Sad times, folks - the Mini (recently and very belatedly christened "Buttercup") is soon to be scrapped. She failed her MOT the other month (this was not unexpected, I might add) and although my dad got rather excited about using her as a renovation project, he's decided it's a little bit much and would be uneconomical - especially since the 'rents are now moving house and the logistics of also shifting a car that has no road tax or MOT (or insurance) over 100 miles are pretty daunting.

So, RIP, Buttercup - you've done me well and I am more fond of you than I made out. I apologise for swearing at you and refusing to refer to you as anything other than "the car" for most of our time together, until my engineer mate enlightened me as to my gross misconduct. Hopefully I'll see you one last time before you trundle off to the big scrap heap in the sky - I want a photo of me and thee - the dream team - together, before this era comes to an end :D

Bloody hell, it's hot.

Not dead yet. Not at sea either - at least, not for the past couple of days - but have been rushing round the country trying to accomplish things.

Thing 1:
I popped back to Plymouth (inasmuch as travelling half way across the country can be described as "popping") to have a progress meeting with my dissertation supervisors about us writing the findings up for publication. We'd all been rather excited about it last year, but now it's - well, this year, and a lot of time has shot past. Still happening though, and Plans have been made to do further data analyses and look into some of the things I flagged up in the discussion.

Thing 2:
Saw the parents, who fed me and took me to the cinema to see PotC II (finally). Great fun (bit longer than it needed to be, but so much fun I didn't care and the ending was fab) - and it's reminded me to make more of an effort to go to see films more regularly, despite the nearest decent cinema being nearly an hour away, in Peterborough.

Thing 3:
The Mini (aka "Buttercup") is now in rehab, needing some work done before its/her MOT in August. Acting as stand-in is my Dad's rather shabby but very lovely MGB-GT. It's pageant blue and doesn't have a name. It does, however, have an engine twice the size of Buttercup's and it Goes like the clappers. Perfect for the fast, windy roads hereabouts.

While I was driving back up, windows open (head out, panting like a dog), there was a smell wafting through. Not sileage-nasty: it smelled like I was driving through someone's kitchen (as you do) and they were cooking casserole. Turned out it was vegetables (celery, I think) growing in the fields by the roadside. Perhaps it's the heat, making them into a vegetable hot-pot in situ.

Have I mentioned how warm it is? I'll be glad to get back on the boat with the sea breezes taking the edge off things. I've decided to try and write journal entries on the boat, and either post them from my mobile or as soon as I get back - I'm really becoming slack at it lately, and there's been so much I've wanted to say!