Well I'm emotionally wiped. I wrote my British Literature exam today and the only positive aspect of the experience is that I now know what to expect for the final. Why couldn't there be a question about the significance of the sheepfold in "Michael"? Or something about the Wordsworth's benediction to his sister in "Tintern Abbey"? That stuff I know.. Sadly I used the maximum time allotted and I still did not complete the entire exam. I discovered this as I was quickly rifling through the booklet and spotted the beginning of an answer (one sentence to be precise) and the remaining page blank. Maybe I'll get one point for it?

After coming home feeling quite defeated, I then receive news that my beloved cat Iago has passed away. He was quite a character. He came with me to school in London, and he fell in love with a friend of mine, claiming her as his own. Along with my other cat Gaffer, they were sure to get into some mischief. One particular night out, I came home only to discover they had found the stash of catnip and ate a good portion of it (at least a gram's worth). They were sprawled out in the middle of the living room, content as can be. Needless to say they were incapacitated the next day as well. Iago was also the type of cat that would become quite indignant if you dared to laugh at him (he once slipped off a ledge during a jump) or would literally turn his back to you if you came home 'smelling like another cat'. Granted these are human traits that I'm perceiving, but he definitely did have personality. At the age of 13 Iago departed this realm and is now with his friend, 'brother' and boy-toy Gaffer. He will be greatly missed.

He has been buried with friends Cous-Cous and Yaya.

Expressions & Sayings

There are some expressions that I've heard over the years that have caused some confusion. I have yet to find a satisfactory explanation for them and so my search (albeit idle) continues.

• "Search me" - Search you for what? This is an expression used when the person does not have the answer to the proposed question. So would the expression, "search me" infer that even if the questioner were to search the person, they'd find not a single piece of evidence to the question?


• "White on rice" - Erm, rice generally isn't white. Unless this is some sort of derogatory comment I'm unaware of. What? Was rice introduced to the Western world and we took a really liking to it or something? Regardless, this expression puzzles me. I get the intent, just not the significance.


• "Piss like a race horse" - Again, I understand the intent, mostly. Does a race horse pee more frequently or with more velocity than a regular horse? Or is it implying something about once it's out of the gate it's off and going? Therefore, does the need to urinate comparable to the race or the actual race horse?

So you can see why I seldom get everything on my schedule done. I have nonsense such as above dancing around in my head. But thank goodness I know it is a "half-penny" and not an "impadue", as that makes that Christmas song make a little more sense.

Until then,