Today, I'm 24 and 5/12. Fancy that.

What I have to do to make sure I get enough sleep to function:

• Put the hamster in the bathroom and block any drafts.
• Turn the heating down.
• Not drink coffee past about nine.
• Not think about school.
• Be able to see the time when I do wake up, so I don't stress about not getting up in time.

Actually, I really need to get the hamster out so I can clean out his cage, but he's asleep. No wonder - he's probably worn out by all the gnawing he did last night on the bars.

When the rain clears up (the BBC weather forecast seems to not know about it), I must go across the road and see if I can procure a Christmas tree that my form won't sneer at. They get more ambitious every year.

The looming clouds

This is a very odd time to be writing. Really, I should be at school about to go to lunch (or probably to do more work). However, my chest isn't feeling too good. It kind of feels like someone's pressing a large, flat pebble into my breastbone. The result of a combination of cold last week and seasonal asthma. Having woken up like this, I thought four lessons would make it much worse, so I'm staying here in the warm instead. Also nice to have a decent amount of sleep for once.

Much progress with the small beast. he'll crawl up my arm and be picked up, now. I dreamt last night that I had a whole menagerie of two adult hamsters, a couple of rabbits, a dog, a cat and several baby versions of these all in one cage and they kept escaping. I'm sure there's a metaphor in there somewhere.

One other triumph, thanks to Facebook - I've found Sudeep! We haven't seen him in the eight years since we left school, after he emigrated to Florida.

Monday

A slightly morbid thought: there must be blogs floating around out there belonging to dead people. There's no time limit on posting. It's a bit like all those unused underground stations that feature in Bond films.

Ah - Edmund wakes. He's got very odd sleeping patterns. He doesn't seem to sleep for any great length of time, but naps for a bit, then goes for a run around his tubes, then comes back up to his nest again and curls up. He's nibbling rocket leaves at the moment and bits of wholemeal bread (Jamie brought it yesterday - putting it to much better use than eating it).

In tribute to Dave's tribute:

“Old Professors never die, they just lose their faculties.” (Stephen Fry)

A hamster's progress

Edmund's a quick learner. Woke up to find he'd transferred all his bedding from the ground storey of his palace to the domed penthouse at the top. He's also moved all his food up there. He's especially fond of peanuts.

He's currently learning to run around in his ball, having perfected his tube-climbing technique. Been letting him sniff my hand, but he's still a bit nervous at the prospect of being picked up. Might be able to get him out of his ball in a bit.

Spent afternoon reading the papers with Jamie. He thinks I'm justifiably cross. Doesn't seem to have realised that he can actually help, though. Aghh. Sometimes I'm grateful for school just as a distraction.

My new roommate

This is the palace inhabited by Edmund. It took me an hour and a half to build. It's allegedly a fairground, but I haven't put the stickers on yet. Might not even bother. He has a little blue ball to run about in as well. Letting him get settled in before I take him out at all. That and I'm worried about losing him behind the furniture. He's very cute, though. He's currently mixing up his bedding and his food - really useful, Ed.

Am utterly pissed off. At mortally offended, teeth-grinding stage. Apparently I'm more of a social pariah than David. Jamie very helpfully observes that we tend not to be invited to impromptu gatherings, but can't explain why. Having to restrain self from texting Jen to ask whether I've offended her in some way, that she even invited David and not me. That would be mad, bad and dangerous. Wish I had a punchbag. No, really, put the phone down.

What the internet is really for: Part II

• Self-publicity
• Watching clips of 80s/90s tv programmes on YouTube
• Entertaining teenagers on Friday mornings
• Ordering shopping so you don't have to go out in the cold
• Distractions from doing actual work (various)
• Finding out about the Syrian hamster
• Looking at the news, because Teletext is too fiddly
• Hopes, dreams and aspirations.

Interesting how those who would condemn the death penalty in their own country quite happily subscribe to it when someone else is in charge of the noose.

Am seriously thinking about getting a hamster.