We're going to the ballet!

I bought tickets for Prokofiev's Cinderella, being performed at the Prague State Opera! Whoo! The problem is, what to wear! They suggest that smart casual will be OK on one page - and then, on another, they tell you to wear suits and evening gowns! Heck!

Our seats are in one of those little boxes!:)



How exciting! Of course, I've had to buy the CD from Amazon - and, of course, I've had to make up the order so that I get free delivery - so have also bought a Czech phrasebook and another guidebook.

Revision is BORING!

and I'm eating and eating and eating ....

Last week I was full of total despair - this week the total despair has turned to THIS IS SO IMPORTANT - WORK!! I keep trying to tell myself that it's not important - but, of course, it IS important. (Though not that important ..) I feel ever so slightly less panicked since I got TMA04 back. 74% for that, which is genius standard! So I must be understanding something, although I can hardly find any correct answers amongst the masses of red writing! But, mainly, the past exam paper questions are still a mystery to me.

I've been through all the books and all the summaries etc for those blocks. I know, from those, which topics to leave as hopeless (they include - surprise, surprise - waves)and I have made another list which are topics which keep coming up in the exams and which I might be able to do something about (ie READ stuff and LEARN stuff). So, onwards .... I shall be SO glad when this is all over ....

I'm getting worse!!

Despite putting in hours and hours of work, I looked at some past exam papers this afternoon, and, questions (I swear) I could've done before, I can't do now!!

(Last year's exam).

"Explain why physical weathering is more important than chemical weathering for supplying dissolved salts to the ocean at high latitudes."

I wouldn't know ...

"Sketch the likely annual cycle of phytoplankton productivity in the North Atlantic at ~45 deg N. Explain why the pattern of productivity at this location is different from that in the Scotia Sea."

Where's the Scotia Sea?

The thing is, I might *know* some things - or I might *understand* some things - but I can't put it all together, sideways. My head hurts if I try! These two questions (above) are actually easy ones ... there are much, much worse!

I felt like phoning the OU and cancelling my exam. But I guess I must plod on. It's not really that important (I'm looking forward to doing SXN390 next year, as I know I won't pass this thing!) - but I should give it a go (preferably without going completely off my head).

I want to pick up S194 and get on with that (Introducing Astronomy). I'm doing this short course, so that I can pick up a Certificate in Contemporary Science, for which you need to have completed 6 short level 1 science courses. But I cannot pick it up until this monster is out of the way!

Isn't life grand!

The weather has improved dramatically over the past week - and the sunshine has not only cleared the spots from my forehead, but also eased those stress levels (a bit!)

This was down by the river Tamar on Thursday evening.


That's Brunel's famous rail bridge - and that's Cornwall 'over there'.

I hardly seem to be home though, so the revi*ion is not actually undergoing leaps and bounds or anything like that. I went to an S330 tutorial this morning though. That really only managed to tell me that I know even less than the little I thought I might know! The highlight of the morning was when the tutor slid the whiteboard out of the way and wrote an equation (in big red letters) onto the WALL!!

EVERTON beat Liverpool 3-0! And spent a couple of hours TOP OF THE LEAGUE!

And I cancelled the Algarve villa booking. I found a much nicer villa, out in the countryside (though still very close to the beaches), with fabulous views and a karaoke machine! :)


It's the "Casa Dos Choupos", which translates to "House of the Poplar Trees".



Can't wait!

Spots on my forehead

My daughter-in-law tells me it's a sign of stress. Stress? Why would I be stressed?

I HATE REVISING. LOATHE IT. Friday, I sorted out my papers and got ready. Saturday, I went into Staples and bought a Pukka pad and some highligher pens. Sunday, was my birthday, so we went to Newton Abbot Rock 'n' Gem show and then to Exeter. Monday, I did an hour's proper revision and then became depressed (6 weeks of this?) Today, I did a couple of hours (when Tuesday is my big free day and I should've done hours) - but I'm still missing out the bits which I didn't understand the first time!! It's boring. So, so boring ...

I booked a villa in the Algarve for June next year! Well, I was just drifting around here and there - and found a really cheap one! As it was practically all booked up for next summer, I thought I'd better get in quickly - so put down a deposit. Villa Marachino (cherry?) Albufeira. It's nothing special. But it is CHEAP!



3 bedrooms, private pool and a high roof. Never been to Portugal.

And look! Blueberries!!


It only took 2 years to grow this amazing crop!!

Crystal mush. What the heck is that? Mumble, mumble ....

Interflora called!

I've never had flowers delivered by Interflora before - other florists, yes - but never Interflora!


Beautiful roses from Heather! (It's my birthday on Sunday - OMG, another one!) She most certainly brightened up my day enormously!

The house is full of towels - red ones and turquoise ones (no, not together, I don't think) - which arrived today. Still haven't bought the shower enclosure, as we're quibbling over the height of the blasted tray! The house is also full of boots. Best not to mention them. Boots, that is. There are so many! (I ordered several for fit - and they all fit!)

Well, this will be my oceanography revision diary for the next 6 weeks. It will be even more boring than normal, but I found keeping a diary helped to motivate me when revising for S260, so maybe it'll work this time. Goodness knows I need all the help I can get! Today I just had a read through some past exam papers and half frightened myself to death. No idea on most. I doubt I would have much idea even with the books in front of me. This course is a DEMON!

I was thinking of doing an MSc after this (if I could get some help with the fees!) - but I'm pretty sure that I will have another year to get the honours. Probably the most sensible thing to do would be to give up now. But quitting's not really a good idea - you'd always wonder if the questions were on things you actually knew! I will get stuck into it proper tomorrow. I think I've got transform faults and fracture zones worked out - that's a start! (I just wish I understood all the chemistry stuff!)

September's calender picture is of Grand Teton, btw. Been there (although only very briefly).