littlebluefiresprites

On Saturday morning I finished writing up my two practicals that I did last term. I have to hand in my book on the 18th of January, so they’ve been hanging over me, just like my essay, so it’s great to have got them done. I got some statistically significant results from them both, so I’m pleased. Dad introduced me to a new statistics programme called “prism”. It’s not as powerful as SPSS, but at about a millionth of the price, and a much smaller file, I don’t mind. Not that size matters to me now I have my 80GB WD drive!

Having done all the statistical analysis and written them up, I headed over to Worcester Park for an “old Westy” – a classic sleepover. It was great fun, and involved four grown men (including Westy’s dad) watching a kettle boiling… twice. But then if you saw an illumina kettle you’d probably do the same. It’s got a “stainless steel exterior” that magically turns clear when you turn it on thanks to the sexy blue light inside it, and as the water boils it looks like tiny little flames are bouncing up from the base of the kettle. We even got a cup of tea into the bargain. Great fun! Westy had also bought himself a Wii console just before Christmas, and we had great fun messing around with the incredible remote control powered games. We played bowling (I won once with a sassy score of 198 – Sean couldn’t beat it! Westy managed 237, but then he had played about 20 times before), tennis, baseball, and all the magnificent sports games. It’s so tempting to buy one as they provide such a greater “involved” experience for all the family. Even my Mum would love it!

Happy? Feet

I went to the cinema with Sean, Westy and Dan to see Happy Feet (possible spoiler warning) – that where-on-earth-did-this- obsession-with-penguins- come-from film starring Mumbo the penguin and his crazy dancing feet. We wanted to go to a 2.30 showing, but somehow it got fully booked, so we bought tickets for the 5.15 one. That resulted in us sitting in a pub nursing a single pint each for two hours chatting and wandering round HMV. Great fun! The film was actually fairly good – the first 30 minutes took a while getting over, but then a very vague story line began to emerge – Mumbo (with an immensely annoying accent – Robin Williams apparently. Jeez!) decided he had to find the “aliens”. Blah blah, queue exciting adventure, cool Mexican penguins, love interest lost and found. However, towards the end, it became incredibly dark – he swam and swam, and eventually ended up washed up on a beach somewhere, got put in a zoo. Queue manipulative anthropomorphisation on an unimaginable scale – was quite tear jerking. Go see it – just for the weird experience, and to see if my staccatoed review is correct.

Camera

Dad bought himself a new digital camera this morning, so, he has graciously allowed me to steal his old one! Huzzah! Finally I'll be able to take some half decent photos (though the old camera doesn't really like being turned on) Oh well!

I finished my essay! It’s been hanging over my head for ages while I’ve been working and during Christmas, and so it’s fantastic to have finally got it done. It’s 1935 words of surprisingly readable biology – if ever you’ve wondered what the environmental factors affecting neural tube closure are, then I am the man to ask. Unless you are a Cambridge student writing the same essay, in which case I am saying nothing – until I have my result anyway!
YAAAAY

Christmas time doobidoobidoo.

Happy Christmas everybody! Hope you all had a fantastic day! I’m actually writing this on the 1st of January as I’ve been lazy over Xmas and hadn’t updated the blog - but, here we are now!

For the first time in living memory my sister had to be woken up on Christmas morning. I was also woken up as I had most definitely not spent the last hour reading as I was too excited to sleep. Oh no.
We were very civilised and had a fried breakfast before the crazy present opening began. I got some really cool presents including a Pierre Cardin shirt from my aunt, the new killer bunnies expansion pack from my Nan, a WD passport external hard drive from my parents (finally my computer will move faster than the athlete full of lead that it has been lately… so much potential!), a webcam (eek!), a really cool stubby Storm pen from Uncle Mike, some piggy cuff links from my sister and a tin car pencil case (complete with car-shaped chocolates inside) from my parents. I love Christmas – people always get me such cool (and useful) stuff!

