I am now the proud owner of a newly formatted "teletubbyland computer" - yes, that's right, I have upgraded to Windows XP!! It's pretty groovy, and the computer hasn't crashed since it was upgraded, which is impressive, since it normally crashes about 3 times a day. It's exciting....! *Thankyou Adam!*

I've just done an ensemble concert concert for the Music Department - playing in Purcell Trumpet Sonata and Milhaud "La Creation du Monde", which was pretty good, although the condustor wasn't easy to follow at all. There were a couple of points where we barely kept together because noone knew who to follow. Grrr. I have loads of rehearsals in the next few days, but I'm going to try to get out of the Tuesday one, because I want to go help Rich do next week's Barefacts. On Tuesday I'm meant to have a 2 hour rehearsal, followed by a 2 hour research seminar, then 3 hours of Orchestra. It's crazy - I'm going to try and get myself out of the first two. I want to have a life beyond the Music Deaprtment. I'm really enjoying getting involved in all the Union stuff this year. I figure I'm never going to ave this opportunity again, so I may as well try to squash in as many things as I possibly can this year. I'm loving it, and I hope the rest gets even better. :o)

It's Drag and Fetish Night tomorrow - woo hoo! It's the best theme night of the year, where almost everyone in the Union is dressed up, and it so amazing to see the different costumes everyone comes up with. Adam was going to go as a Netball team with 6 other guys, but that's fallen through, so I think we're going shopping tomorrow. It's going to be fun. I'm very excited! :o) :o)

Final note: there are two guys wrapped in toilet roll running around outside Rawson. I think they're trying to be Mummys. He he, Halloween can me quite comic!

Somehow, last night I managed to raise my word count to 1,918 - woo hoo! I don't know if the subject matter I've tackled is particularly relevant, or deep enough, but what the hell - it's finished. All that remains is to print it out, add a cover sheet and submit by 12 noon tomorrow. First big assignment of the term, FINISHED.

I've been thinking about Drag and Fetish costumes, and I've kinda come up with an idea. I think I'm going to go as a kinda American cheerleader, with a bit of alteration, as always happens on D&F night. I've got an American flag which I can wrap round my waist as a short skirt, a black bikini top (red would be better, but I'm lacking one of those!), red feather boa (I know cheerleaders don't have them, but what the hell!), a black sequinned choker and hair in bunches, with possibly red feathers in it. It looks pretty good, though I know it's not quite authentic cheerleader stuff. I look kinda like a courtesan (ie Satine from Moulin Rouge) on top, and random on the bottom, but I think it looks good. I'll have to get Adam's opinion...

I was up unitl 4.30am last night, and I had a rehearsal at 10am - ugh. Again I got up at 5 to 10 and was there about 5 minutes later. I'm getting this down to a fine art.

Neil and his girlfriend have become "official" - at last!! ;o) It's really funny, cos she lives in exactly the room under Adam in his campus house - how bizarre! They seem really happy, and suited to eachother, so I'm happy for them. They've gone up to London today - lucky things! Adam and I are going into town soon, to get a few random things (maybe a red bikini top?!?), then I'm looking forward to an evening of no work. I'm amazed - I've finished an essay over a day before it's due in. Unheard of!

Ok, off to check the USSU BB and try to mend icklesarah.co.uk which is being difficult - asking me if I want to download a file when I try the direct address without the /index.html... grrrr...... Need Adam... how useful it is to be going out with a computer geek!! ;o)

It's going to be a long night - I'm on *quick check* - 1,157 words - and I have an ensemble rehearsal at 10am tomorrow... grrrr..... I'm playing in far too many things at Uni (one of the issues Davros and I brought up at student staff liason committee today) and it's getting a little stupid. I am in every single ensemble that requires a violinist, and so is Louise - the others are in a few, and some still don't even bother to turn up to rehearsals. And it gets a little disheartening when people who do very little in terms of performance, and whom I am no worse than, still get higher marks. It's not really fair...

