Ah, finally a chance to settle down. It's been a really relaxing evening for me - we steered clear of the manic last-minute painting frenzy in college and Sal, Emily and I watched Pretty Women, did our nails and shaved our legs in preparation for tomorrow night, and ate Pizza and Super noodles before realising that we have to fit into dresses tomorrow. I hope mine still fits! Then I came back here - did a face mask and moisturised a lot, and now I'm happily settled in bed! I can't wait until tomorrow - but I have so much to do, including a lot of work seeing as the rest of the world isn't quite on the major Candlemas high that we seem to be! I didn't manage to get a hair appointment because the only available ones were very expensive, so I bought a weird gadgety thing from Claire's Accessories which should do a good job.

Today's been a fairly odd day. I was quite happy this morning, and then last night caught up with me. We were all fairly mean to Tim last night - to be fair he did deserve it, he just keeps running after girls and then getting rejected and 'falling in love' with new ones two days later. He has a list of possibles for Candlemas and they are to be pitied, because if they reject him they get loads of emotional blackmail. He's driving us all nuts moaning about it and moping and just being generally irritating and annoying and selfish. And the worst bit is we've all been trying to subtly mention this to him, but he insists the problem is everybody else, and he can't understand why he keeps getting rejected, and he just looks so desperate and needy. It seems the only way to get through to him is to rip the piss mercilessly, but he just gets all upset, and sulks, and last night he hit me, only because I was the closest, because I was being fairly mild compared to the others, who were pretty rotten, although I suppose I did laugh with them. I suppose what gets me on a personal level is the fact that in a friendship he is very take and no give. I feel I've done a lot for him, I do stick by him when others don't, and I nearly sacrificed my friendship with Will for him, but he doesn't seem to care or appreciate me at all, and I'm just sick of it really. After he hit me I couldn't bring myself to talk to him this morning, but he sent me a text message hinting that I should apologise. When I told Soph she blew her top and said that he was a twat and I should ignore him. I'm inclined to agree with her for the moment, and didn't bother replying, and still don't want to speak to him.

Who will I pull tomorrow night? I keep getting asked. As if I could plan a drunken pull! And anyway, I could be contagious with gastric flu seeing as John got it the week things ended between us. But I'd put money on the fact the Dibble will try to pull me, and I don't know what I'll do if I'm very drunk at the time. I hope I don't, but I think I've been just that bit too friendly this week, and he may have got the wrong idea. I'd like to pull Matt, but I won't, and obviously Phil, but there's still Camilla and they aren't going anyway. My money's on Mark, just because these things always happen! But this is stupid really, I'm not planning on pulling anyone. Wait until tomorrow!!

Well if I'm going to make survivor's breakfast then I'll need some sleep,

xx

I'm sitting writing this 'In the breath of the day'. I'm not, but isn't it a lovely expression? We did it yesterday in Hebrew, and it's a Hebrew euphemism for 'in the afternoon'. I can't think of a better way to describe that time in the afternoon when the wind gets up and there starts to be a faint chill in the air, and you wrap your coat tightly around you and hurry home to crumpets toasted on the fire... mmmm crumpets. Reminds me, I must go shopping today.

It's our big college ball on Friday - Candlemas - the event of the year! The whole college gets involved in the preparation, mainly painting - the whole of college is papered and then painted according to this year's theme, which is 'The Centenary'. At the moment it looks amazing, with Pop-art in the JCR, weird optical illusions in black and white in the corridor, a timeline in the other corridor, psychedelic 60s in the dining hall and an imperial living room in the foyer. It's not nearly finished, but everyone mucks in, and picks up a paintbrush for half an hour between lectures or whenever they can. I'm so tired because I was painting 60s flowers until 1.30 am and completely slept in and missed my 10 o'clock lecture this morning. I can't wait until the ball - I've decided to wear my brown/grey/purple/green dress, but I need to find some jewellery and book a hair appointment. Only two days to go! I'm so excited!