Chapter 114 – the rant

I think AJ Rich is more convincing at sounding like a “good guy” than kard is.

That’s a pretty important skill to have.

***

I’ve just been struggling against the Music Technology equipment.  I had a recording (of myself singing the harmony, of all things) recorded onto my hard drive, and I’d incorporated it into my coursework.  It was there yesterday.  I distinctly remember it.  Today, however, it had been replaced by an old drum recording, and the harmony had vanished from the drive.  Something like this happened once before, but this is more frustrating because I’d edited it into place.  The last time this happened, the teacher didn’t believe me, which only makes it all the more of a pain.

I’ve just gotten back home after re-recording the part.  I’ll edit it into my coursework tomorrow.  Here’s hoping it doesn’t vanish into the aether in the interim.

Chapter 112 – the rant

Once again, kard has disabled comments.

This wasn’t always the first time Tom was to carry a nail driver.  In an earlier revision of Chapter 88, he used one as a weapon, but this was substituted for a rifle.

You may also note the return of food pills, although these ones aren’t chocolate flavoured.

I’m planning to update this fairly frequently this week, for the sake of realism.  However, I have a coursework deadline this week, so no promises.

Chapter 107 – the rant

This doesn’t bode well.

Obviously, this is only one of many news reports on the Hercynian Report blog, but it’s the first time one has been sufficiently relevant to the story to warrant me actually writing it.

***

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

Chapter 106 – the rant

It’s really late.  I think I must be really bad at managing my time.

Thing is, my final draft of my History coursework was due in today, and I had to write a Music Tech essay for tomorrow, so it took me this long just to finish this.  I know, that’s a terrible excuse.

I visited Winchester University on Saturday.  It seemed like a pretty cool place.  To be honest, I wasn’t ever so impressed with the uni itself, but I liked the town and I liked the Creative Writing course.  Now I need to make up my mind which university to apply for.

Also, I am ever so happy at the moment.  We got our January modular results back today, and I wasn’t really looking forward to seeing how I did in History.  I was kind of resigned to having done badly in that, since, if you remember, I wasn’t too happy with the exam.  In most of the practice papers I’d done, I’d gotten a C or a D, which isn’t bad, but it’s nothing special.  The I got my result at afternoon registration today, and it was an A!

In a way, I think it’s taking the mickey a bit.  I mean, I kept falling asleep in class, for goodness sake!  I was half asleep in the exam!  So I don’t honestly feel like I deserved that grade, but I’m naturally chuffed to bits at having achieved it  all the same.  You know, when I told one friend about it, she looked at me in total stunned disbelief, and said, “Oh my God!”  You’d think she was horrified.  It wasn’t exactly flattering.

What this means, of course, is that I may actually have the potential to get a C or above in History.  Which will mean putting a lot more effort into the subject than I have been doing, and retaking some of my old papers, but it could well be worth it.

Another thing for me to be happy about is the return of Heroes.  Three episodes into Volume 4, and I’m enjoying it so far.  The current storyline is good, and I think they’ve gotten better at writing characters.  Also, there’s a guy who shoots microwaves, a phrase which conjures up a very amusing mental image.  It doesn’t sound so much like a super power, really, when you word it like that.  More like an obsession.

Chapter 101 – the rant

Making Bradley angry is pretty much always a very bad idea.

***

I’m back at school again.  Joy of joys.  In some regards, I’m lucky, because I only have two subjects to worry about, but neither is a subject I’m particularly good at.  Currently, it’s looking like I’ll have to put in a lot of effort to achieve D grades, and I’d much rather have Cs.

Part of my problem is that I’m just not organised.  I don’t get things done.  I’ve never been especially organised, but I’m worse this year.  In an attempt to fix this problem, I’ve bought myself a notebook, which I’ve christened the “Organised Book”.  I’m using it to write to-do lists, mysteries I’m pondering over, dates to remember, a log of all the times my friend has made a gratuitous or unwanted Star Wars reference in conversation (he’s got to be trained not to do that!), and a diary of weird dreams.

The last of these currently contains two entries so far, which are bizarre for entirely different reasons.  The first concerns a dream which ended with my mum going upstairs and advising me not to go to bed too late.  I replied, “Of course not.  I want to get up early tomorrow morning…” and I woke up immediately afterwards.  One of those weird things, I guess.  I distinctly remember the first thing I said after waking up was, “…but not this early!”

The other dream was unusual in a different sense.  I can’t actually remember much about it, but I remember that, in my dream, a certain friend of mine had died several days before.  Almost all my other schoolfriends knew, but I’d only just found out.  When I woke up, I knew I’d been dreaming, but I had this nagging thought that said, well, how did I know that hadn’t happened?  See, all my friends who knew about it in the dream were ones who I hadn’t seen since the start of the half-term break, so it seemed plausible.  Plus when I woke up I was feeling totally drained, like you do when someone really has died.

First thing I did was check Facebook, just to put my mind at rest.  And thankfully, she’d been online recently.  I realise, this was all very silly.  If she really had died, somebody would almost certainly have told me.

