotel to spend an afternoon downing gin and rum cocktails … Continue reading →

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Zombie dad on an iPad (Rousse)

Posted on December 14, 2019 by Dreamaticus

Although dead for over a year, my zombie father was still very much in our lives. One day, when in bed browsing old footage of family dining on an iPad, he froze a frame of himself scowling. Then he summoned … Continue reading →

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Jo Jo the poison pen email writer pushes stressed academic over the edge (Rousse)

Posted on December 8, 2017 by Dreamaticus

I was in the habit of commuting by train to the headquarters of the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals in London. There I worked in the basement on an unending series of grant applications. From time to time … Continue reading →

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Insolent student sleeps rough in public library (Rousse)

Posted on October 13, 2016 by Dreamaticus

Having spotted insolence in the student’s work I called him from the classroom out into the corridor to ask him to explain himself. He excused himself on the grounds of stress: his fitness business had failed in the US, he’d … Continue reading →

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Broad bean babies transform into aconites (Rousse)

Posted on March 3, 2016 by Dreamaticus

My cousin EV asked if we could look after her newborn baby. I was very nervous about accepting the invitation, especially since the baby was only the size of a broad bean. It was obvious that this would be a … Continue reading →

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Lecturing more stressful than teaching (Rousse)

Posted on February 24, 2014 by Dreamaticus

SPC switched teaching for lecturing. Her verdict: the life of a university lecturer is much tougher than that of a school teacher.

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Two kitchens and an injection of gold (Rousse)

Posted on June 1, 2013 by Dreamaticus

TPR and I moved to northern Norway where we lived in a rather run down house with two kitchens. I was determined to bring some order to our living arrangements so started moving jars of flour from one kitchen to … Continue reading →

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A spell of levitation (Rousse)

Posted on May 1, 2013 by Dreamaticus

AV typed out her question on the old-fashioned typewriter. In short, she was telling me that I wasn’t pulling my weight, and that it was high time that I took a greater share of the work. Beneath her question I … Continue reading →

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