Sunday 10th March, 2013         1600

How the hell can it be twenty-seven one day and then eleven the next? It’s bloody freezing! To top that last night’s thunderstorms have yet to put in an appearance. I went down to the shops for an hour a short time ago and just as I parked the bike under cover it started spitting but nothing more. Knowing my luck I will get drenched all day tomorrow going to and from classes and the hot day promised for Tuesday when I plan to take the mutt for more injections will conspire to be wet and cold and make me have to do it another day when I have a full day. I really can’t wait until we get the constant hot weather, even when it rains it isn’t so bad because at least you are still warm!

That’s me in for the rest of the day now, stuff standing around in a cold wind. In fact I am going to have an almost traditional Sunday roast tonight. It is a bit of a logistical nightmare of course because I can’t spit roast the chicken and do roast spuds at the same time as the bird will keep hitting them and I need to do mash. With only one heat source they need to be boiled and then left keeping warm in the water while I boil the vegetables. Maybe after the summer I may invest in another oven and hotplate.

Monday 11th       1800

It was always going to be a long day with lessons but today was more tiring than it should have been. It was nearly one before I hit the sack because I watched the England v Italy game. I had planned to call it a day at half time in the not unreasonable expectation that based on recent form we would be miles in front at that point and that the second half would simply be a formality. 12-3 and the way we were playing was not enough so I watched the lot and breathed a sigh of relief that at the death we never ended up with a draw.

Thankfully all three classes today including the 3 year students were active so it wasn’t too much of a chore. At lunchtime I decided to do some research and fill in the considerable gaps in my knowledge of Pepsi’s affliction. I discovered that near enough ALL dogs have the mite which causes mange living in their skin but normal healthy ones have a strong enough immune system for it not to bother them. Of those who do suffer they are mainly aged two years or under (Pepsi is a year old next month) - older dogs usually have another problem which weakens the immune system and causes them to get it. Now I can stop wondering where she keeps picking up the insects because she has had them all the time. We live and learn.

Joanna has been a brick today regarding my internet shopping. I sent her an email with the links to the items I want and she managed to organise it so that at least two items are coming from the same shop to save delivery costs. I had planned on 500y and was mildly pleased to find out the total is 440y. Tomorrow when I take Pepsi to the vet I will leave her there and if we have been paid on time (tomorrow is payday) I will put the money on her card together with 10y more for her trouble and the texts she sent - and will be doing to let me know when the items arrive. One of the items is 4 x 10kg bags of litter, 4 months worth, which should mean I will only need to buy 20kg more before the summer break to see me through until the start of the next academic year in September. I also have the standard things on order such as kidney and baked beans, cheddar, Bisto etc. On the basis that I might in fact make it to the UK for a break I have also started a little shopping list for that as well. One item on it is a new winter jacket. The down one is really warm but I need another for when it is simply “normally” cold. My Chinese one does look a bit “trampish” with the small tears which were inflicted when I went tobogganing without a sledge on the road two years ago so although I tell my students it is my lucky jacket I am sure some of them view me in the same light as I did some of my teachers who had threadbare corduroy jackets with leather elbow patches! That though won’t cost me a penny as I have Amazon survey vouchers to cover the cost. I do wish that I could use sterling vouchers in China though but Amazon make them country-specific. Another thing on my list is plastic and brush draught excluder, the sort you cut to suit and tack to the door - except here I will need it both top and bottom!

That’s it from here for now, nothing exciting since the overturned truck I’m afraid.