Half Term has finaly arrived.

And, if I might say so, it was about time.

Thursday brought us the last day of the first instalment to the School year and Blue Coat's second college party this year, (I regret to inform you all, it was my first of the year as due to financial situations, I had to get my ticket refunded first party) Though over a week before Halloween, it was a Halloween fancy dress party; I would like you all to know at this point, I don't really agree with the whole Halloween idea, but have to keep my social status up and after missing the first party.. well, I feel my reputation was getting a little lost in the post.

Yes, Candle Light Oldham (potentially the oldest, most deserted and dirtiest venue in Oldham: that's saying alot) welcomed us back with open arms, and being on the inside of the school social scene I happen to know that the venue welcomed us back for free. This is all well, and, there was a massive intake of money for BC's SF prom and charity fund, however for some reason we were kicked out onto the streets before the strike of midnight.

On a usual night, this may not have been a problem it would just mean a early start to the night out in Oldham, but considering the majority of people were covered in fake blood and face paint and a lack of ID (Candlelight literally served us well) there was much moaning and stress.

Forgetting the abrupt end to the evening it started off well; I started my evening at 151 Mottram Road as per usual with the "Fubar" girls (Fubar girls has however been changed a lot over the years and only 4 out of the original 7/8 remain, it also included additional people, including Cavan and Damon) the evening started off slowly, with us all getting ready too early in my opinion and starting drinking too late. - I also missed my termly pre-sesh Neighbours ep. However, once all dressed:

(from left to right) Harriet, Damon (Gladiator) Cavan (Mario),
 Sophie, Jenni, Mary, Joanne, Myself (bats/vamps)

The drinking and the games followed, over all, the night was a great end to the term, and although there were some points where I couldn't move for wanting to throw up. (I feel it was the repercussions of the absinthe my parents brought back from Prague for me) I did have a really good night.

In other more resent news; I have just, in the last couple of hours completed and sent of my UCAS (click to see a copy of my personal statement) so hopefully this time next year I will be enjoying the knowledge of having a place at any of the following:

• University of Bristol
• University of Manchester
• Queens University Belfast
• Liverpool Hope University
• Heythrop College London 

Before embarking on my gap year, God Bless, L x

This week:

Saw the launch of Saddleworth New's TV. Earlier today I finally had chance to watch it, whilst attempting to dust the living room, i left it playing and I then all of a sudden I heard a familiar voice.

It was only Jacob bloody Miller, i.e, Anna Marshall's ex, aka, super nipples.

Anyway, as a fan of Saddleworth news I figured do a bit of plugging:

Not happy however about Scouthead not being in the title sequence...

Tuitions, Tuitions, Tuitions.

The bane of my life.
I'm not going to lie and say that tuitions fees had previously crossed my mind, they hadn't, the last time I'd thought of them from a self centred point of view was back in the general election when I heard discussions on the topic at matter. 
Yes, of course, you've guessed it: Lord "lets bankrupt the young" Browne's tuition fees report. 
"2010 Lord Browne recommends that students should pay at least £21,000 for a three-year-degree in the most radical shake-up of higher education funding for 50 years."
This here, is one thing that I am not happy about. Not only do the Government throw this at us just weeks before our UCAS has to be sent off, but they are yet to give us any further information into what will go on with this new law if enforced, when it will start, and whether there's going to be a lock in on the 2011 applicants.
So yes, my gap year plans may be on hold. (I say that, however actually my personal statement and ucas all say im taking a gap year and I'm far to lazy to be changing it now.) However, I have had a donation from my grandpa so, with that hopefully my student loan wont be too massive. 
And before any of you labour supporters start going on at me about "this is what your conservative government has done" Labour were all for the idea, and it was only Lib Dems who were against it. So don't you be giving me all that. 
(Its been given to me a surprising amount in the time I've been moaning about fees)
Ah, bad times for this generation. Bad times. 
Go

Since we became accelerated readers, we never leave the house

I didn't set an alarm last night, I just didn't want too.
This morning my dad woke me up, late, as he assumed my alarm would go off.
He asked me if I was going to shower. I said no and rolled back over.
I needed a shower.
I knew full well I didn't set that alarm for a reason, even though I needed a shower and had morning lessons today.

It wasn't happening, dad left for work and when I woke up it was 10 O'clock and I was not about to go and pay 2:50 to get on a bus, to go to two lessons I am way behind on work from. (If it was another lesson, me being behind on work wouldn't make a different, i am behind on 3/3 subjects at the moment.)

Luckily, I had two episodes of Gilmore Girls to watch, then I showered, I attempted work, but it was not happening.

