From Blink 182, out of the context of the rest of the lyrics, perfect, in context absolute rubbish. But oh well. I'm sorry it's been so long. So much has changed!! I'm now in second year of university, having managed to pass last year by doing a resit and so made it to the years that matter. I finally got a job and am now an employee of Wetherspoons pubs, I've been there for a few weeks now and I'm loving it. I'm still with Luke of course, we're still going just as strong and there has been a lot of talk of engagement etc. from my friends, my dad and even my mum. We're fast approaching our 5 year anniversary together and I'm so excited about it. I've got some of the best friends I could ask for and the house I am now living in is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. Life's going great!
And yet...
My health is going so badly. I'm finding it so hard to follow my medication routine and it's causing me to become depressed, or that what I think is going on anyway. At the beginning of the new term some things started to go a bit wrong and since then they haven't got much better. I've been struggling to find the time I need to get everything done. But that's not the problem, if it was I'd just be really stressed.
No, I think I'm getting homesick. Me and mum have seen each other once since my birthday. Luke fell asleep on my bed at about 10pm tonight and I got bored so I started watching videos on youtube by this guy called Mike that sings Folk Songs. I've been listening to them and they make me think of my mum, my family, of folk festivals I've been missing and just how much my life has changed and how much I've had to force myself to change to be seen in the right light by people at university. I may be in a beautiful house now, but only really get on with one of my house mates. I moved in with the one flatmate I got on well with last year because I thought I'd have a good idea of what he'd be like to live with, but we've also moved in with his girlfriend and she has caused him to completely change, so things aren't particularly happy in this house. But it means I enjoy work so much more so that's all ok.
I dunno, I guess I just miss the lazy days of summer holidays, the days when I could do what I wanted when I wanted without having to think of time tables and deadlines and things. I think because I've been happy for so long I've sort of run out of the emotion and things that wouldn't have bothered me before have started to become a real problem.
I miss the days when life was easy and you could say what was on your mind without being shot down for it.
Sunday, 24 October 2010
Friday, 23 July 2010
Photo albums
Just a little something I wrote. I've had the imagery in my head for a long time but have only just now formed it into something cohesive. Anyway, let me know what you think... Or not.
"I followed her up the stairs, noticing how springy the new carpet was under my feet and how smooth the oak of the banister was as it slid under my hand while we made our ascent.
“They did such a great job of the staircase, it’s so beautiful!” I told my friend.
“Yeah, I would have been a bit angry if it was anything less than perfect for the price they charged that’s for sure!” She laughed happily.
I hadn’t actually seen the house yet, her and her now husband had been whisked off to the Caribbean for their honeymoon so fast I hadn’t had chance. Now we were inside, I could see it suited the two of them perfectly. I tried to focus on this thought and let the happiness I felt for the two of them fill me as much as I could.
We were at the top of the stairs now and she was turning right into a medium sized living room with comfy looking sofas and chairs scattered around, all facing each other to be as sociable as possible. There on the back wall was my friend’s life. A whole wall taken up with photo albums, wallets of photographs not yet organised into albums, pictures in photo frames and of course, her cameras filling up every space on the bookcase that wasn’t taken up with pictures. No doubt half of them had rolls of film not yet developed.
I wondered if she still had the album she had made for me when we were in primary school, the album full of smiling pictures of our friends with notes wishing me well and saying good luck. Then of course there was the other album that went along side the happy album. The other album contained pictures of me as a child, lying in a sterile bed, in garish hospital gear with wires sticking out of my wrists, my eyes sunken, and my skin pulling tight on my bones through lack of fat. I’d lost a lot of weight that week. That was the week the doctors told me my pancreas was no longer working and I’d have to inject myself every day for the rest of my life.
But she wasn’t pulling out one of the thick, leather bound photographic books, she was pulling out a fancy new laptop I hadn’t seen before from under the bookcase. We sat together on the new sofa and she switched it on, flashing me one of her beautiful smiles that I had seen almost every day since the age of three. When the laptop had finally loaded, she brought up another kind of album, an electronic album, the kind I didn’t know because the week we had been taught about them was the week my pancreas had died. Inside were the pictures of her wedding.
There of course, was my best friend in the entire world looking like an angel in her white dress and bright smile stood under the arm of her beloved, now husband. Her parents were stood on either side of the smiling, newly married couple with their gray hair and pastel coloured suits.
And this is the point I started to cry.
“What’s wrong?” She exclaimed when she saw the liquid running down my face.
“Oh, nothing,” I replied, “you just look so happy and beautiful. I’m so pleased for you!” And she embraced me like she always had, not realising how much my world had changed since these pictures had been taken on such a happy day.
I realised this was the world I was never going to be able to see, the world that was leaving me behind and I would one day be forgotten from, never to return again. I thought back to our pasts, to our nervous grins of the first day of school. We lived through my embarrassment when I wet myself on stage in front of everyone, how she had stood up for me shouting to the whole hall “Well she’s a sheep! What do sheep do other than eat grass, wee and sleep?” She had been there when I was told a week later about my dead organ. We’d practiced injecting oranges together so it wouldn’t seem so bad when I had to inject myself.
We’d been through high school, 6th form college and university together. I’d been there cheering her on as she met her beloved and eventually got engaged to be married. We told each other everything.
But as she prepared to walk down the aisle in that beautiful white dress, as she chatted and laughed with her family and made the final arrangements for creating her own brand new family, how could I tell her what had happened? How could I explain something so horrific during this time of such happiness?
She placed the laptop on my lap while she ran to the bathroom and so I took a moment to put a hand to my temple, running my finger over the place where the thing that would very soon kill me should be. How could I let her know I was soon to depart from this world without ruining her happy dreams for the future?
I ran my finger over the spot on my temple that little lump is positioned one more time, the lump no bigger than a small bead, but a lump the size of my world."
"I followed her up the stairs, noticing how springy the new carpet was under my feet and how smooth the oak of the banister was as it slid under my hand while we made our ascent.
“They did such a great job of the staircase, it’s so beautiful!” I told my friend.
“Yeah, I would have been a bit angry if it was anything less than perfect for the price they charged that’s for sure!” She laughed happily.
I hadn’t actually seen the house yet, her and her now husband had been whisked off to the Caribbean for their honeymoon so fast I hadn’t had chance. Now we were inside, I could see it suited the two of them perfectly. I tried to focus on this thought and let the happiness I felt for the two of them fill me as much as I could.
We were at the top of the stairs now and she was turning right into a medium sized living room with comfy looking sofas and chairs scattered around, all facing each other to be as sociable as possible. There on the back wall was my friend’s life. A whole wall taken up with photo albums, wallets of photographs not yet organised into albums, pictures in photo frames and of course, her cameras filling up every space on the bookcase that wasn’t taken up with pictures. No doubt half of them had rolls of film not yet developed.
I wondered if she still had the album she had made for me when we were in primary school, the album full of smiling pictures of our friends with notes wishing me well and saying good luck. Then of course there was the other album that went along side the happy album. The other album contained pictures of me as a child, lying in a sterile bed, in garish hospital gear with wires sticking out of my wrists, my eyes sunken, and my skin pulling tight on my bones through lack of fat. I’d lost a lot of weight that week. That was the week the doctors told me my pancreas was no longer working and I’d have to inject myself every day for the rest of my life.
But she wasn’t pulling out one of the thick, leather bound photographic books, she was pulling out a fancy new laptop I hadn’t seen before from under the bookcase. We sat together on the new sofa and she switched it on, flashing me one of her beautiful smiles that I had seen almost every day since the age of three. When the laptop had finally loaded, she brought up another kind of album, an electronic album, the kind I didn’t know because the week we had been taught about them was the week my pancreas had died. Inside were the pictures of her wedding.
There of course, was my best friend in the entire world looking like an angel in her white dress and bright smile stood under the arm of her beloved, now husband. Her parents were stood on either side of the smiling, newly married couple with their gray hair and pastel coloured suits.
And this is the point I started to cry.
“What’s wrong?” She exclaimed when she saw the liquid running down my face.
“Oh, nothing,” I replied, “you just look so happy and beautiful. I’m so pleased for you!” And she embraced me like she always had, not realising how much my world had changed since these pictures had been taken on such a happy day.
I realised this was the world I was never going to be able to see, the world that was leaving me behind and I would one day be forgotten from, never to return again. I thought back to our pasts, to our nervous grins of the first day of school. We lived through my embarrassment when I wet myself on stage in front of everyone, how she had stood up for me shouting to the whole hall “Well she’s a sheep! What do sheep do other than eat grass, wee and sleep?” She had been there when I was told a week later about my dead organ. We’d practiced injecting oranges together so it wouldn’t seem so bad when I had to inject myself.
We’d been through high school, 6th form college and university together. I’d been there cheering her on as she met her beloved and eventually got engaged to be married. We told each other everything.
But as she prepared to walk down the aisle in that beautiful white dress, as she chatted and laughed with her family and made the final arrangements for creating her own brand new family, how could I tell her what had happened? How could I explain something so horrific during this time of such happiness?
She placed the laptop on my lap while she ran to the bathroom and so I took a moment to put a hand to my temple, running my finger over the place where the thing that would very soon kill me should be. How could I let her know I was soon to depart from this world without ruining her happy dreams for the future?
I ran my finger over the spot on my temple that little lump is positioned one more time, the lump no bigger than a small bead, but a lump the size of my world."
Saturday, 3 July 2010
This is the final straw
Nah, it's not really. that's a line from Snow Patrol's song "final straw". However, as much as I'm not complaining because I love the sun we've been getting, I wish I knew the cure for heat rash! I'm covered!! It's all over my arms, chest and legs and is very very itchy. I look like I have a mild case of chickenpox.
Ah that's all I can be bothered writing. sorry!
p.s. sorry for leaving the messages on your answer phone grandma and grandpa, I'd completely forgot you've gone to Russia. Hope you had a good time!
Ah that's all I can be bothered writing. sorry!
p.s. sorry for leaving the messages on your answer phone grandma and grandpa, I'd completely forgot you've gone to Russia. Hope you had a good time!
Thursday, 1 July 2010
Hey, goodmorning
"I feel like death warmed up" always makes me think of a corpse shoved in a microwave for 2 minutes on high.
Wednesday, 30 June 2010
Love songs in C, Politics in G
The title of today's blog is from a song called "try this at home" by an amazing acoustic singer/songwriter called "Frank Turner". I saw him performing on Glastonbury highlights for 2010 on the BBC and fell in love with him because he plays in just the way I want music to be at the moment, a more soft, probably acoustic version of punk rock. We're going through times very similar to the punk Rock era, with students leaving school, college and university alike with no job to turn to, very little money in circulation and the world in crisis. The differences this time being that although the poor aren't as poor as they were last time round, we have no-one we can blame it on this time round. We have no political figure such as Margaret Thatcher to boo and hiss because they have thrown the country in turmoil. Many would blame the pairing of Bush and Blair, but even with them out of the picture, no-one really seems to know what to do about it. But anyway, getting back to the music, I've had these lyrics in my head ever since I first heard them, which is quite annoying because I'm pretty sure they're the few lyrics in the song to not really mean anything, but they sound good together.
Now where as I've been full of bad news, doom and gloom recently vis-a-vis the not-hearing-from-Ritzys thing about the job for almost a month, the not knowing if I can move into my new student house because I don't know if my other housemates have paid their money and what-not and Luke moving back in with his parents about 100miles away I do have some good news! I applied for a job as an article writer for a website that's soon to be published called "unitown.co.uk" and I received an email yesterday saying they want me to be the lead writer for their book reviews section!! It's £10 an article that gets published and as they want one from me once a week I have a good chance of making a fair amount of money from it, plus I really enjoy it as well. Here's an example of my work:
"I usually use reading a good book as a way of cooling off and getting to sleep at night, but unfortunately, I found this didn’t work with “Stories we could Tell” by Tony Parsons, published 29th August 2005. I just loved it too much and couldn’t put the thing down! Set in 1977, the story takes place in the epicentre of the rebellion era. In a world of The Sex Pistols, The Clash, The Jam and lots of other safety-pin-pierced, anarchy believing Rock Gods, “The Paper”, a London based music magazine gives a job to almost all the main characters. Terry, his girlfriend Misty and his best friends, Ray and Leon embark on writing reviews for “The Paper” about bands now known as the Old Punk Rock Legends. Along the way, they meet a variety of characters, from the Dagenham Dogs who are intent on spilling their blood to the “Teds”, intent on spilling the blood of the dogs, to the Abba obsessed hippies from the 60’s in their flared jeans, tight fitting shirts “summer of love” attitude. To say the plot is based around a single night an awful lot happens to the 3 boys, but then again a night must feel like an awful long time when amphetamine sulphate is rushing around your blood stream, making sleeping and eating impossible and after 3 days of no sleep, causing some of the strangest hallucinations you thought you’d never see.
Books such as “Stories we could Tell” often have nostalgic points of view added in by the author which often make no sense to the reader unless they had lived through the era in question. But with such an array of characters it’s almost impossible for the reader to not find a character to relate to. However, the plot line is really quite predictable when reading with the twists and changes being thrown in the readers face long before they actually happen. Also as the story is set in the past the writer is writing with hindsight and so writes in changes that could not happen in a single night. But there is a certain charm to the book that makes you want to read more and so I would definitely recommend it to anyone interested in the punk rock era and would give the book a strong 8 out of 10."
I'm absolutely over the moon because it gives me the excuse of buying a new book every week. However, it's not enough money to keep me happily living in Lincoln over the summer holidays. If I can't get the job with Ritzy's, I'm going to head home and possibly do some voluntary work experience with Andrew Hale Photographic Studios. I worked there for a week in my AS year for my work experience so Mr. Hale knows who I am so I feel fairly positive about my chances.
I went to visit Luke yesterday, it was meant to be just for the day, but after drinking our time away (on diet coke for me) at Charters boat pub, we realised it was getting pretty late and I'd missed most of the trains. So we decided I'd stay over the night. We went to discovery Photographic studios today to see if we could have a photoshoot, but they told us to wait until next month because the photoshoot would be free and we'd just have to pay for the prints which are very reasonable prices. So hopefully I'll have a picture of me and Luke to show you all next month!
Speaking of pictures, I have a new hobby. Here's an example:
Yes, that's me, and yes I have given myself faerie wings. I've been really enjoying tracing things off my laptop in this way for a while now and have quite a collection now of my friends all done in this comic book style way. I hope you like it!!
Anyway, we're getting beautiful weather in England and this happens so rarely I think I'm going to head outside wearing my short shorts, a bakini top, reading a good book and drinking some form of fizzy rubbish. Ciao for now xx
Now where as I've been full of bad news, doom and gloom recently vis-a-vis the not-hearing-from-Ritzys thing about the job for almost a month, the not knowing if I can move into my new student house because I don't know if my other housemates have paid their money and what-not and Luke moving back in with his parents about 100miles away I do have some good news! I applied for a job as an article writer for a website that's soon to be published called "unitown.co.uk" and I received an email yesterday saying they want me to be the lead writer for their book reviews section!! It's £10 an article that gets published and as they want one from me once a week I have a good chance of making a fair amount of money from it, plus I really enjoy it as well. Here's an example of my work:
"I usually use reading a good book as a way of cooling off and getting to sleep at night, but unfortunately, I found this didn’t work with “Stories we could Tell” by Tony Parsons, published 29th August 2005. I just loved it too much and couldn’t put the thing down! Set in 1977, the story takes place in the epicentre of the rebellion era. In a world of The Sex Pistols, The Clash, The Jam and lots of other safety-pin-pierced, anarchy believing Rock Gods, “The Paper”, a London based music magazine gives a job to almost all the main characters. Terry, his girlfriend Misty and his best friends, Ray and Leon embark on writing reviews for “The Paper” about bands now known as the Old Punk Rock Legends. Along the way, they meet a variety of characters, from the Dagenham Dogs who are intent on spilling their blood to the “Teds”, intent on spilling the blood of the dogs, to the Abba obsessed hippies from the 60’s in their flared jeans, tight fitting shirts “summer of love” attitude. To say the plot is based around a single night an awful lot happens to the 3 boys, but then again a night must feel like an awful long time when amphetamine sulphate is rushing around your blood stream, making sleeping and eating impossible and after 3 days of no sleep, causing some of the strangest hallucinations you thought you’d never see.
