Magpie Tendencies

Winding down...

2007-01-18T18:11:00.000Z

This isn't working out, is it? I know it, you know it. I think really we've both known for a long time. I've just been trying not to think about it.

I just need a little more time. Time at least to actually take those photos of the fantastic parcel Zoe sent me. I think I owe you (and her) that much.

Um, is it December already?

2006-12-08T18:06:00.000Z

It's been so long, I sort of feel like I should have something momentous to say, some sort of big 'ta-da!' But no, I think I'll just slip back in and see if anyone notices!

I will assure you that no, I have not been in early hibernation (I wish!). Life has just kind of taken over since the end of August. Actually that's not quite right - I don't currently have much of a life. Teacher training has taken over, completely. I'm almost half-way through the course now; the last day of term (and also a major essay-deadline) is next Friday and I can't wait. I want to sleep in, take photos, knit, read for pleasure... there are so many things that I want to and I just know I won't be able to fit them all into the three weeks holiday we get, but I'll try! There's also a little something called Christmas that I'm dying to start getting excited about.

I have a huge enormous thankyou to say to Zoe, who sent me a fantastic parcel a couple of weeks ago. Zoe, I know you already know it, but I was absolutely delighted by everything you sent me. It really makes me smile to think that people who have never met will put that much effort into making and sending packages to each other. I'll post some pictures of what she sent as soon as I'm able to find some real daylight in this flat.

Oh, it feels good to be back. Let's see if I can keep this up, eh?

I can't get no satisfaction

2006-08-25T16:27:00.000+01:00

I'm having some difficulty with blogging at the minute. I think this may be a symptom of something bigger and I feel like I need a bit of a break to sort out what's going on in my head and in the rest of my life.

I'm having a hard time trying to articulate what exactly is wrong but I think perhaps the word is dissatisfaction. I start teacher training on Monday which means the summer is pretty much over and I just don't feel that I've achieved enough in the time that I've had. At the same time though, I feel guilty for thinking that way because I know that's not really true and that I have actually done a lot in the past couple of months: I've been on a lovely relaxing holiday with Steven, I've graduated, I've read books just because I wanted to, I can knit a little, I've passed my theory test and I can pretty much drive (although I'm not quite ready to take a test yet).

What I'm wondering is whether I always feel like this at the end of the summer - and whether everyone gets this way. The beginning of summer always seems to promise so much - sunshine and happiness and endless free time to do all the things you've been wanting to do for the rest of the year. That puts you under an awful lot of pressure and almost guarantees disappointment if by the end of the summer you've not done everything you'd been dreaming about doing.

Lately I've got a bit dissaffected with my blog, mainly because I don't feel like I'm doing anything that anyone would really be interested in reading about. Other people's blogs often inspire me but at the same time reading them somehow reinforces this feeling. So many of the people whose blogs I read have something specific to write about. I don't have kids, nor will I in the near future, broody as some blogs make me. And much as I'd like to be, I'm not crafty - mainly because at the minute I can't afford the equipment or the materials. (Knitting is a start, but a very very slow one.)

I'm looking forward to starting at Moray House but I am nervous about it too. What if I don't enjoy it? I think I will, but I've heard over and over that this is going to be a very hard year. And even once I'm qualified, it's likely that at some point in the future, provided we're still together, Steven and I will move over to Ireland, where there are currently way more teachers than teaching jobs.

So, like this post, everything's feeling a little disjointed chez me currently. Huh - dissatisfied, dissaffected, disjointed - sounds good, no? I think I need a bit of time to chill out a bit and get settled into everything that comes next. Then maybe my blogging enthusiasm will come back to me.

Blue

2006-08-13T17:11:00.000+01:00

Steven made us blueberry pancakes this morning. Mmmm!

Self Portrait Challenge

2006-08-04T12:26:00.000+01:00

Enclosed Spaces - week 1

In my head, the perfect self-portrait for this week was going to be of me sitting in front of the computer in the little booth while I took my driving theory test on Tuesday. When I thought it through though, I realised that to take my camera into the test with me would probably constitute cheating and I didn't really want to risk that.

I did pass my theory test though, which I'm very pleased and quite relieved about. I had been having a hard time with the Hazard Perception and in the end I got a higher mark for that part in the test than I ever got practising at home before it.

I took this picture on Wednesday, wasn't totally happy and thought I could improve on it but the week is nearly over and so I'm going to go ahead and post it. Storage space is at a premium in our flat, so our hall cupboard is pretty full (although much less full and much more tidy since Steven cleared it out recently). It's a weird triangular shape because it follows the shape of the tenement stair and it has a cool wee mechanism where the light comes on when you open the door and goes off when you close it again. Our hall cupboard are, among other things: a stepladder, hoover, mop and bucket, painting equipment, shoe polish, walking boots, a tent and lots of screws and allan keys in little plastic boxes (all labelled - Steven is almost as anal as I am about some things). Hardly any of which you can actually see in this photo however, because I couldn't get far enough in there without unpacking the whole thing!

More self portraits here and here.

The sobs that shake the cinema seating

2006-07-31T12:31:00.000+01:00

Steven and I went to see The Wind That Shakes the Barley on Saturday night at the Cameo. The Cameo one of my favourite cinemas in Edinburgh; it's fairly small and old and shows lots of foreign and independent films. The place was under threat recently when there were plans to turn it into some kind of 'style bar', but I think those plans have been abandoned now because of the amount of protest from the Cameo-loving public. Which is just as it should be, who needs another style bar when it comes at the cost of losing such a lovely cinema?!

But the film. I haven't cried that hard because of a film since The Green Mile. I was in floods of tears so many times throughout the film and after we'd left the cinema, Steven stopped and hugged me while I just sobbed into his chest. Oy. There were bits I couldn't watch and bits I couldn't not watch, it was brutal and harrowing and terribly sad but really, it was a very very good film. We talked a lot about it on the way home and were in mutual disagreement with the criticism we had read and heard denouncing the film as 'Pro IRA'. I'm not much of a film critic, nor am I an expert on Irish history but I thought that generally what I saw was fairly balanced. Yes, it showed some republican sympathies but to be honest, I'd like to see anyone try to make a historically accurate film that managed to side with those forcibly occupying any country. I imagine that would be very difficult. Have there been any?

I'm not sure I could say I enjoyed The Wind That Shakes the Barley but if you're interested at all in Irish history, I would definitely recommend that you watch it (but take some hankies).

I think our next cinema visit had better be a comedy.

Self Portrait Challenge

2006-07-26T19:06:00.000+01:00

Self Portrait As ... - week 4

Self Portrait as ... a swimmer.

Not a competitive swimmer or anything as serious as that. I've always loved swimming - I was a bit of a water-baby when I was little and used to go at least three times a week - two lots of training with the swimming club and once with my family, sometimes more. I stopped going to swimming club when I was about 12 because it got very competitive and everyone else my age was a good bit taller and stronger than I was. After that I swam less and less and by the time I was in the last couple of years of school, I rarely swam at all.

Recently I've started going again because I want the exercise and I'm loving it. I go two or three times a week at about 8.45am, when it's relatively quiet. It's just so relaxing, letting your mind wander as you swim up and down (although I have to admit to being slightly anal and counting the number of lengths I do).