Mum wasn't arsed about me not going to college, as she's not gotten over the fact that I actually had stuff to put in a personal statement and is still proud of me, (I think now after 24 hours the moments passed as she's spent the evening mocking me) but this morning, her pride was still fresh and so she took me out for a pub lunch and a little shop round Uppermill.

I'm not going to lie, it's not been a bad day at all. My usual day off would be spent watching Jeremy Kyle, but no, today, i got to feast on a medium rare sirloin stake with onion rings at the Church Inn.

This evening was the first time I made it to the Spinners Arms in ages, it was definatly one of the folk clubs busier evenings and I only got to play 3 songs in 3 hours I was there:

• Naked as we came - Iron and Wine
• Such Great Highs - Iron and Wine (cover of Postal Service) 
• Aside - The Weakerthans (acoustic) 

However, my "Aside" was very scrappy, and it wasn't what I wanted to play, however id forgotten to retune my guitar from drop Eb so when it came to playing, that was the only song I could remember in said key. Much to my disappointment, Jonny (My main competition/the only other guy my age) played much better than I did and left before I got to outshine him with my Iron and Wine covers... maybe he would have outshone me back if he stayed though. Psh, credit to the guy - next week however. Its on.


Tomorrow is the first proper week of Alpha, I'm actually really looking forward to it, see how it pans out from how it was when I did it last year (or maybe two years ago? - I can't remember)

That's it for today, My bloging been really really lame recently, what with my focus being on my personal statement and the Sarah Hall show. Hopefully after this busy week I'll be able to get back on track.

God Bless, L x

Tonight was one of those:

"I'm knackered, its 8:30 and I don't even want to do anything, I'm going to bed" - kinda nights, though, every time I get like this, I get my netbook out to watch some stupid film I decided to download on the basis that know one will know it and I just might find some amazing cult indie film that only I have seen and that makes me super awesome - because, I'm pretty sure I think like this subconciously as my netbooks full of, potentially great cult indie films, that are actually crap.
Anyway, I decided to start googling, not really much, and im not even sure how I ended up on this website.. I think I was just going from blog to blog, anyway, I ended up on the website of this guy who designs and sells these really cool quilts... like, patch work stuff... Not usually my scene, I must admit, but yes. I was checking out all of these cool quilts and was all up for asking for one for Christmas off  the rents but when I finally got round to it, it turned out that these quilts are pretty darn expensive at $800 each. I was gutted. However I liked it enough to want to show you all this video of Boo Davis' book "Dare to be Square" on his patchwork and quilt work stuff.. its all based around reinventing traditional designs and stuff.

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I don't know why it was that even after listening to a few of my all time favourites, I was not close to being moved out of this mood that has been slowly gripping me in over the last week. It wasn't in fact until I put Tori Reddings "Favey Dance Songs" playlist on spotify that artists such as Soulja Boy and Taio Cruz that saved me From my own thoughts... 

The past two Sundays I've found myself back into last years routine of planning which lessons and days I'm going to skip in the forthcoming week. I don't know weather it's Blue Coat, my family, or the stress of future planning that's been getting me down, but its been getting heavier and heavier each day.

I think today its reached a point, when I realised the chances of having a Gap Year have become less than slim (more than slim?) What with the new tuition fees situation and all that. It feels like the buzz that I was getting in the summer is finally drawing to a close.

In other, more positive news "The Sarah Hall Show" is up and running, - yes, it is real, though I joked about it in a previous blog, since then there has been progress and editors, its up and running, and for all students of Sarah Hall, it is definitely worth a read. 

For chocolate lovers, fans of hot drinks, or salt addicts like myself you should all be aware, of the beauty and taste genius that is: a pinch of salt in your hot chocolate. This is not something I just tried out after a sudden brain wave, no, I saw it watching Series 2 of Modern Family on Sky 1 (definitely worth watching) when there was a chocolate milk salt scene. It was curiosity, I tried it in my hot chocolate out of curiosity, and there it was, sensational.  - Okay, so maybe I'm reading to much into it, but I advise it, as one commenter on David Lebovitz Belgian Hot Chocolate recipe said "People always forget the pinch of salt – its the secret ingredient in good hot chocolate!"  

I don't really have anything else to write, I've done nothing interesting in the slightest since my last blog, I hate to admit to a boring life, but my day to day antics get very humdrum. I did however venture to another 18th on Friday; our Kayt Hughes', It was lovely, and i certainly enjoyed myself, even the part when I was watching in awe as amber through up her bowls of coconut jelly and blue ice cream. The state. On that,  I will leave you with this: another video of Amber:

Thank you for reading, next post I will try and remember the little hilarious things that take place from day to day in my life, instead of giving you a brief over view on stuff that you don't care too much about. I am hoping that by the end of this week I can get my personal statement up for you all to laugh, criticise, scrutinize and edit, and then I can perfect it. Also, will do a post on how things are with God at the moment and my feelings towards Vinelifes Student Alpha course. 

