Back in Portsmouth

ill start of with this very insightful cartoon.

All assignments are finished and handed in... just. I finished my 3D Modelling for Film assignment at 3 on Friday. As it had to be in by half past I quickly filled in the hand in sheet and dashed up to Derwent's to get a lift up to the uni, getting to his house at about 10 past. I went in to find Dave desperately trying to burn his assignment to CD, Derwent still writing in his log book and Luke still RENDERING.

Derwent and Dave were eventually ready to go and by 20 past we decided we couldn’t wait for Luke any more, so we dashed out to the car, Luke trailing behind with his laptop, yelling at it to render faster. We got to the uni and Luke’s laptop was still saying it had 10 minutes of rendering left, so me and Dave jumped out the car, taking Derwent's assignment with us and literally ran to the Octagon while Derwent parked and Luke swore at his computer some more.

Me and Dave got to the Octagon (you'll never guess what shape that building is) and pelted upstairs to the hand in place. The fist thing I saw was a massive crowd of people; the second was one of the office women stood in the crowd, who said, "you’re late..."
That induced a very sharp intake of breath, a look of horror and me wondering the best way to kill Luke and where to dispose of the body.
Fortunately the office woman continued "...so you'd better be quick". She gestured towards the row of tables surrounded by hastily scribbling students, and it took me a moment to realise we'd already filled in our hand in forms.
As I turned to the crowd by the hand in desk the woman said "ah...you'll be alright".

Despite this I still used the trick id perfected on my many visits to Loughborough where there’s always a big crowd of people trying to get on a very small train at Nuneaton.
Instead of joining the back of the crowd, you join at the side, as close to the front as possible. Then, as the crowd slowly thins as people get on the train/hand in their assignments, you slowly insinuate yourself further into the crowd and you can then get in before the people stuck in the middle who were in the crowd before you, and no one seems to notice.

As a result I only had to wait for two or three people to hand in their assignments before me and Dave were served instead of about 20. After that the relief was immense and I enjoyed a very pleasurable adrenaline rush for the next 15 minutes or so. Luke and Derwent showed up just after Dave had handed in his assignment. I'd already handed in Derwent's with mine, and Luke had attempted to burn his to CD while running with laptop. Obviously it failed, and he didn’t have enough time, or CDs, for a second attempt so he’s handed in half his project on CD (if that even works) and his logbook. Good luck to him.

Went into town with Derwent and Luke to celebrate. Ended up trying the new Chinese take away in town. It was very good, and they deliver too, so I may have to change that one to my regular instead of the one on Western Road.
In the evening I went back home and gave my housemates their Christmas presents. A film rental voucher for Phil and Luke (different Luke to the one earlier) and Rachel got a Lego boat and aeroplane.

Spent Saturday washing clothes, doing my washing up, generally tidying up and thinking about packing. In the afternoon I went back to Derwent and Dave’s to pick up copies of our films for this semester and play Dave at New Super Mario Bros. He thrashed me at the Mario Vs Luigi battles, but I got my revenge on the minigames.

Parents arrived about 1 the next day to take me home. Mum insisted on vacuuming my room (first time its been done since I moved in) and ended up doing the hall too. No idea how long the journey home took, although I don’t think I fell asleep at all. 5 minutes after I sent Andrea a text to tell her how bored I was we were back in Portsmouth.

Pretty much settled in now. Going back to work in the grease mines (aka McDonalds) on Friday. Apparently we've been sold to a franchise. Hopefully ill get my soul back, as I technically wont be working for McDonalds any more, although it’s not officially going through until the end of January.

Hopefully seeing Andrea tomorrow and Muscat's arranging a get together at the Manor on Thursday night so should be a good week.

Just a quick one...

im currently halfway through my assignments, or thereabouts. Visual Media Applications is done, finished and handed in (yay!), my head model for 3D Facial Modelling is finished and just needs to be textured and then my sketch book needs padding out, and for 3D Modelling for film im about halfway through modelling and walfway through finishing my log book.....hopefully ill get 'em done before the hand in....

in the meantime, heres a fantastic animation i found last night.
I love it. i could watch it over and over again. brilliant.

