11th of October

Today was mundane, up until it got to the complete opposite.  It started with a very bad nights sleep due to a stuffy cold, people leaving the house at unearthly hours, and a tiny bladder.  I decided, for two reasons, to stay at home today.  The first was that I had a stuffy cold and couldn't face having to engage my brain in anything, and second, I had a bike on deliver!  So I had to wait around for the delivery man.

This led to me reading notes, watching videos and generally being a bum.  Some may say no change there then...  I eventually did go into uni for a course induction, almost two weeks after the course started, to listen to a Chinese guy waffle on about stuff that I was pretty much already aware of.

Upon arrival back home, much to my disdain, my bike STILL hadn't arrived, and it was pushing half five.  When at pretty much bang on half five there was a loud banging on the door, and my bike, all in many boxes, sitting, waiting for me!  My excitement was almost tangible.  I rushed to the living room and started to unbox and piece together my new piece of kit.  It was a slow process, and was just opening the boxes, whoever packed them must have use at least five rolls of gaffa tape, on each box.

Once everything was unpacked, assembly began.  This is where my day really started.  This is where I became really frustrated.  This is where I almost broke the bike.  Somehow, the chain had formed a double loop.  I knew I must be able to fix it, because it got into that position, it surely must be able to be undone.  But it had me stumped.  Literally.  I was sat for nearly three hours trying to figure this out.  I looked at all the forums I could find, all the blogs, journals, vlogs, anything I could find that mentioned it.  There was very little, and what I could find wasn't all that helpful.  Most of them told the reader to talk a chill pill, or failing that, a really stiff drink, so taking their advice, I got a glass of water and made a pizza.

The pizza was a bit of a disaster, but that's another story.  After my pizza, I stumbled across a gem; it was hidden deep in a forum, a tiny man calling out amongst giants throwing their weight around, all of whom were saying it "couldn't be fixed", or "you need to break the loop".  This wizard said, "this happened to me, I made a website for it, and here it is http://baltimorefivefinger.blogspot.co.uk/2010/06/un-knotting-or-unlooping-bike-chain.html".  I am not even joking when I say this guy saved my life, well, the life of my bike.  It still had me confounded, but his reassuring manner allowed me to be cool calm and collected, and figure it.  Like a boss.

The rest, as they say, is history.  Everything else went on/in without fuss or bother, and I now have a fully functional road bike!

Yippy-Ky-Yay.

Joe out

8th of October

As it is probably aware, I am quite a fan of swimming, I swim, when I can, up to five times a week!  This of course means that unless I want to end up with a heavenly pair of swim shorts (by that I mean holey), then you must, and I mean must, ensure that you purchase a new pair of swim shorts every now and again!

So, being a good boy, I bought myself two pairs, one for five pounds, the other for about fifteen.  I then also bought a new pair of goggles because I became fed up with my old ones fogging up all the time!  Anyway, long story short, they are all great!  

However, I have a few concerns, first up is the more expensive pair of jammers I bought.  They are fantastic, made by some Asian company, top notch design and material, couldn't ask for anything better, except perhaps a larger crotch area.  I just about manage to squeeze into them, but I do notice that they ride very low around my hips, and I often find myself having to readjust...

On to the second pair, which of course aren't as high tech in design or material, in fact, I'd say they were fairly bog standard.  So nothing wrong there.  Except when you want to try and get out of them!  Like most people, I assume, I tie up the strings to prevent them slipping off, however, when it came to getting out, I found myself very worried that I might have to stay in them for the rest of the day, because I could not untie the strings.  There was nothing wrong with my knot, it was simply a bow, but the company have somehow managed to thread it in a way that makes getting out a very difficult task indeed.  Thankfully though, I did manage!

Joe out

Laaandan

So today I went to London, the Capital, the Head Honcho, the Bees Knees.  It was interesting to say the least.  Even before I went I had to have constructed a full scale itinerary, just to satisfy my father that I wouldn't be wasting time, and/or getting lost.  And I just had to see the blue whale!  It is probably fairly obvious by now that I am not a regular visitor.

Anyhow, upon arriving in London, my Dad left me for his business with "good luck and try not to get too lost."  Which is always reassuring coming from a parent.  Turns out I didn't get lost, well, not too much.

I successfully traversed the underground, combining travel on two different lines seamlessly.  I am a master of trains and stations.  I then navigated the subway to the Natural History Museum single-handedly.  I am a genius.

I then conducted a whistle stop tour of the Museum, and while doing so, realised that it was particularly underwhelming.  Everything seemed so much cooler when seven years old.  All the dinosaurs had shrunk, the exhibitions where extremely simple and rocks are incredibly boring.  But still, I soldiered on viewing as many exhibits as I could!

From here I travelled the Tube to Covent Garden, where I saw the impact consumerism is having upon our generation.  As most people are aware, there is, situated in Covent Garden, a rather large Apple store.  Today, outside said Apple store, was a rather large queue.  A queue with perhaps two hundred people in it. What is it for I hear you ask?  I special limited edition Steve Jobs signed original iPod?  Perhaps a rare meteorite that has fallen to earth?  Or even an escaped dinosaur?! Nope, it was none of these, it was a queue for the new iPhone, which to me looks remarkably similar to the previous incarnation, which to me doesn't really do much more than the original.  So all in all I saw a selection of stupid people outside a stupid store.  To add icing to this ridiculous cake, it was raining!

