Summer is nearly over!

Well, it's that time of year again, You can't walk into a shop without being bombarded with "BACK TO SCHOOL IN SEPTEMBER!" banners, I feel like saying "Oh yes, thanks for reminding me, I've only begun a new school year for the last 13 years of my life, I'd completely forgotten that it began in september." And its not like parents are likely to forget when school starts either, chances are they've been marking off the days on the calendar, just willing the brats to be spending their days at school rather than either pestering them, or bleeding them dry with childcare.
Anyway, rant over.
It's almost time for school, I've got myself organised this time, I've read ahead, split my specifications into sections, organised my folders and started writing out keywords, in a nutshell - I AM PREPARED for the horror that is year 13.

I'd better change the subject before I explode with excitement (that was a joke), I've just finished my annual Primeval marathon - Woop!
I do it every summer, during the year I might watch the odd episode but I only watch them in order during the summer holidays, it's become a sort of tradition.

Anyway, this time I thought I might go to London Comic Con in October, and I decided to go as Abby (I admire her feisty, no-nonsense character), Naturally, I asked around for someone to come as Connor, I found my man, I tried to get a whole team together but everyone else is busy on that day unfortunately.
Oh well, the two of us are gonna have some fun, I've got a skirt already, not the one I'd hoped for, but it only cost me £2 and it goes with another Abby outfit.

This is the outfit I was hoping for

This is probably what I'm going for now

I'll also be making an anomaly detector for connor, and rex for me, then I'll customise a gun or two to make EMDs. :)

That's my bargain skirt, I have leggings but I'll need to get my hands on a purple hoodie, a scarf and the boots.
I'll keep the blog updated with any additions to mine or "Connor's" outfits, and hopefully I'll do a post on the event itself.

I'm signing off now to do some sketches for my EPQ.
Alons-y!

Update

Morning all!
It's just occurred to me that it's GCSE results day today (ok, I was watching the news), so I'll take this opportunity to say good luck to everyone getting them.

On the topic of results, I thought I'd give you an update on my AS results and compare them to my GCSEs (and if your starting them in September, motivate you to work your socks off).

GCSEs:
History - A*
Biology - A
Chemistry - A
Physics - A
Statistics - A
Geography - A
English Language - A
English Literature - B
Maths - B
Humanities - B

Now, I was pretty happy with those results and was confident for year 12, and remained confident until around February, when I realised I wasn't retaining the info as well as I had at GCSE.
This led to me revising non-stop from just before Easter up to exams, and this took its toll on me.
You need to go over your notes, and perhaps condense them, EVERY DAY (I know you might have planned to do that, but the chances are, you won't.) Because, if something happens during the exam period, such as falling ill, that can drastically affect your results, and special consideration won't make up for what you've lost, you need to have as much information as possible in your long term memory by reading your notes throughout the year.

These were my overall results:
History - C (from an A* remember, I was confident in these exams.)
Biology - C
Geography - C
Psychology - B

And a breakdown of papers: to show the difference between when I was healthy, and when I was ill.

PAPER 1 - HEALTHY
Biology - B.
Geography - B.
History - B.
Psychology - A.

PAPER 2 - ILL
Biology - D
Geography - D
History - C
Psychology C

So basically, work hard! :D

Alons-y!

Lochearnhead Scout camp 27th July - 7th August 2013

Well, I'm finally home from a fantastic trip to Scotland with the scouts. It's taken a while to get this up as after getting back from Scotland, I was off to Wales and since then I've been doing all my homework and getting my folders organised for school. I can't believe year 13 starts in just 14 days! I've hardly had a chance to sit down (except to write this)!

DAY 1 - 27th July

I arrived at the station at 8:20am with my luggage ready for a brilliant summer camp, I placed my luggage onto the trailer that the coach was towing and then climbed onto the coach (a double decker) and found a seat upstairs near the front.

We finally set off at about 8:45, at this point I only knew 2 people on the trip and I watched the Hitchikers guide to The Galaxy on my ipod.

I also read my book and listened to music, we stopped twice along the way, once at the M6 toll services and then again at Carlisle services.

Stirling Castle

We finally arrived at Lochearnhead at around 5:30pm where the scouts unloaded the trailer and carried all the bags up to the station. 

We were then assigned our cabins and went to get settled in before dinner at 18:30.

After dinner we were told what each clan would be doing the next day, I happened to be going on a 3 day hike so I had to pack my rucksack after dinner in preparation.

Then we sorted out who would be sleeping on which bunk before eventually going to bed.

Our cabin

Starfishing

DAY 2 - 28th July

Got up early today to finish packing for the hike and then went to flag break at 8:55 before breakfast at 08:00. After breakfast I collected my lunch for the 3 days and then we had to collect our rations, we finally piled onto the minibus at about 09:15, once dropped off, we set off in search of our camping ground, we found it at around 17:00, there were 3 clans on the hike and each clan had to find a different spot to pitch the tents, after pitching our tents and sorting out the problem with numbers (we ended up with 3 girls in a 2-man tent which was tight) we cooked our dinner, I had curried rice.

After dinner we sat around chatting for a while before climbing into bed for what was a rather uncomfortable night.

Dinner!

The view from our pitch

DAY 3 - 29th July

Set off around 09:00 today to climb Beinn Challuim, it was tough, but we made it by 14:00 and got back to the tents around 17:00, by this point it was pouring with rain and we couldn't cook so dinner comprised of half a packet of chorizo, fridge raiders and some cereal bars, then we went to sleep.

Almost at the top

DAY 4 - 30th July

The rain had made the river to high to cross so we couldn't climb the second mountain, instead we hiked along the hills to a nearby town where the minibus picked us up and took us back to the station.

On arrival, we fought with the younger scouts for the showers (Well, we hadn't had one for days) before flag down and having a lovely hot meal for dinner.

We went to bed somewhat early, although the scouts on the bunk above had an argument about sleeping arrangements that didn't cease until around 23:30.

Halfway to the town

DAY 5 - 31st July

Got up at 07:30, flag break at 7:55, brekkie at 08:00.

By 09:00 My clan (MacNeil) and MacPherson were grouped around the mountain bikes. We hopped onto the minibus to get to our starting point and then cycled along the old railway line for about 7 miles before leaving the line for the remaining 8 miles, here it began to get quite hilly with some steep climbs and a VERY scary, VERY steep zigzag trail, brakes were on the whole way down!

The fate of one explorer after mountain biking

We got back to the station around 15:00 where we showered, had cake and then went to flag down at 18:35 and dinner at 18:30.

DAY 6 - 1st August

Today was sailing and the weather was DISGUSTING! Unfortunately I was ill in the morning so had to watch everyone else, after an hour though I started to feel better so decided to get in on the action after lunch. However, everyone came off the boats for lunch shivering, they were absolutely freezing, so we bailed out and got the minibus back to the station at 12:30. As we were back so early, I decided to sort out all my stuff seeing as we were off to Meggernie the next day. Once that was done we played cards for a bit, then I went and sat on the windowseat (under the heater), this didn't turn out well as I fell asleep and then fell on the floor, landing on my hip (which hurt for the next 7 days). 

After what seemed an eternity, it was time for flag down and dinner, it was VERY welcome!

Playing with Daisy (The dog)

 

DAY 7- 2nd August

KAYAKING! So, today was kayaking, it was sooo much fun, and the best part...despite how AWFUL I was (couldn't go more than three strokes without spinning), I didn't capsise, not even down the rapids and into the swirly water, I was so proud of myself! :D

It was warm and sunny today so we dried off quite well before heading back to the station for showers and food.

At 8pm, 34 Explorers and scout patrol leaders piled onto the minibuses to go to Meggernie outdoor centre, our home for the next 4 days. It was an hours journey and my minibus managed to get a puncture, but because the track was so uneven, we couldn't change the tyre so had to drive on it and change it when we got there!

On the plus side, the tents were already up (the first group had put them up on the 27th July), and ours was an 8-man with 5 girls in. However, we also had a bit of a leak, we managed though.

DAY 8 - 3rd August

Canoeing, but 2 of us were ill today, so we chilled in a hotel for the day (it was actually extremely boring and we were asleep most of the time).

We had a bat walk in the evening, which was fun.

DAY 9 - 4th August

Began with archery, where I came soooo close to bursting the balloon I was supposed to, I missed by millimetres! Then we went onto frisbee golf, grass sledging and finally traversing. 

Despite the mix of activities, it was a nice and relaxing day, and we didn't have to go off site.

We had a campfire in the evening and had a blast.

Missing the balloon

DAY 10 -5th August

Today we built a swing, cooked on open fires and did some orienteering, another relaxing day, but enjoyable nonetheless.

