As 2012 draws to a close, once again I can hardly believe how quickly another year has gone. I was contemplating how best to reflect on a year gone by, and thought what documents all I'm up to, in time capsule-fashion, better than Facebook status updates and photos!?
So here is my year - documenting office-lols, BSL lessons, multiple weddings,the Masters journey (from writing the personal statement to completing the first term), summer holidays, and two house-moves - *Phew!*
2012
January:
 |
| Seeing in the New Year with Hayley (and Amanda!) |
Congratulations to Jack and Claire on their utterly beautiful and wonderfully great wedding yesterday
:) :)
When being a biology graduate
becomes uncool: correcting people in sign language classes because they're
describing animals wrong.
Today learnt useful phrases at BSL
like 'please don't interrupt me',give me the orange pen', 'don't understand?
I'll explain', 'call me tomorrow' and 'will you get the bill or me?'. I feel I
am now well equipped for life in a deaf school, or on the deaf dating scene.
Splendid.
Lesson learned over dinner: conserve
energy, there's no need to respond to random words in other people's
conversations that aren't *actually* your name. My name's not 'envelope'.
Due to the electricty outage this
morning I opted to plait my hair to keep it all under control. This was a
largely successful venture, but I did twice during the day make myself jump
because there was something resting on my shoulder, and had also forgotten the
joy of post plaited-wet-hair hair. Afro is my evening look tonight. Suave.
February:
 | |
| Going for dinner for Sam's Birthday Clarissa and Charlotte |
Thank you, landlady, for finally
sending me a blind for my freezing window. Hurrah! You're right, it does look
*really* easy to install myself! All I need is to be 6 inches taller, have a
set of screw-drivers, the ability to screw into wood frames, and to have a clue
what I'm doing! Excellent. Landlady, do you not realise *I am not my Dad*?!
The awkward moment when all the snow
melts and it's revealed that you hadn't actually parked in a parking space, and
you've actually just abandoned your car in the middle of the car park...
What a great weekend! So good to see
Mike and Liz Sturgess, and Debbie Gliddon; and to have Mary Catelyn to stay - and such a privilege to get teaching and
inspiration from such wonderful people, meet with God, and allllll that
jazzzzz. Time for a nap.
Dear BBC, thank you (most ardently)
for making so many awesome period dramas, then selling them in one almighty box
set, and making days off so mightily scrummy. MIGHTILY SCRUMMY. Sincerest
regards, Miss Emily.
 |
| Unseasonally beautiful March weather, and I almost die in a horsey stampede |
March:
Can really only apologise to the
other participants on the health and safety training today for completely
derailing the focus for so long by answering the question 'what hazards are
associated with vehicles in the work place?' with 'them potentially being
Transformers'. I think I'd had too many biscuits
Oh spring,I do enjoy your
arrival,and your diminishing requirement for bike lights :)
Great Exchange with Dylan this
evening...
D: Em, I'm pressing you! Look, Em, pressing, I'm
pressing you like a BUTTON!
E: Dyls, when it's people you usually call it 'poking'.
D: ...Poking you like a BUTTON!! :D
Considering
changing my name to Emaily. Emaily by name, Emaily by nature, and only one
letter's addition.
Chilling out in this lovely weather
with Just a Minute, waiting for the famalam to arrive. I think this is the
Birthday version of #livingthedream :)
April:
 |
| The beautiful spread at Mica's hen-do |
For those of you who this means
anything to, Tim Jupp of Delirious? fame was in the office this morning. I made
him tea. Was one of only two people who understood how cool he is!
Hen night win :D exhausted now.
Hooray Mica!
I'm in love with the laminator.
When asking Bry what I should write
about myself as good traits I possess in my personal statement she suggested
'witty banter' and 'good at making portmanteau words'. I reckon alongside my
suggestion of 'looks great in wellies' we're really getting somewhere...
Entertained by how conservative
M&S are in their descriptions. Just bought a skirt for graduation which
they describe as a 'black jersey mini-skirt.' It comes down to my knees.
Well, graduation next weekend, Mica and Samuel's wedding the weekend after - life's all kicking off and
getting exciting now! Lots of monumental moments - I'm excited :)
May:
 |
| My oldest friend, Meesh, as a beautiful bride |
I've graduated! :D and just had
graduation lunch as a guest of Lord Krebs at high table...I'm not sure why,but
it was lovely and I'm both honoured and full of great food :)
Just putting it out there: I'm
worried about Andrew. He's tidied his desk.
Had a completely wonderful day at Mica and Samuel Gill's wedding yesterday - everything absolutely beautiful. Can't
believe you're actually married, Meesh! Thanks for letting me be a part of it
:) and me and Leanne made it up and down the aisle in our heels without falling
over = Success!
