Apologies

Apologies for that awful last post, in all honesty I don't even remember writing it. I've been pretty ill in the last week, but the way I look at it, illness is like any other challenge in life. I don't just back down and let it take it's course, (which to be honest is probably the better option) I power on regardless if I can. Life's too short. However this attitude has meant a few days at college feeling like I was about to drop off the planet whilst coughing my lungs up. Nice.

Besides the illness, last week was a pretty good week,

contrary to how it came across in my last anomalous post. On Tuesday I was at Riverside Studios, watching the recording of Russell Howard's Good News for BBC 3. Proof:

It was a really good show and I really enjoyed it, especially as I watch it religiously every week on TV anyway! You'd think that would be enough good fun for one night; you'd be wrong.

I went to see Russell with 2 friends from Rawlins; Morena and Duncan. Morena lives in London anyway, but Duncan came down from Leicester. It was great to see them both again, and after the show we went out to a club called The Roxy. It was a pretty nice club and I had a wicked night, a little like old times again!

I got home at around 7 on Wednesday morning, and pretty much slept most of the day (luckily it was my day off!). In the evening I went back to my old house for one of the new tenants and my ex housemates birthday, which also tripled up as a belated Firework night. It was a good night as well, but after all that and my infection coming on I was ready to keel over.

It didn't stop there. The following day I had a meeting with a band in Bromley for our music video. It took about 2 hours to get there and was ridiculous! It was great meeting the band though and getting some creative juices flowing.

I feel like since then I've been pretty much working on my DVD game, which is coming along nicely. The graphical view showing all of the buttons and links looks really complicated though, and it;s not even finished yet!

Tomorrow Chloe is coming down to London to have her stimulator tweaked again. She's not doing well at the moment by the sounds of it. Not surprising really when she's come of a substantial amount of drugs in the last month. I hope to finish college early and go over to visit quickly. That'll be nice, I really miss Chlo!

Well, that's about it, I've filled in a few of the gaps that my last atrocious post failed to fill!

Write Soon,

Flan x

Nothing much to write.

I honestly have nothing much to write after this week. I've just been cracking on with work, and today I made quite a lot of progress with my DVD game.

I've appear to have come down with some kind of chest infection etc... it's pretty bad but I'll live! Also, I think I should probably talk a little bit about the game of catch that got a little bit out of hand.

The other night we started a game of catch. Obviously, catching a ball is not as entertaining as it used to be, we needed to add another element to it, for example, the same concept as a water balloon - if you drop it, you get wet. However, due to the lack of water balloons, we went for the next best thing - empty glass bottles. By the end of the game our kitchen was a pretty dangerous environment, and it took about 7 hours to clear it all up. Probably shouldn't do that again.

I'd like to point you to my brand new blog! This one of course will continue as normal, however, I now have a new splinter blog, entirely dedicated to documenting my dreams. You can check it out here - 'The Dream Journals'

Hopefully I'll have some slightly more interesting news next week!

Flan x

Recovery.

Well what a week it has been! Over the course of the week I've met some awesome people and chatted complete rubbish to them... ahhh freshers!

So the first night was the night at the SU. Our SU is the first bar in the O2. It has a bar downstairs, a restaurant/pub upstairs and a dance floor at the top. It was a good night, apart from when Andy decided to jump on me whilst I was on the stage, and we both fell off.... spraining his ankle. Oh dear. Actually, come to think of it; that was quite amusing as well.

I'm with some people... mainly first year post I believe?

Tuesday was another brilliant night. A pub crawl around Greenwich, as mentioned in my previous post. I don't need to say much about it.. I covered it last time!

Me on the Rodeo... for about 3 seconds!

Wednesday was the night at Inc Club in the O2. It was a really nice club and I had an awesome time with everyone. I think this was the night the glueing obsession began when we got home each night. We had some superglue, and whilst inebriated we found it hilarious to glue things to other things. For example a glass jar to the table and a shower fitting to the boiler. Amusing times!

Me, Ray and Andy in Inc.

Thursday was probably my least favourite night, surprisingly. I usually love foam parties, but this one was manic! It was was also a UV night which was quite cool, however I didn't have any cash on me, and the minimum spend for a card was £15! UV robbery! I also became so disorientated and inhaled loads of foam. We left pretty early that night, we think we'd began to flag after the weeks events.

