Worry Exams

Hi, I know I've not wrote in awhile, but I've been really busy and sick, plus running two blogs is not an easy thing to do, so I decided that I wouldn't give up on this blog but I'd post the same things on both because its easy and then people can decided which blog to read. So as a caught up on here I'd just like to write about my dog for a few minutes. She died 9/12/10, peacefully in her sleep at home. It was on my dad's birthday and in the morning. I came home from uni and she was cermated on friday, but as of yet not been buried. It was been a massvie blow to the family, friends and everyone else who knew her because she was such a great dog and touched many people. She'll be missed and never forgotten. RIP.

 

This photo is from 2009, so its pretty old now, but it was from my first year at uni and this message on thefire exit door had me and many other people giggled as we walked passed it. Originally it read merry Xmas, but when we came back in january someone and I've never found who decided to change the message to a more appropriate one. So (and it was the same with last year) at this time of year I recall this message and it makes me laugh. Though it is very true as next week I've facing what is possibly going to be the two biggest exams of my life. I have seen my modernism exam paper today though, because it is a seen exam and whilst the 1st question scared me the second- if I can find some more information on the web- should be okay. I plan to spend my evening studying these things now and also- if I get the chance, putting some new music on my ipod touch because it really does need an update.

Next pic of the week is this one, taken by my little brother of me in my new coat! My mum has spent months knitting this and it was meant to be my Xmas present. It was finished yesterday, but it still needs buttons and pockets. It's really warm though, so I might not give it back any time soon!

So besides from more revision and finished my reflection essay today, I guess the only other thing to report about this week is the New Year's Eve party I went to last Friday- though it feels a long way away to me now!- I made homemade strawberry woo woo to share and if you've not tried any before I suggested you do- Revolution bars serve it and theirs is the best. The night was good, though I drink too much and next time I'm so sleeping in a bed and not on a sofa whilst people are playing darts in the next room! Anyway Happy New Year everyone and here are some pics;

My strawberry woo woo was mega tasty.

The misleading fruit salad punch!

My dad and his drunken playing.

Lastly, my friend sent me this link and I thought I'd share on my blog, because I just think that it really shows what you can do if you keep trying to keep your dreams alive.

http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/books/news/writer-who-was-rejected-100-times-is-finally-rewarded-2176111.html

Halloween trick or treats?

(My pumpkin this year)

Yeah! It's Halloween! Though I've been celebrating since Wednesday, that was the night of our party-due to the issues with the other nights. Anyway, a lot seems to have happened since I last typed and its only been 10 days. I've lots of photos as well, so I'll be posting them as I go along. 

So the set up for my party went on for 3 days before hand, because we had to turn the house into a giant spiders den with lots of black cobwebs and candles for light. We carved the pumpkins on Tuesday, which took an age- as you can see. Then on Wednesday I made pumpkin pie and a sponge cake.

 Then it was party time! We made a rule that everyone had to come as a movie, TV, anime character and anyone who didn't turn up as such had to take off an item of clothing and run down the road screaming little green men are chasing me! Luckily, everyone turned up in a good costume and we had a good time.

 

Then on Thursday I had booked my ticket to go and see the Poet Laureate- Carol Ann Duffy and Billy Collins who's sort of the USA PL. I'm not really into poetry but this seemed like a once in a life time thing and it was free as well! So I went along and saw them both read out some of their poems and then I brought some books and got them signed! I seem to be building up a collection of signed books now.  That was a good experience.

 On Friday I went on a field trip with creative writing fiction. We went to the Williamson Tunnels in Liverpool for the afternoon. It is meant to be the inspiration for our next short story, but the small area of tunnel we were shown didn't hold much inspiration, though the information the guide give us did. I heard that many people were disappointed in the trip, having no doubt built up the same expectations I did and then had then crushed on arrival. Thing was it would have been nice to spend more time down there and to explore other sections, though I know how dangerous it could be, also the fact that the tunnels were built for nothing and had no real sense of history was a down side. I think what made the tunnels most interesting to me was the fact that they were setting up for Halloween and that added a whole different face to the tunnels. I'm not sure about ideas either, because I already had one, but it seems like it's been done a billion times already. Still shall have to see how it goes.

Lastly, I'm waiting for the trick or treaters now, its almost time for them to start showing up at the door. Some how though I think my dog has given up on them already! Still I shall light my pumpkin and see if anything decides to visit me. Happy Halloween!

Lots to say in this small space!

Hi, followers!

I've been away on holiday again and this time I was staying on a narrow boat and traveling along the Grand Union Canal. Me and my family hired a 6 bed boat called the Carisbrooke Castle and it was massive! A living room, kitchen, two bedrooms, two bathrooms and seats at the front and back of the boat. The space was so needed because we took Sandy- my dog-with us as well.



Most of the time we were just relaxing and watching the world pass us by. Everything seems slower on the boat because you are just traveling gently along the water and watching the nature and other boats around you. The other times were spent dealing with the locks. They are scary things at first and do take awhile to get use to. They are used to get a boat up or down because the canal fits in with the landscape and therefore has different water levels.

This is a lock.

So, firstly the water inside the lock must be at the same level the boat is at. If not the water must be flooded or drained from the lock and this is done by using a windless to wind the paddles on the gates up or down so that the water can flow. Once this is sorted the boat can go in the lock and both gates and the paddles get shut.