Books such as “Stories we could Tell” often have nostalgic points of view added in by the author which often make no sense to the reader unless they had lived through the era in question. But with such an array of characters it’s almost impossible for the reader to not find a character to relate to. However, the plot line is really quite predictable when reading with the twists and changes being thrown in the readers face long before they actually happen. Also as the story is set in the past the writer is writing with hindsight and so writes in changes that could not happen in a single night. But there is a certain charm to the book that makes you want to read more and so I would definitely recommend it to anyone interested in the punk rock era and would give the book a strong 8 out of 10."
I'm absolutely over the moon because it gives me the excuse of buying a new book every week. However, it's not enough money to keep me happily living in Lincoln over the summer holidays. If I can't get the job with Ritzy's, I'm going to head home and possibly do some voluntary work experience with Andrew Hale Photographic Studios. I worked there for a week in my AS year for my work experience so Mr. Hale knows who I am so I feel fairly positive about my chances.
I went to visit Luke yesterday, it was meant to be just for the day, but after drinking our time away (on diet coke for me) at Charters boat pub, we realised it was getting pretty late and I'd missed most of the trains. So we decided I'd stay over the night. We went to discovery Photographic studios today to see if we could have a photoshoot, but they told us to wait until next month because the photoshoot would be free and we'd just have to pay for the prints which are very reasonable prices. So hopefully I'll have a picture of me and Luke to show you all next month!
Speaking of pictures, I have a new hobby. Here's an example:
Yes, that's me, and yes I have given myself faerie wings. I've been really enjoying tracing things off my laptop in this way for a while now and have quite a collection now of my friends all done in this comic book style way. I hope you like it!!
Anyway, we're getting beautiful weather in England and this happens so rarely I think I'm going to head outside wearing my short shorts, a bakini top, reading a good book and drinking some form of fizzy rubbish. Ciao for now xx
Wednesday, 23 June 2010
I can not sleep I can not dream tonight
Blink 182's "I miss you again". I don't know why I'm using lyrics from this, but I'm listening to it and singing along so why not? Actually, I'm doing pretty well. My life is well on track to be decent. I finally got my student card through and so have an overdraft to use to pay for my accommodation now which is excellent. I've just been paid £30 for a photoshoot I did months ago and if I get this other photoshoot work done I'll be getting another £30. I got my first brief for the article writing job I got and so hopefully will be making £10 from that and hopefully this week I will hear from Ritzys nightclub with (hopefully) the good news that I got the job. I really hope so because that will be £40 a week! The only bad news I have is that Luke moves out of his house in 3-4 days and so I won't be living in the same city as my boyfriend again. He's going to live back home as it will be free for him to live there and he will be getting a summer job and also will be getting a job at his old high school for £8000 a year. We might have the deposit for a house by this time next year! We're both going to save up a load so it should be good.
Anyway, last night was possibly one of the best nights of my life. Originally I'd only invited one friend, a girl called Laurel, to my place for cheap pre-drinks before we went to Sugarcubes nightclub together. The number, however, swelled quite dramatically until, including me, there was 9 people drinking in my living room! (One of whom was my flatmate Josh who didn't come to the club with us but was content to join us for pre-drinks) it was a really amazing night with plenty of alcohol, good friends, good music playing in the background (Massive Attack, Mezzanine) and then a great night at our favourite nightclub. Just thinking of last night, in a room full of my greatest friends all laughing and smiling and drinking together because of me puts a massive smile on my face... Helped by the fact last night cost me less than £15!
Oh, by the way. I've got myself a new hobby! When I'm on the internet, I'll often watch japanese cartoons on websites I know. Anyway, I like this one "anime" so much I started tracing pictures of the characters off my laptop screen and turning them into my own character that I made up. Then one day when I got stuck for inspiration I thought, "why don't I do a trace of myself from a photograph?" so I found a photograph I took of myself when I was 15... I think. Well, I think you can see the result yourself!
I'm considering making a comic book story and using my friends to make the comic book, simply because I think the style suits the typical Marvel Comics style. It'll be so fun to change my friends into superheroes!!
Anyway, last night was possibly one of the best nights of my life. Originally I'd only invited one friend, a girl called Laurel, to my place for cheap pre-drinks before we went to Sugarcubes nightclub together. The number, however, swelled quite dramatically until, including me, there was 9 people drinking in my living room! (One of whom was my flatmate Josh who didn't come to the club with us but was content to join us for pre-drinks) it was a really amazing night with plenty of alcohol, good friends, good music playing in the background (Massive Attack, Mezzanine) and then a great night at our favourite nightclub. Just thinking of last night, in a room full of my greatest friends all laughing and smiling and drinking together because of me puts a massive smile on my face... Helped by the fact last night cost me less than £15!
Oh, by the way. I've got myself a new hobby! When I'm on the internet, I'll often watch japanese cartoons on websites I know. Anyway, I like this one "anime" so much I started tracing pictures of the characters off my laptop screen and turning them into my own character that I made up. Then one day when I got stuck for inspiration I thought, "why don't I do a trace of myself from a photograph?" so I found a photograph I took of myself when I was 15... I think. Well, I think you can see the result yourself!
I'm considering making a comic book story and using my friends to make the comic book, simply because I think the style suits the typical Marvel Comics style. It'll be so fun to change my friends into superheroes!!
Sunday, 20 June 2010
Keep on Running...
From Stevie Winwood. And why am I quoting Stevie Winwood? Because mum and dad insisted we watch a programme of his biography on TV. I don't mind, I'm not gonna stop them or ask to change the challen, but I am starting to feel really home sick and I've only been back a few days. When I'm in Lincoln, I always have something to do, somewhere to go, someone to see. When I'm back at home, I kinda tennis between waiting for my mum to come off the computer and waiting for my brother to finish playing on his X-Box. I don't really have friends here any more, and never really did have in the past. Even if one of my friends did invite me over, I wouldn't know where to go to get there. I know where they all live in Lincoln. This isn't my home anymore, it's not my place. I miss my flat and my life and everything back home and can't wait to get on the train to go back, I'm so bored.
However, it's been a nice weekend. When I got here on Friday, I had a fast tea and then went with my mum to meet the newest addition to our family, baby Charlie Jack to my cousin Claire. He was 3 weeks early and is adorable! He was sleeping a lot because he's not supposed to be born yet, his due date is in about 2 weeks. I loved cuddling him. Me and mum were fighting over who got to cuddle him longest over the soud of Charlie's dad shouting at the football in the background.
Firday was my grandma's birthday and I was going to post on here to say happy birthday to her, but then we realised no-one had told her I was coming down so we decided to keep it a surprise as we were going to visit the next morning. But dad told mum he'd told Grandma I was up when actually he hadn't and I told mum not to mention anything and she ignored me and mentioned it to my grandma anyway who told mum my dad had never told her in the first place... anyway, the by and long of it is that Grandma found out and it was ruined.
So we went to Grandma and Grandpa's place in the lake district and hung out with them for a while. It was really nice driving on the familiar roads again and seeing all the lambs going through their teenage years being moody with mum, but of course running for her safety when the sheep dog made an appearance. Today mum dyed my hair for me and Brendan's friend came over so he could co-play on the X-Box.
I'm going to stop talking now because I feel like on of them people that has the most boring life in the world but tries to make it sound interesting. You know the sort. "So I got up and had a tin of rice pudding. I said hi to mum's friend Cassandra and then I got dressed and I wasn't sure what to wear, I either had the plain black circle neck t-shirt or the plain black circle neck t-shirt saying 'Enjoy California' in the Coca Cola style...".
I'm not that sort of person.....
I hope.
However, it's been a nice weekend. When I got here on Friday, I had a fast tea and then went with my mum to meet the newest addition to our family, baby Charlie Jack to my cousin Claire. He was 3 weeks early and is adorable! He was sleeping a lot because he's not supposed to be born yet, his due date is in about 2 weeks. I loved cuddling him. Me and mum were fighting over who got to cuddle him longest over the soud of Charlie's dad shouting at the football in the background.
Firday was my grandma's birthday and I was going to post on here to say happy birthday to her, but then we realised no-one had told her I was coming down so we decided to keep it a surprise as we were going to visit the next morning. But dad told mum he'd told Grandma I was up when actually he hadn't and I told mum not to mention anything and she ignored me and mentioned it to my grandma anyway who told mum my dad had never told her in the first place... anyway, the by and long of it is that Grandma found out and it was ruined.
So we went to Grandma and Grandpa's place in the lake district and hung out with them for a while. It was really nice driving on the familiar roads again and seeing all the lambs going through their teenage years being moody with mum, but of course running for her safety when the sheep dog made an appearance. Today mum dyed my hair for me and Brendan's friend came over so he could co-play on the X-Box.
I'm going to stop talking now because I feel like on of them people that has the most boring life in the world but tries to make it sound interesting. You know the sort. "So I got up and had a tin of rice pudding. I said hi to mum's friend Cassandra and then I got dressed and I wasn't sure what to wear, I either had the plain black circle neck t-shirt or the plain black circle neck t-shirt saying 'Enjoy California' in the Coca Cola style...".
I'm not that sort of person.....
I hope.
Sunday, 13 June 2010
3 Lions on a shirt.....
Football. I'm sorry, but the world is insane. Oh the English pride of watching a few men who work out way too much, get paid way too much and have wives who are more plastic than person kick a ball around a field and hopefully into a net. The result can cause people to laugh and get drunk, or cry and become even more drunk. With the town sporting red and white, people come out of their homes to celebrate a result that has absolutely no impact on their lives, unless of course another "tragedy" occurs when a massive tidal wave of flesh presses too close to the barriers of the football stadium and is crushed under itself and death is surely the answer. Ha! That's not as important as the men on the field and their little ball. Of course it isn't, we're football fans. And so at the end of the day we won't return home to our families as we usually do, no we hear the cry of the pub and so one side of the marriage is left home with the children as the other skips along to the pub to celebrate aforementioned no-impact-football-results by consuming semi-lethal amounts of booze, before inevitably one will bring it back up from whence it was shoved. They say the streets of the city are lined with gold, but it's a shame you can't actually see any of said gold for the layer of vomit, spit and worse I should fear, the air filled with smells that are best left unexplored and more than likely the sound of someone getting a little too carried away and spilling blood into the already disgusting concoction. This is the English pride. Unfortunately, it's also the English sorrow. As you can tell, I'm not much of a fan of the world cup. Next match, I think I'll make a little den under my bed and lock my door. It's safer than being on the streets of the world cup, that's for sure!!
Anyway, with that out of the way, it's time to talk Middlesbrough Live Music Festival! Before you say anything by the way, I'm going to point out that actually, music ensues very similar results to the world cup, which is way you will very rarely see me in the middle of a "mosh-pit". I'm much more likely to be found on a bench at the back away from the screaming shouting fans who are probably the same fans as the football lot and spend their night, probably in the same jail cell while they sober up. Anyway, the first band we saw and actually remembered (we tended to forget the ones not worth remembering) were called "Airship". Now, the nice thing about this band is that they were performing in a well known nightclub in Middlesbrough. What does that have to do with anything you ask? The show was for 18+ years. Yes, we left the little emo children behind, showing off because they had got their hands on a well known brand of alcopop and so were showing off about how "drunk" they were, and entered into the world of adults, with calm faces who were there to listen to the music, which I might add was very good, and not to see how many drugs they could get away with before the police inevitably caught up with them. The rest of the day we spent in Walkabout, the Australian themed bar that had all the live music on that the festival itself couldn't house. We had this picture taken in the bar.
Um, or so I THOUGHT it was taken in the bar but this is the first time I've looked at the image properly and according to the thing at the bottom we had this taken in the Gay-bar Charlotte (pink hair) took us to the night before. Oh well, I loose track of these things sometimes. Anyway, those two in the image who aren't me (hopefully you've guessed I'm not the boy, nor the pink haired girl) are Alan and Charlotte who went to Middlesbrough Live with me.
That night we saw 2 different bands. The first were more of a support band called "Example" and they were fantastic! They really got the crowd reared up and excited and put on a really good live show. Also, no one was pulled out of their gig for dangerous behaviour. I wish the same could be said for the main act that night, the Hoosiers. The music was good enough, but the show itself was rather lacking. The band decided to have random conversations between themselves at the beginning and I even found them to be a little offensive at one point, when they shouted "Hello Middlesbrough, wow, look how many of you there is, what is there, like 50 people out there?". Now is it just me or does that sound like they're making the town out to be a place that doesn't put much effort in? Anyway, everyone else seemed to go crazy and I always enjoy being at the side during such gigs because you can laugh at the people being pulled out wearing tattered remains of their t shirts which probably cost more than all my shoes put together, one lad was pulled out and all he was wearing on his top half was the elastic from his underwear. (I say top half because he was still wearing jeans... and I presume the rest of his underwear on his hips down, and had no top on! Was really pretty funny).
Anyway, as much as I would love to keep rambling on at you, I just got a text message from Luke who's coming to my place for tea tonight so I better go let him into the building. Au revoir and Adieu my good people... or more specifically... My grandparents and boyfriend... as I'm pretty sure they're the only ones who actually read this!
Anyway, with that out of the way, it's time to talk Middlesbrough Live Music Festival! Before you say anything by the way, I'm going to point out that actually, music ensues very similar results to the world cup, which is way you will very rarely see me in the middle of a "mosh-pit". I'm much more likely to be found on a bench at the back away from the screaming shouting fans who are probably the same fans as the football lot and spend their night, probably in the same jail cell while they sober up. Anyway, the first band we saw and actually remembered (we tended to forget the ones not worth remembering) were called "Airship". Now, the nice thing about this band is that they were performing in a well known nightclub in Middlesbrough. What does that have to do with anything you ask? The show was for 18+ years. Yes, we left the little emo children behind, showing off because they had got their hands on a well known brand of alcopop and so were showing off about how "drunk" they were, and entered into the world of adults, with calm faces who were there to listen to the music, which I might add was very good, and not to see how many drugs they could get away with before the police inevitably caught up with them. The rest of the day we spent in Walkabout, the Australian themed bar that had all the live music on that the festival itself couldn't house. We had this picture taken in the bar.
Um, or so I THOUGHT it was taken in the bar but this is the first time I've looked at the image properly and according to the thing at the bottom we had this taken in the Gay-bar Charlotte (pink hair) took us to the night before. Oh well, I loose track of these things sometimes. Anyway, those two in the image who aren't me (hopefully you've guessed I'm not the boy, nor the pink haired girl) are Alan and Charlotte who went to Middlesbrough Live with me.
