Agony shan't

 So, more dental treatment, I'm sure loads of you have been through it. Apologies for not poating for a while. I've had a truckload of work I wanted to get through (one more essay to do tonight, it's quarter to eleven and this one's due tomorrow) and I still have a bit more (okay LOADS but let's ignore it for the minute).

This little intro brings me to what I call the Golden Rule of Work (GROW). The GROW is, and this is not simplified or shortened or anything, because it's nice and simple already- "As long as the work is in on the deadline, completed to a satisfactory degree and quality, then it doesn't matter when you do it."

I live by this rule. Seriously. I'm the "night before the deadline" kind of person many of my friends despise. Not because I don't do the work, but because I work well under pressure, so leaving most of the application (which admittedly I do preplan in advance, because it gives me days to think of what I'll write into the longer essays) until the night before is fine by me. I can speed-type when I'm in the working mood. By speed type I mean seven pages in an hour. Size twelve font. But yeah, I have to be in a working mood. A productive mood, as it were. It does depend on the subject, though. Law and Sociology essays are a lot easier to complete than German ones, not least because I already know English grammar, syntax, cases, and verb agreement. I've just finished an essay titled "Das Verhältnis zwischen Martin und Clarissa ist gespannt. Wie ist das zu erklären und auf welche Weise wird das im Film vermittelt?". For those of you, I guess a majority, who don't speak German, this translates into "The relationship between Martin and Clarissa is strained. How is this explained and through what methods is it mediated (shown)?" so yes. Sometimes A-Level languages have some strange questions. We've just finished a seven-week long "Environmental resources" topic- believe it or not, I've learnt more about renewable resources in the last term than science taught me in the whole of Secondary School.

Anywhooo, I got braces put on my top teeth this past Friday (two days ago). I still can't chew anything, and they're cutting my mouth because the orthodontist didn't cut the ends of the wires off enough. So every time I smile or laugh or talk or eat or even brush my teeth, I cut the inside of my cheeks. Like an inside-out joker. Except even less funny. Agony shan't get the better of me, however.

One thing that gets rid of pain is hilarity- and hilarity did indeed present itself yesterday evening. Boy oh boy, it was a treat, I tell you! My mother and I, her boyfriend (Julian) and his daughter were all sat in the living room, me on the floor, the other three on chairs (I'm completely uncouth, I know). Suddenly, Julian jumped off the chair, and smacked a rather large spider onto the floor. It started jogging (not quite a run, not quite a walk, like it was hurrying, I suppose) towards the curtains. His daughter ran to get a glass and postcard [note: these should exist in every house at all times for moments such as this]. Right as she left the room, he put his foot in front of it, to stop it getting to the curtains. Now, I would have applauded this (admittedly ill-thought out) tactical move, if it were not for what happened next. The spider, seeing the shoe, sped up. It ran to the shoe, straight UP the side of the shoe (still on Julian's foot) and... Up his trouserleg. There was a moment of disbelief. He then started doing what I can only describe as a one-legged, three-times-normal-speed haka dance, stamping the foot over and over again. After four or so frenzied stamps (all four of us are scared of spiders, I should say), it fell to the floor. The damage, however, has been done. My mother and I pissed ourselves laughing, and there are now conversations underway to the effect of wearing bicycle clips at all times. A good idea, perhaps, but I think I prefer the more interesting outcome that results from the alternative.

Happy reading, folks!

In Preparation

...In preparation for Year 13, I'm beginning to do some work. For instance, I went to the dental hospital again today, and got my wire changed. I wanted a shiny new one for school, you know, to be presentable (okay in truth I just needed it changed but this makes it sound like I was more willing). Anyway, the appointment was at 10:20. I got up at 10:12. You should have seen me run! I impressed myself, to be quite frank.
I have been preparing in the form of beginning to write my personal statement. I'm doing well, but I'll probably never post it for you all to have a look at... That seems very out of order and kind of an infringement of privacy (as if Facebook and this blog don't already shine light on the most private facets of the diamond that is my life). Anywho, it takes a while to write. I have time set aside.
While we were in France I completed some lesson plans, which I hope to put into use when the new school term starts. I'm optimistic about the outcome of this new opportunity; it gives me something useful to do when I would otherwise be possibly wasting my time, and it helps others, so that's a go-go all round. I'm happy.
Back to the ground, this orthodontic treatment... I know it'll be worth it in the end, but for now it just really hurts all the time. I don't like to take painkillers, it's not a major pain, but it is annoying FO SHO.

Therefore, distracting myself with Youtube (whoop! Luka Salic! Whose Line Is It Anyway! Various other videos!) and books ("Sports Nutrition", "Sports Science", "The Working Body", etc. ) so I'm not bored, as such. But still, the holidays... after a while you're just looking for something to fill your time. I've reached that stage - where I'm somewhat looking forward to the new term, just for something in terms of constructive activity...

