2007. What a year...It started off spending New Years in the Lodge with the usual suspects before returning to Warsaw to finish up my Erasmus placement. Then Bubbles and I caught a bus to Vilnius where we spent the coldest night of our lives shivering in that hostel. So we trundled onto a train to St. Petersburg, having somehow managed to fill out the entry form which was only in Cyrillic with our pidgin Polish and a phrasebook. Following that we journeyed on to Moscow, which was initially quite unfortunate due to, firstly, Ferry and his 'hostel' threatening to cancel our visas and then my wallet being stolen on the metro. Two phone calls later (one to the very kind gentleman in the Irish Embassy in Moscow and another tear-filled one to Daddy in Ireland) and things were put right so we continued on and managed the return 23hour train from Moscow to Warsaw through the notorious last dictatorship of Europe...Belarus. Needless to say, we survived and managed to move back to Ireland safely.

Returning to college in UL was a bit of a shock to the system after the year off-campus, but I'm sure I managed to survive: in fact the semester seems to be a bit of a blur. Weeks in UL have a tendency to do that, I find; just melt into each other and become one and suddenly you find yourself in the middle of week 12 wondering how you got there. There was a lot of An Focal stuff, a lot of Students' Union stuff and plenty of nights in the Lodge. Then came the chest infection in May - in the middle of exams, I might add - and the consequential two-week stay in one of the dearest hotels in Ireland: HSE Mid-West Regional Hospital. I was initially locked up for three days having been promised that I'd be released with what's known as a long IV line...Day after day the promises continued, yet the line never appeared. I was eventually released on 30 May, the day before I was expected to fly to 'Merica for the summer on a J1.

The frenzied packing that ensued was nothing compared to the worry with which our dearest travel buddy Selena was faced in the days leading up to departure. Ah, nothing like a blip or ten to make you more grateful when you finally pass through Homeland Security of the United States of America. Our first stop was NYC before jetting on to San Diego where we resided beneath the eternally brilliant-blue sky and scorching sun on Pacific Beach, in our lovely 2-bed flat on Loring Street. Scorching is also an appropriate adjective (well, present participle acting as an adjective, if you wish to be so pedantic about it!) to describe how I spent most of June and July - and, if we're honest about it, August too. However, armed with factor-50 spray sunscreen every where I went, I ensured that my beautiful pale Irish skin stayed thus so. Turning 21 at the end of July proved to be a milestone, entering the American definition of adulthood, with my first legal American pint of Bud in our very own Hennessy's pub. Wise words stipulating that, 'what happens in PB stays in La Jolla' was a philosophy that Sel and I embraced wholeheartedly. Trips to Vegas, the Grand Canyon, San Fran and LA slotted themselves into the schedule before we packed our suitcases again to return to the Emerald Isle via a very rainy Chicago: what was this mysterious water coming from the sky?!

Graduations thus followed and I waved goodbye to many chums, including the very lovely Little F*cking Odd Person - yes, that's you Sinead. Soon after, the rush of college life resumed for the last time. My 'Irish' 21st came and went with me not really remembering much of what happened. Enough said about that so let's move on. So, then, again, I found myself at the dying moments of the semester wondering how the hell I had arrived at such a point without really recalling much of what had happened in the interim. Again, it was mostly consumed by An Focal, Students' Union stuff and plenty of nights in the Lodge.

Some things never change, I suppose.

Best wishes for 2008.

Q: HAVE YOU EVER KISSED ANYONE IN YOUR TOP 16?:
A. It's quite a possibility...

Q. WHAT'S YOUR LEAST FAVOURITE THING ABOUT NUMBER 13?
A. She doesn't swing my way

Q: WHAT'S THE BEST MEMORY YOU HAVE OF 9?
A. I dunno but it'd be awfully romantic anyway!

Q: WHEN'S THE NEXT TIME YOU'RE GONA SEE 4?
A: Who knows, the woman is never at home!

Q: IS NUMBER 7 PRETTY?
A: Hmmmm s'pose I better say yes...

Q: WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST IMPRESSION OF 8?
A. Nikki likes to...

Q. WHAT DO YOU LIKE THE MOST ABOUT NUMBER 14?
A. He's awesome. Awesome. Say it, Timmy, awesome!

Q: HOW DID U MEET 3?
A: School

Q: DO YOU THINK 12 WOULD KILL SOMEONE?
A: Er, I hope not, but never say, 'never'!

Q: IS 11 YOUR BEST FRIEND?
A: Dunno. Don't really like him much.

Q. HOW LONG HAVE YOU KNOWN NUMBER 13?
A: Not long enough

Q: HAVE YOU SEEN 2 NAKED?
A. No comment

Q: DO YOU THINK 5 HAS A CRUSH ON YOU?
A: But of course!! He'd want to like...

