Who needs Bosley?
This evening Mark is “unable to pipe up” and so Operation Frisbee has swung into action once more with the Emergency Blogging Team (EBTs) summoned and one selected to step up to the keyboard. It’s exciting to be an EB. One minute eating Shreddies on the sofa, the next springing to attention and awaiting further instructions. It’s exactly like being a Charlie’s Angel, although without the cool tight fitting costumes, awesome sex appeal and ninja skills. I can only speak for this EB obviously – I don’t even know the identity of the other emergency bloggers. That is how top secret this is. We don’t even trust a Bosley figure as a middle man/woman, which is just as well as Bosley was a bit of a prat really, wasn’t he?
Mark said I could write on any topic which immediately gave me a kind of stage fright and ensured that my mind became an utterly blank swamp in the ‘topics department’. So what you are getting is some words (words are good and very necessary to the process) and my thoughts on the whole blogging and EB process. I suppose I should have an emergency emergency blogger’s emergency blog (EEBEB) all typed out and to hand. That occurred to me when I was first recruited but seemed against the spirit of the thing. So any ‘lurkers’, now officially known as QIPs, still feeling concerned about leaving a comment which may say very little or be embarrassing then take a look at this and please don’t worry anymore…
All I can think of raising this evening is the Ten Year Self Improvement Challenge (TYSIC). I have to confess that my TYSIC challenges and updates have been woefully neglected of late, so I plan to try to sum things up and get things all tidy and re-invigorated before the New Year. Of course the beauty of the TYSIC is that any day is a good day to get it back on track or re-motivate and add to it or review your progress. However, I do get rather caught up in the whole end of the year, let’s round things off and make a fresh start in January thing.
Silly really as nothing actually happens as December 2010 becomes January 2011, except the date change of course, yet we are conditioned to feeling that it is momentous every year. I’d like to know what the readers of this blog think about that (including QIPs) and whether we, the readers of this blog, would like to come up with something celebratory to do this month in TYSIC form. A little extra challenge, perhaps, on the kindness theme. This could be hand-making a treat or gift for someone if your TYSIC involved a craft or creative skill, passing on one of the books you found most inspiring or enjoyable, or if one of your challenges was to play an instrument – maybe offer to play it for some of the older folks at your local care home or for your gran and her friends or at a party or something else a TYSIC, new or existing, lends itself to.
So does anyone else feel their TYSIC is getting a little dusty and in need of some care and attention this month? Can those of you forging ahead and keeping theirs all spruced up offer any words of encouragement and advice to the rest of us please? Finally if anyone is thinking of doing something special this month with their TYSIC – do let us know.
Yours
An Emergency Blogger
All for one and one for Frisbee!
Posted by max on December 7, 2010
Lovely emergency blog. It got me thinking on the “specialness” of the transition between Dec 31st and Jan 1st.
You may not know this (actually I’m sure you don’t), but I was born and lived for 26 years in South America before moving to continental Europe 3 years ago. This looks like pretty irrelevant information, but bear with me… I have a point with all this.
Anyway, two of the biggest differences I found between life in the north and in the south are directly related with time and geography: having the seasons the wrong way around AND having the academic year split in an awkward way.
I’m sure the Aussie Watsonians will agree with me in saying that November through March SHOULD always be warm months. It just makes sense to enjoy the holidays with family and friends outdoors, on a swimming pool or the beach. It just makes more sense.
The second reason is what the blog actually triggered in me, and is a constant cause of confusion for me here. Cause, you know I’m used to have academic years start in January and end in December the first semester being during the first part of the year, and such. It’s pretty awesome, relating one academic year with one “physical” year. It still boggles my mind to see people referring to august as “first semester”.
Anyway. That’s all I wanted to say. I despise cold christmas. You should all try a new years eve in summer before you die. Go and add it to your TYSIC’s
Posted by Andrew on December 7, 2010
I know this blog is mainly about TYSIC, in which I am not participating, but as far as New Year resolutions go, I think they’re a massive red herring. If you need the incentive of some calendrical significance to push you into doing something, you probably aren’t really committed enough to doing it in the first place to make it succeed. I find the whole New Year extravaganza a bit lame to be honest, although I suppose as a non-drinker I would say that.
