RENT - TASM

Had a meeting about RENT at quarter past 10! :P
They opened applications for positions and I applied for LX operator, got a email saying if I didn't mind they wouldn't put me in for that but something "more exciting but won't discuss over email" ... okayy.

Went to Rosser Lounge + he asked what I could do, what I'd done before + stuff
... they offered me Technical Assistant Stage Manager!
TASM

Aber Christmas Tree

Just realised theres no photo of the Aber decorations up yet!
Been up a couple of weeks already :P

Theres the tree + cheesy window decorations, some of those foil stringy things hanging from the ceiling too. All the windows have Christmassy stickers on and snow spray! :P

Anddd my Toy Story 3 Advent Calendar from the Co-op :P

While we're talking about Christmas...
My Christmassy sig photo banner :P

Royal Welsh Show - Winter Fair

Been to the RWAS Winter Fair today with my friend :)

Had a really good day :)

Some new ones on me though!
Saw cows getting brushed, blow dried, having their tails back combed, sprayed with black dye and then all their coat hairsprayed.
The best one though ... they spray glitter spray on the cows and sheep!?!?!

Sheep were all cute, only littler breeds there, recognised all but a couple of them so thought I did well! ;)
Recognised less of the cow breeds but need to get some dairy work exp anyway.

Some some cute pigs, really soft some of them.

Walk on the Wild Side

Just been watching these Walk on the Wild Side videos ... LOLZ

Reminds me of sitting in the Green Room inbetween the matinee and evening show of Footloose - me + Alex watching it wetting ourselves and trying to be quiet 'cos Sarah was asleep on the sofa!
Good times
ALAN!!

Hitler finds out Wagner is gone from X Factor

Just found this with one of the flatmates in the kitchen.
Only had 10 views so far + only just been uploaded!

Snow!

Its snowing in Aber! :))

Came out of our 9 o'clock Animal Science lecture and it was all white!

Didn't think we'd be able to get back to the other campus but the buses were still running so we were fine.
Went to the main road/hill + the PJM bridge and took some photos in the snow!

Made a tiny "snowman" :

 
Went to our lectures then after went to the beach! Really wierd to see snow by the beach, but there was hardly any down there by the time we got there.

Welcome Home

Thought I'd already blogged this!...

Harry Potter 7, Re-Load + Union

Went to the cinema to see Harry Potter 7 tonight! :D
Was reeeally good. Seemed to go on a long time but wasn't bored at all.
My friend was one of Harrys Stunt-men and a flatmates friend was a Props Man so we waited to see their names in the credits! lol

Came back, got changed and went straight to the Union. Was alright, bit quiet though.
Came out of the Union and went into town, to Yokos.

We stayed for about an hour + a bit, went to get chips and then came home!

Uni Fish

I now haz Uni fish! :)
2 Rosy Barbs

Bargain £10 Argos tank + added in some real plants :)

 Fishies!

National Poultry Show 2010

Have been home and working again this weekend - at The National Championship Poultry Show 2010!

New hall this year, which is a lot bigger and is heated ... big change and decision for PCGB but it really paid off, with a massive increase on entries, sales pens and visitor numbers up. Chickens are the new 'in thing'.

You can see how big the hall is from the photos, then the sales pens were in another room in the corner ... something like 4000 chickens entered apparently. Then theres the turkeys, ducks, geese etc aswell!

Starters ... well done to Tasha. She got 1st, 2nd 4th with her girls, same with her boys and then Jack went on to Championship row. He came away with Champion Bantam Male, Champion Bantam Heavy Breed, Best of Breed and Wyandotte club special award! :)
Tasha got a 3 handled trophy! Really pleased for her, 2 years of breeding and she places on Championship row! Its like winning at Crufts!

The man himself:

The view from our stand, the Cochins:

Was working for Cotswold Chickens, selling tonics, feed, supplements etc. We had loads of people coming up to talk to us, ask for advice, buying things - nice to see people interested in it.

 Me + Clare on the Cotswold Chickens stand

 

We met up with Omleteers that came to the show on both days, was about 40 of them! Really nice to see everyone again, and to put faces to names of new people.

We seemed to be everywhere, walk round and always see someone you know, which was nice :

One lady who we didn't know came over just as we were packing up on Sunday and was chatting to us.

She said she'd been walking around all the stands all weekend, and the only stand that were always smiling and said Hello to everyone that came over was ours.

Thought it was a really nice thing to say :')

More photos! ... German Langshan:

Drop Moult! Probably where she's been kept inside for the last few weeks, then going into the hall she's just dropped her feathers, or it could be stress?

Green duck!

I soo wanted some Call Ducks, really cute and really small, they're just too loud ... hence the name.

Call Drake:

Serama Cockerel:
Can't really see how small he is from the photo, but look at how big the water cup is compared to him, and look at the next photo!
Told Mother I want one to take to Uni next year :P

Birchen Brahmas! They're huuge. Dad said he wanted some Brahmas/Cochins and a Buff Orpington. There was this trio in the sales pens, and a man came over asking if they were mine and would I split them so he could have just the cockerel ... was tempted to buy them to split with him but Dad wouldn't let me 'cos I'm not there to do intros!

