Tuesday, 19 December 2006

December 2006

I was already sick of Christmas last month.


Your results:
You are Spider-Man
Spider-Man
85%
Robin
60%
The Flash
55%
Superman
55%
Iron Man
50%
Catwoman
50%
Green Lantern
45%
Hulk
45%
Batman
30%
Supergirl
25%
Wonder Woman
20%
You are intelligent, witty,
a bit geeky and have great
power and responsibility.
Click here to take the Superhero Personality Test

3rd December 2006.
I have a window with a view. The last time I had a bedroom window with a view of anything more than the bank directly outside, I was thirteen. It's more exciting than it ought be.
Anyway, Tuesday, I went to work. Seven and a half hours of staring at databases - I love my job... Actively hunting for references to Foucault - now there is my personal heaven.
Wednesday, I organised seeing the HOD about how much I'm floundering on my thesis. I also had a bit of a social day, lunching with Michiel and then going for coffee with Midget. After a bit of pretending to do work I headed to town to meet up with a friend from school who is back from Engrand on holiday. Reminded me how much I miss her - but was otherwise very good. Wednesday night I sorted moving, and played soccer (injuries a plenty, including one to my ankle which may be a little serious).
Thursday, I went and saw the HOD and had a fantastic meeting. She manages to find the positive things in everything and I came out feeling like my masters was going to be great. I came home early on thursday to start packing.
Friday, a few hours in the office, and lunch out with Michiel, were followed by heading home to pack. Packing isn't fun. I think it may be my least favourite part of moving (wait, no, there is worse). Friday night I took a break from packing to hang out with Midget for a while. Not smart time management, but enjoyable (surprisingly so considering the evening started with her being very angry at me about this thing.
Saturday was a bit hectic. I woke early and set in to packing, running on lack of sleep and lots of stress. Michiel turned up to help when I asked him to, though had to stand around waiting as I was not as prepared as I'd assumed I would be. Eventually Oli, Lyall and my uncle all turned up and the heavy lifting got done with out anywhere near as much hassle as I thought it would be. We got everything in to my new room and it fits. This room proving, not only to get real sunlight but, to be slightly bigger than my old room (after I'd assumed it was a tiny bit smaller. After several hours of tidying about I got a ride from Lizzie out to another post-grads celebratory thesis completion party. It was very nice. The food was amazing and I knew several of the guests outside the postgrad clique. The party ended on a sobering note - one the left me feeling like a useless spoon - but I am glad I went. I had considering piking as moving had left me sore and sleepy.
Today, moving. Carrying boxes up the hill, an armload at a time. Uneventful but consumed the day. Now I am even more sore than I was yesterday. I got surprise dinner of pizza (my new flatmate (well, the only one of the three I've spoken to) had excess after over ambitious purchasing). And now I think I should probably tidy away the boxes on my bed and get some sleep. I have a bunch of paperworky things to do tomorrow - the wonders of moving.



4th December 2006 - Osmund, Bp. and Conf.
Still moving stuff. I want to get it all done soon. While Vaughn is being very nice about my moving out slowly I suspect the niceness is really just politeness and that he'd like me entirely gone.
In lighter news, I swapped my full Whitcoulls DVD loyalty card for the complete series of Black Books. I'm pleased with my purchase, especially as it cost me no actual money.



6th December 2006 - Nicholas, Bp. and Conf.
I brained myself last night. Today my head hurts a lot, even though the dint in my forehead is barely visible. Danm it hurts.
Anyway, Monday night was spent sorting stuff to my new flat. Turned out my flatmate's sister is going out with someone I know from my Hayward Hall days.
Yesterday, I had work and actually made it in at nine. I've yet to manage to sleep well in my new flat, so getting up early has got a bunch easier, being I'm awake anyway. After a long and boring day at work - featuring my databasing and epic photocopying, I came home to finish moving. At which point I brained myself and did the last of my moving feeling a littel dazed. Simon lent me his car driving services to take some stuff to my mother's attic. I have everything moved now. I even walked a big load of stuff down to the charity shop (hopefully some of it lasted to morning). I was considering curling up with a beer but I was flatmate less and worry drinking alone will be a slippery slope to alcoholism. Later in the evening it occurred to me I'd not seem my flatmate since the evening before and I convinced myself I was being annoying enough that I'd driven him out of the flat already. I quickly realised that I was probably being a retard. That of his sister's boy remembered unflattering anecdotes and has left the impression I'm a freak...
Didn't sleep well again, and am very much not used to living in a house with people in it (flatmate coming in late startled me awake for no sensible reason). And I must learn not to scone myself. Damn it hurts.
I left the office very early. Was feelng progressively worse and worse about the head and went to student health. Turns out I have my very first concussion (or at least the first diagnosed one I know about). I had a great doctor, which was a pleasant surprise after past student health experiences. Thus I heartily recommend George of student health to all possible Otago students with the desire for health services. He even checked up on other things he noticed, both from my person and my file, which diagnising my concussion. Quite awesome service. On the downside, he forbade my doing anything physical, drinking alcohol, watching tv, reading books or using computers. I'm just supposed to rest. Doesn't take a genius to notice I'm taking those restrictions more as recommendations - guidelines if you will...



7th December 2006 - Oct. of S. Andrew, Ap.
Lazyness/feeling-gross-ness defeated cheapness for once. For the first time in my life I've ordereed pizza to be delivered. This follows the missing my weekly exercise in the form of soccer and the planned drinking with Michiel I had set for afterward. Stupid not being allowed to do much. Though I get why, my head is not working right. I've had a couple of friends ring me to check I'm okay and in one case it took me a long time to work out what person I knew the name and voice went with. Not a good sign. Seems to mostly be getting better though. Stupid soft and squishy brains.
Today, I have mostly just slept. Pretty damned boring all around. And I didn't go to Katie's birthday dinner as standing up didn't leave me feeling crash hot. Remind me to never injure my brain again.
This is taking too long, thinking about words is annoying. I'm going to go wait for my pizza.



8th December 2006 - Conception of Blessed Mary.
I have been sleeping so much.
Weirder is that I noticed bruises when I woke up this morning and have no idea how I got them. Otherwise I seem mostly better (mostly as I'm still having trouble with getting the right words for things, which is frustrating).
I have done too much lie in bed nursing my concussion. Lie in bed not allowed to do anything leads to thinking. Thinking has led to my realising just how much of a completely inappropriate crush I've developed recently. I think I may have to go out and find someone I don't like, but who likes me, and have a nicely unhealthy and distracting relationship. Fits my pattern and is pretty much how I usually deal with this sort of thing.... Though possibly not a genius plan.
I had quite dramatic pizza ordering last night. I'd never ordered pizza before, and I think they could tell. More than an hour later I rang up to see if it was actually coming (they had already billed my credit card), to find out they had lost my order. While this meant I was very hungry and cranky by the time it arrived, it did come with a free beverage and a voucher to get my next pizza for free. So I guess they redeemed themselves. My inner-Scotsman (mmmm, that took many attempts to type, maybe I should be in bed some more) who'd been crying about the fact I'd ordered pizza at all was mostly appeased by my getting free stuff.
YouTube gold, that everyone should see.
Advice for readership: Don't get concussed, it sucks.

"Computer games don't affect kids; I mean if Pac-Man affected us as kids, we'd all be running around in darkened rooms, munching magic pills and listening to repetitive electronic music." Kristian Wilson, Nintendo, Inc, 1989

12th December 2006.
Tomorrow I am officially old. I've got to my late 20s and achieved nothing with my life. Not a freaking thing.
Anyway, on Saturday I went to Cat's birthday party. It was fun, eating pizza and watching Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (which I was the only person there to have no already seen). Mostly a good night except too much excitement for me and pointed out that I was not in fact over my concussion yet.
Sunday was pretty quiet, as I felt like arse. In the afternoon I headed to my mother's and received birthday presents (the extended DVD of The Two Towers, some undies and a giant towel) and then headed to my grandparent's so Nanny could feed me an impressive Sunday roast spread with far too much dessert and cake (of which I brought a fair chunk home in an attempt to fatten up my flatmate - learn him for being prettier than me).
Monday, I ran some errands and got very angry at Vodafone for having eaten all my credit (though this may be my fault - so I've not rung them to grumble). Looked at donating my hair to have a wig made for a cancer patient, but it turns out they don't do it locally anymore and that my hair wasn't good enough anyway. So I got it all taken off. Lightened the head a chunk - I think my neck could be expanding. Chicks dig giraffes...
Today, I got over ambitious and went to varsity to do some work and just ended up feeling like my skull was the wrong size and that my eye-balls were going to pop. And the tongue-tied speaking in gibberish effect seemed to have got my typing and well as my speech. Taking things easy while I recover is not something I have ever been good at. After a quiet afternoon at home, disrupted by some BSOD-related swearing and shouting, I headed to Alana's for a nice dinner, to lend her about half my CDs and to received the birthday present of Christ (in the form of a house-blessing on a plaque, complete with picture of the sacred heart).
I should head off, eyes aren't focusing great - probably not the best sign ever.



16th December 2006 - O Sapientia.
My birthday was pretty awesome. I got the surprise gift of an iPod shuffle - which I'm enjoying a lot but feeling quite guilty about what an expensive gift it is, I'm not worth expensive gifts. I went out for Yum Char for lunch with Meg and spent the afternoon drapped on Wormgirl (she was down for her brother's graduation). I miss Wormgirl a lot, I should have married her when I had the chance. I should travel and visit her occasionally. In the evening I got my free pizza from Hell and watched K-19: The Widowmaker with my flatmates. It was pleasant. I think I'll get used to this whole living with people thing. High point of my birthday though, getting the rejection from the one conference scholarship I thought I had a real shot at.
Thursday my head was quite achy, so I decided it was time to clean my old flat (as I was clearly not going to get any thesis done). I think I did a pretty good job, it looked quite nice by the time I had finished, almost like I'd never been there but for the carpet wear from my computer chair. Oh, also got my canadian passport - which is cool.
Friday/Yesterday I was walking in to the office and had a sudden panic that I was supposed to be filling in for Michiel and hosting morning tea - fortunately it was just my fuzzy memories playing tricks on me. Not the most productive day. Got my loan for next year applied for, but little else of note. Did catch up with Shelley though. I'd forgotten how basically awesome she is. Last night I was supposed to go to a party but I got distracted playing Sid Meier's Railroads, which is basically a prettied-up Railroad Tycoon (itself a dumbed-down Transport Tycoon - how I miss Transport Tycoon, it's time they remade it pretty). Then it was ten at night and I was yet to make dinner - going out just didn't happen.
Had a quiet morning in, then headed off swimming. Had vague-ish concepts of being social with people night, having talked about it with a few of them. In fact, thought I may have double booked myself a little - but now no-one is replying to my messages, so it looks like I may have a quiet night in. Only person who wants to catch up with me re: my birthday is the GreenIslandite - and that may not be the smartest plan ever considering.
Probably doesn't help things that my brain is still a little frazzled, I keep getting caught up in the thought of the moment a bit more than I should, and me and emotions don't get on all that well.
Doh, just noticed a big hole in my good jeans. I now have no jeans that are even vaguely respectable.

