September Summary

Puling out your get psyched mix tape like

Good day people of the blogisphere.  I am currently sitting in my bed, pajama clad, listening to my 'morning vibes' spotify playlist  (some would call it my very own Barney Stinson-esque get psyched mix).  This playlist is particularly fun because, despite it's name, I have listened to this selection of music at just about every time of day imaginable bar mornings.  Anyway, it's 11.30pm and my morning vibes are plentiful all thanks to this strong, select community of songs.  It has also just occurred to me that in less than an hour it will be the last day of September and this has led to take a long, hard look into the pond of reflection.  
Let the reminiscence begin.

September began with me drowning in a deep swamp of post New York depression.  A depression that could only be cured by spending money that I was supposed to be saving on clothes, boots and fun new stationary.  Myself and B had come to the conclusion that the only way we were going to survive the fiery pit of hell that is our university was to go into the new academic year feeling fierce, fun and fashionable.  We were going to go into the year as new people!  Then when the old faithful bus pulled up at the university bus stop on the dreaded first day back and we were forced to accept our cruel fate and sulk our way to the lecture theatre and fight the overwhelming desire to off ourselves we could take one look in the mirror and at least pretend that we were sophisticated, well put together young ladies.  My return from holiday also resulted in my return to work which brought about a strange turn of events:  I turn on the CD player one day because music is fun, therapeutic and because I wanted to and it just happened to be a Frank Sinatra CD that was in the machine... before I knew it the Frank Sinatra obsession of September twenty fifteen began #StrangersInTheNight.

Wish I could leave today to be a part of it

Shopping filled the void well and kept me from staring at pictures of New York/Watching absolutely any film or TV show set in that marvelous, beautiful city of dreams whilst crying into my Laduree napkins and rolling around in a pile of my New York City attraction tickets which I had kept as souvineers.  However, shopping can only solve so much and when shopping had done everything it could it was time to move on to the next method... Alcohol.  It was time to assemble The Whale Wankers (for new readers: the whale wankers is both a potential name for Sea World employees considering what the devastating and eye opening masterpiece of film Blackfish revealed about certain tasks they are required to undertake as servers of Satan and the name of the squad which consists of myself, B, L and S... It's a long story... when S isn't around we become The Taymoms #simples).  The Whale Wankers met for cocktails and clubbing.  

The Whale Wankers

Queen G and B after spotting The Calvin Harris

When we checked the drinks menu the first thing that caught my eye was what some would call destiny!  A drink called The Calvin Harris.  Now anyone who knows anything about The Whale Wankers knows that Calvin Harris is a deity to us.  We want to be him, we want to be with him, we want to take him home to meet our mothers...  Predictably 4 'Calvin Harris's' were purchased and then following that 2 more cocktails were purchased each (for myself they were The CrayCray and The Basic Beach but The Calvin Harris was abundantly better than everything that followed it, naturally).  After cocktails we went to the club and we danced all night because when in Rome.  S decided to stay at the club after we left, B fell asleep in the taxi and L and I (in said taxi) went to the McDonald's drive thru where I quizzed the employee on his knowledge of current BBC newsreaders (namely Fiona Bruce #MyHero).  I was most unimpressed about his knowledge and as soon as the transaction was complete we got the hell out of dodge and back to our flat.  We tried to get the taxi driver to keep B because she was asleep and only the strong survive in this friendship but he said it was against the Taxi Driver rules/laws/code of conduct.  L and I sat and gorged on deliciously disgusting fast food while watching Gossip Girl (L watched while I talked over the whole episode about how much I love Chuck Bass and Leighton Meester) and then I "woke a human being" (a phrase I chose to repeat over and over again in a whole lot of snapchat videos to B and L) to retrieve my Ed Westwick cardboard cut out from the room said human being was sleeping in #noregrets.  

Family Goals

A few days passed and then before I knew it, too soon, my alarm sounded to inform me that the summer was officially over and uni was back in business.  The first week flew by considering I was only in class for 2 days.  On those days I was told I looked "sophisticated" "older" "pretty" and I was complimented on my new Kate Spade bag from New York, my Miss Selfridge coat and on how fun my summer holiday looked (from the Facebook pictures of course).  

When you have to go back to university 

Team Gossip Squirrel 

After uni started back the weeks became a routine of uni Monday-Thursday, Friday off, working 12 hours on Saturday and Sunday.  In between this monotonous, dull, drab, struggle of survival we found time to attend a pub quiz which was hella fun -more alcohol was consumed except this time in sensible amounts and we came 6th overall which I think was a not bad effort for our first time.  I also managed to get through a crazy amount of How I Met Your Mother and have become absolutely addicted, which will probably result in a noticable reduction in productivity in post class studying but as I always say: when in Rome.  And you know what they love to do in Rome?  Watch How I Met Your Mother (probably because who would love to do that?).  Anyway, September has drawn to a strong and steady end as Leighton Meester's baby's birth was confirmed, Taylor Swift continued to dominate the charts, the world and my heart, cats still exist and are still 100% fluffy, the sun has returned to Scotland, I finished reading the first Sisterhood Of The Travelling Pants book, I've been making soup, Scream Queens finally aired and  Fiona Bruce returned to my screen looking as Olivia Benson/Veronica Hastings/Eleanor Waldorf as ever.  

