Far End of Summer

I'm suspending my LJ for the time being, firstly to give myself time to settle back into school, and secondly as this was only supposed to be for the summer. Please don't post any more on here - if you want to contact me, email me or send me a pm on the eejits forum.

So, had a great night out in Cheltenham last night, despite heavy rain and a 3.5 hour car journey down. Went to several pubs with Phil, Paul, Shaun, Nick, Andy, Laura, Amy and Vic. It was noisy and light in Paul's flat so I slept badly last night and am feeling pretty tired now. We have just come back from finding a geocache up on Leckhampton ridge. The views were stunning!

Later, we're going to the cinema, getting some chinese food, then a couple of pubs before bed.

Must check out cinema listings now.

CJ xx

Current Location: Paul's flat
Current Mood: tired

Nothing much to say, apart from that men are slightly less rubbish than yesterday.

Cheltenham tomorrow. Woo! See you all on Sunday night.

CJ xx

Current Location: Loughborough
Current Mood: satisfied
Current Music: Nancy Kerr & James Fagan

That is all.

CJ xx

Current Location: Anywhere but bed
Current Mood: restless

Went to Macclesfield yesterday and dropped off Tom's bike. It's broken apparently. I swear I didn't do it! It's nice to be able to get in my room again without falling over it.

Chris should be coming over later, but i'm going to AquaJog with Bee at 6.30pm, (and am looking forward to it - not been in that pool yet - very exciting) - so I guess it won't be for long...

This weekend is going to be the best! I'm going to pick up Phil at 5pm from Stafford, and we're going to drive down to Paul's in Cheltenham and stay over until Sunday. It's going to be so good, especially because i've not seen some of the people who are going to be there for ages. If anyone fancies coming down to meet my friends, I can get a couple of people in the car, but check with me first so I can check it's ok with Paul.

Woo-hoo!

Vicki phoned me today and she's going to come and stay for her birthday, (hopefully) and we'll all go out for dinner. Yay! She's just bought a house. My turn next year I think. I'm going to start looking for flats this year so I can see what the market is like.

CJ xx

Current Location: Loughborough
Current Mood: nostalgic

Had to pop into work toady, and got plenty done. Picked up a much-needed scheme of work. Must not lose it! Re-arranged my lab a bit. Drove to Kettering and purchased a new acoustic guitar for £100...



Saw my family for a bit and watched old camcorder videos of when I was a kid. My sister was soooooo cute, bless her. Went out with Flic, Andy, Vic, and Laura to the Briars and played some pool.

Have just got back so a quick trawl of the internet and bed methinks.

CJ xx

Current Location: Loughborough
Current Mood: cheerful
Current Music: KT Tunstall

Just a quick entry because i'm shattered. Went out with Bee to Bradgate Park to do 2 caches today. Got home and Chris came round, we then went for dinner in 'Spoons. Now very tired as I was up late last night lesson planning - because I suddenly had the urge.

Watching movies in bed sounds like a good idea.

CJ xx

Current Location: Bed
Current Mood: relaxed
Current Music: Be Good Tanyas - Blue Horse

So, last night I went out to the Phantom with Pete and Shellie, then ended up in the Swan, drinking Broadoak Moonshine - and we know what happened last time I drank that - I ended up with b/f. Sadly, not this time as I went steady and only had a pint!

I was late out as GREN WAS ON TV and I stayed in to watch it, then gave him and Clover a lift to Nuneaton because they had loads of stuff. Gren was a total pro. Now he's a TV star, I want to have his babies. Metaphorically, not literally.

Went geocaching with Bee today and found 8 caches (2 I'd done before though) and lots of cool moments:
1. Seeing a narrow boat go through the lock at Stoke Bardolph.
2. Talking to lots of cows there too.
3. Seeing a loco go along the GCR line at Thurcaston.
4. Walking through a tunnel of trees.
5. Spotting Red Admirals, an unknown dragonfly (brown-ish and fast!) and an unknown damselfly (green body tapering to brown; one pair of wings).
6. The whole area down by the river at Gunthorpe.
7. Finding and screaming at a huge fake spider in a cache.
8. Having lovely dinner paid for me in the Packe Arms at Hoton.

Tired now. Zzzzzz....

Current Location: Bed
Current Mood: accomplished

Tried to find the last part of a mulit-cache down by the rabbit bridge today. Twice. I give up, I need a GPS for sure. Managed to solve all the clues at home and got the 3rd set of coordinates easy enough. Bah! Anyway, in other news, I now know who burgled me. That's all I'm saying on here, but if I see you in person, I'll tell you what is happening about it all. No going out with Gren tonight after all, so I might try to get some work done...yeah right.

