Lately I've had a lot of let downs as far as being fibbed to is concerned.

The first was Jurassic Park. Firstly, when I watched it at Christmas I realised that most of the dinosaurs in Jurassic Park are in fact from the Cretaceous Era, after the Jurassic Era. The second one was discovered in lectures after Christmas, when I discovered that Velociraptor, the coolest, meanest and cleverest dinosaur in the film, is actually the size of a goose. The dinosaurs in the film were modelled on Velociraptor's larger, uglier cousin, Deinonychus, which sounds nowhere near as cool or like its going to rip you to bits while you're still alive.

The second lie I've had throughout my life is about the Coriolis Force/Effect. As a small child I was taught that the Coriolis Force is what makes water drain in opposite directions in the northern and southern hemisphere. This is in fact un-true. If you get a sinkful of water and fill it up, and before you pull the plug use your hands to make it go one way, it will drain that way. If you do it again, and spin it the other way, it will drain that way too.

I always knew that University would be an eye-opener to the world around me, but I never knew it would be a spoil-sport.

These fearsome beasts can reach sizes between 11-17m in length and weighing several tonnes. Being nocturnal, this giant mole is rarely seen, although locals tell legend of a large furry beast shuffling around in brown earth soil areas at night. Their average age is unknown although it is believed that they may live for one hundred and fifty years or more. Talpa Snowdonia was first discovered in the 1800's following the increase in slate mining in the area, and was almost wiped out by big game hunters going out in the early hours of the morning and startling them with small flashbombs.

It is believed that methods used for slate mining confuse and disorientate the mole, causing it to dig erratic pathways different to the ones most frequently used. It is also believed now that that was the cause of todays sighting.

Luckily the construction workers can use their CAT digger to fill in some of the holes, although now there is the concern of dangerous subsidence in the area.

Wow!

The excitement that is travelling to and from university became unbareable these last few mornings, the ability to park in a new car park! Not only does it have a random attendent dude constantly watching the cars, but they'll also give your car a good powerwash for a few pennies! And so, my punto is once again gleaming, mum will be jealous because the local car wash has been broken for the last week or so.

Well... since I've been experimenting with colours I decided that it'd be a good idea to attack dads beard sometime... and the result was a very vivid orange (rubbish photo though).

A thought struck me the other day about committees.

 Once upon a time, I believed that committee members of a club, group, society etc were people to look upon and behold - people you could have a lot of respect for because they had a purpose in life, a purpose to serve us little people with help and advice, to use their powers for good to get the club nice things and to make sure everything worked, people got spoken to and things got done.

 Now I know this is not the case. Committee members aren't much of my idealistic views. Committee members are just a bunch of people who happened to be in the right place at the right time - in musical chairs they're the ones that sat down first. Theres a whole lot more to getting stuff done too - there are processes that have to be gone through and other things have to be done first, usually resulting in nothing really being done. Some committee members of some clubs are just people who are very handy to have around, they know the right people.

There was more, but I've forgotten it. It's strange suddenly being in the seat of a committee member. You see things from a different point of view. Maybe I will think of more later.

Yesterday Dad came over as planned and bought a surprise with him - Mum! It was really good to see them both and I'm really pleased they both seemed to have a good day with me (and together).

We went to Menai Bridge to look for spoons (Mum's going through an antique spoon phase I think) and then off into the mountains for a wander.

 The snow up there was very slippery and wet, and most of the time between ankle and mid-calf deep. Occasionally you'd step into a drift and it be up to your knees, in which case, if you were me, you fell over.

The Welsh weather continued to make the Cwm look stunning - some of the photographs I took came out very moody and again the lake was frozen over mostly, though this time it had snow patterns on it.

Someone had built a lone snowman up there. He was cold and melting slowly, his face was falling off, and his day failed to get any better when Mum round kicked his head off. I suspect that sort of thing can really put a crimp on your day.

On the way back down we saw the Mountain Rescue helicopter, and then at the bottom the Mountain Rescue Land Rover. I'd guess the poor lady they were there for wasn't having a day much better than the snowman, although possibly more interesting (after being rescued by helicopter, obviously).

 Coming down the small rocky crevice at the bottom of the Cwm, the track was perrilous in that it was slippy snow on slippier loose rocks. Leah, getting that strange feeling you get right before you fall over, crouched down and used her hands to hold onto the floor. The next step I took I slipped, and continued down the path into the back of my poor unsuspecting mothers legs, taking her out too.

After a hot drink and some Rocky Road (not as good as Mum's own!) we were on our way down, back into Sunny Bangor, where the weather was, well. Sunny.

I forgot to feed Dennis and Owyn yesterday. This was my first mistake.

The Second Mistake was not feeding them immediately when I remembered at lunch time. In a defiant rage they have pecked to bits most of their plant and now bits of planty-debris are floating around the tank.

I think they know I'm writing about them just now, and I wouldn't be at all surprised if I woke up in the night and they had somehow got out of the tank (wearing little reverse-dive equipment, 'cause they are fish) and they were strangling me with what's left of the plant. So this is probably my third mistake.

I won't forget to feed them again that's for sure.

After finding a few people who are interested in learning to kite (amongst the other sports) in Bangor, myself and hopefully another person are going to set up a club here. If we can get it right it will be a good club with a little club kit and lots of members (at least lots of people joining so we can buy club kit, or a nice SU grant). If we don't get a club running I will just have to suffice with being a loner and having nobody to go kiting with. Ever. *sniff*.

 Now all that remains is to find out how to approach the SU about it and see about getting a room for loan once a week/fortnight for meetings and such.

 Curse my weather dependent sports. At least I won't be diving for a while and so can put my effort into this.

On my way back from Physical Oceanography today I thought it would be a good idea to pick up some throat sweets being as how talking makes it very sore (and yes, I talk a lot) and my "talking" at the moment is barely audible above silence.

 I went in to Morrisons to look for throat sweets in the hope they'd have those ones with the liquid but to no avail; the only ones they had are the big fat Halls ones that poke the roof of your mouth to bits with the corners, or blackcurrant Strepsils. Now, the only reason I didn't buy throat sweets yesterday was because all they had at the tills were blackcurrant Strepsils. Needless to say I was not amused.

 I ruefully picked up a pack of 8 blackcurrant Strepsils (at 98p, which is extortion for 8 cough sweets.  12.25p each!) and put them on the counter and paid for the rest of my shopping.

 I got outside, and after fumbling with the confounded packet I managed to break one free, then watched it hit the floor and roll away down a drain after dropping it. I think it did it to spite me.