Bank Holiday

I've managed to do the bear minimum this weekend, and I'm not joking! Its been great - I wasn't bored either!
We went out on friday evening with some of the girls from my course to 'That Mexican Place' and ended up in the Frog, after eating the nicest tuna steak ever!! We did some shopping on Saturday and he went yesterday afternoon.
I've got to find sometime to do some revision, currently I've got tomoro afternoon and the whole of wednesday, and thats it. I've filled up my reading week with things I really want to do - mainly entertaining others who are on half term! Its funny how things fall - the 5 weeks at Easter makes everything coincide!

Blast from the past

My ex-boyfriend - with stupid floppy hair!
I handed in my last assignment today! I wanted to be out celebrating, but no-one else is, though I have been promised by Jamie that he will make it up to me! I'm looking forward to Bank Holiday, but before that Henry is coming to visit! :D I haven't seen him for three weeks so I'm really excited and seen as he's nearly a graduate and I've almost finished my second year we've got some reason to celebrate!
Definitely looking forward to the next couple of weeks!

Me
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One rather wet weekend

It has rained for the best part of 48 hours, I hope the river that runs past the end of our road doesn't flood (I doubt it but wonder!).
Its been a horrible weekend anyway. I didn't start Saturday particularly well. Woken up 10 mins before my alarm went off to a sobbing housemate - she'd done something incredibly stupid the night before whilst drunk. I had to calm her down and spent ten minutes in the shower praying for her.
Training was good. The people I'm working with are really nice, they've all got really good ideas of how we can get the children we're working with in July to understand how much fun university is. Came home and watched the second half of the FA Cup final - C'mon Arsenal! Penalties always get my so wound up!
Found out that my housemates great nan had died - quite a shock for me and her.
Dinner and then the Path, I'm not being really challenged by anything that is said, though Jamie (of Quench fame) did a really good worship session.
I had to leave early due housemate and her stupidity.
Sunday was good - two really good meals, one pub and one roast - I've eaten too much today and it shows! Now I'm just sitting back and reflecting on the weekend. One thing that struck me as I was walking though town after a long day on Saturday was the rainbow - read this to find out why
Genesis 9
12 And God said, This is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come:
13 I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth.
14 Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds,
15 I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life.
16 Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth.
17 So God said to Noah, This is the sign of the covenant I have established between me and all life on the earth.
(NIV translation, thanks to BibleGateway)
It hit me that we're loved and have been in a very special relationship since the very beginning - no matter when that was - it started and it hasn't finished!
We went on to talk about Covenants at the Path!!

Question - How much do you give? This week has been Christian Aid week and we've been considering how much Fusion (as a group and individuals) give as a sign of commitment to God. He gives back in abundance when you give! So think about it! Where can you give (to a charity or organisation) and how much can you give this week? This month? This year?

And the point of that was....

Some random has made a judgement based on what I study at university. I hope I bump into his sorry arse so I can show him how interesting and great I actually am! Have you ever made a decision based on what someone studies? I know that I try my hardest not to, not everyone fits the stereotype you give them - thog I have a feeling that guy does!
Anyway, back to my essay, I will get it finished - just 75 words until I'm inside the lower word count! Though I will probably ramble for a bit more than that! Just like I'm donig now in fact.....

Essays!

Well jst the one, I'm slowly geting there. I've got 700 words to do, by friday evening. Not a lot else has happened.
We went out for Aimie's birthday on Monday night - in cow print! Lots of fun and got some really mean comments! Some people just don't know how to take five girls dressed up! Its so funny how people don't deal with it! Most of the girls complimented us, and the ones that didn't got their just desserts (from Alex!).
I don't have anything to write, I'm that bored and I'm that boring!

500 words down...

..and I'm fed up already, but I know I'll get it finished, easy peasy! I've done most of the reading and now have to cope with seperating it into the subject areas that the question has mentioned!
I know I'll get it done!

Beautiful one

You know when you find a song you really like, and grow quite attached to every note (ok so just me then...) and then hear it played by someone else - another band - live or recorded? I've had that experience twice today and both times the song has been murdered. Fair play to the people who were playing - its a difficult tune - but the ability to play it fluidly was not on their minds. I know most people will know what I talk about when I say 'Beautiful One' and some won't. If not let me introduce you to the world of Christian Worship songs. I encourage you to look for the lyrics and enjoy them, imagine it played calmly and at a pace, but not so quick you can't breathe between each line! I mean there's seperating notes and there's seperating notes!

Secondly, I now know why sport is so bad for me, I'm suffering properly after last nights jaunt at the YMCA centre in Cheltenham. My legs and right arm did not want to wake up this morning when the rest of my body did! Conclusion = don't do sport! EVER! (though I found out I'm good-ish at squash!)

Lastly, I am going to write mty essay tomoro! Shock horror! I'll fill you in as I go!

ooooo..when did that happen?

Look at this and tell me I'm not the only one who didn't know that this particularly large (multi-national!) company were based in my home town! Yes I am doing research for my essay, which I'm a lot happier about since my lecturer emailed me! By reading though the lines I can see what she wants from the essay and can probably start on Monday, rather than wait til tuesday - la la laaaaa, here I go!

Critial review my arse!

