Gah. Gah, gah, gah. I really should learn to organise my time more. I have a seminar in an hours' time and I STILL haven't done all the reading.

It's not that I don't want to, far from it. It's just that I don't see the point in having seminars and lectures on things totally unrelated to the essay I'm currently trying to plan and write. I don't see why I can't just skip them all and concentrate on my essay, as that would be much more productive for me. Besides, all this other stuff is making my head hurt. It's all postmodernism and futurism and loads of other -isms that make less sense now than when I studied them for Sociology. SOCIOLOGY. I'm doing a DRAMA degree. Gah.

Oh well. I've managed to wing it for the last two seminars, I'm sure I can do the same for this one. At least the actual discussion will only be for about an hour and a bit, rather than the normal two solid hours - not only have we got a presentation lasting 20-25 minutes at the beginning of the seminar (which will probably help, actually), our seminar leader wants to talk to us for about 20-30 minutes on our essays (the ones we handed in in week 6, and the ones we have to hand in in week 12). So it probably won't be too bad. I've got some pretty intellectual questions in my head as well, so as long as I pick out quotes from each of the chapters, it'll make it look like I've done all the reading.

Hopefully.

Twenty-seven days until The Runaway Bride!!! Oh, and Christmas.

EDIT: The seminar went pretty well! I made some good points and asked some intellectual questions (ooh yeah, go me!) AND I got my essay plan thing back - I got a 54! YES!!! If I'm honest, I was actually expecting a LOT worse, as I'd only done about 1400 words, but oddly enough I didn't get marked down on that. I got marked down because I hadn't put in the research summary (for two reasons - firstly, I didn't understand what it actually WAS, and secondly, I'd planned to change the subtitle 'essay plan' to 'research summary' and put the subtitle 'essay plan' about my introduction, but I kind of forgot ...) and because I hadn't made my referencing as clear as I should have done (again, I didn't quite understand it). However, it's not a problem - I got the mark I was expecting, I got advice on how to improve, and the marks in your first year don't count towards your final degree mark anyway, all I have to do is pass this year, which I'm on course for doing! So ... yay!

So much has been happening in the world of Me. I met The Boy's family on wednesday - a first for both of us - and it seemed to go well. I was forewarned that they liked chatty people (score!) and that as long as I was polite I should win them over. Well, as far as I can tell, they liked me. And from what Boy told me afterwards, it would appear that I'm not wrong in my assumptions. I'm glad, because I'd hate to be in one of those situations where you don't get on with the Family. Some very awkward situations could theoratically arise. The next step is for Boy to meet my family, which he'll be doing next saturday when I do mum's 'Anything Goes' concert. Should be interesting.

I've also tidied my bedroom up considerably. It's still rather messy, but it's an improvement on what it was. You can see floor now.

I'm also feeling a LOT better. Manuka honey and lemon tea works like a charm. I SWEAR by Manuka honey. It's magic! I'm not sure exactly how it works, but there's some sort of natural antibacterial stuff in it that helps kill germs ... so yay!

Tomorrow (technically today, as it's one in the morning) is a day with Mum to make my KYC dress. Or at least TRY to make my KYC dress. Personally, I'm not holding out much hope, but then again Mum is an AWESOME seamstress. On sunday I'm going back to school to visit Nic in the school play - SO annoyed that I can't go and see her in it properly - I might go and watch it next friday anyway, even though she's not in it, because A Midsummer Night's Dream is one of my favourite Shakespeare plays anyway. We'll see. Might see if Mum fancies going ... or maybe Boy ... or Kylie ... hmm ...

Much as I adored the concert on sunday and wouldn't have missed it for the world, I'm now thinking it probably would have been a lot safer for me to have stayed tucked up in bed with lots of Lemsip and Ibuprofen. I feel HORRID.

I seem to have some sort of cold, ear infection and stomach bug rolled into one. Not fun. Especially seeing as I'm going to see Casino Royale tomorrow with the Boy's family. Must get better.

