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Percy, our kitten is a crazy little spaz monkey.  She is fascinated by all things keyboard.  You should see what she does as I sit here typing.  She keeps sitting up suddenly and watching my fingers intently.  With my laptop she used to curl up over my fingers and take a nap.  She likes the feel of the keys.  Weird kitten.

In other news, my mom called me up last night to read a letter Newcastle University had sent me. It was my transcript.  Apparently I have passed and am now the proud graduate of a British university.  Yay?  I’m really not very thrilled.  I’m relieved that I do graduate in December.  Actually, in less than a month.  I’m just not very excited about some of my grades.

My dad wants to take me to graduation.  It’s called “Congregations” over there.  Fancy shmancy. I am not entirely certain I want to be there for graduation.  I don’t even know who is going and who isn’t.  It seems like a lot of people are iffy on the whole thing, and a few more have said they won’t attend.  It’s going to cost a CRAP TON to go there.  I don’t think I really want to spend all that money for about an hour’s ceremony on a cold and blustery Wednesday. I remember last year and it was DAMN WINDY. *sigh*

I am very torn. Should I go?  Should I stay here?  Should I should I should I. . .   I need to fill in the paperwork saying they need to mail me my diploma.  I don’t want to say, “Yes I’ll be there” and then not.  I also don’t want to have to pack it up in my luggage if I do go.

Anyways, back to job applying.

That’s the other issue, if I go, I can’t get a job before Christmas.    That’s not good.  I don’t really have money to spend right now. . . I think people are going to get “New Year’s Gifts” this year. . . .

Sooo nice

I’m always amazed at how nice and genuine some people are.  Words can’t quite explain it, but I get very flustered around it.  I keep feeling like someone is going to jump out and go, “HAHAHA YOU FELL FOR IT!”  Either that or they won’t pull through on their end.

The whole high school mentality of writing in people’s yearbooks, “I don’t know you very well, but you seem really cool.  KIT”  It’s like, uh…  thanks?  The empty offers, the never calling back, etc.  So much of that has gone on and it irritates me. But when someone comes out of the blue saying wonderful things it’s like, “Whoa. .who. .what….  ACK!!” I feel very confused and it takes me a minute to get words out.  I go into shock.

On another note, my little Percy arrives today!!! My parents are coming down to VA for the Head of the Occoquan to spend time with us.  We’re living at Grant’s parent’s house for now while we look for jobs and see where our lives travel to next.  I’ve applied to several jobs and am looking for more.  Grant has had a few interviews but no, “Yes we love you” replies. We’ve got a feast of tasty goodness planned.  Tasty meats and such.  I hope there will be vegetables, or else my mom really will have a fit.

Last night we had potato soup, and it was SO GOOD.  I like soups.  A LOT.  Last weekend Grant and I made vegetarian French Onion Soup.  It was just amazing.  We made a Peasant Loaf of bread to go on top of the soup, and provolone cheese.  Mmm mmmm mmmmmmmmm    There was not very much left. 

I’m thrilled my parents will be here.  I just hope they get here sooner rather than later. Hopefully the traffic won’t be too bad.  Apparently last night things were a bit nuts in DC.  Grant’s parents headed over there to see the sights with their friends who are also staying here.  There were drunks and crazy driving and people in costumes (it was Halloween) everywhere.  I am glad I wasn’t out driving around.  I’m avoiding using my car on Tuesday as well.  There have been a ton of articles saying how accidents sky rocket on election day. I’d rather avoid it all.

Autumn FINALLY

It feels so crisp and cool outdoors.  I LOVE IT.  Die you evil mosquitoes, DIE!!!!! *ahem*  I also like getting to curl up with Grant at night.  Part of the reason is that I’m apparently a blanket hog.  I get cold, okay!!  Seriously, I managed to get the sheet up around my neck last night, all of it.  We still had two other blankets, but I was suddenly in a very small area of the bed and Grant was diagonal and curled up next to me.  WHOOPS!!

Silly getting cold.

I can see why people have left WoW.  After trying AoC I finally see just how annoying WoW is.  Those quests and respawnings, etc.  EW!!  But with the constant booting from the wireless network via Windows I’ve had to settle for WoW on the Mac side.  It’s not bad, but I’m finding a lot less help for quests than I would like to see.

Anyways, in the real world: In THREE days, the Board of Examiners meets and they will decide if I passed my MSc or not.  I hope so.  I’ve decided not to fly back to England for graduation though.  It’s too expensive and I just can’t afford the time or the costs.  Pity, but there it is.  I’m ready to get a job and move on with the world.  I just need to get that dang resume all polished up and stuff.

Game fun

The world of games is available to me again.  WHOOOHOOOO.  Today I’m going to install Age of Conan. Grant went off and bought it and has a second key, so I’m going to give it a whirl.  After that I might see about returning to the world of WoW.  I know I know, I shouldn’t. I should just move on and leave that game behind me.

I’m hoping this will be a fun time.  We’re going to severly limit ourselves in what we play and for how long.  I still have desires to play with Baldur’s Gate.  Bwahahahaha

Mmmmmm  Minsk and Boo.  I haven’t played it since March.  Sad.

On another note, I HAVE A KITTEN!!! Her name is Percy and she’s currently at home in Baltimore getting over her roundworms.  She is one bloated-belly kitten.  Poor thing.  She’s almost 4 months old.  Around December I think is when we get her spayed.  Not sure.  I need to talk to the vet about that.  I also need to find a vet down here in VA since she’ll be living at Grant’s parent’s house with us. . . . until we find jobs and move out and then she’ll go wherever we go.  She’s awesome. . .  I just hope these wormies leave her because she can stink up a whole room.

Honey, I’m home!

We’re back in the USA in VA.  It’s lovely to be back.  I’ve mildly missed it here, except for the weather.  Although today is very low humidity compared to the past 2 1/2 days.  Friday was awful, Saturday felt atrocious and yesterday was painful.  It gets above 25 C and I get miserable.

Unlike Grant, I am still writing my dissertation, and I have 2 days to finish it (literally).  I need to send it off something like Wednesday evening.  AYYIIEEEE!!!

It’s crazy what we go through to write papers, and this is no exception. Time to get back to work.

No time

There’s so much going on, there’s so much to do, and I really feel like the world has just slowed and rushed everything at the same time.  I’m just too worried and freaked out to think.  I’m trying to get work done and it takes me hours upon hours longer than it should.  I should have half of this stupid dissertation written and I hardly even know where to begin.

I need to get back out to several sites for more pictures.  I think. I’m not sure how.  I can’t figure out buses.  Maybe I’ll just go tomorrow.  It’s noon and I have highlighted about 3 paragraphs in one article.  I’m not sleeping well. I don’t have a nice waking up, instead I wake up feeling overheated and claustrophobic.

But I suppose a shower is calling to me, and showers make the world a better place right?

On another note: I saw The Dark Knight, and I didn’t care for it.  Just not a solid enough MOVING plot line.  It was a lot like the new Hulk movie: had some nice parts but overall it just didn’t develop a plot.  These are comics that have been around since my parents were kids. You’d think they could develop a plot that actually DID something instead of what they did.

Maybe Batman would have been better if it had Lou Ferrigno in it.  Haha

I came out from TDK pale, shaky and a total mess.  I really wasn’t sure how I walked out.  Sunlight didn’t do much for me.  It took me 2 hours to regain some semblance of color.  To make things happier in life Grant and I bought some movies: Get Smart, Again! (1989), The Incredible Hulk Returns (with THOR!) and The Incredible Hulk Goes to Trial (or something like that).  Bill Bixby and Lou Ferrigno, that duo can make anyone start to feel happy again.

Awesome people. Yessiree. And a Hulk that isn’t impervious to everything.  He’s strong as hell, but he can be hurt.  I like that.  It makes more sense.

Disser…whaaaaat?

My dissertation is finally starting to show some signs of forming into a “Plan-of-Action.”  This doesn’t mean I have any data yet, but it does mean that after this week I will be entering 24-7 bat analysis and habitat assessments and just ….  AAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Rella and I are figuring out car hires.  I’m going to attempt to drive a car at some point this week to take care of my Risk Assessments and next week it will be time to attack the evil that is going nocturnal to do bat surveys.  I guess I should be glad there’s only 5 or so hours of darkness. . .

This will be a fun filled time. . .

Right now I’ve started putting up some pictures on Flickr. . .they’re private right now as I haven’t added in the tags and such, but they’ll be up for viewing soon.  I’ll post the link when I get them all sorted.

And yes, I WILL write those letters I said I would.  Just… need… TIME.

Thoughts for September

I’m flying home on the 12th (with all hope), my dissertation is due on the 19th, and I want to go to Portland with Sharyn on the 28th.  After Portland I was thinking of Missoula, but a snag has come up in the form of the Raptors Research Foundation Conference in Missoula the 26th-28th.  I WANT TO GO!  Do I have $190? Nope.  All I can say is GOLDEN EAGLE TRAPPING AND BANDING!!!! HOLY CRAP!

Sorry, I get all droolified over the pretty birds.  There’s even stuff with Harriers. I’ve been learning all about Hen Harriers in the UK, so I’m excited for a Raptor Conference.

I want to go.
The issue is saying, “Yes, I will put myself into debt so I can go see Raptors and see if I can get a foot in the door for a job/internship/volunteering. “  It helps that it’s in Missoula so I know my way around the town already.  Strangely enough, I have never driven in Missoula.  Ever.  WEIRD.

How to begin. . . and continue

It’s hard to figure out how to begin on my thesis when I have no idea how to start.  I believe the first step is to go grab my phone and the phone number for E3 and start asking for locations of Natterer’s Bats.  If that doesn’t work, I start asking Bevan to go bash some heads for me.  Maybe he’ll throw nesting Terns at people.  Vicious birds with pointy beaks, I’m avoiding them!!

Right now I have papers to write for that annoying field trip course to the land of vicious biting bugs and tasty foodages.  I miss Arneside food, but not Arneside/Roudsea Wood bugs.

Speaking of bugs, cicadas are out back home.  I hope everyone is having a great time with them.  I kind of miss them, kind of don’t.  I was home 4 years ago for them and seeing that many all over EVERYTHING just makes my skin crawl.  They give you an idea of what the world would be like if bugs/insects finally decided to just take over the world.  *shudder*

This week I will possibly learn how to drive on the “wrong side” of the road. . .  we’ll see how that works out.  Grant will help me keep to the left so I don’t go around a rotary the wrong way or forget which lane does what, etc.  Driving skills FTW!

In 1 week and 3 days Grant and I are heading down to Canterbury to see his mom and brother.  This should be a VERY interesting trip.  I hope I remember things about  Canterbury and Dover and the trains. . . I hope we find good food.  We’re staying at the same guest house my dad and I were at 2 years ago. FREAKY!  I’m excited though.  The weather was stunning in February of 2006, I can only hope that June of 2008 will prove just as nice.

But before that nice weekend trip: I NEED TO START MY BAT SURVEYS!!!  *whimper*

Awesome movies

This past weekend, aside from being sick, I bought two used DVDs from the used-electronic-stuff store.

Up first, Calendar Girls.  This movie cracks me up. Even Grant liked it.  It also has a shot or two of Limestone Pavement in Yorkshire.  WHOOHOOEY (okay sorry, homework talking there).  Anyways, it makes me laugh, and I love how it was about a real group of women in Yorkshire (different town name) who really have raised almost £1 million by 2003.  I think it’s jaw dropping great.  Leukaemia is a nasty disease.  I remember the kid in my first grade class who died from it.  Well I remember hearing about it, I couldn’t tell you who he was though.

The second movie was The First Great Train Robbery.  All I will say is that put on a Scotsman on the top of a train moving through the british countryside and you’ve got me hooked.  I really enjoyed that movie and the rather dirty insinuations throughout the WHOLE thing.    I love it.   I recommend EVERYONE should see it.  It has great action, wonderful language and there’s a bit about a dead cat.  Whooohoooooo
Go see them both! Seriously. The first one for the good message and awesome directing.  The second one because it’s just good old fashioned action!!