You're a bum You're a punk You're an old slut on junk Lying there almost dead on a drip in that bed You scumbag, you maggot You cheap lousy faggot Happy Christmas your arse I pray God it's our last

18th December 2006.
Sunday was awesome. I was playing the Oblivion mini-expansion (Knights of the Nine) when Oli, Bridget and Fluffy kidnapped me for lunch, in celebration of my birthday. Great Taste is good for the all-one-can-eat dining experience, I felt uncomfortable full - what more can you hope for? Not too long after I got home Tina popped in to visit. Even though I hadn't seen her in a year and a half it was just like normal, we sat around and talked crap. I like how with some friends no amount of time apart seems to make any difference, things are just as they were - like time didn't pass at all. Tina and Mark took me out for fish and chips at the beach for dinner. It was a fantastic day.
Today I had work at CIC, making up for the missed day last week. My shuffle made work more pleasant than it had been. I'm appreciating it a lot. I should go sleep, it's late and I have more work tomorrow. Hooray for databases, endnote and old newspaper clipping archives - they keep me good and busy. At some point I'll need a break from work so I can stick in to my thesis a bit - it has been a little forgotten of late.
Try this: I tested it twice and it was right once.
Today's quote is the best verse in a Christmas song ever. Thank God for the Pogues.



19th December 2006.
I'm all full of pokeburn (think stirfry, but with occasional poking instead of continual stirring) and ice cream. Food is good. I'm also having a pretty good day. For some reason I'm finding myself rather asthetically appealing (walking past mirrors and going "damn, I'm pretty"), no idea what has brought it on but it is a pleasant change. Had a longish day at work - started early but took a lunch break so had to stay just as late as usual anyway. Mostly sorting old newpaper articles by date and then scrapbooking the beasts. Boring as, but a nice change from searching article databases and it still pays. Had lunch with Midget and Katie.
I'm off to see if the many germans (germen?) have cleared out of the lounge so I can watch Outrageous Fortune (I have discovered the downside to living with people who aren't anti-social weirdoes - visitors filling up the place).

Tuesday, 28 November 2006

November 2006

November 2006

This month cancelled due to lack of interest.


manly_man got their Neopet at http://www.neopets.com


2nd November 2006 - Com. of All Souls. At Vespers, Mem. of S. Mary, Mem. of S. Eustachius and his Compp.
I had a pretty quiet weekend. Oli was away, and I'm too lazy to be social without someone tell me to, so I played a bunch of Sims (having got the new expansion on Saturday) and pretty much being stay at home-ish. I did have a look at a few flats on Saturday (while out buying the computer game and farmers market veges), one of which seems pretty nice and livable - though I would have it to myself for December, which would be lonely and expensive. Sunday I rang a few places, and looked at a couple. One I was shown around wasn't bad, though the room is basically underground and dark and dank to match. Then Sunday evening I wandered over to my grandparent's for dinner.
Monday, I signed my contract for my new job. The rest of the day was spent running around like a madman trying to sort funding applications that needed posted that day. Hopefully I'll get money from somewhere, otherwise I'll have to pay for it myself.
Tuesday I felt a little arse, suffering from the stressing out on Monday. I went to Midget's performance exam thing with Alana. It was okay, though afterward she pissed me off enough that I had the sudden urge to throttle her. Seems I'm a bit cranky and people hating recently. I guess it happens...
Yesterday, worked in the office all day, soccer in the evening. Managed to not really get injured play, which was a nice change. So after a great game I was only a little bot sore today.
This morning I started my new job. It went pretty well. Though it seems I am far better at doing research I am not the slightest bit interested in than I am at doing stuff I actually like. I'm so much more productive on other work research than I am on my own. After work I went to dinner at Alana's, then picked up some discs I had lent my brother and that was pretty much my day.

manly_man got their Neopet at http://www.neopets.com


6th November 2006 - Leonard, Ab.
Friday, I spent in the office. Chugging slowly away on the thesis and then a quiet night in watching TV.
Saturday morning was slow starting. Meg bumped swimming back till after lunch, and at the salt water pool - which I decided I was too lazy to get too and that it isn't really equiped for what I planned to do. So instead I headed up to Moana alone and swam until I couldn't, then aquajogged and diving-board-chin-upped until my arms were screaming in agony. At which point I came home, grapping japanese soup for lunch on the way. I got home, sat on my bed and unexpectedly napped for about an hour and a half. Seemed I'd entirely worn myself out. As such I didn't go to Bridget's birthday party - by the time I was up and sorted it was about time to go to Lizzie's function. I went via my mother's to get angry at her a bit - which is always healthy.... When I got to Lizzie's I was first there, so entertained the dog for a while - wearing it out so that it spent much of the party asleep. Party was good. King of the Pirates is the ultimate firework, it was amazing. Lizzie had provided a fantastic array of desserts too. She does everything a little too well. After Lizzie's thing had ended I went and caught up with Oli for the tail end of their fireworks. He and Bridget invited me to go to Stewart Island with them this week, but I decided I can't really afford it and have a bit much on my plate at the moment without running away for a week. Stress levels wise, I probably should have gone.
Sunday morning I got irrationally annoyed at how good friends Reece and Simon have become - having a slight attack of thinking my friends were stealing my friends and I'd be left a friendless loser. In reality, I'll end up a friendless loser when people get sick of my constantly worrying they don't really like me. Anyway, I had a quiet day in, still feeling very sore from the pool and having yet another unexpected nap. There is a touch of worry that I may be coming down with something, I'm not usually a napper, but considering how much my arms hurt it could just be my body getting me back for buggering it over. In the early evening my dad called, so I got to talk to him for the first time since he went to Antarctica. Later, when I was considering going to bed, Midget rang and invited me out for fireworks. We ended up at creepy-neal's letting off the lamest little fireworks ever. They were so lame as to almost be cool - which is saying something. Then we went out for coffee, until the Metro closed and kicked us out which somehow led to a road trip to Taieri Mouth and Waihola. Not the most pleasant roads, and I was feeling more than a little gross for much of it. Too much dairy followed by road travel - not a good look. I didn't get home till about half past one, so am much more tired than I would really want to be.
This morning, my arms and neck are aching. Stupid exercise. Exercise is bad. The new breakfast cereal I got is too sweet. It looked to be all healthy and oat based, but it has been stupidly over sweetened. I think I'll have to grab a bag of rolled oat from the supermarket, they are much more palatable.

manly_man got their Neopet at http://www.neopets.com


12th November 2006.
Well, it turned out the cereal I was complaining about above made me horrible sick and I spent the day feeling very gross. SO I gave it to my flatmate - his only complaint is that he finds it a little bland. I'm much happier just eating rolled oats with milk. Monday afternoon I went and did a couple of hours at work so I could go to Midget's opera exam on Thursday. On the way home, I bought rolled oats.
Tuesday, I went to the office and did some thesis. Sorted a little more for my funding application and had a meeting with my boss. After that I headed in to town and spent the afternoon hanging out with my cousin Breffni, as she was in town for the day. Tuesday night I was cranky and had a headache.
Wednesday, the headache had grown up and turned into a migraine. So I spent the day at home feeling arse. I came online to email Midget and tell her I had a book for her, she turned out to be on and angry. Seems I shouldn't mention her on this thing as it makes her cranky. I was mostly finding it funny, which probably wasn't helping, I was also too sick to really take it in that well. Bonus of this is, while I may have done something that could possibly be considered wrong (and it was pretty debatable), she went off at me when I was sick - so the moral high ground becomes mine by default...
Thursday, I had work until mid-afternoon, then I headed to Midget's opera thing. I didn't really want to go, but I'd reorganised my week around it and was damn well not going to let all that reorganising go to waste. Afterward I posted off the last part of my application for conference funding, now all I can do is hope. Hope and save money on my own for when I end up having to pay for it myself. On the way home I impulse bought three year old cheese - it is so very tasty. I do like a nice old cheese, and I managed to get it cheap through multiple coupons of cumulative effect.
Friday, I was a little tired and grumpy after a night of very disturbed sleep (cheese at night = bad). Spent the day at varsity, chugging slowly at my thesis and getting cranky at it. Friday night I spent at home watching TV and playing interweb. One of my friends from first year who I'd not had any sort of contact with since started messaging me, and sleazing on me more than a little. A touch disturbing.
Saturday morning I went to the pool, and over did things a little. I got home to have breakfast and zoned out from tiredness. The result was that I missed Meg's birthday lunch - not the ideal plan. The rest of the day was spent participating in a neopets plot, as sad and tragic as that is. I was feeling too arse to do much else. Come dinner time I was feeling a bit better and wanted to do something. I ended up going to Simon's for an evening of Singstar. I had never Singstarred (can Singstar be a verb?) before, and I mostly sucked. I did okay on only a couple of songs, and Simon kicked my arse every time. It was a pretty good night, until I made a complete cock of myself by getting all deeply offended when he used our friendship as a comparison point for something. Go me and being a complete fucktard to spoil an otherwise very pleasant evening. I may not be all that crazy a person, but on that front I'm far crazier than I'd like. Didn't sleep well due to crankiness and the cat being annoyng loud through the night.
This morning I had a quiet one in, having decided I was too tired to play the Sims, I just arsed around on the net pissing Si off by apologising for apologising. Then Meg rang and talked me in to going swimming with her to make up for missing her birthday thing. So now I'm tired and sore and about to go have an early night.

