I<3leics

Everything changes but you!

I am currently writing this from my summer abode of Leicester, and so much has changed since my last update (but if you’re reading this, you probably already know me, and therefore, I don’t need to go into much detail). Sad to say, my song of the moment is “Ridin’ Solo” by Jaaaason Derulllooo. But yes, it’s all go, and all change.

“Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending.” – Maria Robinson

“Experience is not what happens to you; it’s what you do with what happens to you.” – Aldous Huxley

Those quotes are summing up my feelings right now. Despite the changes that have occured, and the changes that must occur, I’m feeling hopeful. I’m spending the summer getting my arse in gear, and instead of the stupid ideas I had of taking a year out of university, I’m going to plough on with Sociology and Politics in September (hopefully).

My first blog of 2010.

I’m supposing a quite update is in order then. My hair is redder, my love-handles are now are disastrous ‘muffin-top’ levels and I was In a relationship for 7 weeks. It’s March and I haven’t really done must with my year except grow to love Elliots (and White Russians) even more. I’m even doing a vodka research/info night at the end of March and I really want to buy some Vodka666 in for people to taste – It’s 66.6% alcohol and comes in a handmade unique devil shaped bottle, how cute!

New Years’ Resolution: Revolution vs. Evolution?

So 2010 is quickly approaching, in other words, my 3rd decade of living (Pretty scary, I think). So, I’m feeling pretty motivated just now, and I do hope it lasts… Then I’ll go to work and my body will be messed up and out of sync again, and motivation will decrease, but I might as well aim high and get some resolution to hopefully stick to. These include:

• Carrying my Nikon everywhere and take more photos (even save up for something a little more portable)
• Blog more, hence think more.
• Spend less money, save more money
• Increase my cocktail bar (Buy more vodka)
• Pay off my topshop card, and start on the Overdraft
• STAY MOTIVATED AT ALL TIMES
• Write more to-do lists
• Become vegetarian again

They all seem pretty easy. I’m going to try and go out less, and only go out planned nights so stop myself becoming an alcoholic, not that I even drink in the house. But I do hope that procrastination and being spontaneous for the wrong reasons stops.

Hmmm, reading the last paragraph again makes me want to add another thing to the list:

• Stop being contradictory.

Festivities

I didn’t feel christmassy at all this year until Christmas eve when the Christmas tree finally went up! I spent most of December worrying about essays and spending all my money every Thursday to make up presents for people. Infact, I didn’t even realise it was christmas until the countdown at work on Christmas Eve, when I donned a Santa hat and skipped around the place screaming Deck the Halls and such like.

Then Christmas was over. Presents were opened. Breakfast was eaten. I fell asleep. I was in a huff through dinner then I went and got pissed in Prestwick and ended up in Furies dancing to Rage Against the Machine. And now it’s December 28th, 3 months exactly until I’m 20, and this decade is nearly over. Makes me nearly want to write a 2000-2010 blog to sum myself up…

The concept of Bedfordshire

I am obsessed with poems and quotes about sleeping and dreaming, which is odd because I don’t sleep much. Or rather, my shift work is so awful, that my body clock is set to sleep at 4.30am at weekends, and I wake up at 6.30am during the week to get up to Glasgow for uni. This is why I love Edna St. Vincent Milay’s ‘First Fig’:

My candle burns at both ends,
It will not last the night!
But ah! My foes! and oh! my friends!
It gives a lovely light!

I remember when I was at elocution lessons, I was obsessed with a poem that I cannot remember the name of now. I try to google the words, but to no avail, it is lost to the back of my mind. Maybe, it’s my poem, and I made it up in a dream?

Everything falls asleep with sleep,
The weariness, the will.
It’s hard to loathe a sleeping face
Lapsed back into a state of grace,
Naked, relaxed and still.

I probably didn’t make that up, but I wish I could find the whole poem. It was about falling asleep on the train. It was beautiful.

And now to dreams, I have two views on dreams, and they both contradict each other. I love Paul Valery for saying “The best way to follow your dreams is to wake up!” I wish I was more ‘carpe diem’ about life, everything is always put to the last minute. I always procrastinate and say ‘I work best under pressure’, but perhaps, I really should seize the day for my new yeas resolution.

On the other hand, I am also intrigued by Douglas Coupland’s “JPod” view of dreams:

You’re always hearing about “following your dream,” but what if your dream is boring? What if you had a dream to sell roadside corn – if you went and sold it would that mean you were living your dream? Would people perceive you as a failure anyway? And how long would you be happy doing it? Probably not long, but by then it’s too late to start something else. You’re fucked’.

Sums up life to be honest. But let’s seize the day and do something pointless, like sell corn (or study Politics!)

Vital stats and Gingerbread latt(e)s

Seventh blog, 17th December, Two vodkas down and 6 minutes past payday in a job I only started 9 weeks ago.
Current obsessions: Starbucks Gingerbread Latte, White Russians, and waiting for Christmas to finally hit me (the tree isn’t even up yet in the Jones’ residence)

I don’t know what to say. I was up all night last night, writing my final essay for this semester, evaluating Jean-Jacque Rousseau’s general will, which was finally finished (apart from conclusion) at 4am, after 3 cans of Red Bull, an afternoon of sleep, and a trip to tesco. I am never ever doing an all-night ever again (until the next one comes around). But, the night was fun-filled with contradictions and paradoxes “forcing a man to be free” by joining a ‘corporate body politic’, losing natrual liberty and gaining civil rights. Is that good? Apparently Rousseau paved the way for both Hitler and Marx – which makes my mind doubly hurt. Why does political philosophy need to be so compulsory in a Politics degree.