windemere: (barrels out of bond)
I'm assuming, once the DVD comes out in March, that perhaps there might be other fan vids on youtube than the heaps and heaps of Fili/Kili slash? Or worse, Thorin/Fili/Kili slash? Also, set to much better music than seems to currently be on offer. One can only hope.

On that note, the fan vids after the EE of There and Back Again are going to KILL ME. I'm going to need therapy or some other fandom that doesn't kill off main charactes.

[On that note as well, everyone on my f-list has read the Hobbit right? We all know how this ends?]

Still going...I will not read The Hobbit. I will not read The Hobbit. I will finish Cloud Atlas so I have some idea what the hell is going on when I see the movie, and I will spend the next week squeeing over Richard [the III, honestly, which Richard did you think I was talking about?] and then finish Battle Royale. I will not read The Hobbit. Not until August 2014.

Lastly, there are some really depressing character driven Spooks fan vids on YouTube. To be fair, the writers and Lucas North have made it rather easy on the fans. Richard Armitage (yes, yes, other Richard, though apparently he might have been named after the King? Which amuses me? In a really ironic sort of way?) does tortured (pun entirely intended) really well. I feel this will come in handy in about, oh, 17 months?

See, I totally made a circular post. Aren't I awesome?

Uh, Fili & Kili fic is going...well...had to go track down the script again. I seem to be quoting Bilbo more than anything. I should probably be worried about that.

Spooks fic is up to the second commercial break. No one has died yet, but I have high hopes for at least some blood later on. Of course, I wrote the ending as the teaser so I know where it ends up...basically. Always start a spy thriller with a gun to someone's head.

And Castle this week? Can I just say? EVIL BASTARD. It's sort of like Heroes all over again, except worse. And I am missing Alexis and Martha these days. Feels like it's been ages since we've seen them. Or any Castle/Beckett kissykissy.

Again, circular post. I need to...bake a lot this weekend. And eat a lot. And see Lincoln and Richard. How is this my life? It's awesome.
windemere: (Ned Stark)
http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/uk-world-news/real-face-of-king-richard-iii-1587346

Pretty neat, for those who are into facial reconstruction of dead people. He does actually look like his official portrait, which is what we've been going on for 500 years. Nice to know they got something right, even though it seems the Tudors lambasted him for virtually no reason. [Henry VIII did worse things than kill two little nephews, after all...]

I may have become a Richardian. Oops?
windemere: (Ned Stark)
I feel this icon is justifiably appropriate.

In about 45 minutes we get to see the unveiling of the Richard III reconstruction. I am EXCITED. I miss archaeology. I am very, very proud of the U of L Arch Dept. today. I am massively thrilled to be living in Leicester right now. I am super happy the exhibit opens on Friday (going Sunday). And, lastly, it is more than a little fantastic that #RichardIII became the top trending subject of Twitter today. Take THAT SuperBowl.
windemere: (Default)
Yeah, that's so much better than Happy Easter.

[And that was not sarcasm.]

It's Easter. And I can't eat chocolate. Which is a good thing, except for the fact that I can't eat chocolate. Why did my body decide that now was a good time of year to develop food intolerances? Seriously.

However, I can still have sugar! Although, ironically, I've never liked sugar in large quantities and find eating candy (sugar candy, as opposed to chocolate) sort of sickening. Which is a healthy attitude, all told. But still.

This post doesn't really have a point. I have three articles I'm supposed to read today and they may actually be the most BORING three I have to read for this entire paper. Also, I know that if I just sit down and read them, it'll take about 2 hours and then I'll be done. And then I'll be bored with nothing to do as opposed to just procrastination induced boredom.