Sutek's Tomb
puzzles


13th November 2006 - Bricius, Bp. and Conf.
I was so tired I could barely hold myself up, yet still had an arse of a time getting to sleep. There was too much going on in my head about how freaking tired I was for me to get to sleep. one of these days I am going to have to cave and get sleeping pills. I'm not particularily comfortable with the idea of drug induced sleep, but the not sleeping well thing is screwing me over (more than usual - being that I've never slept particularily well). Maybe I need to go to China and learn biofeedback martial arts techniques, see if I can learn to just drop straight in to sleep.

Destruct-O-Match II
puzzles


21st November 2006.
Okay, I suck.
Last week was mostly spent at varsity.
On Tuesday, I got passport photos taken. I had got myself looking surprisingly tidy and then got got by wind and rain and ended up with a stray ringlet making me look a bit special - and I was generally shaggy.
Wednesday I picked up the photo. Soccer in the evening was great, though I came away limping and with significant visible bruising. I usually don't bruise so visibly.
Thursday I had work - and was feeling arse so powered myself though with a giant sickening bag of Skittles(R). Diabetes, here I come. So viles in large amounts. So very, very vile.
Friday I was trying to get my GP to fill in the guarantor box on my passport application, but in the end he couldn't until Monday. I got Stardust out from the library as I felt the urge to read it and Stew still hasn't worked out where he lost my copy to. I may have to make him replace it - though the chances he'd get the trade copy to match my set is rather unlikely. Friday night I went out for dinner with my father (who came down for the weekend) and my brother. Dad came bearing gifts he's purchased at the gift shop at Scott Base. Hooray for quality gifts. A Scott Base Hawaiian shirt (which I wore to varsity yesterday, it is great) and a Scott Base Victorinox back pack and matching blade. I've not had a bag that wasn't made to fall apart in ages. I am pleased. Friday night was spent getting dad's photos of Antartica (well, mostly just Ross Island) off his camera and on to CD.
Saturday I had a pretty lazy day, finished reading Stardust about lunch time. Then had a nice think about the casting for th emovie that has been filmed and what changes they will have had to make to the story to justify the casting. In the evening I went to Little Miss Sunshine with my father. Quite an entertaining bit of cinema - and entirely the kind of film my brother doesn't approve of, which may have been part of the point. This was followed by steakhouse dinner. Mmmmmmm, Steak Mignon.
Sunday was quite Sunday like. I had planned to go to the office, but couldn't be arsed. Instead, I did laundry and ate hummus (not to be mistaken with humus).
Yesterday, I went to the office and did a tiny amount of work - I'm starting in to a new chapter and have no idea where to start, which leads to crankiness. I went and got my passport forms back off my gp and was getting reading to post them when I saw my GP had marked the "void if marked" box on the form. More than a little frustrating. It means I have to get whole new forms and try and get him to fill them in again, and since he has signed the photo it really does have to be him. Very irksome. Some days, I am a big believer in complete global genocide of the human species.

manly_man got their Neopet at http://www.neopets.com


28th November 2006.
I got the forms re-signed and sent away and all seemed to be going well on the passport front until today I got an email declaring my suppeimentary ID forms unacceptable and requiring forms I don't possess. It seems the system has decided I oughtn't travel. Or possibly, the system is based on stupid assumptions.
Otherwise not much to say for last week. I'm floundering in my attempts to get in to my next chapter, and wishing I had a supervisor who actually supervised. But nothing new there. I am going to have to go and talk to the HOD and get some co-supervision on the sly.
The weekend was kind of busy. Friday night I went to the post-grad supervisor of the year awards and suffered from a heavy dose of open bar. Saturday morning I had a nice long swim while being annoyed at the PE school for having all the stuff I wanted to use booked so they could train to be PE teachers. An afternoon of blobbing was followed by heading out for quiet drinks and some street soccer with the soccer crew. Sunday morning I had to go to my cousin's first communion. One of those times I was glad I'm not catholic. Masses aimed at children annoy me a lot. They make V2 even worse. It was followed by a full day of family - and I managed to not get too pissed off at my brother. Personal growth: confirmed.
Yesterday, arsed around until about 10, then headed to varsity for a day when me and Lynda distracted each other and lead to both doing no work. Nice, but unproductive and ultimately leading to my stressing a bit about how little progress my thesis is making. In the evening I went and looked at a flat, I think I may be moving this weekend (if I can get it sorted).
Today, work. Am tired and cranky-er now.

Friday, 27 October 2006

October 2006

October 2006

Universe hates me - so I'm getting it back.




8th October 2006.
I am so behind on this beast.
Sunday two weeks ago, which I think might be the day after I last have proper mention in this thing, I caught up with the GreenIslandite for an exchange of stuff. Basically we swapped stuff back in town and then got Burger King and ate it at the beach. It was nice, though I didn't get my toothbrush back. I like that toothbrush. Then it was off to the office to be an office drone for the day.
The following week is a bit of a blur, time in the office, Michiel trying to make me watch comedy tv instead of doing work, growing thesis hatred. Basically a week. On Wednesday I had dinner with Shiny as a farewell, now please leave my city thing. On Thursday I had medieval reading group looking at "The Dream of the Rood". It was pretty good. That weekend I played Civ IV instead of swimming (or doing anything much). Actually, Civ IV (a surprise gift at the exchange of stuff) is the major player in that week being a bit of a blur. Civ is the enemy of sleep. Saturday night I went out with Oli and got a bit drunker than intended. Was being a disturbingly handsy drunk, like I was Italian or something. Went to the Crown, Craic and Backstage later in the night. I remember it being mostly fun though Backstage made me crave sleep and being away from all the losers there. Sunday I caught up with Midget and then went to my grandparents. I also got the expansion for Civ IV off my brother.
This week, stressful. I had a presentation on Friday so the whole week was working up to it. There were some problems. Tuesday I had an attack of ennui to the point that even playing computer games seemed too darn hard work. I basically did nothing the whole day. The whole week was a little less productive than I'd have liked. High point would have been my neopet being transformed, after seven years as a yellow jubjub, it is now shiny and different. I'll post a pic at the bottom of the entry. Thursday, after staying late to work on my presentation I headed straight from the office to a Medieval Reading Group showing of the movie Beowulf and Grendel. It isn't a terrible film, but tries to hard to make all the characters sympathetic - most humorously the monsters. Basically it shoots itself in the foot.
Friday morning I headed in and worked on the presentation. And kept working on it. Only had a short lunch so I could keep working on it and finished it just before the seminar session started. It was pretty good. Problem was, by the time it was my turn to speak I had psyched myself out and couldn't follow my script. Everytime I adlibbed, I ended up self deprecation and digging a hole deeper and deeper under myself. Such freaking skills I have. Afterwards all I could do was drink. Thus the department sponsored drinks afterwards featured quite the drunken Matthew. Then home to watch TV and drunkenly accost people over the interweb.
Yesterday, I went swimming early with Meg and then had a huge bacon breakfast at the farmer's market. A great way to cancel out all the good I had done exercising. Thena quiet day in until Debbie and Lindsay's engagement party in the evening. I realised I hadn't seen either of them in a very long time. I think it has been a couple of years since I last socialised with them.
I should go to the office today and be constructive. Tempted to just play the sims.
I'm not looking forward to seeing Lizzie tomorrow. She is very likely to tell me off about the adlibbing of doom.

manly_man got their Neopet at http://www.neopets.com

I went to the office for a while, but got a headache and found it was just being mostly unproductive so I only worked for a few hours before heading home. Was about to make dinner, but midget has informed me I'm having dinner with her in town. It had better be very cheap and I'm skint as. And I'm having quite a nice chat with Si about how I should be nicer to myself. I'm unconvinced by the message. Problem is, overall it is making me a little more paranoid. Mainly as I'm reading too much in to it. Which is pretty much my problem. And I'm feeling bad for being such an arse friend. It's little wonder I've lost touch with so damn many of the friends I have had (well, lost touch with or just stopped being talked to).
And there is no way I'm too hard on myself. If anything, I'm too soft on myself. Were I harder on myself, then I'd actually have achieved something in my life.
Already had two responses to "Were I harder on myself, then I'd actually have achieved something in my life" of something approximating "you mean you'd actually have gotten around to killing yourself". This is a little disturbing. I didn't think I had that much of a crazy suicidal vibe.
Wow, all this time not writing in this beast and then, I think, three entries today.




9th October 2006 - Denys and his Compp.
Best brain poking ever. It seems I'm too emotionally retarded to benefit from psychotherapy and I'm being hinted at to stop coming and free up the slot for someone who might actually benefit from it. So I've discovered a whole new way in which I suck. Go me...
Not much else to say for the day. Tried to get some writing done on my thesis, but it wasn't getting anywhere as I spent the afternoon with a headache. Thesis -> stress -> high blood pressure -> headaches. It's not great but it seems to be how things are working just now. I think I need to change my writing approach for a while, find some less stressful way of doing it.
I still feel a bit arse and it is almost bedtime. I've been playing Sims and ranting about crap at Simon. I'm amazed he doesn't ignore list me more often.
I should go and sleep sensible hours and all.



11th October 2006 - Nicasius and his Compp., Martt.
I have now gone and looked at a couple of rooms in flats. Being I'm sort of supposed to have moved about now. One was a complete dive. The other was pretty nice and affordable, but had a stupidly timed lease that would lead to me having to move three times in the next few months rather than twice. Moving twice is going to suck more than enough.
I hate moving.
Yesterday was semi-productive work wise. Had a meeting with my supervisor where I discovered he is skipping the country again next week. I'm pretty sure this will be his second extended period away this year, and his fourth or fifth while I've been studying. So I'm on email supervision for the rest of the year.
The day also featured a long chat with Lizzie, who was nagging me into not making myself sick or sabotaging my thesis. It made me realise I've actually managed to make friends during my thesis study. So it isn't entirely wasted. I'd been getting paranoid that I'd got too old to make new friends - which would be bad considering how crap I am at keeping up with old ones.
Didn't achieve much in the office today. I got a bit done in the morning, but after lunch I went to a concert Midget had on. She ended up consuming my entire afternoon. By the time I got back to the office it was basically time to knock off and go home. On the way home I bumped into Mark (a guy I went to school and was in the dreaded Gang Show with). Had a nice catch up chat with him for over half an hour. Realised we pretty much have no people in common any more. Did get some good gossip about people I've not seen in ages though.
After dinner I head out to soccer. There were a bunch of new people there. A couple of them were alright, but there was a group of south americans - and old control freak and his two lackies. After having noticed I've started throwing around the "hate" word when I don't mean it recently (something I'm choosing to blame on Shiny), this evening I think I may have been actually feeling hate. The old guy kept giving me orders, and was making me feel more and more homicidal every time he spoke to me. Such wishing of horrible death I have not done in a long while. I was considering walking home, as that would have been more fun than playing. Once I started plain ignoring the guy it went smoother. We were playing kick around, not the FIFA championship. Ended up mostly okay.



