Back to Studentsville

The one thing I noticed last night was the fact that I did not dread the fact that it was Monday Eve, which was such a welcome relief after dreading almost every single Monday for the past three months (talk to me in a months time and see if I've changed my tune already!).

The early starts aren't bothering me too much, although it was dark at the train station this morning, an unwelcome drawing in of the nights. I've found even more mature students, this time round some from other countries. It still seems that I am one of the less mature of the mature students (yay!). I don't know how the others decided to go for it, I was fretting about having to take a year out to earn money as I didn't want to postpone my life. I've met people who have done a degree and a masters, or a degree and then teacher training, or like myself, a degree and then worked. We all sound old chatting about the way Uni was "in our day" and how old all these 18 year olds are making us feel with all their partying.

It looks like I will definitely be needing help in physics. At first the lecture was fine while the lecturer explained the reasons behind studying physics on this course, and I was enthused by them. Then the real lecture started and I really couldn't understand a thing I was writing down, all these sodding greek symbols that stand for wavelength and frequency etc, and the basic equations that they expect us to know. I do not know any of this, I last did physics six years ago, so just stick me in the corner with a dunces cap and talk very slowly so I can write all this gobbledeegook down.

It's not much to ask is it?

Oh no I've been neglectful

I'm brushing off the thin layer of dust that has managed to accumulate in the cafe after my brief time away. I apologise for the length of my absence and promise to behave in future (who am I kidding?).

Paris was fabulous as a future post will tell you, but for now I wish to speak about tomorrow and what lies ahead of me. Friday was my last day in work you see, and this Monday I start afresh with a new degree course (hopefully the last one!).

I'm absolutely petrified, I don't know where I'm going, who I'm going with or anything. I'm sure that at some point through my day I will run across someone who will talk to me, after all everyone is in the same boat, but the paranoid part of me thinks that everyone will have met up in halls and at various freshers parties this weekend and I will be the only one who doesn't know anyone.

So for now I mentally prepare myself and put my chatty head on, because tomorrow I will need it, wish me luck everyone!

The cafe closes up shop...

For next week anyhow, I'm off to Paris in the next half an hour. I'll miss you all and promise to come back with plenty of tales and photos.

Au revoir!

Ten Eternal Truths About Creamfields

August bank holiday weekend brings with it several events, one of these being Creamfields. Those of you who read this blog last year may remember my Creamfields post that year as a member of SJA. While last years post was a bit long winded I'm hoping to keep this one short and sweet, so here it is the ten eternal truths about Creamfields (which would happen whenever and wherever the festival was held).

1) There will always be a small minority of girls who will show up in a bikini, a pair of shoes/boots and nothing else, not even a jumper for later on. This will invariably happen whatever the weather is like in the daytime.

2) The aforementioned girls will end up in the field hospital/first aid posts at around 3 am complaining that they're cold and asking can they take one of our blankets.

3) Our members will always lose the will to live at around 3 am and wonder why they signed up to do this event.

4) There will always be someone who for whatever reason decides to test their bodies by consuming between 10 and 20 ecstasy tablets. Do they think "Hmm, the first 8 haven't worked so I'll have a few more" seconds after swallowing the first lot?

5) At least one of our members will always get injured at some point in the night. A couple of years ago that member was me, I got clonked on the head by a big tripod light that fell on me and caused me to bleed a little. This year a member sustained soft tissue damage to her knee and ended up on crutches.

6) There will always be people complaining that they feel weird after taking one substance or another and will be taken to our med centre to sleep it off.

7) Those mentioned in point 7, having gotten a nice place to sleep with a pillow and a blanket will now be extremely unwilling to leave it. Not good when we get busy and need to find a bed to treat someone else.

8) There will always be people who come in and say "I haven't taken owt mate" while their pupils are the size of a dinner plate.

9) There will always be violence, the police do well to try and contain it but we do get to see the end result of fights very often.

and

10) Never leave brownies around our members if you would like to eat one later. I have been told by my mum that the brownies I'd made weren't particularly nice too :-( Thanks Mum.

So all in all, a good night. We weren't as busy as we have been in previous years which was good, although the first aid posts had their manic moments. Here's to next years Creamfields!

An open letter

To the two do-gooders who saw fit to make complaints to the RSPCA. No, I'm not an animal abuser, neither are my family. Yes, my dog is skinny and you can see his ribs, but no we are not starving him.

Did you happen to know that my dog is nearly seventeen years old? Did you also happen to know that he is currently undergoing diagnostic tests at the vets to determine the cause of his weight loss? No you didn't and that's because you didn't care to ask my mother who made eye contact with you as you beat a hasty retreat.

