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Everyone loves a good roast dinner, and I don't mean just meat and two veg. I mean the roast beef, the yorkshire pudding, the roast potatos and the thick gravy. YUM. Today's roast at The White Horse in Southill was all of those things with added parsnips, peas, leeks, brocoli, carrots and swede. Marge and Parge took me, Sarah and James out for lunch to thank us for the party last week and we had a feast. I started with whitebait and finished with a wonderful raspberry pavlova - not as good as Marge's but still pretty good! Watched more sport this afternoon, the Carling Cup final, which was fortunately not as eventful as yesterday's although I must right a mistake from my last blog: Aaron Ramsey is Welsh so therefore not picked for the England team. It is Stoke's Shawcross that will play for England in both Wednesday's match and probably the World Cup. Controversial. I'm now slumped on the sofa because I'm so full up, drinking a cup of tea, while planning my trip to Venice with Margey and Sarah. I've found some room in my tummy for a couple of Thornton's chocolates though.......
I think I need to go to some sort of food rehab. Too many of my blogs focus on food. But I love it too much! We went for a lovely meal today for James' Grandad's 77th birthday and the food was brilliant. I had chicken, aspargus and onion pie with mash and red cabbage followed by this amazing bread and butter pudding. James had chilli con carne with home-made tortillas but it was very hot and chillily! Rarely, I watched two sport matches today - the England v Ireland rugby game and then the Arsenal v Stoke watch. The football was tense and stayed at 1-1 until the Stoke captain Shawcross broke Aaron Ramsey's leg - it was a really horrific injury, making some of the Arsenal players cry. This poor kid was only 19 and a great player who had just been picked for the England team in the World Cup. Very sad times. The next twenty four hours are crucial for the countries around the Pacific because of the huge earthquake that has hit Chile. They're on tsunami alert so hopefully it passes them by. The world does not need another humanitary disaster. My prayers go out to those that have and might be affected.
.....but kebabs are great. Most people only eat them when they're drunk but I love a good doner sometimes. Got back to Bedfordshire tonight and we had fish and chips, or rather kebab and chips, and watched a bit of the rugby. I got some more dissertation done this morning and then met Katie and Duncan for lunch. We then had a chat with Thomas - oh no, that was our lecture. It's so frustrating because we are only the three, with Hannah, that actually speak up and contribute to the discussions. The other people in the lecture might as well not be there. I'm now having a well deserved rest after a very busy week. I've been on five trains, three tubes and three buses since Monday! Lost + Criminal Minds = brilliant
Had a very productive morning bashing out some more dissertation. I'm weirdly enjoying it but that's probably because the more I write, the closer I am to finishing! After my speciality dish of pasta, peas, cheese and gravy, I headed into town and got the bus to Auntie Jayne. As the girls saw Wicked last night, they had the day off school so Grace and her friend were stuck for things to do. They ended up writing twelve ideas each on Post-Its and I had to pick them out for them to do. One of the first I picked out was 'Emma hunting' - thanks, Grace! It involved me hiding and them coming to find me. I managed to squeeze myself into Grace's wardrobe and they looked in it three times before they discovered me! While they did the other tasks, I created the above masterpiece with felt tips. Wow. Someone sell it for millions...... I'm now back doing work while YouTubing Red Got Chili Peppers interviews. John, Anthony, Chad, Flea: how I love thee. I'm a soft and I just don't know it. Old School.
Admittedly, Sotheby's doesn't look too glamourous here but it was wonderful inside. I woke up nice and early after a terrible nervous night's sleep and got ready. I put the new suit on and actually felt smart! Arrived on time for my train although waited on the wrong platform for about five minutes. I arrived in London early and grabbed a quick hot chocolate before heading into Sotheby's. I met Jonny in the lobby and had more of informal chat than an interview. He was a lovely man and we went through which departments I'd like to work in and when I'm free to do the internship. It seemed to go well but who knows?! I wandered around the lovely shops on New Bond Streets and then headed back to St. Pancras for a spot of lunch. I had a Salad Nicoise, an amazing toffee apple cheesecake and an organic apple and strawberry juice. Expensive but lovely! Nearly didn't get off of the train at Leicester because I accidentally fell asleep! Good but busy day. I need a good sleep now!
Today has been difficult. Got up really early to catch the first train of the day from Sandy to Peterborough as the direct Bedford line to Leicester is still not running correctly. I ended up getting to the station too early so I had to wait in the cold and then when I got to Peterborough, I had to wait for the train to Leicester for twenty minutes because it was delayed! Stupid National Rail. Managed to get back in time for my lecture and Katie's excellent presentation and then headed home to do some more dissertation writing. Tonight I've taken a break from work and I've been doing research for tomorrow's interview at Sotheby's while watching last week's Neighbours. I've cruised the National Gallery and the Tate website and googled recent auctions so hopefully that's enough. Brooke is round and we've been talking about pregnancies, bruises and kids on trains. Good times.
