Wednesday 3 June 2009

Just for the Record

1.
Red pen for result.
Blue pen for explanation.
Black pen for comment.

2.
The Educational Support Officer
is wearing bright green Converse
and dark grey boardies.

3.
'We need...
more chocolate biscuits...
urgently'
says the Deputy Exams Officer.

4.
Mark entry.
Long columns of numbers.
Checked.
Printed.
Double checked.

5.
Two students in summer dresses
are strolling across campus
eating ice creams.
Carefree.

6.
After analysis
a mark is adjusted
to compensate for
rounding error.
It might make all the difference.

7.
A queue of party goers
waiting for a bus
in bright cocktail dresses and high heels
are off clubbing.

8.
Mark entry is completed early.
The Exams Officer
and the Deputy Exams Officer
are all smiles.

9.
The StudentSoc are planning a boat party.
I must have looked slightly alarmed
because she says soothingly
'Don't worry - I won't be drinking -
I will make sure nobody falls over the side'.

10.
The very fierce lady
in the Exams Office says
'Well Done'.

11.
Offices on the Quad
will be disturbed by soundchecks
for the Summer Ball.

12.
There are more meetings to come.
Some will need lots of Kleenex
but the end is in sight.

22 comments:

Lynn said...

So it's not just PMS/PMT that calls for urgent replenishment of chocolate biscuits...

Unknown said...

Roll on the summer break - you see I told you you'd get through it :o)

Eleanor said...

I'm sitting here and smiling and seeing all of those images in my mind's eye...

I kiss you dear Alice and thank you for the perfection that is "Just for the Record."

MrM said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
trash said...

Why is the bus wearing high heels and cocktails dresses?

Plus - tell, tell what Mr. M said that was removed!!!!!!!!!!


word verif - 'spanker' ;-O

driftwood said...

I love the way you paint pictures of your world with words Alice. it's like a magical capturing of time and place.

MrM said...

I think that the blue pen has been at work here ;-)

menopausalmusing said...

I thought the post very good.... and then I read the comments.... WONDERFUL! (Shall just have to imagine what Mr M had written.......) x

kristina said...

Our teachers weren't allowed to use red pens on our school reports and exams (thought to be too harsh) so all our marks were in green!

K x

Anonymous said...

2 + 5 = warm wather, then?

Unknown said...

Alice sometimes reading your posts is so good I get goosebumps. You paint such pictures.

Ali said...

A 'well done' from a fierce lady is not to be sniffed at!

Rhiannon said...

I love the way that this sums up so wonderfully with so few words!
2. One of my invigilators had a Brainiac tshirt. I was excited
3. I did something similar at the lovely's the other day, complaining that he'd bought plain biscuits
5. Obviously their exams are over!
6. So long as it adjusts to make my mark higher I don't mind them doing this for me!
9. My mum has said the same thing about my Dad's 50th next saturday - she doesn't want anyone breaking the house or falling in the pond!

xxx

Allison said...

Your descriptions are so complete and yet concise at the same time. That takes a real master of the written word. I always enjoy these little windows into your day.

Julia said...

Are the biscuits for the examiners or the examinees?

Just the thought is driving me to the nutella jar ;-). A perfect time for tea!

MrM said...

I think that I referred to MrsM as being scl - summa cum laude or seriously classy lady in real life.

There may have been some other stuff which did not strike the required tone for a educational subject but I am not the arbiter of taste in these matters and MrsM's decision remains final.

Anonymous said...

Aaaaaa the end of the school year!
I can just taste summer!

Might want to keep an extra box of chocolate biscuits in your desk drawer just in case of an emergency!

Anonymous said...

10. PHEW!
Paola

Ali Honey said...

I wanted to comment on the previous blog but couldn't figure out how that was done?

Thank goodness you don't have to organise the buttercups to raise their yellow heads. Mother Nature can be quite well organised!

BreadBox said...

Another year done! I hope that the students in your new department are as grateful for your assistance as the ones in your old department were:)
N.

blackbird said...

In this post your job sounds remarkably similar to mine.

Ginnie said...

I had to look up boardies (but now I know). Reminded me of when MissM was knitting shreddies and I had to look that up, too - was it men's undershorts or breakfast cereal? I should have known it would never be the former - not good for the Family Image.

Thanks, Alice, for your evocative word images.