My plans for October are to join the gym, finally settle on a Halloween costume (it's between Holly Golightly because I love Audrey Hepburn and plus cat or Wednesday Addams because thats fun and why not?), pay back my parents, host the Halloween party of the century, make a start on my dissertation and most importantly stay fun, fierce and funky.  

On a side note I finished reading Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty in September and it was so good and I think you should all read it! 

The moral of the story is you can't win a participation award if you're not willing to participate.

Xoxo
Queen G

And for reference here are a list of songs that have played in my Morning Vibes playlist as I've composed this blog post:
Young Blood - The Naked And Famous
I Want You Back  - Jackson Five
Magnets - Lorde and Disclosure 
You Make My Dreams - Daryl Hall and John Oates
Yes Sir, I Can Boogie - Baccara
Weight of Living part 2 - Bastille
What Do You Mean? - Justin Bieber 
Blue - Marina And The Diamonds
All My Love - Ariana Grande and Major Lazer
Pumpin Blood - NONONO
Midnight Movies - Saint Motel
Something Stupid - Robbie Williams and Nicole Kidman
Tongue Tied - Grouplove
Marvin Gaye - Charlie Puth and Meghan Trainor
American Pie - Don McLean

Signs That You Are Crazy Tired

Hi guys, so lately I have been thinking a lot about tiredness and the effects that it has on your physical and mental state.  Sometimes there are clear sign that you are exhausted that go beyond that "oh hey I'm kind of tired" feeling that every one of us knows all too well (shout out to Taylor Swift who wrote a 10/10 hit song named All Too Well.)

Anyway, as an advocate of the people I think it's necessary for me to write this post highlighting some of the main signs and symptoms, or you know just some crazy things that you do, when you are well and truly in need of climbing into bed with your teddy.

Everyone's fave Vampire Diaries character

Emotional turmoil
You know those days when you stay up until like 4am to watch "just one more episode" of Grey's Anatomy or Pretty Little Liars or whatever the cool kids are watching these days.  Then you close your eyes, snuggle in and before you know it your 7am alarm goes off alerting you it's time to start the day.  You are drowning in a deep ocean of regret and you can't help but hear Hermione Granger's voice in your head declaring "what an idiot".

I'm so sorry H.

 Anyway the tiredness you feel at that very moment has absolutely nothing on what lies ahead of you.  What this day has in store for you is tears.  Tears when you watch a video of puppies because "they are just so cute!".  Tears when you can't decide what fun snacks to buy at the supermarket (this is how the great cheese and onion vs salt and vingegar debate of 2015 came to be).  Tears when Shadow and Peter get reunited at the end of Homeward Bound (although you can't help but feel like that would send you into a breakdown even after the recommended 8 hours).  Everything anyone says to you is a personal attack, everyone is conspiring against you, you just feel so down... Girl, you tired!

You are legally blind

I cannot see.

Now I cannot speak for people who have impaired vision to start with because I myself have perfect 20/20 vision (#blessed) but when I'm tired my eyes do all sorts of crazy stuff.  Reading the numbers on the bus is virtually impossible, this has caused my poor sleepy self to have almost missed the bus home on more occasions than I'd like to admit to.  There is also a lot of staring.  Because I can no longer see the length of a corridor or hall HD style as I am used to I can no longer make out peoples faces.  Because I know I can normally see their faces perfectly, and because I have sleepy brain working full time, I tend to think that if I just stare at them long enough then my eyes will focus and I'll see them clear as day.  Then there is teary eyes.  This is when everyone thinks that you are currently sailing around in tear town from the stage above when in reality your eyes are just so heavy and fatigued they keep making it rain, except it's acid rain because it burns. 

Apathy

I feel you

I learned this word in my 3rd year neurology class but I'll give you the definition for free.  Apathy is basically a lack of feeling, interest, motivation etc... Found often in people with frontal lobe damage or in people who are regularly receiving less than their recommended 8 hours/not receiving a good dose of that all important REM sleep.  You know when you just want to lie in bed but you want to watch a film but you can't be bothered but you're hungry but getting food required effort.  You reach for your laptop eventually and open netflix but you cant be bothered to watch that show that you love so much (fun fact: that show for me is Gossip Girl, every time.  If I can't be bothered to watch Gossip Girl I either need some major shut eye or a neurological assessment).  Maybe you'll just go back to sleep, but you can't be bothered to sleep.  You'll go get food, but will you eat cheese and onion crisps or salt and vinegar?  Oh no here comes the tears.  Actually nah, you don't even care about food anymore, you'll just lie here and stare at the wall for a bit.

