First Photos of 2007: My Room

First of all, my beautiful door. Which locked me out.And then various shots of my room.
If you're thinking 'How many products does one girl need?' don't worry, right there with ya.You may notice the lack of hanging things. This is due to the fact that (a) I folded anything I could shove into a drawer, (b) all my dresses are hanging on the other side, (c) I have a huge pile of clothes to wash and (d) assorted random items of clothing are strewn around the room.Isn't my locker just the cutest thing ever?! Oh yeah, and it's empty lol.My bed, unmade of course, pinboard, curtains, desk, chair, huge amount of rubbish under said desk, fan, and huge pile of shoes in the corner.

The first things to go up on my pinboard. Many many O-Week things have now been added. I basically have a wristband in every colour of the rainbow.

O-Week 2007: Day Six - Friday

After not getting to bed til after 4:30 (and I wasn't even drunk! Stupid line at the bar) I then woke up like a good little O-Group member in time to be in the common room by 9:30 when we were supposed to meet to do some more Scav Hunt tasks. Not so much. Had a little nap in the common room instead, then retired upstairs for a real nap.

Woke up in time for BBQ lunch in the courtyard (so why exactly did I get up early enough to make myself lunch? Yeah no idea) and managed to stay awake for...

O-Week Offensive: Progressive Drinks.

Turns out that my camera has a hidden little thingie where I can connect the (previously useless) cords. Had a little bit of a blonde moment there, cheers Tait! So I'll put the photos up which will be easier (for me) than typing out all the different stands.

Off the Garden Ballroom Party. Stay tuned!

Edited to add: Garden Party aka Ballroom Party (due to the rain, which apparantly started falling at the exact same time last year) was a bit of a letdown. I had one drink ($2.50 spirits!) and a bit of a dance and of course took photos with my awesome camera, then decided to call it a night.

In bed by 11:30 ready for a good twelve hours of sleep. (Most likely the longest since I got here.)

And if that wasn't the most boring edit ever.

O-Week 2007: Day Five - Thursday

1 - 3pm: O-Group games in the courtyard

5:45 - 7: Medieval Banquet

8pm - late - Medieval Party at the Tav

O-Group Games: where the teams willing to be without shame and with a lot of mess are bound to win. Games included: fishing lollies out of a tray of cold spaghetti. Without hands; passing a banana down a line. Without hands. With mouths. With knees; eating gross and distgusting things, only one of which I think I could have choked down (dry Weetbix). Luckily, we were able to get Bec to sub for us.

Medieval Banquet: A distinct lack of dressing up for dinner, except by a (awesome) few. Dinner was served medieval-style: central platters with huge legs of lamb, pitchers of beer apple juice, no serving utensils.

The Tav: Severe under-estimation by the Tav people regarding the numbers they'd get. Considering it was a combined Hall/Village event, the only pub this week that we could stumble home from instead of bussing or cabbing it (ok, people did walk home from both Glenelg and Shags, but anyway...) and that it was the first Tav night in at least a semester, I think they were a little shortsighted.

Consequently, they only had two bar staff on at a time, and lines four or five people deep, all along the bar. And when I want a pineaplle and get a lime and soda UDL and then realise that I don't like the lime and soda ones, and give it to Eri (who then has two, almost full cans) and then try to go back and get another drink, yeah, not fun. And THEN, was waiting for a drink from some random friend of Burnsey who was sent off to get me, got forgotten about, and by the time I realised, they'd closed the bar, NOT GOOD.

But still an awesome night, lots of great costumes, band was average (no offense guys) but music was great, with all the classic 'chanting'-type songs going off. More staff fellas!

O-Week 2007: Day Four - Wednesday

Scav Hunt tasks accomplished:

- stolen coin cup from the casino

- sang the Uni Hall Sharks song at the balls in the mall

- sang with a busker

- donated to charity

- visited the library

- photo of an Adelaide metro employee

- got something from another college

- swam in Victoria Square fountain

- photo of a shaved head

- photo of primary school kids (which is kinda creepy, but we made Eri stand next to the group of them in front of the museum so it was like we were taking a photo of her)

- a custard apple (and since they're not in season, custard + apple = custard apple)

We didn't get to give a tram attendant a lollipop, cos she was a grumpy bitch.
We did kiss the bartender at Shags on Tuesday night, and a bunch of Marion ones (including having a fight in a public place - over toilet paper hehe - and eating a tray of yoghurt samples). Go Lime Green!