Ooh, saw Pirates of the Caribbean 2 last night with Rich, Darren and Blue. I totally gatecrashed. It was good, in a kind of 'Part 2 of 3' way. I'm in love with Johnny Depp. I just wish he was younger. Oh, and that I actually knew him too.


CJ xx

Current Location: Loughborough
Current Mood: disappointed

Aargh, forgot to do this on Sunday.

My aims were:

1. Help someone else.
2. Do something nice for a friend, family member and a stranger.
3. Try something new.
4. Talk to someone I haven't spoken to for a while.
5. Visit a friend, or invite them to visit me.
6. Walk in the countryside/explore my local area.
7. Learn something new about my surroundings.
8. Do something that will make my life better in the future.
9. Do something that makes me feel happy.
10. Do something that challenges me.

Last week I did these things:

1. I gave Setia and her friend a lift to Beacon Hill, and a map to help them not get lost.
2. I helped Gren with the PA and supported his gig, I gave my Dad a £10 B&Q voucher, I bought Bee's cousin a drink.
3. I've been to Body Balance.
4. I saw Chris and we talked lots.
5. I visited Bee, I re-invited Andy to stay.
6. I've done lots of walking around the local country parks and reservoirs.
7. I learned all about the Buddon Brook and Swithland Reservoir.
8. I sorted out my MOT and car insurance.
9. I had lots of fun days out, the best being with Tom to Nottingham etc.
10. I climbed up small hills. Lots.

Woo! Another busy week. Sleepy time now....

CJ xx

Current Location: Bed
Current Mood: accomplished

Well, i'm more than a little stiff after yesterday! Got up and had a hot shower to try to ease my muscles. It's mainly my shoulders. I need a nice massage, please. Took my housemate and her friend to Beacon hill and we found a cache there. They were quite taken with it all. I left them there and they went off hiking. I drove back the way I walked yesterday - it was flipping miles! Went shopping on the way home. Apparently this thing I was going to tonight is now probably tomorrow night, if it's on at all, which leaves me with a free evening. Setia is cooking something Indonesian for dinner, and then i'll maybe look at doing some lesson planning.

Sarah from the Vat 'n' Fiddle hasn't called me about babysitting yet... hmmmmm...

*Groan*

I need a hot bath.

CJ xx

Current Location: Loughborough
Current Mood: achey

Well, I've had the most random day. Let's start at last night though. Car is in tip top condition. Woo. Just got back from picking her up, and Chris came round. Had a cuppa and a chat and headed off to the Swan pub quiz. Met Vixel there. Then got chinese food and watched Coupling for a bit; drove Vixel home, and zonked out, content and full of yummy food.

Got up this morning and went to sort out the car insurance; turned out to be quite cheap. Woo. Visited Charlie and went to book Body Balance. Decided to take the car for a spin round the villages and ended up in Quorn. I bought a pack of walking guides from the post office and had a lovely jaunt round Swithland reservoir. The whole walk said it was 9km but I say otherwise. I was walking for 3 hours, but I did find a cache on the way! I spent quite a bit of time by the reservoir and Buddon brook; spotted a Brown Hawker and an Azure damselfly.

Went into a pub after, for a coke, and watched the cricket for a bit. Pakistan were 84-5 when I left, so I hope we beat them - just about to check. Almost forgot I had to be home at 8 for my class. I got in at 7 and spent an hour chatting to my housemate's friend about hiking and travelling, which was cool. Body Balance was fun, and not easy, but relaxing so I think we're going again sometime. I came home and ate my housemate's food, which was very yummy. Now I'm shattered and my bed is calling me. Hold on, I'll find a photo of the reservoir....






Hmmmm. My life is busy and confusing today. **thoughtful mode** Did a lot of thinking whilst walking. I have several best friends that I'm missing at the moment for various reasons. *Hugs* to you all, you know who you are.

CJ xx

Current Location: Bed
Current Mood: exhausted

Well, my lovely little car has gone in for its MOT. They just phoned me to say the total cost will be £350 as my tracking is all wrong, need new tyres and I've got a leaking cylinder something-or-other. I knew it'd be lots though as i've run it into the ground this year, bless it. So, have saved for this eventuality, and can afford it easily. Woo. Unfortunately means that I can't afford a digital camera, but my Dad says he's just bought one, and I could probably borrow that from time to time, so no worries there. He's not got a computer so I said i'll store the pics for him in return. Double woo.

