Some kind of a thing

I am being driven mad lately by fics where the author hasn't bothered to Brit pick even a little bit. Probably because I've been reading a lot of Sherlock and Merlin fics lately so it's standing out, but still. Merlin did not put anything in the trunk of the car. No one is using a cell phone. The policeman is not a cop, and he does not have a gun. A toff is not a chav. Really.

Etc and so forth and I do realise that I can just not read things and have no right to complain really.

On Monday last week we finally received our cheques for overpaid tax from 2007. I cannot even begin to describe what a relief it was. For the first time in about a year we're up to do date on paying our bills, and can still afford to feed ourselves. Huzzah!

Saturday we went to Portobello market, which I love. I bought a little teacup and saucer set from about 1930 or so. It's very adorable. G was looking for a pewter tankard but didn't find one he fancied. We also got artichokes to have for dinner and strawberries for dessert. My plan was to make a lemon and garlic mayonnaisse to go with the artichokes. I had forgotten, of course, that I no longer have an electric whisk and so had to use a handwhisk. My first attempt curdled almost before I put any oil in. My second attempt, which nearly broke my arm, was working wonderfully until my hand cramped up at a crucial point, I didn't whip fast enough, and the whole thing collpased in a puddle of mess. Oh dear. I'm sure there are all sorts of chefs laughing at my weak little forearms and their inability to whisk for extended periods of time. In any case, an electric whisk has shot back up to number one on my list of kitchen things to get.

Yesterday was July 4th, which is a Thing for the Americans amongst us, so we had a barbeque and lots and lots of strawberry margaritas. A good time was had by all, but we didn't get to bed until after 11 and G had to be up at 5 to drive to Reading.

And now I'm back in the Boiling Office of Melty Doom. The office manager has ben making noises about getting us an AC but I reckon he'll be making noises until winter and hope we forget about it.

That cliche about needing a holiday to get over your holiday is horrifyingly true.

Last Sunday we slept through our alarm, and only my panic upon waking up and checking the time whenever I'm going away, regardless of alarms, allowed us to catch our Sheffield to London bus on time. From central London we got a train out to my aunt's place, which is in a little village on the Thames. As it was Sunday, bloke got to see his first cricket match. It was lovely to be able to see my aunt and my cousin, as they've been having a rough time of it lately. The next day we trundled from there to the British Museum, where the day was spent in geek joy. We also managed to squeeze some shopping in, in preparation for France. We woke up at seven the next day to catch our train to London, from where we caught two tubes to another train station to catch another train to the airport. With very heavy bags. Always fun.

We didn't arrive at the airport with a huge amount of time to spare because of some tube delays earlier in the day, but we weren't in too much of a rush. Until, that is, bloke's bag got pulled out for a search at security. The guy searched for about fifteen minutes until he found what he was looking for - a tiny swiss army knife that bloke had forgotten he had. We were thus late to arrive at the gate and didn't get to sit together. Other than that it was an easy flight and we arrived at Toulon in plenty of time to pick up our rental car and navigate our way to Avignon. We had to stop by the coast first as bloke was most excited at seeing the Mediterranean for the first time. We made it to Avignon by about eight that night (Bless the French roads and their signposts) and ventured into the city for some dinner.

Avignon is a gorgeous town a walled medieval city, dominated by the Palais des Papes, the seat of Rome in the (I think ) 12th, 13th and 14th centuries. At night it was just stunning. Our hotel was small and basic, but very central. If it weren't for the creepy dolls littered about the dimly lit hallways, I'm sure I'd have liked it very much. The next day we headed out into the old city to do the tour of the Palais. They're big on audio tours in France, apparently. Which I always think are faintly ridiculous, but it was handy to have. We have many, many photographs, but as they're on bloke's camera, it'll be a while before I can get them up. Late in the afternoon we left Avignon to get to Nimes, which took about fifty minutes. The driving around Nimes looking for our hotel took another two hours, however, at the end of which we were both quite snippish, to put it mildly.