Is it wrong that I'm still geeking out over the chase sequence from The Runaway Bride? In retrospect, not only was it a cool sequence, the direction was AWESOME. I've always been a fan of Euros Lyn (Tooth And Claw and The Girl In The Fireplace are two of my favourite episodes EVER for direction) but this looks like it's going to be Something Else (yes, it did warrant capital letters).

*bounces* 34 days ...

I'm back from Cardiff. Was it worth it?

Every. Penny.

It. was. AWESOME. I was full of a cold, slept on the train all the way there and back and I STILL enjoyed it. Absolutely fantastic! They showed us a clip from The Runaway Bride, the Chase Sequence - literally. Donna (the bride) was in the taxi, being driven by a robot santa, and the Doctor was flying the TARDIS behind it, dodging cars and piloting the console with bits of string (I kid you not - bog-standard, common-or-garden string, such as you could buy in a craft shop. I chuckled like CRAZY!). Just as it got to the REALLY exciting bit, the picture cut out the the screen said "To be continued christmas 2006", and EVERYONE in the audience groaned. Very amusing. And there were some cracking lines as well ... one bit involved the Doctor bashing the TARDIS console with a hammer and yelling "Behave!" at it admonishingly. Another great bit was where the TARDIS was flying next to the taxi that Donna was in, with the doors wide open and the Doctor yelling at her to jump into the TARDIS:

Donna: I'm in my WEDDING DRESS!
Doctor: You look lovely. JUMP!

And that whole sequence, apparently, is only ten minutes into the episode! Gah. Five whole weeks to wait ...

In other news, I got my photo taken with a Dalek, the TARDIS and the Genesis Ark. I also met Gareth Roberts (writer of DW books Only Human and I Am A Dalek) and Robert Shearman (writer of DW episode Dalek), and was recognised by Gareth Roberts from the last time I met him! Unfortunately I didn't see anyone else - not only did we get there late because the train was delayed, I went back to the hotel as soon as the concert finished because I was feeling really ill. And even though I know it was the right thing to do, I still regret it slightly, because after the show there was a little party in St David's Hotel, which is near the Millennium Centre, and lots of people were there and mingled with us plebians. Gah. But still, I needed sleep. I was dead on my feet by the time we eventually got back to the hotel.

Thirty-five days until The Runaway Bride ...

I can't sleep.

And there is a good reason for this.

In approximately eighteen hours time, I will be in the presence of three of the coolest men in the history of the WORLD. David Tennant, fanboy extraordinaire, Bafta-award-winning Russell T Davies, writer of awesomeness, and Murray Gold, he of the beautiful and terrifying music. Yes, that's right, in approximately eighteen hours time, I will be in Cardiff watching a special Children in Need concert of Doctor Who music hosted by The Doctor himself, with a Q&A session afterwards with DT, Russell the T and Murray Gold.

There will be Daleks.

There will be Cybermen.

There will be Clockwork Droids and Ood.

There will be a TARDIS.

And there will be Special Guests.

And you wonder why I can't get to sleep ...

Yesterday was a day of squee overload in the World Of Me. I shall elaborate on this in great detail.

Firstly, I received news of the Children In Need concert I'm going to on sunday. This is the Doctor Who concert, which was apparently going to have music by Murray Gold (the series composer) as well as a Q&A after the concert with Russell T Davies and David Tennant. Yesterday, I find out that it is SO MUCH MORE THAN THAT. David Tennant is HOSTING the concert. Murray Gold will be joining Russell and David for the Q&A. There will be Daleks, Cybermen, Clockwork Droids ('The Girl In The Fireplace') and Ood ('The Impossible Planet'/'The Satan Pit'). There will be special guests. There will be opportunities to get your photo taken with both a Dalek and the TARDIS. There will be a silent auction of the coolest stuff EVER for Children In Need.

I cannot express in coherent words how cool and exciting THIS REALLY IS. I shall therefore leave it to your imaginations as to what I did when I found all this out - suffice it to say, there was a LOT of bouncing.