Making stupid mistakes

Remember even Serena VD Woodsen
Has made mistakes

Okay so let me tell you a story about a dark time in my life.  I was tired for getting up at 4.45 for my 4th 13 hour shift at work.  I shuffled through to the kitchen and took my loaf of Warburtons white bread out of the freezer and removed the heal of the bread.  I walked over the the bin and dumped the loaf in the bin then took the heal to the toaster and put it in to toast.  Then I realised what I had done.  I went back to the bin to confirm that yes I had just thrown out a whole loaf of perfectly good bread.  I stood there staring at it for a while considering putting myself out of my misery and just ending it all then 
and there.  But rather than ending it I grew from it and I learned, like Tyra taught me to.

She was rooting for me.  They were all rooting for me

So there you have it, a lot of useful information for people everywhere.  Blair Waldorf said that sleep was for the weak and while I agree with everything that girl says I do think that there is a time and a place for resisting sleep (such as for a dare, for a Taylor Momsen youtube video binge, as part of a sleepless cult or just for the hell of it to see what would happen).  When you are in school or university, or when you're a working gal bringing in the dolla don't deny yourself a chance for some skin to fur contact with your teddy bear or whatever it is that your'e into (whatever helps you sleep at night, no shade)

The moral of the story is I feel terrible for Edward Cullen 

Ah no I don't, I don't sleep.

Interview With My Flatmates: School and University

So I decided I would start interviewing my flatmates on different subjects for my blog, this is my first one and it's on the subject of school and university because I thought it would be interesting to see how our high school experiences differ and we all met in university - it just makes sense.  

I will be interviewing the always positive and cheery bundle of joy that is Jessica (J), the excitable and celestial super fun friend and Nelly Yuki enthusiast Beth (B) and the sassy, classy and a bit smart assy Serena Van Der Woodsen wannabe Lesley (L).

The only picture of the 4 of us...

Here are some fun facts about each of them:
Jessica: Has cooked my dinner for me on more than one occasion, is an amazing singer and will always leave a night out early to get food!

Me and Jessica on my birthday

Beth: Is an avid duck feeder, lets me brush her hair like a pony and once she saw Hugh Laurie on a bus.  

Beth and I on Galentines day

Lesley: Let me bottle feed her on one occasion, once had like 3 gym memberships because she was too scared to cancel any of them and she has a pet chicken called Chuck. 

Me and Lesley in da club

Let the hunger games interview begin!

Q. What was your favourite subject in high school?
A.
(L) I really liked history!
(J) Art
*Beth and Lesley get sidetracked and need to be asked to pay attention*
(B) I would say Spanish. I really liked creative writing as well, it was good       umm yeahh.

Q. What was your least favourite subject in school?
A.
(L) ummmm in 1st and 2nd year I really hated French *Beth is surprised* and tech *Beth asks us to clarify what tech is ("it's like woodwork" says Lesley) and Beth laughs a great laugh that shook the pride land at the idea of Lesley           making a bird house - fun fact she made a boat actually*
(J)Maths
(B)I'd say maybe algebra 1 because I had no base, I didn't do pre-algebra         and American studies because they didn't explain to me properly what a           thesis was, apparently my ideas were college level but my layout was that of     a preschooler!
*We also come to the conclusion that mostly they did best in their favourite classes and worst in their least favourite*

Q. Did you play any sports in school/were you part of any clubs?
A.
(B) I did track, cross country ummm I also did creative writing *Lesley tries to interrupt to state that she was on year book committee and PR* Excuse me I believe Beth has the floor and I also did epic which was all about accepting diversity in school, it wasn't actually creative writing club it was book club and I was president of it for a year *loud laughs from everyone* I was also in amnesty international (Lesley says "WOW you were cool in high school!") and I was also part of MAC - multicultural something or other and I had the Scotland booth and we served Irn Bru and everyone said it tasted of cough medicine!
(J)I was in like the panto in 6th year and my teacher got me to apply to choir - it was like glee club! (she loved it!)
(L)Oh i was in some clubs I played netball and I was in the *Lesley gets interrupted and told that we've heard enough from her for now*

Q. Who was your favourite school teacher and why?
*Please note that Beth and Lesley get side tracked again and they need a telling off requesting that they remain focused and respectful of the interviewer*
A.
*Beth and Lesley start discussing the teachers that they had a crush on which was not the question*
(J)Mrs McBioteacher because she was really really kind and helpful and she really inspired me in biology and that's why I decided to study dietetics!
(B) You know what I hated all my teachers!
(L) I hated my biology teacher! ("LESLEY THAT WASN'T THE QUESTIONS!" I exclaimed! *Beth laughing*"You've gotten every question wrong" she says in between laughs) 

