gothams3rdrobin | Updatedness....

Well, I've finally gotten right the way through my f-lists - my Communities-Only filter has been backed up for the last week to at least eighty back, thanks to an explosion of Torchwood-related items. *is not really complaining, but it is a pain to cycle back every time...* But due to a day of doing pretty much sod-all, I am pretty much up to date again now!

*waves flag of mock-enthusiasm*

Rowan's week off school went well, even if I still haven't shaken off the lethargy that comes with being able to spend all day in your nightclothes watching telly. We went to the cinema, bowling, the park, walks down the Bay with ice-cream, and spent several days dosing around the house while he played video games.

I have photos and stuff, but I'm on the wrong computer tonight.

My first day back at work brought with it my monthly appraisal with my manager, wherein we agreed that my productivity stats are still not high enough. She also advised that there were new guidelines introduced by Personnel this month regarding lateness; three or more instances in a given period and you're up for a disciplinary. Guess who has already reached that limit? However, I was able to explain to Louise the exact reason for my lateness, i.e the difficulty getting to the office from Rowan's school within half an hour.

Let me spread it out for you; Rowan's school officially starts at eight fifty-five. As he is still in the Infants, I am expected to stay in the school yard with him until it is time for him to go inside. A few weeks back, they expressed concern that the number of kids piling into the buildings up the wheelchair ramps (installed at every doorway in order to comply with accessibility legislation) was a potential health-risk, and therefore all children were to line up in their classes out in the playground, and be led inside by their teachers. Now, despite the fact that the moment the teacher arrives to establish the line, they are technically in charge of your little one (that old 'in loco parentis' thing), it is still a little uncomfortable to then depart from the schoolyard without witnessing your child actually entering the building. Thus, I have been known to not be able to leave the grounds till gone nine o'clock, though I am now trying to make myself go straight away. Add to that a ten minute walk down to Albany Rd to catch my bus to work, I don't often make it to my desk by nine twenty-five. Hell, I'm usually stepping off the bus at that time, let alone having walked down the street and gone up nine floors in the lift.

So my only viable option is to change my hours again, so that I have more time to make it into the office. It's not possible to simply cut down my break time (I only get twenty minutes, which is the shortest break they can legally give me), and cutting my hours would cut my pay. Which leaves me having to amend my hours and work an extra day. Luckily, they don't have any problem with me needing to swap my days off in order to be available for something Rowan-related, so I'll still be able to be home when the school's closed for teacher training, or attend some class assembly or other. I will just miss having a four day weekend, is all.

Yeah, yeah, I know. Suck it up. I remember how jealous I was of the part-timers when I worked full-time too. It's just that once you get used to working a certain number of hours, or a set shift-pattern, it's initially unpleasant to have to work longer, or more often. I'll deal. On the upside, I'll be able to grab a hot drink or a snack on the way in again. I have missed starting at ten, since I can rarely stop for breakfast in the mornings.

I actually had a couple of rows with people towards the end of this week *is surprised at self* I'm normally way too meek to do that, but I had to make a couple of exceptions. Instance one took place in the schoolyard on Thursday; Rowan and Isaac were having a quick kickaround with a ball they'd found behind a bench, when one of the juniors grabbed it and ran off down the other end of the yard - Rowan in pursuit, howling at him to stop - and proceeded to kick it over the wall into someone's garden. I stormed up to them and told the little gobshite off, demanding he apologise to Rowan, who was bawling his eyes out. I wouldn't normally do that, since Rowan needs to learn to defend himself against the bigger kids, but honestly! He's only six, and once in a while he will need me as back-up.

The other incident occurred the next morning, as we were sitting in the bus shelter on the way to school. Some young tosser decided to light up his cigarette inside the shelter - which has been illegal since April 2nd 2007 - and didn't make any move to step outside straight after (At which point I would have made no comment, since it was raining a little and the wind could have made lighting up difficult). I asked him to leave the shelter, but he refused. I even pointed out the No Smoking sign on the timetable board, but he shrugged, unwilling to go outside in the rain (sorry, I have no sympathy there). In the end I had to make out like I was going to call the Police, getting my phone out and everything. *shakes head*

Of course, when the bus arrived, Rowan promptly sat alongside him on the backseat *facepalms* So I had to look back at him periodically from a few seats down the aisle, trying not to freak at the language the tosser and his mates were using.

I'm being rather remiss about the Torchwood squee this season - not for lack of it, I assure you. I just don't have that much to say - and besides, it's not as though they were of much interest anyway :-p A little Jack/Ianto squee and pointing out locations I recognised. *shrugs* I'll probably muse a little in another post soon though - I'd rather keep it separate from a general post, for spoiler reasons.

Ah well - guess I better call it a night and go get some sleep before my last Monday off for a while. Rowan's got a school trip to Techniquest tomorrow, and then we have to make fairy cakes for the Eisteddfod activities. Not sure why they have to be taken to school on Tuesday, since St David's Day's not till the weekend, but hey.