Next, the paddles are open on the other gate, so that the water can drain/flood to make it level on the next side. Once this is done, the gates can be opened to let the boat go on. There are lots of different kinds of locks and most of them can fit two boats in. Some are single, but you can get a staircase 2/3 locks together or a flight 3+ all after each other, others can have 2 sets of paddles and the bottom ones must be open first or the boat could be filled with water!



The locks were the hardest part. I mega enjoyed all the nature though! check these pics out.

Those are like my highlights. So after all that fun, today has been an important day for me. I started my volunteering job today at the RSPCA Charity shop. The only thing I did was put clothes on hangers and putting tags on the clothes. I did some teddies too and that was about it. I've got to go back tomorrow, so hopefully they'll give me some more things to do, I get bored so easily!

Also I got fitted for contact lenses today. I had to have new glasses first because my eye sight has changed again. I don't much have a choice where my glasses are concerned because I need to wear them 24/7 and without them I just can't see anything! So now I've some cool brown square shaped glasses that look really nice and also I'm able to wear the standard contacts which is mega good. I've to wait a week now for them, can't wait!

That's about it for today anyway, think that's enough.

Formby Woods

Its been too long again, but I seem not to be able to find the time, of late anyway. Hopefully I'll have some time now because very little is currently happening. Everything seems to be winding down to summer and the holiday plans. I should be glad for the break, but I feel lazy not doing anything, so I've been reading the set novels for my 3rd year, I'm on my third one now- The Moonstone by Wikie Collins and unlike Oliver this one is more hard to read. I'm not getting into it and so far its taken me just over a week to read 166 pages....but there must be 200 words per page, as the writing is so small and a great many things are happening within them. I must push on though and it might get better later on.

Anyway, I've chosen to write about Formby woods today because I've photos for it and it was the highlight of last week. Its a national animal reserve in-between Liverpool and Southport and is a pine forest really. There are lots of trails through the trees and you sometimes can go off the path, but they are led to the sand dunes and to the beach.

Its less then an hour away from my student house by train and since the weather was okay and we were bored, it seemed a good place to go for lunch. We took sandwiches and ate them on the dunes whilst playing in the sand and joking about moving dunes. That's what most of them are-still growing dunes but it was funny to picture a dune getting up and moving around.

Pine trees

Then we walked back across the beach and drew somethings in the sand, as you do. We got back to the train station and decided to go for tea in Southport....how that place has gone down hill is shocking. I've been before, but this time we went to the pier and all the seaside places. It seems you can do very little there now and what's left is just an empty shell of by gone days. There are things where you can picture the place being once alive with people on holiday and having fun, but now and I guess like many places around Britain, it has fallen prey to the growth of aeroplanes, package holidays and the British peoples' urges to 'escape the country/weather'.

One of the walks at Formby

So many people are missing out and what England has to offer! So what if the weather isn't so good as Spain or the USA? Many places in England are soaked in history, most of it very exciting and you don't have to dig so deep-even in your pockets! to find it. That's why this year I'm grateful that once again I'll be holidaying in England, a place in Cornwall I've never been before and who knows what I might discover there?

Train map To Formby

Let sleeping dogs lay

This is my dog Sandy. She is a German Shep cross boarder collie, I've had her for 9 years now and I rescued her from Manchester dogs home in 1999. She was my 12th birthday present! I'd be lost with out her in my life now, she's just become such a huge part of who I am. She's my best friend and though I'm away at uni now-sometimes for 3 weeks without coming home-she is never far from my thoughts.






Being an old dog now, Sandy does a lot of sleeping! In fact most of the pics I now take of her are of her sleeping because she spends so much time napping. She likes to wear her bandanna when I come home and have her tummy tickled. Sunday is her favourite day because she gets a 2 hour walk in our local woods and then left over Sunday chicken bits for her tea.






Sandy enjoys most of the same things I enjoy too; like swimming! Its difficult to keep her away from any open water. She is fond of the seaside and spends hours in the sea, bugging people to play with her. She also has a skill of feeling with her paws for her toy and then putting her whole head under water to retrieve it. She likes digging holes on the beach too.






She also likes snow and with all the snowfall we've had recently its been very easy to get her to go on a walk. Here she is enjoying the snow....

So my title does relate to Sandy, but it also has to do with the things that have been going on in my life over the last 2 or so weeks. I've had to join the Edge Hill students crazy house hunting season once more and the struggle to find a place has been the bane of my life for the past week. The housemates are not the problem, I'll be living with two of the people I'm with now and another guy, who is doing my creative writing course and is a close friend of one of my best friends there.

The location of the house has been the issue! Like most students we decided to be lazy and pick an area closer to uni then we are now. Of course everyone else decided to do just that as well! So when we phoned to book views for the houses, they had already gone! We did see three in the area but 2 we just missed out on and the 3rd was available but you had to appeal online and compete with other students to get it.

A week, this Thursday just go we saw a really nice house which was most suitable to our needs but it was on the next street and only a few houses down to where we are now. Having no luck last Wednesday, we decided to see if it was still for rent and to take another look around. We've now gone for this house and shall be signing the papers and paying the summer holding money on Monday night. :) So me and friends are now out of that hunt!

I've no pics of house to put up, but I'll put this one of last weeks snowfall instead.

I'm at home this weekend, chilling out and de-stressing after that mad week! Also my brother is 18 and we are celebrating that. I'm also thinking about getting some of my short stories and poems prepared to send off to first editing publishing, which I've seen a poster of on my course notice board. Looks like a good place to start submitting things too.....

My new Target is also to write on here more! My problem is I'm just so buy reading, writing and of course I have to do my blog of edge every week now. but still, I'm sure I can start to find the time.