Well, it’s been another age since my last update - wedding planning is in full swing now; have a few things booked already with the dress search well underway Why isn’t normal shopping as much fun as trying on wedding dresses, that’s what I want to know!

Not going quite so well are the driving lessons, as perhaps evidenced by the fact that I’m still having them :/ I keep having what is known in the business as ‘brain farts’ whilst on the road - think it is mostly this affliction that is standing between me and being able to pass my test. I did ask my instructor if I could just book a test and see what happened - I could have a good day! - but oddly he didn’t seem too keen on this plan! Apparently I need to achieve things like confidence and consistency first. So the lessons continue along their merry and expensive path.

My new job is going pretty well - still have periods of wanting to be somewhere else doing something else but that’s working life for you. Have made quite a few friends there and it’s a nice working environment which counts for a lot in my book And using QuarkXpress is fun as job related tasks go And we get breakfast briefings every now and again where we get danish pastries and tea in exchange for listening to talks And we have away day meetings at nice hotels with free lunches sometimes So not a bad place to work when all’s said and done!

Categories: Driving, General, Wedding
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Well, here it is - my last day of working for the Uni!! The oddest thing about it is that I’m not actually feeling all that odd at all about the prospect of leaving - just feel much like I would on any other Wednesday! Not that I won’t miss the people here - I shall do and shall keep in touch with them if I can - but I think I’m ready to move on after almost three years here and I’m looking forward to my new job at the moment That and my head is far too full of wedding thoughts and forthcoming holiday excitement to devote much attention to oddness I think! Had my leaving lunch yesterday - went to a nice self-service Italian restaurant and got given some very cool, very me pressies including Shrek 1, 2 and 3D on DVD, the Doctor Who sticker album, and cookie cutters with cook book set

So, an afternoon of desk tidying and re-qwertying my keyboard awaits, followed by a few days off, and then a nice brand spanking new job to get to grips with

Categories: General
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Time for another update methinks as a heck of a lot has happened in recent weeks!

I have found another job! I start work at a really nice place with lovely people on 30th April as a Report Developer - will be sad to leave some of the people I work with atm but looking forward to moving on to new things and hopefully developing some sort of a long-term career at last!

I’ve also found a new driving instructor with BSM who does Saturday mornings since my last one, who was lovely and good luck to her, left - hoping I get on with this new bloke and can get back on track as this learning to drive lark is starting to get expensive now!

As far as wedding planning goes, I have a wedding planner (lovely pink ringbinder with pockets and advice and useful planny things that I’m hoping will make a nice keepsake when it’s all over) and have started accumulating website bookmarks for Hairdressers, Dresses, Photographers, Cakes, Florists, Bands, Venues, Shoes and all other things wedding. Have a nice pile of venue brochures and wedding magazines too with a few band demo CDs thrown in - lots of thoughts but no actual plans made as yet - not bad for having been engaged a month and a day though!

And Doctor Who next Saturday with Series 4 confirmed - things are on the up indeed!!

Categories: General, Wedding
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Since my last, rather more exciting than usual post, my free time seems to have jumped ship to join Shrek and Princess Fiona in ‘Far Far Away’ - I can’t think of the last time I had so many things on at once!

Firstly, of course, I’m now in wedding planning mode - still trying to decide on where and when atm but we’re set on a church wedding and I have reception venue brochures to look at and cheer me up whilst engaged in the other things I have on atm including:

- job hunting: in the weeks since finding out my contract isn’t being renewed (did I mention that?) this has become something of a part-time job in itself. Personally, I think being able to organise a job hunt, attend interviews, learn to drive and plan a wedding all at the same time whilst working full time on top means I can do just about anything. Sadly, the employers of Exeter don’t all agree with me so the hunt continues…. Maybe I should actually put that last sentence in my applications…

- driving lessons: whilst these were progressing nicely until before we went to Brussels, they’ve now taken a bit of a U-turn (do you see what I did there?) as my instructor is leaving BSM. I get on really well with her so I’m going to see if she’s going out on her own and will take me on - until my next official lesson with her on Saturday I’m in BSM limbo though :/ On the plus side, I’m now much better at driving my new fiance’s car and I think he’s much happier at the thought of me driving it too!