That night we saw 2 different bands. The first were more of a support band called "Example" and they were fantastic! They really got the crowd reared up and excited and put on a really good live show. Also, no one was pulled out of their gig for dangerous behaviour. I wish the same could be said for the main act that night, the Hoosiers. The music was good enough, but the show itself was rather lacking. The band decided to have random conversations between themselves at the beginning and I even found them to be a little offensive at one point, when they shouted "Hello Middlesbrough, wow, look how many of you there is, what is there, like 50 people out there?". Now is it just me or does that sound like they're making the town out to be a place that doesn't put much effort in? Anyway, everyone else seemed to go crazy and I always enjoy being at the side during such gigs because you can laugh at the people being pulled out wearing tattered remains of their t shirts which probably cost more than all my shoes put together, one lad was pulled out and all he was wearing on his top half was the elastic from his underwear. (I say top half because he was still wearing jeans... and I presume the rest of his underwear on his hips down, and had no top on! Was really pretty funny).
Anyway, as much as I would love to keep rambling on at you, I just got a text message from Luke who's coming to my place for tea tonight so I better go let him into the building. Au revoir and Adieu my good people... or more specifically... My grandparents and boyfriend... as I'm pretty sure they're the only ones who actually read this!
Wednesday, 9 June 2010
Before I forget!
(Sorry, Slipknot lyrics, pretty perfect for a p.s.)
I'll come back on here soon and explain Middlesbrough Live Festival (much more satisfying that Trans Global), the money situation and of course, the job!
I have a job interview today (Thursday 10th June 2010) at 12noon. Wish me luck world! I really need this job so badly. I've dug myself a mighty fine grave and would rather not push myself into it. However, I get the feeling I'm falling in whether I like it or not so at least the job can act as my own ladder and I don't have to beg Luke for legs up anymore. Bless my boyfriend, he's lent me £190 to pay for my accommodation. Could I find a better boyfriend anywhere in the world? No. Don't think so. Love you Luke!
I'll come back on here soon and explain Middlesbrough Live Festival (much more satisfying that Trans Global), the money situation and of course, the job!
I have a job interview today (Thursday 10th June 2010) at 12noon. Wish me luck world! I really need this job so badly. I've dug myself a mighty fine grave and would rather not push myself into it. However, I get the feeling I'm falling in whether I like it or not so at least the job can act as my own ladder and I don't have to beg Luke for legs up anymore. Bless my boyfriend, he's lent me £190 to pay for my accommodation. Could I find a better boyfriend anywhere in the world? No. Don't think so. Love you Luke!
Oh no it's happened again!
No this isn't just some exclamation, it's a line from one of the songs by Trans Global Underground from the new CD I bought. Ok, lets explain this a little bit first. A few years back, possibly about 6, me and my parents and little brother were at a festival in Wales called "Festival on the Edge" (the edge of the boarder of Wales and England). Everyone was getting really excited about a band playing that night called Trans Global Underground and were all planning to go to the gig. So was I. Unfortunately, my parents were not on the same wave length. So that night, I stayed in our tent and babysat my little brother while they went off to see this band play live. Even from where I was, about 50 yards away in our tent, I could tell it was a really rocking and amazing gig. They sounded amazing and I was really upset I missed them, especially when we were told the next day that they were one of the biggest bands in Pakistan and were going to be playing the biggest gig in Pakistan ever the next day. But I thought "Oh well, we have their CD and I'm sure I'll see them again at some festival". Yeah, that didn't happen. I've heard head nor tail from them, until this year. I found the advert on the internet "Trans Global Underground present UNITE, playing Manchester's Wall of Sound". So I got really excited and bought the tickets for me and Luke to go see them play 3rd June 2010. Now, the more experienced of you are probably sat there, like some famous opera singer shouting "mistaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaake!" At the top of your lungs. The more inexperienced of you, heed my warning. The saying "Always read the small print" doesn't always mean contracts.
Okay, so 3rd June comes around. Me and Luke head back home to my parents house and work out train times and everything. We buy our train tickets (£13 return for both of us, which in all honesty is a pretty good do.) We arrive in Manchester and get a taxi to the place for about £5 so we wouldn't get lost. Now, when we arrived there, alarm bells began tinkling slightly in our heads. We were in the middle of the comedy and high-class club area of Manchester, not the nightclubbing rave area we expected a rave band to be playing, but we thought "oh well, lets go in and see". When we got in, the alarm bells rang slightly louder. People were wearing dresses, high heals, the men in baseball caps and polo shirts, not the rastafarian ravers we were expecting. Then we got in the actual place and saw the people sitting down. Everywhere. There wasn't a dance-floor in sight. Now we're thinking "Something's really wrong here. Really wrong." But we say to ourselves "It'll be fine, if they don't dance, we'll MAKE them dance. They'll see." So we go to the bar and get ourselves a pair of drinks (£3 for a VKapple? I'm sorry, what?!) and settle down to stand at the back of the venue. Then a band comes on and start playing and me and Luke were quite impressed saying "These are pretty good for a support band" but we were thinking of time. They hadn't started until almost 9pm and if they had to play and then Trans Global we'd have to leave early to catch the last train home.
So we listened to a few songs and had a bit of a dance, and they're still playing at 9:30pm. So I went to the bar and asked "What time are Trans Global due to start playing" and the guy replies "Oh, they started at 8:30pm I believe".
You can imagine our shock. These were not the Pakistani ravers with powerful voices and sitars galore that I remembered. No, these were some strange electric band with a weak voiced Belgian lead singer and French guy on a keyboard. Now, don't get me wrong, I have nothing against the Belgians and French, I personally believe France has some of the nicest cheese known to man and where would we be without Belgian chocolate? But when you turn up to a place and pay £12.50 EACH to see a raving Pakistani bands and a wickedly good night out, the last thing you expect is to meet a Belgian/French/Irish cast off playing a load of Belgian Ballads while you get ripped off for your drink. But you want to know the worst part? The gig finished at 10pm. They played a whole hour and a half. I paid £27 for me and Luke to turn up to a gig we weren't expecting to hear a band who are falsely advertising for 90minutes. I think anyone would be pretty upset in our shoes.
My warning? We got back home and told my mum who immediately asked to see the website. We looked at the small print and right at the bottom paragraph, it explained that this was a new band who would be playing and that only 2 members from Trans Global Underground would be performing with them. The two members performing spent the vast majority of the night off stage and only came on for 2 songs, seemingly to highlight how out of tune the lead singer was. Band on the Wall? I give you a MASSIVE thumbs down. Thanks for ripping me out of almost £50. We had more fun walking back to the train station and finding the right train.
Okay, so 3rd June comes around. Me and Luke head back home to my parents house and work out train times and everything. We buy our train tickets (£13 return for both of us, which in all honesty is a pretty good do.) We arrive in Manchester and get a taxi to the place for about £5 so we wouldn't get lost. Now, when we arrived there, alarm bells began tinkling slightly in our heads. We were in the middle of the comedy and high-class club area of Manchester, not the nightclubbing rave area we expected a rave band to be playing, but we thought "oh well, lets go in and see". When we got in, the alarm bells rang slightly louder. People were wearing dresses, high heals, the men in baseball caps and polo shirts, not the rastafarian ravers we were expecting. Then we got in the actual place and saw the people sitting down. Everywhere. There wasn't a dance-floor in sight. Now we're thinking "Something's really wrong here. Really wrong." But we say to ourselves "It'll be fine, if they don't dance, we'll MAKE them dance. They'll see." So we go to the bar and get ourselves a pair of drinks (£3 for a VKapple? I'm sorry, what?!) and settle down to stand at the back of the venue. Then a band comes on and start playing and me and Luke were quite impressed saying "These are pretty good for a support band" but we were thinking of time. They hadn't started until almost 9pm and if they had to play and then Trans Global we'd have to leave early to catch the last train home.
So we listened to a few songs and had a bit of a dance, and they're still playing at 9:30pm. So I went to the bar and asked "What time are Trans Global due to start playing" and the guy replies "Oh, they started at 8:30pm I believe".
You can imagine our shock. These were not the Pakistani ravers with powerful voices and sitars galore that I remembered. No, these were some strange electric band with a weak voiced Belgian lead singer and French guy on a keyboard. Now, don't get me wrong, I have nothing against the Belgians and French, I personally believe France has some of the nicest cheese known to man and where would we be without Belgian chocolate? But when you turn up to a place and pay £12.50 EACH to see a raving Pakistani bands and a wickedly good night out, the last thing you expect is to meet a Belgian/French/Irish cast off playing a load of Belgian Ballads while you get ripped off for your drink. But you want to know the worst part? The gig finished at 10pm. They played a whole hour and a half. I paid £27 for me and Luke to turn up to a gig we weren't expecting to hear a band who are falsely advertising for 90minutes. I think anyone would be pretty upset in our shoes.
My warning? We got back home and told my mum who immediately asked to see the website. We looked at the small print and right at the bottom paragraph, it explained that this was a new band who would be playing and that only 2 members from Trans Global Underground would be performing with them. The two members performing spent the vast majority of the night off stage and only came on for 2 songs, seemingly to highlight how out of tune the lead singer was. Band on the Wall? I give you a MASSIVE thumbs down. Thanks for ripping me out of almost £50. We had more fun walking back to the train station and finding the right train.
Wednesday, 2 June 2010
Another year just like this one please!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4J-7f0_fFsg
It's been simply beautiful and awesome. Never wanted it to end! But here we are, in the summer holidays and I had to do something to commemorate all I've been through this year. Thank you every single person in this video for making my first year at uni simply perfect!!!!!!!
It's been simply beautiful and awesome. Never wanted it to end! But here we are, in the summer holidays and I had to do something to commemorate all I've been through this year. Thank you every single person in this video for making my first year at uni simply perfect!!!!!!!
Sunday, 30 May 2010
I hope you've had the time of your life
Good Riddance by Greenday is definitely the most appropriate song to choose for today, because today I finished my last assignment for this year at university. I am no longer a first year and so the things I do from now on actually mean something. Eek! It's been an interesting year, the most interesting thing that has happened recently is probably my win of "the most opinionated" award at the awards ceremony at the beginning of the year. The henna tattoo I was doing during my last blog is still barely visible. (And here I am quickly going to say I have upgraded my internet since last we spoke and am now running on Google Chrome instead of internet explorer. Google Chrome automatically spell checks everything I write and where as I am not complaining about said feature because it makes me look a little more like I know what I'm talking about, it's trying to tell me that "blog" is not a word, which seems a little ironic when I'm writing this on a blogging website)
Anyway, what to write about since we last spoke. Well being me my health always seems to be of massive concern but of lately it's been getting ridiculous. Oh yes, I did get the negative for having glandular fever, apparently by the time they caught it it was pretty much gone anyway, great work NHS, yet again! But no, seriously, in the same blood test that tells me I am now rid of glandular fever I have been diagnosed with anaemia (eventually. I told them I was!) and have a long term blood reading of 9.7, again. So I'm in trouble with my doctor. Also I have been told there has been a minor change in my retinas which explains why I pull funny faces at people until they're about a foot away from my actual face and I can recognise them, so now I'm short sighted as well. I really don't look forward to having children simply because I know how much they'll have to put up with and so me feeling sorry for them on a regular basis is probably going to make them horrifically obese by giving them all the sweet junk they could ever ask for because I will feel like a horrible mother and so we go down in a vicious cycle from there. Oh well.
I've been told that kick-out date for my flat is 26th June. This is not good as I don't have a place to stay over summer but as things are going will probably be moving into my current flat-mates house with him and his girlfriend and their friends... on the 1st July. Yes, 4 days after kick out day. So tomorrow I will be going to beg to be allowed to stay the extra 4, possibly 5 days until I can move into the house I want to move into. The other problem is that the people I was originally going to move in with don't know I've changed my mind yet so I have to meet with them also tomorrow to discuss our futures. Oh dear.
Oh I don't really know what else to put right now. Since finishing off those last 2 essays my mind seems to have gone back to primary school mode and now all I can think about is watching dumb cartoons and trying desperately to draw my favourite characters in a way that actually looks like my favourite characters. So I'll carry on again... knowing me at the end of next month, but I'll try and write again before then. Toodle pip.
Anyway, what to write about since we last spoke. Well being me my health always seems to be of massive concern but of lately it's been getting ridiculous. Oh yes, I did get the negative for having glandular fever, apparently by the time they caught it it was pretty much gone anyway, great work NHS, yet again! But no, seriously, in the same blood test that tells me I am now rid of glandular fever I have been diagnosed with anaemia (eventually. I told them I was!) and have a long term blood reading of 9.7, again. So I'm in trouble with my doctor. Also I have been told there has been a minor change in my retinas which explains why I pull funny faces at people until they're about a foot away from my actual face and I can recognise them, so now I'm short sighted as well. I really don't look forward to having children simply because I know how much they'll have to put up with and so me feeling sorry for them on a regular basis is probably going to make them horrifically obese by giving them all the sweet junk they could ever ask for because I will feel like a horrible mother and so we go down in a vicious cycle from there. Oh well.
I've been told that kick-out date for my flat is 26th June. This is not good as I don't have a place to stay over summer but as things are going will probably be moving into my current flat-mates house with him and his girlfriend and their friends... on the 1st July. Yes, 4 days after kick out day. So tomorrow I will be going to beg to be allowed to stay the extra 4, possibly 5 days until I can move into the house I want to move into. The other problem is that the people I was originally going to move in with don't know I've changed my mind yet so I have to meet with them also tomorrow to discuss our futures. Oh dear.
Oh I don't really know what else to put right now. Since finishing off those last 2 essays my mind seems to have gone back to primary school mode and now all I can think about is watching dumb cartoons and trying desperately to draw my favourite characters in a way that actually looks like my favourite characters. So I'll carry on again... knowing me at the end of next month, but I'll try and write again before then. Toodle pip.
Wednesday, 12 May 2010
Her face is a map of the world
A line from KT Turnstall. I was listening to her earlier because the clothes I was wearing out tonight were quite hippi-ish and I was adding a henna tattoo to my own foot. It didnt work too well, these professionals make it look much easier than it is.
Anyway, tonight was the contemporary Lens Media Awards ceremony. It was a lot of a laugh with the "Amy Winehouse award" for person to drink the most/spend most of this year drunk, the where's Wally award which no surprise went to Jess - less said about that the better - and other such awards for certificates. Then there was a few awards which went onto medals. I won "Most Opinionated". I'll try and get a picture of me and my medal on here at some later point. But although I'm thrilled enough people on my course know my name, I've become slightly paranoid that they've all voted for me as a way of calling me horrific names too evil for polite public or if they're cheering me on for the many arguments I've had against my lecturer when she puts people down on their work. I really hope it's the latter rather than the former because I would be heart broken if people saw me as a nasty person. I've tried so hard to be nice this year! I hope there's no malice behind the award......
Anyway, tonight was the contemporary Lens Media Awards ceremony. It was a lot of a laugh with the "Amy Winehouse award" for person to drink the most/spend most of this year drunk, the where's Wally award which no surprise went to Jess - less said about that the better - and other such awards for certificates. Then there was a few awards which went onto medals. I won "Most Opinionated". I'll try and get a picture of me and my medal on here at some later point. But although I'm thrilled enough people on my course know my name, I've become slightly paranoid that they've all voted for me as a way of calling me horrific names too evil for polite public or if they're cheering me on for the many arguments I've had against my lecturer when she puts people down on their work. I really hope it's the latter rather than the former because I would be heart broken if people saw me as a nasty person. I've tried so hard to be nice this year! I hope there's no malice behind the award......
