My Life of Grime!

Stuff mountain :

This Tuesday will go down in the annals of Jerushah history as the day when our lovely new house changed from a clutter free, oasis of calm to something resembling the house of Mr Trebus from ‘Life of Grime.’ In fact, after showing my friends the before and after photo’s, they have now started to call me ‘Mrs Trebus!’

The cause of all this upheaval is that on Tuesday I had all my non essential possessions (not stuff or junk), from the old house delivered from storage. Bearing in mind that the old house had three bedrooms an enormous garden and a garage, and this house just has one bedroom and a miniscule patio, I expect you can see the root of the problem ?

My facebook status earlier this week read ‘Huge junk pile just delivered, feels like I’m chipping away at Mount Everest with a teaspoon!’ Things are slightly better now (after ten black bags went out with the rubbish and four carloads went to the tip), but I think I may have my work cut out over the Easter break !

A mental break :
In addition to the junk pile (oops ! Non essential possession pile) being delivered, there will be a bit more excitement this week as I will be off on a field trip to Almeria in Spain with the School of Science. It is actually very close to where I completed part of my undergraduate degree in the mid 1990’s, so in addition to all the interesting geography and geology we are going to be looking at, I am also looking forward to visiting some of my old haunts – Can’t wait ! I hope to have loads of tales to tell on my next blog !

Naughty, naughty Jerushah ! I have a confession to make ! Last week I bought the Bruno Mars album ‘Doo-wops & Hooligans’, for my daughter as a birthday present, but from the minute I discovered this track the CD was not allowed to leave my car for several days !

‘Our first time’ is just the most ideal fusion of reggae and R&B that I have ever heard...I just keep choosing track 3, then listening to it again, and again, and yet again. Perhaps I am just a little bit obsessed ? I made sure that ‘S’ took the CD with her when she went to stay at her dad’s place this week, as it probably needs a rest ! Jerushah X

Naughtiness in the lab

Or:



Beware of bored friends !

Well, well, well... I have had a very interesting time in the lab this week, ‘Have you discovered some hitherto, as yet, unidentified diatom?’ I hear you ask. The answer to that is ‘No.’ In fact, it was interesting for all the wrong reasons ! Here is a photo of me using the ‘Malvern Mastersizer,’ which is a piece of equipment used for grain size analysis (I was analysing my samples from the infamous Hornchurch core if you are interested).

I was concentrating on my work, being a model of virtue and industriousness. There was just one little problem, however. Friend ‘K’ was bored. Having been much more efficient than me earlier on in the day she had finished all her samples (eight compared to my fifty-two) nice and early.

While my back was turned, she had secretly taken my phone and was typing the rudest message imaginable to my research supervisor - Lucky I turned around before she hit ‘send’ or I would have been in big trouble!

J's record of the week:

'I'm coming out'

by

Diana Ross


This song was written and produced by the legendary Nile Rodgers (of Chic). It was released in 1980 on the ‘Diana’ album. I do remember it at the time, although I was only six !

My main reason for choosing this song is that one of my work colleagues was singing it for the WHOLE of last Monday... As you’ll know if you’ve heard it, the song is so catchy, I just couldn’t help myself but make it my record of the week, for this week ! Thank you ‘S H!’

Jerushah X

International Women’s Day :

Bright and early on Saturday morning, I arrived to work at International Women’s Day as part of the Student Ambassador team with fellow bloggers Edgar and Tiffany. In addition to handing out the Greenwich and Kent Uni prospectus, we also ran a charity tombola in aid of the CROP organisation which supports families whose children have been victims of sexual exploitation.The good news is that over £100 was raised the charity!  Check http://www.cropuk.org.uk/ for more information. Poor Edgar ! As the only man at International Women’s Day he was subject to quite a lot of attention, from older ladies saying ‘Ooh ! What a lovely young man!’ to the dancer from Sierra Leone who was convinced he needed to join in with her special ‘confidence dance.’

As for Tiffany and me, we spoke to some really interesting people including some people selling (extreme pleasure inducing) homemade marmalade, an Indian head masseuse, a health visitor who supports teenage mothers returning to education, a henna artist, an Avon lady and the Medway Soroptimists. If I’m asked to attend next year’s International Women’s Day event, I wouldn’t hesitate at all, it was a great day and lots of fun!

The Cantium Singers :

This week I was feeling a bit low, and missing my daughter while she was staying with her dad. So rather than continue to mope about I decided to do something that I’d been thinking about for ages – I joined a choir...The name of the choir is ‘The Cantium Singers,’ who are a non denominational choir based in Medway. I went along for my first rehearsal with a bit of trepidation as the only singing I’d done previously was with friends, in school, with my daughter...  or in the shower! I needn’t have worried though, everyone was so welcoming. I learnt a lot in one evening... We were rehearsing Fauré’s requiem, so I now know how to sing in Latin (just!). Also, I found out that I am an Alto.

I was ten in 1984 when this song came out (vague memories of dancing round my mum’s kitchen singing along into a wooden spoon (no hair brushes for me!).  Jocelyn Brown is a female vocal LEGEND, who is now based in the UK (occasionally she pops up at the Jazz Cafe in Camden). Having joined my choir I am now in the mood for a bit of a ‘diva’ sing along once again ! Jerushah X