I tried to get back to Leicester today but when I checked the trains, the direct service had been cancelled. James managed to find a train that took me to Kettering where I had to change to go on to Leicester but after waiting on the platform for 30 minutes, they finally announced that the train had been cancelled. The guard told me that because a train had derailed on Saturday when its gear box fell off, they couldn't guarantee that any more trains would be running up to Kettering today. Luckily, James was still in Bedford with Dom, shopping for Land Rovers, so they came back and picked me up. We went to the main dealership in Bedford and then onto to this place. It was a bit out of the way but they had four of the specific make that Dom wanted. The guy in the office said that they were absolutely rubbish and not worth buying. At least it was an honest answer! Dom was still insistant that he wanted this car though..... I'm now at home, still in the warm and watching Glee with a cuppa. Lovely jubbly.
Woke up this morning bright and early but it wasn't so bright for some. Marge and Parge were both fine but James was not so perky. It took a while for him to actually get out of bed and he could only manage some of a banana for breakfast. He's still a bit hungover now! We headed over to Nanny and Grandad's with Jane, Laura and Clara (my Spanish family) to meet up with Nanny's family that came to the party last night which was really lovely. Had a spot of lunch and then headed home in the Ka. Dad dropped Jane and the girls off at the airport and then headed North as he has work early tomorrow. On the way back home, there was a sudden bang and we had to pull over and call the RAC. After waiting for 50 minutes, a Highways Agency Land Rover pulled up and gave Marge, Sarah and James these attractive foil capes because I was the only one with a coat! Eventually the tow truck arrived and took us home - the guy thought that a spring had broken in the rear suspension. It's like a foreign language - I think it means that it's broken a bit!
Finally, the party has arrived! After millions of invitations and lies, Sarah and I managed to pull it off. Everyone got to the party on time and when Marge and Parge came in, thinking they were going for a meal, they were so surprised! I wasn't sure if they'd guessed anything but it was genuine. There were lots of tears and shouts of 'what are you doing here?!'. We're just eating the buffet and the dancing will begin soon. The cat is finally out of the bag. So many people have travelled from afar and it's going so well! Happy Birthday to the best parents ever.....
To help me at my Sotheby's interview, my old lecturer (who used to work at Christie's) recommended that I visit some temporary exhibitions to gain some knowledge, just in case the interviewer quizzes me on what I have seen recently. I popped into London today and went into the Royal Academy to see the Van Gogh letter exhibition there. Unfortunately, because it's half term, the queue was at least two and a half hours long so I decided to give it a miss and headed over to the Tate Modern. Got off the Tube at London Bridge and had a lovely walk through Borough Market in Southwark - they sell so much amazing food, including winter barbecues with hot cider. YUM. If only I had available funds for such treats! The Arshile Gorky exhibition was very good, showing a clear progression of his work from a young man to his later life. He had a very sad life and this is definately reflected in his art. Lovely day out. I don't think London will ever lose its magic for me.....
I can't see an end to the dissertation reading - so many books, so little time. I can't stop making notes on things that I am reading but I already have too much information! I need to start getting it into the actual dissertation but I feel like I need to keep reading - it's a 'vicious' circle. Spent most of the day reading about The Sex Pistols and The Clash so I'll probably dream about them tonight!
After 'Killing in the Name' was successfully named Christmas Number One last year, Rage Against The Machine said that they would put on a free gig in London for the effort put in by the British public to stick one to Simon Cowell and X-Factor. It was announced last Thursday that the gig would be on the 6th of June but to get your free ticket, you had to register your details and submit a photo to stop illegal sales of tickets on eBay etc. You had to remember your confirmation number and enter it along with your postcode when they became available this morning in a rolling lottery so Laura and I got up early to be ready when they were released at nine but the sneaky people at Seetickets.com were early! Luckily I was already on the website constantly refreshing so I managed to get on and after fourty minutes, I got myself a ticket! James had also applied last week but completely forgot to make a note of his confirmation number so he isn't coming but I managed to get back onto the site and get Laura and her friend Jess tickets! Brilliant. On other musical news, James and I have Download tickets too - the headliners are immense. So exciting!