Tuesday, 4 May 2010
Beware the return of the fifth
Yes, ok, I know this isn't a song, but honestly I've actually run out of numbers for the amount of times people have said "May the fourth be with you" today. (and yes, I know technically it is the fifth right now, but it's 8minutes to 2 and I haven't been to sleep yet so it doesn't count) I yet again appologise for the slackness of my ways and my lack of writing, but be nice, I've been poorly. Glandular Fever is not nice to have... Especially when you've given it to your boyfriend as well. We worked out why I have it anyway. When I was in San Francisco, I became really ill because of the amount of gluten-filled food I consumed. So my immune system was too busy attacking my innocent little stomach to notice the invasion of the army of Glandular Fever bugs that entered my body because I'd been sharing the same air as everyone else for the past 9 hours. Luckily, my alcohol-free month ends next week and my now thoroughly detox-ed and rather healthy physique is soon going to be trashed. I must admit though, it's not the lack of alcohol that's upset me over the past month, it's the lack of Sugarcubes.
Sugarcubes is my local nightclub where they play alternative music and I can't walk from one end to the other without running into at least an hours worth of people talking. I love the place and I'm pretty sure it was starting to love me when I left it for a month of bed-rest and detox... which turned into a month of barbeques, house parties and pyjama parties instead. The house party was with Luke and his friend from university, Liz for her 21st birthday. We spent the night eating Mexican food and Nachos, while watching Family Guy on telly. The Pyjama party was with my usual gang from Cubes who decided they couldn't be bothered hitting the clubs that night but wanted to hang out anyway, so we bought a shed load of snacks and fruit juice and just went nuts... well, when I say we went nuts we spent the night happily insulting one another and watching things on the internet that would make our mother's hair curl.... which now I think about it doesn't actually work in my case because a)my mother's hair is already curly and b) by the time we got to watching naughty things I had fallen asleep on the bed, the girls saying I was adorable and the boys considering how likely I would be to wake up if they started drawing hitler moustaches on me. Shame they didn't realise I was actually awake the entire time isn't it? But then my friend Max realised I was shivering quite badly in my pyjamas on the matress in front of the window (our host's bed) and decided to half drag/half carry me back to my flat. It was a fantastic night! The barbeque was really good though and made me very happy. You see, after the beginning of the year enslaught in my old flat with the 3 slags I used to live with, I had sort of accepted I wasn't ever going to make friends with anyone in my flats in first year. However, Josh (who lives to the left of me) asked if I wanted to join him, his girlfriend and their friends for a barbeque outside our flats and I agreed. The food was stunningly good, the people were awesome and we all had a really good time. I didn't get to bed until 12midnight and then it was only because I was too tired to carry on.
Anyway, since we last conversed... I would say spoke but a blog is really fairly one-sided... I have had a job as a photographer! That's right, I've sort of lived a bit of the dream. I spent an afternoon taking pictures for an almost-life-long friend of mine, Amy. Her band needed some promotional stuff so I took the pictures and she paid me £30 for doing so. Not exactly the amount a professional would have charged but a reasonable sum of money for an afternoons work. I was really quite proud of the pictures I took too. I also took some pictures for mum's friend Cassandra, but I did the very clever thing of not backing-up the pictures and loosing the memory card so I'm going to have to re-do that shoot... and I think it's only fair I do it for free. Getting a general job however, seems to be one of those "easier said than done" ordeals. All the places that have jobs going at the moment seem to either want full time placements or seem to hire the day before I get to them with my own CV. I wish things were as easy said as done because the amount of times people have said to me "Get a job" is starting to be annoying. Nowhere wants to employ someone with no past experience but I can't get any past experience because no-one wants anyone without it. The world is a very cruel place and I'm starting to get desperate. The only job offer either me or Luke has received is at a highschool back in Luke's home town and now we've got used to having each other around at the end of a phone-call, I'm not sure how we'll manage going back to doing the long-distance thing all over again.
Anyway, I appologise, but it is now 2:12am and I have a long day of staring at a computer-screen, willing the programme (Final Cut Pro) to jump at my face and start making sense. We all know that isn't going to happen however. Fun times. Goodnight world.
Sugarcubes is my local nightclub where they play alternative music and I can't walk from one end to the other without running into at least an hours worth of people talking. I love the place and I'm pretty sure it was starting to love me when I left it for a month of bed-rest and detox... which turned into a month of barbeques, house parties and pyjama parties instead. The house party was with Luke and his friend from university, Liz for her 21st birthday. We spent the night eating Mexican food and Nachos, while watching Family Guy on telly. The Pyjama party was with my usual gang from Cubes who decided they couldn't be bothered hitting the clubs that night but wanted to hang out anyway, so we bought a shed load of snacks and fruit juice and just went nuts... well, when I say we went nuts we spent the night happily insulting one another and watching things on the internet that would make our mother's hair curl.... which now I think about it doesn't actually work in my case because a)my mother's hair is already curly and b) by the time we got to watching naughty things I had fallen asleep on the bed, the girls saying I was adorable and the boys considering how likely I would be to wake up if they started drawing hitler moustaches on me. Shame they didn't realise I was actually awake the entire time isn't it? But then my friend Max realised I was shivering quite badly in my pyjamas on the matress in front of the window (our host's bed) and decided to half drag/half carry me back to my flat. It was a fantastic night! The barbeque was really good though and made me very happy. You see, after the beginning of the year enslaught in my old flat with the 3 slags I used to live with, I had sort of accepted I wasn't ever going to make friends with anyone in my flats in first year. However, Josh (who lives to the left of me) asked if I wanted to join him, his girlfriend and their friends for a barbeque outside our flats and I agreed. The food was stunningly good, the people were awesome and we all had a really good time. I didn't get to bed until 12midnight and then it was only because I was too tired to carry on.
Anyway, since we last conversed... I would say spoke but a blog is really fairly one-sided... I have had a job as a photographer! That's right, I've sort of lived a bit of the dream. I spent an afternoon taking pictures for an almost-life-long friend of mine, Amy. Her band needed some promotional stuff so I took the pictures and she paid me £30 for doing so. Not exactly the amount a professional would have charged but a reasonable sum of money for an afternoons work. I was really quite proud of the pictures I took too. I also took some pictures for mum's friend Cassandra, but I did the very clever thing of not backing-up the pictures and loosing the memory card so I'm going to have to re-do that shoot... and I think it's only fair I do it for free. Getting a general job however, seems to be one of those "easier said than done" ordeals. All the places that have jobs going at the moment seem to either want full time placements or seem to hire the day before I get to them with my own CV. I wish things were as easy said as done because the amount of times people have said to me "Get a job" is starting to be annoying. Nowhere wants to employ someone with no past experience but I can't get any past experience because no-one wants anyone without it. The world is a very cruel place and I'm starting to get desperate. The only job offer either me or Luke has received is at a highschool back in Luke's home town and now we've got used to having each other around at the end of a phone-call, I'm not sure how we'll manage going back to doing the long-distance thing all over again.
Anyway, I appologise, but it is now 2:12am and I have a long day of staring at a computer-screen, willing the programme (Final Cut Pro) to jump at my face and start making sense. We all know that isn't going to happen however. Fun times. Goodnight world.
Wednesday, 14 April 2010
Dream of Californication
I tried to do some retail therapy today to cheer myself up a bit, it didn't work, but they were playing "Californication" by the Red Hot Chilli Peppers in one of the shops I went in, so that's where todays title comes from. I know, I'm getting bad at this, it's been ages since I last wrote. But I got some bad news today. Since San Francisco, I've been really tired, feeling a little under the weather. So I went for a blood test last week. Over the past 2 days I've become really ill, headaches, blocked nose, sore throat, sore eyes, bad sinuses, the works, and I got the results back from the blood test today. Someone has given me glandular fever!! I know that it's known to spread by kissing, but it's generally a really contagious virus that can be picked up from sharing a glass with someone etc. so my boyfriend gets to keep my trust, I know he wouldn't kiss anyone else anyway. Unfortunately, the only means of getting rid of it is to have loads of bedrest and what-not. So basically, I'm not allowed to go out clubbing or drinking for like the next MONTH! Which is really horrible after some of the amazing nights out I've had recently. On the plus side, I now have a doctors note to ask if I can have extended deadlines and things! This helps on so many different levels, not that I'm that far behind, but with the 3rd years playing their "we have priority over 1st years in the studio" card all the time, I've not much chance of catching up quick. Luke has been really nice about it. We had a laugh when the result came back and we went into town and bought some strawberries from the farmers market. He's invited me to stay at his house for the next few nights so I don't get lonely and he's agreed to be my model for one of my projects, and convinced his housemate to model for my other one.
I know it's a bad post this week, but it's the best I'm doing. Sorry peoples, I will write again in my health-deprived state, but for now, adieu xx
I know it's a bad post this week, but it's the best I'm doing. Sorry peoples, I will write again in my health-deprived state, but for now, adieu xx
Sunday, 28 March 2010
And I'll lay down on the cold ground...
Gah! This is the song used for an advert for a new film, and I know the song, I've heard it a thousand times but I'll be damned if I remember what it's called or who it's by. It's one of those things where it grates against your very being for weeks, maybe even months, and suddenly, poof! There it will be at 3am, when you're laying in a nice, warm, toasty bed, feeling all relaxed and snuggley and you'll think "Fantastic! but no WAY am I writing it down now, I'll do it tomorrow" and when you wake up, it'll be gone.
* * * * *
5 minutes and a trip through Google later:
Set Fire to the Third Bar by Snow Patrol. That'll be why I know it so well because if you haven't already guessed, I love Snow Patrol at the moment. Oh the joys of refusing to go to bed at half past midnight. Usually I would go straight to bed and read until I got really tired... about 1am usually. But I don't have a book to read that I haven't already read, I'm alone in my flat for the night and I have messed up medication that is causing me to be really tired but doesnt let me sleep. I'm going home for the first week of Easter that starts officially tomorrow and am going to get a blood test done so they can say that yes, I do have thyroid problems and give me some bigger pills!
It's been quite a boring and unproductive day today unfortunately. I have no (horrible) looming deadline, no-one is in Lincoln, I'm kind of stuck with not much that I need to do thats pressing and nothing particularly fun to do, so I finished watching the DVD box set Luke bought me for Christmas. The last episode made me cry, they kill off my favourite character! But of course I already knew this having already read the books. I'm considering buying the Gavin and Stacey box set now, but don't know if it'll have been ruined slightly being that I've watched the second-to-last and last episodes already. Ah well, we'll see.
OH! Almost forgetting! I finally followed the advice my parents and people have been giving me, printed off a stack of copies of my CV on good paper and took them round EVERYWHERE in Lincoln yesterday looking for a job. I found 2 that seemed very promising indeed. Cloud Bar has some other CLM students (my course) working there so they know what we're like and Dogma seemed likely to take me too, so I could end up being a bar girl in the summer. Me and Luke have agreed that if we both get good jobs and work at them over the next year we're going to take our first holiday together to Ireland, just me and him. I'm really excited and so obviously desperate to get a job of some kind! Also I think I'm going to buy myself a money box or something and put maybe £10 in a week or something like that so I should have a decent kitty by next year. Hopefully if we don't use all that money, we might be able to pay for a deposit on a house as well. Exciting times ahead for sure.
Last weekend I went to my parents home because my Great Aunt and Uncle were having their (Silver?) wedding anniversary, there was jokes about it being my mum and dad's turn to have big anniversaries next, but I was stood there thinking "well, me and Luke aren't exactly planning on NOT getting married!" I mean, we'll have been together for 5 years next year. My cousin Joanne was talking about how her and her husband were together for 10 years before they got married, but every time me and Luke talk about the future, he keeps saying "but I don't want to be near 30 years old before we have children!" So hopefully, won't have too many years to wait before we're having an engagement party. I know it's a bit mental to be thinking about these things and people keep saying "don't wish your life away!" but I'm not wishing it away, I'm just thinking about the exciting things that are to come because that's all you can really do on those days when you haven't really spoken to anyone in person, only over the internet etc.
Mmmm, maybe it is time to go to bed. 1am is a respectable time to go to bed for a student isn't it? haha! goodnight world.
* * * * *
5 minutes and a trip through Google later:
Set Fire to the Third Bar by Snow Patrol. That'll be why I know it so well because if you haven't already guessed, I love Snow Patrol at the moment. Oh the joys of refusing to go to bed at half past midnight. Usually I would go straight to bed and read until I got really tired... about 1am usually. But I don't have a book to read that I haven't already read, I'm alone in my flat for the night and I have messed up medication that is causing me to be really tired but doesnt let me sleep. I'm going home for the first week of Easter that starts officially tomorrow and am going to get a blood test done so they can say that yes, I do have thyroid problems and give me some bigger pills!
It's been quite a boring and unproductive day today unfortunately. I have no (horrible) looming deadline, no-one is in Lincoln, I'm kind of stuck with not much that I need to do thats pressing and nothing particularly fun to do, so I finished watching the DVD box set Luke bought me for Christmas. The last episode made me cry, they kill off my favourite character! But of course I already knew this having already read the books. I'm considering buying the Gavin and Stacey box set now, but don't know if it'll have been ruined slightly being that I've watched the second-to-last and last episodes already. Ah well, we'll see.
OH! Almost forgetting! I finally followed the advice my parents and people have been giving me, printed off a stack of copies of my CV on good paper and took them round EVERYWHERE in Lincoln yesterday looking for a job. I found 2 that seemed very promising indeed. Cloud Bar has some other CLM students (my course) working there so they know what we're like and Dogma seemed likely to take me too, so I could end up being a bar girl in the summer. Me and Luke have agreed that if we both get good jobs and work at them over the next year we're going to take our first holiday together to Ireland, just me and him. I'm really excited and so obviously desperate to get a job of some kind! Also I think I'm going to buy myself a money box or something and put maybe £10 in a week or something like that so I should have a decent kitty by next year. Hopefully if we don't use all that money, we might be able to pay for a deposit on a house as well. Exciting times ahead for sure.
Last weekend I went to my parents home because my Great Aunt and Uncle were having their (Silver?) wedding anniversary, there was jokes about it being my mum and dad's turn to have big anniversaries next, but I was stood there thinking "well, me and Luke aren't exactly planning on NOT getting married!" I mean, we'll have been together for 5 years next year. My cousin Joanne was talking about how her and her husband were together for 10 years before they got married, but every time me and Luke talk about the future, he keeps saying "but I don't want to be near 30 years old before we have children!" So hopefully, won't have too many years to wait before we're having an engagement party. I know it's a bit mental to be thinking about these things and people keep saying "don't wish your life away!" but I'm not wishing it away, I'm just thinking about the exciting things that are to come because that's all you can really do on those days when you haven't really spoken to anyone in person, only over the internet etc.
Mmmm, maybe it is time to go to bed. 1am is a respectable time to go to bed for a student isn't it? haha! goodnight world.
Thursday, 25 March 2010
Mellitus, my video project
I appologise for the state of that upload, here's the link if you would like to see the full screen of the video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QnleXBAXHqU
if it's in blue, just click on the link, if not, copy and paste it into the internet web-address and it'll take you through to youtube where you should be able to see a full-screen version of the film. Once again, I appologise.
Good day x
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QnleXBAXHqU
if it's in blue, just click on the link, if not, copy and paste it into the internet web-address and it'll take you through to youtube where you should be able to see a full-screen version of the film. Once again, I appologise.
Good day x
I can see clearly now the rain has gone
It's that song they use on the advert for.... some form of yoghurt I think. But I was reading the blog called "The Daily Nail" and one of her posts had this title which seemed very appropriate for the weather we're having in Lincoln at the moment. The coat is off and I think summer is surely just around the corner. I can't wait!
