hathycol | i'd give up forever

So, the weekend in a list of handy factoids:

Trips to Cambridge: 1
Expected Nights At Cambridge: 2
Actual Nights at Cambridge: 3
Fucked Up Trains: Innumerable
Trips to London: 1
Trips to Serenity: 2
Squeeing Over The Above: Innumerable
Parents Met: 2
Old Friends Met: 1
Parking Tickets: 1
Piercings I Can't Afford Until Next Month Now: 1
Lectures Skipped: 1
Brand New Pterry Novels Read: 1
Jealousy Over Better Accomodation: Zillions
Mocking Of The Kitchen: Made Me Feel Better About Gatty
Free Meals: 2
Skipped Meals: 2
Exhaustion Level: Considerably higher
Bank Balance: Considerably lower

Oh, by god, I'm so tired and this weekend was so unexpected and wonderful. And somewhat longer than I meant it to be. However, I have exciting stories! And fangirly stuff! And did I mention the stories?

So, I went to Spanish on Friday with a smile on my face and a song in my heart. To put it another way, I drove in and felt smug. This feeling disappeared somewhat when I came out to discover a parking ticket. I was two minutes late and the time they'd given? One minute. BASTARDS. They'd been watching me, I suspect.

So, that's £30 down the drain. I will just have to go and watch the housemates in the Great Piercing Fest Of House 27 rather than participate. Not best pleased.

So, somewhat less pleased, off I went to the train station. The thing is, I do not pack light. It's a problem, I know this. So I had a Bag O' Doom (well, I borrowed it from Katie), my trans-Siberians coat that is quite useful in chilly train stations late at night, and my cunning outfit that keeps me warm. Skirts are warming when combined with some fairly nasty tights and boots, I swear.

So, I was sorted for my fun trip. I had a list of where to make my changes, my tickets, all was set. I even managed to get a seat. The Edinburgh-King's Cross train, however, decided to hate me. (King's Cross is a theme later on. Stick with this, I promise, its gets more entertaining later.) It was somewhat late, which threw out my changes at Stevanage.

Oh well, I thought. I texted Simon with a few hours to go letting him know about this, and resolved to go and find the traveline number to get my transport sorted out. I had a spiffy ticket that let me go pretty much anywhere, so it wasn't like it was a problem. This did not stop me from panicking a tiny bit. Okay, I was back on home turf in that I was in England, but I was in the South. As

emmysuze will attest, I am a barbarian who sits around wearing woad and pokes the fire with a pointy stick, occasionally hunting a wooly mammoth with aforementioned stick. They're not kidding when they say it's Grim Oop North.

Imagine, then, the scene. It is 9.45pm. I am in a place that I do not recognise. I am wearing a skirt which I belated realise is slightly shorter than my coat, so I resemble an unusually bulky prostitute, with a coat buttoned from shoulder to knee and a rucksack that makes me look like the Girl Guide I will always be. I have my determined face on, and I am ready to face the world like a strong and responsible woman who is definitely not slightly wary of public transport and does not care that her skirt is shorter than her coat and that said coat is on the bulky side.

This look, I suspect, was slightly ruined by turning around to see Simon. I squee-d and rushed him and then looked at him like a confused sheep for ten minutes.

Apparently, Stevanage is quite near Cambridge and he came to pick me up. I no longer cared how rubbish I looked, as I was really rather delighted and slightly melty instead. Also, it meant I actually got on a train to Cambridge, which is a Good Thing.

So, Cambridge. Gosh. St Andrews is OTT pretentious at times. We have a FUCKING HUGE population of what I will call "yahs". (Because of the accent - "yah, darling, yah!") They nance about in pastel jumpers and pearls (depending, occasionally, on sex), own half of Yorkshire and do sport ALL THE TIME. They feel the need to advertise this. The ones you need to be actually wary of are the Sneak Yahs. They look normal until you realise they are well fed and clean, and as such FUCKING RICH TOO without the need to advertise.