So, this new weather: great, BUT,
could it like, rain torrentially and abrasively overnight? A bird's done a
mahusive poo on my skylight and I'm concerned it's just going to get sun-baked
on
 |
| Me and Emma with Heth on our graduation (photo taken by Jenni G) |
Remember how I fell in love with the
laminator a few weeks ago? Well. I've just discovered...the LABEL MAKER. :-O
*LABELALLTHETHINGS!*
Discovered today that watching a
video of yourself signing is MUCH less mortifying than a video of yourself
talking. My guess is this is because you can't realise that you sign in a
posher accent than you'd previously thought...
BIG CONGRATULATIONS to Emma for winning the Guild of Food Writers Award for best Food
Blog for poiresauchocolat :) :) So proud of you!
June:
 |
| Jubileeeeee! |
*sigh*...
Andrew: "I like Manchester's graphics and layout, but I don't
think a tag-line should end with a preposition."
Me:"What, so instead of 'not just a service, but a
family to belong to', it's 'not just a service, but a family to which you
belong'?"
Andrew: Exactly. This is Oxford, not, y'know,
Manchester...
Stephen Mangan replied to my tweet
today. I've made it in life. :D
Cute things Dylan does #a-bajillion:
Tucking my fringe behind my ear when I'm reading him and Phoebs a bedtime story
'cos it's 'in the way and he can't see my face'. :)
(Also sign I need my hair cut #a-bajillion.)
 |
| Jubilee lols with Oliver (aka Loliver) |
a very excellent evening, though
very sad to have closed Flat 5/6. I guess it's actually the end now. *sniff* :(
Nisa came back to work today after a
month away. She brought me back a scarf from Pakistan, and told me I'd lost
weight. It's nice to have her back :)
Has the patience of a saint. Except,
one of those saints where when they check their emails and still haven't got
the email they're after, they get frustrated again and have to screw up pieces
of paper and breathe deeply. That kinda saint.
I am Pooped. But I love getting to
see Anna
Robinson! :) Where the love of her life may keep
her in France, at least the Hen Party brings her back ;) x
July:
 |
| The 2012 rings at the Olympic Opening Ceremony |
That was the last day of Juu-uuune,
and this is the First of July.
 |
| The Opening Ceremony Industrial Revolution |
This morning I accidentally
dismissed rather than snoozed my alarm. However, at the moment I needed to have
woken up, a crow landed on my roof outside my open skylight and cawwed *really*
loudly to wake me up. Thanks nature! I feel like Snow White.
"No, you're fine!", sayeth
the sky, "honestly, you'll make it, I won't rain, you're fine. Honest, get
on your bike!...Yeah, JOKING!" *KER-SPLOSH* This is the conversation we've
had every day this week. *sigh*
It's official - my life will look
very different come October: I got a place on my Masters course! :D
in the 20minute cycle home from
work, I've just gotten more cold and wet than I have done in months. Did anyone
keep the receipt, I think this July is faulty...?
Discussing
whether the tooth:money exchange rate in the toothfairy economy is actually
viable,with an actual member of The actual treasury. Loving graduate life :D —
with Tom Wickersham and Sarah Marchant at St James's Park.
August:
 |
| The mountains of Verbier |
I am home, and provided with tea! :D
Great time away - An *excellent* opening ceremony, and an *amazing* five days
of catching up with friends, looking after babies and toddlers, drinking wine
and laughing with CCN, catching a few rays and dodging a few raindrops,
learning new things and having a great time with God. Now, to move house. Maybe
I'll wait til tomorrow to start on that...
Right. To the last little bit of
packing. And moving out. *sniff*
It seems like there's a negative
correlation between how clean the old house is and how clean I am. Shower time.
'Eau de Oven-Cleaner and anti-bac' isn't the most attractive fragrance.
I'm not sure I'm built for such back
to back excitement - wedding yesterday was WONDERFUL, hen do today was
HILARIOUS, and tomorrow I get to do stage one of Swizzventure! How exhausting!
:D
Having spent much of the evening
poring over finances and loan applications for going into post-graduate
studentdom, I think I may have to unsubscribe myself to the fatface emails that
are pinging into my inbox. Even the sale ones. SAD DAY.
Hooray! I've officially passed
British Sign Language Level 1! :D Hooray again!
Just been rehearsing with David Brennan for Hayley and Oliver's wedding tomorrow - it's all very exciting! Also loving
seeing Anandi Brennan too! Joyful Friday. Now, to keep oneself occupied to
justify the office needing to be manned...
September:
 |
| The students' pre-term weekend |
Have literally got the painting
& decorating/cleaning bug. This new house WILL BE BEAUTIFUL. If you see
paint in my hair/on my glasses/around my nails/all over my face, just humour
me.
Andrew's just fired me for about the bazillionth time. Either way,
can't quite believe I've only got three more days in the office after today.
