And I'll take the first step of a million more...

-25 Facts-

1. I am a Christian and lead a Sunday school.
2. I have swam with tuna fish in the Red Sea.
3. I listen to a lot of music but would never describe myself as someone into it.
4. At various points in my life I have wanted to be: a farmer (tractors are cool), a sports journalist (sports are cool) and a linguist (linguists are cool). Currently I want to be (sort of am) a scientist (scientists are cool).
5. I have a strange obsession with being able to procrastinate and seem to be able to exhaust the internet of all its crappy flash games frequently.
6. I firmly believe that ice hockey is the best sport in the world.
   
7. I am rather accident prone and clumsy but have never broken a bone.
8. I feel happiest when I am outside (unless it is raining) taking photos and going on adventures with Karen.
9. I enjoy going on holiday to places with famous sporting arenas and pointing out that I have been to them once I return.
10. I hate spending money yet have very expensive tastes in, mostly pointless, gadgets.
11. I want to live abroad but haven't decided where, although Canada or the States would be a safe bet.
12. I have learned to like dogs and am rather excited about owning one in the future.
13. I got DNA and RNA mixed up in my Cambridge interview, pretty good show for a biologist really. =P
14. I have watched a shocklingly small number of films in my life.
15. I would like to make money from my photography but wouldn't want it to be a full blown career.
16. I own a ridiculous number of rucksacks (6 plus an extra camera bag).
17. I really like dark chocolate.
18. I think its much more fun to drive at night than in the day time.
19. I read far too many blogs and webcomics.
20. I like to cook and clean up afterwards!
21. For some reason I own three woolly hats.
22. I want to learn to ski and snowboard despite my abysmal sense of balance.
23. The most beautiful place I have ever been was the Sinai desert, seeing all the stars at night was fantastic. I also rode a camel, this was less fantastic.
24. I genuinely do want a pet minipig and would call it Jeremy.
25. I would still call Durham home but feel a very strong attachment to Sheffield and all the friends I have made in the past two and half years.
    
    
    
    I want to cheat and add a 26th thing.
    
    
26. I genuinely feel that I have met the love of my life and want to make the perfect proposal to spend the rest of my life with her. No matter what I am doing as long as I am doing it with her its the best thing in the world, it could be watching a sunset (we don't do sunrise =P) or watching the news, it doesn't matter.
    

The company you keep is what makes life worth living.

Love will come set me free, I do believe...

I almost feel like I am on top of work for once today, despite doing very little over the weekend. We had a fun time on Saturday at Varsity Ice Hockey with amazing hot dogs and a pretty good game. Then we met up with Chris and co for his birthday which had hilarious consequences as per usual. Although cocktails and shots are not the drinks of choice when leading a group of 7-9 year olds! We played cards and Karen and I won at poker, however I think Chris being inebriated and apathetic helped slightly. We then had a massive game of cheat which I won with minimal cheating and correct subversion of my general persona.

Karen thinks I use big words in the wrong context because my Dad is left handed and the language centre in the brain is in the left hand side (or something like that!). She's probably correct and I refuse to give up showing off my immense lexicon (see what I did there?).

Karen and I baked cakes on Saturday which was good fun and really cheered us both up I think. We need to do more baking I have decided. Whilst my waistline would suffer its a sacrifice I am willing to make! I even attempted to "beat" the mixture which I spectacularly failed at until some careful tuition from my hairy baker. ;)

Sunday was good fun despite the initial headache. The kids at church were incredibly well behaved and I think we really got through to them for once. I have a few weeks off now which I am looking forward to being in Church either in Sheffield or at home.

I get some peace and quiet tomorrow as Karen is going out for Katie's birthday. I am going to cook some amazing bacon sandwiches, maybe with egg, and edit some photos once I have finished my work. I may even watch a DVD if I am feeling daring!

Take on me, take me on...

Today has been tiring, after sleeping pretty badly on Sunday night and not catching up on sleep from Saturday. I had three lectures and got a couple written up so I am only 3 behind, hopefully I can get on top of it all by the end of the week. Then there is reading and dissertation to start worrying about. I may go to the IC tomorrow and have a think about it after lectures. I shot a hockey game tonight but didn't get (m)any decent shots because of noise, low shutter speeds, general ineptitude etc.

Kazz has been having house issues, which is upsetting but just makes me look forward to next year even more! It doesn't matter that we don't have a place to live yet but as long as we can live together then its fine!

We had a romantic meal on Friday for our anniversary; I had pizza and Karen had really tasty pasta bake! We then went to Buddha Bar which was really good! We did fall asleep as soon as we got home but ah well! =P

On Valentine's day we went to Opal to console Darielle and Ria, the ice cream and waffles certainly made me feel grateful that I was not single! I'd put on so much weight if I didn't have Karen to share food with. ;) We watched 100 greatest sex symbols until about 0130 which was hilarious, Tony Blair was up there at 57 which was probably the most calamatous but many of the comments and out-loud thoughts we had were priceless.

My parents and JB drove down yesterday and I finally sold my camera! Mum had a nice walk to Weston Park museum and Dad took Karen and I shopping. I bought loads of stuff which was well confusing as I didn't really need much. Ah well.

We had a nice chat in my room and then picked up Karen and ate at Aunt Sally's which was filling if not fantastic but it was just good to spend some time with my parents again. I am incredibley lucky to have them as they do such an awful lot for me! I wouldn't swap them. =P

We trekked up to The Place and had a quite evening hanging out with part of the biology crew. It was fun to hang out with Chris and Louisa alone for quite a while as we haven't really had chance to talk as couples (I'm so sad =S).

I am now trying in vain to remove as much noise as possible from my photos and see if I can get any sharp images to put online. Laterz.

The walls are built up stone by stone, the fields divided one by one...

It has been an awfully long time since I have blogged because of well, being away from my computer or not on my own to write my secrets down.

Today is 730 days since Karen and I became an item, in fact our anniversary is on Saturday (I'll never forget it ;). That's actually a genuinely terrifying statistic ;) I wouldn't swap a single one of them to be honest, and these past couple of weeks have been great. I think its so important and so incredible to have someone who will support you no matter what, no matter how down you feel they can always pick you up and when you're at your highest they will be there enjoying it with you. I am incredibly lucky and blessed to have had such an opportunity. I hope the last 730 days are an indicator of the next 73 years (my goodness that's a long time!).

We had a great few days at the end of exams last week, it snowwed a lot in Sheffield which was fun for us but not so for people with cars! Karen and I spent many an evening watching cars struggle up Crookesmoor road which was the least gritted road in all of Sheffield (or so it seemed!). We walked out through all the parks into the peaks and saw a teeny tiny bird and some photogenic sheep.

Later that week we walked from Hathersage to Stanage Edge and down to Lodge moor where I took more photos (of sheep!). We went with Chris and it was refreshing to know that his photographic technique is almost as lassaiz faire as mine! I got some pretty good shots and some lovely mono conversions which Karen doesn't like because the sky was a gorgeous blue colour!

Tonight I am going to Cell at Abi's which will be good as there is food! Tomorrow I shall go to the gym to polish my guns (rofl) and make sure I am really sexy for our anniversary meal that evening. I do enjoy a good pizza but may branch out to pasta for one evening only!

Karen is ill the poor little thing, I really hope she gets better soon as I don't like seeing her like this all the time. I can't wait to give her the present I bought her, I hope it arrives super soon!