Ramblings

Charlie Ginger August 1999 - December 2008

2008-12-03T19:12:31Z

Goodbye to my Charlie Ginger Cat who was put to sleep today after 9 years of being my pet.
I will always remember him.

Friends Only-ness

2007-09-11T15:30:53Z

It was a very rare event that I picked up random readers as friends onto this journal, not that I am against the idea, perhaps I am just not that interesting.

Anyway, I have decided to go friends only. It is unfortunate that the world seems to contain people who I would rather never knew anything about my life.

Anyone already on my F-list (you lucky, lucky folk) stay on there. Unless of course you are fed up of me and want to go, you know, I won't force you to stay...*sob*

Any random new people, feel free to comment here if you have been wildly entertained by my previous entries and I will more than happy to add you to my friends list.

Oh holy gods

2007-07-11T13:37:07Z

The solicitors have lost a piece of our paperwork...

I am so unbelievably pissed off

My own bed

2007-07-04T11:54:28Z

I am really looking forward to having my own bed again. It's been nearly a year since I've been in a bed of mine own! We actually got rid of our cheap crappy mattress when we moved out of Feltham, so it will be a brand new mattress and msraynsfordand myself will be the first (and quite probably) only to sleep on it! My own bed!

Since moving out of the flat I have slept in 13 different beds, that's a lot of beds!

1. Sep + Oct '06 - Luton and Dunstable hospital accommodation bed - was a bit small, but pretty comfy. And I got to stay there for 2 months, so it started to feel like home!
2. Nov '06 - Basildon University hospital hellhole bed
3. Dec '06 - Ilford accommodation bed - I made my room Christmassy
4. Jan '07 - Ocean (Roach) Heights, Gibraltar - the bed was OK, apart from the time I found blood on the 'clean' sheets that certainly wasn't mine
5. Also Jan '07 - Lovely big hotel bed at The Caleta, Gibraltar, for a blissful week
6. Also Jan '07 - Slightly folded sofa bed in The Bristol Hotel, Gibraltar, while I was crashing in my parent's hotel for a few days to avoid roaches
7. Feb '07 - Bed in a hotel in Morocco on the sea front in Tangier
8. Also Feb '07 - Another lovely hotel bed at The Eliot in Gibraltar
9. March - June '07 - UCL Halls bed in Swiss Cottage
10. A couple of times this year - the sofa bed of my friend's Kate and Alex
11. In amongst all this - Mart's sofabed at his parent's house
12. In amongst all this - 2 different bed's at my mum and dad's, cause they swapped the beds in the guest room over
13. In amongst all this - kate_the_medicand tompullman's futon - much more comfortable when you're drunk.

I think I might go and have a look for a new mattress online...

Limbo land

2007-07-02T20:55:37Z

We still haven't moved. I suppose that is not a surprise, since it is Monday night. I feel like I should have moved already!

Friday msraynsfordand I were happily distracted from the woes of the house moving (and my train journey halved!) by the gathering of friends at mr_kobayashi's new place (damn, your LJ name is harder to spell than my surname!). Much sillyness ensued.

Without a shread of guilt we slept a lot of Saturday away. It seems to be taking me a long time to recover from exams! Other things from the weekend like playing games and watching films, were also good, it seems like a long time since I was able to relax. Went to see Shrek 3 with Mart's sister and her boyfriend on Saturday night. It was OK, but I hope they have the sense to stop at trilogy.

In amongst this, the last bit of paperwork still hadn't arrived. The estate agents were telling us that we could only then move the following Friday, despite this being the only date we told them wasn't good for us. I feel really bad cause I'm going away for the weekend with my friends, and I won't be there for the first weekend we have our house. But I have so been looking forward to this holiday, relaxing and catching up. kate_the_medic, who sorted the whole weekend has done so much to help me with my exams and everything, I couldn't pull out, I don't want to. On the plus side, it sounds as though there may be birthday celebrations afoot up't Andover way, which would keep Mart's mind off not moving. (Not such a plus that I won't be there too...)

After some more phone calls with the moron lawyers, we finally got the last document faxed today. Mart took the afternoon off work so that I could sign it and we took it all to the post office for next day delivery. I guess there is a slim chance that everything could be in place for Thursday. The estate agents called again today and said that the seller maybe able to do days other than Friday after all.

