Long time no update

Whoops, I hate going that long without updating so I'm going to split this into sub-sections to make life easier (and to make typing quicker).

Driving Test
This was way back on the 11th November but I'm pleased to say that I PASSED! :D :D I am now a fully licensed driver. Which is a good thing as it was costing me a packet to learn to drive with BSM. Still, my instructor Dave did his job and that means that this week is the first week I've had for AGES where I haven't had any driving lessons. It's good to be able to sleep in on a morning! I passed with three minors: Speed; Road Positioning; Starting Off. Not that bad really as the speed was on the way back to the driving centre when I got over excited and went 35 in a 30mph zone and starting off was one time when I didn't get my co-ordination sorted and the engine revved like mad in first gear! Still, it's a pass and now I'm just waiting for my full driving license to be returned to me.

Graduation
This way way back on the 12th November (I hate starting paragraphs with similar phrases but I've done it now!) The day itself was rather exciting, having to get up and then get dressed in my suit (with some new Ben Sherman cufflinks I treated myself to). Then, I walked to Uni with my housemate Simon (who was just along for the ride, he dropped out of Uni years ago) and a friend from Manchester who'd come back to York for the ceremony. As expected York St John and York Minster were heaving with students and parents and the like. I bumped into some of my friends at Uni whilst collecting my gown and that helped me relax, which was necessary. I was more nervous on my Graduation than I was on driving test!

Got to the Minster (escorted by Rosie which made my day a lot easier) and my Mum was there, then, shortly after, Dad and Margaret showed up. It was a weird atmosphere for a little while (Dad, Mum and my kinda-step-mum in the same place....ewwwww) but it soon passed and everyone wanted their photos taken with the graduate and so on, much to-ing and fro-ing. My brother and his girlfriend Emma were late because Emma, being so bloody headstrong, decided to ignore Margaret's instructions for getting to York, went her own way and ended up having to park miles-away from the Minster. So I'd gone in by the time they got there. Thankfully Mum waited outside with their tickets.

The ceremony itself was jaw-droppingly dull. It was nice to see some old friends again, to get updates on how they were progressing (many still haven't gotten teaching jobs and Sandie is actually going to teach in Africa for a while, good on her!) Then the ceremony started. I was numbre 88 so I got to get my certificate early on. But that meant I had to sit there whilst over 200 other students got their certificates. Plus it was cold. The only part of the ceremony that did impress me was my late friend Becky getting a post-humous degree which, I'm reliably informed, got sent to her parents. That cheered me up no end and the round of applause after that was mentioned went on for minutes!!!!! For once in its life York St John did something correctly.

Afterwards it was home for a nap then out to the pub! Quite a few laughs, quite a few drinks, Matt tried to convince me to buy Halo 2 but I wasn't having any of it!

All in all, a good two days

Life in General

• Bought the final Dark Tower novel as a reward for passing my driving test. Haven't started it yet.


• Also bought Deus Ex 2 and Broken Sword 3 for my Xbox - purely because they were cheap! Am playing through Deus Ex 2 and enjoying it muchly, although it has been dumbed down from Deus Ex 1.


• Am WAY WAY WAY WAY WAY behind in Nanowrimo, I'm only on 13,000 words. I'd love to finish it but I've had a cold these past few days and haven't been feeling up to it. I'll try though.

Right, now I need to have a shave because I look like a horrible scruff-monster.