Hallowe'en Is Here

It's that time of year again - the Holiday that gets passed over more and more as the years go by. It's Hallowe'en! One thing I love about Hull is that even though the Christmas stuff is in the shops, the window displays are all still Hallowe'en based - It's great. In recent years I've noticed shops skimming over Hallowe'en in favour of getting the Christmas stock out sooner, but it can't be Christmas until we've celebrated Hallowe'en - don't they see that?

Anywho, my hallowe'en celebrations are many this year. On Saturday just gone I went to Spiders with Nick and some friends of his. They all dressed up, and put a lot of effort into the costumes, as did quite a few people at the club. I felt a little out of place in my pirate costume but it went down a treat anyway! Tonight {Tuesday} a few people are coming over to watch horror movies. Yeah I know, not really my thing but I figured I could put aside my distaste for them for one night. And tomorrow night I'm attending the Monster Mash Bash at Asylum with a few others, should be entertaining. The people I'm going with {Namely Tom and Roland} seem to have their hearts set on dressing up so I guess I will be too. Should be fun though! Promise pictures will follow soon. I have a couple from Saturday and intend to take plenty tomorrow....especially in the getting ready process since we have a devil and the hulk getting ready! Could be funny!

Movie Update

So I tried to go see Stardust last night but apparently I'm not supposed to see this movie. It was sold out when we got there. So I'll just have to try again at a later stage. We went to see Ratatouille instead, which is a very cute movie. It's sweet, and emotional and it's such a Disney picture. So fingers crossed I'll see stardust before the week is out.

Home Comforts

It's funny the things that make you miss home. I got a package from home today, which included some Irish brand tea {Barrys!} and I'm currently enjoying my first cup of proper irish leaf tea. It's so nice. Especially having a Wispa to go along with it. AND, got Tom to agree that it is good tea.

Not a lot going on this week, I've just been spending time with Nick, trying to get my work done and trying to find a free couple of hours to go to the cinema and see Stardust. I keep getting told I'll love this movie, so I'm trying to go see it. But as it stands I haven't had the chance to yet. Had planned to go see it Tuesday at 8pm. I had a meeting at 6:30pm for my Student Representitive Training. Even though I did it last year I still had to sit there for the full meeting - which took over an hour and a half. So no movie! :( But fingers crossed I'll get to see it tomorrow evening. That's the current plan.

One of my best friends, Alex, rang me today asking me if I was still interested in moving in with him next year. He suggested it in the first week, when I went to see his new house. When he showed me one of the rooms he said I could have it next year. I thought it was a joke. But no, he seriously offered for me to have the room next year. Thing is I don't know what I'll be doing next year. I'm looking at MA's, possibly one in creative writing, but it's expensive. And then I'm also thinking about maybe running for a sabbatical position, but the one I'm interested in (VP for academic representation) I don't think I have enough experience to actually get it. Then, maybe I might just stay here and try get a job in the area, but from listening to friends who have tried that this year, having graduated this summer, there are next to no jobs in Hull, unless you want to work in a factory or bakery. Which I don't. I want to open a book store, but I need experience, I need business knowledge. Should I go for an MA in business? I know of someone who has done that, done a degree in English with Creative Writing and gone into his MA in Business. But I know I don't have the head for it so is that even an option I should look at? I just don't know. I have no idea what the future holds for me, and I wish I did.

York Trip

I can't believe it's been a whole week and I have totally forgotten to talk about this. The ISA went to York last Saturday for a day trip. We took three busloads of students there at 9am, and brought them back to Hull about 8pm. We got there about 10.10 and realised we had about 8 hours to kill in York. Never thought we'd find enough things to fill in the hours but we managed. Actually want to go back to do things I didn't get done. Most of the committee spent the day together, which was nice. It gave us a chance to bond a bit. We went to the Jorvik centre, which is really well laid out. It's a museum and calm theme park ride all in one. Then we went to the river where we rented a small motor boat - £15 between 8 people for 30 mins - and we sailed up the river for a while. Then we went to the National Railway Museum which was definately worth the visit. Found out something new about one of the guys on the committee - he's a train geek! Loves trains! Was as excited as a little school boy! All in all had a really good day.

The ISA's social in scarborough however wasn't quite so successful. We tried to organise a party on campus for the scarborough students, but seems like they weren't as keen as we were. The committee, which is 13 people, and our two drivers made up the majority of the people there. I think in total we got about 20 people turning up, but not a lot of them were there at the same time. The committee had a great night though, it really was like our first social. Gave us a chance to chat - the bus trip was a hour and a half each way.

