Happy Birthday Alan! Sorted a few things today. Successfully complained about the Kitkats. "A gesture" is on it's way. Two fingers? Maybe. Drew up a list of the work that I must do. And all the things that me and Lizzie want to do together over the next few weeks. Then struck off item number one with a phone purchasing - should be delivered tomorrow. Still can't text. Lots of WLMing though - with Paras too - and talking on the phone to Lizzie. And all the time there was a dead squirrel in the kitchen.

Another late start. And lots of talking to Lizzie. Realised that I didn't know where my little iPod dock was. Hunted but did not find. Compiled my Arran photos into a beautiful little page. Spotted a load of April fools. The Observer, Google of course, Blogoscoped, TechCrunch, and Lizzie got famous on Mashable for some Facebook fooling. Heard various things about Rosie's return date. It kept changing though - need to wait for that to settle down some more. Saw some Ze. I supplied Molly and talked to Rosie and Lizzie overnight.

Another late start. More talking to Lizzie than ever before I think. Rosie arrived back in the afternoon too. I found my iPod dock buried in my bag. And Lizzie's phone stopped working after dropping it bath wise. In her own words it became a device for me calling her only. Excellent. Later in the day it started to slowly recover. Even reading messages in the evening. I'm getting more impatient waiting until Thursday. Made some media about that... Had a particularly good tea. And cracked an anagram in seconds... Yeah right.

Woke at geology time, and then went back to bed. Rewoke in the afternoon. Caught up on my internet affairs. Blogs, Kelner's podcast and emails. Not too much happened in my week away. $33 and a piece of fan mail - look who's popular. Looked very briefly at the computer assessed exercise and did some unpacking. Lizzie was boy shopping. Talked to Lizzie on the phone, and then online. A brief break for Dr Who and tea. But nothing else. Afterwards I did my washing. Bed at 3 something I think.

Continued the pattern of waking later and later each day. The last full day of proper geology - and rain was forecast, although it never showed up. A longish walk with not too much looking at rocks. But plenty of throwing them. Some good fossils like a giant millipede's tracks. Obviously instantly recognisable after my time in Sheffield. An early ride back to the hotel and the minibus. When the other group moved off the road that is. Watched a bit of the football then talked to Lizzie.

Home time. Thank god for that. Walked to the ferry port before 8 am. Then left the geology party at the other side. Trains with Nick until Glasgow. Then to Edinburgh with some of the Christ's massive. Geology jokes all the way. Fining up, faulting, dykes... etc. Gutted to find my Virgin train was a Midland Mainline one in disguise. Four hours sitting on it and I did maybe a quarter of the Kakuro. Neeep. Talked to Lizzie at home and went out for Daly's birthday. My belly hurt.

Bought postcards, then me and Nick paired up and mapped several contacts along a river in the morning. but spent the afternoon eating on the river bank recovering from being traumatically rescued from thick smoke by a demonstrator. Yeah... no. Prepared for presenting as soon as we got back and did so at 9. Avoided some key errors and laughed a lot. You just can't have an eruption of granite Craig. Dessert forks didn't end the call, but at about 1.30 the phone battery did.

Walking boots nicked! Not mine. Heavens no. But lots of other people had to join us on the dossy Glen Rosa walk rather than the heroic Goat Fell because of it. Lunch in a bar thing with a free upgrade to a more substantial pizza. Coffee and cake at 3 pm, followed by some stocking up at the Co-op for the big journey. Later in the afternoon we had awards - congratulations to NJR - and a summary. After fluffcake it was bar time. Talked to a rather drunken Lizzie.

Woke really late. Just managed to buy some rolls and Pom-bears before going out to the field. Mapped several dykes in the morning and looked at a large sil in the afternoon. Also some enjoyable geology looking at intrusion dating. It was really sunny, and whilst I ate a tub of strawberry-yoghurt ice cream Lizzie enjoyed a Central Trains situation with multiple turn arounds on her way home. I wrote and sent postcards to Lizzie, Family Davyson, and Dr Adam. Heard Lizzie's mum over the phone.

A day with only 23 hours. I missed the hour when I should've had breakfast. Still scrambled to the coach ontime. and with 5 fresh cheese rolls for a huge lunch. It started off cold on some of the early outcrops. But after midday it brightened up and delayering occurred. Laughed at booking arrangements. Fell asleep in the coach on the way back before listening to some tunes. And a permian joke over dinner. Found out Lizzie had gone insane... which sounded rather worrying.

First day on Arran. It's a lifestyle change. Breakfast at 8. Coach at 9.30. Walking and looking at rocks until 5.30. Walked through the whole of geological time... yawn... granite intrusion, Hutton's contact, dalradian rocks, conglomerates, cross bedded sandstones, fossilised bivalves... YAWN. Was very tired when got back to the hotel. Need much more lunch. Ate loads of crisps. Fruit juice for a starter, then lamb casserole, and a trio of ice cream. Yum. Went to the beach to phone you know who.

Woke later than I should have. Had a huge £7.50 breakfast in the hotel before going out to the coach. Looked at rocks. Then moved fither on to have lunch in a carpark. Then walked quite a way for pillow lavas. Missed the last locality due to high tide. Waited for the ferry... and finally hit Arran at about 7. In a room sharing with 2 others. Or is it 3? Got a rusty nail ready. Spoke to Lizzie. I miss her.

Said goodbye to Lizze. Went back home to pick up my packed bag and take the bus to the train station. 12.21 Dad at the station but he didn't see me on the train. Virgin train to Edinburgh. The a slow one to glasgow. Then a bus through the city. The train to Ayr was full, and delayed, and when it came... slow. A taxi from Prestwick to the hotel finally got me on to the field trip. Let me sleep!

