May 2004
Thesis goes very slowly - or possibly doesn't go, could even be going backward..
Date: Fri, 23 Apr 2004 15:42:13 +1200
From: "Ian McNally" mcn@orcon.net.nz
Subject: losers
To: matthew.robertson@eudoramail.com
Reply To: "Ian McNally" mcn@orcon.net.nz
how fucken pathetic.
I have no idea what I did to deserve that one. No idea who the person is either.
1st May 2004 - Philip and James, App.
Well, Friday I didn't do hugely much. Went to my chem staff meeting in the morning, where I think I may have been flirting at one of my co-workers just a little. Then I had a nice chat to Gnatacia while she did some work in her lab. Then I went to my office and did some readings. I had lunch with my Aunt Jude and her lot. It was pretty good to catch up before she heads off to Norway for a conference, actually by the time I'm writing this she may have left, I'm not sure I actually asked when it was she leaves. In the afternoon I did some more readings until a bit after three when the heat in the office got to me to the point I fell asleep in my quite uncomfortable chair. So I packed up and came home to an evening of slacking around home and being anti-social.
Today I spent finishing Paul McAuley's White Devils - which is a good read and I recommend it to everyone, especially those who like a good hard science tech thriller. Those who get the chance should read it. Otherwise I haven't really done much today, just stuffed around, had a chat to my brother and not really done all that much else.
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2nd May 2004.
I'm bored. but not bored enough to be productive. I'm going to fail my masters at this rate. And not only will a be an academic failure, but my laziness will also lead to me having no friends or social contacts of any kind. Only have myself to blame.
4th May 2004.
After an unproductive weekend when I only left the house twice - once for the supermarket and once to go to the aviary in the upper gardens and look at the parrots as I thought a walk would be good for me - I got up yesterday morning and headed in to the lab. The lab sucked, I hate organics. That said, at the end I bumped into Simon and he acknowledged me - he never acknowledges me at work - so I felt all warm and fuzzy for a bit. Anyway, after chatting to Midget (who was being snotty) at English I had lunch with Dot before heading to the dent school for a one hour appointment to get routine fillings. It turns out that by 'routine fillings' my dent student actually meant a surprise pulpectomy (first bit of a root canal) and various other things going wrong leading to the appointment going for three hours. It included my dental student and a supervisor swearing, me being told I had good dental hygiene but that my "teeth have gone to hell", and the dental assistant running over to cover me in a big plastic sheet. It was a fun fun session. Then to make it a bunch more fun on the way out I crumbled into a pile of boy retard in the dent school foyer. It was very embarrassing, especially as I was then taken into one of the rooms and put in a dental chair while one of the teaching staff took my pulse and explained that it'd just been got by a weird blood pressure thing that sometimes gets people after long stints in the dentist's chair. That didn't stop me feeling like a right twat. After stumbling out like a drunk half an hour later I fetched my stuff from my office and started home. One of my students, Pip, took pity on my and gave me a ride home. Then I made soup and went to bed. Midget visited later in the night with M&Ms, so she could laugh at my misery.
This morning I spent worrying about how I'm going to pay for all this extra dental care I suddenly seem to need. I'm not happy. Then I went in to varsity and had lunch with my father before going to work. Work was pretty good. My token hot student was being friendly, and I'm easily made happy. Then dinner with Alana and an evening at home failing to do work on my masters. Main bad point of the day, my head is still throbbing and gross feeling, which isn't helping my complete inability to actually get the work done for my supervisor that I'm supposed to hand in tomorrow. I'm going to go to bad student hell - well only if bad friend hell or self-righteous arsehole hell don't get to my soul first.
Anyway, my ranting at people seems to be pissing them off so I guess I should stop my ranting here too. Night.
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9th May 2004 - Translation of S. Nicholas. With ruling of quire.
Wednesday I was still feeling gross so I had an unproductive start. I got to varsity for my meeting with my supervisor, having not done the assigned task, to find he had taken a sicky, and immediately wished I'd thought to do the same. So I went home and had a nap before work.
Thursday I went in for lunch with Dot, followed by work and then in the evening I had Playgroup, which was fun if a little random/pointless.
Friday I went in to my chem meeting and went to my office. My head was still a bit fuzzy and I kept zoning out. I even went to town to buy shoes and came back to my office two hours later to realise I'd entirely forgotten about the shoe thing. At five I headed to Chem Club and had a drink with some chem people, though I was mostly there to see Gnatacia, who had just given a presentation for her honours. Then I went and had a discount jug at classics drinks at the Cook. And was left a little bit drunk. For Christmas I want alcohol tolerance. Then I stumbled home to find Tina in my room and spent the evening catching up with her. It was good. And now I'm tired, so my run down of the weekend will have to wait till next time I write. I should sleep so I can work, and then get my crown tomorrow.
18th May 2004.