Your actions, however well intentioned nearly caused my dog to be put down. Luckily the RSPCA officer who came to our house saw that he was not mistreated and just an old dog. Today she came around again and I showed her videos of him running on the beach earlier in the week. From those she could see that he was well cared for and that he was still lively. Despite losing weight he still has a good quality of life.

I'm not an idiot, I know he wont live forever. Trust me when I say that if I could see him in pain and suffering I wouldn't hesitate to do the right thing and put him down. But right now, he's loving life and I'm loving life with him. I'm glad of every extra minute I get with him because I know how close I was to losing him for good.

I hate being judged like this, anyone who has any sort of experience with animals can see that my dog is not mistreated just getting on in years. So don't scowl at me as I take my beloved pet for a walk, after all if I was starving him and kicking the shit out of him do you really think I'd be taking him for a walk in the park?

Twats.

Final day

I nearly forgot to post. I could have let it slide but since my mate only gets back tomorrow I've decided I should post today. I just want to say thank you to all who have commented over this week, and to all you non-believers, courgette and chocolate go really well together in a cake (try it for yourselves at this site).

Coming up next time; what I have decided to do while in Paris, stay tuned ;-)

And on the seventh day

I tidied out the kitchen cupboards, let's hope they stay tidy for more than two minutes...

Now I know why I dont generally post every day. I run out of things to say and end up talking crap. My friend is back at the weekend anyhow, so the post madness shall end tomorrow and I can get back into my usual style of posting when I have something to say.

Sixth day

Thank god it's friday tomorrow, and I'm so glad I have a half day off work. Get in!

The wonder of google

Check me out, five days into this post per day challenge and I'm already running out of ideas. So I'm looking to my stats for inspiration, and I shall share with you some of the more amusing words and phrases that have brought people via google to my little cafe.

Chat up line physics
I'm sorry but unless she's a physicist too, there's no chance of a physics related chat up line going well

Slobby booty
This phrase would have directed them to this post on my blog, why they were searching for a "slobby booty" I just don't quite know.

Lola's other blog
No I just have the one, unless you count my on the side restaurant review blog

Funny job lola
Well the last funny job was my lab tech stint, the things that I did still amuse me. This post sums up one of my favourite moments from my time there.

How to chat up a scientist
Well it's nice to know that us science gals are sexy enough to chat up, don't expect us to be too easy to get though

Biscuit theory
Oh yes, it's is the one, the only biscuit theory

Show me what happens on monday with lola
Well on monday I went to work, felt crap, cancelled a meeting and went bed early, not very interesting

Magic boobs
Yes they are, dont believe me? Check this out

Bonkers boobs
No, they're magic, not bonkers

Pooing at work
Hmm I may regret doing that post at some point. Remember this isn't instructions on what you have to do, but it's more politeness and toilet manners.

Lola's boobs
It's nice that you want to google my boobs, but I'm not that kind of a girl

The great mouse detective boobs
Oddly enough I can't recall boobs featuring heavily in this film, perhaps it's best if I don't...

"your legs behind your head"
I'm not even going to go there...

Learn how to make cocktails in liverpool
Well give me a buzz I'll teach you how to make them so long as I get to drink some

handcuffed OR cuffed OR handcuffs OR cuffs OR handcuff
I don't think this chappy was intending to find a lovely pic of me in high vis while my first aid kit was arrested. Apologies for it not being sexy handcuffs.

That's all for now folks. Enjoy your evening.

A little late

I bet you thought I'd forgotten to post. Not quite, but I am busy tonight. Why do I always leave things til last minute, grrrr.

A short post tonight, but then again I need my sleep

ciao

Paris

Paris the city of lovers, of haute cuisine and haute coulture. The city of the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame and the Louvre. The city that I shall hopefully be going to for my holidays this year. Partially because I'm lazy and partially because I'm curious I'd like to know the answer to this question...

If you were in Paris what would be the sights that you'd have to see? Or place that you'd have to visit?

Please give me some hints as I have very little idea of what to do while I'm out there!

Poles Fun, Public Poles More Fun?

Second day, second post, not bad so far (please see previous post for an explanation of my post per day for a week thingy).

Today I cam across this video on youtube, and although it was for a dare I think this is fantastic and kudos to the girls for doing it. Although the funniest thing about it is some of the other peoples expressions. So to the girls congratulations for going against the norm and having the guts to go for it. Is anyone up for a go of this in London Underground?

Frosty Goodness

Due to a good friend of mine being away for the week I've decided to try to do a blog post each day to take my mind off being bored. Whether I manage it or not is another thing.

Today I was puzzling over what to write about until I went downstairs to the kitchen, and then I saw it, the frosty gorgeousness that is our brand spanking new fridge. Now call me sad if you like, but I love this fridge, for starters it's massive (and with my food shopping sprees it wont take long to fill it!), it's metallic and somewhat sexy for a fridge. I think I adore kitchen appliances far too much for my liking.

