Life: A Mixed Bag
This post is going to be hideously self-indulgent and mopey; consider yourselves warned. :P
I don't really know why I tell you guys all this stuff. It's just ... my life, and not very interesting at that. I guess I just have nothing else to say, so I tell you (in far more detail than you probably want, sorry) about what I've been up to. *shrug*
This weekend, I came down with the Cold From Hell. (Sore throat, runny/blocked up nose, occasional dry cough, headache, muscle aches, jaw-ache, toothache ... etcetera.) On Saturday night, I couldn't sleep at all. So. I did the following:
c.1.00am: Went downstairs and got myself a hot honey-and-lemon drink (with real honey and lemon juice!), and heated up my microwaveable, lavender-sceneted hot pillow thing
c.1:15am: Went through the past week's notes and filed them away
c.1:30am: Read through one of the three texts I'm using for my Germanic Myth and Legend coursework, and tried to work out the characterisation of one of the main character (Brynhild) whenever she appeared
c.2:30am: Tried to sleep. Failed.
c.2:45am: Listened to Martin Shaw reading The Hobbit
c.3:45am: Tried to sleep. Failed utterly.
c.4:15am: Read through another of the texts I'm using for my GM&L coursework, with the same aim as with the previous one
c.5:15am: Tried to sleep. SUCCESS!
And then, because the heating kicked in at about 7am, I was woken at eight o'clock because I was uncomfortably warm, and couldn't get back to sleep. For the rest of Sunday, I did sod all except wallow in my own self-pity.
Well, that's not entirely true. See, on Saturday I was wallowing in self pity as well, so I decided that - as a remedy to this, and because my artistic ability apparently increases exponentially when I'm ill - I would work on a small (A4) version of the canvas I'm going to do for the Fine Art Society exhibition in three weeks' time.
I wanted to do something as a sort of tribute to my Auntie Mo. The idea in my head (and it sounds crap put like this, I know) was of her spirit watching over the horses on the farm. (Mmm, pretentious. >.>;;) So, on Saturday I basically sketched this out, and shaded most of it. BUT. There were still a lot of big, ugly-looking gaps (that would be filled with boring green grass, which I can't really paint to save my life anyway) -- so on Sunday, I filled in some of the gaps (with a hawthorn tree, in one case). There are still some left, but ... I can't work out what scale the horses I want to put in them ought to be. >.>
So. Semi-productive day! I also went through the third and final text for GM&L like I did for the others. Somehow, my observations from Saturday night were more interesting than those from Sunday. XD I also watched three episodes of Red Dwarf back-to-back in bed, and spent an inordinate amount of time on the internet, but shush!
Today, the plan was to get up early and be out of the house at nine o'clock, so that I could sign up for an essay handback and have the pick of the times. (You see, my tutor has arranged it so that some of them are during reading week; I don't want those.) Then, I was going to go to the library and do some work for my GM&L coursework, have lunch in town, go to an essay handback at two o'clock, then my lecture at 3:15pm, another handback at 4:30pm, and then home.
Busy-ish day, yes?
Problem number one: It's been snowing. Anywhere else, that would be an exciting, nay, magical occurance. Here, I dread it. The hills that you have to negotiate around Durham are deadly in snow, and worse in slush. It wasn't so bad at 9:30am (when I left the house), but by the time I was walking back at quarter to five ... well. It was unpleasant. And, of course, it was also going dark, and the wind was blowing snow into my face. Even more unpleasant, expecially since I'm still not over this cold. *feels sorry for self*
My jeans are wet through to the knee. My scarf, coat and hat are literally dripping. My gloves are disgusting. Also, I was carrying today's notes, three books and a spiral-bound notepad in a (supposedly waterproof!) bag-for-life. The waterproof part is a lie. The books are currently recovering on the radiator, as are the notes and the two essays I picked up today. The spiral-bound notebook is looking at me as if it wants me to just end it now, and spare it eh pain and suffering, as is the file I carry my notes/essays in.
I am not impressed with the 'waterproof' bag, cute little ladybirds or no!
