The highlight of my week

[Aliantha]

My two big babies kick the footy all the time. lol

The way the mini midget is wriggling about, maybe it'll be a footy player too!

[DanaC]

I have a couple of competing highlights so far. One Carrotty and one not.

First, about three days ago I realised I had in fact managed to generate a minor obsession with my work.

Transcribing the individual register entries, with trial details including full charge and verdict onto a spreadsheet and then chooisng which categories to mark takes ages. There are around 20-30 per double page. I already did 1 year's worth of records (around 200) for the transfer exercise last year, but it was such a drag of a job that I then put off the inevitable return to it. Every so often I'd force myself back to it but get bogged down in some indecipherable name, or just seem to take ages, losing my place, rechecking details etc.

Now, for a paper I'm presenting in June, I need the first full data set (3 year's worth of entries). I've known this for a while, and been putting off the work, or as above just getting disheartened quickly. But the past week I have just hammered it. Initially it was a drag and an effort, but then it started to build. And at some point hit 'fun to do minor obsession' level. Almost like a computer game that gets under your skin. Repetetive, but compelling. Having arsed about for fucking months, I got through a year and a half's worth of records the past few days. Six months of records left to do, and then I can start playing with the data set!

But realising I'd somehow applied a game mentality to the task was a real highlight this week.

Second, day before yesterday I took Carrot's squeaky tennis ball with us on our walk. When we got to the little park there was nobody about so we played fetch for about 20 minutes. It was so lovely. He ran after the ball and ran back with it. Did a flyby and wouldnt give the ball until the second pass :p But we're working on that.

Was nice though. First time we've done that. Felt good.