That's the fridge in all its' glory, see why I love it. It also has water and an ice machine. I'm in kitchen heaven!

Now all that's left to do is to go and eat the 4 tubs of Ben and Jerrys I popped into the freezer section last night, toodles!

A spot of selfishness on my part

We had stumbled on the shop purely by chance. In fact you could have said it was fate that we ended up there. We were desperately searching for hats for my cousins wedding in a weeks time and we had had no luck. Mum had looked up some hat hire shops and we set off for the first one, which was closed, on a Saturday. We grumbled and set off for the second on the list, a little further away.

I knew the road it was on, I had driven along it many a time, but this shop was hidden. It was not only a hat shop but also something called a dress agency. We went in for hats and came out with bags and bags of fabulously priced designer gear, most of which had never been worn before. Shoes, dresses, bags they had them all, and so did we as we strolled out of the shop clutching our purchases.

"Tell your friends!" they said as we headed out the door.

So I came onto the blog to tell you all about this little gem, and encourage you to go, but then I started thinking. What if telling people leads to me one day going in to this little treasure trove and one of you has just snatched up what would have been the perfect shoes/dress/bag for me? What if I lost out because I was good enough to pass this secret onto you all?

So I'm keeping quiet, there's just no coming between a girl and her fashion.

If it makes you feel better I wont be telling my friends either...

Green fingered

I'm sitting here eating a stir fry with my very own home grown courgettes, mangetout and spring onions.

Life is good.

Happy Birthday

Not to me, but to my blog. One year ago today I made the first post in the Cafe. It doesn't feel like a year. I've "met" so many funky people while writing this blog, and I'd like to thank everyone who's ever read or commented. Now down to business, party at the cafe guys!

Things that go bump in the night

There's nothing quite so irrational, yet also rational as our fears. To us it makes perfect sense that we are afraid. To others, we may seem a like bit of a weirdo.

I was listening to the radio last night when a female listener confessed that as a child she had been petrified of buttons and had to have everything fastened with velcro up until the age of nine. I found that odd, but then I had to admit that as a tot I always cried hysterically when the music video for Reet Petite by Jackie Wilson was played anywhere near me. This then extended to me being afraid for the song for most of my childhood.

Thankfully I've now come to my senses and I'm only scared of sensible things, like spiders, daddy long legs, enclosed small spaces, clowns, death, walking upstairs in the dark, pitch dark, ghost stories, etc, etc, etc.

He's fire and ice and rage. He's like the night, and the storm in the heart of the sun

Well, I don't know about the rest of you, but I know exactly where I'll be at 7:10pm next Saturday. I have an appointment to find out what happens in the second episode of the final three part episode of the Doctor Who series. It's set to be the biggest challenge facing the Doctor and certainly one hell of a ride. What will happen with the devious Mister Saxon and will the Doctor, Jack and Martha escape from the "future-kind" at the end of the Universe without a Tardis? It's all hotting up and this is just the beginning. Those who dare, watch!





For those who missed the episode this Saturday, the episode Utopia can be seen at www.tv-links.co.uk

He's ancient and forever. He burns at the centre of time and he can see the turn of the Universe..

A good note to finish the night on...not

I've just drove home from a friends house, it's late, about 11:45pm and the streets are dark and rainy. I pull into my drive and just before I turn the engine off I see something out of the corner of my eye. I turn my head, a drunken chav is standing by my car window, looking in at me. My heart starts to race. He mouths something at me, but there is no way I'm opening my car window. My laptop is in the front seat with me along with my mobile and my cash cards in my bag, and my town is known for its' scally, inbred inhabitants who cause trouble for kicks. He speaks again and steps closer to the car. At a loss for what to do, I shrug. He straightens up, nods at me as if to say, "ok then" and staggers off down the street after some other drunken blokes. I wait until they are further down the street before I grab my stuff and cautiously head into the house, my heart still pounding and my hands shaking.

That brings me up to now, I'm safe and sitting in my warm bedroom. I'm eating Lindt chocolates to ward off my shakiness (it's just what the doctor ordered). And above all I feel a bit of a prat because after going into complete "flight or flight" mode the drunken chav seemed to only want directions. Still you can't be too careful I suppose...

Belly's gonna get ya!

The unthinkable has happened, I'm actually fat!

I have a tendency to retain water during certain times of the month, and then look all svelte afterwards. Well it's not longer that time of the month and my bras don't fit and I actually broke into a sweat getting into my tight jeans. In fairness, these jeans were actually tight when I bought them, but now they are cutting off my circulation.

My lazy lifestyle has come after me with avengence, the belly has finally got me...