Woke properly at 10. Lizzie and co arrived about half an hour later. Tour, trampoline, chicken action and toast before heading into town. bought shoes for me and Dave and then went back to Lizzie's flat. Got supplies of drink for the night out and phoned home to let them know I wouldn't be back until after Arran. They took it very well. Picked up Robert and started to drink. Countinued for a while before leaving for Corp. Then sleep.

Very good night last night. Returned home at about midday and had lunch with my dad. I slept a little in the afternoon. Then had tea and started to pack for my field trip. Suitcase for me I think. I realised I had to unpack first to find the list of things that I needed to pack. A few things that I need to buy tomorrow. Walking boots, and waterproof trousers. Planned a town trip with Lizzie for tomorrow.

I woke quite late. About 1 pm. I spent the day doing some more of the unpacking. But still not making much progress. I got the stereo wired up, and I got my work out of the box. I made a stab at both the computer exercise, and the physics practical write up. Outside it snowed. In the evening I went out with Lizzie, her gang and some of my school friends. Afterwards I stayed over at Lizzie's.

Sorry about everything Lizzie! I returned to my house at about midday. Snowing, hail, rain and sunshine on the way home. Bought lunch. Got shouted at about Mother's day. If only I'd listened to Lizzie... I had a bath. Prepared a card, and bought flowers. Then I unloaded all my stuff from the car and stuck it in my room. Began to unpack some of it - but nothing really. I went to bed early in the evening.

Back to Cambridge to get all of my things. Had to pack my room really quickly and leave pretty much straight afterwards. Saw a few friends too. But not everyone. I slept a little as we motored back to Sheffield. When we arrived back I had tea and then headed to Lizzie's to go to a house party. It was very good. Some house with massive rooms! After a trip to the Friery I stayed over.

I spent most of the day out of bed. A first since the illness arrived. Lizzie came round to my house. And we talked, and ate, and met my dad, and met my sisters, and (briefly) met my mum, and (much less briefly) met the lodger, and collected Ella from school, and went out in the garden... Good times. She went back to her flat in the late afternoon. I wanted to join her...

Now a day with the cheddars. Met up at 3. Made a fool of myself with my passport trick causing us chuckage from Spoons. But we looked around some shops and got food anyway. Then hanging around for a lift back with Dom. Got to the flats and sat about and talked. I felt much more comfortable than I feared I might. I left before the film showing and bumped into JLS and friends. Home.

Not happy with the third night out in a row I decided definitely not to go out tonight. However I ended up going along to Spoons with the gang. Police everywhere. Keith stopped James on the door, but once in burgers all round. Andy decided to go for a lets be drunk by myself sort of situation. Ordering several large pitchers for himself. Went home and phoned Lizzie.

Enough is enough. I phoned my dad and asked to be collected later that day. Went to the doctors with Beth in the morning but the man was very dismissive. Very common apparently. He gave us some more drugs. My dad arrived at about half one and we left straight away. Back home at last. Everything already felt better. Had to get used to having parents again fast. Arranged to see Lizzie tomorrow.

Phoned the plodge in the morning and got the college nurse to see me. She came at about midday and took me to sick bay. A two-bed-hospital somewhere quiet with stuff from about 20 years ago. The nurse gave me more drugs, but there was really still nothing to do. Still lots of sweat. Still hard to swallow anything. But I ate some of a meal - my first meal since Saturday. Slept.

Another day of yuck. I lay in bed all day. I had informed all my supervisors that I was done for the term - no more work from me. Replies to these messages started to trickle in. All ok. They said concentrate on getting better. I watched about half of airplane. And I almost went insane with nothing to do apart from sleep. And the builders were against me even doing that.

Felt awful when I woke. In the afternoon phoned my mother to tell her that I wasn't feeling at all well. She arranged for Beth to come round. James brought me over a pizza but I could only manage to eat one slice. Beth brought Lucozade, Strepsils and orange juice. My throat was very sore and my bed very sweaty. Kept changing the bedding. But couldn't do it quick enough.

2 months in. Still standing. Lizzie booked her train tickets for the holidays. Home for one week only. Messed around a lot online. And had a shower. Heard from Nick that the maths takes ages. I think that is when I started to feel ill first. Still messed around. Skyped Lizzie, which was nice. Later I really did feel ill. Hobbled to plodge but they wouldn't give me drugs.

Wow! Very good night at Cindy's. Woke to Lizzie's results. Very good stuff. Well done. Didn't eat my lunch. Rode over to the physics practical which was with Darty again. Chose to do the gyroscope. Oh dear. Worked in the library in the evening and then made the mistake of Soul Tree. Was definitely not drunk enough for anything like that. Came home quite early for chatting.

Ended up going to Life last night. Somehow woke early and went to lectures! A very odd series of events. Didn't go to the second lecture I must say - but it is better than nothing. Nick just missed Blantyre. Letter and all sorts of goodies from Mark in the post. Walked around all of the housing with James, before Cindy's for a big night with everyone.

Balloting day. Woke at about 12. Chemistry supervision at 12. Running made that ok. Went to ballot after the maths supervision. I am living in room 17 next year. Maybe we messed up. Kneah. Went to see the house with Nick. Then went out in the evening to the bar and to Life. Talked to Lizzie who got chucked out of Plug. Drunk together. Nearly.

Slept until about 11.30. Gave Nick his present. Went for a meal deal at Boots and shopping at Sainsbury's. Then read up on some missed physics lectures. At 4 I had the supervision I slept through last week. It was pretty good. Geology was fine too. Went to bar, but had to leave to work. Chatted in my room. Maths was done by 5.