Setting things straight. (14/06/12-16/06/12)

2 year of my life
A level - the paper version

 Thursday (final exam!)
On arriving home from the little celebration Emma and I had at McDonalds, (despite the fact that she still has a sociology exam to do, oh and a general studies resit...that i got 100/100 on...who does that?) I decided that this was it. My fondness and love of history and politics was displayed through the array of notes blu-tacked (that I hoped wouldn't, but has peeled away at some paint).

 I took down all of my Politics, and Modern British History of 1951-64 but I've kept 1964-2007 next to my bed...

British Politics: 1964-2007 - The Laura May version

I quite enjoy waking up to affirm my own opinions with facts, and remember stuff that i need to remember in order to win arguments at the tea table.

Friday:
I had to be up bright, and ready for the breezy day. I had an appointment at the hospital with the dermatologist. Like most people, I've suffered from acne since about the age of ten, probably parallel to developing scoliosis. They got really bad this last academic year, (most probably due to stress surrounding college/life) and I gave in and went to the Doctor. I got referred to the dermatologist in December, he put me on tablets and two sets of cream. My acne has cleared up a treat and now I've been discharged and need to just use the cream!

My now "zit-free" face!
Well...almost, there's still the odd "lurker!"

Triumphantly returning home. I found my "to-do" list and completed it. These past few weeks I have done so well to isolate myself away from the outside world. I'm easily distracted, not because I want to be, but because I don't see "distractions" as "distractions"...more than often, they are actual things that need to be done. Though, this year for a few weeks at least, I had to remind myself that in the context of A levels, they  were very much "distractions."

So I filled in my questionnaire for the media training I'm going to have with Back Up on the 18th July. I answered outstanding emails from the few people who actually email me, I responded to the tasks I'd promised to do for Hannah as a member of the youth advisory group; reading some excellent cartoon scripts to help educate young people on how to deal with the everyday social issues that arise when you obtain a spinal cord injury. If I'd have been shown or had access to something like that at the age of 11, It would have dramatically changed my way of thinking!

Slight detour round a mountain...

Becky attempting to lasso me up Latrigg, while Richard uses
his map as
a loin cloth.

I also counted the rest of the offline sponsorship money we've collected in the past few weeks that will go towards my Snowdon Push (7th July). This again, is in aid of the charity Back Up. Our aim is to raise £2200 and we're currently at £1,294.45...so we're getting there. We've got a quiz night a week on Monday, a few more sponsors from family members and other people's work places. About a month ago now, Emma Reed and I (the loudest people in college) did a sponsored silence for the entire day. I can honestly say that it was one of the most difficult challenges I've ever attempted! We raised about £140 though...I'd much rather climb a mountain any day.
(Snowdon to me = fun)
The weirdest place I've been sponsored though is on top of a tiny mountain; Latrigg near Keswick in the Lake District. I've done that about 4 times, and my friends aren't very experienced in the outdoors so I though it'd be a good day out and might help them realise physically and mentally that they're going to be climbing a mountain in July! As usual, I got spotted. People came over telling me it was "amazing" what i was doing. I wasn't doing anything, they were pushing me! But still...i explained why "I" was doing what "I" was doing and I got a £5 note and a load of coins shoved in my hand!
£12 going in!

Back to Friday...

Completing my "to-do" list apart from "set-up" blog, I sighed in happiness at the corner of my room that's home to my guitars..
My reward. I could finally, selfishly, innocently and without shame pick up my acoustic and play Emmy the Great, Frank Turner and Green Day until midnight without thinking "Shit...revision!!"
So that's what I did, Oh and I wrote that rather long blog post that was very much needed to set the sails.

Saturday:

Ignore the sun, this was a few weeks ago.
(You know, when it was actually sunny?)

The positivity doesn't feel as fresh, the rain and wind are still here and my friends still have exams.
I woke up and got up quite late too, my routine out the way, didn't really get going till 11:30am. I once again embarked upon completing yet another to-do list, emailing links for Snowdon for people that needed me to do so. I also wrote quite a (if i say so myself) professional letter of gratitude to a Rotary Club that gave a substantial donation to our Snowdon fund oh, and there was the free wheel issue...

I snapped my footrest the other week. (Apparently the strongest part of a wheelchair. My wheelchair is also titanium!) So (in a panic a few weeks ago) from college, got in my car, went to da vinci and showed them...
One guy said it would cost me.
Another guy said it wouldn't.
I misunderstood, it did.
They just didn't charge me for the repair that they did.
Embarrassing phone call was made ending with me saying, "Sorry, was only making sure!"
And there was me, going to give them hell.


You're never quite as strong as you sound.