Everyone was really good about doing stuff for us, once we explained we were on a Scav Hunt and they'd be getting us a bajillion points.

"I lied. I've been lying to you in increasing amounts ever since I told you you looked good unshaved, a year ago. It's a little experiment, you know, see where you draw the line." I want to ask people for increasing favours based on the premise that they're for a Scav Hunt and see where they draw the line. A little experiment you know. "Hey, it's five grand. You've got nothing to be ashamed of."

O-Week 2007: Day Three - Tuesday

So, I have basically no idea what I did Tuesday morning. Was that my scooter morning? No? Well anyway.

Tuesday night (and not Wednesday* for some reason**) was Shenannigans night. I went on the first (of many) shuttle bus runs, which meant I was basically all alone with a bunch of freshers. And since they didn't know where they were going, I was literally the first one in the door of a totally empty Shags.

Bad News: They didn't even do any specials for us, which was so mean, but, Good News: also meant that we didn't have to wear our purple tees, which, Bad News: meant I had to figure out something to wear, so, Good News: I got to wear my hot-as mint green and chocolate brown (anyone suddenly want ice-cream?) dress, and so, Good News/Bad News? Got hit on by lots of (ok, three) very drunk guys. Bad news: um, no, that's all I got. Good news: the end of a rambling, confusing post.

Oh and I got to take lots of photos with my pretty new camera however (bad news!) despite getting lots of cords with it, there's no way to actually transfer them to my computer. Oh yeah, and I got home at around about 3, 3:30am.

*cos Wednesday was our Shag's night last semester.

**actually it was because they wanted an alcohol-free event midweek, but that's another post.

Scootering Day One

I went all the way from Uni Hall to Gma's house and back, and then from the Hall to Marion. And back. Obviously.

It basically used up all of the petrol I had. (Half a tank? A third?) So the next place I have to learn to drive to is the petrol station.

You really have to watch the road when you're riding a scooter in Adelaide. And I mean, the actual road. What's with all the manhole cover things? Some of them aren't too bad, but some are basically bloody great pits into which a little bitty scooter could disappear. So yeah: watch the road.

But then there's the traffic. You have to keep an eye on that too. Lane changes (and roundabouts) are one thing I hate, cos I never know if there's enough room to go or not. But today I figured they're Adelaide drivers and therefore used to idiots suddenly veering in front of them.*

It's good though, as I think I only got overtaken twice and I got to do a whole lot of zooming off at lights cos haha I'm faster than all you suckas! And no-one got mad at me for being too slow, cos guess what? I'm not.

Oh and the slow cruise you do up to traffic lights so you can be all cool and just cruise off without putting your feet down? No point. You sit at traffic lights for hours. Coolness doesn't work so well.

Speaking of which, I'm sunburnt. Again. It's mostly my nose and thighs and my watch tan line. Dude.

*And guys? Those flashing yellow lights aren't there to confuse you. You should try using them sometime to, oh I don't know, indicate something?

Oops...

I've just had my first lock-out.

No it wasn't 3am.
No I wasn't drunk.
No I wasn't coming home after a big night.

I wanted to take a picture for all of you of my pretty door.

And then it shut.

Yeah, oops.

Ride like the wind!

I went on my brave scootering exhibition. (Side note: I have my camera! Yay!!!)

I was very brave. Actually I thought I would totally freak out, what with the traffic and the lane-changing and all, but really, I was quite calm. I was right about traffic = slow = scooters rule, and instead of the ride going like this: "Oh my god! Ohmygod! Ohmygodohmygodohmygod!!!", it went more like:

"We missed the turn."
"No we didn't."
"Yes we did, we've been travelling for hours."
"Dude, we didn't miss it."
"I am so sure we've missed it and we're going to end up at Port Wakefield." (Geographically impossible, I'd imagine, but anyway.)
"We didn't miss it. It's a long road. It's a big city."
"Oh there it is. We didn't miss it."
"Jeez."

And yeah, that was me to myself. I'm cool like that.

O-Week 2007: Day Two - Monday

Went on two double-decker party buses to Brighton Beach (and turns out there's a Brighton Jetty Rd and a Glenelg Jetty Rd - why do they do this to me???) where we played/watched/walked around trying not to get hit by...beach cricket, volleyball, soccer, frisbee. We were a lovely cloud of purple O-Week t-shirts, and had I seen us coming, I would have run for my life. I guess some people thought it wasn't actually our beach. Huh.

