So Proud!

So last week I had a stressed-out Mum chatting to me on MSN because her and dad had been invited to yet another swanky dinner (dunno how they do it!). Needless to say, mum was stressing over having nothing to wear! Anyway, as the conversation goes on, she reveals that this posh dinner was being hosted by Edinburgh Rugby in the Caledonian hotel. As many of you will imagine, I began turning very green when I realised this!!! They had only been asked along to a complimentary end-of-season dinner with all the boys! What's more the story doesn't end here. So along they went last thursday evening, eating like royalty and brushing shoulders with some of my favourite men. After dinner there was the end-of-season awards ceremony for the players, Ben Cairns getting most promising player, Chris Paterson getting best try of the season etc etc. This was all very well and good. Unbeknown to my parents, however, a special award had been lined up, a 'best supporters of the season award' - can anyone guess where this is going?!!! Yep, you guessed it, my parents were hauled up on stage to accept this particularly prestigious award! They received a professionally taken framed photo of them sitting in the stand at Stradey Park, oh the pride. Admittedly, given the amount of time and money my parents invest in following the Gunners, they do totally deserve it. Afterall, this season they have only missed one match - an away game they couldn't make because they were moving house. What it is to be retired!

An unexpected lull

Since submitting my first 100% coursework essay last week, I've gone through a bit of an academic lull - mainly self-engineered. Instead I've been working my socks off in Schuh and doing a few shifts at the rugby club. Working at Schuh is going really well. All the new people I've met there so far are really friendly and they've been keeping me right in my first few weeks. What's more the discount I get from working there is going down a treat. I've bought myself two pairs of shoes so far, but apparently I can buy up to 16 discounted pairs within a year so I'm keen to make inroads into the company's profits! At the moment I'm working 11 hours a week, although they have that horrible policy of keeping us behind til everything's done at the end of the day, meaning that I often give them more of my time at no extra cost - I hate that! Many of you will be proud to hear I'm also abstaining from driving to work at Schuh (it's about a 30 minute walk), although I do object to wasting virtually an hour every day traipsing to and from work, especially in the rain.

After months of anticipation, I finally went to see Spiderman III at the weekend. In my opinion it was great! It may stink of American cheese at times and be full of moral superiority, but I've always loved Peter Parker and his wee romance with MJ, so finally getting to see the outcome of the trilogy was fab. Now I'm waiting to see Pirates of the Caribbean 3, followed by Shrek 3! What a summer!

I'm off on holiday to Paris on Thursday. This trip has crept up on me quite nicely and I've only recently realised how soon May 10th is! Uncharacteristically I'm completely unprepared, haven't even arranged currency or travel insurance yet! I'm heading out to France on the Eurostar with my friend Libby for her birthday. As many of you know I've never been to France, nor had the inclination to go, but now that it's all booked, I'll try and embrace the experience!

It has to be said, however, that my day-to-day run-ins with 'France' do not translate to me getting on well in Paris. For those of you confused at what I'm getting at, one of my five flatmates in Cardiff who I regularly lock horns with is French. Flat living-conditions over the past month or so have deteriorated a lot, and my tolerance of everyone's comings and goings, cooking habits etc. has plummeted. Lately it's been necessary that I work in my room a lot and therefore I have spent days at a time in the flat, which has been driving me to despair. Since my last essay deadline, however, I have been making a point of studying in the grad centre or in various coffee shops/parks, meaning I spend less time 'at home'. It's a horrible feeling when your home is no longer your place of sanctuary and relaxation, but rather the complete opposite!

Anyway, finally for today, I'd like to say that my thoughts and prayers are with everyone up in St Andrews mourning the loss of Matt (Howell). It's such a horrible waste when someone so young, with so much to offer the world, dies so prematurely. (Matt died at the start of last week in an accident in Russia)