Sunday 20 January 2013

Sam Sunday #1: The Snow Edition


I'm always writing that I want to make my blog more personal, more than just a stream of book reviews, so today is the start of weekly personal updates on a Sunday.  I enjoy personal posts on other blogs and getting to know the bloggers behind the reviews, so it's time I opened myself up a bit too.

I'm currently tucked up warm inside a blanket as it's snowing outside and has been since I woke up this morning.  The snow is fairly light but has settled and is slowly accumulating.  It's been constantly snowing on and off since Friday and although school was open on Friday, I'm sort of hoping for a snow day tomorrow.  I have a long commute and my car is unable to cope with snow, so if school does open tomorrow I'm expecting a long journey in via train and bus.  I love my job, but getting in via public transport is a massive pain.

However, the snow has given us an excuse to have a lovely weekend in.  I caught up on some reading yesterday and started a new course on Coursera.  I've always loved to study and over the last year or so, I've been missing being at university and learning new things.  I took an astrophysics module through the Open University last year (which was incredible) but unfortunately my budget doesn't allow me to do that very often.

But Coursera is wonderful - it's real, live university courses without the cost.  I'm not looking for course credit, just mental exercise, so I'm not bothered that I'm not earning credits.  At the moment I'm one week into a course entitled 'The Modern World: Global History Since 1760' and it seems like it's going to be fascinating.  I'm considering an algebra course that starts next week, to keep up the mathematical side of my brain, but I'll see how I go.  There's an interesting one coming up on fantasy and sci-fi too, but I have enough to read at the moment!

Hopefully we should be finalising buying our house next week.  It's been a lengthy and frustrating process - we made an offer in September and will not move before Feb 1st or Feb 8th.  I'm expecting lots more calls to solicitors/ mortgage advisors and I will start officially stamping my feet and making demands if it is not sorted soon.  I thought planning a wedding was stressful, but it's nothing to buying a house.  Anyway, fingers crossed I have good news to report next week.

Books Read:
  
Reviews posted: Sea of InkThe Runaway Princess



27 comments:

  1. It's so beautiful. Wrapped in a blanket sounds great (I actually am right now, while drinkind my coffee...) Enjoy!

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    1. It was a lovely, lazy way to spend a Sunday afternoon :)

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  2. I'm jealous of everyone's snowy weekends! We had quite a bit of snow for where I live on Friday but by Saturday morning it was all gone. Except for half melted snowmen in gardens!

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    1. We had nothing really yesterday but then quite a bit today, although it's stopped now. I quite like snow, but only if it snows hard so everyone gets to stay at home, otherwise it's just inconvenient!

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  3. You must be very good at time management, Sam. It amazes me how much you accomplish every week! :)

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    1. I'm one of those people that likes to be busy! :P

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  4. Good luck on the house! We just went through that process a couple of months ago and it's all worth it in the end. And then the planning begins. :)

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    1. I'm sure it will be worth it but it's mighty frustrating - I want to move already!

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  5. I'm glad you mentioned Coursera because you've reminded me to see what else they have coming up. I took a poetry course through them before and I really liked the experience. Learning is the best and there's no reason to ever stop! :)

    Good luck on the house buying process. It's a slog but it will be worth it!

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    1. It's a good time to check coursera as a lot of courses are starting on the 28th. I'm really tempted by the sci-fi/fantasy one and there's one on the fiction of relationships coming up later in the year.

      House buying is such a slog, solicitors need to work faster!

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  6. Wishing yu luck with the house. Happy reading at Couresea.

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  7. I love a good snuggly snow day! Good luck with the house buying -- friends of mine just did that and wow, talk about stressful! I love this more intimate post today -- I hope you decide to keep it up! :)

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    1. Me too, unfortunately I did have to go into work today though :(
      And yes, house buying is horrible. Everything is rushed through at the beginning but near the end, when you just want to MOVE already, it slows right down. I've been waiting a week for someone to write a letter....

      Hopefully I will keep up the more personal posts, it can be a bloggish goal for the year :)

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  8. Hey Sam, thanks for pointing out Coursera. I'm on a job hunt right now and could use some extra work out for my brain. I just enrolled in Data Analysis by Jeff Leek.
    Good luck with your new house! How exciting.

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    1. I started with coursera on summer break from work and it's great if you just want to keep your mind occupied. What kinds of jobs are you hunting for?

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  9. Public transportation is such a pain in the b-hind! Trains are never on time and crammed full of people.. *shudders*
    I do love curling up on the couch with a book when it's snowing outside :) And the course you're taking sounds really interesting!
    I hope everything works out with your new house!

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  10. Oh good luck with the house buying. I like the look of one of the Coursera courses on archaeology... Not something I'll ever 'use' but I love learning and need to keep my grey cells busy. :)

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  11. I too have spent my time wrapped in a blanket reading since the snow started falling :-)

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  12. Good luck with the house and the snow! We've had nice weather here in DC but I hear it's about to get cold. I agree with your thoughts about personal information on your blog. It's hard to incorporate personal information into a book blog but I do like to read about the lives of my fellow bloggers! I'll have to check out the website you mention. I start a graduate course next week but I'm already worried about the time it will take to get there and back, not to mention the cost.

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  13. Personal posts are great :)

    Coursera sounds really cool, thanks for mentioning it!

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  14. Astrophysics? Algebra? Wow, Sam, I envy your brain power! I am absolutely useless at maths!

    Have you tried iTunes U? It has hundreds of university courses from all over the world, and they're all completely free. There are even a couple of Open Uni courses that I took as part of my degree a couple of years ago. Worth having a look. :)

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  15. Coursera sounds great. I am pondering going to grad school, but that sounds like a good way to keep learning while I think about it.

    I hope you enjoyed your snowy weekend! We had an inch or two on the ground this morning.

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  16. Looking forward to learning more about the personal side of Tiny Library!!! The snow pic is beautiful. We've had a good bit in TX so far this year (unheard of!), and I'm hoping for another round or two before winter ends.

    I'm really impressed that you take so many courses! I love to study, too, but too many commitments keep me from taking any sort of class. Maybe that'll change in the future.

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  17. I went out playing snow with the boys last weekend but it was so cold and windy that we went indoor after half an hour. I too want to post some personal thoughts on my blog more often but felt it was easier to write a book review than sort out and re-sized and share my photos! That has got to change. ;)

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