I was a bit late getting to the pool this morning and the big open-space of pool was busy so I slipped into the fast lane and pushed myself hard for 30 lengths. I don't usually swim in the lanes because I find them quite claustrophobic and I don't like the fact that other people are relying on you to keep up the speed. Today though, I quite enjoyed being made to work hard. What a virtuous start to the day!

More self portraits here and here.

Self Portrait Challenge

2006-07-23T14:54:00.000+01:00

Self Portrait As ... - week 3

Self Portrait as ... a struggling knitter.

I'm trying to learn to knit. I got a few books out of the library this week and bought some wool and some needles. That was the easy part. The actual knitting part? - not so good. I can make a slip knot and at one point I thought I'd managed to cast on but then I got confused and unraveled it all again. So yeah, I'm struggling a bit. I am determined to learn though, so I'm going to keep trying. Any advice gratefully recieved!

I'm also quite cross with myself for repeatedly posting my self-portraits so late in the week. I'm going to try really hard for Tuesdays from now on, I promise!

More self portraits here and here.

Time on my hands

2006-07-19T12:48:00.000+01:00

Well, all the business and excitement of exams, holidays and graduations are over and things have got quite quiet around here. A bit too quiet for my liking in fact. Despite the fact that I've been trying really hard to find a summer job, I'm either unemployable or just plain unlucky - nothin' doing. And now the longer I wait, the less point there is in even looking anymore. There are only five weeks before I go back to Uni and in. No-one's going to want me for that short length of time. I think I've missed the boat on bar-work too - everyone's looking for people with experience, but how can you get experience if no-one will employ you in the first place? Yikes!

With Steven out at work from 8.30 till 7pm (that boy works hard), I've got some time on my hands. So instead of stressing about not having a job, I'm trying to enjoy this time, relax a bit and do some of the things that have been sitting patiently on lists of things-I'd-like-to-do-one-day. I'm learning to drive (which is scary, but quite fun) and reading books just because I want to. And I've decided that now is my chance to get into something else new. I've always looked on jealously as other bloggers create lots of cool crafty stuff and now I want a go.

I definitely want to try my hand at freezer paper stencils because they look like a lot of fun. Other than that, I don't have a sewing machine and I certainly can't afford one at the minute, so i think knitting it will have to be. Maybe learning to knit isn't the best summer activity but perhaps if I start now, I might be good enough by the winter to actually make something useful!

Just one small problem: how to get started. I know next to nothing about knitting. My Grandma tried to teach me once when I was about ten and the only result was a mishapen strip of red knitting which I think may still be languishing in a corner of my bedroom at home. I doubt I can remember the first thing about what I was taught then, so I'll need to start from scratch. But on what size needles? With what kind of wool? (yarn? what's the difference?) And from which resources? I think I'll go to the library tomorrow and see what I can find. But if anyone has any advice, I'd be more than happy to hear it.

And who knows? Maybe this extra time might lead to some more blogging?

Biting the Bullet

2006-07-14T10:29:00.000+01:00

It's my turn.

Self Portrait Challenge

2006-07-13T12:06:00.000+01:00

Self Portrait As ... - week 2

Self Portrait as ... a little old lady.

When I was in Primary 3 (aged 6 or 7), I was in the class play of this book. I was the elderly aunt, complete with wig, old lady hat and expertly applied face-paint wrinkles! (The glasses were my own). I had one line, which I can still remember:

"Aah! A mouse! A horrible orange mouse!" (It was actually Willy's pet hamster).

I wonder if this is what I'll look like in 50 years time?

More Self Portraits here and here.

That's My Boy!

2006-07-12T17:28:00.000+01:00

Steven graduated a week ago with First Class Honours in Interactive Multimedia Design. He started a real, proper, professional job on Monday too. He has worked really hard for the past four years and I am very very proud of him.

Self Portrait Challenge

2006-07-10T13:23:00.000+01:00

Self Portrait As ... - week 1

Self Portrait as ... a lobster!

We were in Ireland last week for Steven's gradutation on Wednesday. We went for a walk up by a reservoir on the Monday with some friends and guess who got sunburnt?! Ouch. Hmmm, six weeks in Tanzania last summer and a week in Turkey last month without burning, but one bonny day in Ireland? Oh dear.

More self portraits here and here.

And thanks to Joelene for picking my last self portrait as one of her 'Friday faves' - I'm honoured!

Self Portrait Challenge

2006-06-29T18:08:00.000+01:00

Pop Art - week 4

Oh dear, late again. Well, here's my last attempt for this month's theme, Pop Art. I've really enjoyed tinkering about with Photoshop this month. I just wish I'd had a little more time - but isn't that always the case? Next month's theme looks a bit scary, I'll have to start thinking now.

More self portraits here and here.

Holiday photos

2006-06-26T21:23:00.000+01:00

We had such a lovely time in Turkey, just relaxing in the sun and enjoying being together. Already it feels like an age since we got back, but then we have been pretty busy in the meantime.

I didn't actually take as many photos as I'd expected because in the end, I was happier just walking around soaking it up rather than trying to photograph everything I thought was cool or pretty. I took a few though, and these are some of my favourites.

Friday Morning Street Urchins

2006-06-23T11:38:00.000+01:00

Dutch has been posting Friday Morning Street Urchins for almost a full year and when we took this on holiday I knew I would have to do my own street urchin post. They're Turkish rather than Victorian, but I still love this photo. We watched the first boy climb over and thought they'd just lost their ball, but it turned out the security-fence-protected grounds of the HSBC building were the perfect place to play football!

Magpie Tendencies MA Hons

2006-06-22T22:55:00.000+01:00

I did it! I graduated from Edinburgh University yesterday with a 2.1 in Scottish Ethnology and Scottish Literature.

The graduation ceremony at Edinburgh involves being bopped on the head with a hat made from John Knox's britches (i know, how weird) but I can only vaguely remember that bit, I was so busy concentrating on not tripping up in front of hundreds of people. Mum and Steven were there doing the proud parent/boyfriend bit and there was a little reception for us at the School of Scottish Studies afterwards (it's a very small department and there were only six of us graduating this year, so it was really nice to celebrate with everyone). Then last night we went out for dinner, with champagne and everything!

When I first came to Edinburgh, graduation seemed like a lifetime away. Four years seemed so long and so difficult and now here I am, a graduate. I can hardly believe it. The rest of my life, here I come!

Self Portrait Challenge

2006-06-20T22:28:00.000+01:00

Pop art - week 3

Oops, I missed a week. I'm not actually enjoying this pop art theme as much as I thought I would, I think mainly because I've been pretty busy and so I'm lacking in blogging time and inspiration. I think this theme deserves time and effort and so far, I've not been 100% satisfied with what I've managed to come up with.

Never mind, while I've not been blogging or self-portrait-ing, I had a fantastic holiday with Steven and then a lovely weekend away at a friend's birthday. Today, the last of my marks were finalised (this year's marking was all messed up by industrial action by lecturers) and tomorrow I graduate!

Phew, perhaps next week I'll have more time to research pop art and be inspired!

More self portraits here and here.

Self Portrait Challenge

2006-06-07T09:30:00.000+01:00

Pop Art - week 1

A little bit Lichtenstein.