Today I've had a splitting headache for a lot of the day, and had to miss a supposedly compulsory concert tonight. Ah well, I attend every other bloody rehearsal in the world, they can't really have a go at me for it. Adam's been pretty good at keeping me calm through trying to do this essay - he's even offered me a *reward* once I hit 1,333 words. Now there's an incentive to work....

Been thinking about Drag and Fetish costumes - kinky devil, french maid.... I need IDEAS! (and a bit of money to buy it with wouldn't go amiss!) ;o)

An extract from the msn conversation I'm having with Adam at the mo.....

~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~
Adam says:
http://www.dictionary.com/search?q=procrastination :) :)
~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~

Too true.

Anyone know anything about:

Structural Symmetry, Asymmetry, and Proportion within Beethoven's Heiliger Dankgesang movement of String Quartet Op.132?

Nope, me neither.

I'm meant to be working now. Really meant to be working now. I did almost nothing yesterday work wise (apart from three Barefacts articles - total around 1,250 words!) so I've really got to pull my socks up. I don't want to be having another crazy all nighter like I had so many times last year. I promised I'd be good this year! Plus I've got so many concerts and rehearsals this week (supposedly reading week) that I've not got much time beyong tonight.

And, of course, on to important things, I still need to get myself a costume for Drag and Fetish Night on Friday! :o)

Today I had a day long coaching session with the Gemini Ensemble, which wasn't too bad (well, it kinda improved as the day wore on) and our quartet ended up playing in the final concert, which we really didn't expect. We played a groovy piece called "String Boogie" - very jazzy and cool, and totally unlike anything else that was being played. I think the tutors looked down on it a little, cos it wasn't "proper" Classical music, but we wanted to do something different to everyone else. It was quite funny, because some people from other ensembles had been making a bit of a thing about the fact we were playing jazz and hadn't actually rehearsed until today - but we still got into the concert - hah! ;o)

Adam came to the concert, which was nice - he claims he's now "cultured"! It's always funny to show people Studio 1, when they've never seen it before, cos they don't expect quite such a huge room to be in an academic building. I think he enjoyed it though....

Right.... now it really is work time!

I wonder if my weblog will have automatically done the hour change? I normally acknowledge the clocks going back bang on 2am, but Adam called me at about 5 minutes to, so I missed it this year. Ah well, it means I get an extra hour of sleep.... no, wait, sleep? An extra hour of work!

Current total - 923 words, out of a desired total of 2,000 (and that's including 4 diagrams)! I think I'll make it. Whether I get a half decent mark for it, however, is a totally different kettle of fish. I'm not sure whether I'm writing anything remotely relevant of appropriate to a final year music essay. I always wonder when they're going to find out I'm a fake and I can't write essays at all... but hey, I've managed for the past 2 years, not long to go now!

I don't think I'm going to get much more done. It's blowing a massive gale outside at the moment, which is quite interesting to watch - I've already checked to see if there are any tress within falling distance of my window - don't worry, I'm safe! The wind keeps dying down then exploding into a rush of falling leaves and whistling..... chimneys? Surely not! I've absolutely no idea what's whistling, but there's definitely something weird going on...

It's Roast Dinner Day tomorrow - a tradition I have grown to love over the past 5 weeks or so. It's round Ian's house, so afterwards I'll have had roasts in 5 different kitchens on campus in as many weeks - Kat's (Guildford), Wrighty's (Battersea), Adam's (Surrey), mine (Battersea), and Ian's (Cathedral)! Yum yum yum.......

