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 want to stay at home for the end of the world, falling asleep when their dropping the bomb...

Its so so near to the end. Everyone can feel it coming but no one is there yet. The cycle of wake, revise, eat, revise, eat, sleep has begun. I can remember feeling like I wanted to escape around this time in year 13. It seems very weird that I could ever think about getting out of here, but I am really looking forward to finishing. I wonder if it would be different if I were doing the level four course instead of being nervous about making friends in a new place next year?

I applied for accommodation yesterday, I went for a large single room in Broadgate Park as my first choice. Sadly my parents weren't prepared to pay just under £6k for a studio room which is a shame although understandable I guess. =P Now I am worried about not getting on with my flat mates as I wasn't asked any personality questions like when I applied for undergrad. I'm looking forward to taking the year and getting ready for a PhD, I really hope I can do what I want. Its going to be tough work wise let alone being away from Karen. Fortunately we should see each other every weekend which will be good.

We are putting off thinking about exams, coursework and dissertation by finalising our holiday arrangements in Morocco. Changing money seems like a pain but we can't do it until we are in Morocco which I guess will be fine. The hotel we are staying in looks cool, even better is that its next to a mega expensive one so we can sneak in and use their pool, tehe. I can't wait to go, its going to be a whole new culture, probably a bit of a shock really! Hopefully we will meet some really great people and have an unforgettable experience. I'm looking forward to taking photos to document our adventures. I will do my best not to get carried away and make the most of seeing things with my own eyes not through a camera lens though.

I'm going to bed now, absolutely shattered and have to be up to have another crack at my BMS revision tomorrow. =S

And I'm racking my brain for a new improved way to let you know your more to me than what I know how to say...

It has been forever since I blogged and a lot has happened in the past few days. I got rejected by Oxford last Saturday meaning I am off to Nottingham next year to do and MRes. I went to meet my supervisor and find out a bit more of what I was going to be doing. I had a really good time, it was a beautiful day and the snails were a lot cooler than Littorina =P. I think I want to work on why snails show handedness or the evolution of chirality which will require a lot of reading this summer! I managed to have a look in the city centre due to a bus stop based mishap, which wasn't a bad thing!

I found out I was got an award for my contribution to the hockey club on Wednesday which was really humbling as I don't really think I did much! I was only enhancing my own portfolio. =P

This week has been coursework and dissertation which are almost finished bar redrafting and final editing. I'm so pleased that the majority of the work is over so I can get down to revision as I'm not feeling too confident about my BMS stuff.

Karen and I have been finalising our trip to Morocco and have booked trains to and from Heathrow and a hotel for when we get back with a giant buffet breakfast which will be AWESOME. I really like breakfast. I'm really excited about going now, I can't wait to experience all these new things with Karen and I hope to take some good photos with my new lens (Sigma 10-20) which is an early birthday present from my parents. I hope the weather is good tomorrow so I can have a play with it. Karen is thinking about getting a new compact camera which is exciting because new toys always are! There is however one tiny snag; there are a million compact cameras to choose between and none of them are perfect.

In other news Jiri Hudler has just scored a very skillful/lucky (delete as appropriate) goal to give the Wings a 2-0 lead against the Ducks in the Western Conference semi finals.

I hope to have my dissertation sorted by this weekend and handed in on Monday and then panic revision can ramp up in earnest. I also want to cook tasty tasty Simon potato's for Karen to follow up the amazing pasta bake I cooked last night!

Come with me 'cause I'm a Free Faller, You hoot but I holler...

We booked out trip to Morocco yesterday! This is the one we booked. I am rather excited about it, having thoroughly enjoyed going to Egypt three years ago and am looking forward to another foray into North Africa.

I am working on my introduction for project and whilst its tough going its still interesting and I think I'd like to do my dissertation on some aspect of speciation, possibly ecological speciation specifically. I emailed some potential supervisors tonight so should probably get reading up on their research areas.

Things I need to get sorted for Morocco

• Insurance.
• Flights.
• Hotel pre/post tour.
• Camera Bag.
• Visas.
• Vaccines.
  
• Sexy boxers that are both stylish and comfortable in the heat.

Tomorrow I hand in my introduction so I had better get up early to finish it.

Things seem to be going a lot better than last week, work is happening, Karen is happy and we are going to the Christmas market in the centre of town on Saturday so hopefully there will be cheese for me to nibble on. I may buy some salami to cook a fantastic meal for Karen and I.

Karen and Simon Christmas is only two weeks tomorrow! I had best get wrapping! Were going to have a romantic meal and then go to Buddha Bar for cocktails (which I like far too much for a straight man!). I want to take a really romantic photo of us too that'd be ace.

My gym session was good today, managed to run (1.6km) row (8.58 mins) and bike (3.5km) and do all my weights and even proper sit ups. Oh and I have apparently lost two kilos which is top notch!

Time to look at hotels!

She's my heaven, she's my spark...

I was only in labs for 2 hours today! I got to see Chris' fish too which was entertaining, he turned them pink much to Katie's disgust.

Karen and I are going to see Quantum of Solace tomorrow which I am looking forward to! The plot is meant to be lacking but the action scenes are apparently rather good and I do like explosions.

