Just the one gripe that i'd like to get out of the way...

There's a little cafe over at our end of the uni. It has many sandwhiches and panini's but the cooked food is a little less varied. Today we have:
jacket potato (plain),
vegetable samosa's,
vegetable curry,
chicken tikka massala,
sausage and bacon.

and it's not much better over the rest of the week. I often have to keep reminding myself that only something like 5% of students here are foreign students. You wouldn't think it walking around. Still - that can be explained. Anyway - my point is I feel like I'm the odd one out - with so many facilities to cater for foreign students. I know they need it cos they're the one's making the biggest leap, but i can't help how i feel.

I'm going to see if i can drop a shift at work. probably wednesdays since I'm not needed as badly on a wednesday. Need more time for assignments and write ups, and studying. Will have a chat with my supervisor if he's in. See what he thinks when i explain the situation. I won't just stop suddenly, i'll wait to see if they can hire a replacement first. It's not that vital.

Am off into town to get lunch now. Wanted something cooked but at least Greggs don't ignore me. Also, it's cheaper. ABout the same amount of choice mind you.

car broke down last night. Fuel pump's gone. Cos I've got the wrong model - I can't test the fuel pump before replacing it. It's simple enough to replace - it's a simple slot-in job. just need tools and such.

Car got towed back home. Free - cos I've got breakdown cover included with my insurance. But I didn't get back till gone 2am - I set off for home at 10pm! Though I'll give it a good inspection this afternoon and see what I can do. So not much uni work shall be done today.

Went to see Bridget Jones last night too - the second one, edge of reason. It was good. Thoroughly entertaining and the like.

Not had much sleep hence the dis-jointed thought processes.

Sorry to keep you hanging on like that... I never did a reply.

Well, as you may guess, it's been a busy week. and a bit.

Have cracked my assignment - now it's just a case of finding time to get it done. Haven't worked on it today like I should have - I've been doing some writing for my project - I can't believe it's taken me over 5 hours to come up with two pages of info - what HAVE i been doing with the time?

It's not like I write slowly. Ok, so I sent a few emails, but that doesn't take 5 hours!!!

Well, it's been a long day, and tomorrow isn't looking good either. Plenty to be doing.

Haven't fixed my car yet. Had a go at the weekend, but I couldn't undo the third of 3 nuts. So will have to by a socket wrench. I think that's what it's called. I require sockets at any rate.

Cut my finger at work - it was quite a nasty cut - deep and right on the edge of my nail. So it doesn't bleed out of the wound, it bleeds from under my nail - a spooky sight to say the least.

I'm tired, hungry and need the loo, so I think I'll put my books back on the library shelves and call it a day. Forgot to take meat out last night for tea - so I'll pop over to ASDA on my way home and pick some stuff up - i need to go anyway.

Oh - have you heard about the potential mumps epidemic? Well apparently, 70% of my uni's student population (0f 16,000) is susceptible to mumps. I'm ok - I had the two jabs, but already I think 4 people have mumps here. I'm always a bit cautious now when anyone starts coughing or sneezing.

Well, I hope I haven't been being selfish or anything just lately - and I think I'm living a good life. Uni is stressful, but still better than my work placement - mainly cos I'm doing stuff that interests me here!

Right, enough waffle, time to go.

Hello!

Just a little time before my lecture this morning to keep you up to date...

Software and book from Amazon haven't arrived yet. We've had no "couldn't deliver, please come to post office to collect" notes and it's approaching Red Dwarf V DVD Limited Edition release date (8th Nov). So that'll be 3 things I've ordered that haven't turned up!

I now think I live in a house that doesn't exist in the normal universe.

Though normal post (letters and such) do get there - though admittedly, it did take nearly 2 weeks to get a letter from my Mum that was sent 1st class. So I think I've just got to be patient. I may head down to the sorting office though and see if they've got anything of mine lying around.

Oooh - also should mention my first assignment of the year. HAd a go last night, found I didn't understand what I was doing. So am going to use today to learn all about the system and then monday to learn all about the software we're recreating this system in, and then on Wednesday I'm going to kick ass.

Hopefully.

Right, lecture time.

I'm much calmer now. So you can come out from behind the settee.

I don't regret anything I said yesterday, which is good cos it means I wasn't just thinking that cos I was annoyed.

