Sarah Rules

SORRY SORRY SORRY already.

Do you remember the “I have no internet” excuses from this time last year? They apply once more, but this time I think I’ll be without internet for the whole year. Do not worry though as now I’m a third year Computer Scientist I’m expected to keep a toothbrush at the labs and form a bed arrangement using only 4 swivel chairs. Kitchens have actually been installed (I’m not even sarcastically over exaggerating this part.)

So now that my life is based here (and I’ve had to pay money for the sarahrules name again) I’m determined to keep on top of things. I may also have work I’m supposed to be doing now… Plus sarahrules is 2 years old now! Golly Gosh.
I’ve found a few photos to summArise what I did in the summEr. I’ve still got the wit! All are thanks to facebook and most thanks to Sarah (H)’s ability to take on 5000 photos per social event.

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No posts since the 23rd of December? I’m surprised you’re even here reading this! It’s probably because I have contacted you to tell you I’ve updated I suspect.

Firstly, I’ve updated the links on the right.  John’s one will now take you to his new blog and Martin’s will take you to his new web project.  Go there once you’ve done here.

I should tell you all about the Sarahs’ visit here. It was absolutely excellent. Not only did I get to be a tourist in my studying/working city for a few days but I also got to hang out with my Sarahs which I do not do enough. We went for meals, took advantage of my, Jo’s and Claire’s work discount (that’s lots of money off pashminas and drinks and free entry into the cinema) went on a ridiculously scary ghost tour in which I almost died probably and took a wonderfully scenic walk along the frosted beach. I think my favourite photo from the whole experieince was this, on the bus out to the beach with some (no one get angry now) of my bestest friends.

What else have I done? Well obviously I went home and got to hang out with the family which I always enjoy. I saw some friends, missed too many though. Had a New Year party with FIREWORKS (which went off 20 seconds to early Dad). Had money stolen from me by O2 (over £200) but I shant say anymore than O2 are a horrible company with no morals or manners. Went to London to see the Coram Boy at the National Theatre with Nannon (it was an absolutely amazing show and I would highly recommend it) and then saw Mark the day after and climbed The Monument’s 311 steps (don’t believe me? I’ve been there, done that and got the certificate.) And probably a whole host of other things.

Now I’m back in the Burg. It’s good to be (home from) home. I had an excellent holiday so have no qualms about getting back to business here. I’m trying to do more things here as well. I’m attempting to write for the Student newspaper, running for Class Representative (both of which I will update you all on as soon as anything happens) but I still want more. I feel a bit aimless right now, like I need to make more of time here and do more things. I’m taking a course titled “Innovation and Enterprise for Scientists and Engineers.” I don’t suppose anything will come of it this instance but it’s inspiring me to look for more challenges.

Suggestions anyone?

Yesterday, Dad, Scott and I went over to Newmarket for Newmarket Nights. It’s an event where you get an afternoon’s racing followed by a concert. Last night, the concert was given by Mcfly. Top draw.

We got there, bought our race books and started to pick out the jockeys who were dressed in the prettiest colours. Well that’s what I was doing. Dad appeared to have some strategy and won on the first race. We then wandered over to the paddock area to pretend we knew what we were doing and pick a horse after merely looking at it walking around in a circle. Well, they all appeared to know how to walk and could all clearly see where they were going. Erm, what else is there left to decide if the horse was a winner? Dad decided to go with the one that was prancing around looking generally insubordiante. Apparently that was a good idea because he won again. Here’s the horse winning.

That’s Frankie Detorri on the winning horse. Because of this we went over to the winner’s enclosure to see Frankie accepting a prize. And because of this (trust me this is going somewhere good) Dad overheard the announcement that a member of Mcfly would be handing over the prize in two races time.

Awesome.

We stuck it out at the winner’s enclosure there. We hadn’t heard anymore announcements which was good because it meant that noone else was really there. It also meant that it probably wasn’t actually happening to be honest. I mean, they’d probably like to get more people there. But hey, we weren’t in a rush to get anywhere.

Then he was there. Danny just walked out into the enclosure. Danny, the one from Mcfly. Just there. The woman who was interviewing him was standing directly in front of us. And in the few seconds it took him to walk it, so was Danny.

Mad! Next to us was a Mcflamily, all of them wanting autographs, they’d asked the interviewy lady if she could get Danny to sign a few for them, so he did.

I pulled the ticket and a pen from my bag, and then he signed it for us. I have the picture of him doing it but I’m afraid that both the picture and the ticket are now in Amy’s possession. She’s made an awesome picture from it though.

Not the end of the story though.

Scott: Touch him
Sarah Rules:I’m not going to touch him
S:Touch his head!
Danny:[laughing a little]What? Touch my head?
S:Yeah
D:Go on then

So I do. I touch Danny from Mcfly’s head. If you want to know what it was like, it was sweaty and full of product (although it was very hot and he was about to play a gig in front of thousands of people.)

