Jacqui's blog

Back home to the land that time forgot...Jersey! I say that cos I'm back on dial up. 45Kbps!!!! Its so slow!

Anyway, its nice to be home. Been flying again which is fun, seen some friends, had Dom over and done the Itex walk...well most of it...more than I did last time when I'd actually trained for it which is strange. I managed 40miles, which isn't bad considering it mostly consists of climbing up and down uneven steps and navigating cliff paths. The walk starts at 3am, and I dropped out about 6pm ish. My sister managed to complete the full 48miles by around 8pm. I think if I'd been on my own like she was and hadn't spent half my time waiting at checkpoints for friends to catch up, chances are my legs wouldnt have siezed up and I might have got that little bit further. But at least my legs and feet aren't as bad as they might have been.

Dom managed 20 miles and the friends I had been walking with dropped out at 35miles after I'd waited nearly an hour at the checkpoint for them to catch up. I'm proud of Dom and glad he attempted it, but unlike me he doesnt want to do it again. I'm determined that one day I'll finish it!

What else have I been up to while Doms been here? Well, we went to the zoo, visited the war tunnels, went bowling, did a bit of shopping and lots of flying. I took Dom to France last Friday with my instructor, and after building up that confidence I took my first passenger without an instructor there to supervise. This morning before Dom headed home, we did a round the island flight, me at the controls and him with the camera. I let him sit next to me in the front and he really enjoyed it. He was a good passenger too, not touching any of the controls and dials in front of him and not speaking while I was listening to the radio. Next I think I'll take my dad up. He's got a new digital camera and loves photography, so I bet he'd enjoy it, and he's also had a trial lesson, so would be familiar ish with the controls.

In other news I had a job interview after our trip to France on Friday and I start tomorrow. Not 100% sure what I'll be doing, but it's a 3 month contract for an assistant job at Jersey Business School. That'll cover me the summer, and it'll be a bit of experience under my belt, so hopefully it'll be easier to get a job sorted for October now. It'll also pay for some of the flying I've been doing...a weeks worth of flying has sent me plummeting into my overdraft!

Hope everyones enjoying the start of the summer, and no-ones been affected by the nasty weather. I'll blog again soon...

Just a quick update:

Still staying with my grandma, but got her internet working now - yay! In the last week I've been to Lancaster with Katy and Mike, and we wandered the shops for the day, which was nice and relaxing. I had a flying lesson in a helicopter on monday, which was amazing. I think I may have to start saving up to learn how to fly helicopters. That could be my next challenge! I went to blackburn ice rink to go skating, but the skates there were awful and due to my feet not feeling very steady, I managed a fairly dramatic fall in which I went down on my knee, then onto my ribs to slide along like a starfish before putting my hands down to stop myself and finding they stuck to the extremely cold ice. Hmm...maybe ice skating is not my sport! I went to the Trafford Centre yesterday to go laserquesting...that was fun! I've not quite got the nack for it that I had last year when we used to go regularly, but I came 3rd out of six, so I was in the top half. And to make myself feel better I was best on the dance machine! lol. I've also starting organising my stuff ready for my parents coming over tomorrow, currently all my junk from uni is in my gran's back room where my parents will be staying this weekend. 

I have to start thinking up some good ideas for birthday presents too. I have four friends 21sts coming up and my sisters 20th. I think I know what I'll get for Dom, but the others I'm still unsure about. Any ideas for girls 21st/20th birthday presents???

Off to a jobs fair tomorrow, so I'd better go and print of a load of CVs. Sorry for the lack of blogging, hopefully I'll be back before I head home next wednesday! 

Exams are over and it feels great! My last one was on Friday and while it was difficult, I think I've passed, which is the main thing. I went out on Friday night for a pizza with Dom then to the Pav for probably the last club night I'll ever spend in there. I don't know whether I should feel sad that I'm done and I'll be leaving soon...I don't! I'm so glad my course is over. I'll be sad to leave the area and the lifestyle, but not the course. We were used as guinea pigs for the whole 3 years as we were a brand new course, and I think every single person on my course deserves a high classification of degree for putting 100% in all the time even though over 50% dropped out before the 3rd year and most modules were obviously just an idea that hadn't been thought through properly.

Not to put anyone off coming to Salford to study Aviation Technology, the course is good now. The current first years don't have to do as many exams, and instead have a little more coursework, their modules have changed to suit the course,  and they have a more organised flying timetable. If I had been able to see the future I wouldn't have done another course, I would have waited a few years for them to sort out the course.

Anyway, it's done now. And yesterday it was so nice to sleep in til 10 and not worry about having to get up to do work or revision. I went to Bolton in the end yesterday and just had a little wander round the shops before going to my Grandma's for tea. And today my plan is to go to my other Grandparents house and spend the day with them.

Monday I'm off shopping with a coursemate and I think I might treat myself to a few things. Part of this treat may have to include a fancy dress outfit for my cousins 18th in June. I made the decision the other day that I will be going as a giraffe. I've seen tights in Claires, a scarf in New Look and shoes and a bag in Peacocks. Not sure about the shoes just yet as they are quite high and pointy and to be honest I'm not the most stable of people on high heels. I think I may have to buy a brown fabric pen and a beige t-shirt and design that myself cos at the moment, although there's a lot of animal print in the shops, its all leopard and zebra!

Finally, ducks...

Recently I've seen a pair of ducks wandering around the castle, they usually hang around the road-wide puddle between the dark side of the houses and the flats.  I thought I'd be nice and take them my bread crusts, so I went out in search of them. When I found them I proceeded to take the bread from the bag and throw it to them. But, unlike your average duck who woud waddle over and eat the stuff, these two started running away. I chased them round for a bit throwing bread at them, then decided to leave as I was starting to get a crowd of Man Utd supporters on their way back from town. However, after I'd been for a quick drink with some friends, I walked back past the ducks and Mr duck was eating some of my bread. So they did benefit from my embarassment!

One exam down, one to go...

...and todays was actually not too bad. I thought it would be ok, because I had done plenty of past papers and usually the same types of questions crop up every year. I managed to answer the questions fairly confidently and was done well under the 2 hours avaliable. Fridays exam is Flight Dynamics and Control, which I can't do to save my life. We've had dynamics modules almost every semester since the start of the course, and I've never understood it! If I pass I'll be happy though, so tonight and tomorrow my plan is to carry on looking over the past papers and solutions and see if i can spot a pattern and possibly learn how to answer enough to pass.

My other plans for tomorrow include seeing my sister for lunch before she heads home for the summer (I dont go back for another 4 weeks) and tomorrow afternoon Dom will be back for the weekend. He's handing his last couple of essays in tomorrow, and hopefully he'll help me with the revision, then on Friday night we can head out somewhere nice to celebrate the end of uni.

Weird...it doesn't seem 3 years since I started uni! Soon I'll have to go out into the real world and get a job.

Final Year Project is handed in, revision going well, Wednesdays exam shouldn't be a problem but I'm not looking forward to Fridays! But, you know what that means... this time next week I'll be finished! As a bit of a celebration I went to town today with my friend and had a pancake then bought a nice new denim skirt. It has green stitching on it, and I'm a big fan of green clothes, for some reason its a colour that suits me. I also got some flipflops for my mums friend, they dont have a primark back home and she saw my mums and liked them, so I went in to buy them for her and I'll be sending them home with my sister this week.

I'm a bit jealous as Dom's gone home and my sister's off home on Thursday and I booked my flights so early that I didn't know when my exams were going to finish, so I'll be around for another month. I do like being in Manchester, but Jerseys nice in the summer and I need to get back to go flying and get some practice in for the ITEX walk. Don't know if I've already mentioned that, but it's a round-the-island walk, 48.2 miles mostly on cliff paths climbing steps that amount to the height of mount Snowdon and back apparently and all in one day! It starts at 3am and most people don't cross the finish line until late evening. Last time I attempted it I managed just over 30 miles before I dropped out, and back then I'd done some training, this year I've been on 2 walks so far...not good! Anyway it's the taking part that counts and either way I'll be raising money for charity.

On the bright side, I have plenty planned for the next few weeks while I'm still around. I'll be off to see Dom and family at home on the bank holiday weekend, I'll be doing a day trip to Lancaster with Mike at some point, possibly the first weekend in June, and I also plan to go ice skating with some friends. I want to go to Alton Towers with the girls from home, but as yet we haven't managed to agree on a date. And I have also suggested I move in with my Grandma for a couple of weeks as she would enjoy the company and without Dom around at the moment I wouldn't mind the company too, so she's got some plans for us too, probably including lots of internet lessons. She wants some help looking up stuff like visas ready for her trip to Australia this summer.

Anyway, on with the revision...wish me luck for the exams! 

Getting there...

...I've handed in most of my coursework and the first copy of my final year project. All I have left to do is sort out a presentation for next tuesday. I hate presentations, but the sooner I get it out of the way the better.

Yesterday afternoon I took a break, after spending the morning sat indoors in my suit, giving a presentation with my group and then watching another 5 group presentations my mind felt numb! So when I got in I had lunch, watched neighbours and rang my sister. We ended up going into Bolton for a wander round the shops. I wore some boots I hadn't worn in ages and they rubbed little blisters on my heels, so as soon as we were in town we headed for primark where I got some nice brown flipflops with pink flowers on them, only £2! It was a nice afternoon just wandering round the shops.

Last night I had a long chat with Dom. It was his last day on his work placement yesterday, so as soon as he gets his assignment handed in, he's done. His brother has found him a summer job, but it starts next week! We were under the impression he would be here through my exams and then we would have a few weeks together to relax before we head home for the summer. We'd already been thinking about what to wear for my cousins fancy dress for her 18th in June, but now its looking like he won't be here. Its weird how things never seem to turn out how you plan them. Neither of us know what we'll be doing next year, and its a bit scary. If only I knew what I wanted to do!

I wonder where I'll be and what I'll be doing this time next year? 

Is it really May already? I have been such a bore recently, spending all my time sat at my computer working on project after project. I've managed to get a couple finished and handed in, but I still have a few to go. I only just found out about a presentation I have to do for my final year project which is NEXT WEEK! Just something else to add to the pile of work to do. Despite my moaning about it though, I am getting through it. I managed to get the majority of my FYP put together yesterday so all I need to do now is write up the conclusion then do all the little bits like the front cover, contents and references.

I really want to get all my work out of the way ready for the weekend when my Mum comes over to visit. She's not picked the best weekend, but I should be able to make time for her. She'll be here til next wednesday so hopefully we'll be able to take some time out to go shopping. We're also going to be going to the theatre on Monday night to see The Producers, so that should be a nice evening out.

I can't wait now for uni to be over. Still don't know what I want to do after I finish, but I just want to get all my work and exams done. This is probably the last time I'll ever have to get through the mad rush of deadlines and exams! Yay! 

I know I've been away a while, but I'm back at uni, so back on broadband, and back to blogging!

I've had a good Easter break. Lots of fun back home, between bits of uni work. I went rollerblading with my friend Beckie, and we weren't too bad until (after an hour) I fell over. We'd just become a bit braver and headed up to skate along the pier, with a fair drop on both sides. Luckily I landed on my bum, right in the middle. I had a sore bottom for a few days, but at least I didn't go over the edge and break anything!

This weekend I've been to Dom's and we had a nice relaxing weekend before our return to uni. Now we're back I've only got 5 weeks til my uni life is over, and far too much work to do in such a short space of time. I'm sure it'll all pan out ok, but at the moment it's quite scary! Wonder what I'll be doing this time next year...???