Waaaay too much work

(25-4-10)

Watched the practice presentations for the HOP and MA students, and the subsequent proper presentations; everyone did really, really well, then we went to the pub - sensing a pattern here :) six hours later we realised we had other essays to write... the vortex of wetherspoons strikes again!

Somehow managed to get everything done before hand-in. Went to Lydia and Andy's wedding, which was great fun :) Lydia, of course, looked stunning; her mum made her dress (see pictures), which was absolutely beautiful. Saw loads of people I hadn't seen in ages, which was great fun; we played lawn games like giant jenga and croquet, then Lydia's mum decided we should go for a walk to the nearby tarn (we were in Ilkley) to see some ducklings :) Then Wayne climbed a tree XD good times!

Mike's back down from Cumbria again to look for houses, which is great - we've had more beer this weekend than I think I've ever drunk... we watched Jerry Springer the Opera and that wierd Japanese musical that warps the mind. Jamie kept having to tell Mike when the wierd bits happened.

Presentation

(18-4-10)

Arch Sci did our presentations this week, scary prospect, but it went pretty well all things considered. I was a bit freaked out 'cause Niall was at a conference until thursday, first time he's been away since the murder, but I had a sort of argument with my own head and I appear to be back to normal (fingers crossed). Everyone did really well - Rowena, Laura W, Rebecca, Justine and Peter knocked the lecturer's socks off - Carl H remonstrated my lack of live sheep during the presentation though, I was amused to consider how I'd get one to the third floor of an old mill building.

We went to the pub after the presentations (in my case for the first time in ages) and ate chocolate cereal cakes :) the jukebox was on way too loud again so I got a nasty headache, actually made it to crafty too, sat and knitted more of that green jumper I'm working on. We had a new crafter this week, Sarwat, who does fabulous things with ribbonwork and embroidery :) Spent a few days working my way through the back catalogue of PHD comics (Piled Higher and Deeper, which I am now mildly obsessed with. This one was particularly relevant this week : http://www.phdcomics.com/comics/archive.php?comicid=493

Niall had a good time at the conference and made it back just in time to visit John and Amanda for a BBQ - I of course was left at home to finish yet another report with our new, obnoxious, bike revving, screeching, rude neighbours. Joy of joys *sigh*; the stress of it all made me dig out my glasses, see pictures. Foyle's War started again tonight, i was nerdily excited of course :)

Dizzy with Isotopes

(11-4-10)

(in a dodgy accent) This week I 'ave bin mostly writing reports!

I'm writing up the second of my two short courses, Stable Light Isotopes - the topic that I'm basing my dissertation on. Might witter on about that later, it's to do with sheep and wool and trade and provenance and stuff - I love research, can't wait to get my teeth into it. Bit sick of this standard operating procedure though, gots to get my methodology straight; on the plus side it gives me a head-start for the research design :)

I was greatly excited that Ashes to Ashes is back on our screens; the only way I got through this last through months was by watching Life on Mars and A2A pretty much constantly (with the mild side effects of becoming increasingly mancunian in accent and swearing a lot more!) - let's face it, what can get to you if the Gene-Genie's around? It's still a cracking bit of science fiction and I'm looking forward to the plot twists this season. Also caught the start of Dr Who (eleventh doctor), which I'm really enjoying, and the Swedish version of Wallander. I didn't rate the British version, though I do enjoy Kenneth Brannagh's work, but the Swedish version is spot on; not for the first time I found the Swedish language pleasant to listen to and wierdly familiar - as I do with most of the Norse dialects. I may eventually learn the Swedish for murder... I already learned forensics :)

Easter-tide

(4-4-10)

Easter break (ha!) was spent mostly writing lab reports for my short course. Got loads done at the allotment on the weekend though, Rowena, Charlotte and Hannah B came up and helped us clear loads of ground and we got fruit bushes planted up (fingers crossed that these survive - last year's raspberries didn't last). Charlotte did some crazy paving for the strawberry tyres and Jim and Becci helped Mark lay a floor for the 'Llama cage', our makeshift shed. The greenhouse is beginning to come on now too. We all got very muddy, Niall even posed for a picture.

In other news, Bob the Cactus has come over all funky - big pink flowers all over him - looks a bit like he has go faster stripes :)

Busy Bee

Ok, I know I haven't updated in a while, life sort of took over :) so I'm updating for each week I missed before getting back into it! So here goes:

Busy week, went to see Agatha Christie's 'Witness for the Prosecution' down at the Alhambra with Niall - it was brilliant! Honeysuckle Weeks played the wife of the accused (whose name I cannot for the life of me recall, though I think it began with an 'R') and she was ace - I was sorely tempted to wait for her and ask for her autograph but it was too cold. I'm such a nerd XD

The crafty workshop this week was Easter Bonnets, but I managed to sleep through it... Hannah B ran it, and everyone said it was great fun :) It's also show week, BUSOM were doing Pirates of Penzance - one of my favourite Gilbert and Sullivan's - but I had too much work to do, alas.

Joined in with Earth Hour, did a jigsaw by candlelight :) also managed to tidy up a bit, found my Viking from the Isle of Mann and decided to leave him guarding my work.

(28-3-10)