12th October 2006.
I've become the kind of cranky old person who rings noise control at 2:30 in the morning. Mainly as I realised I was lying awake getting angrier and angrier at the loud bad music one of my neighbours was pumping out and I could feel my blood pressure getting pretty damn high. I suspect, had it been measured, that it would have been near (if not over) the 200 mark - which is bad considering all the meds I'm on to keep it down. Normally me being angry at something is good - anger at things that aren't me is a skill I'm working on. Self directed anger being too darn easy.



17th October 2006 - Etheldreda, V., not Mart.
In the Suram it is tawdry St. Audrey's. Greatest of feast days. Now only England celebrates her, and in June (23rd).
Now days it is St. Margaret Mary Alacoque and St. Ignatius of Antioch - much less interesting.
Friday morning, in the shower, I noticed a bit more hair washing out than usual, but didn't think too much of it. I got to the office and took of my hat and it was like I was on chemo - big handfuls of hair coming out. Very disgusting. If I was brainier and more eloquent I'd say it was a Hank McCoy thing and I was just shedding my winter coat. Unfortunately, I'm not. Seems I'm reacting badly to stress. So I spent the day at varsity being paranoid I was going bald. The girls in my office ordered me to take the weekend off.
Friday night I went out to town with Oli for the farewell of one of his workmates, who was also one of my childhood friends. It was a good night. Much beer drunk, pizza eaten and then going clubbing with Camilla and co for a while before going home and to sleep.
Saturday morning I lay in bed watching Weeds on DVD. I can't decide if I like the show or not - but I do like the theme song, which I hadn't heard since I was a little kid and had forgotten existed. In the afternoon I wandered up to the field above Moana Pool for a game of soccer. It was against an actual team, though we lost by less than I'd have expected. I think they got two goals for every one of ours - which, all things considering, is nothing for us to complain about. The game went for almost three hours - each team losing someone to A&E along the way. It was great. Afterwards a group of us heading down to Camilla's to rehydrate and plan out the night. At this stage I inadvertently offended Bridget - who went off at me like an escape psych-patient breaking away from the tyranny or anti-psychotics. It was more than a little of an unpleasant surprise. I had always thought people talking about how crazy she was were being a little unkind. Now I'm not so sure. And that pretty much put an end to planning an evening with Oli. I headed home, which a nasty case of the shakes, to spend a quiet night in being cranky. Basically, I felt like crap due to my retarded natural impulse of assuming crazy people are right and I, somehow, am at fault.
Sunday, I was very sore post-soccer. I met up with Meg at Woodhaugh, got pizza with her for lunch and then she visited to read my comics. Made for a nice afternoon. Then I visited Rachel, whose daughter seems to have entirely forgotten who I am in the couple of months since I last saw her. All up a nice relaxing afternoon. Then off to my grandparents' for dinner. My mother was there, with her boss (who has been staying with her - with strikes me a VERY unprofessional (and a bit whore-y, I wonder what her partner thinks about it)). My brother is clearly unwell in a serious way and refuses to go to a doctor, while mum pays no attention to the whole thing. Pretty much seeing my family cancelled out all the good the pleasant afternoon had done.
Yesterday, I was in the office. Didn't get much done on my thesis, but did catch up on a couple of other things. My shrink session went pretty well, I had hair loss to talk about.
Atleast I mostly seem to have stopped losing hair for now. It is visibly thinner to me, but no-one else seems to have commented. I guess it is still thicker than most people's hair. For once my retarded hair has turned out useful.



18th October 2006 - Luke, Evan.
I'm being amused reading a thing from the US Census lot. In 1911 "the most popular baby names were John and Mary; they are now Jacob and Emily". Jacob and Emily? I'm pleasantly surprised that sensible old names seem to have come back in to fashion. I remember as a kid the Emily in my class at school, and teachers commenting on what an old lady name it was. I just hope more of the old names come back, and get rid of the stupidly spelt white-trash names flooding the world.
In other news, my father appears to be enjoying Antarctica.



20th October 2006.
Wednesday night soccer I played hard out. It was awesome. I got in "the zone" and run with it until I hit the point where you have exercised so much you suddenly feel like you are going to hurl. One of my gym-bunny-ish friends assures me this is a very good sign. Mostly, it just leaves me thinking gym-bunnies are crazy freaks. It put quite the downer on otherwise good exercising of my lard.
Yesterday morning, I got to varsity, checked my email, and got my acceptance letter to present at the Pearl-Poet Society session at Kalamazoo. If I can get the funding, I'm going to Michigan in May. Biggest medieval conference in the world, I'm very excited. The rest of the day is pretty much a blur of gibbering excitedly like a idiot / hyperactive child.
In the evening I went to Alana's birthday dinner, and managed to get crapped on my a bird on the way. Grrrrr. I know it is supposedly good luck, but still.
Anyway, I should get myself sorted. I have to go and talk to the HOD this morning, since I have to organise funding and the like.



25th October 2006 - SS. Crispin and Crispinian. Middle lessons of S. John of Beverley, Bp. and Conf.
Friday I spent in the office, and had a quiet night in. Nothing particularly noteworthy, other than my still being very excited about the conference.
Saturday I was supposed to be playing soccer outside again, but the weather was shocking so some of our team went to the Edgar centre and played four a side while listening to the nasty rain through the giant metal roof. After coming home to shower off the sport related stink and have some dinner, my ankle seized up. It was unpleasant but eventually loosened up enough that I could walk to Oli's for Erin's farewell party. Yet another of my friends off to the UK, and this one possibly for good. I got very drunk on punch. Punch always gets me. The night was full of people commenting on how much less spastic I've got at soccer - and I'm still pretty crap which says things about just how bad I was when I first started - and me drunkenly being over friendly. I kept shamelessly and ridiculously hitting on several of the girls. Ah, alcohol. At the end of the night I walked homeward with Lyall and got Subway, I even gave Lyall the free second sub I got (vouchers good). Alcohol seemed to have overridden my natural insane cheapness.
Sunday I was tired and feeling a little arse all day. I stayed in and played Sims - to prepare for the next expansion pack. Also had quite a nice chat to Simon, which isn't exactly a regular thing these days.
Monday was Labour day. I did bugger all. Pretty much a Sims playing rerun of the day before, though with a massive junk food ending which I assumed was going to get me into trouble.
Yesterday, my quarterly check up. Even after all the shit I've been eating recently, I've lost most of the weight that I put on earlier in the year. In less good news, blood pressure up to 148/80 - and this after me wagging the morning to be as relaxed as possible (a fact I omitted to tell my doctor). If I can't get it down by the next time I go, I'll be going on to bigger and scarier drugs of the old people post-heart attack variety. Seems I have to get my stress levels under control before they kill me. I have also caved and accepted treatment for my rhinitis, after a couple of years of it getting on my nerves - hopefully I won't be so reliant on snot rags in the future, if the stuff works at all.
Last night I curled up in bed after Outrageous Fortune and started reading Terry Pratchett's new book. I think I might go do more of that now.



26th October 2006.
Yesterday, I spent in the office. In the evening I had soccer and took a ball to the nads only about a minute in to the game. It hurt a lot, and it still a bit tender. Managed a few other minor injuries as well, so I'm pretty sore today. It was an awesome game though, so entirely worth it. Then last night I stayed up far too late reading Wintersmith.
Today, I was tired and sore and a bit cranky. Midafternoon my thesis had me more than a little wanting to cry - but that would have been cruel to the girl in my office who has to submit by Tuesday to qualify for her scholarship, and thus has far more reason to cry. It was just going very badly and I don't know what to do. Then all I could think about were the "isn't it about time you finished it" comments my friends keep making. Somedays I really do wonder if certain of my friends are actually trying to get me to off myself. Maybe they have money on it.
Anyway, I stayed a bit late at work, achieving sweet fuck all - but even that much was a pleasant surprise considering how I was feeling. Then I rang some flats to see if I could go see with much less luck than I had hoped for. I went and got dinner in town and then looked at a couple of places, got some groceries and came home. After trialling the ration pack dessert from the Indian Army I had got myself at the supermarket I headed to my mother's to return my brother's book (Wintersmith) and lend him some stuff. That ended up taking much longer than expected. When I got home I discovered that the GreenIslandite had been texting me from about the time I headed off trying to get me to go out for dinner. The texts seem a bit too keen, which is disturbing and I really don't know how I feel about it. Tried to talk it over with Simon, but he wasn't replying to my messages - I think he may be busy, though it occurs to me I've not heard anything out of him since the weekend, so I may have offended him somehow again. Seems to be something I'm good at.
Anyway, weird day. Hopefully tomorrow will be better.



27th October 2006.
OKay, last night I wasn't exactly king of HappyLand.
Today I burnt myself on my breakfast and have a nice shiny obvious burn on my thumb. Great way to get things started. I was then late and missed the lecture I was supposed to go to (mostly as I was too chicken to walk in after it had started, even though I was only a couple of minutes late). I then discovered I'm probably not eligible for divisional funding for the conference - which is a bit of a blow, but will hopefully not mean the trip is over.
Fortunately for there the day was mostly up hill. I got a not too bad bit done on my thesis. And in the afternoon Stew rang me up and took me out for a hot chocolate which was very much appreciated. I'd not seen him in months, and it was well timed as far as me needing to be social went. My Canadian citizenship is trapped in a post shop, I shall have to fetch in on Monday.

Wednesday, 27 September 2006

September 2006

September 2006

Universe hates me - so I'm getting it back.




