May study weekend

I don't actually know where to put myself today as the weekends events have left me feeling very different about me (and some of this will go elsewhere), what I can do and really about my life so far in.
As well all know, the one big difference this year with the exception of days when I am truly too unwell to work or away on meets such as Camp, my weekends  are taken up with something deliberately challenging.
Two days of concentrated study where I pretty much have to work on just that, sat at a desk, in uniform with no distractions working from the study guides with just fixed recess periods with no dawdling, back chat or refusing to start being accepted.

Really.
This weekend has seen me work on my English looking at how people who write stories try to draw you into the character, getting you to think you were involved and learning how to compare and contrast different texts on the same subject by style, language, use of humour and summarize any differences effectively.
I had set questions to answer on it and I managed 90%.
Sunday after breakfast saw me start work on the great Basic Math revision test going over the whole of the unit from addition, subtraction, long multiplication and  long division (makes numbers look more like snakes and ladders!), formulars, factors, square, cubed and prime numbers and ratios.
That's because I now have Area to get to grips with as the next unit in my studying and you need to understanding these more everyday concepts first.
It also involved knowing how to use a calculator correctly and paper/mental arthritic!
Now this has been marked at...92%
I even got the formulas and long division right  it's so unlike the me I knew, who flunked Math spectacularly at high school not that there are not good reasons why I struggle with it but more the leap in the argument that starts by saying "She'll struggle" moves though "Won't achieve" and finishes at "It doesn't matter".
It doesn't say "Is struggling", "Will help her to master it" and "We will put our foot down if she doesn't make a honest attempt at doing it" which is really the difference now in my life.

Saturday in the park

Stardate August 3rd 2013

Susie woke up this morning, yawning as she washed and got dressed ready for breakfast at 8AM for today was Saturday, a day when school was closed but nonetheless home tuition was on offer for she and her friend struggled with French in Form 1EB of St Mary's, a high school for girls in Nuneaton, in the English Midlands. Aunt Joan insisted upon it and as Joanne's parents, struggling to meet the Term Fees also were rather concerned with Jo's grades had kindly accepted Joan's offer to pay, at weekends she was to stay the night there.

This naturally meant Joanne was subject to Auntie Joan's very strict rules, far stricter than her own parents ever would be although secretly she longed for some clear boundaries. Like Susie she had to put on her full school uniform for Miss Winters, the French tutor, making sure everything was properly fastened and that her shoes were spotless.

After three hours of verbs, completion of sentences and reading aloud where Susie was warned that persistent giggling would be reported if she didn't stop that very minute, they tucked into Fish Fingers, peas and chips followed by Chocolate Moose being accompanied by Auntie.
Joanne asked if they go out for the afternoon to the park as it was a bright sunny day. "Yes certainly" said Auntie Joan "but you really must be back for Afternoon Tea" she added before going on to say "On no account are either of you to get involved with rough boys otherwise you'll have me to answer too".

They both got changed out of their uniforms for summery dresses with short white ankle socks and flat heeled shoes and took a couple of books out with them to read resting their backs against the bark of the trees whose foliage provided much needed shade that day.

Walking back at a quarter to four they were just on the path leading to The Lodge where Joanne saw Ice Cream van and started jumping up and down saying "Go on, let's have an Ice Cream each" but then realized she'd left her purse behind, not that there was much in it. Susie turned around and said "Look, I have some money on me  and I can always earn a bit more on my paper round to make it up". With that Susie bought Joanne and her a 99 each with two chocolate flakes and strawberry juice which thay ate skipping back to Auntie Joan's just in time for Cucumber sandwiches, scones and tea.

Moved [Pre blog]

I've finally started in my new job having had an Interview just after my vacation last month as they were impressed with my skills and the references I had.
There is a lot of training to do for it but I can do some of it from home and I have a dedicated person called a Tutor to help me through this which sounds a bit like school, eh?
I'm learning about how everything is done, the systems, who does what as they are really making an attempt to integrate me in, which after my previous experiences, is very moving and at some point I'll have to travel to a special course.
I can have my Panda puppet, Peaches, with me too which is what I did back in the 90's as that felt comfortable as I find things like that keep me calm.