Finishing year 13 in 2017 part 2

Good time to have a muck-out - DD had a bit of one before she left for her camp, and found £39 round pounds, plus a lot of small change.

I braved the pit yesterday and can report that lord Lucan and shergar are fine!!

I on the other hand haven't stopped sneezing since!

I am looking forward to finally sorting DS's room out. I am quite sure there is GCSE stuff and geological strata of kebab wrappers under his bed.

Just booked his meningitis jab.

Funny how they can travel the world and the seven seas

I have spent the afternoon mucking out DS's room. He still had Yr11 paperwork/school stuff in there, FGS!

Anyway, we have sorted out stuff to be binned, stuff for charity shop, stuff to take to uni and stuff that's staying at home.

I'm knackered.

If you are booking your adult gap year, don't do interrailing, it has been very stressful for all concerned! In our day you rolled out of bed at the hostel, made for the station and got on a train. Not now, you have to pre-book most trains and the reservations cost lots (it is cheaper for him to fly home from Milan than to reserve the trains).

Anyway, he headed off on Sunday morning (after DH checked and told him there were no trains to London due to engineering works) and I haven't heard from him since which is good (I hope). However he doesn't get back until 13th and then leaves again on 17th so his timing sucks. Guess who has been delegated the task of uni shopping? But before that guess who needs to do the clearout of his room? The house is a tip as I prepare to gut out DS1's room and move DS 2 in there....aargh, I loathe clutter and mess!

I wish I were more insouciant

And don't forget vaccinations ...

'DS, remember you'll need to get booster and meningitis jabs.'

'What?'

He's studying biological and biomedical sciences ffs.

Space to sit Mirabelle? Im hiding in tje garden as the dress DD ordered isnt right and she has to go out to meet someone shes hopefully doing some babysitting for. Meanwhile DS is grumpy/anxious about GCSES and not prepping for Reading...

Saying that, DH is trying to help.her set up her student bank account...

That sounds rather stressful Liney, fingers crossed and for all the others.

DD home safe and sound and we are going through a bit of an adjustment period after a promising 1st night. Am off to the garage to clear myself space in a minute. I think the Foundation Art might be too Art heavy, especially in the first term which she'll find hard going and frustrating that she can't do the photography and I think this could go a bit wrong.

This is like Worstival, Tilly

It's not ideal. We'll just have to panic keep calm and carry on.

Ok the website is updating, crashing, changing, wobbling ... basically what's left is the most expensive premium en-suite, and the oldest (and least expensive) without sinks. Opposite ends of the spectrum; that's what there is left. Massive price difference.

I'm now watching Jamie Oliver wrapping ham round olives.

Fingers crossed Liney.

I think DD hears about hers tomorrow. She is also having a belated joint 18th with her BFF tomorrow night. And still debating whether to go to Bestival the weekend before starting uni.

God that sounds stressful, can't understand why they aren't answering the phones though.

At one point the portal was saying all the accommodation had gone.

DS is supposed to be guaranteed university accommodation if he accepted his clearing offer within a window (which he did) and if he applies in an 'accommodation portal window' (9am today till Friday).

The portal opened 3.5 hours late and it is, erm, awful. And no-one answers their phones. He's emailed - I guess that's all he can do right now?

Why Liney? What's up?

I'm finally heading for the implosion I probably should have had on Thursday.

Reading University accommodation 'service' - they will finish us off. I'm reduced to watching Jamie Oliver make pastry on Food Network whilst DS waits for a call back from Reading.

How are we all doing on here? Uni prep underway?

My DS is already in training to be a student - goes to bed late and doesn't get up until midday

Think this was the last year they published it. Ds had an unreliable phone at the time and this served him well.

So, who want to join me on a senior Gap Year? I spent the whole of 1986/7 travelling and vowed that I would do the same when I turned 50 because I met some inspiring "older ladies" on my travels.
Guess what, I turn 50 next year..........!

Senior interrailing you say? How old is a senior?

Think I've still got ours! Was it a red cover paperback?

Didn't they stop publishing that timetable book? It was the best thing. Trying to work everything out beforehand, not relying on an app to tell you. It should have been illegal to stop publishing it. Ahh, inter-railing, happy days! Actually I remember telling my travel companion that homosexuality was a good thing while crossing St Mark's Square.