Do you want to get married, or run away?

Fortunately the answer was get married! We are engaged. YAY!

I had a great birthday and am now the owner of a funky University of Sheffield dressing gown and cool camo shorts. My parents also gave me a salt grinder and Karen some stickers and marking pens for next year, how cute!!

Currently I am in limbo with all my stuff at Karen's and waiting to go to Morocco tomorrow!! I can't wait, massively excited. I am charging up all my camera gear as I type. =P We fly on Friday morning and probably will miss our results being put up but ho hum, I am 100% sure that both Karen and I will meet our offers and will hopefully do very well anyway.

I have had a nice couple of weeks here in Sheffield doing very little with my beloved (although now I should start calling her fiancee, weird!!). Tonight we are going out for pizza and to see the new Transformers film (Yaayyyy!). Tomorrow is final trip home for all of Karen's stuff and we get to see "Mum in law" and "Chippa in law" before we travel down to Heathrow.

Its been a great three years in Sheffield, and I am really sad it has to end. But I know that we will be back here someday, the opportunity would be too good to miss.

Who let the dogs out...

I slept for about 9 hours last night. Not lots I know but it certainly helped me catch up after only five hours of sleep the night before. In the shower I was listening to the radio and it was talking about a veterinary nurse who couldn't bear to see unwanted dogs put down (rightly so!) and so turned her home into a sanctuary for stray dogs. Apparently she now has about 38! Now a few years ago I would have baulked at that number and been horrified, however today I thought she was a saint and that I would emulate her if given the chance. Well maybe not me per se but my house for doggies! And maybe not 38, something like 6 would probably be more than enough. But its a lot more than I previously thought!

Its a sunny day so I may have a wander down to the wetlands area and see what I can spot after lunch. I took photos in Durham yesterday, but I'm not particularly happy with any of them, I would like to blame the sky but unfortunately its more likely that my own skills and creativity that are lacking. In other photography related news I am going to become a professional heelwork to music photographer and make millions (of half pennies ;~) to fund Karen's expensive dog habit (=P).

I did a lot of looking in town but nothing really took my fancy so didn't actually buy anything! Ah well. Feels like lunchtime now, even though I only had breakfast an hour ago (counterfeit crunchy nut cornflakes).

This one last bullet you mention is my one last shot at redemption...

I feel pretty drained, which I guess isn't too surprising considering its twenty to one in the morning. I'm trying to stay awake to watch some of game 6 of the Stanley Cup finals. I'm not sure whether I'll make it as faceoff isn't until one. I'm glad I'm at home but still wish I was back in Sheffield; life seems to be much less complicated when Karen and I are together and able to talk properly. I ate more cake earlier; it was a snail cake and was mega tasty! I'm rather looking forward to getting stuck into a new project and a new challenge next year. I just hope that my relationships will be as strong as they are now in twelve months time. I feel really attached to Karen. We've spent two and a half years knowing each other and my university career to date is exclusively intertwined with her. That's something that I don't want to change or give up on. I want things to work, and I am determined to make them work. I don't want this opportunity to be happy to pass me by.

Since finishing exams on Friday I haven't really done much, which suits me fine. I went into town and met Karen, we then had lots of fun out in Bia Hoi eating tasty Thai tapas and drinking funky cocktails! Saturday was slightly more hectic as I managed to pack up pretty much all of my room for dad to take home on Sunday. We went out to eat at ASK which was much nicer than I remembered and I would definitely go back and eat more cheesecake because it was amazing!

Sunday was my fake birthday party, we had a wet BBQ and played Taboo. I really enjoyed having people round to my house and am slightly disappointed that I hadn't done it before! Maybe next year I shall invite more people over when Karen comes to visit. I now own 14 sausages to eat before I leave for London but I do like a challenge! I think a giant toad in the hole is called for. I also have an obscene amount of pasta and spaghetti to get rid of. Some tuna and a lasagne. Its going to be a fat two weeks when I get home. =P

Maybe that's what I need as I'm not too sure what food I am going to eat in Morocco for two whole weeks. Apart from the nourishment based issue I am really looking forward to experiencing another culture, seeing a totally different landscape and spending two weeks with Karen in another continent! I'm a bit nervous regarding the camel ride as I'm not the greatest fan of heights (camels are really tall!) and haven't ever been horse riding. It could be an interesting and potentially bum numbing few hours on my trusty steed! Hopefully I will be able to take my camera on the camel to get some interesting pictures! I really want to get some good shots to make large prints and put them on my wall, hopefully I shall take some great photos of Karen and I because I love using them as bookmarks. Its really cute to see her sweet little face every time I open a book. =)

I think we should be close to opening faceoff at the Mellon arena so I'm going to snuggle down in bed and try not to fall asleep too soon so I can at least see some of the game!

I've been locked inside this house with all my insecurities, and I've been trying to get out and all the while you hold the key...

I am halfway through my final exams ever (hopefully!). I have two more to go, one on Monday, which I am dreading, and one on Friday which I am almost looking forward to. I cannot wait to be free to do the million things I've not been able to do for weeks now! I want to stay up late and get up later, go to the park and play in the sun, take a ridiculous number of photos and eventually edit them and most of all I want to spend every moment of every day with my beloved!

Karen finishes on Monday the lucky so and so. But more importantly she's going puppying tomorrow. I hope that this little guy is a good fit for her and her mum (and Chippa actually!), as I think it would be really really beneficial for Karen to be there at the start of the house-training regime sort of thing. Mostly in preparation for our own little pup but also to help her mum. =P

I am shattered, even though today I have eaten more chocolate and drank some Co-op brand red bull I'm really looking forward to sleeping tonight. Hopefully I can get up nice and early and have a bash at a bit more revision before church tomorrow. I'm going to stop by Karen's for puppy day hugs yay! I shall also take my camera and hopefully get some good wide angle shots of outside the church.

Anyway off to bed for me!

Opinions are immunity to being told you're wrong...

I went to church today and listened to Ben and Rick speak about growing fruit from your relationship with God and that bad things in your life will be pruned away if you ask God for help. I feel like a bit of pruning, particularly in my devotion of time would be very much appreciated!

Tuesday is my first exam (oh to be able to cut that out of my life =P) and I'm nervous yet not too scared, I feel ok and hope that a good question comes up. Doing the external reading of some funky papers has been way more useful than the lecture notes I made. Maybe I'm now getting to grips with reading for my degree, ah well better late than never.

I'm processing a few HDRs (my new favourite photography play thing), I really like the effect although it does make me want a tripod to try out night time shots. This summer I hope to get some really good photos of Chippa, probably in the Lakes as I think I may have to get good at dog shots for the future. =P I'd also like to have a real good go at some landscapes in the Lakes, I may even climb a mountain to pursue such an idea!

I'm really feeling attached to Sheffield at the moment, maybe its because I will be leaving for my MRes. I feel very connected with church and the general atmosphere, I didn't quite anticipate this when applying four years ago. I really hope I can come back here for some if not all of my life...