I read a whole book today before and after our lecture for the old dissertation. Left at half four to buy bits for tea and came home to make a beef casserole and watched some Neighbours while it cooked. Me and Laura only ate a bit because we wanted to save room for our pancakes. Normally I can only eat one but I managed two today! Katie has come round to watch The Brits, mainly for Cheryl, and it's brilliant. There has been so many good pop songs this year - now Robbie's on and I'm annoying Laura and Katie by singing all the words! Poor Tom from Kasabian fell over, Peter Kay was hilarious and there were a few awkward jokes about the horrid man that is Ashley Cole - he deserves more than a broken ankle..... Now for another pancake!
Had to get up really early this morning as James had work but it meant that we could eat the puddings from last night for breakfast. I had a meeting with the custodian of the Queen's image to talk to him about his job and it was so fascinating. He is in charge of all official royal portraits and is a friend of Prince Andrew's. He is a lovely man and is going to see if there's any relevant jobs going for me at Buckingham Palace when he goes down tomorrow. Brilliant. Margey then bought me this cheese selection for luncheon which was accompanied well by some olives and pitta. I talk about food far too much. I'm back at uni now but I feel rubbish again - all hot and cold and with blurry vision. I hope there's not some sort of cold on its way...... A cold that would be cured with tickets for this year's Download: AC/DC, Aerosmith and Rage Against The Machine. AMAZING!
Happy Valentines Day, everyone! I've had a lovely day today with James: it began with a wonderful present of a new nautical handbag (well done, Katie, on the advice) and then I cooked us some breakfast. He then went home to watch the rugby and the Marge took me to buy a suit for my interview. I didn't want a boring one so I chose a tailored jacket and a pencil skirt which both fit actually quite well - pretty rare for me! James then picked me up in the evening and we went to see 'A Single Man' at the Cambridge Picturehouse which is absolutely beautiful. Brilliantly done with excellent clothes and great actors. We had these drinks afterwards at The Vaults, a great little restaurant, and what should have been a three course meal. The shared starter of various meats, included some very yummy pigeon and I had a rack of lamb for main. But I started to feel poorly halfway through so we left after only two courses. But our lovely waiter boxed up our desserts so we can have them for breakfast! Brilliant.
I've had a Ginn-filled day. This afternoon me and James went to Ikea with Han and Jakes to get stuff for their flat. The flat is beautiful and they've filled it with lovely things, including a great vintage Coca Cola sign and a million mugs. So many people have given them stuff so it's very homely already! We grabbed a Swedish lunch of mainly meatballs and then headed into the show room to try all the seats out. They bought lots of stuff, including bed side tables and lamp shades. Sarah and I had a takeaway for tea but now we're in Bedford for Hannah's burlesque night. It's themed as The Mad Hatter's Tea Party and we're here with Jakes, Coops, Shep and Em and her lovely uni friends. Everyone is looking forward to seeing Han's wabs! All we need now to finish off the day is a Ginn and lemonade!
Long hair and a bit of a beard = my ultimate man. The third episode of Lost was on tonight and we watched it round James' house because he has Sky+ HD so it looked brilliant. As always, Sawyer was on top form with lots of anger and shots of him looking tortured but always beautiful. We're both knackered (me and James, not me and Sawyer) but managed to get off of the sofa to buy some chocolate to melt and some strawberries to dip in it. I'm now so stuffed that I can barely move...... YUM
Esmie and Alfie seem to love getting in things at the moment. Grace had her guitar out earlier and they both got in the case. Alfie was in her handbag earlier, having a poke around and there are these boxes in the Green Room because Jayne and Barry are putting all their photos in albums at the moment so they both climbed in and chilled out. They prefer their blanket box to their actual baskets and have dragged them from the kitchen to under the sofa in the lounge. But there is a third cat at the moment that's been getting into the house - it managed to get into the kitchen today and was spotted stealing food but at the weekend, it tried to bash its way through the locked cat flap. It's obviouly a brave and hardcore cat!
Neil cooked us a lovely meal this evening of home-made lamb kebabs, couscous, pittas, tzatiki and hummous. It was absolutely yummy and I shall be getting the recipe for the future. Vick's on the Special K diet so this was past of her personal weekly plan and very nice it was too. I'm absolutely knackered from last night but me and Han were in the library all afternoon and this evening, I've managed to do 250 more words on the old dissertation. Every little helps.....
We're off out with Brooke to Mosh and because we have no money, we're drinking in my room and Spotifying songs - so far, Black Eyed Peas, old school Craig David and now we're trying to find that song about the microphone by Freestylers. Spotify doesn't seem to have it though. Ah, nothing like remembering one's youth. Wait, the song by Bon Funk Mc's. Brilliant. Today has been a brilliant day: I managed to get an interview at Sotheby's for an internship. So good. I can only dream of getting this opportunity - fingers crossed, everyone!
