University Essays Galore

Two months since the last entry, and finally I have returned to the diary. It has been a stressful month since the return from the Eastern European adventure, with no less than the following to be completed before finishing university for the calendar year:

* 4000 word essay
* Design, write and produce 8 pages of a magazine
* 2000 word reflective essay
As you can see, this has lead to a stressful run up to the yule time season. But I am pleased to report that it has all been done, completed and handed in. This has left McCarthy to enjoy life back as a Burgess Hill citizen, which has included four visits to the Weald in seven days, meeting and greeting various people, the completion of the 2009 Christmas Video, a night out in Brighton and the snow that has graced Mid Sussex in the last couple of days

Regarding the last two points, I would firstly like to highlight the dangers of sledging. Two injuries were incurred on our visit to the South Downs yesterday, with one being far more serious than the other. One occupational hazard of not owning a sledge is when you have to improvise for a snow negotiating piece of equipment - and this year, Burgess Hills Favourite Minor Celebrity came up trumps with the use of a large, metal storage heater cover. This had sharp metal edges, which when you are hurtling down a hill at some speed can cause problems - especially if you happen to fly off and catch your bottom on these sharp bits, resulting in the cutting of posterior, as happened to McCarthy

For our unlucky friend Robert Jones, things were far more serious after he got his ankle caught under a proper sledge as Chapman bailed off following a two man effort down the hill. This resulted in an ankle that was unable to be walked on, and we still await news of the Rhonda Valley Rippers condition. Naturally, we did all we could to help ease his pain by laughing, with Chapman going one step further and shutting the door of the McCarthy Mobile on his bad ankle. While this may sound cruel, I also wish to point out that we spent and hour and a half getting Jonesy down from the top of the hill to the bottom, using a mixtures of careful sledging, piggybacks, firemans carry's and ultimately the flagging down of a car passing along Underhill Lane to get him safely to the vehicle.

And with regards to the night out in Brighton - never rely on Road Runners to get home from the city. They are the most inept, pathetic and ultimately shit taxi company around. It was thanks to their ineptitude that, despite having booked a taxi home for 3am Friday morning, McCarthy, Jones, Potter, Wright and Lloyd found themselves stranded in the snowed in city as they decided not to show up to pick us up, taking the attitude instead of telling Potter to "fuck off" when we phone to enquire. This resulted in hanging around in the station for two hours as we awaited the first train home - but this also lead to a delightful walk from Burgess Hill station back to McCarthy Towers in the untouched snow. It was beautiful

Christmas approaches at pace, with tomorrow including the Weald Christmas quiz where we ultimately will turn up, expect to win and lose. And then, finally, Christmas arrives which means one thing - MEAT MEAT MEAT MEAT MEAT. After three months of tough vegetarianism, Burgess Hills Favourite Minor Celebrity will return to the world of the meat eater. And I can't bloody wait