So I'm kindof in Limbo land. I have filled my parent's house so full of my stuff that there is barely any room for me there, at Mart's mum and dad's I am living out of a suitcase (again). However, I will not let my plans for my holiday be too much delayed...ER DVD boxset...

I finished medschool!

2007-06-28T11:51:32Z

Yesterday I graduated as a doctor.

It was a lovely day, if not a little surreal. Can't get used to the idea of being finished yet. My mum, dad, sister, Nan and grandad and Martin all came to watch me flit across the stage in my gowns. Despite the weather lately, it actually stayed dry long enough for us to have a picnic. Mum made another amazing cake! It was a nice location, at Alexandra Palace. After the ceremony we went for dinner together, then Mart went back to his parent's and I went home with mine.

Unfortunately while parking outside the restaurant, Mart and I incurred an £80 parking ticket. I'm not sure that there are sufficient expletives to cover my feelings on this matter. Needless to say, I shall not miss parking in London.

Despite having a nice happy day graduating, I am not so happy today. We were supposed to be moving into our new house tomorrow. That is now not happening. Why? Because between them, the estate agents and the lawyers have bungled paperwork and confused themselves. It is extremely fraustrating. The only reason we even found out today that we wouldn't be able to move tomorrow was because Mart rang round trying to find out what the confusion was. In addition to a piece of paperwork we were never sent that needs to be signed, there is another piece of mortgage paperwork we didn't even know about. Apparently that was sent last night, so we may not even receive it tomorrow. As for the other form, we called them about it on Sunday, on Monday I called again to make sure it was sent, and they told me it was in the post. Today they told Mart that they were about to send out a fourth copy...are they sending it out in triplicate to be buried for 30yrs and then fed to the ravenous bugblatter beast of Trall?

I really don't know what we are doing now, or how long it will take for us to move. Next weekend I am going away for a girlie weekend and it has been booked for months, hopefully we can move in the week. Gah!

Still have to pack some stuff at mum and dad's while I'm here though.

It is so nice not to be worrying!

2007-06-25T16:44:40Z

My mind has been more on the blank side the past few days. I've been slightly drowsy and zombified, but mainly I've had a smile on my face.

Spent the weekend with kate_the_medicand tompullman, upped my alcoholic drinks quota and had my first hangover as a doctor. I would never had believed you could fit as many people into a little cottage as I saw at their housewarming.

I have also been very happy to be reunited with msraynsford, he survived a week working on a boat in Scotland.

Although I have been free from worry, I feel I may be verging on new ones. Mart and I got back to his parent's on Sunday to 2 letters from the lawyers, sent on the same day, saying the same thing: why haven't we signed this piece of paperwork and we can't move without it. Well it would have been nice whilst they were sending out those letters if they had bothered to send this paperwork in the first place. All we have is a piece of paper say it was 'to follow'. Now this is unfortunate, as we were hoping to, and otherwise all set to move this weekend coming. I would really rather it wasn't held up by lack of paperwork.

Anyway, we just have to wait for it to arrive now.

Today I have been getting dusty with packing stuff here at Mart's parent's house. We are going to his sister's for dinner tonight which is nice, I haven't been to her new place yet. I'm really hoping that the weather will clear up for my graduation on Wednesday.

Thanks for all your nice comments! I'm really looking forward to seeing people again soon. When we have eventually moved we plan to have a housewarming/engagement/I'm a doctor party.

The passage of time...in photos!

2007-06-21T12:40:24Z

My Charlie ginger 'helping' me study for my 'A' Levels:

And 7 years later,

charlie helping out with medschool finals revision:

Trust me...I'm a doctor!

2007-06-21T12:11:09Z

What a relief!

Somehow I managed to get through yesterday. My sister came into London with me to collect the results. Admin had made a big deal about them being up 'by 5pm'. We got there at about 5.15pm and the place was empty. No students, no results, no anything except an unfinished banner reading 'Congratulations class of 200'. My sister thought it was a joke, I thought perhaps the world had ended and everyone was zombies or something.

