Release Me, Because You Live....

So I wish I had more to say, but alas I dont. Or cant ;)

Doesnt matter either way.

----

Theres a risk I may be getting a job as a KP at the Boat. I dont think so though, well, I hope not. KP'ing isnt my goal. Heck, I'd rather go on holiday. To.... Southampton. Yea. Why not? Sounds like an excellent idea! I shall have to work it out :)

Anyway, what else? got into a few new songs... Some Ella Fitzgerald, some Jesse McCartney, and this evening? "Agnes" Carlsson... Sweden knows how to produce pop music I like! :P

From all of Scandinavia, ABBA, Alphabeat, Darin, Agnes.... More, probably, too... Yes.

I suck at this blogging thing. Anything else?

Nothing I want to be in the public domain.

Been thinking about stuff and the like, need to make some life changes soon.

Also had some.... uncomfortable MSN convos recently.... Nevermind though, for the best, probably.

Barcelona

So, as a spur-of-the-moment kinda thing, I went on holiday to barcelona.

I dont want to say too much about it (as this is an oh-so-public blog), but just want to make note of how great the trip was :)

Hola Guapo! ;)

I hath decided!

My 60th blog post on this one... quite something. Normally after 3 posts I quit the blog, and start a new one 6 months later.

So yes, last week or so there has been a multitude of things I could have blogged about - at length and reasonably well. But for whatever reasons, I havent.

---

First things first, I picked a uni.

St Andrews.

Perhaps for posterity I should write out, explaining why I chose it... so that if I ever doubt my decision in the future, I will be able to look back and see I had solid, sound reasoning.

However, I cant be sacked.

So yea, 5 years at st andrews (potentially).

Should be banter.

----

I was thinking about death, afterlife... that sorta stuff. Its difficult, considering myself to be a scientist, happy in my own atheism, and pretty content that there is no afterlife. Yet, when someone who you knew for years, respected, liked, and admired to a degree, dies... it leaves you unsure, and unhappy, with your own beliefs.

Its difficult.

---

Much else?

Oh, I decided, with some prompting, (credit where credit is due, of course), to actually go and do something, so Im going to barcelona for a few days in a week or so.

Will take lots of piccies, and upload them.

And thats about that....

St Andrews and time to start deciding...

So another short blog, cos Im not in the writing mood really, but thought Id best get this out whilst the thoughts are as fresh in my head as the tictac mints in my mouth.....

----

Went down to St Andrews uni today, their UCAS open day. Nice town, as always. Windy, cold, but sunny and clear sky. So a good mix (for scotland...).

I hadnt been to their science faculty at all before, so it was interesting to see - but all these departmnts are essentially the same.... As are halls, though New Hall is very nice....

Yea, had some fun with some liquid nitrogen, and was chatting to this Chinese guy from Belfast (unusual mix?).

But yea, I like St Andrews.

I just need to work out if its distance from home (only 80 miles), its size (16k residents, 7k students), and cold weather are reasons enough NOT to choose it.

Does Sussex still have a chance? Is Soton out of the running?

I just dont know...

I cant decide that for a day or two, when the thoughts of st andrews can settle, and get balanced with the others.

I dont think I will be going to Strathclydes open day though... they arsed about with it for ages, then finally offer one further date up at the end of the month, but I want to get on with this before then.

Time to think, I guess....

Heriot Watt? Heriot Not.

So, this will be a quick post (hopefully) cos im tired and not wanting to rant for ages.

----

Went to the Heriot Watt open day today. It was alright... learnt nothing much (other than what course I had applied for. I forgot I applied for the 5 year MEng (Chem Eng) degree.... whoops :P

Its #5 in the UK for chemical engineering, so a definite good choice for that subject.

However....

I dont want to do chemical engineering.

I could change to chemistry there, but they are only #34 in the UK for chemistry (and Soton, Sussex and St Andys are #4,#12 and #11 respectively for that course), so I can do better.

Still, worth the visit to just make sure that that isnt what I want to be doing.

Got to go to St Andrews on saturday for another open day. That course I do remember what I applied for - an MChem (5 years) in Chemistry with Medicinal Science and an external placement. Pretty tough degree, im sure.

----

So yea, My 5 ucas offers I can cut down to 4 confidently now.

Next to rule out - Strathclyde... I think.

Southampton and Sussex Uni Visits

So, im back home in miserable old aboyne after a few days down south in Engerland.

Flights and travel went on schedule or better than on schedule, so nothign to say about that.

---

Southampton. Big city, Big uni. Nice and green, big and pretty impressive Chemistry department. Great people too ;)

Sussex (Brighton). Not-as-big city, Not-as-big uni. Very green campus and Brighton has the pier/sea/beach. The chemistry deparment is impressive as well, but significantly smaller. 

Tough call.

Not to mention I have three other Uni's to consider.

Bah!

Grr!

---

Staying positive, though, it was a great few days. Got to meet up with a friend, who is really cool. Went out to some nice places, and some... "interesting" places :P Lol.

Wouldn't want to say too mcuh though, no no... 

So yea, anyway.

Came back with lots of things to think about, and decisions to make. But I think I can put the Uni Decision off for a week or two more. I need to decide if I am going to bother making a visit over to Strathclyde soon. At the moment, i'm getting more apathetic about my visits to HW and St.Andys, so its not too promising.

--

And briefly on lent... Erm, No. 

Lets just say, I will be playing catchup for a while :P

Lent - Day 1

So here it is. The beginning of lent. And being healthy (again).

Firstly, weight as of Ash Wednesday, 2009. = 10st, 13lbs. Which is 69.4kg. Roughly.

I had intended, half jokingly, to get up at 6am and go for a run. For the first time in my life, i might add.

Alas, I woke up at 6am, it was dark and I went back to sleep.

To remedy this very lack attitude, I had porridge and orange juice for breakfast - healthy - and then around mid-day started a workout.

I did stretches, crunches and girly push-ups. And they werent easy. But i pushed on.

I spent some time on the rowing machine, did about 200 reps on mid-setting. But alas the machine needs some bolts tightened, so i called that a day.

I came back to my room, did some further stretches, crunches and girly pushups, and then climbed aboard my exercise bike. Did 10 km on that in 30 minutes (and 10 seconds).

All in all it was a taxing first day exercise, but not exhausting. Within a few minutes I was fine as possible, probably the endorphins, and after a quick shower fine also.

But at least now I have some benchmarks to improve upon.

Faster cycling, more reps, moving into big-boy push ups (and no girly ones). Being able to do 10 crunches or push-ups, easily.

Oh, and looking sexy :P

----

Food. That was also a point for lent. But as I did the same last year it is essentially uninteresting. Im not eating crap, and not eating it unneccesarily. I dont calorie count, but I do keep a count on what calories things have :)

Im confident I can get under 10st by Easter Sunday.