It's a Saturday night and I'm staying in doing work. :o( I was invited out to a birthday party, a birthday pizza and drink bowling party and Cigars and Good Living at the Union tonight, but totally out of character I've decided to stay at home and get some of my Beethoven Essay done. So far I'm on 550 words - I got a load done this afternoon when Adam was asleep in my bed, and I had nothing else to do! He's gone with the others to Danielle's birthday drink bowling tonight, so I've got no distractions in that sense! ;o)

I really reeeeally want to get more involved in the University newsaper, Barefacts, this year. I write a weekly column called Rawson's Creek, as well as random things like the stars, but I want to get into it more. I'm considering standing for one of the editorial positions, but I think I need to get more experience of writing various types of articles before I take that on. I don't want to mess it up. I'm trying to come up with a reaction article to issues surrounding the "Washington Sniper" at the moment, as well as something about Ann Summers and issues surrounding that! They've got to be in by Monday, so I've gotta get my skates on. I'm aiming for 1,000 words on my essay before the end of the night too - good thing the clocks go forward tonight - one more hour in which to do... work!

I've just been to the library for the 2nd time in as many days - I'm starting to get worried; this is totally unlike me! ;o) Though maybe it's got something to do with the fact I have an essay due in in... oohh..... less than 6 days time? Mine's entitled "Symmetry and Asymmetry in Beethoven's Heileger Dankgesang String Quartet Opus 132"..... fun fun fun! Yesterday I was informed by one of my friends that she'd already finished hers.... I haven't quite started yet.... aah well, it's better to do the million and one things I do, and do my essay at the last minute, than spend all year just working, and nothing else.

The Anne Summers Disco last night was good fun. We did Chancellors Challenge beforehand, and came fourth (I think) - not bad at all! I think the teams that came 1st and 2nd were cheating, though - they were sitting as one huge team of around 13, but submitting 2 question sheets, and were entered as seperate teams. Grrrr.....! Ah well, it's all good fun. At the disco I spent time with Adam, Ian, Neil, Wrighty, Stefan, Dave, Jim and many many more. It reminded me of the first night out in the Helyn Rose Bar this semester (7th September). Woo hoo for Union nights out! And well done to EESoc (especially Adam and Ian) for organising such a great night. :o)

I should be going out again tonight. I think we're having pre Union drinkage round at Rawson 2, but I'm not entirely sure. Depends on who's going to turn up. I hope Adam can come over - he's been invited elsewhere too - decisions, decisions!! I'm meant to be going out tomorrow night as well, to Amanda's birthday party.... arrgh, when the hell am I gonna get this essay done?

Hmmmm.... I think now would be a good time to start!

It's pushing 5pm and I've barely eaten yet - Thursdays are always my busiest day of the week! I've got a meeting in 20 minutes for MaD Soc, so this won't be long... Today i woke up at 2 minutes to 12.... and I had a 12 o'clock lecture!! Amazingly, I managed to walk into the lecture room 4 minutes later - must be a record!

Tonight's the Ann Summers Part in the Helyn Rose Bar, that Adam and EESoc have been organising for the past couple of weeks. He's been spending so much time on it, i'll kinda be glad when it's over and he doesn't have to run around crazily sorting posters/bar staff/music/DJs etc etc 24/7. I'm not sure whether I'll be going to the actual party bit, as all my girlie friends seem to be busy, but I'll definitely be along to the disco afterwards with the boys - afterall, I can't miss the event I designed the posters for, can I?!? I think Chancellors Challenge followed by a disco sounds like a good plan....

I'm eating a "chunky drumstick" lolly at the moment, and it's rather awkward to type at the same time. I had to buy it to get some change from my new fiver to use in the photocopy top up machine in teh library just now. Yes, that's right, Sarah actually went to the library - miracles never cease!

Hey ho, off to my next appoinment of the day......

So, here we go - my first attempt.....

I've been diarying for the past.... um...... 16 years (that'd be since I was 5 - scary) so I thought adding an online one to my recently purchased brand spangly new website - www.icklesarah.co.uk - would be a logical step. Currently I don't actually have anything on the website... but I'm working on it, and it'll be up there within the next few days. Fingers crossed anyway.....

At the moment I'm sitting here at my desk in Battersea Court Rawson 2/13, listening to GU2 on the radio, half watching Friends in the background, catching up on the USSU BB, talking to Adam online and generally procrastinating and avoiding starting my Beethoven essay that's due in in...... um..... a week........ :o(

Ah well. Let's see if this works!