Kates Journal

Yay!

Fri, 11 Apr 2008 12:56:00 GMT

I have had a photograph published in today's Irish Times! Its on page 2 of the entertainment supplement and even though its only one photo, I am truly very excited about it! Its quite a buzz to see your name in print and even more to think "I took that!"

Mmmmmm, Sethness!

Tue, 08 Apr 2008 09:11:05 GMT

Excitement ahead...

...SETH LAKEMAN IS COMING BACK TO DUBLIN!

Woohoo! I thought I was going to be Sethless all year seeing as I can no longer afford to head back to the UK primarily for gigs. The only gig that I may possibly break that rule for lands on my Mum's 50th birthday which means that I will be tied up blowing up balloons and no doubt driving her home after the copious amounts of alcohol she will consume!

So anyway, Seth is coming to Dublin in June and I am so extraordinarily excited! The only problem - tickets are 30 Euro! I'm trying to secure some guest passes before I part with my cash but one way or another I will definately be going! What is also quite exciting is that Carus is looking into coming back to Dublin in August. Fingers crossed he does as I am feeling a little jaded on the gig front at the moment. I seem to have lost a lot of enthusiasm for gigs whcih just isn't right. I am still keeping my eye out for small, alternative gigs though as I get the feeling my lack of enthusiasm just stems from my abhorance for large, unfriendly venues and the fact that I am a tad bored of going to see the same people over and over again! Perhaps Liam Finn, the Opshop....any other suggestions?

Sat, 08 Mar 2008 14:05:11 GMT

I've been very slack recently, I admit it! And unfortunately I am likely to be very slack over the next month as I fly off to New Zealand...TOMORROW!!! I am so very excited although am not looking forward to the 27 hour flight (mind you, the personal in-flight entertainment system with its 40 current or near-current cinema release films will help immensely!).

So its TTFN until I find time (or more likely, a computer) on which I am able to update!

Tuppence a bag?!

Thu, 28 Feb 2008 14:04:58 GMT

M&S are to start charging 5p for each plastic bag used. A lot of the quotes used in that article are very anti-bag tax but its only 5 pence, its not going to break the bank!

I think its a fantastic idea. Over here in Ireland we are charged 22c for every plastic bag. I suppose at first it does seem a bit unfair but when you are used to it, you go everywhere with a couple of plastic bags in tow or even a proper long lasting shopper (the current heavy-duty M&S shoppers are very pretty!).

Finally, if you're shopping at M&S, 5p is absolutely nothing!!! I think the government should make it compulsory for every shop to charge for plastic bags (like it is over here) and, in my view, it should cost more than 5p!

Richard Hammond Interview

Wed, 27 Feb 2008 11:41:10 GMT

Somehow I completely managed to miss this! Knowing that some of you are Richard Hammond fans aswell, I thought I'd put up the link to a recent interview.

Just a few things...

Wed, 27 Feb 2008 10:15:01 GMT

Eeeeuwwww...why on earth would anyone leave a half-sucked, sticky sweet on the seat of a bus?! I've only just found it stuck to the back of my trousers and will now have to wander around with a horrible sticky patch all day!

11 days until I leave for New Zealand *big grin*! I just need to analyse 15 samples, organise fieldwork, undertake fieldwork and prepare for my upgrade interview before I go *bashes head on desk*!

Must get New Zealand dollars, buy new book, maybe new i-pod (is a neccessity you know!) and get hair cut!

Mothers Day this Sunday! Must remember to send a card!

...I never did blog about Galway :(

An end in sight?

Thu, 21 Feb 2008 18:30:38 GMT

Ok, thats it!

I've spent 10 hours in front of the computer so far today (well, including breaks!) trying to finish this report and I'm wrecked! Why is it always the last few things that end up taking the longest?! I'm pretty much there. Its formatted and spell checked and everything seems to be mostly done. I'll just give it the once over tomorrow - I always find reading it afresh after a break is a good thing. Then all I have to do is pop in the contents page and print off 4 copies for my transfer panel! Fingers crossed it won't take too long...then its off to the pub where there is a pint with my name on it!!! ;)

A plea!

Mon, 11 Feb 2008 14:04:45 GMT

This is really cheeky of me but this is a plea for people to visit my photography website and blog and leave a comment or two! I have so far had seven spam comments today and each time I see a new comment has been posted, my hopes are raised, only to be brutally crushed (ok...perhaps mildly squashed!). Ta peeps!

And now for something completely different...

Mon, 11 Feb 2008 10:55:15 GMT

Good morning LJ. Long time, no see! How have you been?!