I can't believe how long ago it is since I wrote one of these last. Time just seems to be slipping through my fingers since I got back from San Francisco, but hopefully with a week of no lectures being in my flat I should be able to sort my life out. I've finally done the clever thing and got myself a copy of the student finance application form, so will hopefully have that done and sent off by the end of easter. I'm going to be working on my history stuff over easter and it shouldn't take too long, I only have 2 of the 4 essays I can work on anyway because we're half way through the television section of work and I've already done the 19th century essay. Me and Lauren are heading into town to find the elusive "collection" art gallery to see if we can find any work we like and just so we can stick 2 fingers up at our lecturer and say we have been. Unfortunately, my last unit of work for photography - portrait of a worker - didn't go according to plan due to a faulty flash gun and my forgetful memory so I'll be adding yet another photoshoot to the already done 2 lots, not that I can see my dad complaining about that, I think he's rather been enjoying cooking eggs and bacon for me every day before he starts working and I start taking the pictures. Speaking of past projects, here is my video project:
I really don't like it, but well, I'm only just starting out as a video maker and I probably won't carry on after this year. I'm much more excited about my next unit of work! It's called "single take" and I think it's going to be really hard to shoot but if it ends up anything like what I have in my head it'll definitely be something to be proud of. I'm considering making a brand new blog all together for my photography work, or maybe a website but I don't really want to pay the horrific prices for an actual website while I'm not making any money.
Speaking of... I got a few photography jobs on my way! My friend Amy wants some pictures of her with her band for CD covers and posters and things and has asked me to do the work, also my mum's friend has asked if I'll do the same for her stain glass work and they're both paying me, so I'm quite excited. especially as it'll all be work worthy of my portfolio, or so I hope.
I promise I'll try and write more often, but at the moment my medication isn't doing everything I need it to, so I've been pretty worn out recently. I'm going into hospital for a blood test over easter so they can sort out what medication I need to be on and how much I need, so until then, I'm going to be very worn out, so I'm sure you can forgive me for making this so brief and not writing much. I will write again soon. Ciao for now.
I can't believe how long ago it is since I wrote one of these last. Time just seems to be slipping through my fingers since I got back from San Francisco, but hopefully with a week of no lectures being in my flat I should be able to sort my life out. I've finally done the clever thing and got myself a copy of the student finance application form, so will hopefully have that done and sent off by the end of easter. I'm going to be working on my history stuff over easter and it shouldn't take too long, I only have 2 of the 4 essays I can work on anyway because we're half way through the television section of work and I've already done the 19th century essay. Me and Lauren are heading into town to find the elusive "collection" art gallery to see if we can find any work we like and just so we can stick 2 fingers up at our lecturer and say we have been. Unfortunately, my last unit of work for photography - portrait of a worker - didn't go according to plan due to a faulty flash gun and my forgetful memory so I'll be adding yet another photoshoot to the already done 2 lots, not that I can see my dad complaining about that, I think he's rather been enjoying cooking eggs and bacon for me every day before he starts working and I start taking the pictures. Speaking of past projects, here is my video project:
I really don't like it, but well, I'm only just starting out as a video maker and I probably won't carry on after this year. I'm much more excited about my next unit of work! It's called "single take" and I think it's going to be really hard to shoot but if it ends up anything like what I have in my head it'll definitely be something to be proud of. I'm considering making a brand new blog all together for my photography work, or maybe a website but I don't really want to pay the horrific prices for an actual website while I'm not making any money.
Speaking of... I got a few photography jobs on my way! My friend Amy wants some pictures of her with her band for CD covers and posters and things and has asked me to do the work, also my mum's friend has asked if I'll do the same for her stain glass work and they're both paying me, so I'm quite excited. especially as it'll all be work worthy of my portfolio, or so I hope.
I promise I'll try and write more often, but at the moment my medication isn't doing everything I need it to, so I've been pretty worn out recently. I'm going into hospital for a blood test over easter so they can sort out what medication I need to be on and how much I need, so until then, I'm going to be very worn out, so I'm sure you can forgive me for making this so brief and not writing much. I will write again soon. Ciao for now.
Friday, 5 March 2010
I hope you had the time of your life
Yes I most certainly did Billy Joe Armstrong (Lead singer of Greenday, this is a line from their accoustic song "Good riddence" which is one of my favourites), yes I did! I got back from San Francisco last friday and am absolutely wiped out! I have to say, I know California is known as a really beautiful state in America, but I had no idea just how beautiful until our plane landed and we were heading to the hotel on the 17th Feburary 2010. It's so BRIGHT over there, the sun is apparently at least 2 shades brighter than over in England. (Our lecturer told us the actual scientific term for it, but he told us on the last day, so how was I expected to remember this? I know it was 2 units of whatever though, I remember that much) I've made a little scrap book to remember my time over there and will soon be printing my pictures and putting them into a photo album... When I remember to copy my pictures back from my laptop to my memory cards that is anyway. Well just to give you a sneeky preview, here's one of my favourite pictures of me stood in front of the Golden Gate Bridge:
Most of the time the temperature was about 18 degrees celcius (I don't care if that's the wrong spelling, I'm used to putting that with the little circle thing and then a big C, but I dont know how to do the little circle thing so you'll have to make so with my bad spelling) so there was no fog but really bright sunny days. It was actually warm enough to wander around in teeshirts and maybe a light cardigan... in Feburary, let me stress that point, FEBURARY! It was beautiful.
We visited Alcatraz on one of the days and again had crystal clear bright sunshine so from the outside the little island looks like one of the most beautiful places on earth, but on the inside the light poured in on the cracked floors and chipped paint, giving all my pictures a really creepy, spooky feeling, like happiness was desperately trying to get in but couldn't quite make the place look beautiful. Wandering round taking pictures when you have the sounds of the worst of the wosrt prisoners screaming in your ears? Wow, it's a bit surreal. My parents were impressed when the memento I bought myself from Alcatraz was a baseball, I felt slightly wrong going all the way to America and not coming back with one! I got my dad a fantastic little book called "Al Capone does my shirts" about a man that was raised on Alcatraz because his dad was a prison guard. Some of the stories they told on that island were really freaky and I wish I could tell them, well I might in my next blog, because I don't want this one going on too long.
We also went to Castro, gay central. I bought a comic book for Luke from there which he has already finished reading because he liked it so much and again, there are many stories I could tell about Castro, but I'll leave them for another day.
We spent an hour or so in Berkley but never actually made it to the university. The people I went with decided they didn't really want to look round so we just bought a chinese (best chinese ever, second only to the meals WenWen and BaoBao used to cook me back in my old flat) and we used the tram system every day. Union Square is possibly the most expensive place I have ever been! One of the girls I met, Nikki, bought a tiny replica of the trams made from silver with a little moving man inside for $40, but I didn't want to spend that much on one item. There was a perfect little charm bracelet shop on the Pier selling charms of the trams, but I dont have a charm bracelet and already wear 2 necklaces so I wasn't going to waste $25 on one of them, although sometimes I wish I had because they were so pretty!
I must say, one thing I found really hard was finding suitable food. In our hotel room we didn't have the option of cooking for ourselves so we had to eat out for every single meal. Seriously, the only food I could find when eating out was steak, burgers and salads. You were lucky to find a place that sold vegetarian option burgers and some places didn't even do vegetarian salad! Of course this meant that by the end of the first week, I was really ill due to the build up of gluten from the non-gluten-free food I kept being served. The other people in the groups were saying they'd never eaten so much fried and junk food, I was saying I'd never eaten so much salad because that's the only gluten-free option I could find ANYWHERE. I was so relieved to get home, go to Wetherspoons and have my first jacket potato of the past 10 days. On the plane the people who could eat normal food had the choice of eating Pasta and I'm surprised but I haven't actually had any pasta yet. Probably because I only have enough for one serving and want my usual years supply in my cupboard before I eat any more!
Anyway, I would love to carry on babbling at you all but I have a video lecture at 1:30pm today and have a few "errends" to run before I meet up with Lauren in Starbucks (our usual meeting place) and head off. So I shall write again soon. hope you enjoyed this weeks edition of "random babblings of the Ella kind, this week in American".
Most of the time the temperature was about 18 degrees celcius (I don't care if that's the wrong spelling, I'm used to putting that with the little circle thing and then a big C, but I dont know how to do the little circle thing so you'll have to make so with my bad spelling) so there was no fog but really bright sunny days. It was actually warm enough to wander around in teeshirts and maybe a light cardigan... in Feburary, let me stress that point, FEBURARY! It was beautiful.
We visited Alcatraz on one of the days and again had crystal clear bright sunshine so from the outside the little island looks like one of the most beautiful places on earth, but on the inside the light poured in on the cracked floors and chipped paint, giving all my pictures a really creepy, spooky feeling, like happiness was desperately trying to get in but couldn't quite make the place look beautiful. Wandering round taking pictures when you have the sounds of the worst of the wosrt prisoners screaming in your ears? Wow, it's a bit surreal. My parents were impressed when the memento I bought myself from Alcatraz was a baseball, I felt slightly wrong going all the way to America and not coming back with one! I got my dad a fantastic little book called "Al Capone does my shirts" about a man that was raised on Alcatraz because his dad was a prison guard. Some of the stories they told on that island were really freaky and I wish I could tell them, well I might in my next blog, because I don't want this one going on too long.
We also went to Castro, gay central. I bought a comic book for Luke from there which he has already finished reading because he liked it so much and again, there are many stories I could tell about Castro, but I'll leave them for another day.
We spent an hour or so in Berkley but never actually made it to the university. The people I went with decided they didn't really want to look round so we just bought a chinese (best chinese ever, second only to the meals WenWen and BaoBao used to cook me back in my old flat) and we used the tram system every day. Union Square is possibly the most expensive place I have ever been! One of the girls I met, Nikki, bought a tiny replica of the trams made from silver with a little moving man inside for $40, but I didn't want to spend that much on one item. There was a perfect little charm bracelet shop on the Pier selling charms of the trams, but I dont have a charm bracelet and already wear 2 necklaces so I wasn't going to waste $25 on one of them, although sometimes I wish I had because they were so pretty!
I must say, one thing I found really hard was finding suitable food. In our hotel room we didn't have the option of cooking for ourselves so we had to eat out for every single meal. Seriously, the only food I could find when eating out was steak, burgers and salads. You were lucky to find a place that sold vegetarian option burgers and some places didn't even do vegetarian salad! Of course this meant that by the end of the first week, I was really ill due to the build up of gluten from the non-gluten-free food I kept being served. The other people in the groups were saying they'd never eaten so much fried and junk food, I was saying I'd never eaten so much salad because that's the only gluten-free option I could find ANYWHERE. I was so relieved to get home, go to Wetherspoons and have my first jacket potato of the past 10 days. On the plane the people who could eat normal food had the choice of eating Pasta and I'm surprised but I haven't actually had any pasta yet. Probably because I only have enough for one serving and want my usual years supply in my cupboard before I eat any more!
Anyway, I would love to carry on babbling at you all but I have a video lecture at 1:30pm today and have a few "errends" to run before I meet up with Lauren in Starbucks (our usual meeting place) and head off. So I shall write again soon. hope you enjoyed this weeks edition of "random babblings of the Ella kind, this week in American".
Monday, 15 February 2010
I don't see what anyone can see in anyone else but you
Yesterday was of course valentines day, supposedly the most romantic day of the year and of course I had someone to spend it with again this year. This is the third valentines day me and Luke have been together for, but this time we managed to sort out the entire day by ourselves, with no-one giving us lifts, we booked the resteraunt ourselves and got home when we wanted to. He took me to "Zucchini's" Resteraunt which is near my lecture hall, where they serve GLUTEN-FREE PASTA!! Even more romantic than usual because the meal I had was the first pasta meal I have had in a Resteraunt for over 2 years. It was wonderful, and probably would have been even better had I not ordered the pasta dish with chillis as the main ingredients for the sauce. It really was rather hot, but not too bad so I survived without setting fire to my hair or steaming up the glasses on the lady sat next door to me. However, half way through the meal I was becoming very hot in the face so I ordered a Bailies on the rocks as it contains milk (even in small quantities) and everything was fine. After the meal we walked down to the Odeon cinema together to watch "Percy Jackson and the lightening thief". Luke had said I could choose the film that we went to see and I think he was expecting to be forced to sit and watch "Valentines day", but when we got there I think we were both relieved I'd gone with the more masculine choice, the cinema was packed! There was at least a half hours queue to get into Valentines day which promised chick-flicky, gooey style romance over the mythical fantastical-ness of the Lightening Thief. The graphics were breath-taking as per usual, the story line was just fantastical enough to be weird, but understandable enough to be realistic, it was fantastic! I highly reccommend it. After the film we came back to my flat and sat up listening to the entertaining sound of my flatmates on either side of my room shouting obscenities between each other in voices that could almost pass for juvenile-come-puberty age. Good times.
Anyway, before my valentines day treat, my parents came to visit me. We watched "Shellshock" together, (Starring me, in case you don't read any of my other blogs) and they were really quite impressed. They said that my acting wasn't as plastic as I thought (But I still don't believe
* * * * * * * * * *
6 HOURS LATER
2:03am
Sorry about that, I got a phone call from a friend called Jenny saying she wanted to go to kareoke at the Mezz Bar (the one right by where I live) and I've not seen her in ages so thought I would meet up. I ended up singing "Big black horse and a cherry tree" by KT Turnstall and "Fields of Gold" by Eva Cassidy. I gotta say, KT Turnstall was cringingly bad, but Eva Cassidy was pretty good and I got a massive cheer at the end. It was really quite a good night.
I'm sorry, I was going to make this a really long heartfelt blog, but thanks to the night I just had I need to finish packing for San Fransisco and get some sleep before tomorrow, it's going to be a big day full of lecture and all sorts, so I gotta sign out. I'll write again the SECOND I get near a computer with internet access, needless to say my laptop will not be joining me on the other side of the pond xxx
Anyway, before my valentines day treat, my parents came to visit me. We watched "Shellshock" together, (Starring me, in case you don't read any of my other blogs) and they were really quite impressed. They said that my acting wasn't as plastic as I thought (But I still don't believe
* * * * * * * * * *
6 HOURS LATER
2:03am
Sorry about that, I got a phone call from a friend called Jenny saying she wanted to go to kareoke at the Mezz Bar (the one right by where I live) and I've not seen her in ages so thought I would meet up. I ended up singing "Big black horse and a cherry tree" by KT Turnstall and "Fields of Gold" by Eva Cassidy. I gotta say, KT Turnstall was cringingly bad, but Eva Cassidy was pretty good and I got a massive cheer at the end. It was really quite a good night.
I'm sorry, I was going to make this a really long heartfelt blog, but thanks to the night I just had I need to finish packing for San Fransisco and get some sleep before tomorrow, it's going to be a big day full of lecture and all sorts, so I gotta sign out. I'll write again the SECOND I get near a computer with internet access, needless to say my laptop will not be joining me on the other side of the pond xxx
Wednesday, 10 February 2010
San Fransisco babe passed me 39
I was really surprised when I was listening to Stereophonics the other day and realised that this is actually where I'll be staying next week for the san fran trip with my university. That's right, the trip is only a week away now, can't believe it! Before then, of course, is valentines day and for the Third year running (Luke asked me out in March so we missed the first one) I am not spending it alone. Luke has booked us into a resteraunt in Lincoln called Zucchinis, which seems oddly appropriate to be going to an American named resteraunt 3 days before we're due to set off. I've got myself a dress to wear and I got Luke a good present that's taken a while to put together and is simple, very sweet and I think he'll like it more than the typical valentine stereotypical junk they bring out this time of year. It didn't cost me much to put together either and I can reuse the idea every year because... Well, I don't want to publish on here in case he decides to read this before then.