DAY 11 - 6th August

Back to Lochearnhead today, took the tents down and packed up Meggernie (and made friends with some of the Danish scouts) and got to Lochearnhead around 2. 

As there were no cabins available, all of us that had just come from Meggernie had to sleep in one big mess tent, it was chaos finding a spot!

We had a traditional dinner with someone on the bagpipes and then we all had some haggis (I personally quite liked it).

To round off the last night, each clan had to perform in a talent show, which was highly enjoyable.

DAY 12 -7th August

Up at 6am today to get everything packed away, so we could be on the coach by 9, then it was a simple 11 hour journey home (there were a few accidents on the roads), filled with music, sleeping, and a vague sadness that it was all over.

I made friends with one of the scouts though and found out he'll be starting my school in September, so I'll have to look out for him and be an unofficial buddy. :)

A morning of reflection

Hello all.

For some reason I spent this morning feeling a little reminiscent. So much so that I wound up making some collages that I will now share with you. If, by any chance, you actually happen to follow my little blog (I thank you greatly), I thought you might like to get a little picture of my life from before I entered the world of blogging.
The pictures have a range of 1997 right up to 2013, although I am lacking quite a few years as both my PC and my external hard drive died a while back and I lost most of my pictures, I am slowly rebuilding the catalogue from Facebook though - thank god I have such a tendency to upload pictures from trips!
Anyway, here's the collage named "Then & Now"



























In the first picture I'm sitting with my cousin, I lived with my aunt for a while after my mothers death so my dad could work without having to fork out for child are, and to give him a chance to grieve without me being a pain, I kid, I was actually very good as a baby, Dad says I barely cried, just sat quietly and as a toddler I never threw tantrums, just looked at books or played on my own, maybe being an only child I just didn't develop that arguing streak haha!

The second picture is my nursery picture, taken when I was 3 (everyone in my psychology class estimated my age to be 9...either they were VERY baby faced at 9, or I was very mature at 3....) after a trip to Disneyland Florida - I'm wearing a mickey mouse top. :)

The 3rd picture was taken at the end of year 2, aged 7, before making our way to year 3, in the scariest part of the school - JUNIOR SCHOOL!! (at this point, my primary school was a JMI school, we later changed to a primary.)

And finally the 4th picture, taken in my friends garden just before going to our year 11 prom, it was an end of an era, and a very enjoyable evening.




I said my primary school used to be a JMI (Junior mixed Infants), well here are some pictures from the day we changed to primary. A few months earlier us pupils had taken a vote on whether we should be called community or primary, it was fairly unanimous that we should be primary.

On the day everyone had either a green or yellow balloon (school colours), the head teacher called stansted airport to tell them there'd be quite a few balloons in the flight path that day, and we let them go in the ceremony. Then the 2 oldest and youngest pupils (unfortunately i was in year 5 so a year too young for this honour) cut the ribbon to declare us officially open. Then we all received bookmarks and had cake.


This next picture is a combination from my years at secondary school:

In the first picture I have a pair of penguin feet sticking out of my blouse while in RM (resistant materials), my friend found it so amusing that a picture had to be taken - just look at my enthusiasm!
The second picture is a whole group photo from the last day of year 9, how we've shrunk since then!
Then we have my friend, surrounded by books, on a day of maths a geography revision.
And finally, all dressed up for the year 11 prom. :)


This collaboration is from a variety of school trips, the first is me with my best buddy on arrival at mount Vesuvius in Italy in year 9, next we have the rewards trip in year 10 - a trip to the Doctor Who experience in Olympia, London. The next two are from year 12, the first to New York in February and the following to Birmingham for Geography in Novemeber.

And now for the final collaboration, a selection of my favourite moments.

We have a trip to Center Parcs with my (ex) boyfriend in 2011, it was lovely to have a family holiday, without my own family haha! Don't get me wrong, I love my family, but our holidays have only once in 17 years been an actual holiday, rather than work.

Then we have the olympics, for which we scored tickets to (and the paralympics), followed by seeing Michael Mcintyre live, although I had a very painful neck at the time, so had to sit on the end of the row and lean out sideways to see him!

Then we have my 17th birthday at the Natural History museum with 2 of my friends and my new (ex) boyfriend, I do love dinosaurs y'see...
And finally, two of my buddies on the weekend camp nearly three weeks ago, it was a brilliant weekend. No doubt i'll have a lot more happy camping memories when I get back from the summer camp to Lochearnhead in Scotland. :)



I said I liked to read, well, here's the proof - I was an early reader, apparently!