Also, all-liquid diet because my teeth hurt. Soup ahoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lNvmxBNqGTc&feature=related

Cheers, m'dears!

Stage two of treatment

Well, hi again! There is a stage one post, it explains what's going on with my treatment in general.

Yesterday, we began stage two of treatment- the jaw wire is now affixed to my teeth. I can't pronounce Tees, Esses, or Gees correctly. It kind of sucks. The main problem is the pain because it's forcing my jaw to grow apart at the roof of the mouth. Which is painful enough to, as I found out yesterday, knock me out if I bite down hard enough. Thankfully I was lying in bed at the time but still it freaked me out a little bit!

I am confined to yoghurt and soup for the moment. Hot and/or hard food hurts because my mouth is tender, so I can't eat loads of stuff. I basically can't chew at the moment; I'm not happy about this!

However, an upside: I can have icecream and cake. WOOO!

This lisp is seriously annoying. My tongue hates me if I try to speak properly so there's no chance of that happening for a while yet. We go to France in two weeks... And I can't eat anything. GRAARAHAHHAHHAAHHHGHHHHH!
To take my mind off the pain I'm reading more and more. I love losing myself in a book so I'm happy. :)


happy reading, folks!

THE GORILLAS!!

I noes not (really) how many there are in total, but I noes for sure -FO SHO- that there are around sixty painted gorillas in and around Bristol. I keep finding more and more of them. They're beautiful and have been created to coincide with Bristol Zoo's 175th birthday. I think they're brilliant! The one in Sainsbury's at Clifton Down is spray painted a beautiful blue colour and it has orange spray-strokes on it. They'll be for sale at the end of the exhibit (the auction will be September 10th if I recall correctly) and we want one for our back garden. The proceeds will go to Bristol Zoo. This is one huge HUGE exhibition!

More in terms of art, I went to the museum today to have a look at some Beryl Cook paintings firsthand. Her style is very unique, instantly recognisable (yes, even for a youngster like me!). After the museum visist I carried on up to the RWA to see the Jack Vettriano exhibit, more stunning stuff. He didn;'t start painting until he was twenty-one; self taught, many images of dancers... His paintings sell for up to £744,000 nowadays at auction. Incredible.

Perhaps I ought to pick up a paintbrush? Any of you who know me will be cringing involuntarily in horror at this point...I don't blame you.

More on the average side of life, I've realised the homework I had a week to do (it seems I always have so much time until I have none!) is now due in tomorrow. An essay on... Well, "Assess the contribution of different feminist theories to our understanding of society". Thirty-three marks of pain, I kid you not.

Currently reading (HOW do I find the time!?) James Patterson's CROSS COUNTRY. Also I picked up the Oxford Dictionary of Dentistry at the Library, it's got some amazing information in it. I make it sound like a novel... Well, when you've got as much mteal in your mouth as terminator, you want to know why and how it's working. Teeth-gnashingly interesting stuff, methinks!

Happy reading, folks!

Stage one of treatment

Hello again! Sorry there's been such a long gap in between the posts, I've had exams and all sorts of lovely but boring other things that unfortunately filled my time. Anyway, I'm back at school full time now and we're starting year 13 work now. The courses are very long so we have to start in June and then we get the chance to do things over the summer in time for September and January exams and all manner of other horrible nasty scary things.

Anyway, I digress! I've been to the dental hospital again and started stage one of treatment for my teeth and jaw. For those who don't know I'll be having orthodontic surgery sometime in the next couple of years, but first the dentisty people have to make sure my teeth will align properly (alignment of the teeth is called occlusion) in time for after the operation. So! Stage one is pretty painful so far.

My friendly dentisty lady has put some rather painful spacers between my back teeth (both top and bottom) to push them apart. there are six (one on each side on the bottom and two on each side on the top) and my teeth are already feeling it. It's not a nice feeling as I can't chew much (yoghurt and soup all the time).

So, yes. I like to call this Star Wars Dentistry, because they are using the force...

I can't have steak! My life is over! No, not really. Well, apparently I'm going to lose weight as a result of the very limited diet I am now going to have to eat, but it doesn't matter too much. As long as I don't lose more than about a stone it should be okay, though it depends whether that stone will be in fat or muscle...blegh.

I'm not eating sugary foods because they've already put the metal anchors on my bottom teeth in preparation for the next appointment (this coming Friday) and I'm psychotic about not having horrible marks on my teeth when the treatment is finished. My friend Ali has said I need to make sure when they take the braces off at the end of the treatment I need to make sure they get all the glue because after that the glue colours with food but my teeth won't- resulting in nice little blobs of colour on all my teeth. "Najjs". all I have left to do is decide what colour I want my braces to be :D

It's raining! I hope it stops by the 28th, that's my birthday. :)

Happy reading, folks!