Then went to the Ye Olde Jetty Bar (Jetty Rd, Glenelg) where we drank and were merry. And I ate, a huge paper cone full of hot chips which made me very popular. Had many many conversations of "Hi! I'm Missy! Where are you from? What are you studying? Ok bye!" And drank some more.

Some people drank too much, as I found when I had to take some poor English girl home in a cab and put her to bed. Dude, water and hot chips are your friends.

Was then WOKEN at 6am by I have no idea who, blowing air-horns or something of the sort, all up and down the floors and corridors of the Hall. Could you have not done it just to the first-years? Please? Not so happy Jan.

To recap: a good night and a horrible wake-up call.

O-Week 2007: Day One - Sunday

I am now in Lime Green and Hot Pink O-Groups (cos I am so special). Which means I got to drink lime-green punch and not-hot-pink rubbish-bin punch. You're so jealous aren't you?

And then I got to dress up as a cowgirl and go to Bush Dance. Where they shut down the bar cos people wouldn't shut up. There's some poetic justice in that. In my day, people listened when the band guy was calling out the steps. In the snow. Barefoot. Anyway, eventually we did listen and did some progressive-type dances. Which was cool. But I really think they coulda just stuck to, like, the Nutbush or something. Drunk college kids really aren't that co-ordinated. Seriously, save yourself the trouble.

Actually barefoot would have been good cos as I think we may have already discovered, three-inch heels really hurt. But a cowgirl's gotta have boots. (They don't stick to the floor like thongs do.)

Let's go to gramma's house to play!

Do you remember that? It was a sound effect thing on a game? book? that we used to have. Really annoying.

Anyway, if perchance I am brave/crazy enough to decide to take the Scarlet Lady to "gramma's house" to play, this is the route (actually routes) that UBD Adelaide suggests I take:

Sturt Rd
R Main South Rd
R Cross Rd
L Portrush Rd
R Payneham Rd
L Lower Northeast Rd
R Gorge Rd

Sturt Rd
R Main South Rd
R Cross Rd
L Portrush Rd
R Payneham Rd
Montacute Rd
L Newton Rd
R Gorge Rd

Yes? No? Crazy?

Let me know.

It's here... and there it'll stay

My scooter's here!!!

Actually, it's now in the Hall carpark.

And likely to remain there as my swipe card (which I had re-activated --or whatever they do to it-- this morning) does not actually work. So I can't get into the "secure" carpark.

Cheers guys.

But also - Yay! My scooter's here!

O-Week

So here I am, at the start of my very first O-Week. Woohoo. No, seriously.
The theme is "Medieval" (or however you spell it).

Sunday: Aquaint yourself with the local peasanntry at BBQ and Bush Dance.

Monday: Ye Olde Brighton Beach Games and Glenelg Jetty Bar Crusade.

Tuesday: Outdrink Irish leprechauns at Shenannigans or see true Shakespearean theatre at the Marion Megaplex.

Wednesday: Excursions and International Night. Love your neighbours from distant lands.

Thursday: Courtyard Jests and a Midsummer Night's Tavern.

Friday: Swill a moat's worth at O-Week Offensive and Garden Party.

Saturday: Damsels and Dudes dressup.

Sunday: Courtyard feastings and movies or Grand Hotel.

I have a pretty O-Week t-shirt (fifty bucks later...) which proclaims me as a "Knight". (Thanks Kayleigh for interceding and not letting them sell me a "Peasant" one.) If anyone has any ideas of what to wear to a cross-dressing, middle ages, costume ball thingie, let me know.

Write Well

I just had to tell you about this awesome piece of writing that I read.

You know how when you're watching Veronica Mars (HINT!!!) or whatever, and it comes to the big reveal and you're all like, "Wow, didn't see that coming." Usually, I'm thinking, "but I should have, and I'm sure I would have if I was at all competitive or paying proper attention to the plot and not the hot guys."

Well, in books I rarely get a truely good "didn't see that coming," mostly because I can flip back a couple of pages and be all, "Yeah, that makes sense now."

However, in this book I read recently (and am purposely not naming for as long as possible so that you'll continue to go with me on the 'awesome piece of writing' thing) the reader is totally thinking one thing, by way of the previous scene being about the person you think the scene is about.