Its been a long while since I've updated and there is soooo much to recount about - Galway, Gigs and Gareth related stuff for a start! Oh, and to keep with the "G" theme...Green Wing! I have just managed to make my flatmates watch the entire series including the special...they loved it! :)

Despite that, I will keep this post short just to say AAAARRGGHHHHHH....I have a week until I have to hand in the final draft of my transfer report! This is primarily the reason that I have been absent from LJ even though I don't feel as though I've managed to write much of the report! Its mainly just going round and round in circles, cutting, pasting, putting things back where they started and playing with graphs to make them look pretty!

Ho hum! I promise to return soon and write some very long entries just to make up for my absence!

Happy New Year!

Wed, 02 Jan 2008 12:17:45 GMT

Happy new year everyone! I hope you all had a fantastic end to 2007.

My New Year's was a lot of fun. I was actually organised for a change and decided a few weeks ago that I would come back to Dublin. Rachel looked into events and found that a band called Jape were playing Whelans so we purchased tickets. Originally it was just going to be Rachel, her sister and I but one by one, lots of others decided to tag along. Gayle, Sarah and her boyfriend were all there as well as various friends of Rachels. We had such a lot of fun and Jape were fantastic. I couldn't help thinking that they were a rockier version of Kubb...I will definately be going to see them again! Check out the video for their song "Floating" and you'll see what I mean!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Mon, 24 Dec 2007 15:45:20 GMT

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

I have been terrible with the lack of updates recently but rest assured that I will make up for it after Christmas. I hope everyone has a fantastic day xxx

Website update

Sun, 16 Dec 2007 21:07:51 GMT

There are loads of new photos on my website including some abstract shots of the London Eye and some photos from the Maida Vale Crowded House session last week. Please take a look and let me know what you think.

Analogue

Wed, 03 Oct 2007 11:36:34 GMT

The Trinity music magazine is finally out today...and it looks AMAZING!

I was expecting most of the magazine to be taken up by adverts but it is pretty much music interviews and reviews cover to cover!

The artwork is fantastic and the layout is really impressive. Everybody I've shown it to has commented that it looks amazingly good for a student publication! And three of my photographs have been included! They look brilliant and I am really pleased with the whole thing. Brendan and the other guys have done an amazing job putting the whole thing together and when I saw them this morning, they all had massive grins on their faces...they looked really proud of their work, and so they should!

Bring on the next issue! Hopefully more of my photos will make it into the final cut as it looks like I'm being sent to a lot of gigs in the coming months!

Little Miss Sunshine

Fri, 21 Sep 2007 22:12:02 GMT

I've just gotten around to watching Little Miss Sunshine...I haven't laughed so much in a long time! I had tears streaming down my face at the end I was laughing so hard! Brilliant!

Is JB psychic?

Fri, 14 Sep 2007 13:39:15 GMT

Last week I shed a few tears when I listened to James Blunt's "Dear Katie" as it seemed to sum up how I was feeling.

Today I purchased his new album "All the Lost Souls" and hidden within one of the songs "Give Me Some Love" I found these lyrics:

Why don't you give me some love?
I've taken ship-load of drugs.
I'm so tired of never fixing the pain.
Valium said to me,
I'll take you seriously,
And we'll come back as somebody else,
Who's better than yourself.

I found it all rather apt seeing as my back is still in pain, I'm dosed up to the eyeballs and I contemplate whether to pop the remainder of my valium every day!!!

Work avoidance!

Tue, 28 Aug 2007 12:37:30 GMT

Look, I'm on my lunch break ok!!!

This link was posted by one of my friends on err....facebook, funnily enough!

http://newsbiscuit.com/article/facebook-employee-sacked-for-spending-entire-working-day-on-excel-185

Classic!

Guess what?!

Mon, 13 Aug 2007 12:03:18 GMT

I haven't listened to the radio for months! My internet connection at Uni is terrible for things like that. However, I managed to tune into Virgin Radio this morning...and what was the song playing when I first tuned in? James Blunt's "1973"!!! Thats put a smile on my face even though I'm stuck to my microscope again!!!

Yet another blog!!!

Fri, 10 Aug 2007 12:16:19 GMT

Eeek, I know I've been absent for a long while but I do intend on updating soon...I promise!!!

In the meantime I've started up a new blog (doh, something else to keep updated!). I've set myself the challenge of posting a short blog every single day...in the form of photographs.

Please go and take a look: http://www.kesouthall.blogspot.com/

I'm intending on keeping it short and sweet and, hopefully, pretty fun! Be good to see you over there!

Catch-up

Thu, 12 Jul 2007 16:44:04 GMT

The last few weeks have been craaazy and I have so much to catch up on LJ with! However, to spare everyone from a single entry that will seemingly be never ending, I am now busy going back over the last couple of weeks filling it in with entries. Please feel free to go back and have a read...I will warn you now though, its primarily gigs, fieldtrips and endless waffle!!!

