MrsBrown's philosophy of life and stuff

I was reading this article and I noticed the following paragraph:

The Balancing Work and Family report demonstrates how our identities and sense of self are grounded in the job we do, not who we are. When you are asked what you do, you don't answer that you are a mother or a husband. You say you are a lawyer, a builder; you define yourself by your work.

It resonates with me in a way that I suspect was not intended by the author.

I don't just define myself by my work, I identify as an engineer and a mother, and, lately, I've started identifying as Baroness Stormhold. Unfortunately, when people ask about who I am, or what I do, I'm not supposed to tell them about the Baroness part of me. I'm not very good at that. Worse, I'm a lot like Basil Fawlty when the Germans visit, it spews out of me in inappropriate ways.

How can I acknowledge my other self as I go about my daily life, without coming across as a crazy person and without undermining it's importance to me?

I'm guessing this isn't a problem unique to me. How do people who are proud of their peerages, or winning crown manage this stuff?

BTW I also like this article for pointing out that a report that is supposed to be about work-life balance mainly addresses how to get people working more. The author also suggests that government isn't forward thinking enough about ways to influence society, instead of just work or childcare practices.

As I dragged myself away from the computer to go to bed I thought to myself the rhyme my father used to say to me as he sent me to bed. I can't find it online and I'm beginning to think the version I know is the Friesian version rather than the dutch version of this:

To bed, to bed" said Sleepy Head,
"No, tarry awhile"  said Slow.
"Put on the pot" said Greedy Gut,
"We'll sup before we go."

My memory is (with modifications as I realise the words that Dad was saying from the stuff I found online)

naar bed, naar bed, secht Damelot
eerst nog wat ete, secht likkepot
Waar zal ve dat halen, secht lange jaan
uit mudders kasje, secht ringeling
Dat zal ik verklappen, zei 't kleine ding

Which is possibly just mixed up with the little german I know because the dutch version I found online is:

Naar bed naar bed, zei Duimelot
Eerst nog wat eten, zei Likkepot
Waar zal ik het van halen, zei Langelot
Uit grootvaders kastje, zei Ringeling
Dat zal ik verklappen, zei 't kleine ding.

It's counting fingers - I'm not sure how to translate the first three fingers, but the 4th and fifth are ring finger and small thing. There are other versions of the middle finger, I also found "Lange Jaap".

And the approximate translation is;

to bed, to bed said Duimelot
lets eat something first, said lick the pot
Where will we get that from, said Langelot
Out of grandfathers cupboard, said ring a ling
I'll tell on you, said the small thing

The version I know gets the food from mothers cupboard and another version I saw got the food from fathers cupboard. Who's the person telling this rhyme?

Amusingly the babelfish translation is

"to bed to bed", said duimelot
"firstly still what food" said, opiate
"where I said it of remove", Langelot
"fathers kastje", said Ringeling
"that I will give away", said to t small thing

I wonder if likkepot (translated as opiate) has been named from this rhyme?

AND I just found a lovely page with a whole lot of finger counting rhymes - http://cf.hum.uva.nl/dsp/ljc/anoniem/vloten/1-05.html

And now, naar bed!

http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/demand-puts-nappy-recycler-in-the-poo/2006/09/19/1158431715842.html


These people charge to take away people's disposable landfill nappies and can't keep up with demand.

Isn't it cheaper to just pay for Nappywash or similar and avoid the disposal problem in the first place?

sjkasabi, This one's for you

I've posted before about realism in movies. This just goes to show that my scepticism is justified.

Today's gem:

Wanted: Out door gas powered hot tub

I would like to acquire an outdoor gas powered hot tub/jaccuzzi suitable for 8 shy adults or 12 very friendly adults.I am happy to pick up spa or arrange for delivery to Geelong.

 
Blessings

Optimistic Freecycler