I think it’s time I stopped starting every blog post with an apology for my lack of regular posting. That’s just how things are at the moment.

 Work is busy, full of restructure-induced change, angst, sadness at loss of quality staff, intermittent fury at what appears to be a lack of interest from senior management in assisting our unit into our “brave new world”, beautiful students who bring great joy and enthusiasm into the classroom, and some amazing colleagues who inspire me on a daily basis. So you know, swings and roundabouts. I’m not going to write about it anymore here because (1) you wouldn’t believe half the things I said because they are so ridiculous and (2) it just makes the stressing worse. It’s time to accentuate the positive. (You can thank me later for the ear worm).

 I was devastated by the conclusion of Homeland last Sunday night. Claire Danes is simply amazing and I can’t wait for Season 2. If you didn’t watch it you missed out on one of the few quality dramas to come out of the US in the past little while. Yes I know, that’s a big call, but it’s my blog and I’ll say what I like. Once again I was destroyed by the ending of the Donna Noble story on Doctor Who. I’ve continued to watch the repeats now that Matt Smith is in the Tardis but I’m really sorry everyone. I just prefer David Tennant and that’s all there is to it.

 On the reading front, I finally finished Claire Tomalin’s biography of Dickens. I thought it appropriate that I read something about Dickens given his birthday year and all. How would I sum him up? Contradictory. One word. That’s all you need. Now I am reading 31 Songs by Nick Hornby. I’m only up to song 13 or 14 but it’s really making me think about making my own list of songs that express my life, my values, my belief, how I see myself in the world. Music eh? Pretty amazing stuff.

 My piano students continue to visit me each week. These are hours of delight as I attempt to guide them to develop their skills, to think about music as a form of communication and expression, to build their confidence, to encourage them to enjoy playing the piano. If they go away happy, and are happy to return the following week then the basics of my job are done. Anything after that – exam results, eisteddfod performances, – are simply bonuses.

 And I’m studying. Studying. Writing assignments. Writing reports. Learning about libraries and information science. There is more about this on my other blog. I wish I had more time to devote to it. That would mean not working which is not really an option. Not if I want to eat, have clothes, and maintain a shelter. So, I work in bursts and plan ahead. This is my life at the moment. It’s going to be a big year.