Chocolate Wyandottes my friend Tom had his eye on :)

Clare + I got there early on Sunday to put our things on the stand and there were 2 escapees on top of their show cages. 2 Old English Game bantams!
He was a bit scared but she was really nice and let us stroke her. The stewards noticed 10 mins later and they were put back in their cages!

Oh, I was a winner too! ;)

I entered some eggs and 5 photos.

My Plymouth Rock (Nugget) egg got 1st!

Photo of Cilla the Silkie sitting on an easter egg got 1st, CLB boy photo got 2nd and my photo of Orville got 4th! :)

Cold...

I was really tired + freezing when we got back so a few of us were sitting in flatmates room, so I stole her panda hat.
I also ily the posh Cotswold Chickens fleece! Really warm, and covers all the way up to your nose :))

Dissection: Equine Head

Did another equine dissection today ... the head.

We got in and there were heads on the tabled cut off at the top of the head and the ears had already been cut off.
*rank photo warning* ... just incase! ;)
The horses weren't killed for the practical, they are from ill horses which have been put down etc ... people do ask - just saying 'cos people can get stressed/upset by it!
Started off with the head in the tray:

Started off by cutting the skin from the top of the head, right down the nose to get the skin off, slowly cut it off, around the eyes,  turned it upside down and got the skin off in one piece.

Had a look at the muscles, cut a few off to look at them + compare the different ones
... the big one (masseter) is for munching side to side and the smaller one on the right is the temporalis muscles for biting the jaw shut.
Surprised me that the temporalis were so much smaller esp when you think about how hard they can bite!

We had a look at the horses teeth and guessed it was about 2 years old from the angle they meet, how worn down they were and from the lines and stars on the teeth.

Next had a look at the ear and Becky cut through it to get into the inner ear and I around the eye socket and got the eye out. We saw all the muscles and ligaments around the eye and saw the optic nerve - a little white nerve coming out the back. I cut away everything around it so we just the the eyeball and cut it in hald; was full of a clear liquid with bits of black in it, then there was a lump that was like yellow jelly, and a clear sphere in the middle like one of those bath beads - the lens! 8) If you touched the inside the black/blue lining was soo delicate, literally just fell apart..

We cut the top jaw in half with a hack saw so we could see inside the nasal cavities, have a better look at the teeth, pallet etc.
The pallet was actually soft and a bit rubbery, not like the roof of our mouthes ... can also see the 'stars' in the bottom of the teeth.

Next cut open the top of the skull and got the brain out!!
It was so weird to see what you typically expect from cartoons.

It literally came apart as you held it - pulled the 2 hemispheres apart. It was really soft, as if it was made out of creme cheese!! Soo amazing that people can do brain surgery on something so delicate as that.
Cut one of the hemispheres in half to have a look inside:

I thought it was all really interesting and got really stuck in!

Was the best practical and dissection we've done, although some people were a bit squeamish about it - I could have cut away and dissected it all for hours though! :P

Room Inspections

We had room inspections in halls today.

Last night I tidied up, vacuumed and mopped + bleached the bathroom!
Had to hide my led rgb strip light 'cos they moan about fairy lights even though this doesn't get hot + is safe!

Anyway, passed :)

Still want to get fish or triops/sea monkeys for my room! Think will probably get some after Christmas, seems really wierd not having pets ... fish are better than nothing!

Said I might bring Hughie (the tortoise) up in December from the weekend I'm back home 'till the next weekend when I go home for Christmas ... just need to get a heat lamp and a box for him for overnight!

Holidays are coming!

The Coca Cola Christmas advert has just been on in the X Factor break!!! :)

ily...

I normally hate photos but wierdly love this one.

Probably 'cos you can't really see me ;)

Your Song - Ellie Goulding cover

I love Ellie Goulding's cover of Your Song.
Only heard it the last few days but really like it! :)

:/

One of the flatmates birthdays today so we were decorating the kitchen.
I bought 120 balloons and blew up most of them :)

I was there mopping the floor, as you do, and my friend came in. "My dads just died..."
F**k You never know what to do or say. I knew he was really ill but they weren't expecting that.
He just wanted the day to carry on and be normal. In shock.

Few hours later we were all being kind of 'normal' playing Ring of Fire in the kitchen.
Went to Downeys (scary pub), Academy + then Yokos which was actually really good. I had a  few  several too many.

Got back, something happened with the taxi woman and it all ended up in a proper argument with him and someone else. He ran off, had to follow him + make sure he was ok.

Think thats when it hit him. Everything came out.
We ended up sitting in a hedge for a couple of hours just talking about everything. Eventually went to Rosser Lounge + sat there talking for another hour.

Walked him home and went to bed...

Does your cat drink like this?

This video of a cat trying to drink from a tap made me LOL...

London NUS Demo2010

Got up at 4, got ready, left here at quarter to 5 to go to the Union for a flapjack + drink for the coach.