In the afternoon we went down the pub to see our family friends in the local area. Frank and Greg were there, and I nattered to them for a bit (and was bought a pint by Frank who had to wait about 20 minutes to get served after the last-orders bell. If only you could have seen the panic on his face. Hehe), as well as seeing Dad’s friend Brian who probably hasn’t seen me since I was 14. He got a shock!

We ate at about 5.30pm; Chicken, Chipollatas, AMAZING cranberry and chestnut stuffing, peas, roasties and gravy. Mmmmmmmmmm. Pudding was of course Christmas pudding* - my favourite – especially swimming in cream. Mmm. How do you think I keep such a trim figure!? Cream!

*not just Christmas pudding, M&S Christmas pudding.

Dublin eh?

You Belong in Dublin

Friendly and down to earth, you want to enjoy Europe without snobbery or pretensions. You're the perfect person to go wild on a pub crawl... or enjoy a quiet bike ride through the old part of town.

What European City Do You Belong In?

Les Arbres, gay Paris, and Escargots.

It's been far too long since I last posted, but I've not really stopped since I got home from uni. I arrived back at home a Saturday that now feels far in the past, greeted by a slight nausea (from getting slightly lost in Staines) that was soon saved by a cup of tea and (surprisingly) a malteaser cake loving crafted by my sister. The following day, I started selling Xmas Trees, in my new post as assistant manager. A typical busy weekend, that had already been organised, so I just pitched in and did my bit! There are so many people, you just have to get people into a routine and it all goes well; I just ran round filling in all the gaps that started appearing! On Monday Alex arrived (in the evening, post-practical-purge), and the following day we donned to Eurostar and sped our way to Gard de Nord, Paris.

Excited vetscis (me saying everything in my typically awful franglais - I really couldn't help it!) met an excited Jen, and we jumped on a (shallow) metro train to her house, which was mini beyond all imagination! She'd warned us it was mini, but I wasn't expecting it to be as small as it was! Still, it's a good enough little home-from-home for her, even if she does get attacked by beans when she cooks, melts chopping boards that should be drying, and has to do a worm-dance to get out of bed - every little nook has been filled... some with a little bit of bad design! But, we bought a metro carnet each, and toddled off seeing all the things that people should see; Notre Dame, Crepe stall, The Seine, Crepes, Moufetard (hehe) The Eiffel Tower, The pompidou (PAMPLEMOUSE!) centre, the arc de triomphe, crepes, the Montmartre, Jen's Workplace, more crepes. All in all, a good couple of days were had, despite the fact that Alex was poisoned by an evil spaghetti bolognese of DEATH. Grr. And the fact that we nearly got blown to smithereens just standing by the Eiffel tower - it was so windy we didn't risk going up it. I got to try snails (mm. Taste like garlic), and a green Pistacio macaroon (amazing!) AND many crepes and croissants for breakfast, which I ordered myself! Huzzah!

En plus, we got home on Thursday night, and Alex went back Leedsward on Friday afternoon. On Saturday I began work selling trees again, and worked on Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday. It is now Tuesday, my second day off! YAARGH! It's been hard work (did 53 hours last week), but enjoyable most of the time; it's much more interesting when you're vaguelly thinking about stock, staff etc. rather than just mindlessly selling. And the increase in pay is BON!

So, that's where I am. I'm going to scan in some paris photos soon and put them up, once I've done my Christmas shopping (which is my plan for today). First of all though, bacon must be eaten.

Much love,

Tom

Splurghts

selling trees merry xmas to you all sleepy will post properly after xmas maybe on day off.

Panto #2

Went to see the panto again last night! It was the late show (10pm), so Tom and me arrived really early (before 9.30) to get in the front of the queue so we'd get better seats. However, Alex forgot her guitar (vital for Imogen's Woody-Allen-as-Gabriel Impression), so we powerwalked back to the colony, with Beethoven from Louisa's I-pod pushing us on, and were back in less than 15 mins. How impressive is that! We then queued for an hour to get in - there was no piano, or pianists - both had been stolen by the choir. Needless to say, Tom and my endeavours earned us our place in the queue and we got to sit right in the middle. Huzzah.