Just had another look around my room and had another depressing sence of "I need to tidy this before I go". You ever want to be really depressed and unmotivated? Just don't tidy your room for a few days. But I have to tidy it because without doing so I have no space to put the printer I bought in town today next to my laptop. It's an Epson and they're awesome. The printer itself was £49.99, the lead to plug it in (cheeky buggers) was £9.99 and the guy tried to sell me insurance for it as well. Does anyone else ever get really worried that the guys in the shop somehow rig your merchandise to break down immediately if you don't buy the insurance or is it just me that gets that feeling? Yes? No? Maybe I'm just weird.
I got the result back for my photography project, the one I put my blood, sweat and tears into, the one I slaved over all christmas, the one I worked so hard on. I got another third. I hate our lecturer. And yes I am valid in saying this because the evil beast didn't give me any feedback other than "Half the class got a third". Oh, wonderful, so my mark is based on how everyone else did then? Also when I handed in my work she said it was wonderful and she understood the story perfectly, then did a complete U-turn and said she DIDN'T understand the story and that it didn't portray the history of the event. I'm sorry, but if anyone else in the world has managed to capture the history of an event, the story of the event, the emotions of the event and the event itself then please let me know how on earth you did this because I'm stumped. i'm meeting with her on Friday to find out what the deal is.
Just to make you laugh, here's my recent photoshop work for photography too.
That's of course a cross between me and Luke but it worked so well I just had to show you all! I also tried combining myself with some of the actresses from Charmed, a television series I became obsessed with a while back. In some cases, like the cross of me and Rose McGowen, the effect was quite good and apart from a general lack of freckles we weren't that obviously crossed. However, in the case of Alyssa Millano, well, she's very tanned... and when her face is warped to be the same shape as mine she looks really weird! It was good fun. I don't expect a good mark though as I didn't hand in any research and the research I DID do that I could hand in is really bad because artists don't bother doing this kind of work. I looked at Wanda Wulz who has a total of one paragraph written about her on each website, saying mostly the same things over and over and Daniel Lee who again only had one decent paragraph.
I got the Shellshocked DVD today. Sophy, the manager, had posted me £10 HMV vouchers! I can add that to my £15 Accessorise vouchers and £10(?) Waterstones vouchers and go shopping tomorrow. Mum says she's hopefully going to come visiting on Saturday and I hope she does because I'd like to watch the film with her. If not then never mind, I'll go to her so dad and Brendan can watch at the same time.
Speaking of mum coming down, we had a hailstorm this morning!! I went out with some of the people on my course yesterday and we did a fund raising night for the earthquake victims of Haiti. We met at a place called Essence which is a cross between a pub and a club and were each given a task sheet. the tasks were things like drink 3 shots, down half a pint of guiness and that kind of thing, so as you can imagine... The world was very loud to my poor hung over ears this morning. Then the hail started and I was not a happy girl. Why did I drag my poor hungover body out of bed at 8am you ask? Me and my friend Lauren went to the studio to take pictures of lighting set ups and what-not and ended up having a mighty good time, even if the technicians were laughing at me eating paracetamol and chugging orange juice. As my daddy often says, water is not "wet" enough for hangover mouth. It's gotta be tropicana orange juice and it was very nice.
I just went into the kitchen to attempt to turn on our tempremental dish washer (I think it has moods), and have found an iron. I didn't know we had an iron. I wonder if we have an ironing board too? If we do it means I can iron out the dodgy pleats in my valentines day dress. Yay! Right, on with tidying my room. You watch, I'll set out to tidy my room and in an hour or so the place will still be a tip, but my video work will be done. Oh the weird weird phenomenon that is procrastination.
Just had another look around my room and had another depressing sence of "I need to tidy this before I go". You ever want to be really depressed and unmotivated? Just don't tidy your room for a few days. But I have to tidy it because without doing so I have no space to put the printer I bought in town today next to my laptop. It's an Epson and they're awesome. The printer itself was £49.99, the lead to plug it in (cheeky buggers) was £9.99 and the guy tried to sell me insurance for it as well. Does anyone else ever get really worried that the guys in the shop somehow rig your merchandise to break down immediately if you don't buy the insurance or is it just me that gets that feeling? Yes? No? Maybe I'm just weird.
I got the result back for my photography project, the one I put my blood, sweat and tears into, the one I slaved over all christmas, the one I worked so hard on. I got another third. I hate our lecturer. And yes I am valid in saying this because the evil beast didn't give me any feedback other than "Half the class got a third". Oh, wonderful, so my mark is based on how everyone else did then? Also when I handed in my work she said it was wonderful and she understood the story perfectly, then did a complete U-turn and said she DIDN'T understand the story and that it didn't portray the history of the event. I'm sorry, but if anyone else in the world has managed to capture the history of an event, the story of the event, the emotions of the event and the event itself then please let me know how on earth you did this because I'm stumped. i'm meeting with her on Friday to find out what the deal is.
Just to make you laugh, here's my recent photoshop work for photography too.
That's of course a cross between me and Luke but it worked so well I just had to show you all! I also tried combining myself with some of the actresses from Charmed, a television series I became obsessed with a while back. In some cases, like the cross of me and Rose McGowen, the effect was quite good and apart from a general lack of freckles we weren't that obviously crossed. However, in the case of Alyssa Millano, well, she's very tanned... and when her face is warped to be the same shape as mine she looks really weird! It was good fun. I don't expect a good mark though as I didn't hand in any research and the research I DID do that I could hand in is really bad because artists don't bother doing this kind of work. I looked at Wanda Wulz who has a total of one paragraph written about her on each website, saying mostly the same things over and over and Daniel Lee who again only had one decent paragraph.
I got the Shellshocked DVD today. Sophy, the manager, had posted me £10 HMV vouchers! I can add that to my £15 Accessorise vouchers and £10(?) Waterstones vouchers and go shopping tomorrow. Mum says she's hopefully going to come visiting on Saturday and I hope she does because I'd like to watch the film with her. If not then never mind, I'll go to her so dad and Brendan can watch at the same time.
Speaking of mum coming down, we had a hailstorm this morning!! I went out with some of the people on my course yesterday and we did a fund raising night for the earthquake victims of Haiti. We met at a place called Essence which is a cross between a pub and a club and were each given a task sheet. the tasks were things like drink 3 shots, down half a pint of guiness and that kind of thing, so as you can imagine... The world was very loud to my poor hung over ears this morning. Then the hail started and I was not a happy girl. Why did I drag my poor hungover body out of bed at 8am you ask? Me and my friend Lauren went to the studio to take pictures of lighting set ups and what-not and ended up having a mighty good time, even if the technicians were laughing at me eating paracetamol and chugging orange juice. As my daddy often says, water is not "wet" enough for hangover mouth. It's gotta be tropicana orange juice and it was very nice.
I just went into the kitchen to attempt to turn on our tempremental dish washer (I think it has moods), and have found an iron. I didn't know we had an iron. I wonder if we have an ironing board too? If we do it means I can iron out the dodgy pleats in my valentines day dress. Yay! Right, on with tidying my room. You watch, I'll set out to tidy my room and in an hour or so the place will still be a tip, but my video work will be done. Oh the weird weird phenomenon that is procrastination.
Friday, 29 January 2010
If I had a million dollars, I'd be rich
That song is going through my head right now, and is incredibly appropriate as my mum rung me the other day to give me some EXCELLENT news... Student Finance have re-assessed my situation, decided that actually I'm NOT Paris Hilton and given me a lovely present of a £1000 grant! Yay I can afford to live! The money is getting saved up for the rest of the year to go towards my terrible spending habits in Morrisons reduced-to-clear section so I can afford to eat without worrying now. I'm happy, although I must admit, I did spend a little of the money when I was out shopping with some of my friends yesterday. The money went towards a new bakini, a track suit so I can start going to the gym and a new dress which I wore last night when out with Luke and his friends who will one day be my future housemates.
You know, I've just thought that if you're reading this and you're a person that doesn't know me you don't really know what I look like or Luke for that matter. Well I'm not good at describing myself and if I told you about Luke you'd probably be imagining some ginger-bearded pirate viking from the late 1700's. So I am now going to proceed to attempt to upload a picture of us (Out at our favourite nightclub, sugarcubes, taken last night) so you have some idea of who we are.
I'm the one without the beard in case you're wondering, and we're dancing in the picture, we're not horribly mutated as the picture might suggest. Do you like the dress by the way? I love it! Although I must say at the beginning of the night with the little black dress and bright red lipstick I felt a bit like a gangsters wife, but ah well, Luke says I looked good! It took me so long to try and work out how to upload this I can't actually remember what else I was going to say.....
* * * * *
OH I remember! I'm going home this weekend for an optitions appointment and also for the solstice gathering with mum and dads boarder morris side. I'm supposed to wear black and amber when I'm out with them, but as I'm going specifically so I can take pictures I thought that might look a bit like we're blowing our own horn so I'm just going in normal clothes. Luke will be there as his little brother Robbie is going to be dancing too. This is why I'm writing this now because I know I won't have time over the weekend.
I've had to change what I'm doing for my video project. I was originally going to do "Mr. Rocks adventure" about a pet rock who falls off his shelf and goes for a little adventure but realised that a)I dont have enough time to do it, b)I dont have enough people willing to do it and c)I'm not drunk enough to come up with a good idea of how he can get around with no legs. It was going to be one of those bright and colourful childrens shows that makes little kids really happy and excited and scares the living daylights out of their parents, you know the sort, the sort of scary thing theyre always playing on the CBBC channel nowadays. But like I said, certain reasons have stopped me doing this. So now I'm doing a project much closer to home and a lot more depressing. Instead I'm doing a very sad story about a young woman who becomes ill, thinks she is pregnant but it turns out she actually has diabetes. This is something I've been thinking about for a while because I was going to write a book in the style of Helen Fielding's Bridget Jones' Diary, but decided that the little bit where she is diagnosed could easily be done in a very visually pleasing way within the space of about 2 minutes which is what the brief is asking for. Unfortunately, the girl is going to have to be a student because I don't know anyone living in a normal house around here and really can't be bothered getting up at 9am just hand the camera back in, 9am is a time no student should ever have to see or even know of its existence.
The photography project this time could be quite interesting and I may post my final results. We have to take a picture of ourselves and merge our faces with a friend and then with an animal. One of the girls on the course has done an excellent job of turning herself into a pig-woman and I'm feeling rather jealous. But as I am going home this weekend I may pin down my cat Willow and merge my face with hers so I can always look back and remember the morngy old thing. (If you dont know this word then it's probably what my family would call a "mum-ism", being a word my mum had made up out of nowhere, she has a whole dictionary full of them. Anyway it basically means something that complains. A LOT.)
Well I'm going to finish now. I fell asleep in my lecture for a minute or two, so decided to take an hour power nap when I got back to my apartment at 5pm. Two minutes later it was 9:30pm and everyone in my flat had gone home for the weekend. So now I don't want to get a shower at this time but still have to pack my bag for this weekend and write down the train times so I know what time to get up in the morning and what trains to catch. Ciao for now.
You know, I've just thought that if you're reading this and you're a person that doesn't know me you don't really know what I look like or Luke for that matter. Well I'm not good at describing myself and if I told you about Luke you'd probably be imagining some ginger-bearded pirate viking from the late 1700's. So I am now going to proceed to attempt to upload a picture of us (Out at our favourite nightclub, sugarcubes, taken last night) so you have some idea of who we are.
I'm the one without the beard in case you're wondering, and we're dancing in the picture, we're not horribly mutated as the picture might suggest. Do you like the dress by the way? I love it! Although I must say at the beginning of the night with the little black dress and bright red lipstick I felt a bit like a gangsters wife, but ah well, Luke says I looked good! It took me so long to try and work out how to upload this I can't actually remember what else I was going to say.....
* * * * *
OH I remember! I'm going home this weekend for an optitions appointment and also for the solstice gathering with mum and dads boarder morris side. I'm supposed to wear black and amber when I'm out with them, but as I'm going specifically so I can take pictures I thought that might look a bit like we're blowing our own horn so I'm just going in normal clothes. Luke will be there as his little brother Robbie is going to be dancing too. This is why I'm writing this now because I know I won't have time over the weekend.
I've had to change what I'm doing for my video project. I was originally going to do "Mr. Rocks adventure" about a pet rock who falls off his shelf and goes for a little adventure but realised that a)I dont have enough time to do it, b)I dont have enough people willing to do it and c)I'm not drunk enough to come up with a good idea of how he can get around with no legs. It was going to be one of those bright and colourful childrens shows that makes little kids really happy and excited and scares the living daylights out of their parents, you know the sort, the sort of scary thing theyre always playing on the CBBC channel nowadays. But like I said, certain reasons have stopped me doing this. So now I'm doing a project much closer to home and a lot more depressing. Instead I'm doing a very sad story about a young woman who becomes ill, thinks she is pregnant but it turns out she actually has diabetes. This is something I've been thinking about for a while because I was going to write a book in the style of Helen Fielding's Bridget Jones' Diary, but decided that the little bit where she is diagnosed could easily be done in a very visually pleasing way within the space of about 2 minutes which is what the brief is asking for. Unfortunately, the girl is going to have to be a student because I don't know anyone living in a normal house around here and really can't be bothered getting up at 9am just hand the camera back in, 9am is a time no student should ever have to see or even know of its existence.
The photography project this time could be quite interesting and I may post my final results. We have to take a picture of ourselves and merge our faces with a friend and then with an animal. One of the girls on the course has done an excellent job of turning herself into a pig-woman and I'm feeling rather jealous. But as I am going home this weekend I may pin down my cat Willow and merge my face with hers so I can always look back and remember the morngy old thing. (If you dont know this word then it's probably what my family would call a "mum-ism", being a word my mum had made up out of nowhere, she has a whole dictionary full of them. Anyway it basically means something that complains. A LOT.)
Well I'm going to finish now. I fell asleep in my lecture for a minute or two, so decided to take an hour power nap when I got back to my apartment at 5pm. Two minutes later it was 9:30pm and everyone in my flat had gone home for the weekend. So now I don't want to get a shower at this time but still have to pack my bag for this weekend and write down the train times so I know what time to get up in the morning and what trains to catch. Ciao for now.
Tuesday, 26 January 2010
but she's still preoccupied with 1985!
Todays title has to be dedicated to whoever the legend is that keeps playing indie music REALLY LOUD out of their window in Pavs. So far I've heard Bowling for Soup, Journey, and possibly Beatles, but I was talking at the time so didn't listen very well. Also it seems appropriate because I have been so preoccupied I've forgotten to write my lovely self-obsessed blog to you all, so sorry to my darling grandparents who I know read this religiously. I do love them dearly.
Okay, where to start, where to start? It's so hard becoming active in an area of life where you've previously been really lazy, it's like starting going to the gym again after months and months of not... Although of course less strenuous on the muscles and more on the back. I can't even remember what I wrote about last. So I'll tell you about everything from the past... since I got back to university... 2 weeks ago? I think so.
