Have you ever prayed that the school would catch fire so you didn't have to go?

[dolorous_ett]

In my case, it came well over a decade too late, but I've just seen an article in the BBC news saying that my old school caught fire yesterday evening. It came as quite a shock, as this school has always been a model of sedate dullness. Fortunately I have a watertight alibi...

This is the second time this has happened - when I was doing some hourly teaching work a long way from home, and had to get up at 5:30 to get there on time, I repeatedly voiced the wish that the place would catch fire... only to turn up, on time, and find out that it had. I think I will have to start wishing for something a bit less drastic to stop my lessons happening. Heavy snow, perhaps? Or unavoidable maintenance work? Something a bit less dangerous, anyway.

Turning to more pleasant news - and now, an owl that rides a bicycle.

And won't somebody please think of the cephalopods?

Comments

[the-reda.livejournal.com]

Oh Peta...

Who knows, maybe Henry likes the attention ;-)

[dolorous-ett.livejournal.com]

Who knows, indeed? Henry's not saying...

I love that icon, by the way...

[bookwormsarah.livejournal.com]

I was supposed to go on a dig at Flag Fen once. I turned up, the people were really unfriendly, the accomodation was filthy* caravans without a door that locked (or shut properly), and everything smelt bad from the nearby sewer (which admitedly wasn't their fault) and the sheer dirt.

We took my stuff in, realised that we didn't want to sit down on the seat, so we drove back home again and the next day I went to join the University dig.

A couple of months later http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/604067.stm happened... I was inundated with emails asking if I'd tossed a match as I passed through Peterborough on my way up north...

*and I really do mean filthy. The one I was waved towards had been used as a general cooking/dumping area for the duration of the dig. Which was years.

[dolorous-ett.livejournal.com]

That sounds like an awful exprience.

Which doesn't make the loss of all those valuable artefacts any less tragic, of course. But blaming you sounds a bit much - if that was their attitude I imagine they'd got quite a few would-be arsonists queueing up...

[tree_and_leaf]

You killed it with your brain!

The owl is absolutely adorable. So is the hexapus...

[dolorous-ett.livejournal.com]

You killed it with your brain!

Ironic, really, as brains was all that mattered to that school, when I was there at least...

I liked the owl, although I know it makes me shallow and a bit twee. And I've always had a very soft spot for cephalopods.

[dharmavati.livejournal.com]

That owl is adorable, as is the hexapus! I kind of wish I didn't live over the pond so that I could visit the hexapus exhibit.

[dolorous-ett.livejournal.com]

Well, hopefull the hexapus will still be alive and thriving by the time you get a chance to drop by (as I hope you do...)

[lyras.livejournal.com]

Clearly your thoughts are more powerful than you realise!

Is it just me, or do schools get set on fire rather a lot in the UK? My comprehensive school was seriously damaged when a lad in my class set fire to it over the summer holidays, and we were taught in prefabs on the sports field for the next two years!

[dolorous-ett.livejournal.com]

Is it just me, or do schools get set on fire rather a lot in the UK?

I've no idea - it might be just a very common fantasy...

[aerama.livejournal.com]

Owls are certainly appearing more and more in the news lately, or at least it seems like it.
And the mere name "hexapus" makes me happy.

You and fire-related incidences though...hmm...

[dolorous-ett.livejournal.com]

I know - BBC seems to be on a real roll with owls and birds of prey of all kinds at the minute. They must have an owl-fan journalist on the staff, or something...

[aerama.livejournal.com]

And another owl at cuteoverload.

'Tis the season.

[dolorous-ett.livejournal.com]

That's a lovely owl - they really are beautiful creatures.

So it's Owl Season? That can only be good news!