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( Stuff that's happened )
It's a couple of days early, but happy Christmas!
- Mood:
tired
- Mood:
aggravated
- Mood:awake
One very good thing about the day is that my copy of The Sealed Letter finally arrived!
- Mood:
sore
Tomorrow I have a lecture on suffragette poetry from 10-1, and then one on the rise of the Nazis from 1-3. The Nazi lecture is on the top floor of a different building, which takes at least five minutes to get to if I'm running, and is taught by a tutor who makes a point of humiliating latecomers.
High point of the day: a random woman stopping me to tell me I have beautiful hair, and then squealing. Low point: I stepped on a big lump of chewing gum in the street. I walked forward; my shoe stayed behind. I fell over.
I'm re reading North and South, and while I'm falling in love with the book all over again, I'm also remembering how much I can't stand Mr Hale at the start:
"We're leaving our idyllic country life for reasons I'll vaguely hint at but never specify. In two weeks. You can handle all the arrangements, can't you? Right, I'm off for the day. By the way, can you tell your mother? Bye!"
*Grumbles*
Now I'm taking:
History Independent Study.
Voices and Votes.
Observing the Thirties.
Entertainment, Sentiment and Conflict: Popular Culture.
The Rise and Downfall of the Nazis.
Studies in Alienation.
I'm only in for two (very full days) a week this semester, which is good because I need to wrangle a placement in a primary school so I can apply to do a PGCE. I'd rather spend every spare minute in the library, dedicated to my futile attempt to get a first, but I know it needs to be done.
The Little Stranger was wonderful and terrifying; full of tension as a class system and their manor house fall down around an aristocractic family. The only problem was that I spent most of the novel suspecting the maid... I think I was waiting for a Sarah Waters twist.
- Mood:
happy
Laura has been telling me to read that last one for ages, but I'd completely forgotten about it. It was only after hearing the LOTR soundtrack in Waterstones that I felt compelled to buy it... I'm wondering if I should be worried about that.
Ten days until uni (sort of) starts up again.The first week is always the nightmarish induction period and sorting out all the information that has been messed up (usually by the English department) over the summer. The history people sent me all the induction times and dates months ago, but I still haven't heard anything from English and probably won't. I'm hoping that I've done enough research over the summer to be able to choose the fight for women's suffrage as the topic for my study.
Did anyone ever watch Big Train? I saw this sketch this morning and remembered how much I love it.
Just for fun, here's a photo of Molly having fun and going slightly mad on yesterday's walk...
( Molly! )
- Mood: cheerful
My nan buys the best presents; you never quite know what you're going to get. She bought me 21 presents, ranging from a silver locket to a tin of tuna. My mum gave me a beautiful bracelet she found in an antiques place and my dad wrote a lovely message in my card. Looking forward to Monday: going to Liverpool in the morning to buy books (and new stationery for uni - yay!) with my birthday money and John is taking me to dinner in the afternoon.
It's my friend's 21st a week today. Fingers crossed that her presents arrive in time.
The theme park was fun but exhausting! The good news is the kids seem to like me =)
I forgot to mention this in my last post. I put in an application at platform_934 last Sunday. Hopefully it'll be approved soon.
- Mood: happy
It's been a busy week!
We had a huge barbecue in my mum's boyfriend's field on Monday. There was a small tribe of kids there so we ended up doing things like sack races and rounders. Thankfully I only had to participate in the rounders. My poor friend was chased and tied up.
I succumbed to a 3 for 2 offer in Waterstones and bought Birdsong, The Monsters of Templeton and Henry: Virtuous Prince.
Yesterday I went for a birthday meal with my dad, step mum and grandparents. The food was very yummy (although my cheeks are still smarting from the lemon and blueberry jelly) and it was nice to see my dad for more than half an hour. Tonight I went for a birthday meal with mum. The whole thing only lasted 45 minutes because the main course arrived within seconds of the starter being taken away, but it was still fun. And the waiter complimented my hair.
Tomorrow we're taking mum's boyfriend's kids to a theme park, which I'm anticipating and dreading in equal measure.
If I haven't posted by the weekend assume they've tied me up and left me somewhere.
- Mood: sleepy
I'm going back on the 9th. Planning to throw my self down the stairs to save them the hassle of damaging me.
- Mood: aggravated
I'm in love with The Seventh Gate by Richard Zimler. Set around the time of the Nazi rise to power and Hitler's assumption of the Chancellorship, it highlights the changes wrought in the lives of German citizens and the beginnings of the Nazi 'euthanasia' programme. The protagonist, fourteen-year-old Sophie, befriends a Jewish scholar and a group of former circus performers. Opposed to the Nazis and desperately worried about what they will do to her friends, Sopie is torn when her father abandons his communist beliefs to join the party and her boyfriend enthusiastically regurgitates their ideology.
I can't remember the last time a book really sucked me in like this. I don't want to stop reading but I don't want to reach the end.
Moving on to book adaptations, I've spent the last few evenings rewatching the latest BBC adaptation of Jane Eyre. Toby Stephens as Rochester renders me speechless.
I'm visiting Coventry again on Saturday. Taking the train there which will stress me out because I don't understand train stations. Hopefully I won't end up in the wrong county. Looking forward to dinner with my dad, step mum and grandparents and a day out with mum, her new bloke and his kids (busy schedule!)
Going back to the dentist tomorrow. I'm scared.
- Mood:accomplished
- Mood: chipper
Emma's Adventures at the Dentist's Surgery Part III
The anaesthetic actually worked this time, which is good because this happened:
Dentist: Ooops.