The next day in Nimes we spent looking at the Roman remains - a temple facade firstly, but also an ampitheatre in amazing condition. They still do bullfights there every year, and the festival had just finished when we arrived. The tour was fun, but I didn't really learn anything I didn't already know. From Nimes we drove down to Marseille airport to pick up my friends Pob and lil_nibbler, who had arrived with jaaam, her boyfriend Harry and her parents. I was given directions on how to get to the house in Provence, and off we set. After about ten minutes driving and looking at the map however, I realised that the directions were wrong, and we headed back the other way, eventually getting to the right road. The other car didnt realise so quickly however, and we had to wait quite some timebefore their car caught ours up. We reached Varages (a lovely little town in Provence) a bit before midnight, found the house up at the top of the tallest hill, had a cup of tea, and headed to bed.

The house was really lovely. It's used as a yoga retreat by the owners, who are friends of jaaam's parents. The list of fabulous things about the house is far too long to mention, but my favourites included - the pool, the five-ring gas hob, the balcony outside my bedroom window and the hammocks littered throughout the grounds, the Irish teabag supply already in the cupboard when we arrived. The views and the weatehr were spectacular the whole time we were there, though we got a little chilly at night, being so far up in the mountains. Our time at the house was pretty uneventful - lots of bread, cheese, wine, reading and Pictionary. I think it's the time of year for them too, but I saw at least ten shooting stars while I was hammocking at night. Myself and bloke drove down to the coast one day so we could swim in the Med too, but it was less than two hours each way, and not too strenuous. It was brilliant being able to hang out with ma buds and such, seeing as it's been so long since I've seen them, and just doss for five days.

Yesterday we left early in the morning so we had time to stop and take pictures and buy presents. We arrived at the airport in plenty of time, but our plane from Stansted was delayed becaue of the security restrictions there, which we'd only vaguely heard about. We were thus two hours late landing at STansted, and even the hour and a half cushion Id given us between landing and catching our bus wasnt enough. Also, bloke has an American passport, for which the queue was an hour long coming through customs. As he had to be up at six this morning to catch a flight to Boston from Manchester, this was not a great state of affairs, especially seeing as when we asked about coaches, we were told the next one would get us into Sheffield at four in the morning. Eventually we decided to rent a car that he could drop off at Manchester this morning, as it was cheaper and quicker than getting the train. We even got back home earlier than if we'd caught the coach we weremeant to get, which made up for the crapiness, if not the extra expense.

So that was my holiday, and I went back to the lab today, and I am tired.

Because I think I may have found a place to move into for the summer. It's really far out, but it is right next to a tram stop if I'm feeling lazy. Which I often am. There's a big double bed - huzzah for not having to fight for space with a six-foot tall lump of warmliness! And a bath! Oh it's been so long since I've had a bath, or, indeed, a bathroom with natural light.

In other news, I'm finished classes. Forever. Creepy.

And now I have to leave the house again to procure sustenence. But I don't want to after the forty minute uphill walk to find the house earlier. I realise some people do things like that every day. I am not one of those people.

Though this probably counts.

Was up at half eight this morning, even though I'm officially on easter break. Had to meet a friend to get a book on weeds. Oh, this life of mine, it is a wonder of excitement. After some faffing about, I've just done something constructive and put on two loads of washing. See above re: my life and excitement.

Today I also have to:
Buy credit for my phone. And how.
Buy a cardigan or shawl or something to go with my graduation dress which I've finally decided on wearing to the wedding in Italy next week. Also, shoes.
Get money out of bank account, even though I'm not supposed to 'til Saturday.
Do a fucking shitload of work that I've been putting off since easter break started.
See L'Enfant with my friend Kate.
Figure out what I'm going to do on my birthday.

Speaking of, le Bloke has something planned for Thursday night. And won't shut the hell up about it. He says I'll like it, but it won't fit in a box, and I have to be 'ready' for it. And he's taking Friday off so we can do actual things on my real actual birthday. Again, I know not what. Answers on a postcard, please.

I've been up since seven. That's right, there's a seven in the morning now. I can only assume I wasn't informed because everyone knew how unimpressed I'd be.

