Picture change

This is yet another photo change.  On our way back from the Fenton Centre two weeks ago my friend Moniek and I saw this rainbow.  You could actually see the whole arch and at one point we were quite certain we could see where it touched right in front of some trees.  I haven’t seen such a stunning rainbow in YEARS.

Needless to say on our trip we had sunlight THE WHOLE TIME until we started to board the bus and a few drops of rain fell.  That was all the rain we saw.  Instead we were given the view of dark-grey clouds and a beautiful rainbow.

Fish update

I have gone and talked to the head housekeeper lady. The only problem that has been answered so far is whether or not Grant can move from his room down to one of the ones closer to me. There are no free rooms, but one of our kitchen mates is thinking of leaving and going off to another University. That would free up his room. We’ll miss him terribly, but that’s how things go.

Right now I suppose the best thing is to see if anyone cares to move up to Grant’s kitchen so he can move down to mine. It would be nice. There are some people who do eat up there instead of down in our kitchen for some meals. It’s just a matter of figuring things out. Prices/room changes/etc.

The deal with my fish allergy is that I might be moved to a different building, off campus, who knows where I’ll go. The studio rooms with their own kitchen are all occupied in this building. I don’t know where I’ll go. I don’t mind living with Undergraduates. I won’t like it, but if that’s where my options take me, so be it. If there is a couple accommodation we can yoink up, I would be glad to do that with Grant. Mostly because it would be cheaper for both of us. If only we had figured these things out earlier. Stupid rooms….grrrrrrrrrrr.

I can only hope this is figured out soon. I will hate to leave my kitchen, and my little closet-shower. . . and my 7 foot bed. I’ve been getting used to my room and what they offer here, I’ll feel very sad and very stressed at having to leave.

Speaking of which, inspections are on Wednesday and I need to do some room cleaning. Vaccuuming, moving papers around and throwing out the trash. There’s also the folding up and putting away of clothing, moving the drying rack, etc etc etc. It’s not a lot of work, just not something I look forward to. Especially the mopping up and cleaning of the bathroom. I always hated cleaning bathrooms. At least I have rubber gloves. *squee*

Ze leeeetle fishies!

So today was INCREDIBLY interesting (as I’ve already said). 

Lectures were boring, I have about an encyclopedia worth of Soil Science stuff to read.  What else is new right?

Well these past two nights (not counting tonight) I’ve either eaten out (we were already out getting some groceries and Grant and I were starving so we got cheap foodage) or had dinner in my room.  Why?  Because my kitchen-mates are seafood nuts.  This isn’t a problem if it’s just one of them.  It’s everyone except Ahmed and Brazilian-engineer-dude (a total of 6 people who will cook it).  They all make shrimp-something or something that uses really awful smelling crab meat.  Actually Anthony made a really neat dish with crab legs in it.  It looked REALLY good, but I got a throbbing headache from 4 or 5 people cooking with seafood at once (this was on. . .  Monday).  FOUR of them, not sure of #5, were cooking seafood.  I mean I honestly felt ill.

So I’ve been steeling myself to chat with the accommodation people here.  They are nice people, they know their job.  And uh. . . as seen today, they don’t take crap from no one!!!  Seriously, the Geordie temper (I hear there is one) flared up a bit on one girl today as I was waiting my turn.

(Yes this is all very important to my story.)

This asian girl was asking the front desk about this TV License notice we all got.  She wondered why we had to pay to call them up to say we didn’t want to use their service.  By “pay” she meant spend money using a phone call.  Now, I did this phone call in a minute and a half and that means I used up about 30p of my Pay-as-you-go service.  But this girl wanted nothing to do with it.  The lady behind the desk very nicely informed her that you shouldn’t ignore the letter, and maybe the web address works, but really just give them a ring.  Don’t ignore it, they’ll just send you more. From the conversation I had on the phone, they’ll also send inspection services after you.  Lovely. . .  Anyways, this girl WAS NOT giving in.  She kept asking if there was an email or some “free way” to contact these people to say she didn’t want a license, etc etc.  The lady was getting a bit steamed because the girl wouldn’t listen. She kept insisting it was silly for this company to tell us we had to have a license and that she didn’t even watch television, let alone online.  Those of us in the vestibule were exchanging looks of “This lady is going to kill her in about 3 seconds.  ooooohhhh man!!!”  Our usually-friendly lady finally snapped out something about how this was the way things are done in this country, if you don’t like it you can just _______ it.  I can’t recall what term she used.  Something that pretty much meant “shut up and shove your complaint up your bum.”  I mean she had daggers coming out of her eyes and steam out her ears.  If she could have breathed fire, I think she would have. 