Me: *panic*
*Clean piece of cotton wool comes into view, is dabbed onto lip, leaves covered in blood*
Me: Nnnnng! (Translation: WTF?!)
Dentist: I cut your lip with the drill. That's going to sting when you get the feeling back.
I was fairly confident the first time I went. I get more and more nervous every time I go. Next time I'll have a full blown panic attack in the waiting room.
Also, I think I'm developing a fear of needles as I started shaking uncontrollably when it came towards me.
On the plus side of things, I've almost finished my entry for the writing competition, I sent a complaint to the council, and (after three years) I finally got around to changing my address with my bank.
- Mood: discontent
I've discovered that I have a resilience to anaesthetic. The dentist gave me two injections and it still hurt when he did the filling. It was only when I was halfway home that it finally kicked in and I went properly numb. That night I had this conversation with my grandma:
Me: The stuff that's supposed to make you numb didn't really work on me.
Grandma: Well it doesn't work on your dad and uncle, so it's not surprising.
Me: ... This is the kind of information that would have been useful before the appointment.
Got to go back again tomorrow but only for two small fillings.
I had a great time while John was away, although the night before he left I spent eight hours braiding his hair, leaving me unable to bend my fingers. While he was gone I discovered the history section on 4OD. I'd recommend:
Upstairs Downstairs Love - A documentary about Arthur Munby and Hannah Cullwick
Six Wives of Henry VIII
The 1900 House - Filmed when reality TV was still interesting. A family volunteer to live as a family of their social status/wealth would have done in 1900.
The dentist went surprisingly well. He thinks I'm going to need three fillings and has booked me in for this Tuesday. Considering that it's been fifteen years since my last check up, I half expected him to tell me my teeth were going to fall out. I feel a lot better because I've been worrying about this for the past couple of years.
Only three days until John disappears to Bloodstock and Laura comes to stay =D I'm going to miss him and by Sunday night I'll be feeling quite lonely, but I plan on having a lot of fun with Laura.
I've started a list on 43 things. It only has ten things so far but it's a start.
- Mood: bored
Saturday
Came down to Coventry. Car broke down in a cloud of black smoke on the motorway. Waited for an hour in the very hot car for rescue to arrive in the form of the RAC. When the rescue guy arrived he regaled us with a tale of stealing his ex wife's car, racing it and crashing it in a field. Lovely stuff.
Sunday
Was turfed out of bed at an anti social hour to traipse round a car boot sale. Found no bargains but lots of mud. We dropped our friend off at the pub she'd left her car at the night before and (after having a laugh at her parking) she set the alarm off and couldn't turn it off. High point of the day: finding a shop that sold cracked pepper cheese and home made strawberry and apple pies. Low point: discovering my grandad's cancer might be back =(
Today
Visited great aunt's to sort out some confusion. The council had sent her a letter to say her housing benefit had been reduced, they'd overpaid her and would take the money out of her account by direct debit. She read this as meaning they owed her £140. My grandma read it as she owed them £140. I read it and discovered they hadn't stated how much she owed (it would probably be under £10 judging by the amount they'd reduced her benefit) and they'd randomly plucked the £140 of the page. Sigh. I love seeing my family, but they seem to save conundrums until I visit. So far, apart from what I've already mentioned, I've been consulted about plumbing, Outlook, Amazon and growing vegetables.
- Mood: relaxed
John: *glares at pile of textbooks* You're not even in uni.
Me: I'm researching ready for when I go back!
John: That makes it worse.
Me: Preparation is my watchword.
John: *sigh*
( A Poem )
For anyone who read my last entry, my great gran died early yesterday morning. It's come almost as a relief to the relatives who watched her decline in recent years, and everyone is glad she isn't ill anymore.
- Mood: drained
Very busy day on very little sleep.
I'm having a lot of trouble sleeping lately for what's going to sound like a weird reason. To fall asleep I need to daydream, and lately my daydreams haven't been... satisfactory? There's not really an appropriate word.
My grandma rang to say it doesn't look like her mum will live much longer. The doctor maintains that it's an infection and she will recover, but the staff at the care home and the family think she's going to die soon. As bad as this will sound... It's sad, but it's a probably a good thing. She's been saying for a while that she wants to die, and looking at the last few years it's not difficult to see why. Apart from the normal problems that old age brings (she's a couple years shy of 100), she was diagnosed with dementia about three years ago and barely eats and drinks these days. She was also hit hard by unexpected family deaths. Her daughter-in-law died before she reached 50 a few years ago, and a couple of years after that her granddaughter (in her mid twenties) died.
- Mood: sad
( Birthday books! )
Speaking of books, I'm reading The Stand for the third time. I only read it over Christmas but I had an urge to go back to it.
Further proof that I'm going mad: I dreamed that Christian Bale showed up to shout at my housemate and then demanded a bacon sandwich in payment.
- Mood: sleepy
( Spoilers )
Going to see it again tomorrow with another friend.
I've started researching my independent study properly. For anyone interested in the fight for women's suffrage in the UK, I'd definitely recommend Votes for Women: The Virago Book of Suffragettes, a collection of primary source material. Before reading it I didn't realise just how horrifying force feeding was.
I'm already stressing out about the very slim chance of getting a first, but at least now I'm using my time constructively I don't feel so useless.
In a week or so I'm visiting Coventry for a few days. John isn't too pleased because he hates being left alone with our housemate. Dentist appointment not long after I get back (*CRY*) and about a week after that John disappears to Bloodstock. Cue LOTR marathon with Laura =D
- Mood: loved