We took 3 coaches and 3 mini-buses, I was on Coach 3 :) Not a lot happened for the next 4 hours - went South Wales and past Bristol direction, to get there... stopped at services but was packed so didn't have time to get anything. 3 hours later we got to London :)

Were about an hour late for the start so missed the first speeches, but the police opened the barrier at Westminster and made us get in there. We were right at the start of the protest!! 8)

The other Aber coaches were in different places but we managed to find them on the walk to Millbank. Everything was happy, chanting + singing with banners but then there were about 30 men in balaclavas with activist banners that ran into Millbank House.

How close we were to Millbank Tower

Only 2 security guards there at the time so they ran out and called the police. Not a lot happened, just shouting and running around with the press filming it.

Took about 15 mins for the police to get there and thats when it started to get violent - a lot of us notices a few of the press turned their cameras off at the point?

We carried on and had the speeches, watched a few videos - shouted a bit more!

Then we were told to carry on walking past the Tate and to leave the protest, it took about an hour(?) as people walked past and the NUS secretary thanked the different Uni's over the loudspeakers but by then it was pretty quiet.

An hour or so later was when all the riots kicked off, people throwing things, fires, about 30 people on the roof?! We kept away, went to the London eye and got some food.



We were meant to be getting the coach back at half 5, but coach 3 was "a mile away in traffic" ... 2 hours later, after standing in the freezing cold at Albert Embankment it turned up! We couldn't go anywhere 'cos we didn't know how long it'd be. To make it even better my phone had 10% battery so was playing up and the died!

Anyway, warmed up on the coach, fell asleep for about an hour - we went up to Brum and across on the way back so I knew were we where! :))

There were a few posters that I liked:

What I don't understand is, why, if they knew thats what we were protesting and there would be 50,000 students walking right past, they didn't either shut off the building like a lot of others did, or at least have Police and more security there waiting?!

Shame that out of the 52,000 people there, 500 minority activists spoilt the whole day.
Now people are fixed on moaning about how bad students are rather than the £9,000 tuition fees, 40% budget cuts...

All I wanna say is that, They don't really care about us

Domestic Goddess

Ok, so I got up late today, at like 1, but since then I've been a busy domestic goddess ;)

Tidied my room (twas a right tip), chucked out a load of recycling + rubbish, vaccumed my room, cleaned the bathroom, washed + tumble dried my clothes and put them all away, tidied the kitchen, re-arranged the tables + vacuumed the kitchen.

I love the smell of tumble drying clothes!

Have the equine leg dissection write up to do (its in for Weds but I'm in London for the protest from 5am so its actually in for Tues) so have started a bit of that so that I can finish it tomorrow, try and get my feedback on Monday for the 1st write up, in time to make changes to hand it in on Tues :)

Did about an hour of the essay then was forced to go into the kitchen for pre-drinks ;)
Got a taxi into town, went to Wetherspoons + had some more Scrumpy 'cos its Ale Week or something. To Academy for few more then to Yokos + everything was £1 so too many in there. Magnus left on his own about 1 but st stayed for a few more hours. Left + got cheesy chips to sober up + for the way home.
Got back, Magnus was asleep in the corridor outside his room! :P
Opened his door for him + dragged him into his room.

Good night :)

Super Mega Rainbow Update: I miss...

Video: Super Mega Rainbow Update

....misses Mother, Grumps + Nat. The Chickens! Vesey. Driving. Orange Wednesdays. Brum... Still, ily Aberystwyth :)


 
:)

Remember, Remember, The 5th of November...

Gunpowder, treason and plot

I see no reason why gunpowder, treason

Should ever be forgot...

Bonfire night :)
Everyone else was being boring so I got a taxi to town with Ruth. Went to Subway ... she'd never been! ... for subs, then went to South Beach.
There were some town organised fireworks arranged but we missed those, but got there in time for the others arranged by different societies. There were 3 little groups of people setting fireworks off along the beach, each with a little bonfire.

The football boys turned up and set their fireworks off, pushed them in the sand/stones so they were going off at dodgy angles, a couple missed us. One went right over our heads, hit one of the seafront houses and exploded on the roof! :P

Walked back through town, via the chip shop to get some chips for the walk back up the hill :)

Dissection: Reproductive tract of a cow

We had another lab practical today ...
Dissection of the reproductive tract of a cow.

*rank photo warning* ;)

There were others in there that we had a look at too; mare, ewe lamb and sow.

We had a bit of digestive tract attached to ours so it stank.
What we got in the tray at the start:

I was shocked at how much fat there was around it too!

Probably helps insulate it, but half of it was fat that we had to cut away at the start.

Can see top right all the fat that we cut away!

We found everything we were looking for, then started at the vagina, dissected all the way down the cervix + to the ovaries and there was a follicle at the end. The follicle was a little sac a couple of cm big and inside it was the ovary which is 1/10th of a mm!
Not a great photo, but the follice:

Cows ovaries:

All labelled up at the end: