Made it to half term

This first half of the term has seemed long and short at the same time. I made it up to Monday without a dip but had a low and didn't make my morning session. My mum luckily is on holiday and filled in for me and the parents were very understanding unlike my previous employer. I was scheduled for a check up with my psychiatrist Monday afternoon any way. He wasn't concerned and said the shorter days and less sunshine at this time of year often cause lows. He upped my venlorflaxin and sent me on my merry way. He did manage to stay awake for most of my consultation but writing prescriptions, which is his usual downfall had him nodding off. I had to just sit patiently til he woke up.

I house sit again for my former high school biology teacher from tomorrow for the half term weekend. Hoping all will be well as her poor dog has gone down with pancreatitis. Have my two dogs Jasper and Elsie curled up at my feet currently - it is cold today. I dressed warmly for personal training this afternoon. When my personal trainer announced when she arrived that we'd do pilates today, not cardio, it felt like the heavens opened with a beam of light and the angels were singing hallelujah. We'll be back to cardio next week, but today I am really tired.

Next weekend I am going with some people from my depression support group to La Rochelle for an artists' retreat with Sheena Chadwick and Sarah Fynn. Hoping it's not too cold but looking forward to it. Had a meet up for the support group last weekend at Ballantyne Park and had some new people. Had a slight panic on the way back when I was trying to get petrol as all the garages' swipe machines seemed to be down. I tried six places. Apparently the internet was down too - the joys of the cash shortage.

Sarah Fynn

Sheena Chadwick

Joss Stone in Harare

Happened to see on Facebook last week an advert for Joss Stone in Harare. I know who Joss Stone is but am afraid couldn't really think of any of her songs. I youtubed her and found I knew one. Wasn't going to go but a friend kindly offered me her mum's ticket as her mum was sick. Was a bit stressed going as I had arranged to have friends round for boardgames the next day and I needed to bake for it and I only found out at 3 pm that my form three student was doing an essay on the book Spies and not Macbeth which I would need to prepare for for the lesson the next morning (he's been doing Macbeth all week so I thought that's what we would be working on and hadn't read ahead in Spies).

We got to 7 Arts theatre early but there was already a queue. When the queue started moving I got very irritated by people pushing in. There was only one door open to the theatre and it got quite claustrophobic being pressed in on every side, especially with people pushing through. My mind did think about terrorist attacks and how I was pinned in on every side. Once we got through the door the crowd thinned and it became more pleasant. The opening acts were good. It was an entirely female ensemble, with Joss Stone and then Tamy Moyo, Gemma Griffiths and Ammara Brown. Joss Stone only came on at around 10.30 though so it was late night.

I had wondered what kind of backing Joss Stone would have - whether she would come with a band or using a backing track. Turned out she had brought a guitarist with and he played the entire accompaniment. I have never been at a concert where men flock to the front of the stage - they did last night and some kept calling out "I love you" and "I want to marry you". Cringe! At one point Joss  came to the stage apron and bent down and held hands with some of the men. One guy reached up and started stroking her hair. She didn't react but am sure she was probably a bit freaked out.

I had intended on waking up at 6 to finish reading Spies but didn't manage to. Luckily I was saved by this week's essay looking at how suspense is created in a specific section of chapter 6 - phew, but I need to catch up. It would be helpful though to get a little more prior warning to prepare.

My Chinese student has his grade 1 entrance test on Thursday. He is coming along well with his nursery rhymes but to my horror he had forgotten what a square is. Will need to concentrate on shapes once more before Thursday.