I love this theme, I think it's going to be lots of fun and a good challenge to work with. This is what I've managed so far from this tutorial. It's not quite what I was aiming for, but I like it anyway. I might try it again later in the month.

Steven and I are going on holiday this afternoon and we've promised ourselves and each other that it'll be a computer-free week, yippee! Have a good week and I'll be back next Thursday.

More self portraits here and here.

Hmmmm

2006-06-06T21:24:00.000+01:00

Steven (looking through my blog): The last time you were interesting was ... three weeks ago!

Slow

2006-06-04T17:05:00.000+01:00

I was talking to Steven yesterday about my lack of blog oomph at the minute. I've just been feeling a little ... not uninspired, since there's certainly enough inspiration out there, but I suppose it's just that - I'm lacking blog oomph. I don't want to give up my blog though because I still love the whole idea of blogging. Steven put it really nicely for me yesterday: this slowdown in my blogging isn't necessarily a bad thing; it's just a sign that there are other things in my life that are more important to me at the minute. And he's right: my lovely boyfriend has just moved in with me, we're going on holiday in three days, we're both getting ready for the next big steps in our lives (starting work and teacher-training) and we have a summer of fun things planned. To be honest, it would be a little unhealthy if blogging was more important to me than all of that.

So I'm going to take it easy for a while. I'll blog where the urge takes me (I'm loving the idea of June's Self Portrait Challenge) and see how it goes.

Belfast Botanics

2006-05-29T23:09:00.000+01:00

Some photos, as promised. I'm not sure how great they are, but it's a start. And I enjoyed taking them. The Botanical Gardens in Belfast are really close to where Steven was living this year; we walked through them to get into town and the Palm House is nice for a wee wander through on the way past. I should have take pictures of the outside of it too, it's really pretty. Next time.

(Spot the boy!)

Finally - Not Self Portrait Challenge!

2006-05-27T13:53:00.000+01:00

I've been MIA for a while, although I'm not sure who will really have noticed - I haven't dared check my Google Analytics recently. I was in Ireland for the week visiting Steven and had a lovely time: no going into the lab, no worrying about reading I should be doing or essays I should be planning. Just time to relax and be together, although we did get some important things done too. We moved Steven out of his student house in Belfast, I officially accepted my offer of a place at teacher-training college and we booked our first real holiday together - a week in Turkey which I think we both deserve and which I'm really excited about!

We've got lots happening here this coming week: my little brother is coming dwn to live with us for the summer, Hannah is moving out and going home. And on Tuesday, Steven is moving to Edinburgh to live with me! (Can you see my smile from over there? - sooo happy!) We have lots of lovely things to look forward to over the summer but before he arrives I have a lot of tidying to get done. So much in fact that I'm not really sure where to start. I suppose I'd better get on with it!

I got back into the taking photos a bit while I was in Belfast; I'll post some more sometime soon.

Self Portrait Challenge

2006-05-26T22:09:00.003+01:00

Introduce Yourself - week 4

Is is shallow to love pretty things? I love trees and flowers, birds, buttons, brightly coloured flip-flops, old cars, cool cloud formations - the list goes on and on. There are so many lovely things in this world for me to be distracted by!

More self portraits here and here.

Self Portrait Challenge

2006-05-16T22:01:00.000+01:00

Introduce yourself - week 3

Lisa from A Bird in the Hand does a lot of very cool artwork that I really admire. Recently she found a paper silhouette of her five-year-old self and she's been incorporating it into some of her work. I can remember making the same paper silhouettes in Brownies when I was little and I've never taken my self-portrait in profile before, so I thought I'd try.

I'm not sure that a silhouette is the best choice for our theme of introductions; it's not particularly revealing, although it's not quite annonymous either. But it does partly reflect the way I've been feeling recently - a bit purposeless and not totally sure of what or who I am at the minute. I've sort of been in limbo, finished my own exams but just waiting around until Steven finishes his and we can be together again.

It's funny, I thought once I'd finished my exams, I would be able to blog more. You would think too that the introspective kind of mood I've been in would lend itself quite well to blogging but no, lately I haven't really felt very inspired. I have really enjoyed working on these last two self-portraits though - perhaps taking more photos is the answer to my blog-inspiration problems. Steven had his final exam this morning too, so he's all finished now and I'll be going to see him in Belfast on Friday. As well as that, tomorrow he and I are going to see what we can do about booking a holiday together - hopefully somewhere it isn't raining! So things are looking up around here and hopefully I'll find something to post about sometime soon.

More self portraits here and here.

Self Portrait Challenge

2006-05-09T21:59:00.000+01:00

Introduce yourself -week 2

Okay, I'm ready now. Hi, I'm Katharine. I'm feeling a wee bit shy today so I'm hiding behind some amateurish photoshopping and a prop! Here are some fairly random introductory things about me:

I'm a graduand of Edinburgh University.

I've just (as in, yesterday!) been offered a place at teacher training college, starting in August.

I share a birthday with my boyfriend (26th December), who is a year older than me.

I've survived 4 years of (mostly) long distance relationship and it's just a few weeks until Steven and I will finally be together for good.

I'm only 4'10", but I don't much like wearing heels.

I want to open my own flower shop one day.

I often feel a little intimidated by other bloggers, especially if they are particularly articulate or artistic.

This self-portrait is my first ever submission to Flickr.

More self portraits here and here.

How lovely!

2006-05-03T20:23:00.000+01:00

In the country of Bhutan in the Himalayas, every government policy has to be considered in terms of its effect on GNH - Gross National Happiness.

Isn't that fantastic?!

Just the thought of it is making me smile!

See video clip on BBC website (bottom link in the list of videos in the left-hand column).

Self Portrait Challenge

2006-05-02T22:20:00.000+01:00

Introduce yourself - week 1

Self Portrait Tuesday has moved and is now Self Portrait Challenge. The new theme for this month is 'Introduce yourself' so very quickly, here is a bit about why I do Self Portrait Tuesdays:

I started almost as soon as I started my blog in January of this year. I had seen them on other blogs and liked the idea. I wanted a challenge; something to keep me using the new camera I had just got for my birthday and something to provide regular blogging material. So far I've enjoyed doing SPTs, although recently I've found it hard and I've been lacking a bit in motivation and inspiration due to the pressures of my dissertation and exams.

I'm not quite finished yet. I have an exam essay due in on Friday, which I'm half-way through (this one's going better than the last) and then my final exam is on Saturday morning. Mmm, I know!! But then it'll all be over, the summer can begin and graduation will be just around the corner! Top of my list of things I want to do is get out and use my camera, so hopefully some more inspired SPTs and other general photos to follow.

More self portraits here.

Self Portrait Tuesday

2006-04-25T22:28:00.000+01:00

April fool - week 4

Goodness, it's Tuesday again already. The last Tuesday in April no less. I'm still in the middle of my exams and so April foolishness isn't really happening too much around here at the minute. But I don't want to miss a week, so here is today's self-portrait.

I know it's been done before and I certainly can't match this but here is my take on being a fool for love:

Me and Steven dancing together (the St Bernard's Waltz, which I love) at the CHV Ball last month. I love this; dancing with Steven makes me feel like we're in our own little world, just us two,in love with each other. I must admit though, the photo is a little unsetting - almost like watching your own wedding.