Okay, I'm ages behind. I guess it's been long enough that you were hoping I might have died.
Well the weekend I last wrote Tina was down. It was a good weekend, I spent the whole time with her and her family.
Monday last week I had work in the morning and then went to dent school to get my crown - but it wasn't back from the lab, so I got two fillings, which took a very long time.
Tuesday I had work and went to the TSCF thing in the evening, it was pretty good.
Wednesday I had a meeting with my supervisor about all the stuff I should be doing which I keep not doing. Then after dinner in town I had my night lab and then coming home (getting very wet in the process) to curl up in bed and eat nutella with a spoon while I watched Angel.
Thursday I had work and then dinner with my family - my mother was dropping not so subtle hints that I might think about moving back home when her border leaves. I think not.
Friday, I went in to varsity in the morning and failed to do work until lunch, when I met up with Dot and went for food, followed by many hours of shoe shopping that ended with my buying shoes at the very first place we had been. In fact three pairs - which I think might make me a woman. Multiple pairs of shoes just seems wrong. Friday night I had Katie's graduation party.
Saturday morning I went to the HMNZS Canterbury and went on a tour. It was pretty pointless. Then I came home and was too lazy to go to the graduands' procession. For dinner I went to Srey's (?spelling?) graduation dinner at Indian Summer and then with Dot to John's graduation party where I made a drunken git of myself. I'm becoming an alky.
Sunday I went through town and picked up the bits my office computer was lacking and headed to Simon's where I watched idol while he did all the work getting my office puter ready to go. It was a pretty good day for the most part, though sometime I wonder why he puts up with me, he gets to deal with all my worst personality traits. Partially because of all my friends he is the one I trust the most, but also because he's seen me at my worst already and I know he'll handle the rest. Well, I hope he will. I'm such a nut bar.
Yesterday I had work, followed by lunch with Dot, playing on the shiny new (mostly old parts) 'puter in my office. Then I finally got my crown. It's in and only slightly mismatched colourwise. It matches my front teeth, but not the teeth beside it.
This morning I headed in early and had The Sims with all add-ons working by lunch. So I now have my Sims Making Magic discs at varsity so my masters will never happen... The work and dinner with Alana. This week I found TSCF a bit less fun. Some Christians have ideas which don't mesh with how I think. they were arguing that people can only truly do good and selfless acts if they are Christian, a point I strongly disagree with. I don't think being a good person is directed related with faith in any way, shape or form. They may work together well, but that doesn't give them some sort of causal relationship. Christian bigots are just as scary as other bigots.
25th May 2004 - Aldhelm, Bp. and Conf. Middle Lesson of S. Urban.
I really am sucking at keeping this thing up to date recently.
Last Wednesday I spent the day in the office failing to do work, and then went to work, it was ok, and I found out the one student in the class I occasionally thought was attractive was a mature student who already has a law degree. So I'm not quite a dirty old man yet after all.
Thursday I was grumpy in the lab and then curled up in my office for a nap instead of coming home for dinner. Playgroup was interesting, it turns out that my high school drama teacher - who I also thought was an evil crackpot - is actually a very nice person when not around children/teenagers and actually has a strong artistic ethic. I will say that I was pleasantly surprised.
Friday I spent a chunk of in the office, then had lunch with Alana before heading to the booksale. I spent a couple of hours there with Alana and only got one book - a birthday present for midget. Then I went to chem club and got a little drunk (I really have no alcohol tolerance) before heading to the Cantores wine launch. After harassing Dot whilst she was mute, and sobering up enough that I could almost pass as sober I headed back to the booksale. Where I did sensible things like hit on someone purely because the boyfriend was standing right there and I wanted to see if he would notice. I shouldn't drink. I met up with Tina and her bf (whom I really dislike) at the sale and then they crashed at my place.
Saturday I spent almost entirely with Tina, most of it also with her family. It was pretty good. In the evening I went clubbing, in the process leading Tina into a confrontation with her childhood mortal enemy, and eventually getting depressed and a little emotional for no sane reason and making Tina walk me home.
Sunday morning Tina went back to CHCH, and I spent the day being lazy and watching videos. The Bourne Identity is a fun watch. It has Lola in it, she kicks.
Monday I had my lab in the morning followed by lunch with Dot. I planned Sims in my office all afternoon, it made up for the morning of chem.
Today I went in to the office and did some work for an hour or so before lunch, after lunch I played Sims until work. The lab was a bit better today. Someone I had semi-met in the weekend was in the next lab along and pretended not to recognise me - I felt special. It's always nice to know I'm so repulsive that people will pretend not too know me if i've talked to them in public - just in case I turned out to be interested. Yay for being me....... Anyway, in the evening I went and was fed dinner by the crazy christian group I've been hanging with on Tuesdays. Food was good, doco thingee wasn't. Fortunately the more scary bigot members weren't there this week.