Secondly, yesterday was mine and The Boy's one month anniversary. This was the best and weirdest thing to happen ever. Best because I've been going out with the funniest, coolest, geekiest, gingerest and frankly most awesome boy I've ever met. Weird because I just wasn't expecting it to last. I don't kno why, I'm not a pessimist or anything, far from it. Maybe it was just the realist in me wondering why someone would take an interest in me and like me for who I am, not who I pretend to be. People make a lot of masks for themselves throughout their lives, hiding behind different facades when they talk to different people. Now, I don't have to hide any more. He sees me for who I am and that's enough for both of us.

Funny how such a short period of time such as a month can change your whole perspective on life, isn't it?

I had a good weekend. I was spontaneous, I went to the most amazingest restaurant EVAH and I found out details for Murray Gold's upcoming album. But more on that later. First - the SPONTANEITY!

While I was in town on saturday, I started thinking about how boring my hair is. So I wandered around, checking prices and times, and managed to get my hair cut that very day for £20. I also decided to do what I'd wanted to do for MONTHS and dye some of my hair purple. Again, after traipsing round town, I found the perfect colour in Superdrug for £3. Bargain!

Then on sunday, me and The Boy went to Bytes. Bytes is a restaurant with TOUCH. SCREEN. MENUS. How cool is that?! The only time the waitresses are involved are when they bring you the food and take the empty plates away. It's genius! You press a button on the screen, and a little while later your food magically arrives! I felt like Dylan Moran - "You press the button with the picture of the food, and he ARRIVES WITH A SANDWICH! And you think 'Yes! Yes! Yes! I control SANDWICH MONKEY! I live in magic land, magic land, magic land ...'"

And now for something completely different.

MURRAY GOLD'S LONG-AWAITED 'DOCTOR WHO' ALBUM!

"In what will be music to the ears of many, we can finally reveal initial details of the upcoming Doctor Who soundtrack album.
Released by Silva Screen Records on 04 December 2006, the album will feature Murray Gold's version of the Doctor Who theme, plus many of his various incidental scores from Series 1 and 2.
The Divine Comedy's Neil Hannon contributes a version of Song for Ten (from last year's Christmas special) and Love Don't Roam, which will feature in the Runaway Bride.
Also included is the much-requested Doomsday - the song that played during Rose's trip to Bad Wolf Bay in Episode 13 of Series 2.
Other tracks include Cassandra's Waltz, Harriet Jones, Prime Minister, plus the themes specially created for the Doctor and Rose."

YAY!

So yesterday, I handed in my essay plan. I couldn't find 200 or so more words to beef it up with, so I left it at 1433 words. Quality, not quantity. Not that it's particularly good but, y'know, it's better than nothing. And I worked HARD for those 1433 words. I'll probably get a fifty-something mark. I'm hoping for a fifty-comething mark, anyway. That'll do for a first assignment.

What bugged me the most, though, wasn't my pitiful lack of words - it was the way that other people I met were complaining that they had too many words. Conversations went something like this:

"Ugh, I've done nearly 2000 words and I'm only about halfway through."
"What? Which question are you doing?"
"The Appia and Craig one."
"Oh, I did that one too. I only got about 1400 words though."
"You'll probably be alright. I just need to find a way of cutting mine down."
"What have you written?"
"Well, I wrote two or three paragraphs on the definition of 'space', then I talked about 'realism', then I did all the Appia and Craig stuff, and then I talked for about 500 words about a load of bollocks."
"... Oh."

I mean, it probably would have been a good idea to talk briefly about space, and I'm ever so slightly annoyed I didn't think of that, but THREE PARAGRAPHS?! Gordon Bennett.

But anywho, it's been handed in now, and I don't have to worry about it. I probably WILL, but I don't HAVE to.

In other news, yesterday's 'squee moment' came from re-watching 'Day One' of Torchwood. BAD WOLF MUSIC WHEN CAPTAIN JACK HOLDS THE DOCTOR'S DISEMBODIED HAND!!! YAAAARRRRRRGGGGHHHHH!

*ahem*

That was fun.

Hallowe'en sucked ASS.

Torchwood is TEH FAWESOME.

And I've done 1433 words of my essay. I need to beef it up by 200 or so words, and then I'll be happy.

Oh, and I have an amazing boyfriend. Not at all relevant, but, y'know ... I like saying it.