Fallen from Grace

Sun, 21 Jun 2009 20:40:49 GMT

University, you suck sometimes.

They've overcharged me on my rent. By £378.15.

And then, when they tried to fix it? They managed to glitch the computer system, and instead debited my account by a further £400.

Meaning the university, right now? Has overcharged me to the tune of £800. Which, on an accomodation bill of £797.85, is pretty fucking impressive.

They've established 'beyond a shadow of a doubt' that they shouldn't have taken the money; what they haven't work out is how to give it BACK. So I'm still eight hundred quid down. Fortunately for them, I'm one of the very few students in the university who've actually got eight hundred pounds in their account at the end of the year, because if they'd taken more money than I had and therefore incurred some bloody big bank charges, there would have been hell to pay. Uh huh. Not to mention I'd have, you know, no money. But never mind.

Term ends in a week, so I've got to chase down the finance department tomorrow and ask to get the money TT'd into my bank account. There's a charge to send money by TT (rather than BACS, which is free but slow), but given the amount they've tried to take from me, I think they can cough up the £30 to get the funds bank in my account within 24 hours!

Mon, 08 Jun 2009 12:04:03 GMT

Times like this make me disgusted at my own country.

http://hopenothate.org.uk

Sun, 24 May 2009 03:39:32 GMT

I have...basically moved over to Twitter/Facebook (I do still check other peoples' LJs, but I don't update my own). Twitter isn't often updated, since I use it mostly for keeping track of the 'vaccinate your kids fercrissakes' drive. I try to keep my political views OFF LiveJournal and Facebook.
Facebook is checked regularly, on the other hand, and contains the minutiae of my day-to-day life.

I no longer row: gave up at Easter. Too much time required, and frankly my fitness just wasn't up to scratch. I have just returned from the club summer ball, though. Which was fooking ace, if you don't mind my saying so.

Finished second year exams 4 weeks ago: am now back in lectures again, and doing the preliminary reading for my dissertation - on the role of the TBP-43 protein as a biomarker in motor neurone disease (ALS if you're American). Trying at the same time to get some work experience somewhere, but I've left it too late to get anything sorted for the summer. Also, work experience in a London lab is like unicorn shit.

Am still trying to put off the prospect of getting a job and moving out of my parents' house for as long as possible. *shudder*

And I'm glad Kris won.

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Wed, 29 Apr 2009 23:02:04 GMT

23:29 old paper but still intriguing - fluoxetine shows up possible neuroanatomical differences in hetero- and homo-sexual men: ow.ly/4scw #

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Mon, 27 Apr 2009 23:02:23 GMT

14:18 just made vegan kosher gluten-free cake. I think I deserve brownie points - vegan kosher gluten-free brownie points, of course. #

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Sat, 25 Apr 2009 23:01:29 GMT

21:42 is a woman on a baking mission. #

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Thu, 23 Apr 2009 23:02:06 GMT

12:19 Am now at that stage of sleep deprivation where it feels like you've consumed your yearly caffeine intake in a day. #

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Wed, 22 Apr 2009 23:02:42 GMT

11:38 How does Google work - 26,700,000 results. How does it feel to be loved - 1,220,000. ((I love Google's auto-fill-in thingummy.)) #

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Tue, 21 Apr 2009 23:02:40 GMT

18:02 I have to pack up and move out of my flat by Thursday. I have exams Wednesday afternoon and Thursday morning. Think I'm going to cry. #

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Tue, 21 Apr 2009 17:13:05 GMT

Wednesday, 2-5pm: Genetics exam
Thursday, 9am-12pm: Microbiology exam

And somewhere between 11am on Wednesday and 12pm on Thursday, I have to MOVE HOUSE.

It's hopeless. There is no way I can pass these.

It's hopeless.

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Mon, 20 Apr 2009 23:02:05 GMT

12:58 60 minutes until doom. #
20:40 had to go up 4 flights stairs, grab as much stuff out my flat as I could & get back down stairs in 13 mins. Like some mad Supermarket Sweep. #

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Sun, 19 Apr 2009 23:04:37 GMT

00:49 twitpic.com/3k8a2 - My block on the right. Awesome yet scary! #
21:12 in temporary accomodation after the fire. Exams tomorrow. Totally, woefully unprepared, and the uni aren't making allowances. Sods. #

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Um. Shit?