I didn't really know what to do then. In walking to the admin office I saw someone I knew, and they informed me that the results were not out yet for some reason. 100s of stressed out medics spread across campus biting their nails off. So we went to Starbucks to sit it out. By 6pm the results were up (nothing like that extra hour of unexplained extra stress to really properly end your time at medschool). I checked 3 times on the list, I definately passed, I'm definately a doctor. How weird is that? I wonder how long it will take for me to stop thinking that I am a medstudent, having been one for so long?

I met up with some of my also newly doctor friends and we went for dinner. Didn't want to stay out too late 'cause my sister had to drive me home and she is in the middle of a week of training to drive ambulances. In the end though, I didn't get home until 11pm. Mum had put up balloons and made

brilliant cake

Dad's on late shifts this week, so he got in about 11.30 and I got nice congratulations cards from my parent's and sister and mum and dad bought me some gorgeous earrings for my graduation.

Last night may have been the best sleep I have had in years. I didn't have to dream about exams. I'm sure there will be plenty to worry about in the future, but today, I can relax and be happy and try and let the news sink in.

Thankyou for all you nice comments and thinking of me over the past few days.

Sleepless in Steeple Aston

2007-06-19T22:29:58Z

This time last year, a very tired kate_the_medic still couldn't sleep for fear of the day that followed...the medical school finalist's results day. In light of this, an old-enough-to-know-better tompullman suggested (as a joke I think) that we go clubbing. Well, we took him up on the idea, and some hurried make-up later (for Tom, 'cause obviously Kate and I are always fresh faced and gorgeous) we wandered into Soho.

As it turned out, Tuesday around midnight is not big for clubbing. I think Tom may have attracted some male attention. After a couple of G+T's we mainly roamed the streets giggling loudly until going to a cafe and ending the night with a hot chocolate.

To be honest, I can't remember what we did the next day to keep Kate distracted, but I do remember accompanying her and many of my good friends to read the hallowed list in Huntley Street, the moment when they became doctors.

A year on, and it is my turn to be over-tired but still sleepless. Only there is no Kate and Tom with me, and I am not within a stone's throw of Soho. My mum, who has a sore throat, reckons she'll be awake most of the night, if I want to go and have a chat.

Results are out in 17.5 hours. I am bricking it.

Freedom...

2007-06-19T14:35:36Z

Spent most of the morning in my dressing gown reading OOTS. I am very behind and they are very funny.

Unfortunately I really had to stop avoiding the task of sorting out my clothes which, after several moves and washes, have ended up all over the place in various suitcases and baskets. Most of them don't even fit me, but that it an entirely different and boring story.

So yeah, started with the clothes sorting, got bored. Turned my laptop on and went downstairs to escape the chaos of my temporary room.

It's going to be Wednesday tomorrow. Arg. I have just folded up my short white coat ready to store. I hope that is symbolic and I won't need to be getting it out of storage again. The waiting is sort of doing my head in.

Lost: over a month of my life

2007-06-17T20:44:20Z

I knew it'd been a while since I was last on LJ, I hadn't realised it has been over a month. It wasn't a plan, finals actually took over my life.

Along with my fellow finalists, over the past few months I have become cut off from the real world, able to communicate only in medical terminology or high speed, high pitched panic. I believe this has been particularly difficult for those of us whose partners are not involved in the medical world. (Obviously here I mean that it has been difficult for our partners...perhaps the english language has not returned to me as much as I thought it had).

Anyhoo, I have been through the 5 final examinations which are designed to conclude the past six years of my life. The last one was on Wednesday and I have slowly been acclimatising to the real world since then. This process isn't complete. Thankfully I have moved out from halls, I'm at my parent's place for a week with all my stuff taking up space.

I haven't seen Mart for ages. I am completely fed up with being away from him, I'm just not very good at it. Less than a week until I see him though.

Results are out on Wednesday. I can't get it off my mind. I dream about it every night. In some of them I pass, in lots of them I fail. Had this freaky dream where I was in Grey's Anatomy and my patient died whilst I was operating and afterwards George told me I would never be a doctor. This was a very disturbing dream, mainly because I have only ever seen one episode of Grey's Anatomy, sometime last year. There is something wrong with my brain.
I can't make real plans or think about the future until after Wednesday. Only 3 more days then.

