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So, I haven't been here for a while because I can't think of anything to blog about. If I have learnt anything from the blogging I have done, it is not to write these posts. You know, the ones that go, I'm bored, I can't think of anything to write about, and here's some stream-of-consciousness going on in my head right now.

In the last couple of weeks I have:
a. spent five days in another city with my uncomfortable, heavily pregnant sister.
b. walked uphill, whinging, for a very long time (that was this morning and I am SORE) but also admiring the beautiful scenery and weather.
c. stared out the window at the hail, lightning and thunder.
d. avoided typing because I am developing RSI, otherwise known as OOS, again.
e. bought the new Coldplay CD (it's GOOD) and another CD I have been wanting for ages, Two Shoes, by the Cat Empire.
f. been told by my supervisor to write a 2000-4000 word version of my thesis over the next seven days.

Whoever thinks of an interesting idea for my next blog post can give themselves a pat on the back. (Sorry, no real prizes - I'm poor and postage overseas is a killer!)

just too cool...

So, I'm in a small group that does Bible studies every week, and every now and then we organise daytrips or weekends away for the group. Because everyone's pretty busy this year, we decided to just have a daytrip/fun-activity, which was last Tuesday, and this is pretty much how we decided on a destination...

Let's go to Willowbank! [sarcastic] (Willowbank is a small zoo in Christchurch)
Hahaha! Yes! Let's go to the zoo! [sarcastic]
....
Well, why not?
[General consensus - we are going to the zoo]
Hahaha! Let's go dressed up as animals!
Hahahahahaha! [snorting] Yes, that would be funny!
...
Really, let's!
Yeah, it would be funny!

Only five of us ended up going; the rest couldn't get off work for the day, or, I suspect, were a little too insecure in their coolness to go to the zoo dressed up as animals. We, however, are so insanely cool that verily I believe we have started a trend. At least, all the mums and dads and little kids seemed to like us. And the zookeepers. The animals didn't really seem to care. Although I have a theory - in the kiwi house the cheetah and I were treated to a demonstration of kiwi procreation techniques. Surely they wouldn't feel comfortable enough to do that in front of normal people? A cheetah and a tiger, however...

Just so you can see with your own two eyes how cool we are:

Our cheetah poses. Look closely at the picture; I painted her face and I am very proud of it.
The bumblebee and the peacock. You cannot see it here, but our peacock had six peacock feathers stuck into the back of her belt. Very styly.
Our zebra.
Aaaaaand, me. To be honest, I'm not sure how cool this photo really is. But I am willing to risk humiliation for this blog.

Speaking of wildlife, I came across this white-tail spider in our kitchen last night...
Eeeeek! I don't like killing ones that big because you can feel them crunch. So I kept him in that glass, drove ten minutes away and let him go in a big field.

time for a break

You know you need a holiday when:

1. You are getting through work faster than you thought, so you go and ask your supervisor for more.

2. In a lecture/seminar, you drift off and spend five minutes looking around the room wondering what animal each person would be. (The lecturer: a shaggy dog.)

3. You hear a history in-joke like "What? We don't have to look at primary sources at postgrad level, do we?" and fall about hysterically laughing.

4. On a similar vein, you start collecting historical insults: eg "I can see you haven't read Foucault."

5. You start fantasising about being able to ignore all other essays/seminars/assignments and just hunker down somewhere working on your thesis day-in, day-out.

things to do before I shuffle off this mortal coil

This is my list, inspired by Stacy's recent and wonderful one.

1. See the Northern Lights.

2. See a musical at West End, London. Preferably Les Miserables.

3. Ski on the advanced slope. This doesn't seem exactly major, I know, but I've only gone skiing once - crazy, since I live near the mountains - and I want to go again!

4. Take part in some sort of covert operation.

5. Do a Jane Austen pilgrimage in the UK.

6. Walk the Milford Track, Fiordland, New Zealand.

7. Ride a camel through the desert.

8. Learn how to play bagpipes.

9. See a volcano go up (preferably without getting killed).

10. See Shakespeare at the Globe. Preferably Othello or Macbeth.

11. Learn at least two languages other than English fluently.

12. Float in the Dead Sea.

13. Meet Bono, Edge, Adam and Larry. Discuss poetry. Be cool. Avoid hysterical meltdown consisting of "Oh. My. Gosh!"s.

14. Go to the Antarctic.

15. Swim with dolphins.

16. Be the first person to notice a spelling/grammar mistake in a major bestselling novel.

17. Have a baby.

18. Invent a chocolate that is good for your hips.

19. Go to the Metropolitan Opera in New York.

20. Find some natural hot springs somewhere in the wild in New Zealand and go for a dip.

21. Learn to dance.

22. Prove them wrong. Anyone.

23. Go to the British Museum and gain access to the non-public parts.

24. Work up the courage to hold one of these snakes in Bangkok. This is my sister-in-law and my niece about six years ago. I chickened out and took the photo instead of actually holding the snake. Always regretted it.

25. Take part in a major historical incident.

26. Have a "moment" across a crowded bar with someone famous, who afterwards talks about the mysterious girl they had a moment with across a crowded bar and who then disappeared forever. Preferably someone interesting/handsome.

27. Sit in a Parisian café wearing a beret discussing existentialism reading Waiting for Godot. I would say smoking a cigarette but there I draw the line.

28. Write a (good) novel.

29. Ride an elephant.

30. Go to an outdoor performance of Aida in Rome.

31. Have my own carrier pigeon.

32. Do a Sound of Music pilgrimage in Salzburg.

33. Go to Israel.

And that's about It, so far!