2nd September 2006 - Cuthberga, V., not Mart.
I missed St. Giles. Poor effort.
I want a Dissinge Shakespere T-shirt. Or maybe a Nationalisme! one. I prefer a XL, in case anyone is feeling generous.
Chaucer blog merchandise - it is a disturbing sign...
The retraction shirt is good too...
I'm up too early - and am about to go swim.



7th September 2006.
I had a really good and productive meeting with my supervisor today. He was very helpful, even being quite nice. I think there may be pod people involved. This will require investigation, especially if I want to earn an alien-spotter merit badge.... (Okay, lame joke and recycled - I thought it up while chatting to Si earlier.)
On St. Giles I spent the day at varsity getting cranky at my thesis. Had another chat with Lizzie and ended up feeling a bunch better about how things were going. That evening I spent at home being an antisocial cunt.
Saturday morning I was up early for swimming when Meg cancelled on me just as I was leaving, so I went anyway and ended up swimming hard out enough to end up very sore. After a trip past the Farmer's Market for bacon breakfast I headed on. On the way I bumped into Scott for a quick chat in the street, which was nice though left me with the distinct feeling that he is scared of me. Midafternoon I headed in to town to meet my father for a late lunch. As the place he wanted to go was closed till five, we ended up killing time before a dinner at Great Taste. All you can eat buffets do have their place in the world. In the evening, after a token attempt to go be social, I ended up having another quiet one in.
Sunday morning I was being a slacker and putting off going to the office. Eventually I decided to stay home as Si had offered to come around and gift me some software I was sadly lacking. Then he gave me a ride to my grandparent's house - where I had dinner. My tolerance for my mother and brother is not high, fortunately my grandmother is awesome enough to make it worth suffering my mother's presence.
Monday, I spent in the office and the evening at home. Had lunch with my father and got a small but happiness inducing gift of money from him.
Tuesday, pretty much a copy of Monday, but the lunch with my father didn't include the gain of money.
Yesterday morning, my dad skipped town at some ungodly hour - not quite sure how long he is away - thus the seeing too much of him in the days preceding.
Back later - I have dinner to get to.



10th September 2006.
I'm having one of those insane moments when the fact friends of mine have become good friends with each other is really pissing me off. As, just as it always seems to happen, they are instantly faster friends than either have ever been with me. I think it just confirms that I'm a crap friend.
Okay, I'm probably just being crazy. But this has happened too many times in my life. I think I may just stop trying to pretend I can function as a human being and accept that I'm just not meant to be sociable with people.
And my freaking tooth still hurts - stupid dent school thinking sensodyne would fix it.
Okay, I'm cranky. I think I may go to bed and save writing properly for another day.



11th September 2006 - SS. Prothus and Hyacinth, Martt. Mem. only.
Okay, it turned out last night, once my paranoia had worn down a little, that the above entry was wrong (well, partially anyway). It wasn't what I was actually annoyed about, it was just an easier thing to be annoyed about.
Yes, I'm crazy.
The problem was really a conversation I had had in the morning where I discovered yet another of my friends has joined the preaching skank camp. While I have no real problem with my friends sleeping around, I have a big problem with their telling me I should be having random sex. In fact, it makes me quite cranky.
Insult to injury on this one was that it is someone I used to mock those sorts with.
Just home from school. Got chippies for dinner on the way home - hooray for hot lard. I was going to have sensible dinner, but the supermarket wasn't stocking the veges I wanted... Ah, well. Lard is good.
Dinner with Alana on Thursday was good. Left me feeling very full and happy.
Friday I had a quiet day in the office followed by heading out for Satay dinner and going to see Snake on a Plane with Shiny. Freaking awesome movie. Probably would have been smarter to go to Thank You for Smoking - but too late now and Snakes was very much worth seeing. It was just so superpoweredly crap that it was fantastic. Yes, I realise that is a bad reason to find something good - but it works. I got a ride home with my next door neighbour and his very pretty wife. Once I was home I caught Stew online for the first time in ages, so had a bit of a chat.
Saturday morning I went to the pool with Meg, then after getting a somewhat lazy swim on (we were both too tired to try very hard) I headed to Alana's work to buy something. This went horribly wrong when they turned out to not yet have what I wanted in stock. Bugger it. So lunch at Farmer's Market was followed by wondering slowly homeward. On the way I bumped into Leonardo the self-lubricating and had a very long and entertaining unsettling conversation about his views on hot Asian girls and the things he'd like to do to them. After I got home I lazed about for a while and played some puter game before heading to Oli's for a pre-party (before I party I had no intentions of going to). I bought chocolate milk on the way with the plan of not drinking any alcohol. Party at Oli's started pretty slow but was good. After drinking more than a litre of chocolate milk (the rest was shared around) I ended up drinking beer after all. So come midnight, I had had a fantastic time, was drunk and quite in pain from my dairy intolerance. Was a good night. I walked Oli to the other party, but didn't go in. Instead shared a taxi to Lyall's and walked home for some sleep.
Sunday morning, the conversation that inspired the crankiness occurred. Otherwise quiet morning of achieving bugger all, but for a little laundry. After lunch I headed to the office. Got some reading done, but little else. The noise of the work being done on the building was transmitting through the radiators - it was very annoying, more so than it had been in the past.
Today, the office was office like. Did work, but achieved less than I would have liked. Pretty standard really.



12th September 2006.
Yesterday morning, as a result of having earlier been told off about my tendency to whine, I decided to not talk to people if I thought it would lead to whining - so the result is I've basically stopped talking to people.
I had a quiet day at home today nursing a headache. I thought it was going to go migraine - but it didn't. Hasn't gone away yet though, so I'd not have achieved anything much in the office anyway. And The Dresden Dolls are in New Zealand this week, but nowhere I can afford to get to. Bugger it, I want to see them live.



19th September 2006.
Wednesday was my brother's birthday, so after spending the day in the office I headed in to town to have dinner with a whole bunch of my mother's friends. Once again my brother got a birthday party with an invite list picked by my mother and not including any of his friends. I'm glad my 16th was the only birthday of mine my mother organised, I mostly like to have people I actually like at things. My brother had been allowed to pick the venue though, so buffet goodness ensued. I ate far too much and got home on a vicious sugar high of the sort that leads to dancing and shadow boxing. Then when the high wore off, I crashed hard and had no option but immediate sleep.
Thursday I was in the office feeling more than a little buggered and getting angry at my thesis, when I remembered I had a call for papers from the International Congress of Medieval Studies in Kalamazoo. So dug it up and gave it a read over and saw the closing date 15 September and thought, hmmm, that's tomorrow. So I went and saw my supervisor who was far from excited by the idea of my applying and then went off to write abstracts. A very nice dinner at Alana's, that went far later than expected, was followed by late night abstract writing.
Friday morning I gave one abstract to my supervisor, having realised the other interesting one I had written would require much more knowledge of Judith Butler to pull off than I am willing to teach myself, and organised to get it back about lunch time so I could get sorted and send it away. Come 4pm, many hours of basically stalking his office lead to me finally tracking him down. He'd skipped off for many hours and not looked at the abstract. Colour me cranky. Had I not been seriously chasing him he would not have got the thing back to me at all. In the end I got Cassie from my office to read it and make suggestions, having realised my supervisor was not having a helpful day. But I got the thing away in time, and it was received without problem. Now I just have to wait and hope. Afterward I had dinner with my brother and father (who got the weekend off of Naval training and made it back to town) before meeting Oli and Mel in town to drink to Mel's safely leaving the country... I mean, going to Oxbridge. This was followed by a 21st with multiple kegs. I need to get better alcohol tolerance.
Anyway, will write more later, is past time I head in to the office for the day.



20th September 2006.
Where did I get too. Friday night keg partyage. It was okay, though had me feeling very old as they were all so young and stupid. Had the weird realisation when hugging Mel goodbye that that was the first time I had made physical contact with another human being in quite a while. For some reason while drunk that seemed important but I can't remember exactly why now. I walked Oli and Bridget home afterward, then borrowed a jersey off Oli to walk home, as I was in t-shirt, shorts and jandals and it was some ungodly hour of the morning.
Saturday I had a pretty lazy day of arsing about. The closest I got to doing anything was picking up the latest Sims 2 lame-arse money sucker from Harvey Norman. As I was getting reading for bed, sometime after eleven, some freak pulled open my window and shoved his hand through, dropping a fist full of miscellaneous garden stuff into my room. Gave me a bit of a shock and left me all anxious and paranoid for the rest of the night. Did not lead to sleep. Must get myself a shot gun (being in prison for shooting some retarded cunt would solve my lack of life direction).
Sunday, I was tired and cranky, but headed to the office anyway. Didn't get as much work done as I had hoped - due to the tired and cranky factor, and the drilling noise come through the radiators. Had a bit of a rant at Lynda about how the Police force is underfunded, and how much I dislike stupid people. On the way home I impulse bought Hell Pizza (that I couldn't really afford). Did end up sitting beside someone I have had a stranger crush on for a while, who turned out to be a history student and even more unobtainably out of my league than I had thought before. The pizza, having taken a bunch longer than they had estimated, wasn't very good. I think Dunedin's Hell Pizza has gone to seed already. I may just have to stick to Filafelfio's, or Yilmaz's.
Once again this will be finished later. School beckons.



