"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:

 [source]

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!

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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