Problem number two: There are no books in the library that are even remotely helpful for my coursework. At all. No, I'm not joking; I am deadly serious. There is nothing whatsoever. I'm going to go and take a look at JSTOR in a few minutes, in the hopes that some article or other will turn up, but to be honest I'm not hopeful. In fact, I'm downright despondent. :(
So, in the library this morning, I was forced to do a vague essay plan that is completely without outside criticism, which sucks arse. D:
However, there were some good points to today. For example: I got a IIi in both my essays. :) 60/100 for Literary Theory and 68/100 for Shakespeare. Also, the Lit. Theory guy advised me on what to do when I approach a Lit. Theory question, which I needed, desperately, so that was good. Also, my Shakespeare tutor was very impressed that I looked at The Merchant of Venice because it's not technically on the course (as in, we don't get lectured/tutorial'd on it). Go me! :D
Also, I got to have lunch in the Vennels Cafe (I think it's called), which is one of my favourite places ever. :D They do delicious ginger cake, and I wish I'd had time to have some, but sadly - what with one thing and another* - I only had time for a main course.
* one thing being 'taking pictures of the snow in the courtyard below the window', and another being 'writing a bizarre Merlin AU where Arthur is the pilot of an aeroplane, and Merlin is a stewardess (yes in a skirt), Gaius is the airport First Aid man, and Uther owns it all'. Um. Yes. I stooped that low. Also, yes that is all you're getting; you really think I'm going to post that kind of crap?! O.o
Anyway, I'm back now, and the wind-with-needles is shut outside, and I have two radiators and a thick jumper. :P
I'm going to attempt some Old English translation later (an adaption into Old English poetry of the Book of Judith from the Bible/Apocrypha, which is more interesting than it sounds, but long and hard and tedious), but it needs to be done for Wednesday, so do it I must. (If I start tonight, I can do it in a couple of sessions, instead of one big, long, painful one ...)
Despite all of that, I'm actually pretty happy today. I went up to the Cathedral (during one of the short breaks in between all the Stuff I had to do) and lit a candle for my Auntie Mo. I spent a few minutes sitting and watching it burn along with the others; it was nice just to have a quiet moment of rememberance.
While I was sitting there, one of the men who works there (I assume he had some religious significance, too, because he was wearing a robe, although I don't know what it was) told me I'd "chosen a very important seat." I asked why, and he told me that when King Charles I came to Durham, he came to a service at the Cathedral and he didn't want people to know that the King was there. So, he took his seat on a pew that's pretty much hidden by a pillar - just where I was sitting!
How brilliant is that?! :D It put a big, amazed smile on my face.
Anyway. Teatime now I think. Arrivederci!
.
I don't really know why I tell you guys all this stuff. It's just ... my life, and not very interesting at that. I guess I just have nothing else to say, so I tell you (in far more detail than you probably want, sorry) about what I've been up to. *shrug*
This weekend, I came down with the Cold From Hell. (Sore throat, runny/blocked up nose, occasional dry cough, headache, muscle aches, jaw-ache, toothache ... etcetera.) On Saturday night, I couldn't sleep at all. So. I did the following:
c.1.00am: Went downstairs and got myself a hot honey-and-lemon drink (with real honey and lemon juice!), and heated up my microwaveable, lavender-sceneted hot pillow thing
c.1:15am: Went through the past week's notes and filed them away
c.1:30am: Read through one of the three texts I'm using for my Germanic Myth and Legend coursework, and tried to work out the characterisation of one of the main character (Brynhild) whenever she appeared
c.2:30am: Tried to sleep. Failed.
c.2:45am: Listened to Martin Shaw reading The Hobbit
c.3:45am: Tried to sleep. Failed utterly.
c.4:15am: Read through another of the texts I'm using for my GM&L coursework, with the same aim as with the previous one
c.5:15am: Tried to sleep. SUCCESS!
And then, because the heating kicked in at about 7am, I was woken at eight o'clock because I was uncomfortably warm, and couldn't get back to sleep. For the rest of Sunday, I did sod all except wallow in my own self-pity.
Well, that's not entirely true. See, on Saturday I was wallowing in self pity as well, so I decided that - as a remedy to this, and because my artistic ability apparently increases exponentially when I'm ill - I would work on a small (A4) version of the canvas I'm going to do for the Fine Art Society exhibition in three weeks' time.
I wanted to do something as a sort of tribute to my Auntie Mo. The idea in my head (and it sounds crap put like this, I know) was of her spirit watching over the horses on the farm. (Mmm, pretentious. >.>;;) So, on Saturday I basically sketched this out, and shaded most of it. BUT. There were still a lot of big, ugly-looking gaps (that would be filled with boring green grass, which I can't really paint to save my life anyway) -- so on Sunday, I filled in some of the gaps (with a hawthorn tree, in one case). There are still some left, but ... I can't work out what scale the horses I want to put in them ought to be. >.>
So. Semi-productive day! I also went through the third and final text for GM&L like I did for the others. Somehow, my observations from Saturday night were more interesting than those from Sunday. XD I also watched three episodes of Red Dwarf back-to-back in bed, and spent an inordinate amount of time on the internet, but shush!
