Thursday 28th February, 2013           2030

I am all in. I can’t blame the animals this time unless I accuse them of hemming me in with the quilt, causing me to wake up soaking wet in the small hours. I got back off again after that (and booting them off the bed for a while) but although I turned in at ten thirty I still managed to wake at four. I peered at the clock hoping against hope that it wouldn’t say I had ten minutes left and was overjoyed to see I still had two and a half hours. Could I sleep? I could I hell. The outcome was of course that I have been exhausted all day.

I had one of my reclaimed classes this morning followed by the “new” class this afternoon, the one with Petty in. All bar fifteen of them have been my students previously but I nearly cried when I went into the room. There are 47 of them. In other circumstances I would have gone straight after the lesson to the dept secretary and had them split into two classes but not only do I already have ten classes, I still have a foreboding I have yet another big class to come either tomorrow or Monday. Once Monday is over I will know and have to do some soul searching. Can I handle yet another class, let alone a further one? I do know that 47 is far too big to even try hard to stop them talking amongst themselves or texting under the desk, not to mention unfair on those who want to learn because half my time would be spent wanting to throttle people. Watch this space.

Today though was as promised, lovely and warmish, so once I finished I rode to town to get it out of the way in case we do get heavy rain or snow tomorrow. And with a noon finish it is possible I will come home and try to catch up on sleep. I was gone just under two hours, enough to collect my cigars, pet meat and grab an early dinner of fried chicken and chips (or French fries as the piddling little things are known) and I made it back by five.

I took Pepsi out to the sweet pork place and afterwards to the campus shops. She is really starting to hum now, so mange or not I am seriously considering shampooing her on Sunday. I don’t know if I am winning the battle with her skin but I have an awful feeling this is going to cost money ultimately. I could understand if she was a dog which was out all day but she isn’t and she has no contact with other dogs - if one comes close she just snarls to tell them to clear off. I suppose I should be thankful she isn’t like her mum, biting people and scaring them into crashing their bikes!

That’s all for now, I am going to watch some TV and be in bed early again. Just maybe I can sleep all the way through tonight…….

Friday 1st March                      1800

Still no nearer to eradicating the sleep deprivation. And today has been vile - in complete contrast to yesterday it has been freezing and wet. Being the only day of the week now where not only do I start first thing but actually finish for noon I did consider taking a decent nap this afternoon but decided against, seeing as I found out I need to be up for seven tomorrow. I just knew if I had a siesta I wouldn’t sleep tonight so instead I am aiming for another early finish. At least I will be in town, can shop and lunch and hopefully buy some trainers that will last me more than a few months. The problem is I consider “old” people - and I count myself among that number - who wear white or brightly coloured ones as being ridiculous. I always go for black or very dark blue and they are somewhat hard to come across in this neck of the woods. Hopefully tomorrow I will be successful.

I asked Cinny to find out my class sizes for Monday and I was told they will not be big, so I have asked that yesterdays big class be split - in particular the group of boys who sat at the back and kept chatting amongst themselves. If they aren’t interested in the class then I can’t force them to come but if they do come the least they can do is respect my rules. So now I have gone from 8 classes/16 lessons to 10 classes/20 lessons and finally 11 classes/22 lessons. I must be mad. Cinny thinks I am superman (I’m not and I will be shattered for the next few months) but I did say to her that the school had better not think they can do it to me for no extra money if it wasn’t me who asked for the extra!

Somehow I think Western Wednesdays will be thin on the ground this semester.

Sunday? If I do anything at all besides relaxing it will just be giving Pepsi a bath!