Home Time - Friday - 4th of November

I got up late, 1000 ish to be more precise. I had some cornflakes and started some web design, I've now started using BBEdit as it's got a really nice colour coding system and generally useful interface, though it took a bit of configuring to get it to how I like it. My only lecture of the day was with Dr Tawfik so I had lunch and got in for 1300. The lecture itself was something I could have missed, and in retrospect, wish I had (I don't normally think that, even if I knew everything in it) as during the lecture, while Tawfik was talking I elaborated on something he had explined badly to a friend. Dr Tawfik walked up and asked my friend a question, he didn't know the answer and so Tawfik told us to stop talking, if he'd asked me the question I'd have answered, it'd have been funny to see what he'd have done. After getting back from the lecture (and Tescos, I needed a packed dinner) I began packing everything ready for my train journey home. It was at 1700 but I was nervous about missing it at 1600. I got onto the train just fine, the laptop battery lasted for a good hour before I had to stop typing stuff and start reading 'How to Win Friends and Influence People'. The switching of trains went fine, except that I got on a train before the one I was meant to, this meant it was a bit smaller, but I did get back sooner. My Mum and Dad drove me back to my Welsh home, I missed my cat a little, he's so soft and furry... Lesson of the Day - A person with an extendable pointer yelling at you and waving it inches from your face is scary

I found Cake - Thursday - 3rd of November

I got in for my 0900 lab. My previous lab partner was nowhere to be seen, so I sat next to Howard, he's very very good at electronics, but says he's not so good at writing programs, looks like it'll be a good team (I'm the opposite). The lab was all about electronics, Howard kept on saying that he felt bad for doing everything, but I was learning by example quite well so reassured him I was fine. I think we were one of very few lab groups to complete the exercises before the lab ended (we had 3 minutes to spare). I cycled back and had a lovely fry up lunch, mmmmmmm. After lunch I found out that re-installing the PHP server made it so that PHP once again works on my computer. For those that don't know, PHP is a way of sticking really cool stuff on the web, such as databases, forums and more. My afternoon lecture with Hassan was great, minus that Tom sat next to me and asked stupid questions, he used to also attend year 2 lectures, but after asking stupid questions there was told by some students that if he came back, they'd kick his head in, I'm told that he took the hint. Dinner was nice, I had something with some very strong Curry in it, so I would have been a little empty in the stomach region, but lo and behold, Marisa saves the day. There was some very very nice cake, and Marisa took the largest (she got there first, despite my elbowing ability). One bite, "I don't like this anymore". I had it, that's the second pudding she's decided she didn't like, I'm just hoping that next time I have dinner near here they're doing masses of Toffee Squares, I'll have to ask Tom about that... After the dinner I sat down in the refectory and used the wireless, then went back and did some web design before going to bed. I've got a long day ahead of me tomorrow.... Lesson of the Day - When making friends in Uni, find someone like Marisa, I get the feeling she often leaves puddings on her plate (therefore more for me).

Nackerd - Wednesday - 2nd of November

I woke up at 0700, it was raining very very hard. I had two choices, get up early and catch the bus at 0800 (the 0830 one is always full) or get up later and cycle. Queue some snoozing. I decided that I'd give jeans a try, they are not as bad as I thought they would be, and it was raining (I got a little damp). My first lecture was on computing and it was quite okay, the second was on the Technology Context, I'll be thinking about it a bit and then doing it all in one go. After that was some maths, then home time. On the way out I saw something amazing. A guy advertising Macs. On his desk just by the stairs was a really really nice G5 screen (the white one with a computer inside it) and a G4 laptop (again, a white one). We chatted for a bit, I tried to get his wireless connection sorted but it didn't work. After that I cycled back to halls and began cooking my remaining pack of sausages, I figured that despite being frozen, they were past their use-by date and should be eaten soon. The Sausages were eaten after a 2ish hour cook time, after eating some of them I cycled in to the city to find that I was not a severe enough case of a Dyslexic to warrant a funded test (£300), however there is a 'saftey net' thingy that will help me learn stuff and also monitor my progress. After getting back from that I did some computer stuff before meeting up with a guy from the CU called Jack. He ate a full meal and I had (for free) two mini-rolls and a cup of hot chocolate. After the meal I grabbed my reflective sash and helmet (the Sash is soooo fashionable). Jack's bike has thin thin wheels, it was worrying to see him accelerate with the speed of a flying brick and slow down in the manner of something without friction. After getting there we got on the train, arrived at the fair to mud, lots of mud. And rain. It rained a lot but the Fireworks were awesome, by the time I got back I was exhausted, sat down, found there was a new player in WoA, chatted to some WoA people, showered and slept... Lesson of the Day - Jeans, despite being tight, do not get as wet as you'd have thought