For some reason the only picture of me on this night is me in the background of this one..

Finally, it was Friday. The 1920's boat party. It was a REALLY nice boat, however the water was really choppy that night and everyone was stumbling about! (not from alcohol intake.. I promise.)

The night panned out really well and I had a really good time aboard the Dixie Queen.

Me and Andy on the deck!

Unfortunately, our beloved friend Chloe was taken pretty ill, just in time for the week, so she missed out on everything. We're throwing a Freshers party for her soon, to make up for it - that should be fun!

So now comes the major detox. I'm pretty much recovered now, but I still need to take it easy for a while. Having said that, I'm off out tomorrow night with some mates from Leicester to see Russell Howard at the BBC followed by a bar in town. It will be a good night, but I'll maybe take it easy this time!

Today is my day off, and upon finishing writing this, I intend to get some actual work done, I'm starting my DVD game. I have a concept, and hopefully I can put it into practice!

Write soon,

Dan x

Freshers.

Just a quick one to sandwich between my strange, funny and unhealthy shenanigans of the week. It is of course Freshers week, and what a week it's been so far!

I feel as if I'm making up for the fail of a freshers last year, which although was fun, was nothing special. This means I'm going all out, every night, and for the time being my budget for this week is spoken for.

I remember using my card to pay for things on monday night after I'd spent the cash that I had. Halifax is so far refusing to tell me how much I actually did spend. Hopefully the damage isn't too bad! Hey ho, you only live once.

Last night was amazing, a pub crawl with a twist. Each pub had it's own challenge, and despite my appalling performance at each task, our group won. With our previous win at the pub quiz last week, we're on top form and need to keep up this winning streak!

Still, Friday is going to be the best. Bowler hat, shirt and bow tie, trousers and cigars. That's right - 1920's night, on a boat.

I can think of nothing better than spending fireworks night on the Thames, with some awesome people dressed like a complete idiot. Amazing.

On a note which doesn't include boozey antics, my foot may actually be in the door.

I've got the opportunity to go and work for a cable TV station for a couple of days, with the chance of further work in the future. Get in! Maybe I'll be able to pay off my Freshers debt!

I'd also like to name drop Joel from the band Athlete. He's coming in tomorrow morning to give us a lecture. Man I love Ravensbourne!

Write soon!

Flan x

Earlier than planned.

Yet again, the title says it all. Great, these concise titles that sum up what you want to say... except now I have to elaborate on precisely what's 'earlier than planned'; well.. it's this blog.

As you can probably tell from that strangely formed piece of self contained discourse; I'm in a blabbing mood, where I mainly blab about complete rubbish in an incredibly round about way. It's what I do best.

So the first week back at uni has been completed, and I've already had enough. I'm joking, it was brilliant to be back, surrounded by social interaction and cerebral stimulation. However, it was made very clear within that short space of time that this year is going to be hardcore! From having nothing to do on my 'to do list', I now have 2 music videos to produce, an interactive DVD game, a grading assignment, two research projects and the foundations of my dissertation to start. This is going to be a jam packed few months!

I mentioned the job on the Thames Clipper in my last job. I also mentioned how I wasn't going to get my hopes up, I was right. Nevermind! With all this work to be getting on with, I shall just tighten my belt and live without the burden of a part time job upon my shoulders.

Besides, I do get my freelance work every now and again.

I'm currently on a break from editing a short film. It's taken me at least 4 hours to just synchronise the audio with the video because the marker couldn't count so everything to was labeled wrong!

Now comes the fun bit of actually editing! Yay!

The mice in the house are still abundant. Not only has the the novelty value of the small creatures scurrying around now gone, but their numbers seem to be escalating, and their courage increasing. Last night they were just walking around the living room whilst me and Chloe were sat chatting. It wasn't even as if it was silent, they didn't seem to care about our presence at all. Arrogant little sods.

