IDEAS for this week's column were not really coming, until last night when ideas started flowing in the form of a flow of hungry ants!
  I'D been working hard in the kitchen (well… mostly work, with a bit of chatting, and falling asleep on the table) and it had got to the point where me and a housemate needed some food. So I offered my caterpillar cake." Hell yer!" was the response, until I took the cake out of its box and found that unknown to me, about 25 ants had also taken up my offer. The interesting thing about the ants, was at first glance they seemed to be walking around and around the bottom of the cake, as if they were just amazed at discovering such a huge pile of cake - until I spotted some coming out a hole in the cake.
  THIS was NOT ON, and I wasn't going to let the ants have my cake. So I then spent about 6 minutes flicking ants off the cake board, and chopping all the bits off where the ants could have got in. I'd suggested that I put the cake in the fridge to kill the ants, but Morgan reminded me that I'd just be introducing ants into the fridge! Eventually with a much-reduced volume, and looking more like a road-kill caterpillar, 2 slices of ant-free ex-caterpillar cake were consumed.
  I just received a "Disconnection Notice should I not pay" from NTL for a phone service that I asked to have disconnected 3 times when I moved out on September 7th! After trying to call them to pay twice before, I really feel like writing them a letter: "Dear Sir/Madam. I am aware of your bill that I need to pay, but I'm not currently available to pay the bill. I will pay the bill as soon as I can. Thank you for your patience" - sadly, I know things don't work this way!

  THE weather's really going quite crazy at the moment. Last night, the wind was so strong that most of the doors in Rawson were slamming constantly, and something was making violent whistling noises - although I have no idea what- it's not like we have a chimney in Rawson, is it? I opened my door this morning to find the corridor resembling the courtyard outside my window - carpeted entirely in leaves! I think someone left the window open last night…
  IT'S Sunday again - which means only one thing: it's roast dinner time again. Each week a (rapidly expanding) group of around six of us congregate in a selected campus kitchen and sample the wonders of yorkshire puddings, brocolli, peas, carrots, roast potatoes and, of course meat and gravy (in carnivorous or vegetarian form). Last week was my first time as host, which turned into an interesting experience after 9 bottles of wine between us (one of which was called "Rawson's Retreat" - wow!). We're considering renaming it a wine tasting party, with a little food thrown in!
  AN obvious requirement of a roast dinner is a trip to our very own Tescos. Each week I've walked into the underpasses and jumped up and down a couple of times, much to the bemusement of my friends…. until they realise something weird. Ever since Funkyberry and I discovered the Tescos Tunnel Phenomenon way back in our first year, I've assumed that everyone knew about it - until I've had to explain my bizarre behaviour to everyone I've gone shopping with this term. If you jump, clap, or shout in the longer of these tunnels, instead of the normal echo coming back at you, you hear a pretty loud and quick ascending whistling sound! I remember the strange looks on the people's faces as they passed Chris and I jumping up and down in the tunnels in the first year…. well, as far as strange looks go, nothing's changed!