Ta-dah

As you can probably see, I've given my blog a facelift.

No idea why, I just fancied fooking around with the settings. I think it looks quite good. Let me know what you think. Even if you think its rubbish. I wont be offended. I'll just unleash the flying wombats and you'll never be heard from again.

Not much to report to be honest. My Lego advent calendar is amazing. Not many people can say they got an airport luggage x-ray machine in their calendar. I also got a hospital bench with a drip which a burnt Anakin Skywalker minifig (post-lava burnings, pre-Vader suit-ification) is making use of. Unfortunately the doctor minifig can’t attend to him as the airport staff minifig x-rayed his suitcase and found it to be full of scalpels and needles so he’s in a spot of bother. As soon as I get a policeman minifig he will be arrested.

Thursday night I
decided to watch the 1989 Batman film by Tim Burton and its put me in a really Batman sort of mood. I'm downloading the classic 1966 TV series staring Adam West (who is fantastic, I might add) and Batman Forever, just to see how bad it is. I think I’ve seen the start and seem to remember a vat of 'boiling acid' as if acid alone wasn’t bad enough. And since when could bank security guards recognise the acidity of a liquid just by looking at it, anyway?

Andrea's coming to visit this weekend. Its only a short one over one night cos she had to work Friday evening and we both have quite a lot of coursework to do. Speaking of which, our group piece was handed in yesterday! Glad to get it out the way. If Aidan youtubes it ill imbed it here. I might let you see our last too with me stuttering like a good 'un.

Looking forward to Andrea's arrival tomorrow (I’m writing this on Friday night/Saturday morning so I’m between days...). Cos its only a short visit we probably wont do anything other than curl up together and watch TV (we have the 7 episodes so far of the new series of Family Guy to watch!) but I cant complain.
I will also be inflicting my first ever pasta bake on her. It seems pretty easy.... just a case of adding the sauce to the dry pasta then bunging it in the oven. What could go wrong?

Slightly embarrassing moment earlier.... the bulb in Phil’s room blew causing all the lights in the house to go off. The switches are in a cupboard in my room. I accidentally turned off all the electricity in the whole house instead of putting the lights back on. Never mind. Its sorted now.

That’s all for now. If anything interesting happens over the weekend ill let you know. Hopefully my assignments won’t take over my life entirely....

The Awards 2006

review of the year

1) Drinking buddy of the year?
hmm....think ill have to say Andrea. was it three and a half big bottles of Smirnoff ice?

2) Lifetime Service Award - Longest friend?
think thats gotta be Muscat. been friends since primary school, though ive known him since preschool

3) High point of the year?
2nd April - Andrea told me she'd love to go out with me

4) Low point of the year?
now....so many assignments!

5) Best Holiday?
only holiday i had was to devon for a weekend for my aunts wedding

6) Anthem for 2006?
Dont Stop Me Now - Queen

7) Any regrets?
Should have gone as a ninja to the union halloween night

8) Best night out?
Andreas birthday. i was dressed as the Phantom but everyone thought i was Dracula.

9) Worst night out?
the Havant College Crew Reunion. not a bad night in itself, but Andrea got so roped into trying to save other peoples dead/dying relationships we hardly had any time to focus on ours which had just started. dont think we got to kiss properly til we were tidying up after everyone left.

10) Who did you spend your valentines with?
think i just stayed in, online. but i did send Andrea a big Tigger and Eeyore

11) Best relationship?
Andrea, of course!

12) Worst relationship?
Andrea. not cos its bad, its not at all, just cos its the only one all year....

13) First gig of the year?
The Mighty Boosh live in march. not technically a gig but what you gonna do?

14) last gig of the year?
see above

15) best decision made all year?
telling Andrea how i felt

16) Best new album?
bought would be the 70s musical version of War of the Worlds, downloaded.....Meat Loaf - Bat out of Hell III - The Monster is Loose

17) Most proud moment?
see 3)

18) Most reliable person?
dont know really...probably Andrea