Academic by Title, Chaos Goblin by Schedule

Today was a mix of teaching, meetings, and a lot of calendar shuffling. I ran one lecture and a practical lab session. The lab involved a covert surveillance task using altered photos taken around campus. Students had to track them down, collect letters, and solve a code word. There was some determined sprinting. It was a highlight.

During open office hours, students dropped in with questions, project ideas, and updates. These are always valuable conversations. It’s where you get to see how they’re thinking and help steer their momentum.

The rest of the day was mostly meetings. I had a few internal committees and working groups, plus various bits of planning and comms. I actually like structured meetings, but if they drag or start looping, my neurodivergent brain gets tired fast. That’s why I bring tea. It gives me something familiar to focus on when everything else is flying around.

In the evening, I joined an international digital forensics meeting. We discussed technical issues, policy changes, and some complex cases. It was useful and surprisingly energising, even if the time zone clash meant I had to summon a second wind (using much tea) just as I was ready to wind down.

To shake off the tension before bed, I played a quick game of Just Dance in the lounge. It worked. It usually does.

I spent the morning tucked away in a Faraday environment and then an Anechoic Chamber. Isolating devices and watching how they behave without network signals. If you know me, you know exactly what devices I’m talking about! (and yes this is for a follow up paper to the one coming out soon!). It’s a bit like putting your phone in detention and waiting to see if it confesses. The chamber itself is peaceful, and I really enjoy comms work. The only issue is remembering to dress in layers because that place gets hot quick.

After that, I switched gears and spent a few hours working on hardware. I hand-populated a prototype board I designed, for one of our current experiments. It’s fiddly work, but there’s something grounding about it. Tiny components, steady hands, and the satisfaction of building something physical in a mostly digital world. I love the fact I work across EEE and CS, it makes ECS the perfect home, along with meaning I get such variety in my work.

In the afternoon, I caught up with some of the wider Sherfox team over coffee. No big agenda, just time to check in and make sure we’re all still facing the same direction, and a chance to informally support each other. These conversations might not appear on a project plan, but they’re the glue that keeps things Sherfox running!!!

Later, I had a few student chats, followed by the usual delights of inbox answering, and paperwork. Somewhere in there, I did some background reading for our research on our next exciting project, nothing too heavy, but enough to spark a few new questions I’ll chase down later in the week.

By the time I got home, I’d logged a solid day of casework, hardware, support, and thinking. The rest of the evening was spent with headphones in, a quick walk to reset my brain, and a bit of sketching while dinner cooked. Just enough to settle everything back into place.

I spent most of the day in a different office, deep in casework. Coding, experimenting, and reverse-engineering some very uncooperative file formats. One of the highlights was repairing a broken OLE2 document that refused to open properly. It took a combination of patience, persistence, and a decent grasp of file structure to make it readable again. I made a cup of tea afterwards and felt quietly proud.

The rhythm of the day was mostly technical, with my loop earplugs in and my brain fully engaged. The loops reduce the background noise so I can still hear but it removes the paper shuffling and other things that can make it difficult to focus when I’m not in hyperfocus.

Somewhere in the middle, I had a gentle chat with someone. Not long, not about anything major, we mentioned weekend plans and what we were both up to. It wasn’t anything dramatic, but it stayed with me longer than expected. Just one of those moments that lingers quietly in the background while you get on with things.

I don’t always trust my read on people. I’m told I pick up on what’s underneath, the tone, the mood, the pause, but I can miss the more expected social signals. That mismatch means I tend to hold back if something feels warm. I’d rather stay away than risk reading it wrong. I sometimes wonder how many people think I’m cold or indifferent when actually, I’m just being cautious.

That’s also why I stick close to someone I know in new group situations. It makes interaction less like decoding a puzzle and more like having a map.

On the way home, I spotted a new teddy bear in the station shop. I wasn’t planning to buy one, but there he was. Total cute big brown bear called Rainbow. Having bear options at train stations is not fair! I also picked up a slice of cake from a bakery. I only discovered I liked cake last year, and even then only specific kinds, so every new one that works still feels like a little victory.

Later that evening, I ended up ordering a pizza. I couldn’t tell you exactly why, but it was on my mind. Possibly something someone said earlier. Either way, it was lovely and paired well with some Taskmaster.

I went to bed tired and overthinking.

Somewhere on the train to an outreach engagement, I realised I needed a break. Not the kind where you take a breath and power through, but a proper, change-of-scene kind of break. I went online, checked the coastal lodge I’d bookmarked ages ago, and there it was. One place left. I booked it. Check-in from 4pm… ten hours away. Let the countdown begin!!!

The outreach event was brilliant. I ran the children’s version of Operation Teapot Tempest, a puzzle-filled digital mystery designed to spark curiosity and confidence. The kids were curious, and completely fearless. A group of girls told me I had superhero hair, and discussed how they didn’t know girls could be detectives, I don’t think I’ve stopped smiling about it since!