Giddyness of having got a mock exam over with!

2007-05-09T17:58:09Z

I have been somewhat anxious. My friend Kate and I practiced lots of examining last night (I was a hardcore student and worked until after 11pm!) and I am so glad we did.

It was all examing patients, finding what signs they had and giving diagnosis/treatment plan. We were in student pairs, which was more reassuring that just being alone. I barely got through the morning of lectures being so worried about the afternoon exam, but at the first station I thought I'd be brave and volunteer to go first. Turns out I am rubbish at examining the spine, what a surprise. It was worse that we had just had a lecture on it in the morning, but my mind going blank under pressure seems to be a new thing that is here to stay...

I couldn't think of a diagnosis when asked, my examination was appauling and I could feel my eyes stinging from the want to just cry and give up now. To make it worse, my partner then gave a textbook perfect example of how to answer this particular station and I just felt even more of an idiot.

Thankfully I didn't actually cry and it didn't get worse from there. I wasn't exactly a stellar student, but both my partner and I seemed to be more equally matched in further cases and agreed when stuff was really hard. We got a break halfway through, which was kind of them, but it might have been better just to go get it over with! The second half was by far the easier for me, and I actually feel I would have passed that half!

I'm just so glad that it's done now. We've got another one tomorrow, which may well be god awful, but at least it is practice!

We have also been fed twice today (free food is always good for students), doesn't quite make up for there being no heating in the rooms, but they did get some extra blankets for us. I know I won't be able to relax until I am away from here anyway.

Anyway, I am sort of being a good girl now by being in the library. I say sort of as I am obviously updating my LJ right now, and a big reason for being in the library until is closes it that it has heating...

Bulky update

2007-05-08T10:18:44Z

Feels like a long time since I updated, although it was less than a week ago.

I am trying to be quick as I perhaps should be using this time for a quick bit of revision before lectures.

Been a lovely few days since I last posted, even with some revision! I headed off to Mart's after clinical skills on Thursday. We went to the pub for dinner and relaxed and chatted. Talked about wedding stuff. Mart had Friday off work so we could go to see a potential wedding venue, so it was nice to get to spend all those days together over the bank holiday, and pretty unusual.

The wedding venue is gorgeous and we were both very smiley walking round. It is the place we are going to get married and that's very exciting. At the moment we are keeping details a surprise! Driving there and back did take up quite alot of the day though, especially in the holiday traffic, but I did some revision in the evening.

Sunday night we went to Andover. Other than spending a couple of hours in a field with kites, most of the evening was spent playing card games and chatting in madczechfriend's lounge. Also there was drinking. And it has been a very long time since I've had more than a couple of glasses of wine of an evening, so I felt a bit worse for wear on Monday morning! It was really good to catch up with my friends I haven't seen for such a long time. And it was really nice to relax and not think about work.

Yesterday, Mart and I mostly chilled out and watched Scrubs (which might nearly be revision??). Sadly, I had to go back to London and pack ready for this week's sojourn to Basildon.

I have got a room in G block, the worst of the accommodation here, but thankfully, my room doesn't seem too bad. I don't wish to be there any longer than I have to, but it's survivable. Food is going to be interesting though, since there is no crockery or cutlery in the kitchen. Makes even pot noodle difficult.

Although I was up early to travel across London, and now have sore hands from dragging my suitcase from the station to the hospital, the teaching doesn't start until 11.30. On the plus side, we have been given log-in's and passwords for the computers.

I think it is going to be a pretty scary week. There are 2 mock practical exams, which is a really good idea in principle, but it has real patients and real examiners and I am going to look a real idiot. It's less than 4 weeks to the exams, so I need to see how crap I really am.

Presentation

2007-05-02T19:13:31Z

Been and done the presentation. It was OK. Apparently I may have to go back and do it again in 2 weeks when the sperm lab staff are there. There was one supremely embarrasssing moment where I realised (just after everyone else) that in the process of cutting and pasting I swapped the column headings 'pregnant' and 'not preganant' and instantly increased the success of fertility treatment. D'oh. I'm not sure if some people were disgusted or not. I felt like defending myself in saying that I only knew about this definately last night, and that I wasn't even told to bring a powerpoint presentation. And I'm revising for finals. But I just carried on and, well I'm probably never going to see those people again.