Cambridge is full of Sneak Yahs. However, I can understand why. It's absolutely lovely. Okay, I saw the train station and Jesus College on my first night and in the dark, but the college was beautiful. His room is bigger and older than mine, but I live in a 1960s pre-fab, so that's to be expected. But the buildings! Make my history geek go yay! They have quads and courts (we only have two!) and a porter's lodge and trees and oh my jealousy is so obvious. And plus, it has Simon, so Cambridge seems much less scary than it might have done.

So, next morning and Simon has lectures and I'm trying to be supportive and not tell him to buggar off because I'm sleeping. Fear my supportive nature. So, while he did something to do with maths (I am supportive. This does not mean I understand) I wandered around the city for a bit. It is pretty and more expensive than St Andrews. Scary biscuits. Next stage was to his room where I did Spanish looking out of his window, which has a beautiful view and was very peaceful to actually work in.

Next up was a trip to see Serenity. Now, I had a hat for this. I have a Jayne hat, gifted to me by

jennnlee, and it is one of the most wonderful things in the world ever. I love it to bits. And I took my Jayne hat as we sprinted across Cambridge to make the showing.

Well, I liked it. In fact, I liked it a lot. I haven't seen a lot of Firefly - it's a work in progress, I swear! - but I like what I know. Seeing River's escape gave me a happy buzz, it has to be said. And Mal! *hearts Mal* "We may experience some turbulence. And explode." Still loving Kaylee, too. *pets Kaylee*

Um, what else? The audience was appreciative and laughed at the right bits, although the geeks were instantly spottable for the little references. This is all a Good Thing.

OH WASH OH THE PAIN. That was nasty.

Reavers! Are scary!

I can't think of anything more coherant.

So, full geeky fun there, and then I Met The Parents. I don't do parents. I don't do good first impressions. In fact, I was panicking a little bit. Fortunately, they did not immediately beat me to death for ~~defiling their son~~ corrupting their firstborn, which I always think is a good start. I made conversation every so often, they were very nice, and I got food! All was good.

Next day I was also up early in my guide once again as supprtovie, although a flute auditon this time. I did not work, however. Bad Colleen. Lunch was eventually had, and I hurtled towards the train station, upset to be leaving but also realising that I had to, since it was the last viable train and all.

They cancelled my train.

I flailed a little bit. Went to the information desk. "'scuse me? Is there a viable route to Leuchars from here?"

He checked. "Yeah. You'll get in a 11.40pm."

That would be the Dundee train, full of pissed squaddies from the Leuchars RAF base. We've been told to avoid that train when travelling alone if at all possible. I wasn't that willing to put myself at risk.

"Okay. Is there a train to get me in for 1pm tomorrow?"

There was. And as such, I stayed for another night. However, this involved a trip to London to see Serenity again. No great hardship, I have to admit. Why London, you ask? Because it had been planned, so I gatecrashed. I felt bad, I have to admit, but... well... yes. His friend, Freddie, regarded me with a faint suspicion of "who in the name of God ARE you?" ("Do you go to Cambridge?" "Nope, St Andrews." "... do you do maths?") but was actually very nice and all was well in the state of ~~Denmark~~ London. I then dragged Simon to see Andrew for all of ten minutes and we flung ourselves back to Cambridge.

Less fun was leaving this morning. Leaving is hard enough as it is, but doing it before the sun has even risen is just twisting the knife. Fortunately, I slept most of the way back and made it back just in time for Spanish. Lisa recorded the modern history lecture, too, so I've not missed anything. Thank goodness.

I smell food now and I think I have contracted the Cambridge version of Fresher's Flu. NOT FUN. *sneezes* Also have hordes of work to do and I'm allowing myself to be distracted by housemates, cleaning, and looking for Johnny Cash - Hurt. Cause I wants it precious, yes.

Although right now, I just want to sleep. Or for it to be reading week. That would be spiffy too.

~Hathy_Col~