Q. What was your favourite school trip?
A.
(J) Ski trip!
(L) I went on a trip to Winmarleigh Hall (I interrupt to freak out over the fact that I also went their on a school trip!)
(B) We had one school trip! It was with geology the teacher rented a school bus, found out she didn't have a school bus driving licence we hit a fire hydrant and then we went to Taco Bell! *Beth couldn't get anything to eat because they didn't have anything vegetarian on the menu*

Q. Did you have a favourite book you read in English?
A.
(J) Trainspotting!
(B) I quite liked The Catcher In The Rye once I understood it! I hated reading it over summer but once I actually understood what he was going on about and the underlying themes!
(L) The merchant of Venice - It was really good because it has that quote "all that glitters is not gold"

Q. If you could go back to high school would you change anything?
A.
(J)No
(L)My weight and hair
(B)Ignoring my date to winter ball all evening

Q. If you could tell your high school self anything what would it be?
A. 
(J) Don't worry about stupid things!
(B)White eyeliner will save your life! Wear some makeup please!
(L) Yeah wear some make up!

Q. If you could go back would you change the course you chose to do at university? (Grades/money don't matter)
A. *All say yes*
(B) I would take a gap year and I would use it to find out what I would like to do.  I'd do some volunteering.  But I'd probably study some writing or literature course
(J) Art
(L) yeah probably like history!
*To clarify we found that if they could go back in time they would all choose a course or subject that they actually liked*

Q. If money didn't matter which city would you want to study in and if you could attend any university in the world which one would you choose?
A.*All initially said they wouldn't swap uni because then we would have never met each other*
(J) Ideal city - Glasgow. Ideal university - Glasgow University
(B)Ideal City -Oklahoma to be closer to my family. Ideal university - Rice
(L) Ideal city - New York. ideal university - Oxford

Q. What was your favourite memory from freshers week?
A.
(J) I can't remember most of freshers week!
(B) When I was trying to get Lesley to name her children after me after only knowing her for one night!
(L) When I realised that all my new friends had a mutual dislike for one person (who will remain unnamed)

Q. Other than the actual work what is the hardest part about being at university?
A.
(B) Being considered an adult
(L) Yeah!
(B) Money troubles too!
(L) Having to act like a grown up when I feel like a child

Q. Finally Summarise university in one word.
A.
(B) Celestial 
(L) Weird
(J) Drunk

So there you have it, everything you could possibly want to know about my friends school experiences - it was a lot of fun interviewing them although it also turned out to be rather challenging considering we all love to hear the sound of our own voices so much.  
Until next time
XOXO
Queen G

The Quiet Rooms

Ahhhh March, it's that time of year again when the weather is slowly improving, Easter eggs are filling the shelves at the local supermarkets and exams are looming.  There's no feeling quite like the feeling you get during the month of your exams; you can be laughing hysterically one minute while you are on a caffeine high at 11pm because you've just downed a 6 pack of Red Bull.  Then before you know it you are sobbing into your pillow feeling sorry for yourself because you've left it so late to start working.  Of course you had these woe is me feelings and last minute studying regrets last year and you promised that you would pull yourself together next time and work hard from day one.  But then as the new semester started you realised that nah that aint me, the work could wait but the partying could not and now you're in the same situation you have been in every year since your first exams.

Leslie Knope's whats up

However the absolute worst part of exam time can be summed up in two words: quiet rooms.  Let me explain because I'm sure that not all of you have had to experience the ghastly, dreaded, hell on earth that is the university quiet rooms.  Upon entering the quiet rooms a thousand beady dead eyes turn and stare up at you pleadingly. "Please save us, please set us free otherwise kill us as end our misery"  That's what their eyes are saying!  There is nothing you can do to help them, if you cant beat em join em.  So you proceed forward into the room and sit down at a computer, there is not escape now.  Suddenly your brain is bombarded with a thousand thoughts of unspoken words that you wish you could vocalise but now you cant because speaking in the quiet rooms is as frowned upon as Jack Dawson's presence on the first class deck of the Titanic.  Suddenly you are faced with a whole new dilemma when you get the hunger pangs and you now understand Katniss Everdeen's struggles in district 12 like you never have before.  The dilemma concerns the fact that you don't want to disturb the peace with loud stomach rumbling but the only way to suppress the rumble is to eat a snack.  BUT you know what the only snack that you have with you is?  CRISPS, yes that's right you only have the noisiest snack in the world in your bag.  What are you going to do?  You can't even study anymore because the hunger has taken over and your anxiety about disturbing your fellow sufferers is through the roof!

Wise words from Queen G's idol.

Eventually your brain implodes and you die inside.  You collect your belongings and leave the room with your tail between your legs, admitting defeat.  The quiet rooms have won again.