Today, the plan was to get up early and be out of the house at nine o'clock, so that I could sign up for an essay handback and have the pick of the times. (You see, my tutor has arranged it so that some of them are during reading week; I don't want those.) Then, I was going to go to the library and do some work for my GM&L coursework, have lunch in town, go to an essay handback at two o'clock, then my lecture at 3:15pm, another handback at 4:30pm, and then home.
Busy-ish day, yes?
Problem number one: It's been snowing. Anywhere else, that would be an exciting, nay, magical occurance. Here, I dread it. The hills that you have to negotiate around Durham are deadly in snow, and worse in slush. It wasn't so bad at 9:30am (when I left the house), but by the time I was walking back at quarter to five ... well. It was unpleasant. And, of course, it was also going dark, and the wind was blowing snow into my face. Even more unpleasant, expecially since I'm still not over this cold. *feels sorry for self*
My jeans are wet through to the knee. My scarf, coat and hat are literally dripping. My gloves are disgusting. Also, I was carrying today's notes, three books and a spiral-bound notepad in a (supposedly waterproof!) bag-for-life. The waterproof part is a lie. The books are currently recovering on the radiator, as are the notes and the two essays I picked up today. The spiral-bound notebook is looking at me as if it wants me to just end it now, and spare it eh pain and suffering, as is the file I carry my notes/essays in.
I am not impressed with the 'waterproof' bag, cute little ladybirds or no!
Problem number two: There are no books in the library that are even remotely helpful for my coursework. At all. No, I'm not joking; I am deadly serious. There is nothing whatsoever. I'm going to go and take a look at JSTOR in a few minutes, in the hopes that some article or other will turn up, but to be honest I'm not hopeful. In fact, I'm downright despondent. :(
So, in the library this morning, I was forced to do a vague essay plan that is completely without outside criticism, which sucks arse. D:
However, there were some good points to today. For example: I got a IIi in both my essays. :) 60/100 for Literary Theory and 68/100 for Shakespeare. Also, the Lit. Theory guy advised me on what to do when I approach a Lit. Theory question, which I needed, desperately, so that was good. Also, my Shakespeare tutor was very impressed that I looked at The Merchant of Venice because it's not technically on the course (as in, we don't get lectured/tutorial'd on it). Go me! :D
Also, I got to have lunch in the Vennels Cafe (I think it's called), which is one of my favourite places ever. :D They do delicious ginger cake, and I wish I'd had time to have some, but sadly - what with one thing and another* - I only had time for a main course.
* one thing being 'taking pictures of the snow in the courtyard below the window', and another being 'writing a bizarre Merlin AU where Arthur is the pilot of an aeroplane, and Merlin is a stewardess (yes in a skirt), Gaius is the airport First Aid man, and Uther owns it all'. Um. Yes. I stooped that low. Also, yes that is all you're getting; you really think I'm going to post that kind of crap?! O.o
Anyway, I'm back now, and the wind-with-needles is shut outside, and I have two radiators and a thick jumper. :P
I'm going to attempt some Old English translation later (an adaption into Old English poetry of the Book of Judith from the Bible/Apocrypha, which is more interesting than it sounds, but long and hard and tedious), but it needs to be done for Wednesday, so do it I must. (If I start tonight, I can do it in a couple of sessions, instead of one big, long, painful one ...)
Despite all of that, I'm actually pretty happy today. I went up to the Cathedral (during one of the short breaks in between all the Stuff I had to do) and lit a candle for my Auntie Mo. I spent a few minutes sitting and watching it burn along with the others; it was nice just to have a quiet moment of rememberance.
While I was sitting there, one of the men who works there (I assume he had some religious significance, too, because he was wearing a robe, although I don't know what it was) told me I'd "chosen a very important seat." I asked why, and he told me that when King Charles I came to Durham, he came to a service at the Cathedral and he didn't want people to know that the King was there. So, he took his seat on a pew that's pretty much hidden by a pillar - just where I was sitting!
How brilliant is that?! :D It put a big, amazed smile on my face.
Anyway. Teatime now I think. Arrivederci!
.