It's freshers week next week, which is why I'm battling to get as much work as I can done over the weekend. I won't be writing next week I don't expect, I'll show you why:

Monday: 8pm - 2am - Welcome to our SU night

Tuesday: 9.30am - 4pm - College, 8pm-2am - Pirates Pub Crawl

Wednesday: 1.30pm - 4pm - College, 10pm-3am - Inc Club in the O2

Thursday: 10am - 4pm - College, 10pm-3am - Foam and UV Party

Friday: 10am - 3.30pm - College, 8pm - 2am - 1920's Boat Party on the Thames.

This week is going to be amazingly fun, but at the same time is going to kill me! I actually only wanted to go to 2 nights, but after a bit of persuasion from the SU team, and a change of heart from me, I decided to buy a week ticket!

Write next weekend!

Dan x

Back to reality, but not necessarily normality.

Finally, the time has come to return to the magical place that is Ravensbourne. Thank God for that.

That's not the only thing that's looking up; my persistence of obsessive online job applications may have actually paid off, finally. I've got an interview for a job on the Thames Clipper. Not the most relevant or glamorous of jobs, but relatively easy, and nice cliche job for London.

Of course I won't get my hopes up too much. That'd be silly.

So I've had two days back in education, and it feels good! Once again I have a purpose, and not only a purpose in a bodged 70's building in deepest darkest Kent, but a purpose in a brand new lovely building in London. Although it has it's negatives (mainly the highly irritating alarm that goes off every 10 seconds because someones done something wrong with the security barrier), the new place is amazing, with an array of new, exciting and cutting edge pieces of kit for us to mess about with.

For instance, today we went into our new sound recording studio. It had many buttons, lights and faders, and hundreds of racks with various limiters and compressors etc. After trying to get it to work by pressing any button we could, we decided this state of the art ProTools HD desk had beaten us. I need to find the manual I reckon.

If you'd like to see a sneak peak of the new building, you can view this video which is pretty cool. (click here)

This year I have less money than last because officially I'm on the last year of my course, so I'm expected to have a full time job by May. That's not going to happen and is a small inconvenience, so I've set up a nifty little spreadsheet which works out how much money I have left per week. With this years enhanced social life (as we have a decent students union in the o2) I will need to keep track of the pennies and not over indulge too much!

Having said that, after yesterdays lecture, we went to the SU to celebrate the beginning of term. This started at about 2pm, and went on, with a move half way through to Wetherspoons, till about 9pm, where we decided we'd had enough and went to bed after acquiring a skateboard and a roadworks barrier. Tragic.

The 10am lecture on grading wasn't entirely appreciated by my brain.

So that's it! Back to reality (but not necessarily normality, nothing and no one is normal in this house!)

Write again soon!

Flan x

Blagging.

It's fair to say I came home at a great time, and whilst being here I've exercised the power of blagging as much as possible.

Blag (v)

British Informal

1. A violent robbery or raid

2. An act of using clever talk or a deliberate action to obtain something.

You'll be happy to know I haven't been holding up banks whilst wearing a pair of tights on my head.

During my week home, I will have gone out for 3 meals, obtained a free drink in a club and a free ticket to see 'The Social Network' at the county's best cinema.

Unfortunately, I didn't manage to blag a free bus ride, unlike the girl yesterday who got onto her bus, fluttered her eye lashes and claimed that she had no money. Now that was good blagging. Oh to have a pair of breasts and an angelic voice...

Whilst being home I've also had my first glimpse of life in Loughborough without a car since I passed my test nearly 2 years ago. Living in London without a car is fine - there's ample transport at all times of the day and night and it's relatively cheap. Being round here in 'the sticks' by comparison is entirely different. Transport is expensive and relatively poor. I didn't really realise this until I got on a train for £4.50 for just 10 minutes. I didn't even get a seat! I don't think Boris would be very happy if he found out.

It's not just my blatant love for free stuff that makes me say it's a good week to be home (did I mention I also just got a free mcflurry?).

For the first time in a long long time, Chloe has walked independently. A lot. I honestly never thought I'd see that again, and it was amazing to be here to help and see her rapid progress. The other day she decided she wanted a drink. I told her she'd have to get it herself, so after a little help getting up, she walked into the kitchen and poured some coke... all over the floor. We found it hilarious. Mum was less impressed.

Back to uni next week! Finally...

Will write to let you know how it goes!

Flan x