Well, hell...
...this seems to be a yearly thing now. I am managing to do the New Year post on New Year's day this year, as opposed to the 8th so well done, me, on that score.
Last year's big list of to do:
Three OU modules (and a resit).
The usual Men's Health 10K in October.
Half marathon (you heard me) in May.
A play (maybeprobablyhopesomightnot)
I did not manage all of these things. I did two rather than three OU modules - and the resit. But those I did do, I did well in, so I'm calling the OU a win for 2012. I'm still on track to get a First and that's what I wants. The doing of two rather than three modules has meant I've had a wee break from the studies since sitting last exam in October. Next module - in which I need to get an 85% average - doesn't technically start until Feb but - 85% average and all - the intention is to kick off with pre-reading pretty soon. Next week in fact. All told, I'm enjoying it and the week long research residential in July was a serious highlight of my year. It was a brilliant week, spent at the University of Sussex campus with some incredibly and incredibly like-minded people. Not a dull person there and I got persistently lucky with those I met and worked with. It was also rewarding and reassuring to meet other people who are locked in the sometimes-lonely OU. I'm luck enough that my closest folk get how busy I am / have been with it and all, and understand its importance to me, but getting to chat to people who are going through the same experience was another thing entirely. The research itself was interesting, the social aspect was great (drinking in student bars carries its own rewards), a day out in Brighton including a swim in the sparkling, if chilly sea, was a highlight of the highlight. The sun shone down the whole week and it'll remain a sparkly memory for me too. The exam in October was tough. Not a nightmare, the questions were reasonable, but it was hard going to prepare for as there wasn't a lot of narrowing available in what topics you covered, but the paper itself was fair in the end and I got a good result despite having a panic attack and blanking on the first question (research evidence of the differences between male and female brains - can you believe I forgot to include brain scan studies? Muppet). I'm told that Social Psych - this year's module, is a lot easier than Cognitive so here's hoping.
I didn't do a half-marathon or the Men's Health 10K. I was in Venice (more below!) the same weekend as the 10K and in May, the OU was seriously kicking my ass. I'd either just had or was just about to have my resit for Child Development and I decided that training for a half-marathon really wasn't on the cards time-wise. And this year, I've been consistently at the gym, fit and healthy. Maybe not right now, I'm 'carrying a bit of holiday weight' and I've been a bit poorly but it won't take long to get back into it. Plus, I had serious reason to be fit this year. I did do a play...Dr Faustus by Chris Marlowe (D Grimes, director) and it was a ball. Rehearsals had their ups and down (especially for D Grimes, director, who broke his wrist going from up to down, poor fella), but as always the whole h-experience was way over on the positive side. The performances were fun to do and - I come back to my earlier point on fitness - done in our pants, for the most part. Seven deadly sins in their underwear. What's not fun about that? It was a very liberating experience, actually. Once you've been near-naked in front of eight-odd audience members including a whole bunch of workmates there's very little, I think, that could much phase a person. Interesting to note how much more comfortable we became with each other as a cast throughout the week too. At the start, we all clung to our tshirts until the last possible minute, but towards the end of the week we were cheerfully stripped down from the pre-performance warm-up. Which included a fair bit of bouncing. Back on the fitness thing, I do intend a few runs this year. Definitely the Men's Health 10K as I did proper miss doing that, it's good fun. Not that I was sorry to go to Venice, y'understand.
Yeah. The Serene Republic! Had exam on the Thursday, then flew to Venice on the Friday for the long weekend, which included by birthday. Amazing city. Very nice food and good company in the person of Miss Liz. Pleasingly anodyne from examexamexam. Highlights in the Peggy Guggenheim Collection, the guided tour of the Grand Canal (a definite recommend if you go, surprisingly good although we did have a very cheery tour guide and got lucky in our seats right up at the front), and seeing your actual Hieronymus Bosch, Garden of Unearthly Delights in the Doge's Palace. I was kind of unmoved by St Mark's Plaza, which was surprising, but I think I had an overly romantic idea of what it'd be like in my head. The rest more than made up for that, to the point of said disappointment being a moment's 'oh, well' and a shrug. The architecture and general 'being' of the city was amazing. Am totally going back at some point as the four days didn't in any way include everything I would want to do, but that's also a plus point, I think. There was also a fella around about this time. Not in Venice, at home. A pleasing few months in good company which he suddenly took away in early November. If I'm honest, still a bit sad about that, but not a lot to do but take some once offered very fine advice - look cheerful and keep busy. Likely you soon will be.
Photography was not much done this year. I would have liked to have done more, but I really am bumping my head off there only being so much energy in the Reynolds. I would once have said time, but there probably is time, but with a demanding job, the demands of studies and a desire to be at the gym a bunch of times in the week, it's tough to conjure a lot of other activities. I did a few shoots in the year and I was happy with the results so I'm focussing on that. And that does reflect my attitude towards my photography these days. I applaud those who carry their cameras with them at all times, but I tend towards having an image or a plan in my head that I want to carry out and then putting effort into that rather than a lot of random snapping or keeping my eye out. I think that's a focus thing, too, actually. I - along with most artists, I think - need to be in the right headspace to create something good. At the moment, my head is in a few spaces so just wandering and seeking an image isn't the right thing for me just now. But like the little girl, I'd say that when I'm good...
So a part of this year's goals is a do-able number of shoots. Going by the above, six is a do-able number. I think that's fair, if you take into account m'chat about intention, and planning. I don't just go for wander and look for a pretty tree to snap any more. Not that there's anything wrong with pretty trees. I love a pretty tree.Work continues fine. I'm not necessarily hugely challenge by it anymore, but the team I work with are outstanding. Hardworking, supportive and fun. Several superb nights out have also been highlights of this year although I feel I'm being led astray at time. Honestly, it's never been my idea. Especially the thing with the iron hoops. I realise 'fine' isn't exactly the most enthused word in the world, but it's accurate. Nothing wrong with it, and I'm grateful for a well-paid, rewarding job working with good people that's also (and frankly not least!) a twenty-minute commute. I'm just ready for the next thing. Patience on that score, though. Which brings us back ground to the OU and Goals for the year. :)
Get a distinction in Social Psychology, thusly securing a First overall once I pick up the Level 1 modules in 2014.Do six photoshoots, let's say at least three of those as 'I want to take your photos'.Run in the Men's Health 10K in Edinburgh and two other runs.A play (although this one depends on being cast in said play).And let's shoot aspirational - be happy. :)
Going on the previous two years it's likely I'll catch up here in January 2014. So until then...
Semper superne nitens,
C :)
Last year's big list of to do:
Three OU modules (and a resit).
The usual Men's Health 10K in October.
Half marathon (you heard me) in May.
A play (maybeprobablyhopesomightnot)
I did not manage all of these things. I did two rather than three OU modules - and the resit. But those I did do, I did well in, so I'm calling the OU a win for 2012. I'm still on track to get a First and that's what I wants. The doing of two rather than three modules has meant I've had a wee break from the studies since sitting last exam in October. Next module - in which I need to get an 85% average - doesn't technically start until Feb but - 85% average and all - the intention is to kick off with pre-reading pretty soon. Next week in fact. All told, I'm enjoying it and the week long research residential in July was a serious highlight of my year. It was a brilliant week, spent at the University of Sussex campus with some incredibly and incredibly like-minded people. Not a dull person there and I got persistently lucky with those I met and worked with. It was also rewarding and reassuring to meet other people who are locked in the sometimes-lonely OU. I'm luck enough that my closest folk get how busy I am / have been with it and all, and understand its importance to me, but getting to chat to people who are going through the same experience was another thing entirely. The research itself was interesting, the social aspect was great (drinking in student bars carries its own rewards), a day out in Brighton including a swim in the sparkling, if chilly sea, was a highlight of the highlight. The sun shone down the whole week and it'll remain a sparkly memory for me too. The exam in October was tough. Not a nightmare, the questions were reasonable, but it was hard going to prepare for as there wasn't a lot of narrowing available in what topics you covered, but the paper itself was fair in the end and I got a good result despite having a panic attack and blanking on the first question (research evidence of the differences between male and female brains - can you believe I forgot to include brain scan studies? Muppet). I'm told that Social Psych - this year's module, is a lot easier than Cognitive so here's hoping.
I didn't do a half-marathon or the Men's Health 10K. I was in Venice (more below!) the same weekend as the 10K and in May, the OU was seriously kicking my ass. I'd either just had or was just about to have my resit for Child Development and I decided that training for a half-marathon really wasn't on the cards time-wise. And this year, I've been consistently at the gym, fit and healthy. Maybe not right now, I'm 'carrying a bit of holiday weight' and I've been a bit poorly but it won't take long to get back into it. Plus, I had serious reason to be fit this year. I did do a play...Dr Faustus by Chris Marlowe (D Grimes, director) and it was a ball. Rehearsals had their ups and down (especially for D Grimes, director, who broke his wrist going from up to down, poor fella), but as always the whole h-experience was way over on the positive side. The performances were fun to do and - I come back to my earlier point on fitness - done in our pants, for the most part. Seven deadly sins in their underwear. What's not fun about that? It was a very liberating experience, actually. Once you've been near-naked in front of eight-odd audience members including a whole bunch of workmates there's very little, I think, that could much phase a person. Interesting to note how much more comfortable we became with each other as a cast throughout the week too. At the start, we all clung to our tshirts until the last possible minute, but towards the end of the week we were cheerfully stripped down from the pre-performance warm-up. Which included a fair bit of bouncing. Back on the fitness thing, I do intend a few runs this year. Definitely the Men's Health 10K as I did proper miss doing that, it's good fun. Not that I was sorry to go to Venice, y'understand.
Yeah. The Serene Republic! Had exam on the Thursday, then flew to Venice on the Friday for the long weekend, which included by birthday. Amazing city. Very nice food and good company in the person of Miss Liz. Pleasingly anodyne from examexamexam. Highlights in the Peggy Guggenheim Collection, the guided tour of the Grand Canal (a definite recommend if you go, surprisingly good although we did have a very cheery tour guide and got lucky in our seats right up at the front), and seeing your actual Hieronymus Bosch, Garden of Unearthly Delights in the Doge's Palace. I was kind of unmoved by St Mark's Plaza, which was surprising, but I think I had an overly romantic idea of what it'd be like in my head. The rest more than made up for that, to the point of said disappointment being a moment's 'oh, well' and a shrug. The architecture and general 'being' of the city was amazing. Am totally going back at some point as the four days didn't in any way include everything I would want to do, but that's also a plus point, I think. There was also a fella around about this time. Not in Venice, at home. A pleasing few months in good company which he suddenly took away in early November. If I'm honest, still a bit sad about that, but not a lot to do but take some once offered very fine advice - look cheerful and keep busy. Likely you soon will be.
Photography was not much done this year. I would have liked to have done more, but I really am bumping my head off there only being so much energy in the Reynolds. I would once have said time, but there probably is time, but with a demanding job, the demands of studies and a desire to be at the gym a bunch of times in the week, it's tough to conjure a lot of other activities. I did a few shoots in the year and I was happy with the results so I'm focussing on that. And that does reflect my attitude towards my photography these days. I applaud those who carry their cameras with them at all times, but I tend towards having an image or a plan in my head that I want to carry out and then putting effort into that rather than a lot of random snapping or keeping my eye out. I think that's a focus thing, too, actually. I - along with most artists, I think - need to be in the right headspace to create something good. At the moment, my head is in a few spaces so just wandering and seeking an image isn't the right thing for me just now. But like the little girl, I'd say that when I'm good...
So a part of this year's goals is a do-able number of shoots. Going by the above, six is a do-able number. I think that's fair, if you take into account m'chat about intention, and planning. I don't just go for wander and look for a pretty tree to snap any more. Not that there's anything wrong with pretty trees. I love a pretty tree.Work continues fine. I'm not necessarily hugely challenge by it anymore, but the team I work with are outstanding. Hardworking, supportive and fun. Several superb nights out have also been highlights of this year although I feel I'm being led astray at time. Honestly, it's never been my idea. Especially the thing with the iron hoops. I realise 'fine' isn't exactly the most enthused word in the world, but it's accurate. Nothing wrong with it, and I'm grateful for a well-paid, rewarding job working with good people that's also (and frankly not least!) a twenty-minute commute. I'm just ready for the next thing. Patience on that score, though. Which brings us back ground to the OU and Goals for the year. :)
Get a distinction in Social Psychology, thusly securing a First overall once I pick up the Level 1 modules in 2014.Do six photoshoots, let's say at least three of those as 'I want to take your photos'.Run in the Men's Health 10K in Edinburgh and two other runs.A play (although this one depends on being cast in said play).And let's shoot aspirational - be happy. :)
Going on the previous two years it's likely I'll catch up here in January 2014. So until then...
Semper superne nitens,
C :)
posted by Chris at 8:35 pm
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