House Party of Hilarity

So, I've had quite the night, as the lateness of the hour of this post proves. Halloween House party was a sure success, I've made some new friends, hung out with drunk current friends, and even kissed a girl out of curiosity (at last - and yes, I liked it).
The cupcakes weren't such a success but oh well, more for us haha.
Had to do late night clean up duty or rather, I wouldn't be able to sleep knowing the kitchen was in a severe state, so I voluntarily cleaned up. Now it's going to be a late night and lateish morning, but there's still alot to do.
Essay, food shopping, etc. Wish me luck!

In the Business of Scaring

I've learnt something today. I never much liked kids before, but it's a whole other ball game when you're stumbling around in bushes in a black morph suit at night trying to scare the little buggers and they refuse to play along. This was Boo at the Zoo's Fright Night at Dartmoor Zoo. I was originally supposed to be dressed as a clown but that didn't go according to plan so I was made a 'Shadow' instead, lurking in the darkness of the trees and walking into sight. A few problems came with that which I should've predicted. 
1. Couldn't see a whole lot and so I kept tripping on branches, walking into prickly bushes, and couldn't tell how dark my chosen hiding spot was because the fabric over my eyes made it so much darker. 
2. As mentioned, some of the kids (boys especially) refused to play along and just laughed, pointed, joked, etc. and ruined it for everyone else. 
3. A guy actually tried to sit on me when I was posing on a bench, knowing full well I was there. 
But problems aside, it can be alot of fun scaring people, and I'm not much bothered by the quantity of scratches on my shins (or the bruises which are soon to develop as a result) because it was crazy wandering and laughing maniacally for 2 1/2 hours.
I have today's poem to churn out in a moment, but other than that, I think it'll be time for bed.
I managed to pull together my essay plan for next week so that's progress, but will need to do the same for my second essay tomorrow, along with reading for Romanticism, and some cleaning of the house. So busy!

Borky Nape: The Grimmest Fairy Tale

It's late, but I'm here anyway to tell you that I've had a pretty alright day. Reading material for Dramatic Writing tomorrow afternoon, attending a talk on the life and works of Beatrix Potter at the Proprietary Library, being surprised by a special mention at said talk on my poetry and endeavours to help the library, having free food (who doesn't love free food), attending a later event at the Athenaeum on folklore tales, the darker side of fairy tales, and some hilarious poetry on the subject. The last was courtesy of Plymouth Poet Laureate Thom Boulton a.k.a. Blaidh Nemorlith, accompanied by musician and fellow poet Daniel Morgan a.k.a. Dorian Sounde. Such a fun night. AND I bumped into the wonderful Telford again, who wanted to get my poetry into the Plymouth Herald (such a star I'm becoming! haha)
Anyway, see you later. I have things to do - like sleep....

UPAD Pirate Night

Yes, I am aware of the lateness of the hour, but it's been a fun night and i feel it needs the proper attention. This was namingly, the UPAD Pirate Night. Dancing, drink, and happiness was had, along with hugs and a welcome intonation great family.
All my love to the guys and girls of the society.
Got to get my sleep though

'Can I See the Manager?'

I suppose it's just been one of those days. The kind where you expect too much out of it.
Wanted to get my essay plans sorted - hasn't completely happened.
In trying to get the necessary books at the library, the fire alarm goes off.
My Apocalypse seminar wasn't particularly helpful in aiding me with supporting said essay plan.
For all the excitement of UPAD casting night, I get assigned a silly role.
And my poetry has kept me up til stupid o'clock....
Suffice to say, I'm done with today, and to be honest, if my pirate outfit doesn't work out, tomorrow doesn't look any better....

The Nights are getting Longer

I have returned - but I must make this quick as I have a 9am lecture in the morning and must be up by half 6, which will be a task given I haven't had more than 5-6 hours a night in the last few days.
That aside, I have managed to complete (though not compile and submit) my first assignment for dramatic writing (due Wednesday). I'm hoping sleeping on it will help resolve any issues. That is if I have the time to look it over for long as I'm going to be very busy this next week, getting plans together for my next two essays, sorting a costume for the UPAD Pirate Night on Wednesday, auditioning for the Winter Showcase, Boo at the Zoo in just over 5 days. I'm equal parts excited and nervous.
Ok, I think that's me done.

