...just sleeping.

The last month and a half have been ridiculously stressful and full of wonderful, time consuming things. I have spent the last five days in a lethargic state. Still, worth it, I think.

In other news: According to my History class we should not be giving money to Africa during the recession, after all, it's not our problem, right? And anyway, "We don't get given shoebox appeals, do we?" I wish I was making this up.

Also, I've found out the texts we're likely to be studying next year in English Lit: Dr Faustus, Wuthering Heights, The Bloody Chamber and Dracula. I love A level.

Finally, Merry Christmas/ Yule to everyone :) I am going back to bed now.

My sickness has come back after a week long holiday.  IT IS GOOD TO SEE YOU AGAIN

Nano is almost done- If I work very, very hard tonight, I think that I can get it done before 2am! Plus History homework, which I've had 2 extensions on, plus Cello practice for an exam on Wednesday and I STILL haven't learnt the scales, plus stuff for West Side Story Wednesday-Friday. I am doing too much now. Please be not giving me more essays.

History is really staring to bore me - I really couldn't care less about British Politics in the 20's, and incredibly irritated by the fact that both textbooks AND the teacher ignore the actual stuff we really need to know.

I've purchased Storm Of Zehir and, and, well, underwhelming is my reaction. Horribly buggy, screws up MotB and all player modules, the Overland map has a really, really nasty glitch on my PC so I can't actually see it properly. The story is not there. Nor are the characters. It's like playing Dungeon Siege all over again. The novelty of making several of your own wears off very, very quickly.
It feels like a glorified RTS/ RPG hybrid in the vein of King's Bounty or Heroes of Might and Magic, what  with the wandering about a map, fighting random battles, buying and trading resources and the party of heroes. Fun, but not exactly gripping. It might get better, and the cohorts might develop some personality (Lashti has potential).

Oh, and exams next week? Ho ho ho.

I've decide to drastically cut back on the amount I'm writing for jonowrimo . I really can't cope making myself write 1000 words a night. I don't want my writing to become a chore. I also think I need to spend some time over half-term sorting out world-building notes, character lists (I've lost count of several name and people), and a few plot issues, which I don't have time too right now.

On a happier note, English Lit has drastically improved since one kid dropped it.  I was surprised to find I'm doing better in the class on Romantic Poetry and use of Narrative, than I am in the Death of A Salesman class. (A* to A I think). Which is odd, as I'm already bored with the Rime of the Ancient Mariner, and Keats' rampant misogyny is really stating to irritate me. Though trying to argue that La Belle Dame Sans Merci is a feminist poem is fun.
History remains, at least in one class, dull and full of idiots (the idiots are in the other class but they just sit there in stupefied silence in that one. Why, hello there intellectual elitism!) But still 3 and a half out of 4 subjects being enjoyable is good.

Oh, oh. I have found (well, been recommended), a Victorian cello-rock band! And they are mighty!

Rereading Bernard Cornwell's The Winter King at the minute, and rather enjoying it, despite not really knowing much about the Arthurian legends beyond the very basic stories. The fact it's reasonably accurate for the historical period, and the Byzantine/ Dark Ages is probably my favourite period in history, is a huge plus.

Schoolwise- 6th Form's very meh. Classics and RE are what I'd imagined it to be like, actually intelligent debate, we're treated like adults, everyone can cope with the subject, interesting, difficult but so much better than GCSE. History and English Lit, the subject I want to do for degree for fuck's sake? Terrible. And the teachers are all good, the subject matter interesting, though I'm not overly-enthusiastic about history. The problem? The people in my classes are morons. Why are you doing English fucking Literature, if you don't read for pleasure? And why do you whine about a subject you chose to take, and treat the teachers with no respect? And you're paying for this? Jesus fuck. I am seriously pissed off at the amount of time wasted on having to explain simple concepts that we've either already gone through/ or are so fucking basic, it's unbelievable. Like, and I shit you not, the fact that Glasgow is NOT in Ireland, the Cabinet is NOT a piece of furniture, and Ireland? Is not actually attached to England.

I've complained to about 5 different teachers today. I'm fucking paying for this. I could've just gone to a proper college, but decided to stay on, and this is what I get? I don't fucking think so. And while I appreciate the advice, you know, I don't really want to drop History to do Drama so I can get moved to the other English group. I don't think I should have to do that, somehow.

Apologies for the little rant, but I am very pissed off. Also, does anyone know how to get the Rich Text formatting option when posting? It seems to have disappeared for me, so I can't use italics, or bold or anything anymore. Thanks :)

Entered jonowrimo . Having rather a lot of fun so far, I've only written 800 words, but I've mangaed to establish two of my four viewpoint characters, and set some of the plot in motion. And I'm writing in a lovely, shiny new notebook *Squee*

6th form is less good at the minute, History is a little bit shit, both the class and some of the subject matter. English Lit also has a pretty crap class (if you have to ask "Why is the poem so long?", maybe you shouldn't be doing English Lit). It would've been so much better if I could've swapped to the other groups, but because I do RE, I can't without dropping history, whuch I really don't want to do. Still, talking to people in the other English group, and the rather wonderful head of history made me feel a bit better. I'll give it a couple of weeks and see how it goes.

Loving it so far, Classics is, of course wonderful. The Odyssey is so much more interesting when read in depth. and the Greek Tragedies? Oedipus The King,  Agamemnon, Medea and Bacchae. I am in love. (although we're not doing Antigone, sadly).

The English Lit class isn't great. Really, if you don't like reading, and don't read for pleasure, why the fuck are you taking English fucking Literature? But the teachers are awesome, and neither seem to be the type to take much shit. I was amused to hear Ms Connolly say "Sex seems to crop up a lot in Mr Phillips' lessons." And it does. We've already had 'Sexy lesbo vampire zombie women'. Also, the Rime of the Ancient Mariner is wonderful.

RE is fascinating. We're doing Ethics, and the Hebrew bible, which are both a hell of a lot more interesting than I'd expected. Looking at the bible like any other text is just fascinating.

History's a bit meh. I might even drop it for Drama next week (which would switch me to the much better English class, with the same teachers). I'm not remotely interested in the Domestic Policies of British governments 1918-1951. And, the Nazis? Again? Ugh.

Sarah's Party last night was a lot of fun. Even more so being one of the few non-drinkers. I can enjoy myself without throwing up )which someone did. I think I stood in it. YAY!)

Pissed off that I've managed to lose my 4 Gig  Pen drive. I'm sure it'll turn up. Probably in my locker. But still.

Finished Sleep, Pale Sister. Wonderful in every sense of the word. I'd highly recommend it to pretty much anyone. I'd say it was Harris' best TBH, some of her later stuff seems to recycle a few themes and characters (thoguh not to the detriment of the plot). I'll post something more detailed on it later, I need time to actually go over it in my head. I was very interested by Harris only having 4 characters, and giving them all a viewpoint. It's nop something I think I could manage. Not in 1st person at any rate.

Also, I think I'm going to really like 6th Form. Though, sadly, it looks as if a lot of last year's little cliques are still in place, despite the year being drastically reduced in number (60, I think). Dissapointed to see that two of my crushes have gone to other colleges, but for the best really. My relationship with one was cold to say the least, and the other was most definitely straight. Glad to see some other people had stayed on, and most of the people I dislike have gone. And i have an awesome form tutor. And I will now be in form with Tom for the 6th year running, which is bizarre really.