Good news for Diana, the other girl I was on that module with, that they all seem really keen on getting her project work published. Does mean more work for her though. The good thing for me is that Dee is a very nice reasonable student, and we came to the agreement that if one of us got a publication out of it, we would try to get the other's name on it too, since initially it was the same project that ended up splitting into two, so alot of the basic research we did together.

But the meeting was over an hour and a half ago and I am still in the library. It has taken nearly this long to print out a load of revision lectures since the printers here are close to useless. Couldn't really concentrait on work during this time, since I had to leap up every 2 pages to sort out a paper jam before it did anymore. As a result, I have a new LJ layout...ahem.

Now I am tired again, but more of a satisfied tired, that I've actually been out and done something. Need to make a trip to find a microwave meal me thinks...it's far too late for real cookery.

Can't focus

2007-05-02T18:59:42Z

At least I have done some work now. Even worked while eating lunch. That is a sad state of affairs. I pretty much have all my meals at my desk when I am in London, but mostly I will look at a magazine or something so that I am not working and eating.

I'm feeling really preoccupied by this presentation I'm going to do this evening, and I'm letting that put me off the reams of boring revision I have in front of me. In reality, this presentation of mine may take 10mins maximum, and what's the problem if they ask me a question I can't answer?

It's really good that I don't have a TV, I really feeling like vegging out in front of one right now. Wish I could snap out of this now, since this is the last day for a while that I'm actually going to be at my desk. Tomorrow night I will be with Mart and I will feel better. Should be making the best of this day instead of going against it.

Maybe tea will help.

Too tired

2007-05-02T17:52:07Z

For some reason, I am so tired today I could cry. Well the crying part has really just been brought on by the fact that I have just realised I've scheduled a whole day's worth of revision into tomorrow, when I have to be in clinical skills all day, and therefore not at my desk. Now I have to move all of that revision into other days in order to keep up. And I'm already behind my own schedule. Did I mention I was tired?

Selfishly disappointed

2007-05-01T15:30:57Z

Was supposed to be meeting my parent's in about 5 minutes to go out for dinner. Unfortunately their brakes died on the way over here, and they are now waiting to be towed home. This is obviously not good news for them, but I am feeling very disappointed for myself. And I am not the one waiting at a service station for my broken car to be towed home. I am bad.

Just means a night alone *sob* with revision *actual tears*(only kidding, I can just about keep it together in public...)

If I had the internet in my room, perhaps I would be less bothered that I am in the library now, and have to walk home again. AT least I can go to the shop on the way home and buy something for dinner. May also force me to do some washing up now that I have nothing to eat off.

Didn't get going really early like I could have today, but have been trying to make up for it since. I guess I now have more time for the study tonight.

Tomorrow night I am presenting my reproductive medicine project to the unit at UCH. Have a feeling that is going to be nerve racking. I have no clue if I am supposed to bring a power point or something of it. In fact I don't even know if I have a hard copy of it...good job I am thinking of this now.

Revision, friends house and wedding dress!!!

2007-05-01T15:06:15Z

Managed to get going with the work eventually, was slow going though. Now I am tired, hungry and thirsty. It would probably be best just to go to bed, but I am instead going to have a hot chocolate. And possibly a jaffa cake.

Not really much point going to bed yet, as there is a group of students congregated in the corridor having a nice loud chit chat. Reasons why it sucks to be a medical student #many: exams always seem to be after everyone elses, therefore they are out getting drunk and coming in disturbing your revision/sleep. Although, in the process of my rant, they have actually cleared off to bed.

Did manage to finish the things I planned to get done today, therefore reducing the strain of having too many red items appearing on my task list. And proving that it can be done for tomorrow.