24th September 2006.
Okay, so I only got up to a week ago. Hmmmm.
Monday, I went to the office. Did some work, read critic, visited the brain poker for the first time in a while. Was having a pretty good day all around. Later afternoon we decided as an office to chip together and buy a big bag of little donuts. This proved a stupid plan. The woman running the cart was extra generous as it was the end of the day and she pretty much just cleaned out all her leftover stock on us. After some feasting we were all feeling gross and icky. I came home to the least lardy meal I could manage (99% fat free vege soup) and still felt over larded. Donuts, so good they become so bad. Like teh opposite of Snakes on a Plane.
Tuesday morning I felt like crap. Donut-induced weird dreams leading to crappy sleep. The day followed rather uninterestingly. I was in the office doing work. Just before going home time, Oli rang and invited me out to the movies. So Tuesday evening was spent watching Thank You for Smoking. I very much enjoyed it, it is one of the best movies I have seen in a very long time. Possibly proving high budget special effects are a little wasted on me. Tuesday night also featured an embarrassing discovery. Rain and wind combined to give me surprisingly convincing Farah-hair. It looked like I had paid to have it done, and made me look like a complete fag.
Wednesday, the day in the office chugging away on Caroline Walker Bynum surprisingly entertaining feminist history work. In the evening I went to soccer with Oli and co. Had a good night of playing and many minor injuries, including astroturf burns on the elbows. Only thing that bugged me was there was a new guy on my team who was a bit of an arse about only passing to people he thought were good - thus pointedly not passing to me, even when the only other option was losing the ball to the other team. I was a little offended. I'm unco, I appreciate that, but there is no reason to be that much of a cunt about it.
Thursday I decided I am taking a holiday from my food chapter, and I'm going to write preliminary drafts of the parts of my thesis I haven't worked on this the latest topic tweak. Rewrite after rewrite will be the death of me.
Friday, I was signed up for two different symposiums at varsity. A OUSA organised Postgrad one, and an interdisciplinary gender/family/culture one. Can't say I was hugely thrilled by the idea of either, but teh day went pretty well. Managed to hear several very interesting seminars and was well fed by the catering of the events. End of the day I went to English department drinks and discovered even after all the food I'd et that I was having a can't-really-handle-two-beers day. It is sometimes embarrassing to be me. I snuck off from the drinks when I realised I was drooling over someone at one of the other groups in the bar and thought I should leave before I embarrassed myself in front of the head of department. Ended up having dinner in town with Shiny, before coming home to watch Rove.



27th September 2006 - SS. Cosmas and Damian, Martt.
Once again, distracted before I'd finished my entry.
And too lazy to write now. Sorry, Shelley. The urge to play Civilization is too strong.

Thursday, 31 August 2006

August 2006

Winter is wintering around me - luckily hypothermia is sexy.




4th August 2006.
Okay, I suck at writing in this thing. Slackness is me.
The night of the Saturday I brought my new computer home - I think that is where I left off - I went out on the town with the GreenIslandite. After only two beers I was completely and utterly plastered. Were I prettier I would have suspected someone had slipped me something. I was gone. I think it was likely to do with the fact I'd eaten very, very little in the day and a half before hand. Being depressed about my weight can lead to bad eating habits and alcohol being evil. Unsurprisingly I woke up in Green Island. I'm still hoping things are going to work there - colour me delusional.
Sunday, I got dropped home about 12 and rushed through a shower before going and helping Alana move her late father's possessions for the day. Good work that needs doing and all.
Monday, felt a bit weird while I was getting ready to go to varsity and as I was about to leave really felt not up to it. Assumed I'd psyched myself ill to justify trying out my new computer - which I'd still spent little time with.
Tuesday, I went to varsity until it became clear I was a bit too sick to be there and was told to go home. What followed was a little Oblivion playing, and many adventures in napping. Did bump in to Scott on the way home though, which was awesome as I'd not seen him since January.
Wednesday, stayed home feeling gross. Late afternoon I was feeling better so went to Alana's for dinner, thinking I'd be back at varsity the next day.
Thursday, I didn't make it back to varsity, disease had me conquered. Friday followed the pattern.



9th August 2006 - Romanus, Mart. Mem. only. Vigil.
Oli picked me up - thus the vanishing midentry in the above.
The news this morning brings me happy news. My adolescent social isolation increases my risk of cardiovascular disease by a factor of 2.6. Looks like I will be dying young and leaving a pretty corpse. All to plan...
Also in the news, hungry people find fat people more attractive. So I clearly just have to starve people I am interested in until said interest is returned.
OKay, where did I get upto... Friday of the week before last.
That weekend I was still sick and gross on Saturday so stayed home instead of trying to make up on missed work in the office. On Sunday I let my brother come around and try out Oblivion for a few hours, while I dozed like a sick person.
On the Monday I went to the office and did some work, until my coughing lead my officemates to suggest I went home. By "suggest" I mean "order".
I took the Tuesday off as I was still coughing like a freak.
Wednesday, Thursday and Friday were all pretty productive, if short, days and lead towards my handing in a draft chapter to my supervisor Friday evening.
Then Friday evening, after I had packed and had dinner, Oli arrived and we headed (as part of a convoy) to Oturehua. We got there sometime after 10:30, about sixteen people in a two bedroom house, and started into the drinking. Once alcohol was keeping us warm we walked the fifteen minutes to the Ida dam and went walking on the ice by moonlight.
Saturday, after too little sleep, we were up and doing stuff (some were also drinking, from not long after breakfast - something I never see the appeal of (unless there has been barbeque for breakfast)). We went back to the damn in daylight and discovered it wasn't infact very frozen and had we gone on the ice somewhere other than where we did, we may have been a touch screwed/hypothermic.
All up the weekend was pretty awesome. I didn't get home until about 8:30 on Sunday night (at which point I realised how much I had missed running water). Good times were had, I didn't get too drunk, I only got a little bruised (informal soccer with a lot of contact), I didn't hit on one of my friends I usually do (this probably more to do with my being busy pining over a certain resident of Green Island (I'm such a sad fuck - it is pathetic, someone should shoot me)). Good weekend all around.
Monday I went to varsity and did bugger all work while sorting stuff with my supervisor and for Medieval Reading Group. Then I skivved off to A Scanner Darkly. Keanu was less crap than I would have expected. Not a bad movie all around. Walking home I discovered the new shoes I got on Friday (gifts from my father (there is a story that goes with, but I'm too lazy and getting sick of this entry already)) are entirely not waterproof. I also appeared to have gone insane-er. My brain was working quite wrong, though I since concluded it was the result of processing a Philip K. Dick plot while on massive lack of sleep.
Yesterday, the cold air and crappy weather brought my cough back and has me sounding quite diseased. I had a meeting with my supervisor, which didn't go great. My style needs works, as does my argument and my structure. I also need a lit review included but my supervisor is unwilling to explain how I should approach whacking it in without it disrupting the argument flow. I hate my thesis.


I am too busy to have friends
A lover would just complicate my plans
So I will never look for love again
I'm taking matters into my own hands

I think I could last at least a week without someone to hold me
I think I could last at least a week without someone to hold me
Won't you hold me?


18th August 2006 - Agapitus, Mart. Mem. only.
Thought I should write, as Shelley flew all the way down from Wellington to tell me off for having not updated in a while. Just finished updating my CD list, as I bought music for the first time in years today. In fact, I blew my entire tax refund.
Oh, just got offered a free dinner. Off to ignore my attempts at a sensible diet.
Today's quote is from "First Orgasm" by The Dresden Dolls.



19th August 2006 - Magnus, Mart. Mem. only.
Okay, I have a lot of catching up to do.
Wednesday of the week before last, the day of my last proper entry, my dose of the plague was pointing out that it was still hanging around so I wagged the morning, then ended up spending teh afternoon hanging out with Tim before his skipping the country. Still didn't manage to get the I Robot hat off him...
Thursday and Friday were spent somewhat unproductively attempting to get my lit review into a format where it looks like a lit review is supposed to - since my inclination to hide it in my argument is wrong. Friday night I headed to Peter&Tina's "Drink-us-dry" farewell party. Me and cocktails are a less that ideal mix... Vodka, lemon. lime and bitters made with little attention to quantities leads to a very drunk me. I described my undying love for a formar English postgrad (and not someone that anyone is likely to guess) to Camilla, who was drunk enough to find me/it interesting; I kept stealing hats and putting them on other peoples heads, as too many people have tiny pin-heads and thus tiny pinhead hats that don't fit me; and generally being an arse. Had a great time though. Downside of teh night was a drunken youth who after being rejected by all the girls, and then all the guys, kept hitting on me and with no-one else to try it out on wasn't taking no for an answer the way he should have. Admittedly I was drunk enough and he was mostly slurring gibberish enough that I didn't realise he was talking to me for a long while and even then mostly had no idea what he was saying. I didn't really catch up on what was happening until he went in for the surprise snog - not a pleasant experience, particularly when you have no idea it is coming. He spent the rest of the night trying, it was disturbing and wrong. I just have to hope, for his sake, that he was drunk enough to have forgotten the whole thing. Anyway, after walking home I got to bed about 5am.
To wake on Saturday morning in time for Justice League. I was very much lacking in sleep, though it was helped by my still being drunk through the early afternoon. I don't think I've ever been still drunk so long afterward before, probably not the best plan if I want to continue having a liver. Saturday night I had a quiet night in playing Oblivion. Over the night I received many the drunken text from the GreenIslandite. It means I continue to keep my hopes up about things working out on that front. This is probably another of my stupid plans.
Sunday, I went to Rachel's daughter's second birthday. It wasn't too bad, she liked the present I gave her (passing on the My Little Pony clock Alana gave me for my birthday last year to someone who would genuinely appreciate it, all still in the original packaging) and I had a pretty good day of pretending to be a functional human adult.
Monday, I went to the office and achieved absolutely nothing thesis related the whole day. And I didn't even feed my neopet. I don't know where the day went at all.
Tuesday I had a nasty headache that kept threatening to be a migraine, and I can never decide at what point one becomes the other, but I felt like shite and discovered I was entirely unable to write in coherent English (working on the slightly unjustifiable position that my writing in normally coherent).
Wednesday was spent in the office, achieving only a little and getting very angry at myself about how little I was achieving - which, of course, leads to achieving even less. Go human nature.
Thursday, very similar to Wednesday.
Yesterday, I felt productive simply because the rest of my office were all achieving so little... Not exactly a victory, but I have to take what I can get. At morning tea Shelley was down, as I mentioned in the last, to tell me off for not blogging - and, in the process, out me as a blogger. I'm surprised she beat Michiel to it, for someone who keeps pointedly not telling his friends things he is very keen to pass on things about his friends to any and every one else. Hmmm, occurs to me I may have a little anger there I didn't know I had. Diary writing as act of self discovery... I'm turning into a girl... Anyway, I caught lunch in town with Katie and then went on the music purchasing spree. Goodbye tax refund. I think I'm repeating a bit of ground but am too lazy to check. I got myself the very nice canvas bound Natalie Merchant Retrospective 1990-2005, her 2003 folk album and the second Dresdon Dolls album. I'm happy with my purchases. Then last night I got shouted dinner by Shiny. It wasn't too bad an evening, though I was feeling a tad ridiculously tired.
This morning, after Justice League, I headed off to swimming with Meg. Having not gone in ages I sucked and am now very sore from having done very little. So not fit. Then I cam home and showered so I could go back to town and get photos of Si in the grad procession. I only took a couple, and he may not even prove visible (something I'll not discover until I finish the film, which is likely to be a long way in the future). Then I started to feel really grumpy and didn't want to be in the hoards of people, so I headed off. Mission to town mostly wasted thinking how I should have gone to the department function I had turned down as to organise my day around geting both swimming and photo taking in. At first I thought the grump must have been Simon related, he is the whip of my emotional self-flagulation, but then I realised it was the graduation procession itself. The latest due date I've had for my masters had me finishing in time to have graduated today and yet I am so very much not graduating. I hate my thesis, the fact I am still studying, the fact I'm such a retard. Basically, I'm full of hate and bile right now.
I'm off to be an anti-social cunt.