It reminded me how much visibility matters. When I was growing up, most of the people doing tech work were men (see one of my earlier blogs for those people who inspire me!). I didn’t see women who loved maths, computing, logic puzzles, and also had space to be kind, expressive, and a little odd. Now I try to be the kind of grown-up I would have looked up to.

After the event, I got through a bit of writing on one of our papers and mapped out some early notes for a grant idea tied to the scene room. That project still feels like it shouldn’t work, and yet somehow it does. A strange combination of story, sensors, fun, and digital forensics that has found its place.

I also cleared a couple of admin bits, packed one of my Disney suitcases, and made my way to the coast. The train journey was quiet. By the time I arrived, the sky was starting to turn and I had exactly enough time to order battered sausage, mushy peas, and chips before climbing into the hot tub with a glass of wine.

Later, wrapped in a robe and feeling delightfully unproductive, I curled up with some light retro comedy (To the Manor Born) and let the week finally go quiet.

I woke up in the lodge and started the day the only way that made sense… by throwing myself around the living room to Just Dance. No audience, no pressure, just me, some cheesy pop, and a lot of joyful flailing. It felt brilliant.

Later, I headed out to explore a nearby castle. Not Nottingham Castle, but that’s where my love of them began. I’m from Nottingham, and growing up there meant Robin Hood was part of the landscape. I remember trips to Sherwood Forest, seeing the Major Oak, running around with a toy bow and arrow, and feeling like the trees had stories if you listened hard enough.

The castle I visited today was everything I wanted it to be. Dramatic stone walls, uneven staircases, and views that made you stop mid-step. I wandered through the grounds with my headphones in, letting the music set the pace. There’s something grounding about places like this. The weight of history sits in the corners, but never feels heavy. Just present.

I spent a long time with the architecture. The way the rooms flowed, or didn’t. The thick walls and narrow windows, the strange little details built for defence or ceremony. I always fall a bit in love with the structure of these spaces. I peeked at the old artwork too. Quiet portraits, faded tapestries, and carvings that hint at lives I’ll never know. And yes, the romantic history was especially appealing. Secret staircases, whispered letters, stolen glances across candlelit halls. Where is Prince Charming when you need him?

Smudge came along, of course. My small lion companion, who has more than a thousand Instagram followers and a much more glamorous travel history than I do. I took a few photos of him in various castle spots. It’s my way of being part of the moment without needing to be in front of the camera. It keeps things light. It makes the memory stick.

And yes, I was on my own. But not in a sad way. I checked my messages, scrolled a little, replayed some moments from the week. I second-guessed myself, then did it again. But eventually, the castle worked its magic. My brain slowed down. The quiet took hold. And it was stunning.

Not that I’d object if the right company offered. Someone who, without even trying, is more interesting and distracting than my geek activities. That would be something!

Back at the lodge, I cleared a few emails. Nothing serious, just enough to stop Monday from being a mess. Then I slid into the hot tub, let the steam soak in, and put on a playlist that included Showaddywaddy. I finished the night listening to The Horne Section Podcast, wrapped in warmth and the rare feeling of just being able to let my mind wander.

I stayed at the lodge today. No rush to head home just yet. Just one more day down by the coast, quietly working somewhere calm, with the sea just a short walk away and the horizon never too far out of sight.

The morning was slow in the best kind of way. I slept in a little, made tea, and took a short walk to stretch my legs and clear my head. There’s something about being able to see the water, even at a distance, that makes everything feel a little softer around the edges.

Later, I headed into the nearby town to find a spot to work. I landed in a small café overlooking the harbour, boats rocking just beyond the window. I ordered a pasty, a large tea, and set up camp with my laptop for a little.

I got more done than I expected. Between the cafe and the lodge, i managed a few hours of paper editing, some grant notes for next week, and a bit of research reading. I answered some student messages, reviewed a lab session, reviewed paperwork for an upcoming advisory board, and downloaded a few new journal articles for the train tomorrow.

There was also a phone call about a developing case. Nothing urgent, just something that needed a bit of direction. I gave it, made a note to follow up properly on Tuesday, and got back to my coffee before it went cold.

Smudge stayed in my bag but made a brief appearance for a photo or two. I didn’t post them. I didn’t need to. Sometimes it’s enough just to know you were there.

Back at the lodge in the evening, I made a final quiet dinner and slid into the hot tub for one last evening under the sky. A podcast played, the water steamed gently, and I let my brain drift wherever it wanted. Then back inside watched some old episodes of The Bill … I know not everyones idea of fun!

Tomorrow I go home. And truthfully, I’m ready. Keen to get back to the casework I was working on last week, and to continue a few conversations that stayed with me longer than expected.