Steven and I are both mega-busy with exams and coursework right now and don't get much chance to speak to each other. I can't wait until all this is over and we can be together again.

More SPTers here and here.

What was I thinking?

2006-04-21T09:06:00.000+01:00

When I was in my fourth year of secondary school, I apparently said to my Mum that I quite enjoyed exams.

I have no idea why I said that.

I take it back.

Self Portrait Tuesday

2006-04-18T22:04:00.000+01:00

April fool - week 3

I'm not really feeling too foolish again today. My first exam essay is due in on Friday and so far, I'm finding it quite hard.

Since I'm still in the middle of what is essentially an exam, I'm a little hesitant about showing all I'm writing about, in case that counts as cheating (I know, who's to know, but still). But in fact I think this altered version represents my current state of mind quite nicely.

Bleugh.

(More SPTs)

That's better

2006-04-13T18:49:00.000+01:00

8 hours in the library, exam essay questions that I think I'll be happy enough answering and exciting post waiting for me when I got home! (Excuse the crappy photo, I had to put it on straight out of the envelope and I've just realised my mirror could do with a polish!)

Thank you, thank you, thank you Amanda for posting about Threadless. I am in love with this tee and I have a feeling that website's going to be a dangerous place for me from now on!

I am my own worst enemy

2006-04-12T22:55:00.000+01:00

I am so distractable. My first exam essay questions are released tomorrow, with the essay itself due a week on Friday. Then I have an exam a week on Monday, then a few days reprieve, then another exam essay and another exam. So I should be revising, right?

Yep, except I'm having serious difficulties getting my head down and getting work done. I don't think I've ever got the knack for revision and I certainly don't enjoy it (does anyone?).

So starting tomorrow, I have to defeat myself in this. Until Saturday 6th May, revision is a necessary evil and other, more interesting things - like blogs - will have to take a bit of a back seat. I'm not sure how many people actually read this anyway; if it wasn't for Dutch and Google Analytics, I'd think it was only Steven and my mum. Well, for the next three weeks or so, things might be a bit dull(er) around here. Maybe after that my life will become a little more interesting to the general blogging public.

Here's hoping.

Self Portrait Tuednesday

2006-04-12T09:09:00.000+01:00

April fool - week 2

I cracked my arm off a big door handle in the university library yesterday afternoon and spent the rest of the day trying not to move it because it hurt too much. So I wasn't really feeling foolish in an April kind of way.

Instead, here is a picture of me during a charity fundraiser for CHV last October. We were blindfolded, driven down into Cumbria in England and had to find our own way back to Edinburgh in teams. Our team were dressed as pirates. The event also included a scavenger hunt - this picture was taken in the middle of a supermarket where we were trying to blag some of the things on the list. And just as Hannah took the picture, I stepped backwards into a fridge - hence the weird face!

Hmmm, nice.

Defeated by the elements

2006-04-09T19:10:00.000+01:00

Yesterday I walked 33 miles. We weren't able to complete the walk because the weather turned nasty on us.

The full thing is 42 miles. We started walking at 3.30am and got to the pub just short of half-way at 11am - an hour ahead of our projected time. After that, we were walking across moorland for miles and miles. It had been wet and the terrain was all heather and squidgy bog, which slowed us right down. It took us nearly 6 hours to do what we should've done in 3. The weather had been fine all morning, cold and bright. In the early afternoon we had a bit of thunder and some squally hail-showers which weren't too bad because they passed quickly and didn't get us that wet. But then it started snowing. It got really thick - almost white-out conditions - and it just didn't stop. It was too dangerous to carry on and at the pace we'd slowed down to we wouldn't have finished until 10 or 11pm, which would've meant walking in the snow and the dark. I think bad weather is quite often a problem though - my friend's dad, who was walking with us, had attempted that walk 8 times before. He finished it 5 times, but the other three all had to be abandoned because of the weather.

I don't feel like we failed though. I mean, I walked thirty-three miles! That's a lot further than I've ever walked before. We were walking for fifteen hours. And if we hadn't had to call it off, I think I would've managed to make it to the end. So really, I'm pretty proud of myself. I actually enjoyed most of it too. I'm very stiff and quite sore today but I don't really mind. It's all self-inflicted so I can't moan! Oh, and my biggest achievement of the day ... I have NO BLISTERS!!!

We're planning to try again sometime in the summer when it's drier and less likely to snow. So we'll just call this the practice run!

Feeling strangely fine

2006-04-07T10:08:00.000+01:00

Yeah, I feel better now. Quite excited actually!

This time tomorrow I will have been walking for six hours already. We start at 4am, hoping to be finished around 9pm. I'm really looking forward to seeing the sunrise, I hope it's worth it.

Off to get the train now. See you on the other side! Have a good weekend.

I think I may be crazy

2006-04-06T22:55:00.000+01:00

I'm going to Yorkshire tomorrow, to do the Lyke Wake Walk on Saturday. I've just about finished packing, I can't believe how much stuff I have to take. I'm in a bad mood (I always get like this when I'm packing the evening before travelling anywhere) and right now, trying to walk forty miles doesn't exactly seem like the best idea in the world.

Bleugh. Here's hoping I feel differently tomorrow. Wish me luck.

Self Portrait Tuesday

2006-04-04T22:20:00.000+01:00

April fool - week 1

A new month, a new theme. This month our self portraits are meant to be all about having fun, so there I was this afternoon, trying on sunglasses in the departure lounge while waiting for my flight to leave Belfast, taking pictures in the mirror when no-one was looking!

Oh yes. I am the next Nicole Ritchie. And visible price labels are most definitely the next big thing.

More SPTers here and here.

A birthday and other things

2006-04-03T21:31:00.000+01:00

Today is my mum's birthday. Happy Birthday Mum! I love you. She opened her present this morning, so I can finally show you what it was:

Mum's Auntie Annie used to have spoons like these and Mum would have coffee when she went to visit just so that she could have the one with the pink coffee bean on the handle. I'm sorry there isn't a pink one in this set Mum.

I went to the dentist this morning. Steven's sister is a dentist so she looks over my teeth every so often - for free (shhh!). Today I needed my first ever filling. I'd never had my teeth drilled into before, eugh! I had a numb face for the whole afternoon but the fully animated version is back in action now.

I've been in the computer lab with Steven all evening, as I have been the whole weekend. We've not got home earlier than 11pm since I got over here. Steven's deadlines are looming and I've been trying to help as much as I can, especially since he was so good to me during my dissertation marathon.

As luck would have it, tomorrow is co₂me off it day. We decided to raise awareness of both this event and Steven's final project by emailing everyone on his course a flyer and by directing them to this page (which I made!)

I've been messing around with this wee logo all day. Isn't it cool?

So don't forget, switch them off tomorrow!

Eco Friendly Friday

2006-03-31T17:50:00.000+01:00

I've spent all day in the lab with Steven. We got in about 9.30 and we'll be going home in half an hour or so. I'm pretty tired, but I haven't been bored! After all the help Steven gave me with my dissertation, I'm trying to help him with his work. He's doing Interactive Multimedia Design and throughout the development of his huge final project he has to keep a blog, which he's been having trouble with recently because he's sooo busy with everything else (and my work on top of it all). A lot of it is break-downs of how he's designed different things and research of relevant material on the internet. So I've been trawling the internet for good pictures and information and criticising the work he's done so far to find bits he can add in.