Geocaching yesterday was ace, and soooo tiring. I'm pretty unfit, but all the walking is doing me good, so i'm not giving up just because there are hills in the way. It just takes me a bit longer to do the walks, which must be annoying for my friends, but logically, will get better the more I do, so I must persevere! I've realised that exercise is pretty much the only way i'll ever lose any weight and get fitter, as I like my food too much. I don't eat complete rubbish, but I'm no dieter either. I've gone on diets and lost weight before, but it's not made me a better person, and i've never felt happier when i'm thinner or anything, but being unfit is another matter entirely. I used to do loads of sports at school and haven't bothered since, especially since i've had the car. So, yeah, geocaching is good for me. I'll get there.

Incidentally, we found 3 caches and 2 parts of a multi-cache - but one of them involved rock-climbing and Bee signed the log for that one. I'm not going to try and break my neck for a box. It was seriously steep and overgrown.

Going for a drink with Vixel later, if anyone fancies joining us - text me if you do. Had a nice long chat with Chris last night, which was cool. Think i've made a new friend. Tom's gone off to Durham this week, but he might email you about those books Pete; I gave him your details so he can tell you which modules he has books for.

Bee and Charlie 1: Body balance is on at 8.15 tomorrow night - are we going?

CJ xx

Current Location: Loughborough
Current Mood: lazy

Yesterday, went geocaching round West Leake - found it but the cache was a bit rubbish so no nice swaps. Came home to find Tom, Gren and Clover all in, playing music. Was nice to see Clover again. Had a very drunken night out on the town, and interesting things happened, but i'll not write them in here. Now feel very hungover, so am not doing much til this evening, when i'll probably go and see Gren play in the Gatehouse.

CJ xx

Current Location: In bed
Current Mood: hungover

Had a lovely day yesterday, tracing the GCR north, via British Gypsum, to the heritage centre in Ruddington. Tom and I saw two dragonflies without even trying. Some idiot boys threw stones at us on the bridge, but Tom wouldn't let me go and shout at them. Grrr...

Then went to the suspension bridge at West Bridgford to drop off Duggy the travel bug. Found the cache easily and got another TB!

Must remember to bring him if I go this weekend!

CJ xx

Current Location: Loughborough
Current Mood: calm

Oh my goodness, how much did I drink last night? Rich, you are a naughty boy for letting me get drunk. Stupidly, I had cider, gin, amaretto and then wine, so my hangover this morning is not pretty. Was fun watching Blackadder though.

Didn't do much yesterday other than that, and am not planning on doing much today either, except recovering.

Oh, the other thing was that I bought a sofa from Charlie_fairy (still owe you £20 - i'll bring it round soon, unless you'd like to go to Body Balance this week?) and I nearly got run off the road by the rain on the way back from Leicester. My car was aquaplaning - very scary.

I'm going back to bed.

CJ xx

Current Location: Loughborough
Current Mood: hungover

Haha! Just bought and installed a CCTV system. Been meaning to get one for ages, as it doubles up as a doorbell, seeing as I haven't got one. It's more interesting watching the CCTV than the crap on the telly at the moment anyway... So, beware - if you come to my back door, give me a wave, and I might just let you in!

CJ xx

Current Mood: blah

I'm flipping terrified. Someone just came down my back alley (don't laugh), opened my gate, and hopped over the wall. I heard them while I was in the bath. God, I hate living here, knowing people are still casing the place, even though i've got an alarm and bars on all my windows. I don't feel safe here when i'm on my own. Hurry up housemate, move in!

CJ xx

Current Location: Loughborough
Current Mood: scared

I just went geocaching to Stanton on the Wolds. I found it, and a travel bug!! Shellie, Pete, Bee, Andy etc. - can we go geocaching again soon so I can leave it somewhere? Ooh, i'm all excited - just going to log it now!

Current Mood: excited

Right, it's the weekend so time to see if i've done anything productive.

My aims every week are to:

1. Help someone else.
2. Do something nice for a friend, family member and a stranger.
3. Try something new.
4. Talk to someone I haven't spoken to for a while.
5. Visit a friend, or invite them to visit me.
6. Walk in the countryside/explore my local area.
7. Learn something new about my surroundings.
8. Do something that will make my life better in the future.
9. Do something that makes me feel happy.
10. Do something that challenges me.

So, let's see:

1. I helped Gren and Tom with the PA.
2. I cleared some space in the kitchen for my new housemate, I gave my Mum a DVD, I helped a random Chinese student to get a house.
3. I've been dragonfly-hunting.
4. I saw Christof, whom I haven't spoken to for ages.
5. I invited Andy to stay, and visited home to see my friends.
6. I explored the area around Melbourne and Uttoxeter.
7. I learned how to identify the wildlife down by the canal.
8. I sorted out my insurance claim.
9. I went out with Rich and Darren.
10. I learned how to play 'Case of You' on the guitar.

Wow! That was really easy - i've done loads more too!

CJ xx

Current Location: Loughborough
Current Mood: accomplished
Current Music: Nanci Griffiths album