Much like yesterday. And the day before. And the day before that. Basically, that's been my week. I need to find something to do tomorrow or risk insanity. I have dinner tomorrow night, but no one seems to be around during the day. I should go to the library in the morning, but that won't last passed lunch. Which leaves me 6 hours of nothingness. It's Easter. My flatmates are gone. In fact, the entirety of Nixon may be gone, except the guy who lives above me and plays loud Indian music all day. Fancy that. I could go into the centre tomorrow and wander, but that's boring with one person (and always ends up involving spending money. Which I don't need to do.) Not very many options all told. No movies (seriously, no movies, except Bel Ami which...you couldn't pay me).

I'm a bit lost, to be honest. I feel like I should be doing work, because I have tons, but I've sort of mentally scheduled it for various timeslots which are not this weekend. And I really need to finish this reasearch before I do much else.
windemere: (Scotty)
I miss Scotland. I make no pretenses about that. No matter how much I love living in England, and being in Leicester especially, I miss Scotland almost daily. And it's funny, because I've spent about a grand total of a month of my life there, but it feels like a lot longer. It feels like I fell in love with a country I was born to - even if not born in - and it's been ages since I last saw it. It'll be a while longer, and probably not this year, before I see it again.

[To think, I could have gone to Newcastle. Or maybe not.]

Last night I went to my first ceilidh in 3.5 years. It was rather awesome, despite the fact the teenagers couldn't learn the dances, and the caller sort of sucked, and they always picked the hardest variations because there were so many people. I stepped on toes, had mine stepped on, bumped into people while whirling, and very nearly lost my glasses at one point, but much fun, cider and exercise was had. Hell, I feel skinnier this morning than I have for months, which I then completely negated by eating an entire English fry-up (minus the black pudding, as I forgot to buy it). The first dance last night hurt and then the rest were just exhilerating. By night's end I was on a high, despite the vigorous dancing and the alcohol (1.5 pints of cider, thanks very much).

I didn't sleep particularly long, as someone kept waking me up [to be entirely fair, once was the fire alarm at 1am at the building behind, not the flatmate beside me] but when I did sleep it was very deeply. Woke up before 8 to sun, birds and no wind. It appears to be the perfect day outside, all the more as I slept with my window open, so my room actually smells fresh and aired out for the first time in ages. Will keep it open the whole week, if possible.

Now there will be a very long walk, to work off breakfast (ceilidh worked off the entire pizza and garlic bread I had last night, my treat for being awesome with the diet all week!), and hopefully a book read. I've already lazed the morning away watching a pretty good movie with Anna Friel set during WWII and a London girl who marries a Canadian serviceman and gets sent to rural Alberta to wait out the war. It was a feel good movie; sometimes I need those.

I have to book Ireland today; I really do. At least the hostel only needs a deposit, but the flights have to be paid for up front.
windemere: (Default)
I am thoroughly shuffed that all of my favourite FF authors seems to be reading and review my stories lately. Makes me grin like an idiot!

It's 4:30pm. Yes, I'm eating dinner. I'm also starving due to the fact my diet this week has consisted of: celery, carrots, rye crackers, low fat cheese, tomato soup, naan bread and fruit smoothies, and seeds and raisins for snacking. Yes, that's it. Tonight I am having orzo salad and fruit parfait, to mix it up. Sunday I am totally pigging out on an English breakfast. But until then: be a good girl! At least I still get 80% chocolate with cranberries in it.

In other, unrelated news, the Queen came to Leicester today. Again. Her first stop on her official Jubilee tour of Britain. She brought Kate. That would have been enough to make me go jockey for position in the city centre to watch, except that this morning the idea of walking more than twenty feet was impossible. I've had coffee now. I could probably managed forty feet. Seriously, exhausted. But I walked 5km both of the last two days and 4km the day before that. And haven't eaten much. And I did pilates this morning, which gave me energy for about 30 minutes. Tomorrow I need to mail a scholarship application, do another 5km walk, and then spend 3 days doing research, hopefully. If this exhaustion goes away, that is.