The gig almost seems like a come down after that but it was excellent. They played about a million songs and did all the good ones. You know which ones I mean. You’re all secret fans really. To finish off, here’s a lovely picture I got of Dougie, who’s one contribution to the one stage talk was to burp loudly into the mic. Maybe I’m going off him, Danny let me touch his head after all…

After the party on Wednesday I was left with many varied items of food and drink. There was an insanely large cream cake, a delicious salad and pasta that kept the family fed for a couple of days and probably most intriguing, a Noddy cake mix.

This was left by Rhiannon on Mark’s behalf. I think he didn’t give me a cake on my birthday or we bet on a board game and this was my winnings or something along those lines. For some reason, he owed me some cake mix.

If you look at the photo you’ll see the cakes are “Googleberry” flavour. Google? Don’t I recognise that word from my modern day vocabulary? A ha, it’s that well known search engine. On closer inspection you can see that the colours of Noddy’s name bear a remarkable resemblance to those of the Google icon. A coincidence? I think not. If I had time I would like to investigate further the process of events that led from Noddy charging sixpence an adventure to him becoming a successful Internet tycoon who owns possibly one of the most well known and most widely used search engines of our time. But like I said. No time. We’ll blame drugs, or perhaps the hallucinagenic properties of the Googleberry. But enough of that and on with the cakes.

The cakes were fairly easy to make. Your standard add an egg and some water kind of affair. The lumpy mixture we came up against was quickly thwarted by the electric whisk and then we were on our way. The mixture was doled out into the cake cases and put in a preheated oven for 10-12 minutes.

Whilst this was going on, Amy took charge of the icing situation. The googleberry must indeed be magical, just look at this colour change. Never before has the phrase “just add water” been so impressive.

Before:

AFTER:

Astounding.

Here is Amy mixing the icing the only way she knows how. Dropping it from a unnecessarily high height.

We applied the mad crazy icing and then stuck on the “waferettes” with Noddy characters on them and we were done.

And happy.

They were (of course) delicious and I have eaten them all.

But perhaps the most important part of all this is that the three of us, Scott, Amy and I came up with The Best Band In History thanks to this little project. Here is the album cover with its title.

Don’t Infect The Fun

By

Picture Bitch and the Waferettes

This post is going to be rushed and stressful.  I have 5 billion photos to post from last week’s holiday to centerparcs.  I literally have 15 minutes to do this because shortly we have guests coming, then I’m going to a party, then I’m meeting up with a friend then I have to pack because I am leaving early tomorrow morning to go up to the Burg.  NO TIME FOR EXPLANATIONS.  NO TIME FOR FUNNY.

Firstly we went to Longleat Safari park.  We saw lions and tigers and no bears oh my.  Monkeys climbed on cars.  This is a good photo of some lions.

Then there was the competition for “Photo de la jour”.  (I am aware that is frenchly incorrect).  Mine is the winner.

Although Dad would argue his was the winner.  He took this with his expensive camera that makes up for what talent the photographer lacks with fancy gadgetry.

Then I was a meerkat.

At Centerparcs we did everything.  We played squash, golf, air hockey, pool, did water colours, made pottery, went swimming.

We did archery.  This is us archerying.  I apologise for the fact I am more or less flashing, that tshirt has been through the University Industrial dryers a few too many times.

Dad and I also went sailing.  This is me sailing.

This is Dad sailing.

Haha, ok so I lied.  There’s your funny.

FAMILY!

I am back in Essex now. This is now the only abode that I live at as I have been thrown from my University accommodation. It was rather stressful/sad packing everything that I’ve been living with for a year into a bag.

I had to say good bye for the forseeable future to John yesterday too. That was a bit intense. I’ve always known that he would leave but I didn’t think he actually would. I cried a bit. You would too if your one of your best friends was leaving your life after only having been in it for 9 months. I shall miss him greatly but I do hope he’s enjoying his extensive travels around Europe and Africa.

If that wasn’t bad enough I also had to say good bye to Scott this morning although hopefully that will only be for a month. Sad sad sadness.

I’m very much looking forward to seeing you Southerners though.

Another thing to make me happy to be home was that I finally got my birthday present from Amy. It is the tshirt you’ve been longing for all your life.

Haha, the answer is of course Y. Type it now, see what happens…*

Scott posted a picture of a squirrel that he took whilst we were at the botanic garden. It’s poor, this one that I took is better in every way.

Finally, if you have heard of or check regularly the website Post Secret then I suggest you check out this week’s lot of post cards. The penultimate card is the best one I’ve ever seen. Check it. It makes me happy.

*If I’ve done this right then absolutely nothing at all should happen.