Winter break

I am looking forward to my trip with Grant during winter break.  It will be amazing to spend Christmas in Vienna and New Years in Brussels.  The only things dampening this trip are the cost of the Eurostar for me (gee it sucks being old, but maybe there is a “full time student rate.”), and the absolute crapton of homework I have due when I get back.  It’s not that every class has given me an assignment, it’s that I don’t have enough time to do them in.  We have a case study for Environmental Assessment due on the 9th of January that requires a ton of library work, most of which we can’t do during break because they uh. . close the library during break!!!  It reopens something like 5 days before this assignment is due!!!!!  It’s also 35% of my grade, and there is an exam for the course as well.  I am very close to dropping this module and shooting myself in the foot with coursework next term (7 modules! HOLY CRAP!).  It’s getting out of hand.

The other assignment is for my stats course and that’s a CANOCO assignment that should take the better part of my sanity along with it.  I’m not sure when it is due, but I can tell you I am less than pleased about this.

I am not sure what to do with myself.  I feel lost and scared and honestly terrified of whatever mark I will get from Environmental Assessment.  That class has me by the proverbial balls (if I had them).

[/rant]

I am going to the Spanish Riding School December 23rd and NOTHING to do with my course modules will get in my way!!  I shall have fun!  *yaaarrrgghhh*

Also the mini-Christmas market at Monument has AMAZING Nürnberger spiced wine.  HOLY CRAP is it tasty.  I think I am going to run down there and get some tomorrow.  Seriously.  It’s not worth £2, but I’m willing to pay that.

I need to finish my Lindisfarne report so I can go to sleep.  Yup yup yup.

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Officially in love

Yesterday we made this extraordinary “Thanksgiving dinner,” for my parents. . .and Ahmed.    The first task of the day was cutting up about 80 apples for the apple pie.  This was less than fun, but I got to eat some tasty samples.  Teehee.  During the baking time of the apple pie and the drying out of our bread for homemade croutons I did some homework (I felt much better with that), in the kitchen (okay, not so great).

Then we took a break and started in on the real fun: the stuffing.  Once my parents got here we began the  sourdough biscuits, baking the chickens (yes we had 2), getting the mashed potatoes ready, parsnips, green beans and uh. . . yes.  That’s our meal.  We used butter.  Even my mom did (le gasp!) and this made my dad’s jaw nearly drop.  Once you give her standard cooking fare the food improves.  IMMENSELY!  You should have seen my dad’s jaw fall open (yet again) when he saw the amount of butter Grant was going to put in with the potatoes.  He hasn’t had a real meal like this in SOOOOO long.  I feel bad for him.

Not that my mom can’t cook, she can.  Just if she’s left to her own devices she’ll make something she likes, and it’s not exactly made to anyone elses taste.

The food was delicious. The meal superb, and all around a good time.

Dessert is where we all had little hearts circling our heads.  That apple pie was AMAZING.  There is one slice (two, if Grant hasn’t eaten his yet) left of this.

I sadly did not take any pictures.  If I can find my camera I will get a picture of this pie before it disappears forever.

There shall be more cookings of apple pie and biscuits (my dad and I downed 3 TOTAL before anyone else could get one).

I’ve warned Grant about me and those biscuits.  I will eat them when they are fresh and refuse to share.  I won’t stop you from getting one, but I will not willingly hand you one to eat.  No threats from my mom can fix this.  It’s true.  I just won’t pass the bowl. Someone else has to.  I want them next to me.  And I will put jam on them (I rarely put jam on anything).

I am procrastinating writing up my paper.  I should get on that.

I need more biscuits. . . oh yes yes yes I do.  I think I shall try to get some ready for tomorrow or something.  NUM NUM NUM NUM NUM!!!!

Arrival

My parents are here.  We have taken them to the 24 hour Tesco (on the way back from the aiport), purchased foodages of tastyness, and tried to go against the flow of Newcastle United fans as they left the stadium.  Always a treat.  URK.

Taking a break now to see if I can get some work done.  Grant is resting up, he’s going through a stressful bit of life right now.  Apparently my parents and I provide him with some comic relief.  Glad to know we can.

My parents are staying at the best guest house ever! I love this guy.  He’s awesome.  His wife is too.  They’re very friendly and helpful.

My dad can’t stop ranting about Sweden and how much he wants to go back.  He really does love it there.  It amuses me to no end. He wants to go back again next fall.  It’s been 8 years since he’s even been to Sweden so it’s about time he starts getting the travel bug again.  I guess it helps I’m in England.  He brought me back some Marabou chocolate and Läkerol.  Oh boy!!

Tomorrow can’t come soon enough

I’m so excited. I get to see my dad tomorrow!!! I am meeting him at the airport as soon as I can escape from class.  We’re just doing presentations so I’m sure I can skip out at 10 ’til 5 or something like that.  I hope more people come than the ones that came on Wednesday.  It’s rather rude to not show up to do a peer-grade on people’s work when we all came to their presentations.  Grrrrrrr.

Some people are just lacking in some social graces.  I am by no means perfect, but I still like to show up for something to see the effort other people put into their presentations (or lack thereof in some of them).  It’s not like there was a “conflict of courses,” we don’t have any other classes on Wednesday.

I can rant further, but I’ll stop.  I have work to do and I’ve wasted it watching Sid Caesar and other various things on YouTube.  I’m a slacker, I know. . .

To quote:

Friedrich Nietzsche:

“To predict the behavior of ordinary people in advance, you only have to assume that they will always try to escape a disagreeable situation with the smallest possible expenditure of intelligence.”

I believe some people wish they were normal enough to get away with such an act.  And some that are constantly doing it so much that it just baffles the mind of those unable/unwilling to take that escape path.

For now I shall merely go to sleep and hope that I am able to focus on work tomorrow since I could not today.

 

Squirrels

Today I do my powerpoint on Red squirrels.  They’re SO CUTE!!  I’m soooo nervous.  I hate presentations.  I’m running through it one last time and then that’s it.  No more.  I can’t stand the stupid thing any more.  I do have cute pictures though.    They make me happy.  They’re at the end too.  Wheeeeeeee.  Definitely an “awwwww” factor.  I hope that it’s alright.

I just want to get an okay grade on it, and not totally botch it up.  I have information, I have data, but um. . erm. .  I’m an outsider looking at a problem the majority of my classmates grew up learning about.  I am in the dark for most of it.  I shall just do my best and hope I survive.

And now, a quote that sums up my opinion:

“Ah, this is obviously some strange usage of the word ’safe’ that I wasn’t previously aware of.”

– Douglas Adams

To sleep, perhaps.

I will crash in the next. . .   half hour.

But first, a bit on the weather of Newcastle.  I know I know, I resist . . .but today, it’s just the day for a weather chat.

Foul.

Wet, cold, and raining NON STOP!  It’s been raining since last night (I would know I was up for most of it!).  This is the FIRST day since I’ve been here that we have had weather like this.  Usually (if it rains at all) it’s late at night, or for a quick bit during the day and then we see daylight again with sunshine and such.  We’ve had TONS of sunlight these past two months.  Rarely any rain.  I guess we’re paying for it now.  Oh, Grant and I figured we’ve had about 6 days of mildly icky weather total.  So everyone, there’s a lesson to be learned here, ENGLAND IS NOT ALWAYS GREY AND RAINY!

My parents are on their way here.  My dad is heading off today (but going to Sweden first for family stuff), and I think he’s rather excited.  He keeps sending me these little emails in german/swedish.  Like I speak either one.  Oh well.

My mom doesn’t leave until Friday night (she gets in here around 11 a.m.).  I am VERY excited to see them.  We are planning  a nice dinner for them on Sunday, and my dad will have his biscuits . .   tasty glorious wonderous sourdough biscuits.  We are taking over the kitchen. . bwahahahahahahaha.  I hope no one minds. . .  too much. . .

Back to a smidge of homework before crashing. . .

Perhaps crashing first. . yes yes, that sounds nice.

still up

Amazingly, I am still awake, and not feeling tired. . this is bad.

I am helping mom with figuring out life.  This is misery since for some reason her google maps.

All worked out, it’s almost 3:30.

UGH!!!

Breaking out of the shell

I think I have officially surprised my boyfriend.  In a good way.

I got really excited about Linux.  I mean to the point that we tried to install it on my computer (Ubuntu version) and found it didn’t work, and then took to looking at all these other things.  We did get Knoppix (DEUTSCH!) to work, and that had me VERY excited.  The voice that talks when it first starts up and quits is a weeeee bit much.  Other than that, I adore it.  I like the GNOME look more than KDE, less bulky, more streamlined. . . . I just like it more.  But in order to make it work I would have to partition my HD and actually install it.  Right now it’s pretty much offline play only.

Bummer.

There is a stunning Linux lab here though, and I want to go play in it.  I like teh Tux. 

There was something else to go on and on about.

I shall leave you with a quote from a very hyperactive girl I met the other night at a party,

“I met the most boring people from America. . .where were they from. .  ah. . .Kansas!!”

Grant and I nearly fell over.  He’s from Missouri, he knows Kansas far better than I do, but I do know what that state looks like from an airplane. . . I am sure it has its perks, i.e.  storm chasing.

Change is good

I changed my layout, therefore I changed my picture. Wheee.

This one is taken in Leazes Park next to my accommodation. There is a nice pond that reminds me a lot of the Public Garden in Boston. *sniff*