Sat, 18 Apr 2009 23:32:56 GMT

These photos were taken by my flatmate's girlfriend from her flat, round the corner from ours. They were taken early on, before it spread too much. That's my block on the left.

I bet the owner of that car in the background was bricking himself!

No one was hurt thankfully; there's just shattered windows and some pretty nasty smoke damage in some flats. My flat is amazingly fine; just a few broken windows!

I've been temporarily rehoused in a flat at the other end of campus. I was allowed up to my flat to grab the essentials - laptop, a few clothes, a sleeping bag and some food - but I haven't got much. Nothing to cook with, for instance, or to eat off, and no towels. It should only be for a few days hopefully.

My only major problem is that my exams start Monday. If this had happened at ANY other time, I almost wouldn't have minded - it was spectacular to watch, to be honest, and those photos don't really do it justice. But being evacuated and rehomed less than 40 hours before my exams start? Not cool. Not cool at all. (Of course, I think I'd have been less awestruck by the whole thing if my bedroom had been been one of the ones decimatd by smoke!)

I'm heartened by peoples' generosity though - the porters in my temporary acomodation can't do enough to help. And when a friend of mine who lives down here found out she invited me in for a drink straightaway; one of her friends came down to fix me up with an internet connection, another gave me teabags and a mug and spoon!

And everything always feels better after a mug of tea. ;)

Took some photos today, now they've started clearing up a bit:

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Tue, 14 Apr 2009 23:02:30 GMT

14:52 National Express trains running beautifully the morning after Bank Holiday. Got into flat punctually - to find no running water. Sod's law. #

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Fri, 27 Mar 2009 00:02:13 GMT

11:01 Waiting for train. Every two minutes, irritatingly nasal announcement informs me it's got two minutes later. Thanks a bunch. #
11:04 If you could travel on national express apologies, i'd be in london by now, instead of shivering on a platform. #

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Thu, 19 Mar 2009 00:01:54 GMT

18:15 #firstsingle Jason Downs - White Boy With A Feather (only a young'un, sorry!). First singer I really loved. Promptly sunk without a trace. #

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Wed, 18 Mar 2009 00:01:59 GMT

18:42 Essay was completed and printed a full 24 hours before due. Then overslept and missed submission cut-off point. Sod's frigging law. #

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Sun, 15 Mar 2009 00:01:42 GMT

19:21 Halfway through list of topics to be included in essay, have run out of words. Uh-oh. Time to downregulate the bullshit factor by 140%. #

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Sat, 14 Mar 2009 00:01:43 GMT

14:57 Has sussed out twitter on her phone. My status as a self confessed luddite may be in jeopardy. #
16:32 Essay title: "Bacteria - helpful or harmful?". Got as far as "Bacteria can be helpful in many ways." Break for coffee. #

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Fri, 13 Mar 2009 00:01:45 GMT

14:28 is now satisfied 'Matthew' from Woolies' is real person - previously feared was cunning marketing ploy. Like Aunt Bessie. #

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Wed, 11 Mar 2009 00:01:53 GMT

04:27 is finding drunkenness even more irritating than hiccups, but a damn sight more difficult to cure. #

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Mon, 09 Mar 2009 00:02:00 GMT

20:14 Just drank entire glass of neat orange squash by mistake. So sickly sweet, can hardly breathe. Diabetic coma, here I come. #

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Sun, 08 Mar 2009 00:01:20 GMT

18:34 Spent another 4 hours in library today. Next person in there to sigh heavily gets bashed round the head with 'Baumann's Taxonomy of Disease' #

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Sat, 07 Mar 2009 00:01:35 GMT

19:56 Am now only female in flat - all others gone home for weekend. Found note pinned to door: "May God have mercy on your soul!" #

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So I'm British-German-Irish?...

Thu, 22 Jan 2009 09:38:05 GMT

Meme stolen from kerianawilliams.

