We control the chaos, at the back of our minds...

Now everything is handed in and revision is in full swing. I have had a nap today which was rather pleasant and went to the gym with Karenstickalaren. I am currently printing out notes, all 28 pages of sex and reproduction.

I'm feeling pretty drained and really can't wait for the year to end, although its scary that it will be over so soon! I found out that I got my first choice accommodation site yesterday so I will be in a good place, near the department and the gym which is cool! I am beginning to get a bit more excited about next year now that I can feel it getting closer. Hopefully I will have a good relax in the summer and not be moving around too much so I'm not overwhelmed by snails next year.

I don't really have anything else to write as all I do is coursework and revise now which isn't fantastic! I could blog about cooperation and conflict or sex and reproduction but I don't think I could actually write much. Doesn't bode well for next week eh?

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!

We are the pirates who don't do anything, we just stay at home and lie around...

I have discovered spotify, and am listening to various thing such as HIM, AFI, Veggietales and Reliant K. Its pretty cool although I did get an advert warning me about unprotected sex which was a rather unexpected!

Friday went OK, I initially felt ok about it, then rubbish and now I feel OK again as I didn't receive and email today or Monday rejecting me straight off so I can't have been that bad. The day went rather smoothly really, I managed to get my train fine although I was sat listening to Dora the blooming Explorer for two hours! I met Haydn and I looked around Jesus college which was a really cool rabbitywarreny building. Very stereotypcially Oxbridge college. I also managed to find St Hilda's college which, from what I saw, was filled with feminists! Apparently they only started admitting men to the college last year so I appear to have perhaps picked the wrong college! Anyway I enventually found the plant sciences department and waited in the, very wooden, reception area. I was interviewed by Prof HG Dickinson, Dr SA Harris, Dr IR Moore and Dr AS Hay. They started off by asking about why I wanted to do a PhD and specifically at Oxford, unfortunatley I had to explain why I had applied so late which was a bummer but couldn't be helped. Then we spoke about the paper I was given to read, this was probably the worst bit, I spent a few question in silence just trying to figure out what to say before having to ask for it to be rephrased. It probably wasn't as disasterous as I thought but it was very uncomfortable at the time. Next we spoke about my Littorina project, again not a great topic of conversation for me! I think my grasp of the subject wasn't quite up to the standard they were probably looking for but I guess you never know. It didn't feel like 45 minutes but it definitely was by the time I left! I was briefly asked about my dissertation which I felt I answered very well and sounded enthusiastic about after being a tad resolute about my project. It was good to leave on a positive note. The train back was fine (no Dora!) and Karen came and met me in town where we went and had Thai tapas and cocktails at Bia Hoi which was really tasty! I now like thai food as well as Chinese, oh how cultural I am!

Today I got confirmation of my offer from Nottingham, I need a 2.2 at the end of this year. So that is going to be definitely acheivable as a back up. I am now a whole lot more positive about what's going to happen compared to a month ago and am now really looking forward to moving on in my academic career, I know its going to be difficult being apart from Karen but I genuinely think we'll be able to make it work because we really want to do it! I have absolute faith in our relationship. Karen asked me what I felt had changed in the past year, from a God conversation at church, I feel that our relationship has moved forward in leaps and bounds. We are even closer than before and are seriously considering our future together rather than just (cutely) joing about it. Things are so much better.

Nobody plans to be half a world away at times like these, so I sat alone and waited out the night...

I think I have blogger's block! Having made it to the magic 100 posts last week, my attention span has dwindled slightly. I shall hopefully be able to pick up in the near future to chronicle my trials and tribulations as I finish my undergraduate degree here at Sheffield.

I had a really good weekend at home, I took some pretty good photos of JB in action for his last game for DCHC which was enjoyable. I really like it when people like my photos. I sometimes have a sneak around facebook and see who's using photos I've taken as profile pictures and its occasionally rewarding. I'd love to turn my serious hobby into a little money earner one day. Maybe I'll get my chance, however as long as I am still enjoying taking photos I don't mind.

I am still in limbo regarding what challenges, both academic (hopefully!) and photographic, await next year. I am really liking the idea of a masters course I think as it will give me more experience, some more letters after my name, and a bit more of an insight into academia, which is where I would really like to stay. Whilst I'd have a hard time turning down a PhD offer from Oxford I'd have to have a serious think about what I really want to do, and equally importantly what's best for Karen and I.

I am scared of what happens if M has to bail on K and T, as its another thing that we really couldn't do with at the moment. Its very difficult to feel that there is a direction for any of us to go in at times like these but perseverence is key and new opportunities are worthwhile. I think I would like to end up in Nottingham as it'd be a whole lot easier for staying in close contact with Karen plus having C and J there would probably help me settle in to a new place.

My weight has decided to climb again, silly not being able to eat what I want. I shall go to the gym tomorrow and have an intense cardio session, maybe even 20 mins of running and biking! I want to get some weights I think, as Karen likes my arms when they are a bit more toned. Maybe I should buy something really heavy to lug about with me, such as a massive diamond ring, or a camera lens, or a dog!

One day Bertolli and fear of bears shall be shared...