Anti-Rant

[pluk]

There doesn't seem to be any positive equivalent of the ever popular rant thread. What a miserable bunch. I'll start...

Right now I am on a month long driving course at work where I get to spend all day every day driving a variety of fairly high performance vehicles very very fast. Learning to do it safely of course, and the concentration required is very draining, but I don't know how it would not be possible to not love every minute of it. Three weeks still to go, big grin on my face at the thought of going back to 'work' on Monday.

[UnderItAll]

Sounds fun!

Keeping driving related, I've wanted to drive trucks for years so early this year I had a medical, got my provisional license, passed my multi choice theory test with 97/100, the CPC case studies 47/50 and my hazard perception 2nd time round with 77/100, not so good that one.

Then I just couldn't save up for the training until a few weeks back, last week I did the training and passed my Cat C (Rigid) test with 5 minors.

So I can now drive any rigid vehicle going, but until I do my CPC demonstration test I can't do it for a living.

Back 6 months ago I thought I'd never be at the stage I am now, so pretty happy.

Tom.


And great idea for a thread too pluk.

[Smidget]

I haven't gone running around shouting about my private life, but...

This summer my mum was diagnosed with breast cancer. Fast forward to now and she's finished her chemo, is due to start radiotherapy in a week, and is doing really well! She hasn't been given the all clear yet but after the initial surgery she was told things are looking positive, and she was given extra treatment as a preventative measure.

As much as I could rant about how cancer is horrible, blah blah blah, I don't see the point. I'd rather focus on how well my mum is doing than fixate on the fact she was diagnosed with it in the first place.

Proud daughter right here!

[Liam T]

I am now... employed!! My first ever job, I am so grateful for the opportunity I got given by college to go and work there for work placement and at the end of it, they gave me a temporary Christmas job! Very happy Liam is happy!

[EC!]

I did have really bad psoriasis which really affected my self confidence, but thanks to these awesome creams I have, its about 95% gone, only abit of the scalp left now and I will be psoriasis free for the first time in 8 years!!

[JoshC.]

After a few lengthy discussions, I've sorted out my uni accommodation for the next academic year!

I'll be staying in the same house I'm at this year; the 23 person house of amazing-ness. Surprisingly, pretty much everyone has got on with one another and there's been no real problems (apart from a couple of 'teething issues' when we first moved in). Unfortunately, out of the core group of 17 of us that moved in, 6-7 are deciding to try and look elsewhere to move into a smaller house for various reasons. It's a shame, as I do want to live with everyone, but after weighing up the pros and cons, staying in the same house with the 10 or so people from the main group I was with seems like the best option. Even then, the people looking may not decide to leave; they're just actively looking for somewhere else to go.

So yeah, I haven't signed a contract or anything, but the group of us wanting to stay have emailed the landlords with out intent to stay, and it's part of our current contract that we're given priority to rooms over people if we decided to stay on. Took a few long talks with everyone, but things have worked out.

[pluk]

I did have really bad psoriasis which really affected my self confidence, but thanks to these awesome creams I have, its about 95% gone, only abit of the scalp left now and I will be psoriasis free for the first time in 8 years!!

That is excellent. My Dad suffers with this, he had a load of sunbed type treatments which seemed to solve it completely but since that course ended it has been creeping back. I know he's tried loads but probably not everything, would you mind saying what creams it is that have worked for you?

[EC!]

For the scalp I use Cocois (on the Packet "Sebco Coconut oil compound" or there is another one with cocois on the packet and its the same thing just different packaging). Its main ingredient is coal tar, bear in mind it is very strong a ointment but really works I also use Dovobet for my body especially when it creeped back this year, its a steroid cream so I wouldnt let your dad go over board but again it works wonders with the dovobet applying everyday for about 1-2 months got rid of it completely. with the cocois it has gotten rid of most of my psoriasis on my head within 3 days and it was really bad 3 days ago but you have to keep applying it for about 1-2 months again to get rid of it completely. Something that has worked for my body as well and your dad can enquire with a gp is to have coar tar treatment, this worked absolute wonders, a qualified nurse literally puts this coal tar treatment like slather it on and you keep it on for a few hours and over a couple of months they increase the coal tar in the solution until a maximum of 10-15% depending on age but it was awesome got rid of all of my initial psoriasis and I gained so much self confidence. I'd also say moisturise like hell as that helps with the main steroid cream like dovobet. You don't have to use a steroid cream if youu don't wan't as the tar solution doesn't but the steroid cream works, I can only get these creams though if its approved by my dermatologist. Hope this helps Pluk

P.S I can't recommend the coal tar for getting rid of psoriasis on the body enough, and it never came to it but a last resort they game to me with to literally have it lasered with UV rays or Infrared rays(cant remember which one) and that will kill all the cells but the cocois, dovobet and coar tar treatment I cant recommend enough

EDIT: the moisturising cream I use is Diprobase and my dad has psoriasis and he uses this steroid cream called elocon but I have never used it so I really comment on it, but I hope it goes soon, what I have been told is that psoriasis will go but there is always a small chance it will pop up again I have has 3 really bad episodes where its gone and reappered quite badly but it hasnt turned up really bad in 3 years and its just small bits but they are going I havent had a bad episode since the coal tar and doctors say I wont ever have it again after its gone completely now so I'm really really happy! Good luck to your father though!

