Time to grow up...

So innocent and young! Yet somehow looking more street than I do now.

So I'm going to turn 18. I thought I should say a couple of things on here before the big day — and since I haven't blogged in a looong time.

Like most other kids, I spent a lot of time wishing I was more grown up, able to grown up stuff. Now, before the big day comes, I wish I'd had a bit more time to be a child. By all means, I am not done acting like a child. "Stop being so childish!" – this will likely remain to be something I hear for a long time to come. I don't expect this huge dramatic change on my birthday, but no doubt there will be a lot of change coming soon in my life.

The last eighteen years of my life have been awesome. I have been so lucky to do some of the things I have done, and no doubt I still have some brilliant new experiences to look forward to in the future.

Thank you mum and dad for the last 18 years of my life, and everything you have given me.

Thank you to all my friends for being there, and making me who I am today.

Thank you Hannah for becoming an incredible part of my life.

Bring on the next chapter of my life.

Friday 5

So I finally finished working this week. I'll have to tell you about it later, as I'm about to get ready to go out and enjoy the weekend. In the meantime, here's a Friday 5.

1. What could serve as physical evidence that you sometimes lose focus?
All the projects I start but never finish. I love to have creative side projects but I rarely get round to seeing one through, which is a shame because I'd love to do more of them.

2. What could serve as physical evidence that you are loved?
The time Hannah and I spend together is the best evidence, but if it's physical evidence, it would have to be the letters we have exchanged.

3. What could serve as physical evidence that you’re from wherever you’re from?
My birth certificate, if I knew where it was, but otherwise it would have to be the 'Place of Birth' field on my passport.

4. What could serve as physical evidence that you went anywhere this past week?
All the train tickets I've collected from the commute this week, or the building ID card if I had it.

5. What could serve as physical evidence that you recently caved in to temptation?
The empty tupperware box that previously contained my mum's baking.

Double Friday 5

Since I've been rather quiet lately, here's a double Friday 5. I hope that makes up for it...I'll have more to report soon, so watch this space.

Starting off with Public Options...

1. When did you last use a public restroom?
Yesterday, when I went for lunch with my old friend Rachel.

2. When did you last ride public transportation?
Yesterday, taking the train into the city.

3. How far away from your home is the nearest public housing?
I actually have no idea. Pretty far I guess because I don't think I've ever seen any.

4. Which of your public utilities is the least reliable?
The electricity board is pretty unreliable. It's better now than it was this time last year, when we constantly had power outages.

5. What did you last view on public television or listen to on public radio?
There isn't any real public television in the UK, but I listen to NPR quite a lot on my iPhone and online. I'm not entirely sure why — I just do.


Then today's theme is Lifelong Learning...


1. What's something you recently learned how to do on a computer?
I guess I finally managed to get the hang of OS X Lion, which actually had a kinda annoying learning curve.

Our baking in progress.

2. What's something you recently learned in the kitchen?
When Hannah and I bake, we use way too much flour, and usually completely ignore the recipe.

3. What's something you recently learned about the town where you live?
A development company is trying to build a new housing estate on the farm land directly opposite my street. Hopefully it won't happen but we'll just have to wait and see.

4. What's something you recently learned from television?
I watched a few documentaries about the space shuttle programme aroun the time of the final Atlantis flight, which I found really interesting. I like space.

5. What's something you recently learned the hard way?
Not to walk bear foot on the coast islands. My feet are dead.

The Friday 5

Looks like the theme this week is 'Rock Star Treatment', so let's just get right into it. Check out Friday5.org.


1. What instructions do you have for your chauffeur this weekend?
Unfortunately, looks like public transport is gonna be my chauffeur this weekend, but if a real chauffeur feels like making an appearance, a trip into the city and then to Chester would be great. If not, I guess I'll just stick with the train.

2. What instructions do you have for your personal chef this weekend?
Something hot and spicy. I'm really in the mood for Mexican actually. There you go, chef.

3. What instructions do you have for your errand-boy or errand-girl this weekend?

Errand-girl? Han can have that role! :-)

4. What instructions do you have for your maid this weekend?
Just...just tidy up everywhere...(please)

5. You don't have a personal handyman, so I'm lending you mine. What three tasks would you like him to tackle this weekend?
I think I've delegated enough duties this weekend...just fix my ancient bed (again) and you can have the rest of the weekend off...

Enjoy your weekend!

Weekend

My girlfriend being ghetto.

So the weather has been ace this weekend. It's pretty much been in the 20ºs all day. So far I've:

• had my haircut
• cleaned the car (to pristine standard)
• had an ace garden party with some friends
• had an awesome lie-in
• had possibly one of the best donuts ever from Krispy Kreme
• driven around in the sun and nearly melted
• procrastinated any real work to enjoy the weather while it lasts

So today, I'm going to have a barbecue with Hannah and the parents and start on some coursework. 'till then, I think I'll just chill out.

Ice cream, 10 pence coins and all that

There's the ice cream. See? This is another well thought out title...

So it's the weekend again! Yes! Apart from I have no plans...well I do, and there'll be another blog post about that tomorrow. So wait and see.

Hannah with said hot dog.

Me and Han headed into New Brighton last weekend to take advantage of the nice weather, which really only consisted of eating ice cream, hot dogs and wasting money in the arcade. So we're going to have to do it again soon.

It's unlikely Hannah will leave until she has won something from the arcade, so we may be there a while. Also, despite the story she may be spreading, she did not win air hockey.

I'm starting my 'taster days' of next years courses to get a look at what I'll be doing, and there's a lot there. So it will be a busy year. A really busy year. And even my summer will be pretty busy, with a load of coursework to get done before I even start properly in September. Even so, I still want to try and find my own little Summer project to work on, but I need to find one first. I'd like to learn something new, definitely, but I think it will have to be something creative.

I'm not really sure what that would be though.

Happy Fathers Day