I had an email today from Karina, who was my SHO in Gibraltar. Got me thinking back to elective, and then to before elective, and I started thinking about all those people I haven't seen since Christmas or even before that. I read your LJ's, and Mart see's a lot of you, so I keep kind of up to date with what you're all up to, but I haven't actually spoken to many of you for a long while. Sorry. I guess you can probably see why!
Then this evening Mart suggested that we go visit people in Andover on Saturday night, which was nice, since I'd been thinking about it. So, although it will technically be a longer revision break than I might have otherwise had, I'm sure that it will have lots of relaxing therapeutic value!

In amongst all this LJing without actually getting to post it yet, I have forgotten that I have yet to post some very important bits of news! Last Tuesday Mart and I got our offer on the house accepted! So we are now in the process of buying a proper 3 bedroom house with a garden and a shead and everything. Most of this burden has fallen to Mart (what with him being actually in the area of the house) and he is already developing a special relationship with some mortgage advisor guy. It was also the reason I got a nice unexpected visit from him on Friday night, to sign a load of paperwork (and because he loves me, I'm sure).

Still waiting for wage confirmation from the hospital. I called again today, a week later to see if the letter was on its way, spoke to the same woman who said she'd sort it last week, who now promises to have posted it out today. I don't want to be too much of an arse pain about it, as I do have to go work there, but I also don't want to end up losing this house and money because of a letter.

I am now regretting the food and drink choice before bed. Feeling like acid reflux.

OK, onto more excellent news:

It was the first one I tried on at the wedding dress sale yesterday and it is just lovely. I tried on some others, as I figure, it wouldn't be entirely right to make a decision about this dress right then, especially since I have only tried on 3 dresses before, just because they were the ones in TKMaxx. But all other dresses paled into insignificance after trying my dress(!) It is quite different to the sort of dress I thought I'd go for, but it even looks good now, and I haven't done the obligatory losing a bit of weight thing yet (ie stop eating jaffa cakes as a staple food). I have to go get it altered closer to the wedding to give me a bit more bust room, because no, not everyone who's a size 14 has a B cup, but otherwise it is perfect.
One of the main things about it that is different to what I thought my dress would end up to be is that it is designer. This is another very good thing about this dress. It is a from the current collection, and if I got it in a shop it's list price is nearly £700, but because it's been worn once on the catwalk for a bridal show, I got it for £169! This makes me a very very happy bunny, as although our wedding budget is little, my dress is really for an expensive wedding! Also, when I say "I" got it, I actually mean my mum and dad did, as they have very kindly said they will pay for the dress.

It is all very exciting and strangely makes the wedding feel more tangiable. I almost can't wait to show it off! But first must stop eating jaffa cakes all the time...after the exams...

LJ without the internet

2007-05-01T14:50:59Z

Livejournal minus the internet? It's a new way for me avoid work.

Just having difficulty/impossibility in starting the work right now. Making a cup of tea and promising myself a biscuit if I am good and actually do some revision instead of staring blankly at it. I keep thinking of writing LJ stuff and then just putting it online when I get online. The process of the writing is what makes me feel better anyway. And there seems I have news everyday, even if there isn't the internet. This will just mean that many of my friends will miss the back dated entries. I'm sure it will keep them awake at night.

I can't turn my head to the right. Or look down. It causes pain. I am guessing that this has come about from sitting in the same position all of last week in revision lectures, and from carrying my laptop quite far in my right hand. It is better today, but I have just realised it has a subtle plus, I can't keep looking out the window, cause it hurts.

Ooh...I was making tea.

About enough for one day

2007-05-01T14:45:32Z

Predominantly been at the studying today. My dad has made me a desk in my parent's spare room out of two boxes and a plank of MDF. It's extremely functional. Also has a wicked view. Maybe I will take a photo and post it on here at some point. I suppose then that wouldn't be working.

So I'm at my parent's house this weekend. Going to a wedding dress sale nearby tomorrow. Maybe I will find an amazing dress bargain. Who knows, but weddings seem very far away right now.

The past week has been hard work, a blur of 8hrs of revision lectures a day, in seats that were not designed for such dedicated arses. Some of the week felt mildly reassuring, that my revision was sort of going in, and the past 6 years at medical school have not been a waste of time. Other times I actually felt physically sick with worry, that I appeared not to have heard of something the rest of the room was nodding in agreement to.