Of course, being up at 5:30 yesterday and 6:45 this morning may have something to do with that.
windemere: (Default)
I would very much like to skip the seminar lecture this afternoon and go into the city to see the Duchess of Cambridge (and the Queen and Prince Philip), but I am honestly too exhausted to walk that far. I am really too tired to even go to the seminar, but I signed up, so I'll show up. It's the first one that hasn't been cancelled due to teacher sickness this year!

I've seen the Queen and Philip anyways. But it would be fun to see Catherine, since I missed her in Canada last year! Oh well; I am certain there will be many other chances in the next few years.
windemere: (tea time)
I love reunions. I get a little giddy and silly when I catch up with old friends, and this weekend there was a lot!

Miriam arrived on Saturday. She did her MA with Jenny, Steph and I, so we had a fun afternoon kicking around the city centre and then Steph's house (with lots and lots of tea, cocoa, and treats (and cat)) before heading to the Guildhall for a play (Click here for a picture). The play turned out to be an awful panto version of 'A Winter's Tale' with actors who couldn't sing. But it was hilarious. Hilariously awful!

Sunday I invited the gang 'round for lunch. Nick (also former MA peer) came in for the afternoon as well, so we had a great time watching the mayham in Block K (across the parking lot) as someone burned down a kitchen. There were many cute firemen and we entertained ourselves a bit too much (considering the circumstance). We whiled away the afternoon and then went to see 'Arthur Christmas'. It's a great movie, I suggest you go! I don't think I stopped laughing the whole time. The kids in the audience didn't think it was as funny. ;)

Then we had dinner down the pub and, after Nick left, Steph, Miriam and I caved on dessert. It looked big in the menu picture. It turned out to be HUGE. But we ate it all!

Today, Collections Trust arrived for a fun-filled week (well, for me, not for the MAs!), and so I caught up with Nick and Alex for a brief chat, and then had a nice long tea break with Laura. So great to see them all. I'm definitely going to have to get down in the new year to visit and see the new offices.

Now it is horribly windy out and very wet and I'm hoping it's all gone by 11am tomorrow when I have to go out.

And the paper is going blahblahblah. But it is 5000 words now! Just 5000 more to go... :|

Bed! Book! Heat!

Arrivals

Sep. 30th, 2011 03:12 pm
windemere: (Default)
I think this is worse than the Califonia jet lag. I just felt really tired after that. But with the luggage and all, my shoulders really ache and I don't get to sit around for 6 days and do nothing! I'm not going to make it to the city again today, though. 4 miles is more than I have in me. But I seem to be getting the grocery shopping stuff done, at least.

The flight over was decent. Drank a bottle of free champagne (Go Upgrades!) and I guess that helped, because I got a few hours of restless sleep. And then I had coffee for breakfast. Probably all that got me through until late afternoon when I napped before meeting Chantel (yeah for mini-Laurier reunions. Twice in a week!). The girl beside me was going to a wedding in Leicester, ironically, for a cousin. She hadn't been back to England in 20 years. We chatted quite a bit while they served dinner, which I didn't eat, since it was 10:30pm!

I am moved into my term time room. It was available before they thought it would be. There are only 2 other girls in the flat so far. One is from Wales and is in the medical department, so she started 3 weeks ago. The other is from southern Pakistan, but has family in Edmonton! She knows all about winter in Canada. They should both be relatively quiet people, especially the one in medicine (research oriented). The others should be in by Sunday. Guess they might not be international students, since they aren't here yet.

Registered and paid for accomodation so far. Settled everything I think I need to at the uni. Campus is a disaster zone. The city is replacing gas lines all the way along University Ave and, of course, it's not finished on time. The entire road is dug up and construction vehicles are parked on campus. And the 'reno' they have been doing to the outside of buildings on campus is still a work in progress, so there are baracades up everywhere. Nixon is finished, in so far that the buildings are done and open, but the landscaping is a work in progress. They are hard at work on my little back corner, and the forescast is to finish by Sunday. At least they go home between 6pm and 7am. Because it's LOUD. But once they do finish, it should be quite quiet back here, as it is the far corner of the property and doesn't back directly onto anything except that large white roofed warehouse, which I've now been told is the offsite storage for the library (who knew?). You can hear the trains when they pass by, but they aren't breaking or whistling, and they pass quickly. Like GO trains.

