Graduation Booking 101

I finally got round to organising my graduation stuff this week, well actually I've been trying to sort it all out for ages but various annoyances meant that I couldn't do it until this week. So, anyway I diligently went online and attempted the 'simple' process to book three tickets...besides me that is (I'm going to forget to go at this rate).....say 'yes' to the buffet and rent to gown, mortar board and colours for the 'big event'.

Simple my arse...after trying for an hour to get past the first page I optioned for the phone number 'in case of problems'....got shafted passed at least three different people, all giving different answers to 'can I book over the phone?' and finally a nice lady.....who took a whole five minutes to take my money.

£114 later and I'm all booked, suited and ready to go....but now I'm thinking how un-prepared I am...I'm going to have to buy a new outfit since mother says that jeans and my favourite Goonies Tee won't cut it.....also there's the whole walking, possibly up some steps, across a stage, wearing said gown and mortar board, to collect my degree....without tripping and falling on my bum. And then there's posing for photos, those official 'school like' photos taken by a condescending prat who tells you to smile without smiling and has you in a complete unnatural sitting position....Urgh.....and the whole thing takes place in November....cold, wet, windy, squally November...yep, pure genius that'un.

The Non-sensical World of Tom Cruise

So, apparently Tom Cruise is building a bunker under his house in Colorado, to survive an attack from aliens at the cost of £5 Million....Hmmm.....is it possible we can 'Orson Wells' one now and get the silly little man to disappear for a while?

Drum Roll......

Well results are finally in and survey says: Second Class (First Division) aka Upper Second Class Honours degree aka high 2.1. Not quite the 1st I was planning on but after the year I've had I'll take it and run thank you very much. Oh and i did manged a 72% for my dissertation aka the thing which would not die...so I'm feelin' kinda warm and fuzzy inside about that one...I deserve a treat of some sort I think...something chocolate in flavour perhaps.

Then I guess it's back to the job hunting....I can hardly contain my enthusiasm...oh wait, yes I can.

Paddington Marmite

So apparently Paddington Bear is making a comeback to our screens and he's jacking in his trademark marmalade sandwiches for Marmite....well if we're updating an institution then may i suggest that he change the duffle coat and hat for a hoodie, get a bit of bling and toss the shabby looking suitcase for something a little more Yves Saint Lauret.

Stargate: Atlantis Season 4

Officially the new series of Stargate: Atlantis doesn't air until Sep 28th (and that's in the US) unofficially, and very hush, hush with a little bit of oops on the side, is the first two episodes which I have just finished watching.

Absolutely no spoilers from me but it certainly moves thing into the next direction of SGA that's both characters (old and new) and story, so a big thumbs up from me. What was a little weird was that the unofficial copies had no musical soundtrack (hence the unofficial) which was instantly noticeable and very much missed (even though I was kind of humming it in my head as it went along....I guess I may have seen one or two many episodes repeatedly). Still I will be watching them again as and when they air here in the UK....It will certainly be interesting to compare the before and after from my academic position.

Homer the Cow

Dad learned a valuable lesson today....never tickle the nose of a cow with a cold.....especially when your standing right in front of it.

Also meet Homer.....

.....who shortly after this photo was taken belched as only a Homer could.

Angmering Park

Another glorious day and too nice to spend indoors, say sat behind a desk or serving some schmuck double espresso lattes sprinkled with chocolate on the top....nope, far too nice for that. I was wandering through woods and countryside yet again. Angmering woods and park to be precise.

It was a nice enough walk, about 5 miles which took us halfway round the woods and back to the car. Unfortunately there was little wildlife to report. Plenty of squirrels, busy harvesting the conkers from the trees....they now may be a little peeved that their hard work was pinched by the cumbersome giants who noisily trudged through their domain. Also there were plenty of birds fliting about but too quickly for me to identify and generally there were pigeons, rooks and black birds....so nothing that unusual.....Oh and dad spotted a dead grass snake when we sat on a hay bale for lunch and then dared me to pick it up....after a little poking with a stick I declined.

After lunch we walked through a field and back into woods along a track which lead back to the car. A pleasant enough walk, very peaceful even with the A27 not too far in the distance.

Oh, and we did happen upon a field with a herd of bloody great cows with bloody great horns. I trudged across brambles and stinging nettles to get a couple of up close and personal pics. I'm sure one was sizing me up and would had charged given the first opportunity, so I hi-tailed it out of the way before they got bored of chewing the grass.

All the good work calorie burning was promptly undone with the craving for a Double Decker on the way home....meh.

I Survived Clapham Woods circa 2007

Finally some decent weather....it's only taken all bloody summer. But September has arrived and with it a chance for me to get out and enjoy where I live.

Firstly on Friday dad and I took a wander around the top end of Pagham Harbour and then north across the fields hoping to end up at South Mundham...well that was the plan but we somehow ended up nearer Sidlesham to the west and had to double back to regain some sense of direction. This was with a map and a father who boasts about being a former member of the local boys club who regularly took part in night orienteering exercises over the downs....hmmmm, I'm saying nothing.

So eventually we made our way around the route ending up back at the harbour which is a fantastic place for any bird twitchers out there and for the lazy amongst us there is a hut with a list of all the birds seen at the entrance which is a pleasant gesture.

Friday night and I was off to Clogs' for a DVD night...she provided War of the Worlds and a bucket of KFC and I contributed party rings, marshmallow tea cakes (which are completely droolable), chocolate fingers and a choice selection from my own DVD library.

The verdict on War of the Worlds is could do better....press the stop button as the alien tripod is downed in Boston to alleviate any yelling at a complete implausible story conclusion....seriously Spielberg what were you thinking. Fortunately we finished the night with Heathers which more than makes up for the bad film preceding it.

Saturday, we swung by a local Co-op to pick up picnic food and then caught a bus to High Salvington where we picked up a footpath which leads to the infamous Clapham Woods. Why infamous? well over the years people and dogs who venture into said woods often disappear without a trace....the last being a vicar. This along with Satanic rituals, UFOs and apparitions of a giant bear being associated with the area one would have to wonder why anyone would venture withing several miles of the place. Well it's a well known fact that I have little sense and, to be honest, Chloe isn't much better so we trooped into the woods where 'birds don't sing'.

To be honest I don't think there's much to worry about. There was plenty of wildlife and a very peaceful pasture filled with sheep in which we spent several minutes lazing in the sunshine. We walked all the way through without incident to Clapham Village and the 12th Century church where a helpful old gent provided a little information about the place and in the graveyard I fussed over an adorable ginger cat.

We started back through the woods and diverted back towards town after Clogs' had partaken in the new sport of pheasant chasing....I think they won.

Ending up in Durrington we discovered a fair near our bus stop and wiled away an hour eating candy floss and, in Chloe's case, pooping her pants on an ultra fast wavy slide. (if you look carefully you can see a look of complete and utter terror which I gleefully caught on camera)

We trooped back to her house and attempted to watch Willow in the evening, but we were far too tired and after some girlie chat with her housemates we retired to bed around 11pm. The next day I woke with more aches and pains than I thought possible, which indicated that I am way out of practice.....damn the wet English summer.

Cadbury Advert

Just saw this brillant advert on the telly and thought I'd share....I don't really know why it's great, it just is.