And Dead People! (by sarah)

A conversation we had with Jean concerning eating meat:

Jean "look cows daddy - I like cows!'

Alaric "I like cows too Jean, but you like them in a slightly different way to me."

Jean enquiring look

Alaric "You eat them as well"

Jean "No I don't"

Alaric "Yes you do Jean"

Jean "I don't! Do I mummy?"

Sarah "Yes you do Jeany, thats what burgers are - remember its like the cats? When those cows die they are made into burgers"

Jean "No their not silly mummy!"

Alaric "Yes they are"

Sarah "Its like the vegitables in the garden Jean - we water and feed them and then when they are big enough we dig them up and chop them into cassaroles and stuff. Well thats what happens with the animals and thats what burgers and suasages are."

Jean "I eat cows!"

Us "Yes Jean"

Jean "And Piggies?!"

US "Yes Jean"

Jean "And sheeps?!"

Us "Yes Jean"

Jean "And chick chicks?!"

Us "Yes Jean"

Jean "And dead people?!"

Us "No Jean!" LAUGHTER

Sarah "Not in our society anyway"

Jean "Why?"

Alaric "Well for several reasons - firstly there is disease - what ever the person dies of might be passed onto you if you eat them, secondly all the freinds and relatives of the person might get a bit upset as they wouldn't like the idea of their friend being eaten."

Sarah "Thirdly it would be against some peoples beliefs"

Jean "Oh ok"

Alaric "Well thats the sort of comment they are bound to come out with whilst talking to a teatcher or social working and perants go - argggKKK!"

All I can say is Soylent Green anybody?

Swine Flu and a Drs Note (by sarah)

I am still having issues with eating due to being sick, and it wasn't only throwing up - I happen to have started bleeding when I go to the toliet. this hasn't happened in a long time so it was a bit of a shock.

It's quiet alot too and I'm just so tired all the time. I have now been sick with something continously for months and the dr had said if ever the bleeding and stuff came back they would do more investigating - I currently have a diagnosis of IBS and ulcers which the dr thought was a bit strange.

I've just been feeling so run down and been sleeping lots. The throwing up and stuff hasn't exactly helped and I have started shaking when I try and do just normal things.

So Al phones up and being in the country side we normally get appointments pretty quick - he phoned earlier this week and the earliest they can see me is Wednesday morning. My persingtation for the MRes is Wednesday and I am really very very behind with it all. College are saying I need a Drs note reguardless of weather I submit my work on time as well.

I think its becuase of the swine flu scare - the Drs are being swamped by panicky people. Of course I happen to be exibiting symptoms of the dreaded virus but fortunatly came down sick whilst he was in Amarica! So unless I have found a temporal worm whole I think I'm safe and just run down :/

Unfortunatly my cousin and his fiance happen to currently be in Mexico right where the earthquake has happened and stuff so that is a bit concerning especially for my aunt 🙁

I'm just hoping the Dr gives me a sick note - not really sure how this all works - at IC my personal tutor just used to email the dr but there the health centre was sort of part of the university :/ And the one I needed during the pregnancy Al just sort pounced a nurse or something :/

Funerals – an update (by sarah)

Barbara did get to attend Linda's funeral - it was a big mix up that she wasn't 'invited' and they were upset that she wasn't being more involved and things like that - it would have been comedic if it wasn't so tradgic :/

Apart from that we still have these sick children coming to visit next month and she also wants us to go an visit a termanily ill friend of her's in Devon with Jean (the lady has grand kids so they can play). I think that the number of deaths is starting to wear her down abit even though she says she's used to it 🙁

Personally I think the kids will be hard to deal with on an emotional level 🙁

A talk on giving talks (by sarah)

I went into college on Monday and met up with my friend David for a coffee before the lecture which was nice even if I was being a bit a flake - and his supervisor appeared and he felt too guilty and went back to work :/

It was odd being around the IC campus once more it was like being transported back in time about five years but into a parrallel universe where everything was just slightly wronge - like the walkways gone and is now in the libarary and there is a cafe in the the libary - why oh why couldnt they have had that when I was there - thats what me and Ella always said it needed - that and 24 hr access!

Anyway I then headed over to the UCL campus and turned up to the lecture room and panicked that there where undergraduates in there with microscopes and the like doing some petrology.

But then Martin turned up and we went in anyway - talking loudly and scaring all the little UG's away 🙂

Then Franky turned up and a girl from another course (Chemistry related I think) - the lecture was on how to give our 15 minute talks next week - first off eeeek eek eek - what do you mean next week? Panic! - then - wow they actually managed to give an hour lecture on giving a fifteen minute talk :/

At the end we found out that we really are down to 3 - the other moon girl has left and one of the other guys has changed to a PhD.

That is one hell of a drop out rate - maybe its the part time thing - we all have other lives and this is the thing we 'fit-in' when it is really a full time thing in itself.

I feel abit said that we are down to three - and I'm still not properlly registered :/

Jean’s New Bed (by sarah)

Jean's new bed a.k.a. my cousins old bed arrived - Al bought it back from London with him in the van and then we had to face the task of getting it into the little box room. It was decided that the only way was through the window - so Dad and Al with Jean supervising proceeded to be the 'chuckle brothers' and managed to get the bed in!

Here is my bed protector and my sole contribution to this whole thing! Yes I know its a piece of card board but it was needed to stop the bed being wripped apart by the catch on the window.

Of course this ment a slight rearrange of Jean's room including the toy chest being moved - I really should finish painting it - it was one of my nan's old ottamen.

Jean and Daddy then put the winni the pooh bed spread onto Jean's very own Dovet which was entertaining to watch!

Jean then just had to try her bed out - she's decided its a princess bed as it has a pink plush headboard!

Sunday night was her first night and there were not the pitta patta of feet that we were expecting but instead there was a flomp sound - Jean had fallen out of bed but was still a sleep and only woke when I put her back in the bed. Later on there was an even softer flomp (mainly as I'd put the arm chairs cuosins beside the bed) - this time there was a little cone of dovet with a wide eyed Jean head sticking out the top looking around solomy in the dark. I tucked her in over by the wall - she didn't fall out any more - nor in the subsequent nights which is good - but feeling a bit stupid that I hadn't realised she would fall out :/