T-Bird Anni Rides Again

in no particular order recently we have…

Got a new "weekender" tent, used it once and taken it back (full story on ranty blog)  It was a really great design, a lot of features you don’t get on cheap tents  - fully bathtubed, really sturdy, zippy bit to pass the Hook Up through and velco bits to stow your cables inside the living area and one pod so you could have an electric light hung up, had an optional carpet for the living area (which I didn’t get because we don’t sit on the floor so I didn’t see it was worth it)really good headroom all through, unlike our Vango where you can stand up in the living area but not the bedrooms, etc etc etc  Which made it all the more irritating that the build quality was awful.

Replaced less than perfect tent with something much better - Outwell Oregon 5 - which we got heavily discounted because of crappiness of other tent.  It’s not exactly small but it’s a similar size to things like the small-ish Vangos that various other peeps have.  Not bathtub groundsheeted which is a shame, I’m wondering about buying a couple of cheap groundsheets some fasteners and some seam sealer and getting creative.  Mnd you I’ve been threatening to do that with the Hobbit Hole for years so don’t hold your breath!  it’s a tunnel so it’s simple to put up although I don’t think it’s as stable as a dome.  It has HUGE windows at the front so we can be nosey without getting wet in typical camping weather.  It doesn’t come with poles to open up the porch with seems an oversight to me but I’ve checked on Outwell’s site and that appears to be how they come rahter than missing from my bundle, the door mat was damaged and the repair kit missing so I guess we need to go back and see what can be done about that some time if I can be bothered for the sake of a plastic door mat and a few bits of fabric and glue…. but still, on quick inspection it is A LOT of tent for not really a lot of money!

placed bid on EBay for the kid’s bedroom that goes with the tent, it’s a low bid because really it’s only a bedroom for goodness sake but then it would be a great Christmas pressie for a Little Lady if I win it!  Why don’t they make all tent bedrooms out of dark fabric by the way?  Surely it would be better than white which means you are woken up with the sun???

Made a full length "gown" type dress for Aprilia’s friend which was a hideous fabric to work with and thus took far longer than it had any right to take because I had to take so much extra care over every last bit.

Made dolly dresses to be birthday pressie for same child - they have been well recieved aparently.

Made pumpkin pie which only I like, and it’s HUGE, and I don’t think it will freeze properly will it?  Working on the principle that baked custards don’t freeze well and this is the same sort of affair.  So expect to see me with more waistline than ever before next time you see me!

Covered the walls with revision mind maps.  Bit late this time so it’s not going to be as effective as last year but I only need 40% to pass, that’s a half decent attempt at each part, last year’s Pass 2 can’t happen, I’ve not got high enough marks on 2 of my TMAs so there’s no point in slogging at the exam.

Made a decision on next year’s course (thanks Jax!)  I’m going for the Lit one so I have wider options when I get to level 3, I’ve still got 3 years of funding left so I can always do another level 2 history after the Lit one if I really think that it’s going to be history!  (and the more level 2 points I get the better the final degree will look as your level 1 points don’t count towards getting a "2-2" or "2-1" or wahtever so I want to cancel them out before doing a Level 3 course at which point they declare me to have finished!  And that made no sense to anyone who isn’t in the "OU" system did it!!!

Bought crop tops for Aprilia, yes, you read that right…. the child has bumps (only little ones but still…) in very grown up places that get tender if she runs about too much    This child is developing entirely too fast!  Just a bit bothered that it may lead to her stopping growing entirely too fast too, she’s heading to be quite tall if she keeps up that pace but if she gets all mature too fast then she’ll stop won’t she?

Got some books sent for me and Aprilia to share from a tatter in Singapore who has "grown out of" the lovely, simple patterns in them and thought that they would do for Aprilia really nicely (I’d asked on a Yahoo group about some nice simple patterns for her to try now she has the basics sorted)  I offered to buy them off her but she wouldn’t hear of it nor money towards postage which was very generous of her. She also sent a couple of cards of thread "to start off her stash"! Aprilia was beside herself that someone we have never met could be so kind to her!  It does restore your faith in the human race doesn’t it!

Got an old laptop off a friend who didn’t need it any more - it’s big, it’s basic but it’s MINE!!!  ALL MINE!!!!

Done several Story Marathons

Neglected "schooly stuff" regularly

Spent far too long in playbarns of one sort or another

Celebrated Kipper’s 18th birthday at the Library

Got more letters than can possibly be sensible from the Tax Credit people about re-re-re-assessments of previous years etc which have culminated in a £5 a month rise in our Child Tax credits and some random figure of overpayment that we will be paying off until she leaves home which irritates me SO MUCH!  I mean, I phone and tell them every time his income changes and the money changes every time I phone them (despite the paperwork saying that this doesn’t happen) and yet STILL they manage to overpay by random ammounts.  But anyway, no point raising blood pressure on that one now is there!

and now for what I need to do today…. bearing in mind it is 4pm so Aprilia will be coming home from her party soon…..

excavate enough dining area to fit me, PC and invigilator tomorro

find power socket in dining area so I can plug in PC

charge up Laptop as they recomend you ahve a backup in case of power cuts

move PC etc into dining area, check it’s all okay and make sure I have plenty of paper to print to

make tea for me (no wait, that would be more pumpkin pie…..)

do last minute cramming in order to asuage guilt at not having done enough early enough

plan how much fun I’m going to have burning or shredding all revision notes

get to bed early enough to be asleep before Duke so snoring won’t keep me awake

hmmm, not a lot then hey