The room is decent. About the same size as Opal, but with more storage. It looks well lived in, but it's very clean, as is the kitchen. All new appliances in there. It will do. Especially for the big difference in price from Opal!

Had a good visit with Chantel. Uni has made changes this year for the sub-wardens and everything is much more complicated and involves a lot more of her time, which in her final phd year, she doesn't have much of. Will be busy for her, but I'm sure we'll do evenings together on occasion. She gets half-price tickets to the theatre at Morrisons, so that's good! If only there were good movies out...

Went grocery shopping today for the week. Cost £23, so I am hoping I can do groceries for the week for under £50, including a night out. Food isn't any more expensive than last time, which surprises me. And I can live without alcohol and meat quite well. Some things are ridiculously cheap; like cereal and eggs. Good!

Will have to do bank and cell phone tomorrow. Hopefully I will have the energy by then.

Have already added a desk lamp and laundry basket to my room. Everything is unpacked and hopefully I'll get to the office store tomorrow for pins so I can decorate the room and it won't look so boring! I'll need a fan if this weather continues. 30* humidex today...without air-condioning and I'm on the sunny side of the building. And it's really loud with the window open. Hopefully better by next week. 16* and the landscaping should be done! One of the lanscaping crew is Scottish and he's hilarious to listen to, at least. Another has to be from Yorkshire, I think, and is barely understandable.
windemere: (Default)
http://s58.photobucket.com/albums/g242/Aromene/Britain/ Video of the Queen departing U of L today. Since I missed the arrival as I was in class...
windemere: (Default)
I am off to Stonehenge and Salisbury tomorrow. I've been waiting to go for TWELVE MONTHS (read: TWELVE YEARS) and so am very excited, even if it is supposed to be cold and I have to get up very early.

The Queen and Prince Philip are coming to U of L. To open the library. I am partly amused and partly really excited. Also, MS refuses to cancel classes that morning, even though the Chancillor of the school has told all the departments to do so. So, we're going to skip a very boring lecture on collection systems. And Katherine is going to know exactly where we are.

Mum and Edie are coming out for graduation. Considering that's a seven hour flight with a three hour train journey on either end for 48hrs, I suppose I should be grateful. I did tell her to come. The Aunt's first trip overseas is going to be a whirlwind, that's for sure. But I get to wear robes!

The Chinese girls in my flat forced me into a kimono yesterday. Pictures will be forthcoming, but once I had it on I didn't want to take it off. Apparently you can get very nice ones for ridiculously low prices in China. That's so unfair.
windemere: (Default)
One month.

I may just survive it too. The problem is that, in theory, I have a ton of work to do...and in practice, none to do at all. This will inevitably end badly.

Tonight we are seeing 'Easy Virtue' which means comedy, romance and Colin Firth, and not necessarily in that order (although it hardly matters as they usually all come together).

Today we had the most boring classes ever, except for that ethics lecture last month. Tomorrow ain't looking so promising either. And we were supposed to be in the museum this week!! Damn timetable changes! I still have SIX HOURS STRAIGHT tomorrow, though. I shall actually have to pack my lunch, blurgh.

10 days till Stonehenge...it's going to snow, isn't it? Of course it is.

It occurs to me I haven't really talked about anyone here in more than a passing reference. Well, Friday is Katherine's b-day and it is going to be 50s themed with dinner at an all-American diner (who knows why they have one of those in Leicester, except that they have everything else, so why not?) with clubbing (70s themed?) to follow. I have capris and a necktie. The rest of the outfit is still in the 'I have no idea' stage. Good thing Friday classes were cancelled - SHOPPING!!