Had a great time at the pub after
work with the nicest colleagues, who buy the best leaving presents (you know me
so well!),say the loveliest things, tease me ridiculously and make me laugh a
stupid amount. Thank you - I'm definitely going to miss the kings centre office
family *sniff sniff*
I HAVE A NEW BED! IT'S NOT BROKEN!
AND IT HAS LEGS SO I CAN PUT THINGS UNDER IT! AND MY WINDOW IS OPEN! EPIC
DAY,ALL ROUND!
(the sad part is quite how much effort we put in to
achieve this mini victory...)
The guy over the road hasn't
perfected the art of getting changed far enough from the window that I won't
see him if I glance up. Awkward.
Right, I'm going on a reccy to
reading. Just to make sure it's actually there...
October:
 |
| My classmates at the shoreline, at Kimmeridge Bay |
Right then. Off to be a fresher again. And meet
lots of new people. Eek.
Has never
been a breakdown rescue service before, but I think team Sturgekins did a great
job this evening. — with Helen Jenkins.
Today, Sian Lloyd started following
me on Twitter. I'm just not sure what to think about that.
Felt so swanky on the London
Paddington commuter train this morning. In my wellies.
On our way down to the south coast
for a day at the seaside! I mean, we'll do some shore surveys while we're
there,but SEASIDE! :D
As expected, 11o'clock Emily is
really not blessed by the state 7:30 Emily left her bed in, having come home
from uni. Will she never learn?
Things to do tomorrow: All the
things.
Things to do now: sleep.
I'm very excited that my binocular
delivery service comes with a pub lunch, and a catch up with the rents at the
weekend. Now that's service.
 |
| Gorgeous Red at the British Wildlife Centre |
November:
Today I got very cold, deliberately
fell in a hedge to see how dense it was, and got a stitch from laughing
hysterically at grass (or it could have been at Jamie. Or Leah. Or all
three...).
I realised this week, in my
cake-centric brain, that the phrase 'bats and birds' sounds like 'battenburg'.
Consultancy is forever to be cakey.
SOMEONE'S JUST FARTED ON THE HOT
BUS. THIS IS NOT OK.
It's Merlin o'clock. I bloomin' love
that time.
Is playing 'are you ill or are you
just overtired' roulette tonight. The rules of the game are: go to bed NOW, and
get up at 5:45am tomorrow and see if you've died. I'll let you know how I get
on.
I FINALLY MADE IT HOME!!! :D and am
tempted never to leave ever again.
So, today I am thankful for: the flood water not having
reached our house, the glorious Jessie Hine for her graciousness, my amazing big sib for picking me up from Didcot AGAIN, and payphones when your
smart phone has outsmarted itself. Oh, and pizza. Phew.
Just used the phrase 'sodding sod
you soddy-sod' in discourse with my printer. Evidently the end of a long day
and a long assignment. I think I may have hurt his feelings a little bit
though, I doubt he ran out of ink maliciously. Better go and apologise.
December:
 |
| Posey Robin at Slimbridge |
I've gone from nought to Christmassy
overnight! :D
Oi, rappin-blud next door, check
this - You rappin your rhymes at these kinda times ain't blessin this girl when
she's gotta wake earl(y).
Cease and desist now, cheers.
Bag is very heavy, filled with field
guides, this morning - nearly took a woman out on the train, trying to hoik it
onto my shoulder :s #beatthemwithbotany
Today, Jonathan dressed up, sang a
song about grasses to that tune the periodic table song is to, made us sing
along, and filmed it to go on YouTube. Life is nothing if not varied. And
hilarious.
'Wait, is that...?! Oh no, forget
that. Nothing.'
'Is that what, mike?'
'Nothing. I thought it was a rhino. It was just a horse
in a rhino coloured jacket.'
Brilliant journeys to London with Mike.
Drinks with coursemates, a wonderful
party at Emmas with college friends, and a relaxed day chilling in Harlesden
with some of the old OCC gang...and for once there's not a photo to prove it,
you'll just have to trust me this weekend was the *best* way to end term :)
Today is all about the penultimate
episode of Merlin. Let's not pretend it's about anything other. (Unless you're Jamie and it's your birthday, then it can be about that.)
'Twas the night before Christmas,
and all through the house,
Not a creature was stirring, save chinchillas (like
Mouse);
The stockings were flung on the sofa (with care...),
With hope that gifts, in the morn, would be there.
The family were snuggled all warm in their beds,
Kings Carols, and Merlin, still fresh in their heads,
Sibling's arrived, and Granny's there too,
And in the morning, a BIRTHDAY, for our Katie Lou :)
Merry Christmas, all! x
Sue Perb.
Right, well - that was my 2012 in status updates and photos! Was actually incredibly nostalgic going through all of that...But anyway. I hope you've all had a wonderful Christmas, have time to reflect on all that 2012 was, and have an excellent New Year :)
Love, as always, E x