Tomorrow I have to hand in my molecular ecology coursework which is hopefully going to be OK and make sense and sound feasible. Maybe not. We are currently doing biology and ethics which, on first impressions, is going to be very interesting and will have a definite impact on the way I think about things!

Hopefully I shall get a Sunday in Church properly this weekend providing Kev is around. Can't wait for that, I am really itching to be in the service to be with Karen and to listen to the teaching myself!

I may get next weekend on my lonesome which will be good for Christmas planning. I love winding you up.

Tonight I am searching for Morocco flights and we shall hopefully go and book everything next week! I am super excited about this. Its going to be a real adventure and I can't think of anyone I'd rather share it with.

Tomorrow I shall be in labs for 6 hours but I look forward to taking my laptop and either doing notes or playing on worms.

And nothing seems familiar here, on the other side of this town...

Today it is Sunday and its throwing it down! I have had another busy week with spending over 37 hours in labs and another 2 in lectures and stuff. Its really killing my drive to do work. Especially as I have coursework due in on Wednesday. That seems to be going OK though.

Karen and I went to Church for a bonfire and fireworks on Wednesday which was great fun, it was hilarious listening to Dan and Rom and trying to keep out of the way of the giant fireworks box. We went to Meadowhall on Friday afternoon and had a look at various things including loads of books that we'd like and camera gear although I wasn't allowed to play with the D3 which was a shame, but I guess its for my own good.

Hopefully we shall book our Morocco holiday within the next two weeks! I am incredibley excited abou the prospect of that. I love going to new places and there is no one I would rather go exploring with than Karen. Although I am feeling a bit sad we have to choose between being alone or going somewhere with our friends, I think we are making the right choice. Plus Morocco is way more interesting (read: photogenic) than Spain anyway.

I found a puppycam earlier this week which has been keeping my madamoiselle and various others entertained. They are so cute! But we aren't allowed to have one when were older because they would be too stubborn. Karen and I were talking about crufts earlier and I am secretly very excited about going! I can't wait to see her in her element. It'll be more impressive than Laura in lush!

Come on, come on what are you going to do you...

I am getting ready to go out tonight, were going to Mike's house party for his 21st which is going to be entertaining. However more excitingly I am having pancakes at Karen's. I haven't had pancakes in ages and I am going to eat loads. Yippee!!

We went to the pub last night which was rather good fun to see everyone and just talk about rubbish for a couple of hours. Kazz and I left early and spoke a lot. I think were OK now.

I have had an idea of what to get her for Christmas although its going to require some research.

My field course is nearly done hurrah!!! I can't wait to get that out of the way ready for winkle picking next Saturday. I shall do some reading up on that tomorrow I think.

Term is really really busy but I am just about coping. I am really looking forward to Sunday, hope it goes well.

Were definitely going to Morocco too, which is going to be amazing. I may have to try cous cous though. =S

Did you whisper in my ear, the things you want to hear...

Gah my laptop is annoying. Media player keeps dieing and I am rather desperate to actually hear some music rather than me tapping at the keyboard for a change. Sadly Karen's laptop died again but Dell have "graciously" agreed to fix it. Although they took their time about it, harumph.

Today was fairly up and down, Church was awesome, really great morning. I love to see the kids enjoying themselves. I really need to put in more time and thought with my planning because Martin's was genuinely top notch. Hockey was rather boring though, whilst a good work out, its clear that this season won't happen easily. Its going to be a struggle to be heard and whilst were clearly not the most important people in the club it'd be nice to have a bit more recognition, especially when you put in so much effort sorting things out and to then have them ignored.

Karen is really bored and it sucks that I couldn't be there to cheer her up because of trying to get my project done. Hopefully tomorrow will be better and she will enjoy looking at moorhen stuff. I really want her to enjoy her project even if her supervisor seems like a pain. Hopefully I shall be meeting Prof Butlin on Tuesday to talk about my winkles. I may even have a look at some papers beforehand!

My field course write up is going OK, I am fairly close to having a first draft done and then go over it all this week. Organisation is going to be tough this year as I have a lot to do between, Church, Work, Hockey and a social life! I'll try my best though.

We had a fun day on Saturday, we woke up late, went into town and pottered about and then went to Opal just to see Dazi, Ria and Chris who we hadn't seen for a week. We eventually left just after half 11 at night, having vaguely watched the Flintstones and Core and properly watched Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire which was entertaining. We also ate pizza so I feel fat this week, I may go to the gym tomorrow to row once Karen has gone off Moorhen spotting.

I am just about to edit some photos and send them to my first "client" a kayaker who I was shooting last weekend. Client is totally the wrong word as I was shooting whatever and she would like the photos. But I may someday have clients!

We have decided not to go to Southern Africa this Summer as it would be far too expensive (at least 2k) which is more than we can afford. However we are thinking of trying Morocco or Tunisia which will be very different! I am very much looking forward to it. We shall not only take some cool photos because we are good photographers, but we shall have an awesome time together which is the most important thing to me. I genuinely want to take in everything, even if we only went to the Lakes for a week I would try to get out from behind the lens more!

Anyway (not hoo!) I shall go and edit my photos.