Went to uni. today to see if any essays or feedback sheets had been returned.
Bumped into lecturer M.
He asked if there'd been any marks on the last piece of feedback i'd received.
There hadn't.
All to do with this pay dispute and lecturers being asked by the union to withold all marks.
He very kindly advised that off the record everyone in our group had been awarded a First.
Yay!
To say the least.

Silly Sods.

Some silly plonker's been visiting this blog and masquerading as the soon-to-be-published Wandering Scribe.
With a knee-jerk like reaction to the news she has signed a book deal after the popularity of her blog.
It seems some are intent on bringing about her downfall.
Gut feeling leads me to feel her particular story is genuine.
Obviously not everyone will be of this opinion.
Whatever her situation, the way forward is to wish her well, and for those so aggrieved by her perceived good fortune to turn their critical attentions a little closer to home.

A Tip.

Today in my purse whilst scrabbling around for some change to leave as a tip,
I came across one of J's teeth.
Pulled out some time ago.
It's not yet been placed under his pillow for The Tooth Fairy.

Along with the tooth was a button.
I can't for the life of me remember to where it was attached.
Or indeed how it ended up in my purse.

Before you ask, I didn't leave either as the tip.

Remote Magic.

There's a problem in our house.
Every single remote control has a loose back.
As a result the batteries spread themselves around the place.
And have to be taped into the various remotes.
Be more efficient to throw them out and do what we did in the time before such gadgets.
Adjust the channel manually.

J assures me it's not him! removing the backs.
Must be the mysterious Remote Control Back Fairy.
Or maybe it's magic.

Either way, it's annoying.

Worry Of An Overprotective Kind.

Being a parent is so nerve wracking.
J is now 11 and wanting to have more independence.
Just recently he has started to regularly play outside with other local kids around his age.
They don't go far: either the green or the field at the end of the road.
With a little time i've felt able to relax enough to let him do so without checking up every 15 minutes.
This evening he ventured further afield and helped some of his friends with their paper round.
Again he was no more than a few streets away.
It's these small but very necessary steps towards independence which are the source of my parental angst.
You wouldn't be blamed for thinking what an over protective Mother...
What can I say...?
It's true.

A Troubled Transvestite.

.....I've tried to top myself four times, either the beer or the tablets didn't work...

Isn't this the kind of conversation (with someone whose almost a stranger) you want to be having over the Bank Holiday Weekend, whilst in the pub?

Now, while I really do try and be patient and even sympathetic or empathic on the odd occasion.
When someone is quite clearly (in my opinion) using shock tactics to illicit attention, I find myself just wanting to offer the opposite.
I don't really feel especially proud of this, but it seems to be my instinctive response.
So that's what I went with.

The whole scene wasn't really helped by the fact that the person in question was also doing odd things with their body in a double-jointed fashion.
Which was making my tummy turn over.

Alright Bruv!

Big Brother.
Yes.
Once again i'm gripped.
Not so much so that i'd watch it 24/7.
But I do like watching the highlights.
A few thoughts on some of the housemates:

• Shabaz: Bit of an attention seeker in the most irritating way. Had a talent for self isolation.
• Nikki: Becoming as annoying as Shabaz with her whining. Money mad.
• Pete: Nice boy. Different from the norm.

Shrinking Violets, Random Chaps And Food From A Stranger.

There is much updating to be done.
Firstly, Happy Bank Holiday Weekend.

Ok, so the edited highlights of the weekend so far go something like this:

1. Friday night. After a quick catch-up in the pub I went on to meet J,K and a few of their friends who are regular frequenters of a certain nightclub which cater for the more mature end of the market. Or something like that. Chatting with random men was fun. Particularly Kyle who wasn't bothered about looks and just wants a woman with a good personality. I did my bit and introduced him to the girls. Don't think cupid struck.
2. London Town meeting C and her cousin F. Went to watch Smaller starring Alison Moyet and Dawn French. It was massively funny, and very generous of C to treat me. Bless such lovely friends.
3. With the weather being what it was: wet. We all headed hope in our different directions and whilst on the train found myself befriended by a young woman from Singapore named Tan Ti Ti. She searched in her bag and thrust various food items into my hands, and said she'd only been in England two days. I wonder if she'll be feeling so generous after having been here a little longer?!

Not A Mugger.

Yesterday, whilst withdrawing funds from a hole-in-the-wall in a not so nice area of London.
I felt someone knock into me..
Fearing a mugger I turned around to find a woman clutching a beer can and walking frame, veering precariously from side to side.
Am relieved I didn't hit her.

Today I have:

• sat opposite a woman trimming her split ends on an underground train.
• watched The DaVinci Code.
• seriously discussed doing some online counselling for a charity.
• missed a train which was stationary further down the platform which I only noticed when it started moving.

Folky Tunes

Yay!
Have just got tickets to see The Great Kate Rusby singing.
Am going to take J along for the experience.

James Well Beloved.

Apparantly this is the best dog food in the world.

It's saturday morning and the uni. library is over-run with mature students.
Well, of the five of us in here using the computers i'd say that four of us are definitely over thirty, with the fifth being somewhere around the twenty five mark.
Yay!

Kissy Kissy.

My father isn't keen on PDA (public displays of affection).
Recently a friend who hadn't seen him in a while attempted to greet him with a friendly peck on the cheek.
He practically twisted himself in half to avoid it.

Camping It Up.

Brother C made reference to how he'd read an article where Sir Alan Sugar was likened to a camp Maltese hairdresser named Maureeece.

That so made me laugh.

Random Stranger.

In the pub a few days ago I was lucky enough to meet a water skiing, glue sniffing, morris dancing seaman
Really, it's true.
He entertained us with his knowledge of book making signs and actions.
Sadly it was around this time the very responsible bar staff declined to serve him with any more alcohol.
He left to find another well at which to drink but not before unmistakably lifting the mood of those within his vicinity.

????!!!!!??!?!!??!

Questions.
Questions.
There seems to be a lot of these lately.
Especially on this blog.

Just thought i'd mention it.

Just imagine for a moment that you mean't to type Choudhury but the keys pressed spelt out Gulshan...would you feel concerned about this?

The Ikea Experience.

Using time wisely I accompanied my Dad to Ikea today, rather than tapping away at the keyboard to finish the essay that's due in Friday.

We left, our trolley filled with natural, minimalistic, flat pack goodies.

I wonder what it is that makes so many of us really find pleasure in the whole Ikea Experience?

Past it?

The title says it all.

Over drinks a fellow student felt it only right he should make me aware that one of the skippy gay boys on the course (with it being performing arts there are several. Massive stereotype, I know......anyway.....) had, at the beginning of the course felt that myself and another mature student were past it and didn't know what we were doing here...

This has got my back up because:

• the skippy one has only ever been lovely and a few times i've even made extra effort to be friendly.
• there was actually no need to be made aware of this.....so now I am, feel obligated to be irritated.

Next time I see Skippy, i'll give him bloody past it!

Timely Update.

I'm feeling guilty for having neglected the blog.
Apologies to its regular readers. All three of you.

Ok, so since the last post I have:

• been walking amongst the Bluebells with Lizzie Ardus and her spotted companions.
• seen a black swan.
• had a go at skull spotting, also with Lizzie Ardus.
• politely declined a friendly proposition from a would-be toyboy aged 17, whilst wearing a swimming costume. Yes. Really.

Please enjoy the pictorial record of all of the above apart from the toyboy incident.

Blog Name/Address Change.

Gone is www.maturestudent-allegedly.blogspot.com

Felt that it was time for an image overhaul and consulted Deed Poll for blogs, jumped through the necessary hoops, and as sure as the sun is shining.....
This blog has a new name.

Happy Blogging

Having just completed the last practical assessment of the year, i'm just writing this update before heading off to the pub.

Today went well.
The audience laughed lots.
Even at some parts which weren't intentionally funny.
Not sure if that says more about the performer's or the audience members?
Oh well.

Blowing Bubbles Is Addictive:

FACT.

Well in my World it is.

Try it, it's impossible to just blow one.

The End Of The Beginning.

It's here.
How funny that it's almost the end of the first year of this marvellous course.
Only two more years left.
Sounds like ages but I know it's just going to fly by.
At the moment it all feels like a massive wind-down.
The sun's out.
Student's can be seen sitting on the grass with lap-tops doing their assignments.
You get the picture.

And....

...whilst on the subject of students.
Over the last few days i've heard several times how so-and-so hasn't handed their essay in...
I mean, what's all that about?
To me it seems daft.
Mainly because it's an automatic fail.
At least if something is handed in, no matter how rough around the edges or rushed.
You can be awarded some mark.
And some mark has got to be better than a fail.

Socks And Boxers.

The cynics among you will be oh so happy to know my words are now coming out in just the right order to make up perfectly formed sentences.

Instead of just cracking on with our rehearsal today, arranged for 11am.
We did what student's do best: sat around chatting and generally wasting time.
And thank the student-god we did.
I have exciting, gritty and best of all real life material for you to get your gnashers around.
Or it may just pass a bit of time while you're bored at work.
A-n-y-w-a-y.

During an exercise some time ago we had to write a few lines about our experience of being led blindfolded through various parts of the campus.
Most of the recollections were of feelings, sounds, or situations experienced within this blindfolded state.
One lad took his experience a step further and had written a story.
The highlight (for the purposes of this blog) of which was standing in his sock and boxers.
At the time this was hugely funny.
And in reflection it's just as funny.

Maybe you had to be there?

• random student recounts her adventures of a night filled with a little too much alcohol.

• lecturer discusses with a group of wide-eyed students the perils marking the essay at the bottom of the pile.

• with an assessment due we have two days to cobble together ten minutes worth of magic.

Boring myself here. Will be back with some new, fresh and interesting material soon.

Failing that it'll be the usual drivel.

Diddums and Sniffles.

Brother C has a cold.
Poor boy.
He needs cosseting and lots of warm drinks.
Please send him your warmest vibes for making a swift recovery.
It'll make all our lives easier.

Friends For Life.

A very lovely friend of mine was involved in the setting up of this site.
Unfortunately she is no longer with us.
The site goes on, and has just been updated.
Take a look.

A short man with control-freak-type tendencies has just asked H and I to keep the noise down!

What a magnificent cheek considering the current noise level within the uni. library.

He clearly doesn't appreciate my status as a more mature student.