Steven's project is all about sustainable energy and environmental friendliness - it's a game called Eco Tycoon, based on Transport Tycoon etc. I think it's pretty cool and I've been enjoying researching it today.

If I lived in London or somewhere, I would totally get one of these:

Or if I was in America, definitely one of these. How cool?!

A good thing and a bad thing

2006-03-30T21:03:00.000+01:00

I went shopping for a birthday present for my Mum yesterday. I didn't really have any ideas for what to get her but I had a lovely time poking through some little antique/junk shops and I ended up with something I hope she'll really like. I'll show you on Monday after she's unwrapped it!

If I had happened to have won the lottery recently, I would have got her this, which I found in a lovely little shop up off the Grassmarket:

So pretty!

I picked up my new jeans from the tailors this morning, happy to think that I would be able to wear them to visit Steven in Belfast this weekend. (Every new pair of jeans I buy has to be taken up and taken in before I can wear them. I know I'm small but apparently I'm a weird shape too.) Anyway, I picked them up, paid my money and took them home. Took them out of the bag and... they've been taken up by about eight inches more than I asked for! I do not suit cropped trousers. They make me look shorter and wider than I already am. So now I'm left with a pair of jeans which cost me the guts of £70 (including the alterations) and are basically unwearable. I am so unbelievably cross. Do you think they'll at least refund what I paid for the alterations?

Please, somebody teach me how to sew.

The Katharine Update

2006-03-28T22:28:00.000+01:00

Well, Friday wasn't pretty, but I did it. I did an all-nighter on Thursday night, something I very rarely do. Steven stayed up all night too over in Belfast - he spent hours and hours typing up my hand-written pages of transcription. Thank you babe, I really couldn't have done it without you, I'm still in awe at how much work you did for me.

Still, everything seemed to go wrong for me on Friday and the two copies I handed in at five minutes to five consisted of 150 unbound, loose sheets of paper, in mis-matched folders and with the colour pages wrongly numbered. I spent most of the evening in tears, feeling like I'd let everyone down. It's okay though, I got two fresh copies printed and bound on Saturday morning and despite worrying about it all weekend, was able to swap them over with no problems at all. So there you have it, my dissertation's done, yippee! Only my exams to go now.

What else has happened in the past few weeks? Well, not a whole lot, seeing as I was holed up in front of my computer for most of the time. But there are a couple of things.

On top of everything else, I found out on Friday evening that I didn't get onto the teacher training course I applied for. Ho hum. I am quite glad I found out then though, it saved feeling shitty on two separate days. But I'm not sure that it's an entirely bad thing. I had been wondering whether I really did still want to go into teaching and whether I was just applying purely because it was what I'd always thought I would do. Now I can go off and find something else that I want to do - maybe even start looking into starting my own flower shop! So although things are a little bit up in the air at the moment, I am quite excited about what the future might hold.

The other thing is that I'm going to be doing a forty-mile walk - in under 24 hours - a week on Saturday! A friend of mine is doing it with her dad and a group of other people and she asked me if I'd like to come too. I've never done anything like this before but I decided I needed a physical challenge for a change. The walk is across the North Yorkshire Moors, a route called the Lyke Wake Walk. And we're just doing it for the fun(?) of it, it's not a sponsored event (although, I'm sure you could sponsor me if you wanted to). I'm looking forward to it but I'm a bit nervous - it is a very long way. We walked twelve miles at the weekend without any problems though, which is a good start.

That's really everything major. I'm going to Belfast this weekend to see my boy, although I will spend much of the time sitting quietly in the lab while he gets on with his work. I'm thinking revision - or perhaps I'll join Flickr and put up the blogroll that I've been meaning to do for weeks on end!

Oh, and despite my not having posted anything for ages, visits to this blog have been fairly consistent for the past couple of weeks. Hi! Who are you all? I'm sorry it's been a bit dull around here, I'll try to do better from now on.

One last thing. I am aware that this should be Self Portrait Tuesday, but having been in a bit of a post-dissertation haze since Friday, I don't have anything to post. Instead (and I suppose it does fit in with the time theme) here are come photos of spring, which arrived in Edinburgh sometime in the past few weeks, completely unnoticed by me!

Happy St Patrick's Day!

2006-03-17T10:14:00.000Z

Found on Flickr

Steven, you're drinking for two today, but please remember one of them doesn't drink much!

Self Portrait Tuesday

2006-03-14T12:10:00.000Z

Time - week 2

Ten days.

More Self Portrait Tuesday-ers here and here.

Self Portrait Tuesday

2006-03-07T22:44:00.000Z

Time - week 1

The new theme for this month's Self Portrait Tuesday is time. I love the ideas we've been given for inspiration; recording the passage of time with multiple images is a really cool idea and I've been enjoying exploring the links Kath left us, especially this one.

However, although time is something I'm very conscious of at the moment, it's not something I have a lot of, so I think for most of this month my SPTs will be a little non-conformist, and certainly not as prolific as is maybe expected. Here is today's:

Currently, my awareness of time is entirely centred on this date, 17 days away. My dissertation is worth a third of this year’s marks and I am quite quite terrified about it. If there was ever a time to get my head down and work my little ass off, this is it.

More self portraits here. One of these days I'm going to join Flickr, it looks like fun.

Oh, and I've realised that I haven't been linking back to the other self portraits in my own previous posts. Sorry about that, I'll try to remember in the future.

Yikes!

2006-03-04T10:17:00.000Z

Look what landed in my cereal bowl this morning!

I couldn't bring myself to eat it, it was too weird.

Not quite as wierd as Holly's though.

It's snowing!

2006-03-03T11:41:00.000Z

WARNING!!!

2006-03-02T20:30:00.000Z

Meet Hannah.

Isn't she lovely?

Yeah, you think so now. You wouldn't like to see her when she's cross.

Sometimes she can even get a little psychotic.

Today, Hannah took her first driving lesson.

If you, or anyone you care about lives in the Edinburgh area, you may like to know that Hannah's driving lessons are scheduled every Thursday afternoon between now and May.
After that, we're all doomed.

You have been warned.

CHV socialites

2006-03-02T19:18:00.000Z

Hmmm, well, to keep us occupied in the meantime, here are some lovely photos from last week's CHV Ball. I went with Steven and my best friend Fiona from home. I had a great time, with sore muscles and bruised feet to prove it for days afterwards! Steven turned to me at one point and said 'If we ever get married, we're totally having a ceilidh at our reception!' You're damn right there mister!

Now I just have to wait...

2006-03-02T17:31:00.000Z

It's over! My interview for teacher training was this morning; my first ever proper serious interview. It was scary, but it wasn't too bad, as far as I could tell I didn't say any thing really stupid. I just wish the guy hadn't been so constantly straight-faced, I couldn't tell what he was thinking. I think it was okay. I hope it was okay.

I should hear in about two weeks.

*looks at watch*

Sigh.

Self Portrait Tesday

2006-02-28T21:56:00.000Z

All of me - week 4

Although I'm a fairly good-natured person, my temper does sometimes get the better of me. I think I learned my lesson today though.

