I want a Serval

Or at the least a Savannah cat

The idea of weekly updates seems to have been defenestrated, will try write more regularly than once every few months though.

Now have (another) cat, this little one was found in the engine bay of a hyundai. Not only did he have to go throw the shame of being mistaken for a girl, but a few days later in a scrap with one of the other cats, was blinded.
Vet removed the cornea and he is apparently doing fine :D

College has broken up for the Christmas holidays, but the lecturers have kindly given me a sizable amount of coursework (which I have barely started and already lost) to amuse myself with. Amazingly I had all my present  shopping done by the beginning of December, proving that I do, occasionally, have the ability to organise myself. That said it did seem a fair bit easier than it usually does.
The main issue this year seems to be getting it to people, not sure if I'd want to post the parcels either.


OH! My greatest achievement for the year so far, managing to successfully get into, and served at, a handful of pubs, WITHOUT ID.
Taking into consideration I look about 15. The bouncers clearly loved me :p
Although my friend reckons it was the 'sexy santa' outfit; was out raising money for charity, don't judge. Seriously, it deserves more recognition than getting a couple of Bs in my first year of A levels

Now really have to get that coursework started.

xx

More Pets!

I've told you (and shown you awesome drawings) of my chickens, of which we sadly only have two left of.
So now you're getting all the others. Was originally going to do several separate ones, the cats, the other cats, my special princess cat, the dogs and Bird but as I have absolutely nothing else to do today, you're getting treated to a massive long one.
Funfun.

Actually, I'll just do the kitties today, I'm not that desperate.

The African Cats
Both of these children are part AWC, but how much we're not too sure about. Although the general consensus is that the Little One is a product of Mr Cat II's  wanderings before he had his bits removed. While she has the more African Wild Cat markings, and shorter fur, Missy has the better colour.

Now for a Fantastic, Wonderfully Accurate drawing:

But the issue, you see, is that this first drawing wasn't that accurate. I hadn't met the Little One yet when I drew it a few months ago, and it's been a year since I'd seen Missy, who'd changed considerably.

So, here is a more Wonderfully Accurate drawing:
The Little one is honestly the living incarnation of Simon's cat, as far as wanting food goes.






Frodo,Pippin and Rosie-Roo
Now this lot we got when they were about three weeks old, and hand reared. They were originally a semi-feral litter of farm cats but as their mother was a useless queen (kept leaving poor Roo in front of the tractor) we took them off her. The vet and my mom were both skeptical about their survival, they had serious eye infections, coughs and were drastically undersized. Think I was the only one who wasn't convinced Roo was going to die, even at 8 weeks she wasn't the healthiest kitten around, I was also one of a tiny handful of people who could clearly see she was a gorgeous baby, not an ugly scrap of tufty fluff.
As a result of not being let out of my sight, and rarely out of my hoodie pockets for a few months her and I have the most amazing relationship. I get so much love off this tiny cat that if I cuddle one of the boys too much while she is there she goes off in a massive mood and won't talk to or sleep with me for days.

We've just come out of one of those little huffs,  they're not nice.

The two boys :D Frodo (on the right) has actually put on a lot more weight muscle since that was taken.

My Roo-baby. She's currently lying at the end of the bed, she gets annoyed when she has to share my lap with Jellybean. There is nothing at all wrong with naming my laptop.

And that's a selection of my fuzzies!

I'm typing over a cat, it's quite awkward

Well this week has knackered me, that's for sure. My knees are getting so bad that soon my only option will be to send myself to the glue factory. Even my shoulders are now getting to the point where OTHER PEOPLE can hear them. Seriously.

Second week of the official timetable at my new college and still loving it, although will admit I'd forgotten just how messy budgies are O.o
and there were about 20 of them to clean up after.

Cat on my lap is trying to make herself less of a hinderance to typing by being flat.

If I had a complaint, it'd be the unconventional timetable. It just really annoys me, we have more time out of lesson per day than in it. But I love the lake, and sitting by it watching the ducks, although with the weather turning a bit ickky I doubt I'll be out doors much.

On Wednesday I went to Blackpool to see the lights and eat ice cream in the torrential rain. Been there before, but that was for the national qualifiers a few years ago, and only saw the inside of a sports hall. It was really fun, ended up soaking and very cold, but bought a sweet shop's worth of yummies which made up for it.

Really need to stop eating so many cupcakes and sweets.
...Actually, that's probably why I feel like I have the past few days, on the down after a week or so long sugar rush.

So that was a late night,followed, very cleverly, by another. There was some odd german themed evening at the college bar, which was really, really fun. Up until then just about everyone I'd met was on my course, so it was a chance to socialise and get to know a wider range of farmers.
Although the love of tractors seems to be an across the board thing.
Discovered that two pint glasses are HEAVY and need to be held with both hands too. Oh, the cat has gone now.

Friday is the day that I'm now working on, so I get free weekends!  And there had to be a cat that was sick when I was nursing a hangover. Yay.

Just remembered, have a ton of promised posts that I haven't done for the four or five of you that read this, will get to those.

Yesterday I did something entirely new and will admit when I first heard what I was being  dragged to I was a bit reluctant.
We went to a gamer cafe and I watched my rather cool friends take part in a Yugioh tournament. It was really fun and I loved the people there, Everyone was really chatty and I made some amazing new friends, it was nothing like what I'd have expected at all. AwkwardGiraffe and I put a lot of thought into a foolproof, and very professional, gaming tactic. Unfortunately it wasn't really suitable considering the age of her opponent.  So that was all good.
What really messed with my head a bit for the first half hour or so was that the cafe is in the same place my old fencing club used to be, kept expecting to see the pistes or people I knew there.
Marshmallow fluff also contributed to the awesomeness of the day :)

Now, onto the promised posts!

Lots of new things

Well firstly, as mentioned in my last post, my AS grades weren't entirely peachy. Due to the fact all the universities look at predicted grades, and mine weren't predicted high enough, it is highly unlikely that I'd be accept if I applied this year.
Although I did consider going for the gateway vet course, which is a six year degree and let's you in with slightly lower grades. Sounds like a bit of a lifesaver doesn't it?
that there are only 25ish places on the course in the entire country is a bit of a downside though.
Another alternative was going back to my quaint little, but very accommodating, high school sixth form. Where, due to only being a squigdey bit off an A, I'd continue A2 biology and do chemistry, maths and something else at AS (either art or english lit.), ultimately qualifying with four A levels.
Now this was rather tempting.

But what I've decided to do, and am going to enroll  in about an hour, is a BTEC in  Animal Management  at my local agricultural college. Also going to try finish off my biology and chemistry A levels at night school as well. Not only is it an amazing looking course, but I get still get into vet school with it.
What I found rather attractive was that the college full of  well-off farmer's sons  that if, due to the competitive nature of vet school's, it's something I can use. While A levels are all snazzy, they don't really qualify you much for other than going to uni, this is something usable. And looks really, really fun.
They have hawks, a several, wallabies and poison frogs and and..pretty much their own zoo for you to play with.
Also a little scared of re-taking my AS, only to get the same results, this is something completely new.

And!!!
I'm now 18 >.<

Not happy about being old, that's for sure.
Gave my youth a good send off though. It involved a pirate hat, a gay talk, lots, and lots of kisses with even more rum.
So that was quite fun, although think we killed another chicken with the stress.
She was fine sunday morning,even lay,  but after everyone had gone in the early afternoon, we found her dead :(
Now only two left.

So yeah, thats about it for this week really.

A post! Something that's been a bit rare recently..

Might have a dead rabbit in my room.
But I like the idea that there isn't one more, so will run with that.

Speaking of dead things, one of my rescued chickens, Buttercup, passed away last week. We came home to find she'd prolapsed to the point where 85% of her insides were out. Apparently it's quite rare, but due to how battery chickens are raised, it's a probability rather than a possibility. Now really scared about the other girlies.

I know I've not been particularly active on here, but to be honest, not been too active in general as far as the internet goes.

For the last two weeks I've been doing work experience in a couple of vet practices, got to see some laparoscopic ops and discovered the existence of rainbow coloured surgical instruments, the latter excited me very, very much.
My birthday is this week. HINT.

On a similar vetty note, I'm really scared about applying, didn't do as well as I should have, or as my competitors will have done with their AS, so al I have to recommend me at the moment is a absolutely fabulous personality and promises to do A LOT better this coming year. Also terrified of writing my personal statement.

You think sleeping with the admissions board will get me anywhere? ;)

(if there is an admissions person reading this, you never know with the 'net, I am joking)

This weekend has also been rather hectic, I was a bit silly and decided to send the summer off with a metaphorical bang.
Went straight from work on friday to a party, which I left Saturday morning to to work some more, napped for two hours then went out to party more!
Before heading into Manchester to do a bit of shopping. 



Today was the first 'day' of college and I was knackered.
Thankfully there were no lessons, there wasn't much of much really. 
Little disappointing, although discovered my time table now includes thirteen frees as opposed to last year's three. What am I going to do with myself?! O.o 

Flying tomorrow

While I've missed one or two friends, and my fuzzy children, I'm really not looking forward to it. Thankfully There is no five hour wait in Dubai this time, it's only two. The downside is I don't have any unread books left :/

Packing was horrible, the maid was wonderful, as always, and had packed for us. She just hadn't packed the gifts, shoes or the clothes bought in today's shopping spree. So there were some additions to be made to the suitcase but that wasn't too bad. Except I didn't know where half the things were, and as well as having an uncooperative brother with a lost passport.
Complete chaos.

And the Milo is refusing to be made. I WANT MY MILO!

Talking of shopping early, I had a once in a life time experience. Seriously.

**Intermission***
Just been asked to lance an abscess O.o

**And I return***

It wasn't as bad as I thought it might turn out, either my dad or myself are too traumatised.

Anyway, shopping. The awesome one off event?
My little boobs were too big to fit into an item of clothing. The fact it was probably imported from China or Taiwan, where woman are tiny, is besides the point entirely.
It made me happy.

Seem to be going backwards in time O.o

As you know I stayed with friends thursday night.
Watched a horse clinic on thursday, and friday morning, with the most amazing three year old Friesian stallion. He was MASSIVE and very, very pretty. Also saw a, much smaller apaloosa stallion who reminded me of a zebra, just spotty and ginger. My friend succinctly point out that a giraffe may be a better comparison.
We had a quick ride that evening too, looking for the other horses to bring them in, as they're free roaming, was a bit obscicale course like in places and very fun. Was riding a rather pretty little horse called Jasmine, last time I met her she wasn't broken in yet, and apparently that was only down about three months ago. he went well regardless :)

And one of the birds decided it liked me, it said hello. I was told it only talks to short women, even then only select ones.Needless to say I felt special.
Went with the two people I was staying with to one of their parents houses for supper, that's where the bird was. Sentence seems overly complicated. Hmm.
It was amazing, they had (I think?) five dogs, three cats that I saw, four noisy parrots, fish and a fresh water lobster. They'd just discovered said lobster likes to kill fish.
Wish I had that many pets. Only have 5 cats, two dogs, one parakeet and four chickens, they're also slit between two houses so you never get the benefit of having them all there :/

Diving.
It was rather amazing. The course itself wasn't difficult and we had a great instructor, which I'm sure helped create that impression.
Does anyone other than  Matt read this I wonder?
Saw LOADSSS when I got down to the reefs, it was stunning. Saw Dory's cousins, eels, turtles!, Moorish Idols, Manta rays, sting rays, PARROT FISH!
The latter are amazing, there are various types of parrot fish but one looks like the fish equivilent of a lilac breasted roller. Also saw juveniles on my last dive :)
Clams, coral, leaf fish (can't remember the proper name), various kind of angelfish, coral etc
Everywhere you looked there was something, was so lucky to be diving in a protected reserve.

Bird just fell off his perch and attacked his toys in order to get back at ...well the unfairness of it all.

The worst bit about the diving had to be putting on a damp wetsuit and 6am the next morning in the cold. Those things never seemed to dry. There was also the time my regulator (the bit you breathe through) decided to get air and water confused, resulted in a very panicy few seconds, yet again, thankful for my instructor.
The evenings tended to be spent chilling, a couple of nights we had a few drinks with our instructor, Jenny and one of the dive masters, Peter.
It was one of those nights when Ellie was introduced to black label.
None of us can look at him again  the way we did before that night. Especially Peter. Mainly Peter to be honest.
Don't think a day of that trip went by without someone, either us or a staff member mentioning it. We still like to tease him with the fact that despite telling everyone that when he is rich, he is going to buy Russian women, little Ellie kissed Peter's nipple. Now, I'm sorry, but we can't let him live that down, nor his general cuddliness towards the divemaster.
Oddly enough, he hasn't touched black label since.

Erm, I'm sure there is more to say, but I'm tired and getting a bit bored now.
Just yawned, proving my point.
Nightnight

Generally Excited

and fed up with the boys. Who refuse to do anything for themselves, I get asked to make lunch for them even.

Recently read a brilliant book, by the inspiring Riaan Manser, "Around Africa on my Bicycle". He managed to circumnavigate the continent in about two years, the first person to do so. Since then he has also been the first person to kayak around Madagascar.
While the book documents a lot of the difficulties one would expect to face when undertaking such a task, and a few unexpected ones; what struck me most was just how unbelievably generous people were. In just about every country he cycled through he got offers of accommodation and meals, even when those doing the offering barely had anything themselves.
While there were people who seemed determined to cause as much difficulty as possible for the lonely traveler, and there were times throughout the journey when you had to wonder how he found the will to keep going, this all, to me, seemed to be more than made up for by the absolutely beautiful people that went out of their way, all over Africa, to try and be of some help.
Generally I'm one of those people who'll happily  believe the human race corrupt and, by nature, self centered, this was really awe inspiring. The thought that there may be people who are willing to give as much as they did, to a perfect stranger.

I'll instead revise my argument against the general attitudes of people and blame it all on capatalism, rather than just a lot of it.

Riaan definitely achieved his wish of being able to give his children something hear about, and even pass on to they're children.

Now that the tangent is finished...
Tomorrow I'm leaving for Natal to go diving! Will be gaining my PADI qualification and being introduced to something that I could only dream of until now. It's something I've wanted to do for years, while a little apprehensive, I'm struggling to think of a word to convey how excited I am.

Then almost straight after that  I'me going to see some friends I made last year while doing work experience. Going, again, from having a really chilled lazy week (well, two) to something hectic and that I'm really looking forward to.

My Stepmom is going to laugh at me after reading this...can already hear it