You know that horrible feeling when someone says 'The work wasn't up to the standard we'd expect'? Well I got that feeling today and then found out I got a 38 in my assignment for SO214, yes a fail - the second one of my uni career, and I thought I'd done really well (well at least a pass), but obviously not. The good thing is that I wasn't the only one, and I know that there are others in the smae position. A few questions I have to ask about this particular assignment -

How on earth am I meant to write a critical review in 1000 words?
How am I meant to do it without any set reading or any notes from the author on any further reading?
How am I meant to find the books when I'm not sure what the artical is getting at?
How am I meant to know what the psychological factors of this piece are when I have no knowledge of psychology?
Which lecturer has marked my work and how can they know where my knowledge is based, and mark accordingly?

The answer to all of these in some shape or form (but with a lot more words) is NO, a big fat obvious NO! It doesn't happen, for all the areas of a social study to be covered you need more than 1000 words, for it to have any proper evidance you NEED books to quote from and for the question to be answered you need to have the proper teaching. I am not an English student who knows what a critical review is and sociology is not hugely strong on disability!

Anyway, the next assignment is

'With reference to Sociology, Social Policy and relevant pschological factors, critically discuss how a family might be affected by the disability of a significantly impaired family member'

And oh gosh there's that word again...I've got a mountain of questions that I wanted to ask this week so I could write my assignment next monday, but now have to wait till next tuesday to get all my answers!
ARGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

10,458 words, which is 59 pages!

And its not quite finished, is it Helen!?! Wow! Can you imagine having your name on the front of, what seems like, such a large document! That will be put into storage and used by RS and Theology students doing other assignments?? I can't but in 52 weeks I will be doing the final touches for my dissertation - but as yet I haven't got a book list! La la laaaaaaaa!
Life goes on, I'm feeling sadness of not seeing Henry for another 3 weeks - until I have my CHeltenham birthday party. My, my how time flies, I'll have finished all of my course work the next time i see him and will be well on the way to doing three exams and completng my second year!

Cakes and chocolate!

I've been baking, actually baking, and have the photos to prove it (on my phone!). I'm so proud of the achievement. Its very rare that I do anything other than 'cook from scratch' i.e. fresh meat and a jar of sauce! but this really was something from scratch! Museli and Honey cookie and choclate nests! We had a blow out earlier, so did the prep in the light of a few candles! Now all I've got to do is find some time to sleep and clean up the mess we made (not too much thankfully!), Jane will be so proud of us!
I also got my diss outline today, and the most awesome topic! I'm really excited though quite worried by the amount of stress its going to cause! I've seen Helen go through writing hers and it'll be interesting to see how I cope with having 50 pages to proof read this time next year! 10,000 words here I come! 'The Biblical pros and cons of the ordination of women' I'm so excited - thanks to Helen, who, although she can preach a congregations socks off, she thought of this title a year too late! Thankyou dude!! Love you!

Oh well...

Thats my attitude to everything at the moment...oh well - I missed prayer breakfast this morning, I didn't see two of my kids at work, I haven't done any of my essay yet. Oh well, life goes on, I'm waiting on the phone for Orange to pick up, I've got to get this media message problem sorted out, someone, somewhere is sending the same message to my sister, over and over! Thankfully technical support is free soI don't have to worr about spending 10 mins to a premium number!
Right on with my essay, 600 words tonight and 600 tomorrow, then I have to so Sociology and I'm finished, til exams roll around!
Ooo Maroon 5!

Maybe I was wrong!

Sorry to those who got excited by the prospect of Helen touring, she had a go at me about it! Next time I'll ask her before I write anything!! (Uh huh! ;) )
Today has been ok, I'm wiped out though, I fell asleep earlier without warning, I thought I'd have a 20 min power nap, but it turned into an hour! I'm still really exhausted, though unable to sleep! Which is stupid...I get so annoyed at myself when I do that!
Looking back over the weekend, I realise how much God was on our side the whole time. We were given time to see Helen's Dad and Sarah and Baz weren't too bad when we got back from shopping - they are actually a really funny couple, and althoughI shouldn't, playing them off against each other is sooo much fun!! We did have a real laugh and Val is so cool! In the last 5 minutes of the weekend it absolutely tipped it down, the second time it had rained, but the first time to any great extent! There are so many things to be tankful for - including the addition of four new members to Fusion and a happy house. I managed to do all the washing up today - everyone is ill or busy, so I shifted my schedule to make sure we had plates! I'm up on my word count so I should have feminist theology out o the way by thursday, and then its on to socially and psychologically constructed ideas of disability! BLEURGH!
Prayer breakfast in 6 1/2 hours!

The Noise!

Southampton rocks!!! Helen knows it and Holy Smoke know it! We have reached so many people this weekend. 30+ cars washed on saturday, endless ballet mums fed, so much litter picked (including a tool box and an exercise bike!) and one 'Noise' service (I sang in a band for the first time in ages!). God has provided, from buckets to words, friendships and leadership! Helen is a natural born preacher and deserves to be put on any preaching rota (available to tour I think!!). Tere are so many things that have happened, from James the tea lady, Michael being chained to the sink (almost), Eren and her craziness, everyone doing cards, Gav's beatboxing, and the willingness of Holy Smoke to do everything! We've found some really good links and uncovered some friendships! ;)
Bank Holiday tomorrow, I'm looking forward to a lie-in and some shopping!
God is so good, the last weekend has been so awesome and beyond human joy! A whole weekend of joy, going to bed tired but happy!