I have an interview* on Thursday morning and needed to decide on an outfit for it today so that I wouldn't be fleeing around in a panic tomorrow evening. Maybe not the best idea though, since I was in an 'I-look-crap-in-everything-I-own' mood this afternoon. Nothing was exactly right and I just got frustrated and upset. Getting my foot caught in the hole in the knee of my jeans was the last straw and I pitched a minor tantrum. I hurled the jeans at the floor and in doing so smacked my hand off the end of the bed (which is big and solid and made of iron).

Split knuckles, lots of pain, much sobbing.

And so here I am: one hand bandaged and still aching, typing clumsily with the other and feeling thoroughly ashamed of myself for being so damn childish.

*The interview? Ummm, yeah. It's for teacher training college.

Feeling down?

2006-02-22T19:55:00.000Z

May I recommend:

- M&Ms - I bought some at lunchtime, thinking they might cheer me up. I think this colour combination (which rattled into my hand completely at random) made me smile more than the chocolate did!

- Aberfeldy, Young Forever: especially when on my mp3 player coupled with...

- putting up your umbrella and walking home in that kind of spring rain that comes straight down really hard out of a sky that up until 30 seconds before was bright and sunny and then suddenly turned a livid shade of pinky-grey.

And lastly:
- finding out that the presentation you've been stressing over can actually be done on Monday instead of Friday, giving you three more whole days to work on it.

All this, and Steven's arriving in Edinburgh tomorrow evening for the weekend and to take me to the CHV Ball! My week is looking up!

Self Portrait Tuesday

2006-02-21T10:07:00.000Z

All of me - week 3

I'm not sure whether it's obvious in real, everyday life but I can see very clearly in most photos of myself that one of my eyes is narrower than the other.

I was born with a squint in my right eye. When I was 4 I had an operation to correct it, and I've worn glasses - and more recently, contact lenses - ever since. I've been told that if I look very far to the left, you can see a scar in the corner of my eyeball.

Now, my right eye is slightly lazier than my left. This is more noticeable in photos - especially when I'm smiling; or when I'm tired - when I do still squint a little.

Aaaaargh!

2006-02-19T23:03:00.000Z

The session was fun, but since then I've turned into a bit of a stress-head. I finally got my cds back on Friday afternoon, so I've spent the weekend transcribing. I'd forgotten how time-consuming it is - it can take almost an hour to transcribe 5 minutes of recorded interview. And I have nearly five hours worth!

Oh and also, you would think that being stressed about something would make you get your head down and work solidly at it. Not me! Oh no, I am the champion procrastinator and I keep finding myself doing other things that seem important. Did I mention I have a presentation to do on Friday? Ehh, Katharine? Get on with it! Anyone want to give me a kick up the arse?* Or just some advice?

It's going to be a long week. I think I might have to get drunk on Friday. Who's with me?

*Hannah, I don't really mean this. Please don't come through here and kick me.

Death and fiddles

2006-02-16T17:14:00.000Z

My dissertation is due in five weeks. I should be working on it. But the interviews that will form the basis of the whole thing are sitting in a little room in my department, waiting for the sound technician to copy them onto CD for me. I asked for the copies nearly two weeks ago and I'm starting to get cross. I hate complaining, but if they're not ready tomorrow I might just have to go in and complain a bit, otherwise I might have a small nervous breakdown over the weekend. I have to give a presentation next Friday on my progress so far; if I don't get those interviews back it's going to be a very short presentation.

In the meantime I've been making a start on my literature essay on death and illness in Victorian texts. I'm actually quite looking forward to writing it, but seeing as I know how insignificant it is compared to my dissertation, I can't settle to it.

Tonight I've been invited to a session in Stirling. A friend of mine is in a traditional music society there and he's asked me to go. I've barely played my fiddle in the 5 years since I left school; I had to dust the case when I dragged it out from under my bed this afternoon. I've been practising for a bit and it doesn't sound too awful. I'm quite looking forward to it, it'll be nice to play with other people again. Hopefully it'll take my mind off essays - but I promise to be back to work first thing tomorrow.

Self Portrait Tuesday

2006-02-14T22:16:00.000Z

All of me - week 2
(with guest appearance from Steven - my better half and partner in crime!)

Steven and I are both a bit camera shy usually, but we were messing about with my camera this afternoon before he left. It started off all smiley and innocent:

... but then the fun started. Actually, I think our evil alter-egos took over:

Mmmm, pretty! Would you believe Steven told me I was sexy this morning? Hah! I hope you all had a fun Valentine's day!

Happy Valentines Day!

2006-02-14T21:45:00.000Z

Oops, I've done it again. Steven was over for the weekend so I've neglected the internet a bit.

The two most important developments of this weekend:
- We went to a party on Saturday night for the place Steven was working on placement last year and they were pretty clear that they want him back as a proper employee after he's graduated this summer.
- And I got a letter inviting me to an interview for teacher training college in two weeks time. Eeeep!

Apart from that, we just had a nice weekend together. Steven in particular is a bit strapped for cash at the moment, so we didn't make a big deal of Valentine's day today. We got a DVD and a bottle of wine last night, and then we went out for breakfast together this morning before Steven had to fly back to Belfast. It was lovely, I'd rather do something simple and nice together that all the fluffy hearts and everything!

Anyway, it's Tuesday, so I'd better get down to business. Brace yourselves!

Strange dreams

2006-02-09T09:15:00.000Z

I had difficulty getting up this morning. Last night I dreamed about: other bloggers, characters from Desperate Housewives (which I don't even watch), my grandfather, people from my literature class and kids from CHV - all in the same dream! It was very very odd and I'm feeling a bit disorientated now. Bleugh.

But I'll get up and get going and then maybe my head will be a bit clearer. I started tidying my room last night - the clutter had got a bit out of hand - and I'd like to get it finished before Steven arrives tomorrow for the weekend. Oh, I hadn't realised it was tomorrow - there's something to cheer me up today!

Self Portrait Tuesday

2006-02-07T22:42:00.000Z

All of me - week 1

This is me, exhausted, unwashed, hair-unbrushed and still in my pyjamas, recovering from malaria in Tanzania a few years ago. I had a bit of a tough time illness-wise when I was there in my gap year, but this was probably the worst: I was hospitalised for a couple of nights.

While I was ill Steven really got to see 'all of me'. He went for help in the middle of the night when I was badly ill and delirious; he sat with me through pin-prick malaria tests and while I got hooked up to an iv drip, even though he's terrible about needles; after I was let out of hospital he looked after me, fed me and helped me shower when I was too weak to stand long enough to do it for myself; and when I was tear-stained and begrutten because of missing home, he held me and sang to me and made me feel better. I really couldn't have asked for a better nurse.

Some more old photos

2006-02-06T20:24:00.000Z

I've had a good day today. I've not really done anything that would be interesting to anyone else, but I spent almost the whole day in the library and got some good work done, and then it was still pretty light as I walked home at 5 o'clock, which made me happy.

I said last week I'd post some more old photos once I'd had a chance to Photoshop them. Here are some of my favourites:

These are meant as light relief to help you through the weeks to come. We're into February and there's a new theme for tomorrow's Self Portrait Tuesday. And yes, I'm terrified. It's not going to be pretty.