Personal revision time this week has been very little. Mainly because of the finishing after 6 every day and being wiped out, but also, went to dinner spontaneously with a couple of friends on Monday night; dinner with
rosixx on Tuesday night (very good to catch up, not seen her since before Christmas); cleaned my sink+fridge and did laundry on Wednesday night, then met my sister on Thursday evening to go to a wedding exhibition thing. It wasn't very big, but we stayed long enough to schmooze and get free stuff before spending the rest of the evening in a restaurant.

"Is it a sign from God?", "No, it's a squirral"*

2007-04-15T17:38:40Z

The weekend's gone a bit quick for my liking. I suppose this is because we had the bank holiday last weekend, and somehow that makes this one feel all the shorter.

I'm sat on Mart's bed with Mart's laptop feeling a wee bit crappy despite the generous gift of codeine from kate_the_medic. Mart is out with his mega kite. Was supposed to be getting a train back to London in about an hour, but due to aforementioned pain, and that I don't have to go in to the hospital tomorrow, I am staying another night.

Been pretty busy, and generally much happier this weekend than I was in the week. I'm sure much of this is to do with being with Mart instead of 100s of miles away from him. Having said that, the journey down could have been better. There are usually trains to Poole from London every half an hour, taking 2hrs. This Friday they were every hour, taking 3hrs. Unfortunately, this meant me standing for the first 40mins, with lots of other disgrunteled passengers. I was lucky to get a seat after that though, and it was easier to revise sitting down.

Friday night was all of the pleasantness. Went to Wetherspoon's for dinner with Mart and tried to cheer each other up regarding house buying and finding a wedding venue. Then we went for a walk along the quay with nice ice cream. The weather was mild, the sun was setting and it didn't smell strongly of fish until we walked back to the car. When we got to Mart's, I socialised with his family while he vacuumed his room (apparently the dust bunnies had mutated and one of us may have lost a leg over the weekend otherwise), then we watched Aliens.

Saturday Mart didn't let me lie in for long. We went into town and got the best bargain ever. 60 pounds worth of wedding reception invites for 3 pound. We were very happy indeed. Now if we can just manage the rest of the wedding like that.

Did some revision with the sun on my back in the lounge. Very slow going indeed. Mart went to view a house, and in hindsight, I should have gone with him, but for some reason we thought it was better if I stayed and did some more work. Doesn't sound like it's the one for us anyway.

I was saved from further revision by dinner with kate_the_medic. There was talk of weddings aplenty, lots of wine before a fairly early night at hers (we must be getting old). Today was pretty chilled (=no work), got up late, walked with Kate to the local shop to get breakfast supplies, ate out in her lovely garden in the sunshine before heading into Dorchester to have a look round the different areas where we might buy a house. Then we went to a garden centre. Although some people associate this Sunday afternoon activity with getting old and boring, it is important to point out that this is Kate's favourite garden centre because it sells good cake and wine. Nothing to do with plants. But she did buy alot of plants (and we had cake), and we made car noises while pushing the big trolley round the car park.

Now I am going to listen to some heart murmurs online. It's all about the technology.

*Other things that have made me laugh a lot this weekend: Talking personalities with Kate: "Well, Tom's like a pebble, and Martin's more of a breeze-block"

The hand goes up the puppet

2007-04-12T14:14:44Z

If I had posted yesterday it would have been full of the suckiness of life. However, part of the suckiness of life was being kicked out of the library early = no internet. Apparently they had to close 'cause it's the university holiday. Well I am not on holiday, the medical school were very clear on that matter.

Anyhoo. Today is less sucky than yesterday. Had good teaching this morning (although I was slightly disturbed when my consultant asked if I would like to 'blow on it' (his tea that I had just made him) in front of a third year student...I'm not sure if he realised that was rude), managed to get a BNF from the school office that isn't circa 1994 (good news for my potential patients and their drug charts), and found that I could submit my last module project by email, so I don't have to go tubing it into the centre today.

Things would be better had I saved the project onto my USB stick before coming into the hospital this morning. So I have been back to my room again, and I have just emailed the project. I am dense.