I was really busy the first week back! I had a photography project, a history essay, a Luke essay and Luke's first dissitation all to hand in within a week and a few weeks which was quite hellish on my "I like sleep" attitude, but I got it all done anyway and can I say I can see myself getting more than a measly 3rd on this unit of work, although it hasn't been marked yet. My history essay could have been improved had I known about the website our lecturer was supposed to show us months ago and invariably forgot, but no matter, what's a few years and a spelling of a name or two in history? (Sarcastic nervous giggle inserted here) Yeah yeah I know that is a ridiculous mistake to make but as I'm only taking history for the frst year and the first year doesn't actually count for anything more than getting into second year I'm not that fussed. The new lot of work we are doing involves the most basic of all tools on photoshop, which is driving me mad having been quite an expert for a few years now. At least I can expect a fairly good mark from it though, unless of course the lecturer has a certain way she wants us to do the work, then I could have a problem. She tried teaching us the "quick mask mode" in lecture, a tool I am more than capable of using having been taught this every year since being 13 years old, but she managed to confuse me to the point of not understanding it any more with her method... So I'm really not looking forward to this and have a feeling youtube tutorials will be my point of call.
Anyway, because we were between project for quite a while, me and Luke have been spending every moment available to us together, and it's been MARVELOUS! Such a joy to find time to fall in love all over again to the guy you want to spend the rest of your life with. We haven't even been doing anything interesting to be honest. We watched Scream which I actually really liked, we also watched "Avatar 3D" today which was stunning. We also have been house hunting for a student house next year... And very much doubt we'll be IN a student house, looking at the state of the 2 we looked at. One was £65 a week, our perfect price range, but was so small,poky and damp we said we wouldn't live there for £10 a week. The other was the most beautiful thing ever seen in the world and I would love to live in as my actual home one day, but was £80 a week, so really really expensive. Because there is 4 of us going to be living together we could quite easily afford a place costing £800 a month (£50 a week each) and also pay for all bills quite happily, and if we got a 3 bedroom place for £800 a month, it would be huge. So although the deposit is likely to be expensive (£1000 all together I THINK. The deposit is always a bit more than a full months worth of rent, but I think that means we will have already paid for a month and a bit... Don't quote me, when the other girl we will be living with gets better we'll be doing a lot of research), we'll have a really nice house to live in for however many years it takes for us to afford our own houses, which will be perfect.
I got quite a few things coming up soon. Valentines day is quite soon and although I don't have much idea of a present to get Luke, we have a few events that we will be going to such as "Spiers and Boden" concert (very famous folk singers), a ceilidh and a few other things all happening. We're pretty much using the entire month to celebrate as on 11th March, we will be celebrating our 4th year of being together. Good times are all on their way!
But the good times have had to be planned really carefully as I won't be around from the 17th Feburary - 26th Feburary, you know why? I'M GOING TO SAN FRANSISCO!!!
We got the details through the other day. We're staying on "pier 39" of fishermans warf, which has views of the river, the city, and the Golden Gate bridge! We'll be going to China Town for food a few times, also to be visiting "Castro", also known as "Gay Central", as well as Pixar studios, Dreamworks studios, Nappa Valley (sorry if that's spelt wrong), Alcatraz (again, dont quote me on the spelling), and we'll even be visiting Berkley University. For those who don't know, Berkley University is an Ivy League university, so on the same status page as Harvard and all the other big unis, that has a campus the size of the CITY of Lincoln itself. We'll apparently get to meet the students who hopefully will be able to tell us where to go for a drink (because Americans have a minimum drinking age of 21, and they're really strict on it ¬_¬). the only kick in the teeth will be setting off at 2:30am from Lincoln, so we've been told not to bother trying to get to sleep but we deffinitely have to eat something before we set off as apparently the plane food will be dire.
I think that's everything interesting in my life right now. I'll post again when anything good happens. So Ciao for now!
Okay, where to start, where to start? It's so hard becoming active in an area of life where you've previously been really lazy, it's like starting going to the gym again after months and months of not... Although of course less strenuous on the muscles and more on the back. I can't even remember what I wrote about last. So I'll tell you about everything from the past... since I got back to university... 2 weeks ago? I think so.
I was really busy the first week back! I had a photography project, a history essay, a Luke essay and Luke's first dissitation all to hand in within a week and a few weeks which was quite hellish on my "I like sleep" attitude, but I got it all done anyway and can I say I can see myself getting more than a measly 3rd on this unit of work, although it hasn't been marked yet. My history essay could have been improved had I known about the website our lecturer was supposed to show us months ago and invariably forgot, but no matter, what's a few years and a spelling of a name or two in history? (Sarcastic nervous giggle inserted here) Yeah yeah I know that is a ridiculous mistake to make but as I'm only taking history for the frst year and the first year doesn't actually count for anything more than getting into second year I'm not that fussed. The new lot of work we are doing involves the most basic of all tools on photoshop, which is driving me mad having been quite an expert for a few years now. At least I can expect a fairly good mark from it though, unless of course the lecturer has a certain way she wants us to do the work, then I could have a problem. She tried teaching us the "quick mask mode" in lecture, a tool I am more than capable of using having been taught this every year since being 13 years old, but she managed to confuse me to the point of not understanding it any more with her method... So I'm really not looking forward to this and have a feeling youtube tutorials will be my point of call.
Anyway, because we were between project for quite a while, me and Luke have been spending every moment available to us together, and it's been MARVELOUS! Such a joy to find time to fall in love all over again to the guy you want to spend the rest of your life with. We haven't even been doing anything interesting to be honest. We watched Scream which I actually really liked, we also watched "Avatar 3D" today which was stunning. We also have been house hunting for a student house next year... And very much doubt we'll be IN a student house, looking at the state of the 2 we looked at. One was £65 a week, our perfect price range, but was so small,poky and damp we said we wouldn't live there for £10 a week. The other was the most beautiful thing ever seen in the world and I would love to live in as my actual home one day, but was £80 a week, so really really expensive. Because there is 4 of us going to be living together we could quite easily afford a place costing £800 a month (£50 a week each) and also pay for all bills quite happily, and if we got a 3 bedroom place for £800 a month, it would be huge. So although the deposit is likely to be expensive (£1000 all together I THINK. The deposit is always a bit more than a full months worth of rent, but I think that means we will have already paid for a month and a bit... Don't quote me, when the other girl we will be living with gets better we'll be doing a lot of research), we'll have a really nice house to live in for however many years it takes for us to afford our own houses, which will be perfect.
I got quite a few things coming up soon. Valentines day is quite soon and although I don't have much idea of a present to get Luke, we have a few events that we will be going to such as "Spiers and Boden" concert (very famous folk singers), a ceilidh and a few other things all happening. We're pretty much using the entire month to celebrate as on 11th March, we will be celebrating our 4th year of being together. Good times are all on their way!
But the good times have had to be planned really carefully as I won't be around from the 17th Feburary - 26th Feburary, you know why? I'M GOING TO SAN FRANSISCO!!!
We got the details through the other day. We're staying on "pier 39" of fishermans warf, which has views of the river, the city, and the Golden Gate bridge! We'll be going to China Town for food a few times, also to be visiting "Castro", also known as "Gay Central", as well as Pixar studios, Dreamworks studios, Nappa Valley (sorry if that's spelt wrong), Alcatraz (again, dont quote me on the spelling), and we'll even be visiting Berkley University. For those who don't know, Berkley University is an Ivy League university, so on the same status page as Harvard and all the other big unis, that has a campus the size of the CITY of Lincoln itself. We'll apparently get to meet the students who hopefully will be able to tell us where to go for a drink (because Americans have a minimum drinking age of 21, and they're really strict on it ¬_¬). the only kick in the teeth will be setting off at 2:30am from Lincoln, so we've been told not to bother trying to get to sleep but we deffinitely have to eat something before we set off as apparently the plane food will be dire.
I think that's everything interesting in my life right now. I'll post again when anything good happens. So Ciao for now!
Friday, 15 January 2010
We were both young when I first saw you
A line from Taylor Swift's "Love Story" and very appropriate for this weekend. This weekend is Strawbear Folk Festival, the festival that is hosted by the residents of Luke's home town, Whittlesey, and me and Luke have a long history of seeing each other at the festival but never doing anything about it. I think the first time either of us noticed the other was in 2005, Luke swears he saw me sitting in a tree watching the bear burning on the Sunday. Then I saw him in 2006, he walked right past me at the ceilidh on the Saturday night and I remember thinking "Hello, I'll be talking to you later!", but unfortunately he was taking his little brother home who had been dancing all day and was really tired. If only he hadn't gone home we could have started our relationship months earlier than we did! Now we go to the ceilidh together every year and this year will be meeting up with his friends from Highschool in the local pub before the real festivities begin, I'm so excited!
Anyway, I don't have such a headache anymore so I think I can handle a more substantial blog than last time I tried to write! On Monday we had our first lecture back from christmas with Tracey, the photography teacher. She told me my pictures this time were a lot better and that I'm looking at getting a good mark so I'm hoping if I can put all the time in I want to put in then I might get a 2:1 for a change!! That'll be fantastic if I do. My camera is in my bag with full battery and spare memory card so I can take plenty of pictures at Strawbear and hopefully add them to the massive collection I already have for this project, we'll see.
The other big thing that happened this week was receiving a text message off Lauren, a girl on my course. We have spoken a few times before and get along pretty good, but before christmas we'd both been comaplaining that we never got told when the people from our course were going out so kept missing social events. But she sent a text to me on tuesday and asked if I wanted to go out with her and a few of the other people on the course. We met at Essence, one of the local bar/pub type things and got really quite drunk. (5 cocktails and 5 shots, plus paying to get into the club later on and I still had change from a £20?!) We met up with Charlotte, Dara, elizabeth, Amy, Lucy, Lucy's friend I don't know the name of, Luke and even Rebecca from our course and I also saw Sophy (manager of Shellshocked, the film I'm in) and had a really fantastic time! I'm really glad I went and can't wait for the next outing we all go on. But me and Lauren have started getting on really really well. Last night she was talking to me over facebook and told me she had lost her charger for her 450DSLR camera, so I went over to lend her mine, and ended up staying over until about 2:30 in the morning! Was good fun though, I can see me and her being really good friends. I found out this week who else is going on the San Fransisco trip with me in Febuary. Dara who was there on tuesday and is lovely, Rebecca who I'm getting on with better and better every time we talk and Tarryn who I have never really spoken to properly but that's probably because she's a joint student. It's gonna be such an amazing time! Can't wait for it.
Anyway, although my lecture doesn't start until 1:30pm today and it's only 11:55am, I need to go. I have to go to pick up a perscription from my doctor and cash it in at Boots, finish packing and do something to tame my hair which is not liking all this cold weather and the changes in the water I keep having to do through moving round the country. So I shall write again when I get back from Straw bear. I hope you're enjoying my blog!
Anyway, I don't have such a headache anymore so I think I can handle a more substantial blog than last time I tried to write! On Monday we had our first lecture back from christmas with Tracey, the photography teacher. She told me my pictures this time were a lot better and that I'm looking at getting a good mark so I'm hoping if I can put all the time in I want to put in then I might get a 2:1 for a change!! That'll be fantastic if I do. My camera is in my bag with full battery and spare memory card so I can take plenty of pictures at Strawbear and hopefully add them to the massive collection I already have for this project, we'll see.
The other big thing that happened this week was receiving a text message off Lauren, a girl on my course. We have spoken a few times before and get along pretty good, but before christmas we'd both been comaplaining that we never got told when the people from our course were going out so kept missing social events. But she sent a text to me on tuesday and asked if I wanted to go out with her and a few of the other people on the course. We met at Essence, one of the local bar/pub type things and got really quite drunk. (5 cocktails and 5 shots, plus paying to get into the club later on and I still had change from a £20?!) We met up with Charlotte, Dara, elizabeth, Amy, Lucy, Lucy's friend I don't know the name of, Luke and even Rebecca from our course and I also saw Sophy (manager of Shellshocked, the film I'm in) and had a really fantastic time! I'm really glad I went and can't wait for the next outing we all go on. But me and Lauren have started getting on really really well. Last night she was talking to me over facebook and told me she had lost her charger for her 450DSLR camera, so I went over to lend her mine, and ended up staying over until about 2:30 in the morning! Was good fun though, I can see me and her being really good friends. I found out this week who else is going on the San Fransisco trip with me in Febuary. Dara who was there on tuesday and is lovely, Rebecca who I'm getting on with better and better every time we talk and Tarryn who I have never really spoken to properly but that's probably because she's a joint student. It's gonna be such an amazing time! Can't wait for it.
Anyway, although my lecture doesn't start until 1:30pm today and it's only 11:55am, I need to go. I have to go to pick up a perscription from my doctor and cash it in at Boots, finish packing and do something to tame my hair which is not liking all this cold weather and the changes in the water I keep having to do through moving round the country. So I shall write again when I get back from Straw bear. I hope you're enjoying my blog!
Thursday, 14 January 2010
I was born to love you
By a band called Secondhand Serenade introduced to me by Emily. I only have a few songs by them but they're quite nice and I've been with Luke pretty much constantly this week to make up for lost time over christmas. It's been really nice seeing him so much and I get to see him even more this weekend because it's Strawbear Folk Festival in his home town. We're going to meet up with his friends from Highschool on Friday; Cag, Adam and Al who we haven't seen in ages which should be really good.
Me, Luke, Dic and Sarah went house hunting for next year as we'll all be staying on at uni. We only found 2 houses that we were interested in, one on Waldern street and one opposite Luke, dic and Sarah's local pub, the Stag. Waldern street was AWFUL! The bedrooms were absolutely miniscule, with only just enough space for the double bed if you didnt use the desk or wardrobe, a bright lemon/yellow living room with dated curtains and a big damp patch on the ceiling and a tiny little kitchen, with a single bathroom for all 4 people to share. It was £67 a week and the Landlord, who was really rude and defensive by the way, wanted a £200 deposit and a £50 holding fee, neither of which are needed legally. But the second house was beautiful. The bedrooms were HUGE, they were all very blank white rooms but with plenty of nails for pictures to hang, a massive kitchen and a really good sized living room. It was beautiful and I really wanted it, but it was £80 a week, way higher than any of our budgets. So we had to decline both of them and are now stuck because we cant find any other landlords with houses in the correct location. So the hunt continues.
As it's Strawbear this weekend I've been working frantically all day today to get my work done and so am having a bit of a break for a bit while I get my head working again. I'm hoping I can get another useful photoshoot at Strawbear to add to my work and hopefully get more than a measly 3rd.
Oh my head hurts too much. I'll write again sometime next week. I have my own photography project to finish, a photography history essay to write and Luke's dissitation to check through which I simply refuse to do without him being in the room in case I come across any sentences that are really hard to understand, so might be thursday before I write again. Au revoir mes amis.
Me, Luke, Dic and Sarah went house hunting for next year as we'll all be staying on at uni. We only found 2 houses that we were interested in, one on Waldern street and one opposite Luke, dic and Sarah's local pub, the Stag. Waldern street was AWFUL! The bedrooms were absolutely miniscule, with only just enough space for the double bed if you didnt use the desk or wardrobe, a bright lemon/yellow living room with dated curtains and a big damp patch on the ceiling and a tiny little kitchen, with a single bathroom for all 4 people to share. It was £67 a week and the Landlord, who was really rude and defensive by the way, wanted a £200 deposit and a £50 holding fee, neither of which are needed legally. But the second house was beautiful. The bedrooms were HUGE, they were all very blank white rooms but with plenty of nails for pictures to hang, a massive kitchen and a really good sized living room. It was beautiful and I really wanted it, but it was £80 a week, way higher than any of our budgets. So we had to decline both of them and are now stuck because we cant find any other landlords with houses in the correct location. So the hunt continues.
