Not Socially Optimal

I'm sure I've put this lil comic on here before, but I do love it terribly. I think this may have been one of the first ones from xkcd.com that I read, but I've pretty much read every single one since. I would estimate about 30% of them go somewhat over my head (unfortunately my geekiness stops at the engineering side of programming), but for the most part I think its hilarity is pretty much univeral.

This week, I am in Newcastle on a training course. The topic: Optimisation. So far, it appears to be something I really genuinely love - I'd like to see if I can get some work in the area (particular optimisation for process control) to see how I go. It's got that just-right ratio of engineering:maths that keeps me interested. Each day this week is 11 hours of the course (lectures, labs) and this is absolutely solidly packed with material. It's been quite a while since I concentrated for this long to this extent (this stuff is pretty rigorously explored). I'd forgotten how much I loved university..

*little tear*

My oh My

Haven't I been away a long time!

Many things have happened since I last blogged -

*pause*

No, actually for the most part, anything that has happened in the last few months has been related to things unpleasant to a normal human being, such as activated sludge (a mixture of raw sewage, bacterial flocs and lil ole me ankle deep in the darn stuff).

I'm sure it sounds neither exciting nor interesting to you, but it has been quite a bit of fun for someone as odd as my self.

I found out recently, I have tiny feet (I mean tinier than I even thought!), especially in safety boots. I don't know why I'm particularly surprised by this. I suppose I thought I'd look all butchy and engineer-like in these things, but it actually amplifies how not-male I am. Sigh.

On the topic of my gender, the people at this particular plant (at which I am wearing these shoes) have obviously been raised to believe 'women are always right'. They're polite, quick to help and are constantly apologising for their tendency to swear at a frequency I've never before seen. Even more unusual is the fact that they actually listen to what I say and (astoundingly) don't just ignore the little-woman-telling-them-what-to-do. I've not really experienced this before (engineers aren't really known for being open to change, particularly in the form of female engineers), so it's very refreshing!

In other aesthetic news, my hair is vastly longer than it has been for years. And I'm also paler than I have been for many many moons - which I thought was impossible, but apparently not.

There was a while there where I looked like my skin was pretty much entirely white, but with a little hint of blue. I've now increased back up to a yellow-ish white, I hope to get that to tinge-of-pink perhaps this summer. I can only assume it's the lack of natural light has done this to me.

I'm sure there are many resolutions I should make - perhaps actually getting fresh air (not the air with sewer vapours in it) and sunlight would help. I'd imagine that seeing the countryside now and again would also have it's benefits.

The hair growth has been down to a few reasons, but mostly it's that I couldn't be arsed. I loved my hair up short but it was way way too much hassle and I ain't a beauty-regime type of gal.

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Dear god,

Please stop making it snow on top of me when I'm standing ankle deep in human waste. Also, I prefer not to be terrified on the M6 with high winds battering my tiny tiny Ford Ka, if you don't mind.

Marie.

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I just looked out the window and saw a group of people struggling against gale force winds, with hailstones hitting them in the face. And I laughed. Because I'm cruel. I'm sure I won't be laughing however when I'm trying to get home tonight. Karma will probably make sure some birds also make my car even dirtier than it already is.

I have been mostly laughing at this today: