Christmaschristmaschristmaschristmas

So, my decorations are up, my Christmas jumper is here (although a tad too big), my shopping is almost finished, and I have just found a bunch of photos from last Christmas.





I am so excited!


Don't worry, I'm still here

November was going to be the month where I got out of my blogging drought and started posting things more regularly again. As you can see, that didn't really happen. I did start writing something just over a week ago, but then I didn't know how to finish it, hopefully I'll get round to doing that at some point.


Anyway, I've been busy planning Christmas things, shopping, baking, and having girly times with Soph. We went to see Breaking Dawn Part 1 which was hilariously awful, but we knew it would be. 


I'm now getting super pumped for Christmas. I have an advent calendar waiting patiently to be opened, and I think I'm probably going to put up the decorations soon, maybe on Thursday or Friday. I'm sure my mum would say that's too early, but she isn't in the country and is powerless to stop me. Sorry mum! Also, I may have purchased my very own Christmas jumper. I saw Karen Gillan wearing an amazing one on the BBC Christmas advert and I tracked it down on play.com. It was initially too expensive but I looked again the next day and it had been considerably reduced, so I bought it. I have absolutely no regrets.



Fruit with faces

My mum forwarded an email to me with a bunch of pictures of food with faces drawn on or cut on, because she knows how much I appreciate inanimate objects with faces. I don't know where they're from so I don't know who to credit for them, but I would still like to share some of my favourite ones. The storm-trooper eggs are a personal highlight.






If anyone knows where they're from, let me know.

My dad used to carve faces into his kiwis before eating them, and then it was like he was eating the poor kiwi's brain. Fun times.

I've got issues

Sometimes I really think I shouldn't be a waitress because I hate people. Well, not all people, but some at least. I hate the people that don't make eye contact with me when I'm taking their order, it's so rude. I hate the people who tell me their meals are fine when I go and check on them, and then complain about them when they come and pay - you've eaten it now, there is nothing I can do. And I hate, I hate, I HATE the people who sit on a dirty table that I am literally on my way to clean. This has been happening a lot lately and it's especially annoying because every time, the pub has not been overly busy and there has been several clean tables for them to choose from. I don't understand why you would choose a sticky table covered in crumbs, with glasses on it and an empty cutlery pot, over a nicely wiped table with no glasses on it and a brand new cutlery pot. It really takes the piss when someone who has sat on this dirty table comes over to you, looks at you as if they think you are completely incompetent and says, "Er, excuse me but could someone please come and wipe our table? It's really dirty." The urge to punch people is so high when I'm at work.


I love a good rant, I feel better now. Daf thinks I have rage issues because of my 'irrational hatred' of certain people (for example, Bear Grylls). I don't think my hatred of Bear Grylls is irrational at all. He has all his survivor shows and whatever, which is fine, but it's just the way he goes about it. He starts every single show in a helicopter, shouting to make himself heard over the propellers. Why can't he just wait until he's landed to tell us what the show is going to be about? And then he runs around the desert or a forest or the mountains or wherever he is surviving this week, eating disgusting things and drinking his own urine and getting too close to bears and whispering to his camera, "There's a bear right over there". Well I can see that; get away from the bear you idiot. Daf says that his show has probably helped save some lives of people getting stuck in the middle of nowhere, but has it really? If anyone was doing research ahead of going into some kind of dangerous wilderness, like the North Pole or something, I doubt they'd just be watching loads of Bear Grylls.


I guess my point is that Bear Grylls is really irritating and I so do not have irrational anger issues.


Away from things I hate and onto something I love which is the song Lego House by Ed Sheeran. I love the video for it (mostly because Rupert Grint is in it), it's so weird and creepy, but I like it.





Happy Halloween!

Look at these cool halloween things!











I used to love Halloween when I was younger because the compound I lived on in Saudi had a lot of Americans on it, and Americans go all out for Halloween so it was really fun for the kids. And trick-or-treating is awesome. Halloween's not as big in the UK though, so tonight I'm going to watch Casper and hide from any trick-or-treaters because I don't have any sweets to give them. Sorry kids.

In other news though, didn't we manage to avoid another apocalypse last week or something? Well done everybody.

Animal Madness

This morning I was rudely awakened by a Blue Tit which had managed to defy logic and fly in through my barely open window. The curtains are really thick and this bird was tiny so it was trapped on the window-sill. I kept hearing flapping wings as it tried to get out, but it was obviously having trouble. Daf was still asleep so I woke him up.

"Daf. There's a bird on the window-sill."
"That's not possible."
"Well, there's something on the window-sill."

He got up to investigate because I was scared that there was an eagle behind the curtains. Or at least a huge pigeon. I told Daf not to open the curtains because I was worried the bird would start flying all over the room and shit everywhere. So he peeked through the crack in the curtain and said, "Aww, it's a tiny little Blue Tit." He opened the window further and managed to guide it out quite quickly which was good because apparently little birds can get really flustered and then have a heart attack and die, and a dead bird is the last thing I need on a Monday morning.

After that, Daf saw a squirrel knock something ceramic off next-door's bird table and break it, then he scarpered with his mate. Vandals.

In other news, I keep looking at all the Christmas gifts on websites and it's getting me ridiculously excited. How soon can I listen to my Christmas music?

Song of the Day: Do You Want It All? by Two Door Cinema Club

One of life's many unanswerable questions

Why is it that you can be incredibly tired and so ready to go to sleep one moment, but then the minute your head hits the pillow all of a sudden your mind starts playing songs? And not quiet, soft lullabies or anything, but really energetic, repetitive songs that get stuck on a loop and replay over and over and over again. I didn't get to sleep until after 4 this morning.


And speaking of songs, I haven't done a song of the day in ages. So here's several:


Wake Up! by The Morning Light
Another Bad Night's Sleep by The Silver Seas (it's free on iTunes this week, go get it!)
Something Good Can Work by Two Door Cinema Club
Bang Bang Bang by Christina Perri
When We First Met by Hellogoodbye
Pirouette by Stickboy



Hello!!!!

On the MSN homepage today, there is this article in the editor's picks section about two teenage boys who are being praised for handing in a briefcase full of money that they found to the police. Now, don't get me wrong, I think it's great that they handed in this money instead of just keeping it, but why does such a huge deal need to be made out of it? They only did what everyone should do in that same situation. I know that there's probably a lot of people who wouldn't think twice about keeping that money, but I like to think that most people aren't complete assholes. Maybe it's because after the riots it's nice to hear teenagers being portrayed in a positive light, but I feel like if stories like this keep getting reported as out of the ordinary, it sends a message that it's the norm to not be a decent human being.


I don't know. Ignore me. Daf's in Wales visiting his parents and I've been a lonely loner since Monday, so the only interaction with real people I've had is at work.


Here, look at some photos.









No, I do not know the history of everything

Before work yesterday (which I accidentally managed to show up half an hour early for) I was watching The Chase, which is a quiz show where people compete against really clever quiz... people (or whatever the correct term is). One of the contestants was a History student, and he got a question about Elizabeth I wrong, and afterwards the Chaser said, "I'm surprised you got the history question wrong" to which the student replied, "Well I specialise in Russian History." But the Chaser didn't look impressed.


I can totally relate to this. Because I have a History degree, everyone expects me to know the history of absolutely everything ever. What they fail to realise is that actually I only know the stuff I have actually studied, and that History is a pretty broad subject. If I'm playing Trivial Pursuit or something and get a History question wrong, everyone tuts at me and tells me I should have got it right, even if it's something obscure like "What was the name of Henry II's cat?" (By the way, I don't know if Henry II had a cat so please don't ask me about it). It's really irritating.


Anyway, it's starting to get colder, and it's getting darker earlier so autumn/winter is rapidly approaching. There's been a lot of squirrel activity in the garden which is funny because Daf thinks squirrels are hilarious and he keeps giggling like a five year old every time he sees them prancing around.

Fags & Booze

Today Daf and I drove past a shop brilliantly named 'Fags & Booze'. I said, "I wonder what they sell in there?" which I thought was hilarious. Daf didn't laugh, but I think my sense of humour is just too refined for him.

In other news, I'm getting over a nasty cold. The weather has taken a turn for the worse and the temperature has dropped so I think that's why. I had to call in sick yesterday which made me feel guilty, even though it would have been irresponsible for me to go in considering I'm a waitress and handle a lot of plates and cutlery (ewww, germs).

I'm still loving Keane at the moment. Go and listen to Bedshaped. You're welcome.

Hello September

I can't for the life of me figure out how we got to September. Time tends to speed up at an alarming rate when you're not quite paying attention. Scary. On the upside, Christmas is now right around the corner! (Well, almost.) I love Christmas. The moment we get to November, Daf will be trying to convince me that it's still to early to watch Christmas films and listen to Christmas music.

I went into town yesterday for the first time in a couple of weeks and all the Autumn/Winter stuff is in the shops. I popped into Primark for a look around but I didn't last long because I can't quite handle the mess in there, it's such a state. When I got home I went outside to enjoy the sunshine, as I doubt it will last much longer. I took some reading material with me - I'd love to say it was something worthwhile, like Jane Eyre, but no, I was looking at all the new season shoes in Look magazine.

In other news, I'm experiencing a renewed love for Keane. Me and Daf watched a movie the other day that played Somewhere Only We Know at the end, which I haven't heard in ages, and then it came on the radio yesterday, so I've been playing all my Keane songs on my iTunes. So that's my song of the day. Enjoy.

 

Dipstick is a great word

I went to the cinema today with my Mum and Daf. Mum and I watched One Day whilst Daf opted for The Inbetweeners (which I still really want to see - wasn't too sure what Mum would make of it though!). Apart from a problem with the picture at the start (it was too big for the screen and the top and bottom of the picture was cut off), One Day was really good. I read the book (by David Nicholls) in near enough one day, ironically enough. I only got it on Wednesday and really wanted to read it before we saw the film, and luckily I managed to finish it - I'd definitely recommend it.

After the cinema, we went into town to a Thai restaurant, which was lovely. In the car on the way home, as my Mum was overtaken on a residential street for the third time, she said: "Another dipstick! That's three dipsticks today!" Dipstick is her favourite word to describe other drivers. I love my mother.

Anyway, I've now got five days of work in a row to look forward too. Maybe everyone will feel sorry for me working Bank Holiday weekend and tip really generously. One can only hope...

Big Brother

Hello. Remember me?

It's been a while, I know. I didn't really want to write anything when the riots were going on because it made me angry. Cher Lloyd got to number one, but that made me really angry too. What is the world coming to?

A brand new series of Big Brother starts tonight at its new home on Channel 5. When it had its big finale last year, I knew another channel would pick it up at some point, but I didn't think it would be back on our screens a year later. It's like it never went away really. I was never a huge Big Brother watcher, there was only one or two series that I properly got into. Anyway, I'm going to share my top 5 Big Brother moments, you lucky things.

In no particular order...

BB7's Nikki Grahame's infamous "Who is she?!" rant in the diary room. Nikki was the best ever. Incredibly irritating but so so funny.

Alex Sibley from BB3 hiding behind the door then miming along to That's The Way I Like It. Brilliant.

My next one is from BB7 again but I cannot find a video for it anywhere and it's really annoying me because it's amazing. It's the bit when Glyn is singing his song about cooking an egg for the very first time. There's loads of remixes on YouTube but I want the actual clip and I can't find it. Never mind, moving on.

OK, the internet is failing me and I can't find videos for anything, so here's just a generic 'best bits' one for you, if you feel like being nostalgic about Big Brother.

I feel really let down by YouTube.

"Is that a snake?"

Don't you just hate it when people show you their holiday snaps?

Well tough, because I'm going to go ahead and do just that.








I have lots more but I think that will do for now. I believe I promised a certain snake story last time, so I'm sure you're all on the edge of your seats with anticipation.

In the villa, Daf and I stay on the basement floor which is a nicely arranged area with a bedroom and a bathroom and sliding doors which lead out onto a patio and then down to the swimming pool. There are two sliding doors, the main one which is kept open most of the day to help keep it cool, and then a secondary sliding net/door type thing which keeps out all the creepy crawlies (so that one is obviously kept closed, except when you have to get outside). We had been out into the village for a wander around and a drink, and when we got back my Dad went downstairs to open the main sliding door. A few minutes later Daf and I went down, and I looked across and noticed a long lizardy head and neck poking out from inbetween the anti-insect door and the main door. I looked at it for a moment, and then I pointed at it and said, "Daf, is that a snake?" Initially he thought I meant the toggle for the blinds which was on the floor and rolled his eyes, but when he actually saw where I was pointing he said, "Oh that! Yeah, that's a snake." So I shouted up to my Dad that there was a snake in the doorway, which my poor mother was horrified by, as she's not what I would call a 'snake lover'. She came downstairs and shut the main door so that at least it couldn't get inside (which I didn't have the initiative to do - I'm so good in a crisis).

We didn't know if it was poisonous or not, and we couldn't risk it getting inside, so my Dad put his trainers on and went to get a spade. He went around the oustide and opened the anti-insect door, at which point the snake flipped out and went shooting off across the patio and through the holes in the laundry basket. It was super fast but Dad managed to catch it and unfortunately had to kill it.

Realistically it must have only been about three foot long as it had to fit in the gap between the doors, so it wasn't a huge snake. However in my memory it looks something like this:


So there you go, that's my exciting snake story. You're welcome.
 

It's not you, it's me

Actually it's not even me. Since getting back from holiday I've had internet issues which were resolved this morning by a technician man sent over from Virgin who told us that the reason we couldn't connect to the internet was because one of the wires for the modem wasn't screwed in. As the technician re-attached it with pliers, I'm at a loss as to how it came out in the first place. But never mind, I'm back online and all is well.

Turkey was awesome. So very very hot, but nice and lazy and great food. I made a friend in the form of a cat who stayed on our villa patio for the whole week (and is still there, according to my parents). I called her Lenny, just because. We played a lot of Rummikub (or 'Plastik Okey' as it is called in Turkey), and I only won once, but got hardly any points. By the end of the week I was last by quite a margin with an impressive score of about -190. It's okay though, because as anyone who knows me will tell you, I am a very gracious loser...

Since I got home I have worked lots, and on Monday I went to see the final Harry Potter. I may have shed a tear or two. It was so good, I loved it.

Next time I will post some Turkey photos, and if you're lucky I might share the story of that time when my Dad had to kill a snake with a spade.

Holiday hiccups

I spent most of the day doubting whether I'd be going on holiday tomorrow or not after Daf had a minor precautionary trip to the hospital this morning. I'm happy to report that he's A-OK, and we will indeed be wending our way to Turkey tomorrow after all. Fingers crossed.

I should really start to think about packing...

See you in just over a week.

I don't mean to brag but . . . I have a degree

I graduated today. Which means that tomorrow is the first day of the rest of my life. Although technically I suppose you could say that every day.

Look, here's a photo of me and Daf looking really smart and sophisticated (because we are university graduates, don't you know).

The day went by with no major incidents. When I went to get my robes on, my cap was too big, as I thought it would be thanks to my head-measuring methods. I had to try on about six different caps until we found one that fit me. Also, the robes are just huge. My hood kept slipping off my shoulder which you can see in the photo, which was irritating to say the least. But anyway, I rolled with it, and managed to suppress the overwhelming urge to burst out laughing as I walked on stage. It wasn't until I got home and looked at the videos my Dad took on his camcorder that I realised I had spent my entire graduation with the label sticking out the back of my dress. Fan-tastic.

After it was over, I went back to the flat with Mum and Dad one last time to pack up the rest of my stuff and hand in my key. Well, I say 'pack up the rest of my stuff' but I still managed to leave a drawer full of scarves and hats and gloves. Luckily for me, Daf thought to check the drawers after I had left so at least I won't be cold this winter!

******
Song of the Day: Good Riddance (Time Of Your Life) by Green Day
So take the photographs and still frames in your mind/Hang it on a shelf in good health and good time/Tattoos of memories and dead skin on trial/For what it's worth it was worth all the while/It's something unpredictable, but in the end it's right/I hope you had the time of your life

Rainy rain

It's raining. And according to the weather report, it'll be raining for the next few days off and on. Which is a pain, because I go on holiday to Turkey at the end of next week and it would be quite nice to not be blindingly pale when I get there.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 comes out on the day we fly, so we'll have to wait until we're back to go and see it. Nevertheless, I'm super excited to watch it. A bit sad as well, because it is the last one, but it does look pretty epic. And the critics actually like it apparently, which never happens. So it'll probably be shit now. (Only joking - well, I hope so).

My parents are having the dining room re-decorated at the moment. The wallpaper is all up, so there's just the new carpet to be fitted tomorrow, and then we have the joyous task of moving all the furniture back in. I currently have dining room chairs in my bedroom. I'm a bit miffed because my Mum didn't listen to any of my suggestions on the colour scheme. She didn't like the idea of purple and gold, and Wolves colours were a definite no-no. I can't understand why she wasn't more open to the idea.

Orange and black, very soothing tones.

Speaking of re-decorating, I was watching Homes Under the Hammer this morning, and my favourite part is naturally when they go back and see what people have done with the houses, flats or plots that they have purchased at the auction. However, in today's episode, there was a garage or something on a plot that had planning permission to build a 3-bedroom house on it, but when the camera crew returned to see the progress, the man who'd bought it had decided not to build the house because of the current market and had re-sold the land instead, so all that had happened was the garage (or whatever it was) had been demolished. I was peeved, to say the least. I hate it when they go back and nothing has happened, I don't think they should include lots like that on the program because it's really irritating to the viewer (i.e. me). In fact, I might write a letter to the BBC and complain. Except I won't really. But it is annoying.

******
Song of the Day: Every You Every Me by Placebo
All alone in space in time/There's nothing here, but what here's mine/Something borrowed, something blue/Every me and every you

Results Day!

I have a degree! I am the very proud owner of a 2:1 in History. Relieved doesn't even begin to cover it. I woke up at about 6am, and checked to see if the results were up on my phone, which they weren't, so I struggled to get back to sleep. When I finally did, I had a horrible dream where I only got 2 marks for my dissertation, but it wasn't telling me what I had overall, so I didn't know if I'd passed my degree or not. I woke up thinking it was real and I couldn't understand how it was possible that I'd only got 2 marks - then of course I realised it was a dream, checked the time and it was only 7.45am. And I still had no results. They finally appeared on my student record at about half 8 and so I was pretty chuffed not to have failed. 

Daf and I celebrated in great style by going to see Transformers 3 at the cinema. It was good; a bit long, but good. Although, when you've got ROBOTS and EXPLOSIONS and SHIA LABEOUF you can't really go wrong. Because of the teachers' strike, there were quite a few kids in the cinema and I ended up sitting next to one who kept talking to his brother/mate next to him and eating his popcorn really loudly. As it got nearer the end, I think he started to really need the loo because he kept jigging up and down in his chair and swinging his legs around. He was kicking his chair which impacted my chair and I really wanted to punch him in the face (except not really because he was just a kid, but my point is that it was really annoying). This is why children should not be allowed to go to the cinema. Also it was the middle of the day on a Thursday, I know there's strikes, but couldn't they have been given enough homework to last the whole day? Education these days...

Anyway, now I'm writing this while Daf's hoovering for me. I had to give up my rights to the last cookie in order to get him to do it, but I think on the whole everyone's happy with the arrangement. Later, we're going to watch Star Wars: Return of the Jedi because that's how we roll.

Work, results and summer

Hello blog, I have missed you. I ended up working Friday, Saturday AND a surprise shift on Sunday, so I've been busy either working or resting my feet before going into work. I think I need to invest in shoes with good soles, as my current pair are too flimsy - I can feel every bump and crack in the floor which gets pretty painful after a while. Other than that though, work is going well. So far I haven't had anyone complain about food, and everyone has been really nice. I'm a happy bunny.

I get my results on Thursday, which is about time. My university are painfully slow at getting results back. By the time I get them it will be a month since I finished, and thanks to status updates on Facebook, I know that people from other universities have got their results a couple of weeks or so after they've finished their exams. Never mind, only another agonizing three days to go. 

For now I'm enjoying watching Wimbledon and getting excited for my holiday - I'm off to Turkey in July. I didn't go on holiday last year so I feel like it's a much deserved break.

Here's a photo so that this blog post looks longer:


Stay tuned for something better next time!

Adulthood

I've been doing lots of grown-up things lately. Like getting a job, booking M.O.Ts, calling insurance companies and ironing. I need some silliness back in my life. So without further ado, here's some awesome silliness for you.

One of my favourite Scrubs moments:

Move Your Feet by Junior Senior came on the radio earlier and I was reminded of the awesome music video which I haven't seen in years:

This image has been doing the rounds on Tumblr so I don't know the original source, but I think it's pretty funny anyway:


In honour of Father's Day yesterday, here's some funny photos of dads and their kids.

Finally, here's a funny comic. 

In unrelated news, I watched The Day The Earth Stood Still last night, and it was just terrible. Keanu Reeves is an awful, awful actor. I used to love The Matrix (the first one), but I hadn't seen it in a few years and then my friend mentioned how bad Keanu Reeves is in it, and so the next time I watched it all I noticed was the terrible acting. And now I can't take it seriously.

******

Song of the Day: Move Your Feet by Junior Senior

They can take our lives, but they'll never take OUR FREEDOM!

Braveheart is on, in case you were wondering.

I got back from my very first shift as a waitress about an hour ago. I'm reasonably pleased with how it went, I managed to only spill one drink, and that was just a pepsi. Having my first shift on a Saturday was a bit like diving in the deep-end, but there was always something to do and it went really quickly. I was informed that the longer I work there, the more the hours will drag on. So that's something to look forward to. But anyway, everyone who works there is lovely, which is always nice. Oh, and did I mention the tips? I love tips. One table with two older couples on it (incidentally the table I spilled pepsi all over) gave me £10! I think it helped that I told them it was my first day, and also one of the men told me I reminded him of his daughter. Rule number one: a smile goes a long way.

Now my feet are absolutely killing me and I have a headache and I'm exhausted, but I'm so happy to be working. Getting back from work always makes me feel like I've accomplished something, which is a great feeling.

Anyway, William Wallace has given his freedom speech so I think it's time for bed.

Keep your keys with you at all times

This morning I paid £17 to sit in a chair for two minutes and have a man count my teeth. Otherwise known as a 'dental check-up'. I so should have gone to dentist school.

Yesterday I managed to lock myself out of my house, and I was stuck there for about an hour and fifteen minutes until my neighbour (who has a spare key) got home and rescued me. I don't even know how it happened. I had been into town and Sainsburys, picked up a few bits, and when I got home I took all the shopping bags in, put the keys down, and put down my handbag which had my phone and purse inside. Before I had left home I'd taken out the food caddy to empty it into the outside bin, and I left it there to bring in when I got back. So, once I had dropped everything inside, I went back out to get the food caddy. I didn't put the door on the latch, which was a rookie mistake, but the caddy was just outside the door and it didn't occur to me. Anyway, there must have been a gust of wind or something because I heard a slam and came to the humiliating realisation that I had managed to lock myself out.

I went next door to see if anyone was home, which of course they weren't, because the universe was mocking me. It was about quarter to two, so assuming most jobs finish about 5, I was going to have to wait about 3 and a half hours for someone to get home and lend me the key. It was quite overcast yesterday, with sporadic bouts of rain and gusts of wind. Unfortunately for me, my cardigan was in my handbag, which was just on the otherside of the doorway. So I could add 'cold' to my problems.

I tried to fit my arm through the letterbox to see if I could reach the inside handle but my chubby hands wouldn't fit. Or maybe letterboxes weren't designed to fit limbs through them, I don't know. At one point I heard sirens and wondered if a neighbour had phoned the police under the impression that I was a persistent but incompetent burglar. Everytime the rain got a little too heavy I had to go and stand under the hedge/shrubbery to try and avoid getting completely soaked, but fortunately there was never a continous downpour. Most of the time I spent just sitting on the step, lamenting my own stupidity.

At around 3pm I heard a car slow down outside next door, and it was my neighbour's son getting dropped off by his friends. He went and got me a keyring which had the most keys attached to it that I have ever seen. Not knowing which one it was, I started trying all of them, although at one point I couldn't remember which keys I'd already tried. Anyway, eventually I found the right one and managed to get back inside. Let me tell you, I have never appreciated keys as much as I do now.

That's all for now, join me next time for another installment of I can't believe I am considered to be a responsible adult.

******

Song of the Day: Loser by Beck
I'm a loser baby, so why don't you kill me?

Incensed - something a bit different

I was surfin' the net, as you do, and I came across this on tumblr, about Rick Santorum. He is a member of the Republican Party and has now entered the 2012 presidential election campaign, so that's good news (sarcasm LOL). The idea that this man wants to implement a blanket ban on abortion is ridiculous, and it is even more ridiculous that he thinks doctors who perform abortions should be criminally charged. I cannot believe the hypocrisy here, when his own wife had an abortion when her life was endangered. It was obviously a difficult decision and no one wants to go through something like that, but you'd think that an experience like that would change his opinion on abortion? Apparently not.

It always makes me angry when I read about republicans wanting to introduce legislation like this about abortion, because I always think that they'd change their opinion if they or someone they loved was suddenly in a pregnancy situation (such as rape, or illness) where they might not want to keep the baby. However, Santorum has experienced this, and he still wants to implement a ban which, if it was in place in 1997, would have meant his wife would have died.

This boggles me. It completely boggles my mind. Abortion should ALWAYS be a choice for the women left with unwanted pregnancies. I don't for one minute think that abortion should be used as contraception by silly girls who forget to insist upon a condom. There are plenty of contraception options out there and if there are any girls who actively think that if they do get pregnant they can always have an abortion then there is something terribly wrong with the world. However, accidents happen, and for those who are raped; for those who become ill; if a scan picks up any birth defects, or for those women who are just not ready, they should always have the choice.

The last paragraph of the blog-post (from a blog run by Michael Kindt) I linked at the beginning says this:

“Abortion in any form is wrong,” said Santorum in 2000, three years after the tragedy. “Except for my wife. If your wife’s life was at stake and the only thing that could save her was an abortion, well, too bad. Your wife will have to die. It was different with my wife. You see, I love her. I don’t even know your wife’s name.”

The quotation marks shouldn't be there because as far as I'm aware, Santorum never actually said this, it was probably just inferred by the author for emphasis. However, the sentiment I think is exactly right. He's a filthy hypocrite and if he gets into office I think it would be a disaster. No one with such poisonous ideas should be in a position of power.

Mixed messages

I've just ordered my cap and gown for graduation, so that's all very exciting. I couldn't find a tape measure to measure my head, but I did find one of those things you use to measure the length of a room or a doorway or something. They don't work as well because they don't really bend, but I'm reasonably confident in my guesstimation. Besides, a reliable friend informed me that there are spare hats on the day, so I'm not too worried.

The company I had to order from sent me an email with all the information I needed, and at the top of the email it said this:

Right, okay. Please print, I'll be sure to do that. Underneath this was my reference number, a record of my payment and other confirmation details. Then, at the bottom was this:

Well, now I'm confused. I checked just in case this footer was a hotmail related thing, but it is actually from the graduation gown company place. Now I feel like I'm in a lose-lose situation. I have to print the email, but I'm going to get judged for it. I don't need judgemental emails in my life.

In other news, I miss Lost. I've been watching some of the special features on the DVDs to try and fill the void, but it's not quite the same. Sigh.

Oh, and just before I go, I've finally watched Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End which is the third one (bit behind the times, I know), and I literally had no idea what was going on for most of it, and I can't believe they gave Will and Elizabeth such a sad ending. I won't say what happens in case I get accused of ruining it for someone, but seriously, you're better off giving it a miss, it's awful. It's so awful that not even Jack Sparrow could save it, and I love Jack Sparrow.

That being said I still want to see the new one because Will and Elizabeth aren't in it and there's MERMAIDS involved I think.

******
Song of the Day: Only Wanna Be With You by Hootie & The Blowfish
You look at me, you got nothing left to say/I'm gonna pout at you until I get my way

A bad blogger's weekly round-up

I do believe it's been over a week since I blogged. I've been meaning to, but I've been busy in a kind of non-busy way. Last weekend I went to Ludlow for a gathering for Soph's birthday which was fun, she got given a tent which she tried to convince me we were sleeping in (I am not a fan of tents or camping). On Monday Daf came up on the train from Barmouth for a few days. We went to the cinema on Tuesday to watch X-Men: First Class which was really good if you like that sort of thing (and I do). On Wednesday it was my birthday! 22 years old, it doesn't feel like such a fun age. Anyway, I got a lovely present of a cold, so it wasn't one of my better birthdays. I really don't remember what happened on Thursday, it has disappeared from my memory, but yesterday I went to a local pub/restaurant to chat about starting a job there, which I will be doing next week. It's just a Saturday job at the moment but it'll pick up as it gets busier, also I could maybe get another job for the week. Either way I'm pretty pleased that I only got back from university just over a week ago and I already have a job on the horizon. Yay for money! Oh, and also Daf and I have now completely finished Lost. What an emotional rollercoaster, that's all I can say. I was up early this morning to drop Daf off at the train station, and the ONLY good thing about this is that as a result I was able to watch Spongebob which is always a winner in my book.

Sorry to go all, "On Monday I did this, and then I did that..." on you but it's my attempt at explaining my absence. Hopefully I'll be back to updating a bit more regularly now.

Here's some photos!


These were all taken in Soph's garden in Ludlow.

******
Song of the Day: Nightingale Song by Toad The Wet Sprocket
And little ever changes if anything at all/Just reminds ourselves how small we are
 

Home Sweet Home

I have arrived home after a hellish train journey on what feels like the hottest day in the history of Britain. It's been half term for the schools this week so the train gradually got busier and busier at each station. Before we even reached the Welsh border the train kept stopping due to what the train-driver/conductor/whoever it is they get to mumble the announcements called 'engine difficulties'. Which, let's face it, isn't exactly what you're after when you're half an hour into a two and a half hour journey.

Luckily, I had Joe to keep me company until Welshpool, and he helped me plan out my whole career. I'm going to be a freelance writer, folks. Starting with this blog which I do not get paid for. It's going to be great. Also, a couple of ladies got on at Newtown and sat opposite us, and one of them started reading a book called Star Wars: A New Jedi Order. I didn't even know they had Star Wars books, but I must read them all.

Eventually I made it home about an hour later than I was expecting, and after an extortionate taxi fare. I went to Waitrose for a posh shop because it's close and I am so very very tired, and now I'm watching Malcolm in the Middle because that is how I roll.

Just a quick HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Soph before I go.

******

Song of the Day: Masquerade by Lelia Broussard
You masquerade like you're unique/Like you've got a lot to say/Like there's something underneath

Um. . .

So I just got back from my very last exam of my university career. I think it went okayish, nothing too exciting, although I did sneeze and it made the guy in front of me jump which made me laugh (silently of course). I'm relieved that it's out of the way now, but other than that I don't really know how I'm supposed to feel. I feel like I should be sad that it's all over now, or feel happy and hopeful for the future, but honestly I don't feel any different than I did this morning. Just now I can play The Sims without feeling guilty.

It's finished. I'm all finished with university, after four long years.

Now what?

Life Lessons

"If you can dodge a wrench, you can dodge a ball."

Sound, sound advice.

(P.S. Dodgeball is on)

Internet Memes

I feel like I've blogged loads this week but I really really haven't. Never mind, I'm here now. I've just watched Dr Who and I won't spoil it in case you haven't seen it, but let's just say my mind is officially blown. Touché, writers.

Anyway, I've got things on my mind, people. I love the internet. I love my blog, and I love reading other people's blogs; I love how easy it is to keep in touch with people through the likes of Facebook; I love internet shopping; I love Tumblr, and most of all, I love how many funny/cool/interesting websites are on the internet. However, I do not love internet phases (or memes) that are either taken too far, or that think they're funny when they are painfully unfunny. 

One of the biggest culprits currently making the rounds is "That awkward moment when..." followed by something which is supposed to be a funny awkward moment. If you don't know what I'm talking about, I seriously envy you. This 'phenomenon' has its own website, but I simply don't understand the popularity. Here's some examples, hand-picked by me from the website:
  • That awkward moment when the parents of the children you’re babysitting come home and find you sleeping on the couch.
  • That awkward moment when you slip while reading a “floor slippery when wet” sign. 
  • That awkward moment when you realize that Waldo is not the world champion at hide and seek. 
  • That awkward moment when you sit on the remote and think a ghost turned on the TV.
  • That awkward moment when your chair makes a farting noise and no one believes it was the chair, so you try to do it again but you can’t make the sound.
I think you get the point. The trouble with this craze is that when it started, there were actually a few funny ones around, and people were like, "Lol, it's funny 'cause it's true." But now, like with this website, people can submit their own, and they very rarely raise so much as a smile, or they're Mean Girls references. The thing is though, they're hardly ever even what I would consider an 'awkward moment'. Honestly, go and check for yourself. I mean, is this really funny to people? Am I losing my touch with popular culture? No, I don't think so. I just think it's stupid.

Another one is I think mainly Facebook orientated where they have all those groups you can 'like'. I think it's quietened down a bit now but it was everywhere for a while. I'm talking about the "Lol jk" jokes fad. For all you non-text speakers, here is the Urban Dictionary definition -
LOL, JK - The 'textual communication' version of "Laughing Out Loud, Just Kidding".
A lot of these were pretty sexist/racist or just generally offensive (if not for the content then just for the sheer unfunniness). Here's a couple just for reference:
  • I'd take a bullet for you...LOL jk that would hurt.
  • I'm studying for exams...LOL jk I'm on Facebook. 
  • It's not you, it's me...LOL jk, it's you. 
Again, you get the point. As I said, I think this one has pretty much died down now, but I brought it up because I saw one a couple of weeks ago which infuriated me.

I finish uni on the 18th May... LOL, jk, I do a real degree.

This page is filled with comments from people, and the crux of what they were saying is that if you do a degree where your exams are finished by the 18th May then your degree isn't viable. Most of the people commenting were engineering students, or medical students of some kind, and whilst I have the utmost respect for these professions, I find the sheer ignorance behind the individual statements astounding. For one, the students don't decide the exam and term dates, the Universities do, and so whilst May is early to finish, it by no accounts means that the work ethic is low among the students themselves. My exam is on the 31st May, but I reckon I'd still be counted in this group, because if it wasn't for the fact that I'm in my final year, I would've had a four month break. I think it's incredibly rude of people to belittle my degree choice just because it isn't one that translates into an obvious career path. And after all, if we all did engineering degrees then there'd be no demand for engineers thus rendering engineering obsolete as a degree choice. Bit of a rant, but it just annoys me that because some degree subjects finish for summer a lot earlier than say a medical degree, medical students think that they're the only ones doing anything worthwhile. (By the way, I realise not every single medical or engineering student thinks like this, I purely mean those who commented on this particular group.)

And breathe.

But yeah, back to my original point, 'Lol jk' jokes aren't funny, kay? There's so many more I could comment on but I think I'd just be going around in circles and then we'd be stuck in a neverending blog post. Which would be awful.

******

Song of the Day: Where The Road Meets The Sun by Matthew Perryman Jones and Katie Herzig 

And when the day comes I'll meet you here/'Cause I know that wishes come true/Finding my way back to you

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