Summer Break

As the elite of Britain stop pretending to work and head for France or Italy (where, in retaliation, the native populations head off for wherever it is they all disappear to in the summer, leaving only the elderly and ill-mannered half-wits behind to mind the shop) I can see that the Blogger barometer of pageviews is dropping like a stone.  It's clearly time for our annual Summer Break.

It's been so unseasonably hot for the past few weeks (it's summer, for God's sake!  What is going on?) that I feel like I haven't slept for a month.  Because, basically, I haven't.  I keep nodding off over my keyboard, only to wake with QWERTYUIOP embossed, backwards, on my forehead.*

I could use a real summer break, right now, but there's no prospect of anything like that in sight.  Now that our kids arrange their own entertainments, the impetus to "book a holiday" has gone.  Also, as always, the summer "vacation" is when we get really busy at work, getting things ready for the mass return in October.  Amongst the 10,000 Things -- all with priority A Plus and a deadline of yesterday -- the entire staff area on the entrance level has now been evacuated, so it can be turned into new seating for students.  Nice!  But... where are all those staff going to go and do whatever it is they do?  (Issuing books, you say?  Why weren't we told??).  Well, what are middle-managers for, if not for rising to this kind of trivial administrative challenge?  Let's just say my office corridor has got a lot more crowded recently.

It's been a good year for me, personally, and I hope it has been for you, too.  I don't discuss my private personal or domestic life as much as many bloggers do (happy as I am to share my opinions and prejudices on most other subjects), so you'll just have to take that as read.  However, I can tentatively announce that I have recently been invited to give another overseas exhibition in 2014, which is extremely gratifying.  Details to follow as things firm up.

Oh, and I nearly forgot:  here is the final version of a completely revised Water Gauge book (see here for a description of the project):

and here's the e-book version, an e-bargain at £3.99 +VAT.

I haven't widely publicised this book yet (what's the point, when all the movers and shakers are stretched out by the pool?), so you can be first on your block with a copy.

See you again in late September / early October!

Proper beach weather, August 2003...

This year, before you go, you might like to take a minute or two to complete the

IDIOTIC HAT SUMMER SURVEY

It's just a bit of fun (I needed to check out SurveyMonkey for other purposes). I hope you've enjoyed your visits here over the past months, and I wish you an enjoyable and safe summer or winter, depending on which hemisphere you inhabit.

* That would, of course, be AZERTYUIOP for sleepy Francophones, or QWERTZUIOPÜ for somnolent German speakers.