Hyde Park Calling

Thu, 12 Jul 2007 16:17:00 GMT

I started the day feeling a tad queasy after polishing off a number of bottles of wine with Debs and Ami the previous night! And the best cure for alcohol-induced queasiness? Well, probably not more alcohol but never mind...breakfast consisted of bucks fizz and chocolate croissants!

It was then onto the coach where we were all overcome by a sense of excitement! "Did I tell you that I'm excited?" became a running joke for the day! By the time we got to London there was just enough time to purchase some strawberries and pimms in tins which were then drunk very rapidly in the queue as alcohol was not allowed inside! We were all rather merry when we eventually got inside and managed to position ourselves at the barrier to the left of the ego ramp. The sun was out against all the odds and more pints of pimms were purchased!

The first couple of bands were pretty good but I didn't really get singing and dancing until Ghosts appeared. This was the first time I had seen them live and I thought they were really good. I especially loved "Stay the Night" and "Stop" and they really seemed to get the audience bopping away!

Then came the Feeling who were as good as ever. No new songs unfortunately but "Video Killed the Radio Star" seemed to be an absolute winner with the rest of the crowd.

Then came time for Crowded House. Debs and Ami were already really emotional and the sunglasses would come out to shield their eyes a number of times that day! And it began to rub off on me! Ami has been a fan for such a long time but had never seen them live and knowing how much the band mean to Debs got me quite choked up! And even though I knew I would be excited I have to say that I was surprised at how much I was excited! They didn't disappoint! The set was so much fun and the banter of the guys onstage was priceless!

By this point we were a little sunburnt and had been making fun of all of the poor people suffering in the mud and rain down in Glastonbury...

...and then the heavens opened!!!

We were soaked to the skin within seconds and even though most of the kit onstage was quickly being covered by tapaulins, the band played on, Nick even prancing around with a towel over his head! The rain was so incessent that it was difficult to even watch the stage and unfortunately the band had to cut the set short for fear of electrocuting themselves!!! By that time we were stood in four inches of water and headed off to get a hot drink. Unfortunately it wasn't until we had fought our way out of the crowd that I realised I had dropped my camera. Soooo annoying as I had quite a few photos on there that are now lost forever. Luckily though I had taken in another camera which came away unscathed (and the one I lost was the older, cheaper camera...small mercies and all that!). Peter Gabriel finished off the day but we were getting a bit cold so decided to beat the rush and headed off to the coach early. Mark met us in Oxford with a flask of hot coffee which was quite possibly the most welcome drink of the day (even more so that the bucks fizz and pimms!). All in all a fantastic, eventful, unforgettable but soggy day!

Hyde Park Calling

Sun, 24 Jun 2007 14:14:17 GMT

Will no doubt post a longer entry later but for anybody who is interested there are photos now up on my website.

Whoop, whoop!

Fri, 15 Jun 2007 17:54:51 GMT

Whoop, whoop! I have more of my photos included on a bands website - this time, Ben's Brother who are bound to be successful!

And I will give another whoop, whoop for I received a letter yesterday formally offering me accommodation in the halls of residence for next year! AND, I will be in the postgraduate house!

This morning I moved out of the halls properly for the summer and then walked into Uni during which I got absolutely drenched! At least I had all of my luggage at the Uni so that I could change when I arrived! Today has been a day for wrapping things up and tying up loose ends ready for when I leave.

"Squirrel goes on rampage in Germany"

Thu, 14 Jun 2007 14:58:48 GMT

I know I shouldn't laugh but its like something you would see in a cartoon:

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/rtrs/20070614/tod-uk-germany-squirrel-1a5e080.html

Wed, 13 Jun 2007 16:47:11 GMT

How can a whole day just disappear whilst packing?! I envisaged it all just taking a couple of hours but it is now getting on for 6pm and after working since 9am (ok...I did have a couple of hours break where I watched QI!) the last few bits and pieces still need to be packed!!! Rachel gets here in 2 hours to pick it all up...eeek!

And how the hell are you meant to pack saucepans in a neat and compact way?!

My stuff seems to have doubled in size since I arrived...2 large rucksacks was all I had last October and now...well, lets just say that I'm thankful Rachel has a large car!

Oh, and it took me until this morning to realise that I have to take my laptop into Uni tomorrow morning and hence I will be without anything to do in the flat tomorrow night!

Right...I suppose I had better get back to it...

Another ramble...

Sun, 10 Jun 2007 11:36:29 GMT

Whilst packing I just come across all of my "good luck", "sorry you're leaving" and "bon voyage" cards from when I first moved over to Ireland. I somehow ended up with 4 cards just from work and reading all of the messages aswell as finding the card from the Johnsons which had been nicely decorated by the twins has brought a tear to my eye! I really can't wait to see everyone again over the summer...its been far too long!