and then it snowed

Britain is in the middle of a severe cold snap. For the past week we've experienced temperatures milling around 0, but mostly below. Really weird for this time of year and also because it has lasted for such a long time i.e. more than a week. Its also started snowing- like really snowing, again most of the country has been severely affected by this, however MK had been sheltered from the worse of it more or less. But this morning I woke up to see falling snow outside my window. Lovely, beautifully light fluffy stuff that came consistently down until about 10am when it just stopped.  I probably had about 3-4cm of it on my car. By that time I had also received e-mails from practically everyone excepted to come to the Ac lit meeting @12:30pm saying that the snow was keeping them from getting to the OU. So all my preparation for the session came to nought. Who cares that I crafted a beautiful diagram to simplify, but also accurately explain the pedagogic device, or that I had re-read various articles on Bernstein's various theoretical constructs and that I fought off this rather insidious but malformed throat/chest 'thing' to keep my eye on the prize, when I probably could have been resting my whole bed in a warm bed. Not to mention that I bought some lunchtime treats to share with my colleagues, by way of a little goodbye before my 6 month fieldwork trip.

What can I say, I can't control the weather or people's responses to it. What I did do was drive my car (against all the good advice I got) to the OU, loaded with files that I'm transferring from my study to their new home while I'm in SA, and eat the special gluten free cake I bought while filling up on social vitamins I need to keep me sane. I just sat in one spot for 2 - 2 and a half glorious hours, drinking tea, eating sausage rolls and cake, talking about life after the PhD, supervisor whims and fancies, Bernstein's theories of curriculum and knowledge production, the weather troubles in Britain and other less interesting stuff. It was a good reminder  that I actually have developed a good, solid and interesting social network at the OU. I have some good friends here too.