Lost comments?

2006-02-05T22:23:00.000Z

The other day, I posted a reply to someone's comment. I managed to post it twice and in my messing around to delete it, I set my comments to 'moderate' by mistake and didn't give an email address for comment moderation. So here I was thinking nobody loved me when in fact it was my own fault there were no comments. If anyone's tried to comment recently, I think they might just have gone off into the big wide internet, never to be seen again.

I'm sorry. I'll leave well alone from now on and hope that you do in fact love me.

Happy Anniversary Steven

2006-02-05T16:15:00.000Z

On Friday, you and I had been together for four years. I feel a bit odd calling this an anniversary when we’re not actually married, but I don’t know how else to put it.

I love you Steven. Sometimes I can’t quite believe that I’m lucky enough to have you. Meeting in

Tanzania

when we did almost seemed more than chance, although I’m not sure I believe in that kind of thing. When we met we were just kids really, starting to define ourselves away from home and our families. You always made me feel that I could be myself, and because of you I have become a lot happier with the person that I am.

In the past four years we’ve learned so much about each other and I’m aware there’s still more to learn. We’ve made each other laugh and cry; we’ve learned that arguments are a part of relationships and how to resolve them together. You understand me and support me: being with you makes me feel safe and happy.

It’s been four years of mostly long-distance relationship. Some people doubted we’d manage it and I’m proud of us for getting this far. In a few months we’ll graduate and I’m looking forward to starting the next stage of our lives together.

Happy fifth year babe. This is getting serious.

A musical interlude

2006-02-02T17:36:00.000Z

I'm working hard this week, doing the interviews and research for my dissertation. Everyone's been really helpful and it's really interesting. So far, I think I've got about 3 and a half hours of material - with probably another 2 to come from tonight's and tomorrow's interviews. That's a lot of transcription for when I get back to Edinburgh!

It's not all work and no play though - I'm going out tonight. My younger brother's in a band and they have a gig tonight in the nightclub. They're called the Sea Monkey Bringers of Dooom (the 3 'o's are official) and they have the standard mix of band instruments, but with a brass section - a trumpet and a trombone. I've never seen them play, so I can't wait!

From what I found in amongst the old photos, Ally was destined for musical greatness. Watch this space!

Self Portrait Tuesday

2006-02-01T14:24:00.000Z

Personal History: week 5

I'm sorry, I know it's Wednesday, but the internet wouldn't work last night when I came to post this.

I spent most of last night going through old photos and taking photos of them so that I can put them on my computer back in Edinburgh. Slightly vexing that all these photos have just been sitting here in Orkney all this month while I've been trying to represent my personal history fom Edinburgh! I haven't looked through them in years and now that I've got hold of them, I've gone a bit mad! Here is a small selection for today's Self Portrait, but I've a feeling I might be posting lots more in the near future because there's so many I love!

Growing up on a island, the beach and the sea are really important to me. We've always had a dog/dogs, so we went for lots of walks on beaches, as well as spending hours there during the summer. I don't like to live too far from the sea now, it makes me feel claustrophobic.

Cake!

2006-01-29T23:52:00.001Z

Steven and I have just come back from a party. I made a cake today to take with us, a chocolate Malteser cake. Mmmm! I think I actually like the baking more than the eating though - is that weird? The only thing I don't like about baking cakes is lining cake tins. I'm too much of a perfectionist for that. Anyway, here is the finished result:

Steven goes back to Belfast tomorrow, very early in the morning. And I'm flying home tomorrow afternoon to spend the week doing research for my dissertation. Time for bed now, methinks, or we'll never manage to get up. In fact, Steven's fallen asleep on the sofa, I'll take that as a hint. Good night everybody!

Trying to make it up to you

2006-01-29T01:28:00.000Z

I've been a bit crap this week. I've spent my time freaking out slightly about my dissertation, and not really doing enough work on it. But as a result, I haven't posted anything on here for a while - and because of that, I've had fewer and fewer hits which, inexplicably, makes me feel guilty. Am I letting you down, people-on-the-internet? Am I boring you? I'm sorry. Well, to make it up to you, here are some of the photos that I've taken in the last week.

Here is one to prove that I have actually been working. Except if you think about it, all this actually proves was that I've been taking pictures of myself at the library. Hmmm.

This is next to where we park the CHV minibuses and every time we've walked past recently, the smell of the flowers is gorgeous. I quite like the new Beetles (the fact that they come with a little vase in the front has a lot to do with it), although I wouldn't want a silver one.

These are a couple I took on camp: of the kids with their light-sticks after our night-walk; and of some lichen on a branch.

And finally, this guy was in front of us when we were stopped at some lights in the minibus, and I thought his whole set-up was really clever!

There, I hope that's better, even if they are a bit random. I promise to try harder in the future. Am I forgiven now?

Self Portrait Tuesday

2006-01-24T11:10:00.000Z

Personal History: week 4

Birthdays in our house were always special. Because my birthday is the day after Christmas, my Mum made a big effort to differentiate between the two, and developed a sort of birthday formula which was followed for everyone.

The birthday girl or boy sat at the head of the table in the Birthday Chair, a tall, very high-backed wooden chair made by a Norwegian exchange student who stayed with us when we were very young. The chair was decorated with balloons or streamers, a Happy Birthday banner was hung across the kitchen and there was a birthday hat, often made by Mum. The table was set for breakfast, with a big bunch of birthday flowers in the middle and our presents all laid out. And there was a special box of birthday cereal - something sugary that we wouldn't normally get.

Mum still does a lot of this for us but since I've left home, I often miss the others' birthdays, which always makes me feel bad. I suppose it's just a part of growing up, birthdays aren't really such a big deal anymore. That's fine, but when I have kids of my own, I hope I can make their birthdays as special as mine were.

Recovering from camp

2006-01-23T19:14:00.000Z

Phew! I've decided that CHV camp must be like childbirth - your brain wipes over the bad bits, gives the rest a lovely rosy tint and files it under 'Rewarding Experiences'.

It's not until you find yourself on your next camp, in the middle of the night, 4 hours drive away from home, pretending to be in control of 6 defiant teenagers with the most offensive vocabulary you've ever heard, that you realise you knew all along that it was going to be like this and once again you've been fooled by the images of beautiful scenery and smiling, compliant, happy children.

Yet even though I've worked this out, I already seem to be forgetting the difficult bits of this weekend and thinking instead about how I actually felt quite sure of myself when we were horse-riding, with snowy hills on both sides and the kids sitting in slightly nervous awe on top of the horses in front of me; or the night walk we did through the middle of a forest with the kids clutching brightly-coloured glow-sticks and shrieking whenever anyone touched them or mentioned the names of scary films; or the photos I have from after the night walk, and from when the kids got hold of my camera, including some lovely shots of my face as I tried to get it back.

Perhaps I'll volunteer for our week-long summer camp this year. Why not? I'm sure it'll be a very rewarding experience!

Have a nice weekend

2006-01-20T16:30:00.000Z

We're away on CHV camp for the weekend, to an outdoor centre in the Highlands. I can't wait. The area is really beautiful, so I'm hoping for some good photography weather. It's fun to get away to places we wouldn't normally go and for the most part (kids' behaviour permitting) camps are good fun. We're meant to be going horse-riding tomorrow, which could be interesting - especially since these are the same kids that yelled 'Look at that big broon thing!!' when we passed a cow near Loch Tay while on camp last year!