God Bless, L x

experimenthol

Experimenthing: An Introduction

erm... Toms got a new blog? - Truthfully, I'm quite sure the majority (with some exceptions) of people who take there time to read my blog, wont be interested in the art of journalism, and those that are, probably arn't too fussed about affairs in the Middle East, and those that are, should definitely become a regular to http://experimenthol.com/ my brother Tom's new blog. 

Fortune is said to favour the brave.

This morning I got up by myself for the first time in ages - due to my father who usually wakes me being in Romania. I  had a shower, put my pajamas back on and put my hair in a towel. At 7:26 I set my alarm for 7:35 and got back into bed and went to sleep again; excited about the extra 10 minutes kip I could have before I had to actually bother to move.

I woke up at 8:26. An exact hour after I set my alarm, of course, I didn't realise at first and was like "Woahh, I just felt like I had a hours sleep but its still 7:26!" till I re-checked, and realised that actually I set the alarm for 8:35 and it was by chance I had woken up an exact hour later.

Readers should note, that on a normal day like today my first lesson starts at 8:45 So there it was: My first theology lesson of the year skipped. I don't know weather it was my subconscious trying to get me to skip another crappy day or weather it was the honest mistake that I insisted to Miss Young that it was, but there you have it. The one lesson I care about this year statisticly glitched by this morning. I feel like I should stop bothering now haha.

Thursday was the last day I properly got to hang out with Will before he goes to uni. (I'm assuming everyone knows/knows of my brothers Will and Tom.) Me and Will are pretty close I'd say, like, we argue and such like every sibling and sometimes we're a bit crap with each other, but Will is one of the very few people I can always talk to about pretty much anything (of course, lines must be drawn with siblings.) So, Will did a gap year working for a lighting company in Nelson, so, even though he didn't live at home last year, he was only a hour or two away.. now he's in London. So Thursday I met him in Oldham and we went to Cafe Mist which he had been waiting to experience all summer but every time we went it was closed. 

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Cafe mist is a Shisha Bar in Oldham - arguably does the best shisha in Manchester and has the widest range of flavours. - but is also potentially illegal....) 

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It was nice just hanging out with him, we never really hang out much any more and when we do Danny (of Letters to Lucy) always ruins it.We went shopping and got some horrible cheap Mr Cod and chatted with Carol Porter. In the evening we went to Fusion - Previously named Happy Gathering - Previously named Phoenix; a Chinese/Thai place in Royton which though suffered from the moodiest waitress imaginable, has definitely gone up in the world. It was a mint day. I really love and am going to miss Willl.

He rang me last night drunk and seemed really happy. I'm glad.

Errrrrrrrrrr.

I had a pretty good weekend actually, saw loads of people and did allot of stuff. I won't bore you with the details of my weekend, but I didn't really hate any of it. Except for the thought on Sunday evening of Monday, but that happens every week because I hate college. - Linking back to my little intro.

Did doubt fill up your shoes with problems you could dance to?

Since I quit smoking about 3 months ago, I have only smoked drunk, or like twice soberly... today I actually bought one. I don't know why. I wasn't feeling crappy. I just wanted one. I hate that I wanted one, it wasn't a craving, needy type of want. It was just, I felt like it, I figure if I can quit, which I know I can, I should quit when I want to quit, not for anyone else... Obviously, I don't want to smoke like I used to.. I don't want to waste my money. I don't know. I had to write this because I felt guilty for actually paying for the habbit, erm... but also? i dont know... I dont know what to do.


Smoke Don't Smoke...

Urgh.


Like, im ashamed of myself, but... I'm not aditcted.. so..


I don't even know.

On the upside, when I was buying a couple of Zachy from the back shop who apparently sells single ciggarettes on their own now (which is ironicly named a "Lucy") he messed about with my phone and went on the bible and we were chatting about God and Jesus... It was pretty sweet and was I think one of the best bits of my day.. It was really sad the way he was talking about his family and Islam. Apparently his best friends a Christian and so he's been to church with him a couple of times. I shouted at him for having communion even though he's supposed to be a Muslim, but i secretly loved it because its Zach.. he started telling me about how he loves stained glass windows because of the story's they tell.


So we talked about the seminar I went to last night at Reaches' "exchange" about the power of story telling, which was really really awesome. Like, amazing.. If they get a podcast up I will link it because it was mint, and completely relevant to me and Zach talking. 


So at least there was one good thing that came out of this...


anyway, this is very sloppy writing and I'm very tired,


God Bless, L x