Anyways, I was next after the guy in front of me got a package and didn’t quite do things in the right order.  She nearly smacked the clipboard back on the counter.  I was like . .  uh. . this can’t go well.  So I tried to calm her down by saying my question had NOTHING to do with the TV License, I already took care of it.  Instead. . . *insert interruption by her about how it really was a very simple process to just ring them up…* I interrupted her to say I knew, I had just called them about an hour ago and things were taken care of BUT I had a different issue.  I told her I was allergic to seafood (mostly true) and that my kitchen mates are VERY big on cooking it.  I get severe headaches during dinner time, and I can’t go in there to make myself food at night. The rest of the day I am fine.  It is ONLY at dinner time.  This poor woman just sat down, looked at me with this “Oh…. oh… dear me….. ”  She looked so terrified about this.  She wasn’t sure what to tell me, and worse yet she has no idea what they can do about it.  PROBLEM!  So I am to wait until Monday to talk to the Manager or whomever it was she mentioned because he’s left for the day, and he won’t be in all weekend (duh, no one is). 

I hope this is easy to fix.  Easy to figure out a remedy for.  I really hate doing this. But I have a serious reaction to seafood and it made me so miserable to watch this woman who had just been about to smack someone look at me like I had just told her that her dog had been hit by a car.  I mean it was AWFUL!  I’m not used to announcing this nasty reaction.  So anyways, I said I’d come back on Monday and that it was really fine, I can wait until then, I’m doing fine for the moment. 

Keep in mind that everyone who works there knows that Grant and I are dating.  I also informed her that Grant’s kitchen is also full of these seafood loving people, so it’s not like we can just start cooking in HIS kitchen.  Both of them are a problem.  The smell of this seafood is enough to make anyone feel ill (at least once it’s been in the garbage overnight). I am glad Grant was there with me.  I wanted a witness to this.

So I’m scared about what will happen.  Will I have to move to another room?  Another building?  Stay where I am????  I just don’t know!!! 

So now, on top of all my homework, readings, writing, etc I have this thing to mull over and think up all kinds of outcomes.  It’s easy to push it from my mind during the day, but as dinner looms, I’m scared to go into the kitchen.  It’s not fish. . .  just seafood.  But I think I shall have to put up a sign that says I am allergic to salmon, please under no conditions cook it.  I am not sure what else to tell them.  There is no way to say “sorry you have to cook something else that isn’t seafood from now on.” That’s just not right, there is no way I can do that. I can’t suddenly tell 6 people that do cook seafood they have to stop. 

Anyways, that’s my current crisis. 

Fun eh? 

Speaking of dinner, it’s about time to start cooking.  Grant has been wonderful going down there to cook and clean up while I sit up here avoiding a splitting headache and feeling ill.  I want to be strong and be able to face this awful reaction, but I guess you just have to suck it up and say, yes I’m gimped.
 

Nickname dangers

There is a reason I avoid the nicknames of couples. . .  they’re dangerous things and outside people always look at you funny when you use them.  So last night Grant made some comment after I called him “toots.”  I do this to everyone at some point in chatting with them.  “Ready then toots?”  kind of things.  So he opted to reply with something like “Okay Sugar Tits.”  Barrooo??  (to quote Ash)  Uhh. . .what??  Well, I replied with “If you call me that, I’m calling you ‘Sour Balls’!!”  This led to him nearly falling over backwards.  Actually I think he did. . .he was sitting down.  Needless to say, these names are NOT sticking, nor shall they be used.  But I found it rather amusing and thought other people might get a nice smile out of thinking just how wrong these nicknames can get.  It was all in jest.

On the note of school, I spent Wednesday hopping about sand dunes in Alnmouth.  AWESOME!  We had lunch on the beech.  We counted vegetation in 1m x 1m quadrats (okay, not so fun) and then sat on the bus listening to people have the STRANGEST conversations ever.  The back of the bus is where all the fun is. . .   We even saw fungal poo!  I kid you not!!!! It was a dog turd that had been taken over by white furry fungi.  Teehee!!!  No, I did not take a picture of it, but it looked very strange.  Trust me.  I’m sure someone else might have taken a shot of it.

I’ve also decided that I need a flask (i.e. Thermos to Americans).  I found one after going into two shops.  Mmmmm good stuff.  I need to do the whole “pour boiling water in it, let it sit, then fill with desired liquid.”  I also need to wash it just for the sake of who knows who else opened the box and coughed in the flask. . . Okay, that’s overdoing it, but I don’t care.

On a VERY boring note I am going to be reading about Soil Science ALL WEEKEND LONG!!! I am also going to write up my survey for ACE8022.  Hopefully it will go rather fast.  I’m excited about it. . .  I’m making a survey on the study of girls (and maybe guys too) who wear Uggs/Ugg style boots.  I can’t stand the darn things.  They are HIDEOUS.  I don’t care how toasty they make your feet, they’re damn ugly.  Hiking boots for me. . .  at least those have arch support.

Anyways, off to work work work work, dinner, then my television time.  Yes, I watch TV for 2 hours every Friday night.  That is all the TV I get it and darn it, I think I deserve it.

Ooooohhhhh on Tuesday night Grant and I went to see Swan Lake.  Did I already talk about this? I forget.   Anyways, some of the ballerinas were WELL FED!  What’s this you say. . .Russian ballerinas that aren’t skeletons?!?!  It’s TRUE.  It was amazing.  Yes, the majority were still bony things that could probably rival me for double edged elbows.  And then there was the Evil (booty) Magician.  He had some serious buttocks curvature going on.  I mean really now. . . most of those girls were probably jealous of his rotund derrier (sp?).

Overall the ballet was VERY delightful.

And Aladdin is coming to the Theatre Royal.  There are a few strange characters in it. . .along with a few that seem a bit off.  Those would be the Daleks. WTF are Daleks doing in ALADDIN?!?!?! One of the ticket ladies heard my question to Grant and she said, “We wonder the same thing!!!!”  I felt better then.  At least she knew what they were.  *snort*  Where’s my mom when I need her. . . I nabbed her a flier for it though.

Time to go unload my groceries and see about getting this flask cleaned out.

Next up, the best mixture for hot chocolate!!

Never a dull moment

I honestly need to carry my camera around with me EVERYWHERE.

Last night was the Rugby World Cup FINAL.  England vs South Africa.  Needless to say England did not win, but that didn’t stop just about every pub in Newcastle to be full to the brim of people watching the game.  I can only imagine the World Cup for Football is worse.

The cheers and the boos were audible across the street and around the corner from most pubs.  It was amazing.  We didn’t have riots like Boston is prone to.  That was nice.  Then again, who are they going to attack??  It’s not such a huge rivalry thing.  People actually applauded at the end of the match.  We were in the pub and people broke out clapping. They weren’t happy, but it showed a side that I did not expect.

On the note of my classes, I am being drowned in learning new programs and trying to remember my statistics from a bazillion years ago.  Only mildly painful.  I did get one assignment done, and I am going to try and get most of the next one done today.  The write up and research bit will have to wait until some point during the week. I can hopefully figure out how to do the two way analysis on Minitab today.  I actually miss doing things by hand.  I felt so much better than just spending 5 seconds clicking things on a computer program.  It’s rather nightmarish really.  But it’s okay, it’s fast and right now I don’t want to spend too much time on it.

On a note of being a dork, I went to WHSmith and got the remaining Adventure Series books by Enid Blyton. I devour those things.  There are only 8 of them, but I plan on giving them to my mom when she comes to visit.  They’re wonderful books and I think everyone should read them.  They’re just a really fun read.

Other than that, things are going as planned. . . food is being eaten, overpriced dryers aren’t drying very well and I have lots of tea

Just changed

I have just changed my picture and format.

The picture was taken at a farm we went to during our “induction week.” We stood about in the freezing cold listening to a guy talk about the agriculture plots (organic vs standard) that they run etc etc etc.

The cows were really quite funny, but I like these two the best since it looks almost like one cow with two heads.

Just to do something

I am killing time. I need to write up my Soil Survey Report (it’s due on Wednesday), but I can’t quite sit down and do it yet.  I might have to force myself off to the computer lab to work on it as my own computer is just too darn distracting.  Pity really.

I have a very chatty tummy right now. It is quite content with food but apparently feels the need to talk about it.  Odd thing stomachs.

Anyways, classes are going as they go.  Food is being made and eaten.  Weather is doing what weather does.

I had a point to write about, but now it’s gone and flown the coop.

No wait, it’s coming back.

I have gone and joined THREE societies.  I’ve only been to two of them so far, but I think #3 will be nice if I go next week.  I can always pull out later.  I have joined Fellwalking (I haven’t gone on a walk yet, but I shall soon enough),  Latin & Ballroom Dance (so very awesome) and Swing Dance (haven’t gone yet, but I shall).

Apparently the Swing Dance people do Lindy, so this is my opportunity to learn something or at least do basic swing for the most part.  Ballroom is my chance to master the waltz and learn the rumba and cha-cha properly.  WAHOOEY! I am thrilled.

Too bad there isn’t any contra dancing near by, I’d have a blast with that.  I think I’ll survive all the same.  Okay, I’m in a writing mood so we’ll see how this soil survey comes out.  *sigh*

Apologies

I have been slacking off in updating due to a crapton of coursework and general avoidance of the idea of sitting here for 20 minutes typing up about my life and things.

I’ll update again soon.  Never fear.

Money leaks through fingers

Honestly, I’m just feeling a serious money drain right now.  We’re still settling in and finding things we don’t have.

I apologise (british spelling. . oh noes!) for the lack of entries this week, but it’s been dull, and I’ve been sick as crap.  I am still battling the leaky nose, but thankfully I no longer need my Afrin at night to help me breathe.

My mom’s package o’ goodies arrived, so now I have two more sweaters and my little REI backpack that is . . . novara brande.  Whatever that means.  It’s apparently used for biking.

I have also switched my modules around for this term and next.  I am no longer taking Habitat Mapping next term, and I am taking Environmental Assessment: Land and Water Resources.   I go on a field trip in about an hour to play with dirt.  We’re going out somewhere for 5 hours to go look at dirt and do soil samples.  Oh joy?  I’m still unsure about this, but I have my wellies, hiking boots and waterproof pants.  I am a happy camper.

Speaking of camping, there is a deal at a local outdoor shop where you can get 2 sleeping backs for 40 GBP.  SWEET DEAL!! Guess what Grant and I are going to do!!!

The other exciting purchase is an HP printer.  We did get an Epson first in the hopes that it would be an okay deal.  No, it was an honest to goodness piece of junk. And this HP is one of those “I can scan things too!” jobs that I’m not so sure about.  I guess I’m glad we have it. . .  Whatever.  It did come with a nice deal: extra black and color ink cartridges (one of each), a ream of paper and a USB cable to connect it to the computer.  Yes, printers here do not come with a USB cable. You have to buy it separately.  Don’t even get me started on the price of ink here.  It’s just ugly!

So I am off to the wonderful world of playing in dirt and hoping that Grant doesn’t destroy some of my clothing in the laundry.  We did laundry last week and everything came out fine (so far) so I am not too worried.

Perhaps exciting things shall happen this week.

Saturday is our 6 months. . . holy crap.  The mind boggles.

Week 1 of classes

And already my cold has decided to rear its ugly head.  I am sick.  Miserably, undoubtedly sick.   I think I slept for about 5 hours last night when it should have been 9.  How’s that for misery?  I tossed and turned (normal) and then had a severely itchy nose and tissue using all night long.  At least there is now a serious dent in my tissue box supply.   I’m probably over halfway done with one box (a good portion of that has been used by Grant, but now I’ve gone through a good portion myself), and there is another in my drawer just waiting to be used.

Good news: my classes don’t start until tomorrow at 1 pm.  So YAY!!!! This makes me very very very happy.

Bad news: I also have a fever.  I go through this bouts of being really hot vs really cold.  This was another reason why I couldn’t sleep very well.

I can’t wait until Wednesday when I have a field trip all day from 9-5.  Grant will make me breakfast. . .  I hope.  He also has class at 9, but I think my bus leaves at 9 a.m. so I need to get out the door a tiny bit faster.  We’ll both be rushed.  I am SO bringing my box of kleenex with me or at least every last one of my little packets of kleenex.  Seriously.  Tesco had a sale on the little packets of kleenex for kids with Cars theme on the wrapper.  It only has 7 in each one, but they’re just so darn cute!!!! And they were about 84 p for a pack of 8 or so. I’m all for these glorious sale items.

Anyways, my tea has finally cooled down enough that I think it is safe to drink.  I could be wrong though.  We’ll see.  After this tea I am going to stand in the hot shower for as long as I can stand it. . .  I just need to see if I can’t boil off some of this nasty cold and feel a wee bit better.

Tonight’s 90 minutes of CV with the crew team is being put off until a later date.  I can’t do it.  If I feel this wretched. . .just UGH.  I might still head over there just to see when their next practice is or something, and maybe do the 90 minutes on my own at some point.  Perhaps I’ll go down there earlier and do it then.  Or at least some of it.  I am trying to get on this team.  I realize this might only be something I can handle for a short bit of time, but I would like to do it for a little while.

Back to my tea.

Really.

I’m going. . . .

I swear.

*POOF*