Pleasure beach

We went to the Pleasure Beach (theme park) yesterday. They have a cheap deal on unlimited ride wrist bands every weekend until Easter. We had a really fun day. Spent a lot of time queueing, though - it was packed. We're going to go back midweek sometime, before the schools break up for summer, because we didn't get on everything we wanted to. They have a new ride: Infusion, which is hardcore, it's entirely over water, you dangle down, and flip over twists and turns. We really wanted to try it, but the queue looked well over an hour long, and we'd already waited about 45 minutes to get on the Big One...when the Big One was built it was the tallest and fastest roller coaster in the world.

On Sunday night we cooked a meal for Raine's family. It went really well, good food and good company - we got to spend time with Lindsay's new boyfriend: Joe. He seems like a great guy.

Busy few days ahead here in Lancaster, then we're off to Belfast, where we're seeing Nanci Griffith.

:-D

I'm happy:-) The sun is shining once more - it's t-shirt weather, and I got an 80+ (which means it's publishable) first in my Dawkins essay. I said if I got two good marks in my essays I am going to push on with my MA application - well that assertion's come back to bite me, I got two very good marks. Plus, Paul Heelas says he's heard things on the grapevine, and thinks I could well get funding if I apply asap. I'm on it...I'm about to finish my application, so please keep everything crossed.

The sun - a miracle!

Today has been sunny, and warm. It's wonderful. We made a full breakfast, and ate it in the garden. I was sat there in just my sheep covered pyjamas. Just to prove the world's gone mad, a wasp came to join us. A wasp, in February? Poor thing's going to freeze to death tonight! I hope it stays this way. I know it's global warming, but in happy la-la land it feels like divine retribution for the awful summer we had last year. I went up to uni earlier, and everyone I passed had a smile on their face. Sitting out in the garden made us all the more determined to move somewhere sunny when we've got the means, we've been thinking of Australia for a while now.

We have a sweepstake on at the moment. It's been running for 10 days. You have to bet how long it'll take our housemate, Chris, to spend £250. He's owed us money for months. He's finally getting straight, and ended up with £250 to live off this month. We're no longer buying anything for him (we were covering everything) - we've made it perfectly clear he's getting nothing else. £250 to us is a hell of a lot of money - both of us live off that in a month (not including the rent, of course!). Chris, however, has no concept cost and budgeting. We're guessing he's down to his last £20, if that, and he has no more money until the final Thursday of the month. He's already trying to take the piss, taking anything that we haven't put our name on - you feel like an idiot labelling all your food, but we're learning the hard way we have to. It really sucks, because Chris was our best friend...

Anyhow, I'm going to stop bitching. I'm very happy the weather's nice, I've found another job to apply for, and I'm about to make salmon and leeks in a honey mustard sauce, with roast potatoes. So it's all good really...

Big things

Raine and I went away this week, all expenses paid. I had an interview down in Nottingham. We got to stay in a really snazzy hotel the company had booked for us. It was very impressive. To give an idea of how posh it was you got a dressing gown in the room - that means you've reached the top, in terms of hotels, I think! There was a restaurant, from which I was allowed dinner; the food was disappointing, though - everything we had was bland, and one dimensional. A very practical illustration that money can't buy you taste.

The interview was a full day event. Very exhasting, mentally and physically (hence the flopped Bean aftershot). It was a lot of fun, though. I got a really good feel for the company - although they're enormous, I like the direction they're going in, and their ethos. I don't know how I did, it takes a while to hear back from them, so I have to try and forget about it. It's very competitive, and looking back I can see some things that I did wrong. It was a learning experience, and a good night away, if nothing else.

Raine and I got essays back today, for our political theology course, we both got firsts. Which is good, a) because we don't have to secretly resent each other;-) and b) because we can celebrate! I'm going to make Pad Thai, the recipe for which we have mastered, and open a bottle of wine.

I have to have a blood test, and ECG next week. I've been worried about my heart for a little while. Early onset heart disease runs on both sides of my family, and I've had a few worrying signs. It seems my blood pressure's high, which I expected. They have to do these tests, to rule out some unlikely, but serious, conditions. I'm relieved that it's happening. As I say, I've been a little concerned, so I knew something was up, I'm going to be pleased when I know exactly what's what.

I got a new phone a couple of weeks ago. It's very exciting. You can store 100s upon 100s of music tracks on it. It's great for when I'm doing poster shifts at work. I'm pleasantly surprised by new fangled technology reguarly at the moment... I recently started using iTunes, and downloading TV shows from C4 and the BBC's websites'. It's nice to be able to watch things when and where we want. We got a hold of an Iraq show I missed, but really wanted to see, about the life of Under 21's (half the pre-invasion population of Iraq) since the invasion. You can still download it, from http://www.channel4.com/4od/index.html, under documentaries.

An entertaining Riverdance

Raine's mum called this morning, to tell us that a freight liner had washed up outside her house. This mamouth boat: Riverdance, is headline news. A freak wave hit it in the Irish Sea. About 30 people had to be rescued by helecopter - it was sitting at 45 degrees, being hit by 7m waves. We're planning to go to Blackpool this weekend, so I think we're going to go a day early and take a look. Dan lives nearby and he went to have a look, he says it's surreal... there are freight lorries hanging off. Hopefully it's fuel tank won't burst - there's 150 tonnes of fuel on there.