Learn to control money but do not allow it to control you

Firewalker

Fitness needs to be build people, and to keep it up one needs a plan. More like a time-table, really - and then you stick to it. No so long ago my favourite sport was sitting in coffee bars; well about ten years ago now. Today I am much fitter and in much better form than when I was 25.

Se, no, no need to bother my overworked GP. I suppose I was so rired that I did not know my left from right (well it is a normal thing for me not to know this one but so the saying goes) and has neurotic pains. Leg needs an operation but here it is hopeless - will check whether I could have it doen privately in Sofia. It so happens that an absolutely top hospital is three minutes walk from our apartment.

I am near Bristol at my co-author's house; chilling tonight. But from tomorrow there is loads of writing to be done - we have to have the full body of the paper by Saturday evening.ght

Also I ams till tired; before dinner I was on the bed resting my legs and by the time I knew it I was resting my eyes. Early night tonight, I think.

Keep well and I'll be in touch.

Firewalker

savingwannabe

Well done on your hard work. I wish you every success for tomorrow. Sleep well Dear Firewalker.

Firewalker

Hi guys,

just a quick note really. First, last night was much better: stragely I did sleep and even my noisy friend could not disturb me seriously (Idid hear her laugh late last night and very early this morning but then went back to sleep). I suppose I am just very tired and my body is saying: 'Oh, sleep!'.

Otherwise all is good here; we are three people and writing like mad; writing interesting and relevant stuff as well. It is about the effects that the use of academic journal lists has on academics, research organisations and knowledge. If we manage to keep it going we will end up with a really good paper - and timely and topical as well. Have had no arguments, all is very civilised this time.

Tomorrow evening OH and Little Boy are going to come as well - Little Boy really likes this friend (probably because they can be naughty together).

More good news came through the e-mail. My former PhD student who is Egiptian (and is back in Egypt) just sent me a message to say that the situation is really bad and that they have to have a neighbourhood watch to keep thugs away; that the TV is showing horrid things and the children are scared; but that she and her family are fine for the time being. What a relief. Mind you, knowing her I did expect that she will be on the streets.

Back to work now. Speak soon.

Firewalker

savingwannabe

I have been watching the news articles, very dynamic but frightening. Have a good day. Am still at work teaching till late and even managed to tidy a big, cumbersome file today!

Firewalker

Sometime ago a friend asked me whether I ever run out of things to write here. My answer at the time was ‘Certainly not. There is always something to share, discuss and contemplate.’ But tonight, for a brief moment, I was sitting here, thinking that there is nothing to write about. And this is not because I really have run out of things to say, or that this diary has run its course. But because I am feeling really tired – so tired that that the difficulty is not simply to write, it is hard to hold a though for long enough to register. But this reminded me about something I wanted to write about for some time now and I might as well start. It is about our certainties.

Our lives are possible because of our certainties – the whole universe of things that we never question. Our lives consist of different kind of certainties. One kind of certainty is when we have so much evidence about something that we cannot but take if for certain. These certainties become received wisdom and it is very important to challenge them over time – anything that is certain today can change tomorrow. This is the way to change the established order.

Another kind of certainty is the one where we are certain because we do not have enough evidence – so we can’t do more than to assume and believe. This is believe and mysticism. Heaven and hell, future and hopes – all will fit here. These certainties are difficult to examine and they will always be a matter of belief rather than reason.

Our certainties, irrespective of what kind, are what gives us comfort but they also stop us growing and developing. I want to know what the certainties that stop me growing are. This is what I’ll be figuring out next.

Good night and keep well.

Firewalker

Firewalker

Today is our anniversary, the date on which OH and I met nineteen years ago. We celebrate it, we celebrate the date when we met and this is possible because of the way in which we met. Here is for the next 19 years of arguments, discussions, verbal ping pong and human warmth and happiness.

It would have been really unfortunate if we were separated on this day. But OH and Little Boy are here; we had great dinner and now are drinking wine with our friends and talking. Nice…

Today we spend writing – all three of us sitting around a table and constructing text. Tiring but we are going to get there and we are going to get there by Sunday morning.

Now rest. Keep well, my friends and will speak soon.

Firewalker

Firewalker

We are back at home and I have just come back after a restorative run. Last night started feeling bad, painful tummy, feeling tired etc. Went to bed at about 9 p.m. read a bit and within half an hour I was fast asleep. I must have been tired because I slept till 8.15 this morning.

Tired or not I should say that we had very productive time. The paper we are writing is almost finished – let say 80% there. Conceptually it is complete but there is some more writing to do – it is rather easy writing though because it is base on a little survey we did earlier in the year. This paper will have to be finished by the end of next week and send to the editors of the journal – a very top one. Ironically, the paper examines the use of rankings of journals to assess academic performance and argues that this distorts universities, academic behavior and knowledge. Changing the rules does not mean that one should break them.

Tomorrow is another day – and still a lot to do. But I have to keep going; have to continue pushing…I also will have to apply a system that a friend who had summer jobs working in busy bars told me about. He said that when everyone was shouting at him, he will focus on one person, smile and say; ‘What would you like, sir?’ This was the only way to cope. This means, when life becomes really busy one should focus on only one thing at the time and give it all. Get the dominos down one but one.

Good night.

Firewalker

gilligansyle

Glad you've had a productive weekend. I love reading your diary, its so full of interesting stuff. Mine by comparison is meaningless drivel and even when I think of something interesting, it doesn't really fit. As an example I was in a meeting last week and out of nowhere, some interesting anecdotes to do with dealing with change just jumped into my head, but had no means to put it down and remember it, which is what you do with your diary and the matrix page.

Sorry rambling again.

thriftyscotslass

Firewalker - a saying that keeps me going is "Just keep doing the next right thing". I love this saying as it encourages me to take action rather than sitting in a panic or flitting from one thing to another and accomplishing nothing. Slowly and surely things get done.

Thankyou for taking the time to write up your diary. It is one of the highlights of my day and I love logging on to find a new post.

Have a good day, Thriftyxxx

Firewalker

gilligansyle wrote: »

Mine by comparison is meaningless drivel and even when I think of something interesting, it doesn't really fit. As an example I was in a meeting last week and out of nowhere, some interesting anecdotes to do with dealing with change just jumped into my head, but had no means to put it down and remember it, which is what you do with your diary and the matrix page.

Sorry rambling again.

Gilly, you know that this is not true and that your diary, like all diaries here, is a fascinating account of a personal journey. I read it and also find your contributions to other treads very helpful.

As to interesting - my life can be interesting in the Chinese sense of the word. So what appears here as entertaining anecdotes in real life can be fairly traumatic and stressful.

Keep writing!

Firewalker