208 words done, 9792 to go. After lots of library reading today, I've finally begun to start writing my dissertation on punk art of the 1970s and like a loser, I'm actually quite enjoying it. Chapter One is on the social, political and historical factors of punk and that's what's I've started today. That's the scary bit started - once you've begun, you can keep going but there's nothing scarier than a blank canvas! Good times. I made a lovely tuna pasta bake for tea but made too much so I've got the rest in two pots for lunch tomorrow and Wednesday. You know you're getting old when you do that. Bad times.
Had a lovely lay-in this morning and then spent the rest of the day watching 'Monk', researching soundscapes and sound art for James' Masters module on Sonic Art and getting my Italy pictures printed online - all for free because lots of places give you 40 or 50 free prints when you register! Kerching. All I need now is a website that offers free photo albums..... Vick made a lovely chilli for dinner and for pudding, I finished off my Ben and Jerry's from Friday night - Phish Food is so good, it's controversially almost as good as Cherry Garcia! I've uploaded over 200 prints today for printing and I still haven't got to the end of Rome yet. I could be here for a while.
Haven't really done much today but this evening we went to The Dry Dock to have some food before going to the Odeon to see 'Youth in Revolt'. I had their brilliant Scream deal of a pint and a burger for £3.95 and James had the more expensive option but got bacon and onion rings in his burger. We sat in a really dark corner of the boat so we couldn't really see our food but it did mean that we couldn't see all the stuff that had fallen off James' plate onto the table! The film wasn't great - sort of funny but not brilliant. Alan from The Hangover should have been in it more! Now back at the house, YouTubing Basset Hounds - they talk, you know......
Dunc was meant to be hosting a dinner party tonight for Lost but as Han is going out tonight, we've postponed it. James arrived earlier after our lecture (here he looks oddly like R-Pattz) and we had a beef hot pot with Laura before Katie and Ross arrived at eight. We watched the Lost catch-up episode and they ate their Indian takeaway and we marvelled at the amount of storylines there's been! The Co-Op are selling Ben and Jerry's for £2 and I've found a new love for Phish Food but because I kept stopping to gasp at the new series of Lost, it melted quite quickly! The two episodes were brilliant but as normal, don't seem to have answered any of the last series' questions. We've just watched the Euro Millions because Katie and James both had tickets but as far as we know, they haven't won. I was hoping that Katie won the £85 million because she promised me at least £1 million. You never know......
For her French homework, Grace had to translate a French recipe and then make it if they wanted to. She chose a Salad Nicoise which was absolutely lovely. It consisted of rice, tuna, spring onion, peppers, olives, lettuce and tomatoes, all covered in a dressing of mustard, white vinegar and olive oil. Barry also made spicy potato wedges and an Egyptian dish of eggs, lentils and garlic and the whole meal was really lovely. Very yummy indeed. I haven't really done much else today: saw my dissertation tutor, bought some films he recommended, had a horrid iced latte, looked around the shops, read the beginning of a book on Chanel and now I'm having some cheese on toast because I'm starving!
I spent the whole day in the library again with Han and Katie before coming home to type out my dissertation chapter breakdown for my meeting with my tutor tomorrow. Katie is round and we gave into the need for pizza and ordered Dominos - we both had vegetable ones so it was healthy..... or so we're telling ourselves! The crusts and dip are always the best bits so we ordered some extra garlic and herb ones. YUM. We've sat around watching television, working our way through American Idol, Embarrassing Bodies and now good old Desperate Housewives. Poor Julie and Catherine has gone a bit crazy!
Katie and I were in the library bright and early at quarter to ten this morning to crack on with the old dissertation reading - well done us. We stormed through and Hannah met us at half ten before we left to go to our lecture. We got our lunch on the way and ate it in the half house break - thanks, Phil! I went for an apple, a tuna sandwich and a odd drink of pineapple and lime - it was nice but it took a while to get used to it! It was another good lecture with Philip lying on the tables to illustrate the different types of tomb effigies - very amusing! Spent the rest of the afternoon reading in the library and then came home and made some lovely roasted chicken and peppers with mashed potatos. Now desperately hoping that Paddy isn't dead on Shameless!
Got back to Leicester this afternoon after being in time for the train I was aiming for. Laura and Vick were out shopping with Brooke but they got back at half six and Vick had bought some new underwear and modelled it for us over her clothes - very shexy, dear! Laura's just made us some lovely homemade pizzas with chorizo, cheddar, peppers and extra cheese and we had it with garlic bread. We love carbs! Our landlady has got us new sofas for our living room but we've gone from two sofas to one sofa and two armchairs and one is too close to the television so we're a bit stuck for seats. But they're nice and comfy and we're all cosy with blankets and watching Glee!
