Persistent pain in the arse!

Still struggling with TMA05, though I think I have had a little bit of inspiration after giving the question and additional info another read through. I might even attempt a first draft today. I've got to get on with it, I only have another two weeks to get it done. Argh!

Still reading Un Lun Dun and enjoying it. It's taking a long time to read it because I am reading it after studying to help me relax and get to sleep. I just wish I could write the essay while I sleep so that I could sit and read some more fiction!

Well, I'm going into caffeine withdrawal (stopped drinking coffee again. Back to the fennel tea), so I'm off to fizzle out.

I don't like Mondays...

Just a title. I have no reason not to like Mondays. Monday is just like any other day. Now I shall stop rambling.

I am so very tired today. Principessa decided she had to stay up past 11 last night. I tried everything possible to calm her from her excitable mood; shower Doctor Who, Green Eggs and Ham audiobook, making pompom and pipe cleaner bugs. Nothing worked. She was a veritable Energiser bunny. When she finally did settle I was in no mood to sleep, so sat down and trundled through an hour and a half of studying Rousseau, democracies and persistent minorities. I am constantly surprised at how interesting this all is, I never thought I would enjoy this section. Unfortunately, late nights being the time that is available to study, it sets my brain going and stops me from dropping off to sleep. I think I spent half an hour dramatically miming along to 80's power ballads (why, oh why did I put Heart on the IPod? It's like finding an old friend!), then completely wound down reading some more of Un Lun Dun by China Mieville. (Yes, I know. I said a few days ago that I was reading Dust by Elizabeth Bear. Couldn't get into it. Brain is not in gear for that sort of story at the moment.)

I am just about to do some more studying, now Principessa has gone to bug her Nanny. I think I will start putting down the bones of the next assignment while the information about persistent minorities is still fresh in the mind. I might think about lunch first, though.

6 years ago today...

... I was next door, painting the front room white (it was a horrible shade of maroony red) with molotov Rob. We were happily going along, trying to give the horrible anaglypta wallpaper an even covering when my Dad came in and said, "There is no point carrying on, World War 3 is about to start." We turned on the TV and watched the destruction of the Twin Towers. Then we gave Rob a lift home, and all the radio stations were playing depressing music. I remember 'Everybody Hurts' by REM playing, and the streets seemed silent. The music was the only thing that could be heard. It was surreal. It's mad to think that was six years ago, and it's more insane to think of what has happened since.

But enough of that. The hospital appointment went as expected yesterday. Apart from being stuck there longer than expected. So, nothing new to report. I had to bribe Principessa with a trip to the bookshop so that she would behave while we waited.

At the bookshop, Principessa decided that what she needed was some flashcards. Good for her. I also bought a Neil Gaiman kids story - 'The Wolves In The Walls' ('tis very good) - and an updated Aesop's Fables (good bedtime reading for Principessa).

I thought I'd try to get an early night, but to no avail. Just as I started dropping off, a story that had been percolating in my brain finally decided it was ready. So I had to get up and write it, or risk losing it with myriad other stories and poems to the wicked far, far away land of Sieved Words and Phantom Musings.

Well, I'm off to finish said story and try to attempt calming Principessa down. Grandand has just left for the shops without her. Oh, joy!

Potato Olympics and super sized bugs.

I took Principessa to the bookshop again today. I'm so made up that the bookshop is her favourite place. But, with the bookshop comes the coffee shop, and that means smoothie and fudge brownie. The drink and cake happens after a good long look at the books, taking them to the reading table and thumbing through them. That's another thing I am really happy about. Principessa loves her books. I've lost count of the number of books she has stored in her little head now.

She has just finished competing in the Potato Olympics. This morning, she stole a potato from the kitchen and this afternoon has been finding as many new sports as she can with it. I'm just glad she didn't think of playing tennis with it. She first practiced her potato bowling, shouting "Nasty split," when her duplo block skittles didn't all fall down. She has just given up practicing potato shot put, after she nearly knocked me out with the potato! Funny little thing.

On the super sized bug front... I was quite happily watching TV with my dad last night when I heard this scuttling noise. Looking around, I saw nothing, so thought no more about it. About five minutes later I caught a glimpse of this thing scurrying towards me. ARGH! Focussing all of my attention on it, I saw this horrible, huge beetle heading straight for me. Now, I'm usually a bit eurgh with normal little black beetles, I am so not a bug person, but this thing was massive. I've only ever seen beetles that big in the zoo, where they are behind glass and not so scary. You can imagine, therefore, my horror at the sight of this thing coming to get me. Luckily for me, it didn't have another horrible little bug riding on it's back with a skull and crossbones bandana tied around it's head and wielding a pitchfork! God knows where the thing went to after Dad sent it packing away from me. The last I saw of the thing, it was running towards the chimney.