Tuesday 19th June
Well it is Tuesday and I have started this letter. Yesterday was a busy but good day not least as my neck has just reminded me I learnt how to avoid neck ache. When it comes sore it is just a sign that I need to sit straighter in my seat. Simple really only that you need to have built up the muscles in your lower torso so you can remain erect. Its funny once you learn a trick like that it is easy to do but until you do it remains so very very difficult. Other things include getting Cliff into inspect the electrics in the cellar apart from the heating stuff. I wanted to be sure that anything apart from the heating stuff was safe. I was pretty sure the lights were as they looked as if they ran along the ceiling but if there was anything else down there I could not be certain. As things was there was only an electric fan heater, which I think Barry must have put down there to stop people using. Either that or the Dickson's had it down there to help dry the place out. Then I managed to transcribe three sections of the interviews. If I manage that again and on do some serious work on it I will be getting ahead. Unfortunately Stuart rang me just as I settled to sleep.
Today after getting into work pretty well on time, I did some work on SPSS 16. No do not go and look in the shops for it, its a beta and I only have the copy until August when I need to send it back to the US. Whoever has been distributing beta's is onto a hiding for nothing. They can only really be used by people who are not worried by oddities. SPSS opened and it looked so like the old Unix version which was very clunky that I was quite worried. However although it runs noticeably slower that SPSS 15 the clunkiness isn't too bad.
Then on this afternoon to a meeting of the local community, well at least part of it. I am going to have to see if I can get hold of other bits as some sectors that are normally well represented weren't there. The West One development for instance, Gell Street and the Glossop Road Baths. However there were also local people who do not usually come. The Somali community seems to be reluctant to come unless there are interpreters. The problem is persuading them that there will be interpreters. I have been to meetings where there have been interpreters and no Somali's. I wonder what we need to do to do that.
Sunday 24th June
Heck, I have not written anything since Tuesday and my brain has gone completely blank on the rest of the week. Wednesday was a fairly normal day I think. Saw Theodora for what was a fairly straightforward session as sessions go. Then came home and I think did some transcription. Maybe around 6 minutes. By the way Lynne some years ago you gave me a wheat filled bag that you heat in the microwave for two minutes and it becomes nice and warm. It is the most useful thing. I have used it for multiple aches and pains over the years, the latest being that I put my shoulders when I am doing transcription and it stops them becoming quite so tight.
Thursday was also a very very normal day. I cannot think of anything special happening unless you call the mundane like talking to my parents and such. Wrote some wording for the Website but there is still a lot to do. Finally the person at Insight got in touch and I was able to say that I did not have the ability to do give the go ahead she wanted.
Friday was my day off, so went to Breakfast at Hanover. Then I came back and sorted things out at home, before going to St. Andrews to help set up the boards. James and Jean were back, James had been waiting for the boiler men to come, who had come early and condemned the electrics due to flood damage. That means no heat in the Church, Elders Vestry and Ministers Vestry for several months as we need to sort out both the boilers and the causes of the flooding. Evidence seems to be stepping up for a blocked outlet but where? The water having been stationary since Saturday suddenly dropped on Thursday night! Where did it go? Anyway James, Ted, Sarah and myself got the display boards up in record time. Jean Dickson returned from shopping expecting to have to help and found we had finished. Then Ted Sarah and I retired to my place to do some Greek. Took us around an hour to do four verses but we are getting there. Sarah is now talking of getting us to do Hebrew in a couple of years time. I want to leave it until then. Then went into tow to shop, and not think. I came back and did more transcription.
Transcribing an interview is very slow process. I work at about 1:10 on the interview:transcription time ratio. I am not really sure I ought not to be keeping a diary on transcription decisions. I am well aware I am sometimes consistent and sometimes I am not. One thing I have learnt is that emotion can get in the way of transcription.
Saturday was the day of the Mind, Body and Soul exhibition at St. Andrews. There were certainly lots of things on display and this time we did actually have several exhibitors who were not church members. Sarah certainly seems to be a lot better at getting us to go beyond our immediate community. There were fantastic painting in the hall and we had two gentlemen from the Muslim Welfare house doing scripts. Drinks and cakes were supplied by church ladies, Sarah having been let down at the last minute. Perhaps the hit this time was not Alan Sandland with his violins, impressive as that still is, but Elizabeth Cousley with her hats. She seems to have been going to Leeds to learn millinery and her hats were worthy of being worn to Ascot. Mrs Fotheringham was amongst the painters who displayed work. There also were a couple of taster sessions at the church, I went to the one by the local writers group which was probably 50% the normal group and 50% people trying it like me. This also included two Muslim women. There was a singing group held as well and a beading activity for children. Then there was stuff going on at the Broomhall Centre as well.
Today the activity of the last two days caught up with me and though I did make it to church I spent most of the afternoon in bed with a migraine. That meant that I did not help with the clearing away of the exhibition but then with a migraine I would have been a hindrance rather than a help.
Coming week
Well I am down to see Stephen Pattison on Wednesday, then have a reminder driving lesson on Thursday. I think I should be ok. Its a reminder less as I have my driving license but it is about ten years since I last drove and I will need something to get my confidence back up.
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