Man with Toys

John came to see us today. He bought loads of lovely electrical devices. Lights that flash, switches that do something and a phone you can program. Wonderful stuff. I hope I never reach the age where I fail to be impressed by such things.

Motorway Lag

Think I've got drivers lag. Got in last night just before midnight having driven for five hours back from Reading. I think my average speed over the last 36 hours must be around 25 miles per hour. It certainly feels like that. My brain seems to be shutting down and messing around in most annoying ways. I keep forgetting the word for.....thingy..... and walking into rooms and going "I wonder why I went in here" (and it was a lecture too). I was quite worried about impending mental fragility utill I bumped into David, who travelled down with me and is suffering similar symptoms. Here's hoping that tomorrow I'll be back to full strength mental power.

Who Uses The Trouserpress?

Stayed in a hotel last night, in preparation for a Microsoft Most Valuable Professional (I am one) Open Day today.

The hotel, like all well appointed ones of its ilk, had a trouser press. Why? I've never, ever used one of these. Nobody I saw around the hotel today looks as if they did either. Perhaps they are a relic of a bygone age, when creases were important. I was going to have a go but I wasn't sure if jeans with a razor sharp crease might have given off the wrong (or perhaps mixed) message.

The Open Day itself was very interesting. I can't say too much, since I signed an NDA (Non Disclosure Agreement). All I will say is that if the **** gets on with the **** like it looks at it will do then the **** will well and truly hit the *** big time.

Note: We didn't actually discuss anything secret at all, but I put that in to make me seem even more valuable and important.

Searching for the meaning

The microwave man came today, with the right part, and fixed the beast. We can now see what it is doing. I believe in praise where praise is due and so kudus Comet, who did exactly what they said they were going to do, when they said they were going to do it.

I now also realise that I should be a bit more literal when making sense of what people are saying. When the lady on the phone said "We'll send someone round to take a look at it" that is exactly what she meant. A man came round and looked at it. The mending bit took a bit longer.

I'm going to use this technique in dealing with members of the family:

"I'd really like to give you a hundred pounds"
"Gosh, thanks dad"
"No, I mean I would like to give you the money, but I don't have it....."

The Choice is Yours

Spent a big chunk of today inventing multiple choice questions. They are to be used to help our C# students get up to speed on their revison by hilighting the bits they don't know.

They are really hard to write. You have to have:

1. An answer which is obviously rubbish.
2. An answer which might be right.
3. An answer which is right.
4. An answer which is either right, or complete rubbish.
5. An answer which is irrelevant.

And then you have to decide which is going to be the winning answer. And then repeat 20 times.

My head hurts now, I'm off to bed.