I went home shortly after writing that email cos I was near hitting someone. I went back and just relaxed. Played on my computer for a bit and had a fairly early night after a lovely tea I cooked myself. Had a shower this morning, and although I still feel pressured, I don't feel annoyed or angry.

Have got to get on with my project today. It's fallen behind because I can't really do any more design work without a software simulator. The one at uni still doesn't work and mine was supposed to arrive by yesterday. I'll go home today for lunch and see if it's arrived. In the mean time, it's report writing that needs doing. Trouble is, I don't know how much detail I need to put in. I don't know whether I need to justify every decision, or just prove that my work is unique (or a combination of both). I'll have to find out.

There's been no word from the people who are buying my landlady's house. So I might be ok till christmas. Am definately considering moving out though. Not that she's nasty or anything - quite the opposite in fact. I just like to be left to my own devices if you know what i mean - I'm sure they're joking, but it still hurts when they say I should feel guilty for taking time out to rest. I should say something, but you can't ask someone to change who they are. So I'll grin and bear it I think.

Well, to work I go...

I am sick to death of people ignoring me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So while I'm nice and irate, i'll explain:

Firstly, asked uni if I could bring my own computer to uni so i could get work done (cos none of the bloody software works here). No reply to email.

Secondly, emailed a load of colleges asking if I could speak to them about my project so I could get a better idea of the background - essential info for my project! No reply. I shall now proceed to name and shame these colleges:

• Stourbridge College
• Dudley College
• Huddersfield Technical College
• Burnley College

Only one college has replied. They gave me the phone number of the person I need to speak to. So I would like to extend my gratitude to the Information Officer at Nelson & Colne College. "Thank you".

Thirdly, I asked a lecturer (who shall remain nameless) at my uni (Huddersfield) about my group project next year. Ok, so the info isn't needed urgently and something will sort itself out. And this lecturer is very busy, so I'll forgive them for that. But it's been over 2 weeks now. 2 weeks and I still have no reply.

What am I doing wrong? What have I done that makes these people think "I can't be bothered replying to him, he's obviously not important enough for my time". I spend five to ten minutes writing an individual email - just to make sure that it's coherent and that I give enough information for the recipient to understand what I mean.

Ok, so lets think about the colleges. The colleges may be thinking "he's a student and he wants us to do his work for him cos all students are lazy". Maybe I phrased the email wrongly? Maybe instead of a general theme of "i want to talk to you about my project and how it would fit in to your teaching requirements" I should've just said "I want to ask you some questions, see attatched questionnaire". Would they prefer that? I bloody well doubt it!
Maybe they think that my project is irrelevant to them? Well shouldn't they ask for more detail if they think that? Or maybe even reply just to say "no thanks". Come on - I know they're very busy, overworked, underpaid people but how long does it take a person (who's not me) to write an email saying "Hi, Can't help I'm afraid. "

And while I'm on the warpath, (and writing the kind of post that'll get me sued by the aforementioned institutions) why don't I have a go at Dixons? No, not the car selling Dixons, the electrical retailer that owns Curry's and PC world and used to own Freeserve. I have no problem with the latter companies - just Dixons.

Every branch of Dixons I've been to I've either been sold dodgy goods, lied to or ignored...
dixons, burnley --> sold me a dvd player that didn't work right, before packing up altogether
dixons, boston and stourbridge --> refused to sell me batteries
dixons, merry hill --> they said they had a job vacancy, I filled in application form, got an interview, went for interview and was then told i wasn't old enough
dixons, huddersfield --> bullied me into getting a 5 year warranty for a stereo that wasn't complete (no remote control) and then refused to supply me with a remote control, ignored me when I went to ask for one before I finally spoke to a manager who told me just to order one from their spares company and to take the receipt in to the branch and they'd refund me - which of course they didn't do

Which all in all, makes me feel very stupid, very gullable and very very annoyed.

And, just in case some lawyer comes along and smells money I shall write the following, in the vain hope of not making his day:
This post, and various rants about colleges, universities and companies are my views only. It is most likely that the above experiences do not represent the views of the majority of their respective customers/students. However, they are real events that I experienced, and I feel I have a right to air those opinions.

in total, I've had to wait in a police station for an hour and a half to hear they can't do anything about my nuisance caller cos he isn't abusive. Not only do i feel bad for wasting their time, i also feel stupid for waiting so long.