All the same, when I saw her again at school today, I had to stop myself from hugging her, because she’s not the sort of person who hugs people often.  Isn’t it strange how much a dream can affect you?

Current listening: Jonathan Coulton, “Code Monkey”

Chapter 97 – the rant

That there’s a code, Bradlers.  Don’t worry guys, I promise this isn’t about to turn into Usborne Puzzle Adventures: Internet Edition (I loved those books as a kid!).

***

Sorry for the massive gap between posts.  That’s my fault for playing in the snow when I should have been doing history coursework.

Anyway, that’s in now, although it’s not the final draft.  I’ve also got the vocals recorded for Music Tech, although there’s a fair bit of editing that still needs doing.  My throat is now feeling kinda sore.

In the meantime, I’ve also been enjoying the snow a lot.  I love it!  It’s so cool!  Sadly, most of it has gone now.  Now it’s just very cold, and slippery underfoot, which isn’t so cool.  Some of my friends are changing their costumes for the Sixth Form party this evening, to make them more suitable for the weather.  Fortunately, my costume is practical and warm!  Although I guess it’s easier for guys to choose warm outfits, seeing as the fashion for girls’ costumes tends to bare a lot of skin.

Here’s hoping they don’t cancel the party again.

In other news, Meg, a year 12 student with a very unfortunate hairstyle, who is attending a Gloucestershire girls’ grammar school, is a very rude person.  I’m not normally a naming-and-shaming type person, but she deserves to be ashamed, and anyway, she’s unlikely to ever read this.  Anyway, she steals people’s chairs.  Seriously, my friend had gotten up to talk to a friend of his, and Meg came over and picked up his chair, even though there were a whole bunch of unoccupied chairs right behind her.  So another friend of mine, who was sitting next to where the guy who’d stood up had been sat, put her hand on the chair and said “No, that’s taken.”  So Meg yanks the chair out of her hand really aggressively, goes over and sits with her friends, and proceeds to bitch about us to her friends, and glares at us for the rest of lunch.

Hmph.

Chapter 95 – the rant

Megan doesn’t like eating cute animals.

Sorry for posting this unrealistically late in the day.  I’ll warn you now, I might need to put this story on hold for a bit.  I’ve got coursework due in tommorow and again Thursday, and school might be cancelled tomorrow, which will put me further behind, and it’s another semi-official Sixth Form party this Thursday evening, for which I still don’t have a costume.

***

We’ve had snow in real life here.  School closed early today (which is now yesterday – blimey, is that the time?), half way through the day.  Unfortunately, our school, demonstrating their usual organisational skills, neglected to inform us that they were closing.  Which meant that some people got left behind by the buses, and one of my friends couldn’t get home.

We all stuck around, and decided to have a massive snowball fight on the girls’ school field.  That was great fun.  We all got very damp, and I didn’t have gloves, so my hands were very cold by the end of it, but we were all enjoying ourselves too much to care about that.

Once we were tired out and shivering all over, my friend who was stranded attempted to ring her dad, without success.  We decided to head into town.  Snow was still falling all this time, which was so cool.  Snow never stays falling for a long period of time around here.  We made for a café.  It took us a while to think of a café in town that none of us was banned from, but eventually we found a nice café where we ate slices of cake - chocolate, butterscotch and coffee, shared between us - and waited while my stranded friend tried repeatedly to phone various family members.  It was after the end of school by the time she finally got through to anyone, whereupon we parted company (my house being in a different direction from the others’ houses).

On the way back, I couldn’t help but admire the way everything looked in the snow.  Trees, in particular, looked beautiful.  I adore snow.  It’s so much fun.

Chapter 85 – the rant

They’re making the best of things.  When you’re stuck in London for that long, you might as well go out and explore, right?  Of course, they’re perhaps not being as careful as they could.

I hope Iaru doesn’t come across as a jerk here.  I don’t think he’s being fair, but bear in mind that the Megan we see is not the same one that Bradley and Iaru are used to; nor is she the same one who left Hyperborea.

***

Mondays are a rubbish day as far as school is concerned.  We are required to come in every morning, but I don’t have lessons until History during period 5.  Allow me to share with you a day in the life of Bobby, and demonstrate why I may not be entirely ready for my history exam next week.

8:33 – Finally sets off for school, having overslept.  Hurries to school.  Forgets coat, in spite of the cold, wet weather.

8:42 – Arrives in school just in time for registration (a little late, but hey).

8:50 – Settles himself down in the study area, ready to do some proper revision in the form of a past paper.  A friend wants to go to the post office.  Consequently, Bobby goes to the post office with two friends.  No work is completed.

9:50 – Visits a bakery, where a friend wants to buy a cake.  Notes the high prices.  Is asked what he would like to buy by the woman at the counter.  Stammers, “Er, I’m just considering.”  Is asked again about 20 seconds later.  Chooses to buy the cheapest doughnut on the menu.  Woman wraps doughnut and promptly drops it on the floor.  “Whoops, sorry!  Oh well, it’s wrapped…”  Yes, it is, lady.  I see that.  Thanks.

10:38 – Arrives back at school.  Still feels tired.  Decides it’s too close to break to start a past paper.  Friends tell Bobby to get on with some work.  Halfheartedly flicks through a book on Elizabethan Parliament.  No work is completed.

10:50 – Break.  Eats food.  More friends arrive.  No work is completed.

11:10 – Friends pester Bobby with irritating questions.  Bobby’s friends are lovely, but sometimes they can be slightly annoying.  “Yes, I did fall in the river on Saturday night.  No, it was only my left foot, and I pulled it out the water pretty quickly.  No, it was not because I was drunk and stoned at the time.  No, I was not drunk and stoned at the time!  No, you did not pee on me.  No, you were some way downstream.  Yes, I did change my trousers afterwards.  And showered, FYI.”  No work is completed.

12:10 – All friends go to lessons.  Bobby attempts to finally get this past paper done, without interruptions, under exam conditions.

12:13 – Goes and plays a couple of games of table football with some Year 12 boys.  Bobby’s team loses.

12:30 – Sits back down and attempts to get his past paper done, without interruptions, under exam conditions.  Pen runs out.  Small quantity of work completed.

1:10 – Lunch time.  Friends return and mock the lack of work completed.  General socialising.  No work completed.

2:10 – Attends registration.

2:25 – Attends History lesson, Period 5.  Teacher allows class to get on with revision.  A classmate decides to engage the teacher and the rest of the class in a philosophical discussion of such diverse topics as Israel, Islam, Catholic schools, teenage pregnancy, British and American foreign policy, and terrorism.  This is highly distracting.

3:25 – Period 5 ends.

3:27 – Hastily writes a conclusion to his past paper essay and forces it into the hands of a fast escaping teacher, asking if she would mind marking it.  The essay consists of just over a side of A4 lined paper.  Bobby goes home in the pouring rain.

3:48 – Arrives home and almost immediately remembers that he hasn’t booked the recording studio for tomorrow’s Music Tech recording, and his friend is coming into school specially.  Turns around and runs back, wearing a coat this time, not that it does him much good given how heavy the rain now is.

4:00 – Arrives back at school, only slightly short of breath.  Enters music block and asks the first person he sees where his teacher is.  The person has no idea.  Bobby asks another teacher, who says Bobby’s teacher just left a minute ago.  Bobby sprints to the car park, desperately calling his teacher’s name, because Bobby is short sighted and it’s hard to see anything in this weather.  A man at the far end of the car park who was just closing his car door from the inside opens it slightly and pokes his head out.  Bobby runs over and asks if he can book the recording studio.  Teacher says yes, but advises Bobby to come in early tomorrow to make sure.  Bobby thanks teacher and leaves.  Teacher drives off.

I can’t remember what time it was I got home, but by that time I was soaked through.

So yeah.  I think I have a problem motivating myself to get any work done.  See what I mean about not being ready for the exam?

Chapter 63 – the rant

This chapter was supposed to be posted earlier in the day, but yesterday was Goodwill Evening in a nearby town, so I went there, forgot to take a house key, lost track of the time, stayed in town much longer than I intended, and ended up spending the night around a friend’s house because it was too late to go back home.  So yeah, I’m an idiot, and I’m lucky to have friends like that.  I wish I wasn’t so absent minded.

I’m really tired now.  I was up really late on Thursday doing last-minute homework, and I must have only gotten about 5 hours of sleep total over the past couple of days.

It was a good evening, anyway.  Some stuff happened that wasn’t so great, but I enjoyed myself most of the time.

I’ve now seen Heroes episode “The Eclipse Part 1″.  Blimey.  I’m not entirely sure what’s going on, but I can’t wait for the next episode.

Current listening: Godsmack, “I Stand Alone”.

Chapter 61 – the rant

Most music in this story is downloaded, but CDs still exist, as do vinyl LPs.  Hence “hard format”.  Some people, such as Iaru, prefer them.

I’ve still got a lot of schoolwork to be getting on with, so there may be an unusually long delay before the next chapter.  Then again, there may not.  I’ll do my best.

***

TV update time!  I did manage to find time to watch quite a bit of TV over the weekend, which is probably why so little work has been done.  But then, I said I was lazy.

Survivors episode 2 was much pacier than the first.  Thus far, I think this is one of the best programmes I’ve seen in some time.  It’s very bleak in places, but they do a good job of representing multiple aspects of the human nature, both selfish and caring.

The latest episode of Heroes to be broadcast over here was really strange.  I can tell they’re building up to something big.  Also, I thought the scene with the flammable gas was very cool.

Chapter 11 of LG15: the resistance was kinda strange, too.  The series is fast approaching a climax, and it looks to be very dramatic.  I’m enjoying this show a lot, but I wish Jonas and Sarah would stop being so teenage and immature.

Today’s The Sarah Jane Adventures was very good.  The script was particularly brilliant.  It looks like some more familiar faces will be making an appearance next week.