Q: WHAT IS THE LAST THING YOU DID WITH 6?
A: Hugged him for ages in Java's saying goodbye for the break

Q. IF YOU COULD GIVE ANYTHING TO NUMBER 15 WHAT WOULD IT BE?
A. something pink

Q. WOULD NUMBER 1 AND 16 MAKE A GOOD COUPLE?
A. Probably not...

Q. IF NUMBER 14 WAS A CRAYON WHAT COLOUR WOULD HE/SHE BE?
A. Orange. Why not?

Q: HAVE YOU EVER BEEN TO 3'S HOUSE?
A: Maybe once or twice...

Q: HAVE YOU EVER SLEPT IN THE SAME BED AS 7?
A: How dare you suggest such a preposterous notion!

Q: WHEN'S THE NEXT TIME YOU WILL SEE 5?
A: Soon...

Q: HAVE YOU EVER KISSED 1?
A: Em....that'd be a no.

Q: HAVE YOU EVER BEEN TO THE MOVIES WITH 8?
A: Probably.

Q. WHAT'S NUMBER 2'S HOUSE LIKE?
A. Delightful

Q: HAVE YOU EVER BEEN ANGRY WITH 12?
A: Never!

Q: WOULD YOU EVER MAKE A MOVE ON NUMBER 4?
A: Of course.

Q: WHAT DO YOU AND 10 TALK ABOUT THE MOST?
A: Lots of things...

Q: DO YOU EVER TALK TO 1?
A: That'd also be a no.

Q: WHAT DO YOU THINK OF NUMBER 16?
A: She's my beautiful (ex-)wifey! Isn't she haaaaaaawt!?

The Theory
The term "Shotgun" refers to the front passenger seat of an automobile. "Calling Shotgun" is the act of claiming the position of Shotgun for one"s self. As this position is the most coveted of all positions when riding in a car, the following list of rules has been created to ensure that Shotgun can be acquired in a fair and equitable manner by any passenger of an automobile.


The History
The history of calling "Shotgun" goes back to the days of covered wagons and the Wild West. On a trip across the plains, the driver of a wagon would hold the reins of his horse team and concentrate on driving. This left him and the occupants of his wagon susceptible to sneak attacks from bandits and thieves. To avoid this atrocious circumstance it became necessary for one person to sit next to the driver with a shotgun and fend off the enemy.

Defending against bandits is no longer the priority of Shotgun however, but </b>it has evolved into a pre-driving ritual that is experienced before almost every car ride across America and even the world. Because of the obvious evolution that has already occurred with Shotgun, we ask you to consider Shotgun as a living entity and be aware that it is always changing for the better good of society.


The Rules
The following rules have been created through many years of exploring the ritual of Shotgun and are designed with the idea of fairness to all as the main priority. They are also the most complete and comprehensive listing of Shotgun rules available today.


You Must Say The Word "Shotgun"
You must say the word "Shotgun" to stake your claim on Shotgun. This must be done clearly and loud enough so that at least one other to-be occupant of the vehicle can hear you. No variations of this word are acceptable. After you have rightfully called Shotgun, you have exclusive rights to Shotgun for that ride. However, if no one hears you call Shotgun it is still fair game for everyone.


The Deed Must Be Done Before Shotgun May Be Called
For these rules to work properly, it is essential for you to understand and accept the concept of the "Deed". Shotgun may only be called after the "deed is done". Simply stated, the deed is any activity or objective that directly precedes the ride in the automobile. The deed can be anything ranging from a visit at a friend"s house, to a shopping trip at the mall, to a visit to the Grand Canyon. We cannot stress how important this is because this establishes a Shotgun-calling time frame that ensures everyone has an equal chance of recognizing when to call Shotgun.

There is no crime greater than calling Shotgun on Monday in reference to the ride to the concert on Friday. Some people choose to play this way, and they are fools.


You Must Be Outside To Call Shotgun
The best way to establish exactly when the deed is done is to define this moment as the instance that you have left the building in which the deed took place. All passengers need not to have exited, but someone must hear you call Shotgun.

Some people choose to use a variation of this rule and require that all occupants be out of the building before Shotgun can be called. This does not work. It leads to everyone calling Shotgun at the same time and often ends in physical violence.

The Barefoot Rule
Since you must be outside to call Shotgun, some people will just grab their shoes, jump outside, and call Shotgun before putting their shoes on. This has been deemed "gaping", and is not a legal procedure. You must have your shoes on, if you choose to wear any, before you may call Shotgun.

The Re-entry Rule
If you call Shotgun and then go back inside for some reason, you must re-call Shotgun after leaving. After you have re-entered the building, Shotgun is once again fair game to all.


When The Deed Is Outdoors
If the deed takes place outdoors, which it often does, the completion of the deed