Thursday is practical day. Today I turned a pale brown liquid into a colourless liquid. What a sense of achievement I gained. The day was improved by having the fastest practical sign-off ever. I took my sample and lab book to the senior demonstrator. He looked at the sample. He looked at the book. Thirty seconds later he signed my practical card and that was it. Marvelous.   The day was made more memorable by me dropping a bottle of deuterated chloroform. This bottle is covered in stickers with labels like 'Cancer agent!', 'Irritant!', 'Highly toxic!', 'Target areas: heart, liver, nervous system!'. I was attempting to put the top back on when I somehow managed to let the bottle slip from my grasp. Time slowed in a cheesy cinematic manner as it slid off the bench, bounced out of my hands and onto the floor. Thankfully it bounced (cork floor tiles are a wonder, as are unbreakable bottles). As well as the supreme good fortune of the thing bouncing, the top stayed on as well, thus avoiding a major lab evacuation. After this brown trousers moment, I had to fill in a label for my NMR tube, and discovered that I was unable to write since my hands were shaking. Truly chemistry is science's version of extreme sport.   Alas, in my attempts to catch the wretched bottle, I hurt my hip, thus precluding any kendo tonight. No matter, I thought - I'll tidy my room and sort out my notes. Oh well, there's always Friday afternoon.
			The characters and situations in this diary are entirely imaginary and bear no relation to any real person or actual happenings. Any resemblance to such things is coincidental, or just for humourous effect. All names have been chosen to implicate the innocent.