The bank holiday weekend went a little too quickly considering I thought I would be all refreshed after the 'break'. I was lucky to score the Tuesday off 'work' in addition to the usual holiday, although in terms of study, Friday was the only really good day. After thaty I just felt burnt out and even since then I have not got on as well (and it's nearly bloody Friday again - gah!).

It was nice to be looked after by my parent's and not be in halls for a few days. Although I could have done without falling out with my sister (who fell out with everyone over the weekend, so I don't feel special), but that is another story entirely.
Spent an evening with my Grandparent's, and had a slightly uncomfortable wedding conversation about why we're not going to have a religious ceremony. Not too bad though, it could have been much worse. I think I am lucky that they seem to respect my decision.

Got to see Mart (mostly over the top of a pile of revision books and my laptop) on Tuesday. He had taken the day off so we could go and see a potential wedding venue. Lains Barn near Wantage is due to incur the wrath of Kim. No one was there, we even set off the alarm trying to find someone. I was very annoyed. Needless to say, if they can't keep to a viewing arrangement and waste two people's valuable time, then they can't be trusted to host a wedding.

In other rants:
Because it is the university 'holidays' there is no cleaner or maintanance in my halls. The kitchen light died on Thursday. Cooking by candlelight is ridiculous at £80 a week rent. The bins are overflowing and the bathroom is disgusting. Thank god I am spending the weekend elsewhere. I need to get some disposable gloves from the hospital and empty the damn bins myself. I might be less of a wuss about it and use bare hands if I were able to identify what smells very bad in the bathroom bin.

At some point I will have to go back to the room and face the revision.

Many Hats

2007-03-31T22:44:13Z

Managed to rectify some of the revision mini-meltdown by going home, taking a paracetamol, eating, napping like an OAP then knuckling down to sorting out my notes. Made me feel better anyway, like I know where to start when I sit down at my desk. Some other poor student(s) have spent so much time sitting on my current desk chair that the seat pad has worn away. It is not a truly comfortable experience.

Only Saturday night, but I have already been wearing many hats this weekend. Mainly Grandaughter at my Nan and Grandad's Golden wedding anniversary celebrations on Friday night, future doctor at the mortgage advisor meeting this morning, fiancé talking weddings with Mart, sibling annoying my little sis by waking her up this morning, daughter eating mum's food and geek getting my laptop online again!

Mortgage meeting went much better than expected, considering last time we tried it the guy laughed at us and told me to go get a job. This time we were sent away being told to start looking for property. Crazy grown-up-ness is upon me!

Also found a potential wedding venue today, which we're off to tour tomorrow. It's handy that we are both at my parent's this weekend and able to do this, otherwise, other viewings look strategically difficult, with Mart taking time off work and me spending time and money on trains to and from London. But it will be nice to get some more ideas on costs and numbers. This wedding business is pretty exciting, but also a bit scary (what with the world of the grown-up...)

Did some more sorting of notes I've made in previous modules this year, so I will be running out of excuses not to learn some of it soon. This evening we watch V for Vendetta with my parents, who stayed awake throughout and actually enjoyed it. Very good movie, if you haven't seen it, see it!

2 days worth of grumpy Kim

2007-03-29T16:04:14Z

I have a headache. I thought it would be gone by now, as I am not really a headache sort of person. I thought it was just that I had been kept up late the night before last by my sister needing my free on-phone counseling services, or the girl-of-unknown-country-of-origin next door with her friend-also-of-unknown-country-of-origin, being very loud with music and chatting-in-unknown-language until 3am.

But last night I got lots of quiet sleep and woke up with the headache still there. I am concerned that it is all the pressure of not starting the revision building up in an effort to kill me.

I am also concerned that I am moaning about this and haven't not once taken a paracetamol. Bad grumpy Kim.

Still tired though. And still haven't started revision.

I may have 'the fear', which apparently corresponds to my symptoms of sleepless nights, nausea and anxiety about all things revision related. Apparently this is good, as 'the fear' leads to 'getting revision butt in gear', which would be a massive improvement on my current situation.

Literally everyone else here is revising but me. They have schedules (I am having trouble even thinking about what to do), and work routines and arg! Why am I the only one not working? Why do I have a headache? Why haven't I gone home to take a paracetamol yet??