British
[X] You drink a lot of tea.
[X] You know what a brolly is.
[X] Deal or No Deal has taken over your life.
[X] You wanted Ben to win X Factor.
[X] You use the word "bugger" or the phrase "bloody hell."
[X] Fish and Chips are yummy.
[X] You can eat a Full English Breakfast.
[X] You dislike emos almost as much as you dislike chavs.
[X] It's football...not soccer.
Total: 9

Australian
[ ] You wear flip flops all year.
[ ] You call flipflops thongs not flip flops.
[ ] You love a backyard barbie.
[X] You know a barbie is not a doll.
[ ] You love the beach.
[X] Sometimes you swear without realizing.
[ ] You're a sports fanatic.
[ ] You are tanned.
[ ] You're a bit of a bogan.
[ ] You have an Australian something.
Total: 2

Italian
[ ] The Sopranos is a great show.
[ ] Your last name ends in a vowel.
[X] Your grandmother makes her own sauces.
[ ] You know how a real meatball tastes.
[ ] You know Italian songs.
[ ] You have dark hair and dark eye color.
[ ] You speak some Italian.
[ ] You are under 5'10''
[ ] You know what a italian horn is
[X] Pizza/spaghetti is the best food in the world!
[X] You talk with your hands.
Total: 3

Spanish
[ ] You say member instead of Remember.
[ ] You speak Spanish or some.
[ ] You like tacos.
[ ] YoU TyPe lIkE ThIs On Da CoMpUtEr.
[ ] You are dark skinned.
[ ] You know what a Puta is.
[X] You talk fast occasionally.
[X] You have had highlights or have dyed your hair.
[ ]You know what platanos are.
Total: 2

Russian
[ ] You say villian as: Vee-lon.
[X] You get short tempered.
[ ] You know of somebody named Natasha.
[X] You get cold easily.
[X] Rain is fun for you.
[X] You get into contests all the time.
[ ] You can easily make do with the cold weather.
Total: 4

Irish
[ ] You think beer is the best.
[X] You have a bad temper.
[X] Your last name starts with a Mc, Murph, O', Fitz or ends with a ley, on, un, an, in, ry, ly, y.
[X] You have blue or green eyes.
[X] You like the color green.
[X] You have been to a St. Patty's Day party.
[ ] You have a family member from Ireland.
[ ] You have blonde hair.
[X] You have/had freckles.
[ ] Your family get togethers always include drinking and singing.
Total: 6

African American
[ ] You say nigga/nukka casually
[ ] You have nappy hair.
[ ] You like rap.
[X] You know how to shoot a gun
[ ] You think President George Walker Bush is racist.
[X] You like chicken.
[ ] You like watermelon.
[ ] You can dance.
[ ] You can 'sing' gospel.
Total: 2

Asian
[ ] You have slanty/small eyes.
[ ] You like rice a lot.
[ ] You are good at math.
[X] You have played the piano.
[ ] You have family from Asia.
[X] You laugh sometimes covering your mouth.
[ ] Most people think you're Chinese.
[ ] You call hurricanes typhoons.
[ ] You go to Baulko.
Total: 2

German
[X] You like bread.
[X] You think German Chocolate is good.
[X] You speak some German.
[X] You know what Schnitzel is.
[ ] You hate it when stupid people call you a Nazi.
[X] You went to Pre-school.
[X] You're over 5'2
Total: 6

Canadian
[X] You like/play/played hockey.
[ ] You love beer.
[ ] You say eh.
[ ] You know what poutine is.
[X] You speak some french.
[ ] You love Tim Horton's.
[ ] At one point you lived in a farm house.
[ ] You watch/watched degrassi.
Total: 2

American
[ ] You hate foreigners.
[ ] You hate non-Christians.
[X] You're lazy.
[X] You are not cultured.
[ ] You hate abortion.
[ ] But love the death penalty.
[ ] You don't read.
[ ] You shop at Wal-mart.
[X] You think this survey is rather biased.
Total: 3

Total:
British - 9
Australian - 2
Italian - 3
Spanish - 2
Russian - 4
Irish - 6
African American - 2
Asian - 2
German - 6
Canadian - 2
American - 3

And now they've got me watching Ben's audition while drinking tea.
Mmm. I could go for a fry-up right about now...