[James & Co.]

I think to lighten the mood of the forums we need a director of entertainment and humour http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/myktpm

[Smidget]

But the mood doesn't need lightening...

[EC!]

It needs darkening, DUNDUN DUUUUUN!

[MattyMoo]

What a brilliant idea this thread is

I would like to add to it to say how flipping awesome Sainsbury's Taste The Difference Triple Chocolate Cookies are. Give them a go, £1.65 well spent (they were on offer at £1.00 a while ago and damn that marketing, because I'm hooked haha)

Yum!

[pluk]

So, following a written test and an assessment of my driving today (which included a couple of really sweet satisfying overtakes) I've passed the first part of the driving course. Yay! It's already made me a much smoother, more observant and safer driver, even though we are going some incredible speeds at times. Everyone should learn this stuff, the roads would be much safer.

2 more weeks to go, still loving every minute.

[Smidget]

So this week I:

- Got a 1st in my first report of Year 2

- Got a job with one of my lecturers (£8.12 an hour, nothing to complain about)

- Organised a meeting with a volunteer service, which will enable me to gain experience with vulnerable populations (experience I need for a Masters degree).

- Got to see my mum and family

So all in all a pretty good week

Oh, and it's mine and Ian's anniversary on Monday, so I'm really buzzing about life right now!

[MarkC]

We just had a normal day at school on Friday.

Sky Sports-PS4-Gary Cahill all came in.

Same old day.

OMFG IT WAS AMAZING

[Pickles]

I finally have a positive in my life, it's small, superficial and unimportant but it's something positive. After years of dying my hair different colours I finally decided to settle on black and have been now for a few months. My hair is in such a better condition and it's a lot more manageable. So win for me that my hair might not make me bald (Y)

[Mitchada04]

December is turning out to be an already great month!

Handed in my first piece of coursework for graphics yesterday which is a big weight off my shoulders as that's worth 20% of the whole course. Also have a very easy practical experiment in physics tomorrow and with the other 2 I took last month that's 20% done for my physics AS level too! So college is going swimmingly well.

Last night at work my line manager talked to me about being trained at our other much larger site which was a nice surprise. Whilst it's the same rate of pay and more stress at Egham it should offer much more experience in a busy working world (as the site I'm currently at is so small it's very easy). Also nice to hear it from my line manager showing that they're obviously happy with the way I'm currently working and feel I could cope well at the other site. So woohoo!

And finally... In 2 weeks time I'll be in Florida!!!!

So I'm loving December and with my 17th in January and having the funds to start learning to drive and get a car that should also be sorted!

[pluk]

I have passed the bulk of my driving course! Boom!

[JoshC.]

After what feels like an eternity, I've finally finished all my assignments for this term at uni!

My life will definitely feel strange without having to spend 20-40 hours a week doing a ton of Maths questions. And once term finishes on Friday, it will be nice to have time to relax as opposed to spending 60-70 odd hours a week either doing uni work, or travelling to/from uni!

Roll on the Christmas holidays (even though I have a 5000 word essay and a 2500 word essay to write, I'm trying to think positive!)

[Smidget]

JoshC - does Maths, gets given a 5000 word essay.

My longest essays this year are only 3000 words!

[JoshC.]

To be fair, it's the only Maths essay I have to write for my degree (the 2500 one is for Philosophy), whereas you probably have a fair few to write every term! I'd much rather do a one-off long essay during my degree than several long-ish ones.

[Han30]

Looks like my younger sister has gone into labour (a day early) so hopefully I will be an Auntie again soon

Edit: False alarm dammit - think this one is going to be late!

Double edit - all systems go go go

Edited December 5, 2013 by Han30

[Smidget]

I'm now volunteering for the Gosport Befriending Service

Oh, and I passed my driving test

[JoshC.]

I've pretty much got a summer 'internship' sorted out!

I'll be doing a small research project at my uni for a few weeks over summer. I've found a supervisor, so just need to formalise a topic for me to do then send off the application for the bursary I'd get and it's all sorted. Not really your standard internship, but at least I've got something productive to do over summer!

[Tom]

Managing to see someone/do something/have something planned every day until just after New Years Day! Thought I would be bored but I've been organising like crazy. Feels good to be organised and structured again.