This has got to have been the longest term in the history of terms, even longer than the age that was the winter term, and it's not over yet! It's also been one of the busiest terms I've had in a while what with work work, ou work and extra work I'm finding it difficult to have much time to myself. When I do get five minutes I find myself too exhausted to enjoy it which is a little frustrating.

I'm entering into a new adventure at work. We've broken out Sharepoint in the hope that it will do more than the current "system" we never quite got in place (long story, lots of politics, can't be written down here). Whilst some of it is a little mind boggling, it's fun, I'm enjoying the challenge and I'm even willing (kinda) to give up some of my much needed holiday to get it up and running. This means, however, that whilst the rest of the school gets to celebrate the start of the holidays on Wednesday I will be left behind with my little virtual server and mucho reading (I really don't know how you 'normal' people with 'proper' jobs do it!)

OU is keeping me busy at home with the course requiring much more reading than I'd anticipated and confirming my suspicions that I really don't do business. This fact has also been confirmed at work with what seems like an endless trail of sales people showing us their take on the digital signage solution. It seems I have an allergic reaction to people telling me what I should be doing and buying. We thought our existing system was rather rubbish and could do a lot more at the beginning of the year, we're now pretty sure it's the best out there! I have another guy coming in today to try to convince me his system is the best. We shall see. On a side note, why is it necessary for such people to bring with them whopping great big plasma screens to demo the software? I have an imagination, I can imagine what the stuff would look like 'big' and it's a right pain trying to find somewhere to put these demos! (we won't talk about the three guys who came armed with huge tv, mini-server, a switch that didn't work and not enough extension cables to plug it all in!)

The logger has also been keeping me busy with some major updates having been written and then the fallout from all the bugs (quirks) this generated. There are still some big things on the horizon which I hope to get my brain around this holiday (deadlines are looming) and I've written some pretty cool ldap stuff for the other system I've been working on which I hope to incorporate.

Then onto the garden which is going super well this year. It sounds daft considering how rubbish it's been but I think, so far, we've actually had a better summer than last year. The tomatoes are doing very well although no red ones just yet (it seems the new sort I planted are quite beefy which should be good). The courgettes are growing much better than expected, so in answer to our query, yes you can grow them in pots (or buckets as we have). They grow really quickly too, I was very surprised. The peas are getting crafty now, hiding their pods so we're having to be very eagle eyed (I think Dan likes that job ). The chard is very nice and the curly kale coming along nicely if a little crowded. The onions are looking good and the new salad leaves we planted the other week should be ready to eat this weekend . Oooh and major excitement, we have peppers on our pepper plants! Whether anything will come of them is yet to be seen but that has to be a good start

Ok, so I'll stop now, it appears I've written a mini essay, I really should get back into writing regularly, it keeps me quiet even if no one does read it!