Apparently I'm [still] a good actor

Hmm I appear to have gone quiet since my fateful return to Plymouth. Must resolve that. Hello again! Things have been going alright - thus far - especially with regard to UPAD (University of Plymouth Amateur Dramatics - have I spelled this out already?) Last night was Monologue Night and, given the amount of busy I was being that day, I had no time to think seriously about what I wanted my piece to be, so I simply Googled 'dramatic monologue' and searched through what I found. I ended up choosing a piece spoken by Heathcliff (Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte) and....it went down surprisingly well. Not so much my choice as the way I spoke it - and, after taking into consideration the critique I received after my first performance, the way I acted it too. Which astounded me given that I was reading it rather than acting it, to an extent. I was almost in tears (the other emotional performances aside - of which there were a few).
Today, I attended the Health and Safety talk for the Boo at the Zoo at Dartmoor event on the last October weekend. I now know that on the night I will be dressed as a creepy clown, standing, swaying, maybe laughing or whispering to myself. Given the spate of clown attacks happening recently, this could've been a bad idea, but if I'm not chasing them or wielding a machete, I'll be fine.
Now, though, I must return to my reading for the night.
Tomorrow begins another day dedicated solely to writing for Friday's Dramatic Writing class. 

When it all goes wrong

Well today could have gone very differently indeed but this is definitely the worst thing that has ever happened to me while trying to get back to Plymouth. 
First thing: Charing Cross station (my usual first stop into London) isn't open today so I am required to take a train to Victoria instead. Ok, no problem. It's closer to Paddington, even if it does require an extra tube ride to get to Paddington from there. 
Second thing: a vehicle has been reported to have hit a bridge over the track in Lewisham causing us a delay. By the time I reach Victoria, I have only 20 minutes to get to my final train. I run, I swerve between people, I manage to carry my suitcase with ease down escalators. But still I'm not fast enough. I trip up the escalator in Paddington and unwittingly gash my knee through my trousers. It's only after resigning myself to the fact that I've missed my train that I realise I've got blood on my fingers and there's a dark patch on my [fortunately] dark red trousers. After having a breakdown in front of rail staff and commuters, and getting some rudimentary first aid (bandage wound round my leg over the trousers), I am taken to reception and scheduled onto the next train an hour later (3.33pm). I even get taken on one of those luggage buggies to my train. Fast forward 4 hours and I'm finally back in my room, peeling off my trousers to assess the damage. It is a small dent about the size of a pea. I know the bruising will be monstrous though!
But putting my spectacular setback aside, I needed this weekend to see my family and Jackson, all of whom I have missed immensely. We went for a shopping trip round Bromley on Saturday, ending it off with a cheeky Nandos
I can't wait to see him again though.
Tomorrow is my 9am lecture (the reason for my earlier than desired return) and I have my last attempt at getting the library's message out to the English students of the university. Also got some more Pen Arts volunteering in the evening. 
Haha I'm going to be such a cripple!

The Magical Hope of 25%

Good evening gentlefolk, another day is coming to its end and I think I'm alright, but until I get my Dramatic Writing intro fixed for Friday, I will still be walking on thin ice. Today itself has been reasonable enough what with managing to flesh out my 12th poem this morning before a Romanticism seminar at 11, then printing off poetry for the Soapbox event tonight. After that it was just reading dramatic writing texts until I needed food, going to a book launch event for the English department and then pulling my stuff together. 
The Soapbox event itself wasn't as popular as first anticipated and so the organiser decided to make it a more informal experience and treat it as a reading group. My trusty friend Mark was here this time, so I wasn't all on my lonesome again. The only crux of tonight was whether or not to go to the Rock Society's White Tee Social (of which I had attended 2 during Freshers for other societies/reasons). I decided against it because 1. my shoes were hurting 2. I didn't feel like anymore drinking and 3. I was a little tired.
So yes, as you can see by the time, I am not still out, and I think I'll feel better for it. 
Tomorrow is getting my intro sorted, another few hours of library work, and finishing up my week's reading/viewing.
On a high note, I am now at 25% of my crowdfunder target!! Thank you so much people!

Making Acquaintances and Disturbing Movie Dates

There just never seems to be enough hours in the day, does there? Even on a relatively free day such as this, I'm still fighting to keep on top of all my reading and work and notes and poetry. Plus side of today was that the partner work at the UPAD (University of Plymouth Amateur Dramatics) Workshop tonight wasn't as bad or challenging as I'd thought it would be. Performing a short dialogue between two youngish children was fun, even with someone I'd never met before. 
Other good news: I'm over the 20% mark for my Crowdfunder (thanks to my wonderfully supportive boyfriend) and the poem itself, despite being late, came a little easier to me this time than in previous days. 
But tomorrow is looking set to be a marathon what with a 2hr morning seminar, a book event, a poetry night, AND a white tee social for the Rock Society. Where on earth am I going to find the time to eat and read in all of that??? Wish me luck - as always.
Oh and by the way, if ever you get the chance to watch a film called Under the Skin (stars Scarlet Johansson), prepare your mind as best you can. I went to see it last night and I felt unnerved, confused, entranced, so many things for a film with very little lengthy dialogue and scenes of disturbing avant garde sex. 

On the Buses

So I somehow survived today. Didn't end up as bad as I'd imagined it might (worst case scenario being my dayrider ticket was only available one way and I got stuck an hour's walk from home). Luckily neither of those things happened but on the hand, I forgot that libraries don't stay open as long on a Saturday. I was in luck with the City Centre Library but when I arrived at North Prospect, they were already closing up. I tried to get to a different bus stop to take myself down to Devonport and ended up facing a billion dead ends on a still-under-construction housing estate. Suffice to say, it took me way too long to get there so I stayed for a good while, writing poetry and reading Blake. I couldn't be asked to cook (for once) so bought a pasty instead for dinner, before heading home to type up my poems, have some ice cream, and relax. Tomorrow is laundry day and looking over War of the Worlds - plus maybe starting to consider my story introduction for Dramatic Writing.

What are Friends For?

It's no fun trying to focus on reading and critiquing someone's work when your mind just refuses to connect with what it's seeing. That was me at around 4pm today. Before that, I'd ploughed through several pages of one of my dramatic writing books, and even made valid points in class, but try as I might, there was no one home when I had to make an actual physical effort. 
So it was a genuine relief to remember I had a night of Chinese food, Blade Runner, and poptarts with a friend to look forward to.
But now that's over, I should get some rest for tomorrow which is my day to explore the local libraries. I will make up for today's missing poem then as well.

I will be the death of me

I haven't written in a day or two because I've been equal parts busy, stressed, and moody. Today hasn't been any better, what with trying to get my first Dramatic Writing story outlines together, as well as my sixth PPL poem (this challenge may well be the death of me and I only have myself to blame!)
But I made it to the library itself today (albeit a little late because of unfortunate circumstances) and helped out my friend Fiona who is now volunteering alongside me :)
The rest of my day was given over to the activities listed above, and said activities stopped me from enjoying my evening which was supposed to involve going out. I did, however, go out, but only to be disappointed again when I couldn't get involved in a poetry reading event.
I shan't ramble any longer and can only hope tomorrow's prospects improve.
I have my Dramatic Writing class in the afternoon (of which I have reading still to do), and then in the evening, take-out and movies with my friend Mark (at least there's a silver lining somewhere).

I'm Done....

I am decidedly not a happy bunny tonight having pushed my way through an in depth reading of The Sorrows of Young Werther by Goethe (pronounced Gerter, I learned). I know I've read it before in the holidays but now my lack of any detailed examination during that time is coming back to haunt me. 
To add to my misery, my conjunctivitis seems to be making a comeback, and I'm homesick again. 
Also even if I wasn't dead tired, my plan to go out to the university's Detention Alt Night is impossible as I can't get my ticket from a friend....
BUT all that aside, I've had a decent day in my first Apocalypse Seminar, all my hard reading of Revelation appearing to have paid off. 
Now I just need to hope my efforts today (and briefly in the morning if I can manage it) pay off tomorrow.
It's my first Romanticism seminar and then the Jobs Fair (probably should've had some CVs handy....oops). Got to get my dramatic writing plans together and do some more required reading for that too. So busy!
Oh and today's poem came out pretty good too. I wonder what tomorrow's library will be?

Local Celebrity

Well let me see how today has gone.
Wrote poem #3 - short and sweet 
Going to get my face and poetry in the local paper again for the library
Went to dull careers talk held in place of a romanticism lecture
Made shepherd's pie
Finally finished reading Revelations (religion is also exceedingly dull, even when dealing with the 'end of days'. 
I've been out with half of the female population of my house to have a little drink abbess listen to some music. 
Now it's off to bed in preparation for Detention tomorrow night! Also got Apocalypse seminar and amateur dramatic class 

A Poem Was Born

Ok, not 100% sure why yesterday got forgotten, but it went alright. Library work til half 1, then 3 hours of Dramatic Writing workshop from 2 til 5. Whew! And there was the day gone! But I came up with some pretty decent plots from my newspaper stories to work on over the next week.
Today has been a bit more chilled: food shopping and trudging through Revelations....urgh religion, even when it's dealing with the end of the world, can be so dull! I'm not even half way through it and I have a seminar on it on Tuesday... Oh well, my poetry for day one of the Poem-a-Day Fundraiser went well - only took me about 90 minutes to get it right and then another 30 to upload and share etc. Hopefully I can get that time down because I know I won't have alot of time to spare soon and I'm going to have to keep this up all month (yikes! what have I let myself in for?) All I can hope is that I can get the word spread enough to get more sizable donations in or this will be a flop.
Tomorrow is more of the same stuff - and some rounders if I have the time. That may be another lost cause.....