Or maybe I just wondered what was on TV

Strangely enough, I still have this book lying around somewhere!

Well, that's all for now, I broke up from school for the summer today and I'm going to make the most of it by getting on with my holiday work outside before I go to Scotland, knowing my luck, it'll snow while I'm there haha!

Alons-y!

Weekend camp

I've had projects pouring out my ears over the last couple of weeks!
Carrying out my own experiment for psychology, a compilation of info for history, teaching my own lesson for history and a fieldwork report for biology!
All this called for a much needed break, this was granted at the weekend (Friday 5th - Sunday 7th July 2013), when me along with 5 other explorers and 2 leaders went on a camp to Tolmers activity centre, we had a right blast!

On arriving at 7pm on Friday evening, we headed up the campsite to find our pitch, and then pitched our tents (one each, as I was the only girl so needed my own, so everyone got their own), mine was an old tent with very bent poles so took a little longer to put up than the others.
After that we collected wood for the fire and spent the evening relaxing with good chatter, swiss roll and marshmallows.

We like a fire

We went to bed around midnight (after removing a MASSIVE moth from my tent).

On saturday, a team of 2 cooked breakfast and we left the campsite for a hike at 11:30am, little did we know how long we would be gone.

We stopped to watch a couple of cricket matches

When we finally got back to camp, we relaxed for a while before collecting some more wood and cooked the dinner (spaghetti!).
Following that, we sat around the fire and were eaten alive by mosquitos, so I got the insect repellent and it got passed around the group, before we realised we were recklessly spraying an "extremely flammable" substance very close to open flames...
We got the marshmallows out and Mike toasted his in a stealth position:

Little did he know that the marshmallow he was toasting would result in hours of laughter.

On returning to the group, Mike announced that his marshmallow "looks like a willy" (it did), this resulted in some very childish laughter, every time I regained control, I heard Tom's high pitched giggle or Duncan's monkey laugh and burst into hysterics all over again, we were in fits of laughter for 2 hours non-stop - it was insanely painful.

The following morning we went climbing and abseiling at 10:30 and then packed up the kit and went home, It was such a brilliant weekend and I became really good friends with everyone.

Well that was my weekend, I've got lots of projects and reports to write so I'll be back soon.

Alons-y!

Work experience, University visits and summer

Well, It's been a busy couple weeks over here, I was on work experience at Paradise Wildlife Park from 17th-2st June 2013; monday-Wednesday I was on Farmyard which was loads of fun, I was cleaning out Rabbits, Guinea pigs, sheep, goats, pig ducks, tenrecs (and cuddling rabbits!).
Then Thursday and Friday I was on Paddocks with Zebra, Camel, Alpaca, Tapir, Wallaby (I wanted to take one home!), fox, deer....

He's a big bunny

This is Boris

Tiny Tenrec (called Puff)

Russian Hamster

Here Mousey Mousey

Boris liked my shoes

And the shovel...

Foxyyyyyy

The following week had a severe lack of lessons as well, Monday and Tuesday were business as usual, although my history teacher was not in, then on Wednesday us year 12's were bundled onto a coach to the University of Essex for a higher education fair, this gave us a chance to talk to people from hundreds of universities across the UK (and made me realise that it may not be a good idea to drop geography) and get some freebies too - a definite high point!

On returning home I headed off to Explorers for a game of real-life where's wally! This consisted of one of our leaders hiding "somewhere" in the town and we had to text questions that he could only answer yes or no to. My team was 2nd to find him so didn't win the prize for finding him first, but we were the first team back to the scout hut by quite a long time so we won a box of lindor chocolates to share. :D

Then on Thursday I headed to Bristol with my Dad for the university open day, the sun was shining, it was warm and I fell in love with the city.
The Archaeology even has a fleet of landrovers for transporting students to various dig sites!
I used the trip to get some photography in, so here's a few of my shots:

Welcome to the Open day (Victoria rooms)

Clifton suspension bridge

View from Clifton Suspension bridge

I think it's a very photogenic city and I could definitely see myself living here and spending summer days sitting in one of the parks with lots of books, working the day away.

I'd best be off, I need to get some work done if I'm going to get the grades to actually get in here! :D


Alons-y!