#langsett

Langsett and Mickleden Edge.

Despite feeling burnt out, I managed to have a fairly productive rest of the week following my steering group meeting. Taking Wednesday off was an extremely good idea. Aside from a dentist appointment where I was told that I need a wisdom tooth out (joy), I spent most of the time attending to my neglected garden, baking, and snoozing with the cat. It was a really healing day and I’m  grateful to myself for finding time to recharge. 🔋 

Photo: The most delicious peanut butter and popcorn cake I made on Wednesday. 10/10 recommend unless you have a nut allergy; there are A LOT of peanuts in this recipe. Thanks Co-op! Source: Phone camera.

I spent Thursday doing something I haven’t done since 2017, which was updating my CV and writing a cover letter for a made up industry based role. As part of my PhD, my doctorate centre (STREAM) organises activities throughout the year that all students are required to attend. These usually take on the form of a couple of weeks away with one of the host universities where we work on a variety of different skill sets e.g. presentation, communication, time management, team work, etc. This year, I am attending 3 such weeks, with the first one focusing on life after the PhD, for which the cover letter and CV are part of the prep. Although it took me all day, I was pleasantly surprised at how easy I found it to construct both. It also made me recognise how many new skills I have acquired over the last couple of years. 🦉📚 

The deadline for the CV and letter isn’t until the end of February, but as I currently have a 35 point to-do list, which just keeps on growing, I decided to make Thursdays my ‘random to-do list’ days, whereby I pick something from the list at random and try to do as much of that task as possible. Time management 101. 💪🏻

Friday was a typical researchers day at the office, which involves spending 80% of your time gathering and organising data, 5% eating snacks, 5% panicking about the usefulness of said data, and 10% analysing it. 

Photo: Work mood. Source: @rubyetc​

Last night, I had another wave of panicked insomnia, worrying that I don’t have what it takes to finish this PhD. However, I have found that the best way to get over that is to get up, drink a strong caffeinated drink, and just keep going, which sounds easy, it’s not, but it is literally the only way. You’re welcome. ☕ On a lighter note, mum came to visit this weekend and we spent most of our time in the Peak District. Go to nature more, it’s awesome. 🌿 I am off to Wales and Scotland again in the next few weeks. Wales to rummage through Welsh Water databases (sadly, supervised) for necessary project data, and Scotland to maintain some and install other sampling equipment! 

Have a good and wholesome week!

Photo: Langsett - Peak District; top job, nature, top job. Source: Phone camera.

Police shuts down ‘illegal’ rave in Langsett wood

#wathupondearne

Latest news in Yorkshire: Published March 26, 2019 12:02:57 PM

Police pulled the plug on an illegal all-night rave in a South Yorkshire wood this weekend.

Residents in villages for miles around Langsett Woods, near Barnsley, endured a night of disturbance until the police shut down the sound system ravers were using at 08:00 on Sunday.

The council has now launched an…