24th August 2006 - Bartholomew, Ap.
Saturday night I headed off to a party with Oliver and company. A repeat farewell for Peter&Tina on their second to last night in the country. It was mostly a good night, except for all the mocking I was getting over my having attracted drunken attention at the first farewell. Well, my friends were mocking, the drunk's friends all seemed to be a little more accusative - which while sort fo understandable from a loyalty point of view, was a bit insulting. I ended up walking home not too late.
Sunday, I went to the office and ended up staring at my thesis for seven hours without touching my keyboard - just staring at my thesis. Did not make for happiness. At about seven thirty in the evening, I gave up and headed home. Crossing the motorway I had a sudden urge to throw myself under a sheeptruck. Not a good sign, all said. I may have the occasionally attack of what I'm calling ennui, but I haven't actively wanted to do myself in for ages. Stupid thesis of doom. On the walk I distracted myself by writing a poem in my head. It was called "Titles are for the arse-monkeys that throw their handfulls of faeces when you squat". It was about my disdain for the concept of emo. Fortunately for the world, I didn't bother writing it down and it is now mostly forgotten. When I got home I ranted at Simon about how much I hated the universe, especially the thesis related parts. He was quite tolerant of it, and did a pretty good job of cheering me up.
Monday morning the phone went off at some ungodly hour, someone had found the flat cat after it'd been hit by a car. Thus the morning had a run of early excitement screwing up my night's sleep. As it turned out, after a night at the vet, the cat seems basically fine. Since I was up I clocked the main plot for Oblivion - gave up on how I was going to play it and just won the damn thing. End was a complete anti-climax. Then I headed to the office for a day when I achieved little more than reading the critic.
Tuesday, slightly more productive on the thesis front. Got a little done, but less than I'd have liked to have. In the evening I turned down the chance to go to a quiz as I still felt tired and cranky from Monday morning.
Yesterday, reasonably productive afternoon, until a wine ad cheese function in the department. Had a chat to my supervisor. After dinner I went out to play social soccer at the Edgar Centre. It was a lot of fun, but left me in a lot of pain. Pretty much anywhere I didn't get kicked I got hit by a ball instead. I'm like one big giant bruise. I may not of won the game, but I was lying on the ground with people wincing in sympathy more often than anyone else. It is a victory of a sort.
I should be getting ready for school. I've already been called no fun this morning.



25th August 2006.
Down with astronomy and all its works.
The first redefinition of "planet" last week I agreed with. It worked. The definition didn't use man-made limits but deferred to "nature" in deciding whether or not an object was a planet. It kept Pluto a planet. It seemed right.
The new one has troll logic. Fucking International Astronomical Union. And who let Prague exist. Poor effort on someone's part in some war of semi-recent history.
Differentiating "dwarf" planets is stupid.
Okay, I think that is all the rant I needed. (Too be fair, the rule selected has nice sensible properties except for the one "has cleared the neighbourhood around its orbit", which is fucking me off as seems dumb.)
Pluto should damn well still count.



29th August 2006 - Decollation of S. John Baptist.
I have no idea what a decollation is in reference to a saint. I should try harder.
Anyway, thursday I worked on my thesis, I thought I was doing awesome work.
Friday morning I handed stuff in to my supervisor to read over the weekend and then found myself at a bit of a loose end for the rest of the day. I had a quiet friday evening at home playing on the 'puter.
SAturday morning I headed off early to the pool. Meeting Meg at some stupidly early time like eight thirty in the morning. I forgot my towel and had to hire one, making it embarrassing and expensive. Otherwise it went pretty well. Exercise can be pretty good. After the swim we went to the Farmer's Market and got Bacon Butties for breakfast. I also bought a swede and a giant bag of apples. I'd forgotten how tasty swede could be. In the evening I headed off to Ryan's farewell. Yet another person I know skipping the country for the UK - this time the guy with the desk beside mine in the office. It was a lot of fun but he kept refilling my glass and, though I hate wine, I ended up a bit drunk. Then I met up with the GreenIslandite. We headed out drinking, and somehow I ended up drinking bourbon. Not a smart plan. Bumped into Simon and Reece out, so had a pretty good time for a chunk of the night. But the GreenIslandite was making me cranky with mixed messages. The GreenIslandite then started chatting to some random guy before suggesting the three of us along to Bath St when the bar we were in closed for the night. Going along was a very stupid plan for me. After further mixed messages and attempts to keep me drunk, the GreenIslandite spung a stupid tangle of self-contradictory lies in the effort to get fob me off (apparantly, I'm so stupid that I should have believed said lies and gone off home wihtout realising I was being kept around as back-up shag in case the random new guy wasn't looking for random skank lovin'). I got angry. Angrier than I have been at anyone except myself in a very long time. I got home at almost 5am and then lay in bed too busy seething in rage to get much in the way of sleep.
By a bit after 8am I'd given up on pretending to sleep and got up again. Sunday was then a complete write-off as a day. I spent much of it ranting at Simon, who was being very patient and understanding. Superhumanly so. I'd have told me to fuck the hell off. I also had a short msn conversation with the GreenIslandite - who had opened on an apology, but whom I am not particularily certain I have anything to say to anymore. So atleast I got some nice healthy closure out of it all. Even if I am feeling very stupid for having not picked up on how much I was being played much earlier. I think I may never drink again. It just never ends well.
Yesterday, I woke up after almost eleven hours of undisturbed sleep and felt awesome. Arsed around a bit and headed in to the office. After seeing my brainpoker, and thinking the day was going pretty damn well, I had a meeting with my supervisor about the stuff I gave him on Friday. An hour later I was seriously considering throwing the computer holding my thesis, and all copies thereof, off the roof of Burns and maybe jumping after it. Maybe evening seeing if I could work it to land on my supervisor's car. My thesis is shit, and I'm too stupid to even be trying to write one. Hooray for me.
Today I feel like crap. I woke at 2am with a panic attack. Attempts to sleep afterward were less than good. So, basically, I'm grumpy and hating everything.
Day at varsity went less than stellar. I read a couple of Masters theses that were awesome and made me feel like I really was entirely kidding myself. Then I read some books on thesis writing which didn't aid in the feeling.
I just got home to a "I went to the bank today about remortgaging and doing up the house, I'm not throwing you out on the street this week, or even this fortnight" speech. Seems I'd been oblivious and missed hints I was soon to be evicted so builders can stick in to this place. I suspect, were it not that I was busily hating the universe at the moment, this probably wouldn't have phased me at all. As it is, I'm a tad annoyed on a purely childish not-wanting-to-have-to-move-my-crap level.
And I'm back for the third time today. Had to rush off from the above as had agreed to go to the Champions quiz. Really wasn't in the mood for quizzing. Too tired and cranky to be sociable. Came fifth though, which was pretty good for a two person team.
On the walk in it occurred to me I was annoyed about the having to move mostly because he was being too nice about to for me to actually be allowed to be angry. It is a less than ideal time of year to be moving, and a bit of an unpleasant surprise, but he is giving me a pretty big window to find somewhere and I have been getting a pretty good deal here for the past four and a bit years. I'm also feeling dumb as various chunks of other conversations make much more sense now - I think I had some selective deafness going on.
Might have to try and suck up to people I know with a spare room. Both my cheapness and stranger-phobia are issues.




30th August 2006 - SS. Felix and Adauctus, Martt.
The first thing said to me today was "you know you're actually a pretty good guy", well technically it was "you know you're actually a pretty good guiy" followed by typocorrection, and I'm hoping this bodes for a better day that the last few have been.
Currently I'm blobbing watching last night's Boston Legal off video before I go to varsity for the day. I need a comedy hit.
Clearly the day couldn't live up to its start when it started with the line it did. I had a pretty good day though. Still hiding from the HOD, even thought I really ought go and see her. Basically achieving fuck all, all the "How to write a thesis" books I'm reading as per supervisors instructions seem to agree that I'm the wrong sort of person to have started one in the first place. But that's okay. If it all falls apart then it all falls apart.
Went to soccer this evening but it was a lot less fun than last week. Not entirely sure why. It was just a bit flat. And one of the new people was a little too good, and a mean player - kicking the ball at people much harder than required.
Now I'm sitting here worrying where it is not really my place to worry as one of my friends is grouchy about something but made it pretty clear I wasn't to ask what. I need to learn to mind my own business.



31st August 2006 - Cuthberga, V., not Mart.
I have had a mild toothache since, I think, Friday. Today it is annoying me a lot. I may have to go to dent school. Buggerit.
Didn't achieve too much in the office today. The books on how to write theses are more depressing (if occasionally entertaining) than helpful. The afternoon I spent in the waiting room at dent school - doing reading group readings. After the long wait, and an x-ray, the dentist couldn't find the hole and said I'll have to wait until it has got large enough to show up on the x-rays they do. Until then I just have nasty cold sensitivity to deal with. Darn my stupid crap teeth being so full of metal that they are hard to check.
While making dinner and trying to hang out laundry (bad combination of things to try and multi-task). It ended up with my food being a little over cooked and my washing basket being blown down the garden and my socks and hankies being sprayed everywhere. Rewashing is in order. Then I headed in to Medieval Reading Group. It wasn't too bad, though I found the topic a little dry for my liking. After we ran out of topic related things to talk about it ended up a rant about how much our Masters Theses were sucking. Having Lizzie vindicate my rant about Supervisor frustration for some reason has made it seem quite silly. I feel a bit like I'm making a mounting out of a thesis failure mole hill.
I think I'm going to go talk to my supervisor tomorrow about getting someone with a fresh set of eyes to look over it and tell me if it is actually worth my trying to finish it.