After slipping and sliding my way around the historic market, I headed back onto the Tube, and towards Trafalgar Square, to see a monument dedicated to a true British hero.  I sat here and watch scores of school children screaming and shouting, climbing all over this historic monument.  Hmmmm.

Then I took a stroll to Westminster to see Big Ben and the London eye, before heading back to the Tube for a final time.  Then the journey home was fairly uneventful (mainly due to a large amount of sleep).  Upon arriving back, a visit to the Grandma ensued, which was possibly my highlight of the day.  I shall leave you with possibly one of my Grandma's best ever quotes:

"What is a doughball?"


Joe out

Mumblings and grumblings

Today's revelations include the fact that the Internet is so incredibly depressing, I spend far too much time just wasting time, and I hate phones.

Everything on the Internet seems to either be about a boy band with questionable sexuality or a depressing picture with an equally depressing quote. To think someone actually comes up with this shizzle! It sickens me, even the ones which are supposed to be motivational seem only to be just as depressing. It seems to me that I you are searching the Internet for motivational or depressing quotes, then something is horribly wrong in your life. Sort it out!

Most of my summer holiday is spent either working or wasting time. There doesn't seem to be any middle ground. Ok, there are the occasional outings, get togethers and of course trips to see people who mean a lot to me. But other than that, I'm at home twiddling my thumbs, sleeping or time wasting in front of a screen. This almost completely contradicts my next point, but anywho... As a student, life is financially difficult, so I've learnt to enjoy work and make light of it! This way it all seems less arduous, and it consumes time. As much as I want time to not go by, it does, and there is little I can do to prevent that, but I wish sometimes that I was organised, and instead of sitting down and being aggrieved by the fact time is ticking on, I wish I could find meaningful and useful things to do.

And finally, phones. You can't escape them, they are everywhere, people contacting you left, right and centre. It seems to me that when you want to be doing something else, somewhere else, there is always someone wanting to talk to you. This is usually problematic, and something I wish I could do without. I may, one day in the future, forsake my iPod and my phone, and go, perhaps, for a week without communication, just to see what freedom from it all tastes like!

And now I come to a close, I can smell dinner, a chicken korma if my nose doesn't deceive me.

For now, adieu.

17th of May (Just)

Today saw my Maths lecturer crack a funny

          "Laplace transforms are easy, you just need to know your shift..."

It is funny, trust me.

Anyhow, today I cooked my second batch of curry, which takes me up to near ten servings.  This is fantastic, as due to imminent exam period, the last thing I need to worry about is cooking nutritional meals to sate my appetite.  So now I have ten meals for fourteen days, give or take.  I am as good as sorted.  On the downside, I may have just condemned myself to a bout funny tummy syndrome, more often known as Delhi Belly.  'Nuf said, and moving on...

I also today managed a load of washing.  For any prospective students, if you get time, do your washing.  Or you'll end up reusing clothes to no end.  And no-one wants a stinky Pete about.  So, given enough time, spend your beer money on a wash and spare the world your grizzliness.  Mucho Gracias.

Another tip for aspiring students is to remember what you are heading to the shops for.  It's all very well getting nice ingredients for that elegant dish you are making, but if you forget the washing powder, how are you going to wash your clothes?  Simple things really, you'd have thought I'd have learnt by now...

Joe out.

16th of May

Learnt some pretty major life lessons today.  Not going to lie, one almost made me poo my pants.  I was on the bus, minding my own business when I spot a cyclist in the lane next to me wanting to turn right.  That is, turn right in front of the bus.  This, as any sane person would probably realise is definitely not the safest thing in the world to do.  In fact, I would say it registers close to the bottom of that list.  So anyhow, the cyclist gets a quick getaway and the bus driver suddenly realises there is a cyclist in imminent danger and slams the brakes on.  Stupid cyclist.


The second lesson is to never, and I mean never, score a try whilst playing against your own team.  Especially if that try wins the game, as the last play.  Your team mates don't appreciate that very much...


Now that exam period is scarily close, it has occurred to me that I may well need to do some washing at some point in the near future, because, like as not, I am going to need some clean underwear and tops.  This could be catastrophic if left unattended!


But on a similar note, I cooked enough food for five meals today, so that while I am *ahem* stressed with revision *ahem* I shan't need to worry about cooking food.  How genius is that?!


Joe out.

14th of May

It has at least hit me just how much work need be done in order for me to pass my end of semester exams.  I can also be sure that I clearly haven't left enough time to do.  Many people will say to me, I told you so, but screw them.  One day I'm going to have to figure it out all for myself.  Why not let it be today.


University throws up many challenges to the unordained fresher.  And I think that this shall be the purpose of my blog.  Hopefully giving some useful insight amongst the rants and not so useful insights.  


The biggest challenge for those who, like me, relied on their parents for the most part, was the individualization that occurs.  I'm talking about cooking, cleaning, budgeting, learning and all the other things that there are countless accounts of plastered all over the internet.  I'll try and stay away from these as much as possible, and focus on the less well documented sides of things.  But for now, it is time for rest and recuperation, for there is a busy day ahead of me tomorrow. 


Joe out.