My Secret Life

Well.

I was inspired to write this after reading THIS blog. She is someone I follow on YouTube and twitter, and Blogger - obviously. I don't know why, but I took to her immediately on YouTube when I first saw one of her video's and have followed ever since.

Anyway, I digress, she wrote a blog about how in the real world people are not open to the Internet culture - things such as YouTube, Twitter and blogging are insane in some people's minds. And I am no different. Although I partake in this Internet culture I do frown upon it sometimes.

I am a secret (shhhhh don't tell anyone!) blogger. There, I said it. Only a few people who I know in real life know I blog. And the reason is kind of two fold. One, people really don't get it. If you tell them you blog or use twitter etc. they can't grasp WHY.

Two. I don't really get it. I blog, but for reason's unknown. And if I were to tell people, they would want to know what I blog about... which is nothing. I just write nonsense. And then people think you are self involved. But I'm not. (I hope).

It's a strange secret, but I am so far into blogging (I think its been 2 years), that to come clean now would be to admit to people I have lied, because I have had discussions in the past and said its something I don't get... and I wouldn't do it... but I do... because to admit it would be...shameful? I don't know... It's just never been something I wanted to share. My boyfriend doesn't even know - and thank God, I say, because he thinks I don't shut up enough in 'real' life, so I imagine he would frown upon my constant virtual blabbings.

So here I am, in my secret life! Great!!! Although I do live in fear of people finding out. I have nothing to hide, but still... it's kind of nice to have a little place of my own out here....

Sam

I whip my hair back and forth...

Woo!

It's freezing. That's my official weather report for today. fr-ee-zing. And I'm starving. Because we have builders in the kitchen so it's impossible to make any food, which sucks because I wanted an omelet. I don't even like them that much, but I woke up feeling like one and now I want one damn it!

Oh well.

I have been working hard to try to get my Open university work done today. This weeks topic: Cezanne.

I am officially overwhelmed by art critic - I don't really see the point in critisicing art... I know... I'm doing history of the arts, but this part of it is the part I am going to find the hardest to get my head around.

I also got an email from our tutor, about my dummy assignment which I sent in. Literally a document saying 'Hi' - so they know I know how to work the system. I sent it... oh, I don't know.. 2 and a half weeks ago, but only just got a reply saying he couldn't open it. It's fine. I just didn't realise my Word saved in a strange format. To which I told him "sorry, I didn't realise, shall I submit it again?". Do you know what he said...?

"Yes, I know some other courses take these types of submissions, but we have always used these file types."

Like it was my fault...? Like I should have known. When this was, in point of fact, the reason we are sending the documents in, to make sure we know what to do etc.

You know when you just don't warm to someone? Well, I don't warm to him in the slightest. His email technique is poor... he comes across rude and doesn't space his emails well, which annoys me... I know, I haven't met him -and probably won't because I'm not a "go into school and learn" kind of girl, but the way you should come across in emails is friendly and helpful - but he really doesn't. When I have emailed him in the past couple of weeks I really feel like I have been bugging him. Humph. I'll give him time to warm up, but I just have a bad feeling about his people skills.

On to the subject heading. I have had this song stuck in my head for a while now - check it out, its hilarious. Will Smith's daughter, Willow, getting her voice heard... its strange, but true. Sadly. 9 year olds making records, whatever next? toddlers getting book deals? Woe is this life we lead.

Yes. Builder gone. It's omelet time!

Sam

Halloween costume ideas 2010!

BOO!

It's getting scarily close to Halloween, and I don't know about you but I'm panicking slightly. This is only because I have planned a halloween party for some friends, and I haven't done a very good job of preparing! But enough of that! I know what I'm being for halloween - its top secret at the moment - but I thought I would share with you, gentle viewer, the best costumes I have seen so far;

Avatar - just because, well, its hilarious. And if you CAN pull it off, you should!!! :)

King Kong - I always look at this one, every year, and think 'this is the year', but then I go for something else. One year I will get this, and it will be awesome!!!

Glo-woman - just... what??

wolf-man - A classic - I love this!

Joker - I wonder how many of these we'll see this year. A fine costume indeed, though!

Jaws - Hilarious!!

That's all of the ones I have seen recently which I thought were worth mentioning!

Enjoy!

Sam

I'm going to make a playlist...

That's right.

A playlist to end all playlist's. Or not - as really, what I just decided is I want to make a really great easy listening playlist, of music you could sit and listen to when you are either working away, reading, or trying to chat with friends in a bar, but don't want to shout so they can hear you over the trance music they are playing at midday on a Sunday.

So far, the playlist is empty. It will be a work in progress, but if any one who passes this little blog has any really great songs that are quiet, or simple, or just lovely to listen to - please let me know, as I have a lot of music... but it could also be classed as a lot of crap music. I have spotify and I'm not afraid to use it, so any musical suggestions welcome.

Thanks all!

Hmmm - Sam wonders if one day, when she gets the play list up and running, there would be a way to play it here... probably not, but it would be a nice thing to happen....

Sam

Nerdfighteria is a real place...

And...

It lives inside of all of us. Fact. If you don't know what I'm talking about I suggest you get on this hayride, fast. Or not, I know not everyone is a big nerd like me, but it turns out there is many a nerd who wishes to fight world suckage on a global scale... well, that would make sense... world suckage being global and all.

Basically, I have been following 2 brothers on YouTube, known as the Vlogbrothers, for a couple of years now, and they have a HUGE fan base. John Green is a well established author, whose books I am currently devouring, and Hank is a great comedy singer - who mixes humour, geekiness and sweet jams and comes out with brilliant witty songs. The reason I blog about them now, is that I have today joined their social network site. Yes, they have their own social network site. And so far it seems cool, like a facebook, youtube, blogger, chatroom, forum rolled into one...

Today I felt like like sharing this information with you, and these people. You see, they are not only brilliant nerds, they are hilarious to watch.

This is the start of me blogging about YouTube and the people I follow, as I love sharing these things with y'all.

I'll whack one of their video's down here if I can manage it, and you can catch a glimpse of what I'm on about. If you are a nerd, stand up and declare yourself - for we are many, and we are taking the world by force.

Sam

Oh how the cold creeps in!

Brrr.

It's getting very cold. I noticed this last night, as I drove home from the cinema , and had to direct the car through a HUGE patch of fog, and I believe it must have been freezing fog, as it is all of a sudden stupidly cold outside. Although its a nice kind of cold so its OK -as blue sky and cold is bearable, grey sky and cold is torture!

You might think I'm sat inside, so what's the beef? Just put your heating on and shut up, but unfortunately we can not 'just put the heating on' as we have builders in at the moment, and the house has been pretty much open to the elements for the past 6 weeks. Which is a bit of a kick in the shins. But they should be finished soon. I say this, but I am pretty sure they are 4 weeks outside of schedule so who knows how long it will actually take. My mother joked that the people who were trapped in that mine would be out before this extension was finished. Lo and behold - she was correct! Joy!

Speaking of things in the news (see how I did that? the linking of the miners being in the news? it was subtle... leave me alone!), it looks like no one has claimed the £113 million jackpot in the Euro millions. Shame that, as I was sure I must have won it, I really did feel like a millionaire at the weekend. You know when you just have a feeling about something. We play the lottery at work when its a big jackpot like that, and I thought maybe my team of 10 people had won, and we would split the money and live happily ever after (not together in a big house though, no one but me liked that idea!), but it turns out we didn't. Not to worry though, we have entered the lottery for the £10 mil jackpot so fingers crossed! You never know, I mean... I could win! I just want to buy a house, is that so much to ask of the universe? Take my boyfriend away from the horror that is his house, and go and live somewhere nice together and, again, live happily ever after (for a short while, until we become bored of not working and decide we have to go back to reality...). We will see I suppose!

Time for me to do some quick reading - I have pretty much finished my Cleopatra reading, so just going to skim it again for fun, we are starting to read Christopher Marlowe's Doctor Faustus next week.. which I know nothing about so that should be interesting!

Final thoughts - if I win the lottery I will have to change my blog name to Life of Scumillionaire!

If I ever find anything to eat in this goddamn house I will be able to make some lunch. So far, looks like I'm not eating until dinner.

Sam

Followers Widget.

OOF!

I have always wondered how to get more people reading my blog. Not that I have anything important to say, but I sometimes try to entertain.. I like to think! So, I have decided to move things around. Tried to make my blog look more inviting, with a nice neutral layout. Not too much going on - a few pictures here and there (Speaking of, look at the hilarious Tiger picture!). I dunno - I like the way it looks, and prefer it to my old layout.

I have also moved my followers widget so its at the top of the page on the right! WHAM ----> right over there! In an attempt to get people to press follow. It's simple really. Follow - see if you like me and then if you don't just un-follow me and send me a message telling me to get a life, and stop wasting my time blogging!!!

I'm a huge follower. I am such a sheep! I can't even begin to describe. Blogger is really the saviour to bored people's lives. I am always bored, because ultimately I must be a boring person! (God, I hope I'm not!) So I always click on the "NEXT BLOG" Button and read some random blogs, which is how I come to follow almost everyone I follow.

Once again, I am procrastinating as I should be writing my assignment on Cleopatra... but hey ho. I wrote 3 pages today so surely I should take a break right? RIGHT!

Sam

Rarrrr

Meh.

Writers block. I am trying to start my first 'dummy' assignment and I literally can't. I don't know what to write. I know the material, I just don't know how to put the words on microsoft paper! What am I doing? I know I shouldn't be blogging but to hell with it. At least when I'm just venting I know what I'm trying to say!

Back to work, Sam...

Oh, ok :(

S

I have nothing to blog about but it doesn't stop me!

Heh!

I don't have anything in particular to blog about tonight. I am mostly bored and quite tired, but can't switch off so figure I will pass the time typing for no reason!

I went on a work 'do' on Thursday and it was hilarious. I always say I love the people I work with, and I really do! There is no denying we have some fun. We went out for food, where we basically just sat and laughed hysterically for about an hour - we are of all different ages, and from all different walks of life, but we all get on so well - even when we have little upsets with each other, we just get over it and get back to having fun so quickly its insane! So, there we were eating food and making a hell of a lot of noise and getting the worst looks off the people sat at the tables near us! Good times. We then went on to bowling. Wow - I'm bad at bowling. Every time I go bowling I always think that I'm not that bad, and then when it starts I realise just how bad I am! Not the worst, but certainly in no way good. But its not the winning that matters, its just hilarious to watch other people attempt to throw a ball down an alley, just to knock skittles over... who came up with this?!
We were all having a jolly time and after 3 games, the people who worked there offered us a game of laser quest for a pound each (usually £13 for 3 games). I seriously didn't think I would make it, as I was knackered from all the laughing and bowling (I still have sore legs from bowling for some reason) , but a few of us took part! I destroyed them all. They couldn't record our scores as the computers were down, but I'm pretty sure I won! I would suggest laser quest as a cardiovascular form of exercise too, because you sweat so much, and the adrenaline really kicks in! it should be implemented in school PE classes!

Nothing much has happened that's worth blogging about. I am still reading John Green's 'Looking for Alaska' - as I had to stop reading it due to the increasing sadness of the story line. I get too wound up in books that when bad things happen I feel really depressed like its happening to me... And don't even get me started on when a book ends! I don't know why I continue to read actually, as I only upset myself, but there is something so nice about living though someone else's eyes that keeps pulling me back in! One day I will write a book - and I will get to do that to someone else, and then the circle will be complete. Hah.

I must sleep... But I can't... humph.

Websites worth visiting:

WeheartIt - for all of its cool pictures
YouTube - for keeping me entertained constantly


Blogs worth reading:

BrandenArt - for cool conceptual art!
The Hayleylujah Chorus - for readable ramblings of one of my favorite Youtube Vloggers.

Albums worth listening to:

Mumford and Sons - Sigh no more
Inception - music from the motion picture
Working for a Nuclear free City - jojo burger tempest

Tv show's worth watching:

SABRINA THE TEENAGE WITCH! - Just started watching this again from season 1. Best TV show!

That is all!

Sam

Part-time working is the new black!

Well...

I have the luxury of now working part time. Yeah, so part time wage - boo to that, but I really have decided in all my 3 days of being part time, that it's totally worth it, just for the feel good factor!

I start as I mean to go on, which is study in the morning/ afternoon, and finish with a burst of exercise, with the energy I have saved NOT being at work. And so far, in all my 3 days of being part time, its working well and I'm feeling good!

Usually when I get home from work, I am all tired and in such a crappy mood I don't want to do anything apart from curl up in front of a good movie and just chill out, but on Monday I was so full of energy from not being at work, that when Tuesday came around I was super productive and did SO much work, even doing half an hour extra overtime (which I won't get paid for so have to steal those 30 minutes back tomorrow). I was off again today, doing some reading (see below for my musings on my study), and again, I thoroughly enjoyed my day (even though it was mostly interrupted by the builders working at my house who should be gone in a week or two); working in the morning and early afternoon and then working out in the late afternoon and spent some quality time with my pops! (Watching the new series of stargate universe - which I am still not sold on, but can't deny the soundtrack is amazing!).

So - my studies are so far going well. I was a little scared at first, but so far so good. Although I do seem to be a few days ahead of where I should be, but that is sure to even itself out later on in the weeks I'm sure!

I was learning all about Cleopatra today, and about how her reputation shaped her rise and fall and how Roman propaganda still makes up the majority of her reputation to this day!

Seriously, I don't know how I didn't know more about her and the whole Julius Caesar/ Mark Anthony/ Octavian triangle, or about how she was actually a descendant of a Macedonian general! Crazy! She also wasn't the only Egyptian Queen called Cleopatra, but she was certainly the last. I am loving the new knowledge - and will be writing up a mock assignment on what I have learnt next week - which I may post on here just for fun.

Well, back to work tomorrow and Friday.

I pose a question to you (which I doubt anyone will read/ answer) - how much do you know about Cleopatra? When you think of her, what are your first thoughts?

Sam

ps. On a side note I am currently reading 'Looking for Alaska' by John Green and it's brilliant!