AAAAAAANYway, have decided to get in touch with colleges and universities and schools to ask (put simply) what they think of my project. I have two pages of questions and lots of explaining about concepts, thought the essence of the thing is remarkably simple. I know it's not exactly a novel approach, but i did come up with the idea all by myself.

And no, it's not just a questionnaire because I hope to be visiting these colleges and asking them in person. At least for the first few - till I know how to ask for what I need. So lots of stuff to do.

My Amazon orders have been half dispatched - my new simulation software will be delivered sometime before monday. The next PTerry novel is on order (Going Postal), but am not sure if the order went through ok, so am waiting to find out (it should arrive tomorrow if all is well). Have also pre-ordered red dwarf V limited edition from play.com.

So I'm just waiting now - can't really do much. Though I may begin on designing some other aspects of my project.

I'm still tired. Don't get much time to myself, which is a bit of a bugger, but I'm not stressed. At least, I don't have excema spreading all over my face and arms - so that must be a good sign. Though I still wonder why my land lady does some of the things she does. Still, I'm enjoying it there.

Not much else to report I'm afraid. First of my assignments has begun - seems easy enough in theory, just a lot to do.

Well, I'll be off. Take care everyone *waves*

Good afternoon to the world in general,

Am submitting the first piece of work for my project today. It's the plan of action thingy. Looks quite smart I reckon - though, and I'll say it now so we don't argue later, it's missing some detail on why I'm doing this project. But I said enough for a general idea. it's not an essay after all. But no doubt it'll be what's wrong with it.

I can't remember what I've said already.

Alton towers was good. car coped well. Brake warning light kept flickering though and the braking made the wheels vibrate. I think there's a problem with the brake disk - probly worn out, though they shouldn't be. I'll ask me dad when he comes up for Tracy's sister (Leona)'s engagement party in Novemeber. I also need to ask him what I can do about the fan motor whining, the timing belt squeaking and tell him off for the filthy back window!

None of that makes any sense to anyone but me does it really?

Oh well.

Didn't go to work do - went out to a restaurant instead with Trace. It was very nice.

I should be off now.

WHAT A WASTE
I'VE SPENT ALL DAY TRYING TO GET THIS DAMN PIECE OF SOFTWARE TO WORK...SO THAT'S A WHOLE DAY OUT OF MY TIGHTLY PACKED SCHEDULE THAT'S A COMPLETE WASTE OF TIME.

great eh?

alton towers tomorrow. lets hope it's cold, rainy AND windy when I go on the rides.
Hope it won't take long to get there. I won't go the motorway way - so I'll have to check times. Means i'm going to have to get up at something past 5 tomorrow morning. Will be lucky to get to bed before 11pm tonight. so guess who'll be bricking it all the way?

in retrospect, today hasn't been a complete waste. just 90% waste. I've finished, theoretically at least, my motor driver circuit for my robot. This is good. all i need to do now is test it. which is where the software comes in.

right, i have 2 hours before work, take 25mins out for travelling and i have 1hr35 to get home, eat, get ready. no probs. Just one question...

when do i get to relax?

I wish to pose a question to my landlady put don't know how best to put it. The question would be - what have i done to piss you off?

Shouldn't use dryer unless clothes are already dry
hasn't supplied my choice of breakfast (i've been living off tiny bits of bread that fill me up for, ooh, two hours at best)
Oh, the latest one... you'll like this... shouldn't have lie-in's. (and by lie-in I mean sleeping till 9am instead of 7am. And i have to tell her so she doesn't alarm the house)

Sorry, I don't come here just to vent my anger, I come here to let you know whats going on - and the above is important information to let you know why i'm in such a bad mood today.

Alton towers on Saturday. I'm driving Trace and Richard there. Smaira couldn't come unfortunately - haven't really spoken to her in over a year! She nearly let me walk past her in a corridor two weeks ago - lucky i noticed in time.

Anyway, am going to get trace to go on Air. I've heard it described as boring, but it's just enough for me. Nemesis just throws you around - which is great if you want to know what clothes feel like in a washing machine on fast spin.

Then on monday it's the staff party. Trace is comin to that too - so she'll be sick of me come tuesday.

Talkin of work - fire alarms went off last night so we had to evacuate the place. The latest word is that somebody next door was smoking in an office. If that's true, someone is in serious trouble.

time to disappear to my lecture. Uni is going well by the way, I've got a nice routine going. trouble is - where am i going to fit in time for assignments?

Lets see how it goes....