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The soma's not having any effect today, the monkey's back on my shoulder after a long sabbatical. According to RaBlissBlog, it's because I ought to be spending every waking moment in meditation, but the real cause is that this week I had to go to work 2 days in a row, and I wouldn't wish that on my worst enemy except Mr Stuart the history teacher.

I've heard it said that if the whole world worked part-time, everyone would be happier and healthier, but it's a known fact that most people would just use the extra time to get drunk, bash their kids and widdle in phone boxes. These are the ones who should be taking up the slack left by those of us who know what to do with their time off. I know you'd like to know what I do with my time off, but there's not enough room here to tell you.

I had a further shock this afternoon. Already punch-drunk from the second successive day in my office at the McDonald Institute, I was hit with the news that next semester there are no students for my subjects. "So what?" you ask. Well, it seems we are no longer allowed to run classes without students. It's not my fault if nobody wants to learn Configuration Management any more, why should I be penalised?

What will I teach instead? I don't even know anything about what I'm teaching now. My boss has that guilty look, and it's starting to look as if I've already been redeployed to the Hospitality & Tourism section of the college, and nobody can face breaking it to me. With the surge in international visitors to the UnHeard Of Islands, it seems local students are falling over themselves to get qualifications in bar work, bed-making and running penguin safaris. I can't teach them. What do I know about tourism & hospitality? I hail from Edinburgh. I don't even like having friends over for tea.

If I'm redeployed next semester, I'll get every student to buy a copy of Hospitality For Dummies, and I'll turn the pages for them, that's work enough for what I'm getting paid.