Lets stop with the uneventfulness - Tuesday - 1st of November

I got up at 0800 (I think) and got in for my 0900 lecture. It was internet apps so I spent it making sure I knew everything and bringing Ben up to speed, he's just switched courses and hasn't ever done HTML before. After that I had some maths, it looks like it's getting a bit harder. After that I cycled back, grabbed lunch, sat down, did some web design and then cycled back in. Cripps' lecture was as usual interesting, though being two hours it does drag on, for some reason he hasn't done his funny movies thing since the first lecture, I'll have to complain to him. Interestingly after restarting the computer (Acrobat did something) the PHP server on the Mac has stopped working... In the afternoon I got dinner, sat down with Launa, Briley and Jack. Jack is on the bottom floor of my block and also in the CU. Despite never talking to him he remembers me from several weeks ago, we're going to cycle into town tomorrow for the CU fireworks party. Lesson of the Day - Tescos do EVERYTHING cheaply, even chocolate, mmmm.

Not a complete waste - Monday - 31st of October

I got up at 0730 and cycled in for 0830, however, there was more tailwind than I expected so got there 10 minutes early (I have to stop thinking it still takes me 20 minutes to get somewhere). The first lecture was again not on, the lecturer in question has a bad back. The next thingy was a computing practical, I was told that I may not have to turn up to the one next week as everybody was being so slow (finished 45 minutes early). After that I cycled back (I'd already been told to miss my next practical, me knowing HTML already) and grabbed lunch. I then found that Adobe Acrobat can't download sites to save it's life. A free 215k download however could, and it did it nicely. I now have a PHP manual on my hard drive. I cycled back into the uni for a single, one hour lecture. It was also cancelled, however, all was not lost, I helped Ben sort some stuff out with his new course and also chatted to him for a while. After that I raced the bus back until it hit a traffic jam, it got rather pointless after that... After a nice dinner in the refectory I cycled to St Lukes, the service was a little boring, the preacher really did preach. Afterwards however we all went down the pub and I had a great time chatting to everybody. I had an even greater time cycling back through the wind and rain, however I am now nice and dry after my shower. As I write this I realise that I have a lecture in 9 hours and may need to be there... Lesson of the Day - If something doesn't work, look elsewhere.

Daylight Savings Time - Sunday - 30th of October

I got up at 0830 this morning, I did lie in for a little while. I then had breakfast and took a leisurely cycle into the city center for the church crawl, I got there 20 minutes early, nobody turned up, I guess I misheard them saying which was the last one, I cycled back to halls. I figured I'd go sit in the refectory and use the internet, whereupon I found that I was an hour ahead of everybody else, yeah, I got up at 0730, it was too late to turn up to the church crawl. I had some lunch there and looked for some tickets for a Cliff Richard festival for one of the staff, sadly the only ones left were several hundred pounds (it was only an hour after they went on sale). I also had free cups of hot chocolate. When I went for a loo break I got them to make sure nobody stole the computer (they being trustworthy people and all) and came back with some apple pies, though only one of them had one. I then spent the next several hours browsing various websites while Adobe Acrobat proceeded to 'hammer' an online PHP manual. Hammer is the wrong word, it was downloading stuff at a rate slower than that of a modem, but only just faster than what I'd be able to do by hand (I think). It was also a background task so I could do whatever I wanted, neat. What was really annoying however, was that when I had finally downloaded enough that I could stop it, it took 15 minutes to save the thing to PDF. As I write this in my room, after eating some noodles, it is in the middle of what looks like it'll be an hour long operation to save said PDF to web-page.... (we're assuming there is only one stage for it to process) On the flip side I did get PHP working on the computer today and am slowly but surely learning how AI works, it involves lots and lots of maths, along with some rather tricky puzzles. Lesson of the Day - Watch out for DST