Dinner Part Two

It has been a very very long time since someone took me out for dinner. Where it was an actual date, and the guy paid and was a gentleman. I think it's actually been years. But last night made up for the lack of them.
He took me to Frankie & Benny's - which ok, is a chain restaurant but it's a good one, so I wasn't about to complain. It's funny, we're together a week, less even, and he has already gotten me talking about the two things I become passionate and animated about - books and music. The other night we talked about what we want to do after uni, and I started talking about books, which led on to favourites, which always gets me excited. I think I told him the storyline for all three of Mitch Albom's books. And then last night at dinner, it being Frankie & Benny's, the music was amazing {all 50's songs for those who don't know} and I knew all of them! Of course! And even with my sore throat I was still singing along - or at least attempting to. And we ended up discussing music, and I got a little aggitated as I was reminded that Westlife have covered my favourite Michael Bublé song. Someone allowed them to take Home and mangle it. I am not a happy bunny.

One last thing, for those curious ones out there - his name is Nick.

Dinner

I'm being taken out for dinner tonight. By a guy I like. And he won't tell me where. I'm all excited!!

Only a matter of time....

Here I am again, sat in the library killing time. I guess I knew it was only a matter of time before it happened, that I would begin to use the library as a place of rest again. As a place to spend the few hours I have between classes, I just didn't figure it happening so soon into the semester. I was on my way to uni for lunch with Alex, because he had some big important news - when he rang and cancelled. He's ill. Poor baby. So am I and I still got outta bed for him! Oh well, c'est la vie, non?

On a brighter note, was walking towards the library and saw a guy holding a sign above his head saying free hugs!! Also noticed a girl and a guy with a video camera near by but decided to ignore that part and get my hug!! He was kinda hot too so it made it all the better! Why don't more people hand out free hugs?

Updating For The Sake Of It

So I haven't written here for almost two weeks, I've been busy getting back into the swing of uni. My first week of classes went smoothly enough, they were all introductory lectures. Telling us everything we've heard a few times before from different people. But I guess it's gotta be done. And even though I have two and a bit free days each week, I still didn't have time to write here. Been trying to sort out societies and committees and still trying to meet up with people I haven't seen yet.

Went to Hull Fair on Tuesday night. It rained! It always seems to rain when I want to go to Hull Fair, but it didn't seem to matter. Everyone was still in good spirits so we went. I did my usual, looking at the rides instead of going on them, but that's clever. I'm saving money!! It was Roland's first time at the fair here, and he reacted just the way I thought he would. He was so hyper and giddy and excitable by everything! And he got candy floss - not sure how much of a good idea it was to let the excitable person get flavoured sugar!! Went on the ferris wheel near the end, and it would have looked pretty, had the rain not made looking through the glass difficult, and the fact that half the fair had shut down, so only some of the lights were still on. Do-nuts were good though! Not quite as good as the one's in Tony's but hey, what can ya do?

Baking, Rock Music & Girlfriends!

Being back at university seems to be taking its toll on me, but I don't think its neccisarily a bad thing. I've had trouble sleeping the past few nights, but it has caused me to be more productive. Last night I was awake until after three, and awake again this morning at about 9:30, but it meant that I finished reading a play and am now about a third of the way through another book. However I'm also baking a lot, and listening to my heavy/rocky music. I baked sugar cookies last week, apple crumble yesterday and am going to try skins and garlic and bacon sauce today. Assuming I don't burn the kitchen down while trying to cook the skins! But the music mixed with the baking isn't a good sign. When I listen to this kinda music {Nickleback, Rasmus, Def Leppard} while doing something creative like baking or painting, it usually means I'm feeling stressed and need a release. Either that or I want to do something....different!! But when it happens one session usually fixes everything....not this time. I'm on baking effort three and still feeling tense and wound up. Maybe I'm just looking for the right kind of junk food to make me feel right again!

Monday was my first class for the semester. Yesterday I had my second, and my third and fourth ones are on Friday. So today and tomorrow are free. I had intended to put them to good use and be productive, so far it's not going too well. It's ok, but not great. Fingers crossed that I'll get some inspiration later on this evening. I was sitting in my Prose Portfolio class on Monday, and kept thinking to myself that I have no idea what to write for the class. I have a 5000 word piece due in May, which can be one of three things, either one long short story, the beginning of a novel or novella, or a collection of short shorts, which must all be connected somehow. Where to begin? How to begin? I'm scared.

And now for something totally unrelated. I have discovered a new pet peeve - girlfriends!! As a general observation, most of my friends are of the male variety. I have a handful of female friends, who I can see on a regular basis and not want to decapitate. But in general I have always gotten on well with guys and my male friends outweigh my female ones at least 3 to 1. Now this wouldn't be a problem in and of itself, but it's when you include the girlfriends into the equation that we get the problem. Supposedly I am a threat. One friend of mine cannot say hello to me in the street if he is with his girlfriend because she will throw a strop at him for it; another can talk to me and see me, there's no problem there, but his girlfriend has made it fairly obvious to me that he is 'her man' and not available. Little things she does, like wrapping her arm around his when we talk, or laying her head on his shoulder....just making sure I'm aware they're together. A message to her: I am aware.
How in the hell can I be a threat? Am I being punished for being a friendly, chatty, outgoing person now?? Can't I do anything right?