I'm meant to be finishing an essay. I've 1759 words of a two thousand word limit, and I still have my conclusion to do. Which isn't too bad, but I'd prefer to have written an essay that made sense than one that has the requisite number of words. Oh well. Oncce I've finished it I have to run out and buy paper for my printer, folders to put them in, head to the department and hand it in. By two o clock. EXCEPT, I have to leave the flat at half one with FlatmateNetherlands, who cracked her collar bone a couple of weeks ago and has to go to the fracture clinic.

Good things too though; I think I've managed to avoid doing a thing tonight that I really wasn't looking forward to. May be accompanying Bloke to a birthday party for a girl I don't know however. She's loud, apparently. And no, it's not me, before any of you start making jokes. And anyway I'm only loud when I'm drunk. Or when I laugh. Or when I can't hear properly. Shut up.

I spent six hours today staring into a microscope. My brain, it doth hurt. And I had to do art. Creating is hard.

So I was telling lil_nibbler on msn about the nightmares that kept me up for most of the night, and I thought, why not let everyone enjoy the horrors of my subconscious?

I had nothing but nightmares last night

Karen says: very creepy

Karen says: how comes I always remember the nightmares?

Nibbler says: what about?

Nibbler says: like monsters? aliens?

Karen says: one was about this creepy dude

Nibbler says: gorillas?

Karen says: he might have been a zombie

Nibbler says:oh

Nibbler says: not pengiuns though

Karen says: definitely something not right about him

Nibbler says: coz no-one is afraid of penguins

Karen says: and he was associated with the number 11, for some reason. Maybe I called him 'number 11' at some point.

Nibbler says:huh what's 11?

Karen says: and he was wearing Victorian clothing

Nibbler says: was he a vampire?

Karen says: but he was walking up the drive to a big house I was living in

Karen says: real slowly

Nibbler says: were you reading anne rice before you went to bed?

Karen says: and I was terrified

Karen says: and had to go round screaming at everyone to close the windows and doors

Karen says: and I kept checking out the window and he was coming closer

Karen says: and then i was at the front window and someone came around the frame RIGHT UP TO me, scaring the shit out of me

Karen says: but it was a friend

Karen says:and I was all, thank god

Karen says: and he said, you know your back door's open, right?

Karen says: and I turned round

Nibbler says: oh my god

Karen says: and the guy was behind me

Karen says: and I woke up then

Nibbler says: that sounds so fucking scary

Karen says: with his big freaky face in my brain

Nibbler says: like a fucking film

Nibbler says:my eyes are watering a little

Karen says:and couldn't get back to sleep for hours because of the adrenaline

Karen says:but when I *did* get back to sleep

Karen says: there was another one

Karen says: where I was uncovering a mass grave and it looked like all the corpses had killed each other

Nibbler says: lovely

Karen says: like, one was literally pulled in half, its spine was popped apart

Nibbler says: yuck

Karen says: and one had its nails dug into the flesh of another's arm

Karen says: like it had been trying to crawl up it

Nibbler says: so they were buried alive then?

Karen says:and then all the corpses started to move

Karen says:like, swarming

Karen says:all in a pit, on top of each other

Nibbler says: your dreams are far too vivid

Karen says: they creep me out

Nibbler says: I don't think you should go to sleep tonight

Karen says: I don't think I should go to sleep ever again

Stress. StressStressStress.

Aaaarrrgghhhhhh. Stress.

Christ I'm tired. Dave's off to Japan for the year for JET so he had his going away thing last night. Up at seven for work, not fun. But before Dave's thing, I managed to get a dress and shoes for next week's nuptials, so now all I need are some snazzy accessories to bling it up a bit. Managed to NOT get the wedding present, as we've left it to the last minute and everything's been bought off the list already. The few decent things left were out of stock, which is probably why they were still on the list, now that I think about it. Argh.

I stayed over in lil_nibbler's house a few nights this week, so I haven't been keeping up online much. If I'm ignoring e-mails or important lj bits, apologies.

Apparently I have to go to the shops to get cigarettes. Oh Jebus, why you hate me so?