Wednesday, 26 July 2006

July 2006

Winter is wintering around me - luckily hypothermia is sexy.



1st July 2006 - Oct. of S. John Baptist.
My biscuits, even the burnt ones, were not too hideously received. Okay, more than half were left after morning tea, but that was mostly due to the post grads coming together to ridiculously overcater. But during the day they mostly got eaten. And I came home to find my flatmate had eaten the burnt ones I had left as too horrible to let be seen. Seems I do a surprisingly tasty burnt disaster. Last night I had a quiet night in watching TV and finally reading the preview chapter of Buttercup's Baby (the sequel to The Princess Bride).
Today started slow as it was quite cold. Playing on the web and chatting to Simon. A pretty nice morning. Then lunch and some Morrowind while I waited for Meg to text agreeing on swimming times. Then while checking messages I got talking to Si again, and just before it was time for me to head off to swimming I made one inappropriate joke. I think I am now ignore listed again. At least this time I know what I did. Still, I'm left with the feeling for things to play out like they did, there must be a bit of mental case-age involved and I'm not entirely sure whose mental case-age it is. To me what I see seemed to be barely offensive at all. Anyway, I headed to the pool and met Meg. Swimming went well, I was working my arse off and them Meg commented that I'd turned purple. Seems I was angrier than I thought and was pushing my body a little harder than it could handle. Now, many hours later, I can still feel my pulse in my temples - I'm guessing my blood pressure is pretty scary just now.
It's about eight in the evening and I've yet to think about dinner. I should probably go cook something. Then decide what I'm doing for the night. Original plan had been to see if the recurring invite from Si to go over and watch King Kong was still good and if that failed stay home and do some study. I guess the former is definitely not going to happen now. I, however, feel I should be making some attempt to be social. The mood I am in is not such a social friendly one, being social could end badly. Maybe study will win. I guess I'll wait and see if Oli invites me to anything and then experiment at passing for human.
Not long after I finished the above I discovered that I wasn't ignore listed. I suspect I am still in trouble and may not be forgiven entirely but at least my existence isn't being electronically filtered.

Bobbi Flekman: You put a *greased naked woman* on all fours with a dog collar around her neck, and a leash, and a man's arm extended out up to here, holding onto the leash, and pushing a black glove in her face to sniff it. You don't find that offensive? You don't find that sexist?
Ian Faith: This is *1982*, Bobbi, c'mon!
Bobbi Flekman: That's *right*, it's 1982! Get out of the '60s. We don't have this mentality anymore.
Ian Faith: Well, you should have seen the cover they *wanted* to do! It wasn't a glove, believe me.


2nd July 2006 - Visitation of Blessed Mary.
Too tired to write, as it is late. Except to say my pecs hurt a lot from swimming, and I think things with Simon are mostly resolved (I just have to time my being an arse better in future). Mostly just writing as Visitation of Blessed Mary deserves a mention. Yay for medieval calendars.
Today's quote is from Spinal Tap.



6th July 2006 - Oct. of Peter and Paul, App.
Sunday, went to the office and had a good productive day. Had dinner with my grandparents. In the evening chat to Si, things were okay again afterward.
Monday, went to the office and did work. Had a too expensive lunch with Midget and then forgot about my weekly brainpoking. This seems to have started the session off on the wrong foot. I got told off for not being concerned about my tendency to surrender my autonomy to people. On the upside, the session was short as I was late. This was followed by a quiet night at home.
Tuesday, a less interesting version of Monday. Much of it spent hunting a quote I am beginning to think I am dreaming having read.
Yesterday was pretty unproductive. Eaten away by continuing to hunt that quote out. In the evening I bumped into Oli and co on the way to visit Lyall, so tagged along. It got some social time in to my day - though did mean I didn't serve my dinner until 9pm. Which could explain the less than perfect sleep.



11th July 2006 - Trans. of S. Benedict, Ab.
Thursday was intended to be "super-productive Thursday" in the office. As a group we set goals to enjoy the Karl-free day, and then I'm pretty sure no-one lived up to the goals we set. Still wasn't too shabby a day though, until midafternoon I skivved off, having been invited to watch Superman Returns by the GreenIslandite. Movie going was fun, even if the movie bugged me a lot - too many plot holes for even a comic book fan like me to buy in to. Then we hung out in Green Island for a while, got dinner at Burger King and went to the Pool House Cafe, for an evening of my shockingly poor pool playing ability. It was great.
Friday was spent at work in the office. Even had a meeting with my supervisor. The evening was spent at home with bad Friday night TV. A good day all around.
Saturday, continual rescheduling of swimming on me led to it not happening, especially after the weather had gone to poo. So I had a lazy computer game playing day at home. In the evening I went with Oli and watched the test match at the Kensington with some of his work mates. We were about the least white trash people there, and I am pretty damn white trash. Then it was off to a cocktail party at a flat I'm allergic to (I think it is the fungus in their bathroom that gets me - it was scary). The problem with cocktail parties, and being a trusting person, is that I ended up drunker than intended. I, fortunately, didn't send any inappropriate texts to my ex, and hopefully not to the GreenIslandite either. I'm pretty sure I had a good night all up, after a period of drunkenly sulking about how I was infinitely unlovable. And some hitting on someone I was simultaneously finding repulsive... alcohol is bad. Ended up heading back to Oli and Bridget's, as Bridget was wearing my jersey - girls feel the cold so much. Was good, and got fried chicken at 3:30 in the morning. Mmmmmm...
Sunday, I was a little hungover but went swimming with Meg anyway. Actually made me feel much, much better. Then had a lazy day as didn't feel up to going to the office.
Yesterday, worked on my thesis. Wrote a chapter abstract for my supervisor - so he knows what I am thinking. Will see how it is received. Forgot to go to my brainpoker for a second week in a row - she didn't ring me to point it out, so I went in and apologised. She was not amused. After dinner I went to quiz, It was the smallest it has ever been, only five teams, and we came forth (though there was some very dodgy adding on the part of the marker). We did at least win both the baffler prize bucket and a twister set for having won the physical challenge (a twister contest, Johan is good).
I should go get ready for school, now I've finished watching last night's Desperate Housewives. Poor Gabby.



14th July 2006 - Dog days.
Tuesday morning the rejection letter from the Ministry of Education arrived. I think I had got my hopes up a little too much, as it stung. Not a great start to the day. I headed to the office and realised I was achieving nothing, I just wasn't in it. So come lunch I headed to town to have lunch with my father and we decided to get my brother and got to Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest. Made my afternoon better. Though, disturbingly, high point of my day was bumping into the GreenIslandite having lunch in town. I may still be a little smitten. Pirates wasn't as good as the first one, but pretty funny.
Wednesday, spent in the office. Got a little work done, but not enough. Distracted by still being grumpy and neopets.
Yesterday, I gave a few pages of what I have done most recently to my supervisor. First time I have given him actual work, rather than overviews or abstracts, in ages.
Today I have a meeting with the postgrad coordinator. I'm a bit concerned.



18th July 2006 - Arnulph, Bp. and Mart.
The meeting with the postgrad coordinator turned out to be pretty much an informal chat. If anything she was more looking for failings in my supervisor than failings in me - and only made a couple of pointed comments about my being over time. After this I had a meeting with my supervisor that was less informal and a touch mean. He may give quite constructive criticism, but he never mentions the bits that are okay, just the bad stuff. It can be a bit demoralising. Otherwise Friday was uneventful, and ended in an early night of TV watching.
Saturday, I spent hanging out with the GreenIslandite. Window shopping, looking at potential flats and playing computer games. While I like the fact we're friends, it is a touch disturbing how much I'm the instant-fast-friend-but-nothing-more. I miss the more than friends factor. Saturday night I watched TV and DVDs, and broke out the Sims for the first time in a while (having realised I recently spent a lot of time checking for updates on the sims site but none playing the game).
Sunday, I went to the pool, and swum until I hurt. Then after coming home and trying to stop smelling like chlorine I had lunch with Midget at the gardens and headed to the office for a semi-productive day of thesis editing.
Yesterday, too much of it was wasted reading Critic. Otherwise not a bad day thesis wise. Chugging along. And remembered to go to my brainpoker. She still seems a little hostile about my run of forgetting she existed. Then in the evening my quiz team piked, so I watched Desperate Housewives and then played some sims.
I should have breakfast and be productive like.



24th July 2006 - Christina, V. and Mart. With Nocturn. Vigil.
Tuesday, work on thesis. Not much else to say for it as a day. I briefly caught up with Midget in the evening on the way home from varsity (I heard a loud voice, made a judgement call and followed).
Wednesday, again work related, though much of it wasted reading a book that turned out to not be helpful at all. Darn misleading titles. In the afternoon my office had a communal afternoon tea in the link. I think it is the first time that whole lot of us have been social together. Wednesday night featured Scrubs - yay for a the new series.
Thursday I read Sir Gowther for Medieval Reading Group. Thursday night was spent debating about it. It was a pretty awesome night, and a pretty screwing lay. Demon babies becoming blessed messengers of God...
Friday morning I went to my doctor, it didn't go well. I got quite told off. Blood pressure was up by a lot, as was my weight. Though currently in the skinniest jeans I've fitted since I was a teen, I've gained over 6kg in the last three months. possibly proving I should never go out with anyone. Whenever I have someone else in my life, I get tubby. And when it ends I spend a while getting even tubbier. Nuts. Then, just as I was wishing my world could just end, my new computer parts arrived and made the world a tiny bit better. Friday night was spent at Simon's while he built my new computer. It didn't quite go to plan so ended up requiring me crashing the night on his couch.
Saturday morning I watched the finally parts of my puter being set up, while rubbing arms that where feeling weird from the sleeping bag sleep. By the time I got home I'd entirely stood Meg up for swimming, and was more concerned with installing stuff on my new computer and checking that it worked than anything sensible.
Time I get ready for school, will finish writing this later.



26th July 2006 - Anne, Mother of Mary.
I hate being sick. Monday, just after writing the above, the weird shaky feeling I'd had on Friday came back, and brought some nausea with it. I ended up not going anywhere.
Yesterday I felt marginally better, went to varsity and then achieved nothing as was still feeling too crap.
Today I have stayed home, aiming to be well tomorrow.