I might as well be writing by candlelight...

Before I commence on my main, bitter, angry theme for the day, a brief reflection on the joys of a first day back.

Well, busy, really. MAU (Medical Admissions, the next logical step after A&E for a lot of patients) is always full, and crazy. Lots of poorly people, lots of tests, lots of histories to be taken. But I bravely plunged in, and had a surprisingly good day, although rather exhausting – a VERY long ward round was followed by a lot of clerkings, and the day was rounded off by a reminder of how much I hate cannulae.

Anyway! On to my reflection for the day…

I live in a house I love, in a nice neighbourhood, with friendly neighbours, and I have a gorgeous garden (with a rhubarb patch!). The house is cosy, my room is beautiful, and I am very happy here.

Unfortunately, la mouche in la ointment is the unbelievably annoying people who take my rent. This is not my wonderful landlord, who is always helpful (and very accepting of the tortoise). No, this is the so-called “housing service” for the university (naming no names, you understand). They insisted that this year, we go all-inclusive for bills; i.e. rather than organising our own energy, internet, etc, we would pay them more and they would deal with the bills.

Fine.

Bills last year were not really an issue. Annoying when we had to pay them, even more annoying when we had to fight with the various companies because they’d overcharged us, but still. Just the way life is. Internet was set up, the phone was set up, everything was fine.

After arguing (to no avail) with the housing people, we finally accepted that we had to go all-inclusive, but with one condition. As medical students, we were going to be back early, and we therefore needed the internet to be ready when we moved in. This was to allow us the chance to work of an evening.

Guess who doesn’t have internet. And who had to wait in all evening because “our engineer is coming round after 5.30 to sort it out”. And guess who is absolutely FOAMING at the mouth because she can’t research her essay. Oh, and one final guess who… guess who is going to make a huge fuss at the housing company tomorrow.

If you said “why, Liv, it is, of course, you”… you would be right.

Incidentally, when I rang the housing office today to confirm that the engineer was coming this evening, they referred to me on FOUR separate occasions as Jodie. Despite introducing myself, correcting them every single time, and explaining that noone in the house was called anything even approaching the name Jodie. (Oh, and I know the people who have lived in the house for the last 6 years. None of them have been called Jodie).

So I am angry. And “disappointed”. And debating which side to show tomorrow, when I go to the housing people and demand the internet…

Rant over.

It’ll be a better day tomorrow.

** Update on the internet situation... not for the faint hearted...

New estimate for getting internet at our house... 14th September. I hate them, I hate them. Oh, but it's ok, because "we can use the library on campus if we're desperate". Except that it's shut on Sundays. Because it's not term-time.

So we are reduced to crouching in the little room, laptop precariously balanced on the windowsill, pilfering the unsecured internet in the street.

It's quite challenging to research diabetes when your back feels like it might fall off because you're in such a terrible position (and manual handling lady from the other day would be APPALLED).

Going home next weekend. Can't wait.