As it's Strawbear this weekend I've been working frantically all day today to get my work done and so am having a bit of a break for a bit while I get my head working again. I'm hoping I can get another useful photoshoot at Strawbear to add to my work and hopefully get more than a measly 3rd.
Oh my head hurts too much. I'll write again sometime next week. I have my own photography project to finish, a photography history essay to write and Luke's dissitation to check through which I simply refuse to do without him being in the room in case I come across any sentences that are really hard to understand, so might be thursday before I write again. Au revoir mes amis.
Tuesday, 12 January 2010
And all i can breathe is your life
From the Goo Goo dolls Iris, I was listening to this last night while laughing at Luke and Dic having a fight using nothing but rolls of wrapping paper. It was quite nice last night, Luke's house was full of his friends and we were all complaining about work that we have to do because we're students, so of course we have to complain about this kind of thing! Dic has finally finished his essay this morning which was due in before 4pm today, I'll be impressed if he gets more than a 2:2 on it. Luke had his done weeks ago and I finished marking his English this morning to check there were no stupid gramatical or spelling errors... There were of course, quite a few, but I dont mind becasue what he lacks in english he makes up for in science, general knowledge and of course, keeping me a happy girlfriend!
We watched "Halloween" last night. After the big build up my mum and dad gave me before we watched, I was rather disappointed. There was only one part that had me truely scared and hiding and that was when the "bad guy"'s face came looming out of the darkness like an ugly looming thing. Honestly, if it wasn't for the mask he insisted on wearing I would have been bored of the entire movie and it's supposed to be an 18! The cook, the thief, his wife and her lover was scarier than that film!
Anyway, I know todays blog is a bit short and I appologise for that, but I ahve just been given the horrific news that apparently we had to have our history essay on 19th century photography finished for today and of course, having not known this I haven't done it. I've been given a weeks extention but seriously, with my photography project to do and Strawbear folk festival erradicating my weekend... Well, looks like my bad low blood sugar reaction from the other day isnt going to be the only thing wearing me out. Looks like I have another all nighter to live through to get my work done. Lord help me.
We watched "Halloween" last night. After the big build up my mum and dad gave me before we watched, I was rather disappointed. There was only one part that had me truely scared and hiding and that was when the "bad guy"'s face came looming out of the darkness like an ugly looming thing. Honestly, if it wasn't for the mask he insisted on wearing I would have been bored of the entire movie and it's supposed to be an 18! The cook, the thief, his wife and her lover was scarier than that film!
Anyway, I know todays blog is a bit short and I appologise for that, but I ahve just been given the horrific news that apparently we had to have our history essay on 19th century photography finished for today and of course, having not known this I haven't done it. I've been given a weeks extention but seriously, with my photography project to do and Strawbear folk festival erradicating my weekend... Well, looks like my bad low blood sugar reaction from the other day isnt going to be the only thing wearing me out. Looks like I have another all nighter to live through to get my work done. Lord help me.
Friday, 8 January 2010
Lincoln's Calling!
Yes my sad word play with the title of one of The Clash's greatest songs ever: "London's Calling". I'm very much my daddys daughter I'm sure you can tell. But Lincoln is calling, I'm due to go back on Sunday, but guess what? We're still walking in this bloomin' winter wonderland! Yes England is seeing it's coldest times ever with lows of -18 and highs of -1 degrees C (don't try and make me spell that word, there's not a chance I'll get it right, that's for scientists and news reporters to know, not photographers, we take pictures of the cold, not record it.) My mum had promised that she would drive me back but the likelihood of that is slowly slipping through my fingers like the snow that is causing such misery in the world. I fall on my bottom at least 4 times every time I try to get to our nearest town.
But ANYWAY! I'm going to stop rambling on now. Christmas was wonderful as I'm sure you all can imagine with the grandparents and the Uncle visiting from Canada and lots of lovely gluten free food and all that jazz. I went to Luke's house and finally got my passport sorted which is excellent. Also I have finally got my pictures printed so i can get on with my work now and hopefully get a better mark than a 3rd. As I'm sure every other person who blogs is doing, I'm sure I SHOULD be writing about my New Years eve, but unlike the rest of the country I spent it with my boyfriend and his family and it was possibly some of the most disturbing days I ahve ever lived through. But to allow my mother-in-law and father-in-law to keep some of their dignity I am going to spare you all the horrific details and jsut move on.
So that leaves me with talking about the only times I have been out recently, once to go back to college to visit my amazing IT teacher from college; Lynette, and also to do a bit of shopping for films I should ahve bought weeks ago. I bought Halloween, Scream, The Birds, The bicycle thieves and finally, one of the most grotesque films ever; The cook, the thief, his wife and her lover. I know you will be thinking "but Halloween and scream are much worse!" And I'll probably agree with you but I haven't watched them yet so I think I'll reserve my judgement for now thank you. I also went shopping with elizabeth, my friend from being about 4 years old. CD's, hair dye and jeans were purchased as well as a couple of books and as I have said before that I would tell all about this series of work, I shall do so now while I wait for my brother to go to bed and the appropriate time for me and my dad to start watching "the birds" by alfred Hitchcock (I'm sure there's too many C's in that mans name for the good of it. He's like E_war_Woo_war_, little joke on Edward Woodward's name for you there)
Noughts and Crosses by Malorie Blackman
I do actually kiss the ground this woman walks on for her noughts and crosses series. It has everything a good story needs; a romance, lots of action, a whole heap of underdogs, a really good moral and a new born baby (I'm a girl we like seeing new babies!) The storyline is really clever because she swaps around the way things were in our past, creates a brand new set of pop singers, popular songs, political figures, locations, even a brand new set of swear words and throws them all into our time frame while creating a completely different past.
Where as in reality it was the blacks who were taken into the slave trade and treat terribly, the colours have been swapped so the whites were the slaves and blacks were the majority, but there is still a major difference between reality and the books, the two colours never really mixed to be equals as well as in reality. This is the really big point of the book and the fantastic moral of the story, by swapping round the majority with the minority, Malorie Blackman has cleverly created a world that perfectly highlights that all people are exactly the same and that skin colour doesn't affect anything.
The main characters are Persephone Hadley and Callum McGregor. The whole way through the book you are taken with the characters as they try and fight to stay together as a couple when the whole world is against them and so by the end of the book, the demise of Callum has tears streaming down your face and you screaming at the unfair outcome of the book. the story line continues with an even smaller minority that shows that even though things look a lot better than in Sephy and Callum's day, things still aren't equal. I'ts a book filled with so many emotions; happy, sad, excitement, stress and so much anger for this young couple who put up with so much more than anyone could ever realise.
I have just finished "checkmate" which is the third book in the series and I only bought it a few days ago but it is so attention grabbing and unbelieveable that I simply couldn't stop reading, even when the words stopped making sence because my eyes were watering during the last few chapters.
If you can find these books, buy them and read them. I highly reccommend you do.
Noughts and Crosses
An eye for an Eye
Knife's edge
Checkmate
Double Crossed
But ANYWAY! I'm going to stop rambling on now. Christmas was wonderful as I'm sure you all can imagine with the grandparents and the Uncle visiting from Canada and lots of lovely gluten free food and all that jazz. I went to Luke's house and finally got my passport sorted which is excellent. Also I have finally got my pictures printed so i can get on with my work now and hopefully get a better mark than a 3rd. As I'm sure every other person who blogs is doing, I'm sure I SHOULD be writing about my New Years eve, but unlike the rest of the country I spent it with my boyfriend and his family and it was possibly some of the most disturbing days I ahve ever lived through. But to allow my mother-in-law and father-in-law to keep some of their dignity I am going to spare you all the horrific details and jsut move on.
So that leaves me with talking about the only times I have been out recently, once to go back to college to visit my amazing IT teacher from college; Lynette, and also to do a bit of shopping for films I should ahve bought weeks ago. I bought Halloween, Scream, The Birds, The bicycle thieves and finally, one of the most grotesque films ever; The cook, the thief, his wife and her lover. I know you will be thinking "but Halloween and scream are much worse!" And I'll probably agree with you but I haven't watched them yet so I think I'll reserve my judgement for now thank you. I also went shopping with elizabeth, my friend from being about 4 years old. CD's, hair dye and jeans were purchased as well as a couple of books and as I have said before that I would tell all about this series of work, I shall do so now while I wait for my brother to go to bed and the appropriate time for me and my dad to start watching "the birds" by alfred Hitchcock (I'm sure there's too many C's in that mans name for the good of it. He's like E_war_Woo_war_, little joke on Edward Woodward's name for you there)
Noughts and Crosses by Malorie Blackman
I do actually kiss the ground this woman walks on for her noughts and crosses series. It has everything a good story needs; a romance, lots of action, a whole heap of underdogs, a really good moral and a new born baby (I'm a girl we like seeing new babies!) The storyline is really clever because she swaps around the way things were in our past, creates a brand new set of pop singers, popular songs, political figures, locations, even a brand new set of swear words and throws them all into our time frame while creating a completely different past.
Where as in reality it was the blacks who were taken into the slave trade and treat terribly, the colours have been swapped so the whites were the slaves and blacks were the majority, but there is still a major difference between reality and the books, the two colours never really mixed to be equals as well as in reality. This is the really big point of the book and the fantastic moral of the story, by swapping round the majority with the minority, Malorie Blackman has cleverly created a world that perfectly highlights that all people are exactly the same and that skin colour doesn't affect anything.
The main characters are Persephone Hadley and Callum McGregor. The whole way through the book you are taken with the characters as they try and fight to stay together as a couple when the whole world is against them and so by the end of the book, the demise of Callum has tears streaming down your face and you screaming at the unfair outcome of the book. the story line continues with an even smaller minority that shows that even though things look a lot better than in Sephy and Callum's day, things still aren't equal. I'ts a book filled with so many emotions; happy, sad, excitement, stress and so much anger for this young couple who put up with so much more than anyone could ever realise.
I have just finished "checkmate" which is the third book in the series and I only bought it a few days ago but it is so attention grabbing and unbelieveable that I simply couldn't stop reading, even when the words stopped making sence because my eyes were watering during the last few chapters.
If you can find these books, buy them and read them. I highly reccommend you do.
Noughts and Crosses
An eye for an Eye
Knife's edge
Checkmate
Double Crossed
Sunday, 3 January 2010
Paper dreams Honey
Yes it's the Kooks, and yes I am only really a fan of "she moves in her own way" and "Oo La" but that does not mean I can't use the lyrics. I think it's the lovely northern English accent the boys have but certainly the Kooks have a small pull on me and I'm desperately listening out for another track of their deemed to be considered "good". But oh well, moving onwards and upwards.
In the end, I went to Lukes to get my passport (which isn't too bad actually, at least this time I won't look perpetually surprised!) and simply couldn't face going back to Lincoln just yet. I don't know why, maybe it's the pure hatred of being near school during the holidays that has implanted itself into my system and made me dread going back, but more than likely it's the bad memories I still have of the place. I know I should be getting over the horrific time I had at the beginning of the year, but I think it's maybe too soon as I don't know how the ex flatmates are going to react to seeing me again. Also the idea of gatecrashing a new years day party of someone I have never met before but happens to be a friend of Emily's was a little daunting. But I think one big part of it was looking at Luke and realising I wouldn't be seeing him again until well into January 2010 and I didn't like the idea of that, so I stayed behind at his mothers for new year...
... Please someone remind me never to do that again... EVER! It was lovely spending time with Luke, but that doesn't make up enough nice memories to block the terrible and awkward mental image of his mother "rearranging her undergarments" in the front living room, or the look on his dads face when I said "I really don't like wine, stop trying to force me to drink it!". I've never met a man more determined to get rid of 5 bottles of wine as his dad ever! Honestly he said to me "Ella, you can start putting mashed potato on your plate when you have drunk a glass of wine" and that was for every single type of food prepared, really nice thing to say to a girl who can eat hardly any of the stuff anyway because Lukes grandmother had bought everything frozen anyway. Christmas meals this year have been terrible with everyone digging into a massive plate full of food and me only being able to eat a few pieces of turkey, a lump of mashed potato, a few carrots and some really salty gravy. Don't go thinking I'm spoilt or saying there's people worse off in the world because I know all that, but people who are worse off in the world do not get fored a full bottle of gone off rosé down their throats before eating their pitiful christmas meals either.
On a much lighter note, I finally got my passport sorted! San Fransisco here I come! I'm so excited. I really can't wait to get there and am considering purchasing another 6 memory cards so I don't run out of space. You'll probably say to me "why not just get a bigger memory card than only 2GB?" well unfortunately having a laptop from my GCSE years means it does not have HD compatability and will even refuse to upload a single image of mine when on anything higher than a 2GB card. I can see myself buying a new laptop altogether before I start my real profession of photography. Money money money money money. But again, SAN FRANSISCO BABY! And here's where I say a massive thanks to my mum, dad and lovely grandparents who are lovingly parting with vast amounts of their own so I don't run out while there/back in my flat so thankyou you lovely people. I love you all. Goodnight!
In the end, I went to Lukes to get my passport (which isn't too bad actually, at least this time I won't look perpetually surprised!) and simply couldn't face going back to Lincoln just yet. I don't know why, maybe it's the pure hatred of being near school during the holidays that has implanted itself into my system and made me dread going back, but more than likely it's the bad memories I still have of the place. I know I should be getting over the horrific time I had at the beginning of the year, but I think it's maybe too soon as I don't know how the ex flatmates are going to react to seeing me again. Also the idea of gatecrashing a new years day party of someone I have never met before but happens to be a friend of Emily's was a little daunting. But I think one big part of it was looking at Luke and realising I wouldn't be seeing him again until well into January 2010 and I didn't like the idea of that, so I stayed behind at his mothers for new year...
... Please someone remind me never to do that again... EVER! It was lovely spending time with Luke, but that doesn't make up enough nice memories to block the terrible and awkward mental image of his mother "rearranging her undergarments" in the front living room, or the look on his dads face when I said "I really don't like wine, stop trying to force me to drink it!". I've never met a man more determined to get rid of 5 bottles of wine as his dad ever! Honestly he said to me "Ella, you can start putting mashed potato on your plate when you have drunk a glass of wine" and that was for every single type of food prepared, really nice thing to say to a girl who can eat hardly any of the stuff anyway because Lukes grandmother had bought everything frozen anyway. Christmas meals this year have been terrible with everyone digging into a massive plate full of food and me only being able to eat a few pieces of turkey, a lump of mashed potato, a few carrots and some really salty gravy. Don't go thinking I'm spoilt or saying there's people worse off in the world because I know all that, but people who are worse off in the world do not get fored a full bottle of gone off rosé down their throats before eating their pitiful christmas meals either.
On a much lighter note, I finally got my passport sorted! San Fransisco here I come! I'm so excited. I really can't wait to get there and am considering purchasing another 6 memory cards so I don't run out of space. You'll probably say to me "why not just get a bigger memory card than only 2GB?" well unfortunately having a laptop from my GCSE years means it does not have HD compatability and will even refuse to upload a single image of mine when on anything higher than a 2GB card. I can see myself buying a new laptop altogether before I start my real profession of photography. Money money money money money. But again, SAN FRANSISCO BABY! And here's where I say a massive thanks to my mum, dad and lovely grandparents who are lovingly parting with vast amounts of their own so I don't run out while there/back in my flat so thankyou you lovely people. I love you all. Goodnight!
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