Posted by Shell on December 7, 2010
I have done very little about my TYSIC for way too long (except feel guilty) so I definitely need to get back on track in the next couple of months. Still this is only year one! My piano playing is still too awful to play for anybody else so I might copy Misha and bake some goodies to share with people. I already have plans to pass on a couple of books as I like to do that anyway.
cymruangel I hope you get a diagnosis and relief from your headache very soon.
Rachael – so it might take a bit longer than you thought. It’s still a lovely idea and there is plenty of time.
Posted by Suzanne, aka Snr Watsonian on December 7, 2010
cymruangel, (funny old name!) … anyway, I’m sure you can do without my feeble attempt at a witticism to cheer you up …
Genuinely sorry to hear about your undiagnosed headache and I do hope you get a proper diagnosis between you …
If possible, it’s always good to have someone else with you on these important occasions as it can be difficult to take everything in at the time and you will get another person’s input, as in questions, and appreciation and memory of what’s been said …
Also, what would be even better, I do hope you get a swift resolution of the problem …
That’s reSolution, not reVolution as I doubt spinning round on the spot will do you any good at all …
Actually, I seem to find myself perpetually going round in circles which has never got me anywhere …
Maybe it’s time for a new direction or am I going off at a tangent???
Life is full of little enigmas … and their variations!
Help … I’m driving myself mad … please stop reading immediately!!!
Posted by cymruangel on December 7, 2010
Sadly I am not self-improving much at the moment as I’ve had a headache for 6 months whish is interfering with things like exercise and concentration(and making my hand shake so I can’t even knit, one of the other challenges).
Thankfully, I am seeing the neurologist again on Thursday, with my mother in tow for moral support this time, and hoping to get a proper diagnosis/ treatment. Will definitely be in the mood to celebrate if that happens!
Posted by amycool on December 7, 2010
My TYSIC tactic seems to be “slow and steady wins the race”.
Every week or so I do something small towards them, with the hope that by 2020 they will all be achieved. The easiest one is to read the top 100 modern novels, as voted for by the Modern Library. I’m reading Howards End at the moment and I’m loving it. I’ve also been trying new foods pretty regularly, my latest being soup (Spring Vegetable), which I had a bit of a problem with after a bad experience on a school residential. The least successful of my goals this month has been staying fit and healthy. The weather has meant virtually no exercise and I’m also using the weather as an excuse for eating tons of food.
Well done on the blog by the way. I don’t think I could cope with the pressure.
Posted by Rachael on December 7, 2010
I’m feeling quite disheartened about one of my tysics. I thought that my hair was finally long enough to cut of and send to ‘Locks of Love’ to make wigs for children but it seems that actually it is going to take me alot longer because the ends are all split and horrible, so I have to have half of it cut off just to grow it back. The end is no longer in sight.
Posted by Briony on December 7, 2010
An excellent EB, if I may say so!
New Year is a funny thing – far too much hangs upon it being a pivotal point, when really it’s just another day on from the day before. On the other hand, if it’s a useful thing for rousing me from my general slackness and means I get good stuff done, then perhaps it’s not such a bad thing that we view it as a time for new-ness and change.
Posted by Tracey on December 7, 2010
A great Emergency Blog! Regarding the TYSIC, it’s a new idea for me, being a newcomer to this site, once things get better, I will try as there’s a lot I could improve. At the moment though, living in Paisley, I’m nearly a foot deep in snow, I can’t get out to even open the bin as the back gate lock is frozen and my front step is icy – WD40 and salt have been applied respectively, my daughter’s college in Glasgow is closed – just as well as there’s no buses running and we’re all feeling a bit helpless. My husband is theoretically in Skye but could be stuck in snow and had to swerve out of the way of someone driving too fast in Aviemore yesterday. I’ll stop rambling on now as this weather will pass. Apologies for being self indulgent and take care in the snow out there everyone! Tracey x
Posted by BJA on December 7, 2010
I’d welcome a Bosley into my life with open arms as long as he’s in the form of Bill Murray. But if we’re talking Bernie Mac then you can keep him.
Posted by Rachel/Pandora on December 7, 2010
I haven’t really made any progress. I only have three challenges, and the other two are being held back by the first one, which is finding a job.
Bit stuck really.
Posted by Hannah Mae on December 7, 2010
All frisbee references, particularly “All for one and one for Frisbee”, had me sniggering quite a lot. First the census, now this! The true nature of this seedy organisation is finally coming out. Beats Scientology, I suppose.
In terms of the TYSIC, I came to it late and never really set my goals out properly – I just have lofty ambitions of writing comedy that I need to eventually put into practice. At the moment I’m going to every comedy writing workshop I hear of at uni, plus attempting to penetrate the sketch group who regularly go to the Fringe (not like that). I doubt I’ll be joining them next year, but it’s all experience. I’m uselessly juggling it with my degree and hosting a radio show at the moment, though. Hopefully I’ll begin next term with more focus.
Posted by MusicalLottie on December 7, 2010
Ooh, brilliant work Emergency Blogger, whomever you may be!
I’ve been thinking about my TYSIC recently because it has been … well, it feels like months since I last did anything or even updated. I might even do it tonight …
I too feel a strange sense of a new year being a good time to get on with doing things; I’ve always been one for clean breaks, fresh starts, and round numbers so maybe just because it’s a nice neat point at which to attempt to start working toward goals / improve things / spring into action / etc. ad nauseum.
Well done to Zoe! What a massive achievement; however it turns out you deserve a huge round of applause for being brave enough to send that e-mail. I’ve had feelings for somebody for over three years and still haven’t had the courage to even drop hints – think I’ll go and hide in the corner in shame now.
Posted by Joelle on December 6, 2010
I don’t have time to stop and read your blog this fine morn; I’m off to the school’s Rewards camp! For 4 days until Friday so I’ll have some blogging to catch up on when I get back.
Don’t do anything too exciting without me
Have a nice week everybody x
Posted by Zoe Fell on December 6, 2010
I’m doing something special this month with my TYSIC, actually. One of them was to have fallen in love by the end of the 10 years.
As some of you may know, I met an extremely lovely young man in August at the Fringe festival. We got on very well, and stayed in very close contact once we both went our seperate ways.
Fast forward four months and I realised that I had real feelings for him. So at the end of last week, I sent (read: was prodded and poked by a couple of my best friends until I wrote it) him an (admittedly very, very long email) to tell him exactly how I felt. I haven’t had a reply to said email yet, but a text from him at the weekend suggested that things were going to be alright between us whatever he decided, and however he and I choose to go forward together in the future, which is a huge weight off my mind.
This was a massive risk for me. And one of the hardest things I’ve ever done too. But the things needed to be said. And I’m so, so glad that they’re out there now.
I suppose what I’m saying to the rest of you Watsonians is that maybe you should take a risk this month. With your biggest goal, why not attempt to take a leap forward, rather than just a few steps? You may fall face first into the sand pit of life, but on the other hand, you could set a new Olympic record. Is that the worst analogy anyone’s ever written? Quite possibly.
Posted by Anna Lowman on December 6, 2010
Nice work, emergency blogger ! Yeah my TYSICs have stalled big time, I really need to sort that out – staying up to listen to the Ashes doesn’t really (or indeed at all) count as going ri see live sport, and I’ve got lazy with reading again. A rubbish TYSICer really.
Posted by Misha on December 6, 2010
Is that Frisbee or “Frisbee”?
I feel I did my special thing on outgoingness this month, for those of you who have seen twitter, i’m still undoing that. But I might try and make some biscuits to leave for my uni friends who aren’t going home for xmas to brighten their holidays.
Posted by Rachel on December 6, 2010
Sent that too soon…
I’m also planning on evaluating on the 31 things I wanted to achieve this year and setting myself some new ones for 2011.
PS: Keep going everybody, with whatever it is you want to change or improve on, you all really can do it
But, don’t feel completely pressured to update every few days, it is a ten year challenge after all 
Posted by Rachel on December 6, 2010
Also been neglecting it slightly, and all for an extra kindness themed challenge
Posted by lisan66 on December 6, 2010
I’d like to let everyone know that I’ve been stalking the blog (icluding all those old ones that I can’t remember/never read) to avoid doing economics
Posted by Beth (Bloomability) on December 6, 2010
My TYSIC has also been neglected once again, as I gave it up so I could focus on NaNoWriMo. I probably should have started it back up again after I failed dismally at NaNo on the 14th, but I forgot to
Guess I’d better get onto that!
Posted by Laurs on December 6, 2010
Mark has some pretty excellent emergency bloggers! A fab read, go mystery person!
On the TYSIC, I fear I may have stopped a little… I will make a concerted effort in January, new year, new start (I say it every year, but this year I mean it!)