It never says it is (and right at the end, it says it isn't) but we're so conditioned to fall for these segues and ostensibly-talking-about-someone-else-when-it's-soooo-obvious-who-it's-really-about type tricks, that the reader (ok, I) totally falls for it, and when it actually is about who they're 'ostensibly' talking about, it is a total shock.

Well written, Ann Brashares.

Ok, so now I have you convinced, go read The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants: Forever In Blue: The Fourth Summer of the Sisterhood.

(Meanwhile) Back At The Hall

Ok, so I didn't forget my toothbrush but I did forget my toothpaste. I had to go to the chemist on campus to buy a new one. UP THE HILL. AND THE STAIRS. Oh my god, I nearly died. My thighs, anyway.

Went to Marion to get groceries and DVD covers for my Veronica Mars (HINT!!!) and Scrubs and Grey's DVDs. And CDs to burn photos on from my last day at work. I still have to get the enlargements of our Bear Hunt poster so I can put it up. I was thinking on my door. It's very 'me' even though I'm sure it was confuse a lot of people.*

Isn't is pretty?

Neither my camera or my scooter have arrived yet, so it better be Monday. I'm so excited. And not even that scared about driving down here. One good thing about lots of traffic is that they're forced to go slower, which is awesome for me.

*[I'll put a pic up on here once I get back on my computer. Remind me.]**

**[I did it without even leaving it for a couple of months, or being reminded.]

BLAST OFF!

So I'm leaving in like four hours.

I'm all packed. Except for my toothbrush. I bet I leave it behind.
My scooter has left for Adelaide. At about half the cost we'd originally thought.
I WON MY CAMERA on ebay! And it's being sent to me. Right now. For very very cheap.
I found a hundred-dollar cheque and two $30 gift vouchers when I was cleaning my room.
Dude, I'm so rich. Harbourtown, here I come!

I will be a Hallie and not a Darwinite this time tomorrow. I'll probably also be asleep, as my flight goes from 1:30am to 9:40am. Yes it's really a three-and-a-half hour flight. No, I'm not flying Virgin again if I can help it.

Joining the technolgy age

I have found THE bestest digital camera. Seriously, it's so awesome.

Problem is, no one wants to sell it to me. I want to spend money. I want to take pictures with a camera which you can sell to me. For lots of money. I won't have lots of money in about two weeks. Seize the opportunity. Sell me the damn camera.

***

Also, I have Skype. Call me!

It's cool. I have a new microphone thingie and I can talk and I sound like a three-year-old but still awesome.

5, 4, 3, 2, 1...

My scooter is leaving tomorrow. Hopefully I will be brave enough to ride it in Adelaide and not have it sit permanently in the Hall carpark.

***

Only three more days of work left. I will be very sad to leave all my kids.

***

When all the Hallies were up here I was incredibly looking forward to going back. Now I still am, but it's just odd. Inevitable.

My flights have been booked forever, I sorted my classes ages ago, there was a little drama when I sent back my Hall contract a month late, but really, it's just a lot of... nothing. Waiting.

But watch out... It's coming...

My Room

I'm home for the weekend to clean out my room in preparation for moving back in next weekend so I can prepare to pack and actually pack so I leave the Thursday after that.

Things I have thrown out so far:

* five fake silver bracelets

* car seat covers (yeah, I've never actually owned a car)

* lecture and tut notes for PSY218E

* red hairspray (no I wasn't in red house team, I was in blue)

* ten bajillion hairties with no elastic left

* twenty billion random bits of paper including reciepts, movie tickets, empty envelopes with writing on them, empty envelopes with no writing on them, begging the question, what the hell were they doing in my room it's not like I send that many letters and if I did it wouldn't be in a used envelope.

On the upside, I did find two scratchy tickets winning me a grand total of $6, as well as the bracelet that The Witch stole off me to prove a point about leaving my things lying around on the table as well as to get me to clean up my room, as maybe I'd find it if I tidied things up a tiny bit. It's found. Now my 13-year-old camper who was distraught that her counselor had "lost" their matching bracelets can start making progress in therapy.

Cos I can

Home for the day, meaning lots of internet (and lots of pointless posts like this one) and downloady goodness.

Here're the songs I've downloaded today:

Veronica Elvis Costello and Paul McCartney

Light Surrounding You Evermore

1812 Overture Tchaikovsky

Superman Lazlo Bane

Volvo Driving Soccer Mom Everclear

How to Save a Life The Fray

Keep Holding On Avril Levigne

Never Let You Go INXS

What are you all listening to at the moment? TAGGED!!!