I am not writing. I think the essay did Bad Things to my muse and she's run off again (what else is new), and I wouldn't really have a terrible problem except that I have a fic that is 2,000 words from the end and I really, really, really have to finish it before January 9th when SGA ends or it will all have been for nothing. I am going to buy a notebook to take to Mexico; for all the good it will do.

2,000 WORDS. SHEESH.

I'm going to drink now.
windemere: (Default)
You know, this year I made a promise to myself that I was going to participate in class whether I felt comfortable or not. So, today, the first day of our small group classes in our specialty subjects, I talked...a lot.

In fact, only three of us actually did talk. Because the others just sat their starring at each other. I wanted a debate, people! I was saying really opinionated things, and no one was arguing with me! Not even Jon!
windemere: (Default)
My father's stupid question for the day: Are you close to water? (I moved to LEICESTER)

There is a girl in my program who looks very like Billie Piper - without bottle blond hair. This is fine, except that she sounds like Rose Tyler. It's unnerving me.

I just sat through a three hour lecture on how to use the library catalogue for a university program. I'm sorry, perhaps I'm confused. Am I a first year undergrad?

When they say this program is 'intensive' what they mean is 'a lot of class hours'.

I think one of the lecturers gave me my thesis topic last night while I was quite tipsy on three classes of wine on an empty stomach. I have no idea how I am going to work it, but it's brilliant.

If someone talks in a normal voice anywhere in the courtyard I can hear it word for word on the seventh floor. No one uses a normal volumne.

My new guilty pleasure is 'True Blood'.
windemere: (Default)
There is an Irish girl in my flat.

I'm in love.
windemere: (Default)
Or in this case, the insane MA student. That's right folks, Amy has moved bag and baggage (and my, was there a lot of that) to Leicester. Which is about as dead centre in the middle of England as one can get. Mind, I'm only an hour and a half from London!

Mom has departed (and landed in Toronto, according to the arrivals board, early...why does that never happen to me?). It was a good visit, all told, and we talked like we really never have. I think I've reached the point in my life I'm tired of sidestepping issues and want direct answers (what a concept). We sorted some things that needed to be sorted and didn't agree on others (what a shock), but I think we've come to an understanding, of sorts. I just think I lost more than I intended in the deal. And we didn't kill each other, though I was getting rather annoyed at her by yesterday. And hey, I still have THREE WEEKS to look forward to over xmas. If my aunt doesn't kill me first.

I am all settled into my room (middingly, it is both the same size as Exeter and yet smaller). The girl across the hall is Amee and she is from Peterborough...England. BRIT! There are 3 other rooms, but I suppose no one will move in until the weekend.

I have managed to figure out campus (even if I haven't figured out the registration process) and the library is all big and shiny. And there are clubs! and bars! and restaurants! and possibly jive! If my classes don't kill me, all will be well. (Right)

Leicester is an interesting city. It's a lot like Toronto or Vancouver, actually, because there are people from pretty much every country in the world that live here (the city is more multi-cultural than the university. Still, it means there are GREAT restaurants (I've had Indian twice this week!) and lots of diversity, which I like. Also, the city centre is HUGE. There is a mall the size of the Eaton Centre. And there are two others (older and smaller) and a 700 year old outdoor market that is open 12 months of the year. I will never be bored. Except when class starts.

I have made a promise to myself to get more involved in things this year so that I don't end up spending next summer bored out of my bloody mind because no one wants to do things with me.

Well, that's enough of my rambling. Time to get back to catching up on a week of missed TV and fanfic (I really am helpless without internet). However, should I get bored, I have two shiny new seasons of TV to watch on DVD! Plus the full series of How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria (Canada)! And I convinced mom that we must go see The Sound of Music in Toronto over xmas. Even if Janna didn't win...

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Amy

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