It's a three and a half hour trip from Edinburgh, not including the hour it takes to drive round and pick all the kids up. Steven's driving the minibus, so at least that means I get to sit up front with him to keep him company and control the music. No matter how sleepy they get on the way there, it's a given that the kids will go nuts the minute we get into the centre and we won't get to bed until well after midnight.

Wish us luck!

Ooooh, look!

2006-01-19T20:32:00.000Z

There's a little shop near the University which sells all kinds of cool jewellery, and they're having a sale. The magpie in me couldn't resist - I did stop at 3 for 2, but they had loads of things I liked. I love these, they make smile!

Self Portrait Tuesday

2006-01-17T21:49:00.000Z

Personal History: week 3

Steven and I met in Tanzania on our gap year four years ago and have been together - mostly long-distance - ever since. Here is the earliest picture I can find of us together - taken in Moshi in April 2002, messing around to use up the film before I developed it to send home to my mum; along with the most recent - taken on Sunday, out for a walk up Blackford Hill in Edinburgh. Written on the back of the first picture is a note saying that neither of us was happy with the way we looked in it, but both of us thought it was a good picture of the other. Since then, we have both grown a lot in self-confidence and are a lot happier with ourselves - something which I think has a lot to do with our being together.

My 'magpie tendencies'

2006-01-15T20:17:00.000Z

Steven calls me a magpie.

I am easily distracted by things which are brightly coloured or shiny. If Steven and I are out anywhere, walking along the street or on the bus, our conversation will be dotted with exclamations of 'Ooooh, look' or just short silences as I lose track of what I'm saying because something has caught my eye. Nowhere is safe: the cook shop up the road has a red enamel colander in the window; a baby clothes shop further on has cool stripy hats, the flower shop has dusty pink gerberas sitting in buckets outside. Yesterday, Steven took me to a computer shop to buy more RAM, but while we queued I was much more interested in the little red mouse on a top shelf. I covet that mouse now, although I have no need of it. It's not just colours though, it can be anything - a cute baby, an old car or someone with stylish shoes.

Lots of little things make me smile each day, but by the time I get home and get to speak to Steven, I've invariably forgotten what they were. One of the purposes of this blog is to document the things that have made me happy: conversations overheard, people observed, bright colours and shiny things.

He's here!

2006-01-12T23:24:00.000Z

I've got my boy back! He arrived yesterday evening, having escaped the evil clutches of his geek exam the day before. And already he has fixed and tidied many things, including the wardrobe in the hall that won't stay closed - which, by the way, I'm convinced is haunted.

My hero!

Self Portrait Tuesday

2006-01-10T17:56:00.000Z

Personal History: week 2

My personal history in books: a selection of some of my favourites from 22 years of reading (or being read to).

See other Self Portrait Tuesday-ers here.

Good start

2006-01-09T20:57:00.000Z

It's the first day of a new semester. This semester I only have one class a week, a class which happens to be at 9am on a Monday morning. And today I am ill - I have a sore throat and not much voice. Lovely. I think I'll stay home tomorrow with my hot water bottle and some Lemsips and read Jane Eyre (for my literature course) and/or work on my dissertation. Hopefully I'll be better by Wednesday, because Steven's coming over, and I want to be able to go to CHV.

In the meantime, for something to look at, here is a picture from the holidays of Bella looking picturesque under the Christmas tree at home.

Un-Min

2006-01-07T12:48:00.000Z

I wasn't really happy with yesterday's post, I was tired and I couldn't think of anything particularly interesting to say. But I've just realised I forgot to include the funniest thing that happened to me yesterday.

My flight had been called through to departures in Kirkwall, and I was in the queue for security behind two little boys who were travelling by themselves. They got as far as the scanner and the woman kindly told them that they could go back through into the main airport and wait for someone from British Airways to come and take them to the plane. So far, so normal. Then it was my turn. I handed her my jacket and started to hand over my bags and she said, 'Oh, are you travelling by yourself too?'

Well, it was nice of her to be concerned, but I've just checked this out, and 'unnacompanied minors' are generally between the ages of 5 and 11!

I didn't really want to embarrass her by telling her I'm 22, so I just smiled and said yes. I know I'm small, but do I really look that young? The funny thing is, I hardly ever get IDed for buying drink or seeing films. How wierd.

Honey, I'm home!

2006-01-06T20:14:00.000Z

I got back to Edinburgh this afternoon. I came down on the plane, laden with all my Christmas and birthday presents. My little pink suitcase weighed 20kgs! They had to put a 'heavy' sticker on it.

I had tinned soup and oatcakes for dinner because our cupboards are bare at the moment. Not for long though, we've a Tesco delivery arriving tomorrow (thanks Mum), so we'll be fully stocked and ready to go. Someone remind me that the Tesco man takes plastic bags back to recycle, I think our collection is plotting to seize control of the flat!

Right now though, I'm going to make a cup of tea and chill out. Unpacking and work - and hopefully something slightly more interesting to blog about - can wait till tomorrow.

Good Luck Steven!

2006-01-04T17:41:00.001Z

Steven left this morning. We spent Christmas with our own families and then he came up to Orkney for New Year, although he didn't get to have much fun because he had so much course-work to do. He's gone back to Belfast now, for some big important hand-ins on Friday and an exam on Tuesday. But after that, he's coming to stay with me in Edinburgh for a while, yay!

Good luck Steven, see you soon. x

Self Portrait Tuesday

2006-01-03T19:24:00.000Z

In my explorings of other blogs before I got up the guts to start my own, I found Self Portrait Tuesday. I like the idea of this, so I think I'll give it a go. Photos of me generally don't come out very well (this has been commented on!) but maybe if I practise, I'll work out any secrets there are to it. The monthly themes should give me a bit of creative structure too.

January's theme is Personal History. I haven't had a chance to come up with anything inspired, but I've found one of my favourite photos from when I was little. This is me, Hannah and Alexander aged roughly 5, 3 and 1, at an old go-cart track we used to ride our bikes on. It doesn't exist any more, someone built a hotel over it. My first proper bike did well though - we all learned to ride on it and as far as I know it was still going strong a couple of years ago!

New Year's Day

2006-01-02T21:24:00.000Z

Yesterday I went for a walk with Mum and Alexander and the dogs. I lagged behind for most of it, taking pictures. I got some good ones, Orkney sunset and then some pretty sky colours before it got dark.

Hogmanay

2006-01-02T21:07:00.000Z

We didn't have a very happening Hogmanay. Steven and I went down the street for the bells but then it only took about 10 minutes to say Happy New Year to everyone that I knew, so we went for a wander with my camera. Took a few photos, but the [large] glass of wine that I'd had meant that most of them were pretty useless. The stained glass window in the St Magnus Centre came out quite well though.

Happy New Year everyone!

2006-01-01T21:54:00.000Z

I got a new camera for my birthday and so as another part of my birthday present, Steven's helped me set up this blog. I'm going to use it to show off my photos and hopefully to keep in touch with my friends. I might post about other things too, we'll see.

All the best for 2006 everybody. x