- Java/JavaScript: these have taken a bit of a backseat lately but I’ve been given an extension for the first assessment which has taken the pressure off a bit and hope to find time at work to catch up on everything when things quieten down a bit there

- losing weight: this has also taken a bit of a backseat since Brussels as I’ve had so much to that has meant leaving work early I haven’t been able to take a lunch hour and spend it at the gym. I don’t seem to be putting any weight on which is good, and I did walk home from work today to get a bit of exercise, which I might start doing on a regular basis if the weather’s good so I’m doing *something* that doesn’t involve sitting at a computer!

- the aforementioned ‘at work’: whilst I appreciate still having employment, and thus an income during my jobhunting, all of the above would be a lot easier to fit in if I didn’t have it on top of everything else!

On the one hand the fact that three of the above must be sorted and past tense by the time we go to Florida in 4 and a half months is comforting; on the other hand the fact that three of the above must be sorted and past tense by the time we go to Florida in 4 and a half months makes me want to curl up into a little ball and wake up in Orlando when it’s all over!

Categories: Diet and fitness, Driving, General, Study, Wedding
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Have just got back (well, ok, yesterday) from a fantastic few days away in Brussels in Belgium. I was expecting to enjoy the sightseeing, the chocolate, the waffles and the general being away on romantic city breakiness, all of which was achieved in abundance - you haven’t lived til you’ve sampled a Belgian waffle and gone chocolate shopping Brussels-style What I wasn’t expecting was to return home an engaged woman, but that is what I now am as Kev proposed to me on Friday whilst we were standing at the Palais de Justice overlooking the rest of Brussels - proper down-on-one-knee job with beautiful sparkly white gold diamond ring!! Once I’d asked if it was for real and got over the shock a bit I of course said yes and am now looking forward to being the future Mrs Kev :D

Obviously nothing could come anywhere close to beating that as the highlight of the trip but we did enjoy the rest of our time there - saw most of the major sights including Grand Place, the Mannekin Pis and the Royal Palace although bit miffed that most of the museums seemed to be shut on Mondays! Did manage to visit the Museum of Costume and Lace though which was both warm and dry (which Brussels was not for most of the trip) and kept me entertained for a couple of hours on Monday while Kev was busy being clever with other clever people from the world of Jabber. Should any of them find their way here by way of Kev’s blog post, it was very nice meeting you all and thank you very much for letting me join you and making me feel so welcome

Now all I need to do is find a new job and I can start giving this being engaged lark the full attention it deserves!

Categories: Important events
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Chocolate swirl shortbread seems to be a success - hoorah! I have now decided however that, at anything less than maximum temperature, our oven doesn’t like to cook things unless they’re on the very top shelf :/

Categories: General
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About time I posted another update I think, and what better time to do it than the day after my 26th birthday?
Being 26 feels a lot more significant than any other birthday I can remember having for the simple reason that it’s the first time I’ve been closer to 30 than I am to 20, and that’s scary! 30’s that age for women when mothers start commenting on the biological clock (tick tock, tick tock!). It’s when Bridget Jones decided that enough was enough and it was time to take stock of things. Thankfully, I’m doing somewhat better than Bridget - I have a lovely boyfriend But even so, being closer to 30 than to the much more laid back (and younger) 20 has been a bit of a shock to the system!

Anyways, putting all that aside, I did have a very nice birthday involving a trip to the new Vue cinema in Exeter that beats the Odeon hands down, and this evening I am off for a meal with some friends I am making chocolate swirl shortbread this afternoon - or attempting to - from the Green and Black’s Chocolate Recipe Book that I got for xmas - the ‘dough’ is in the fridge at the moment so hopefully the rest of the mission will go ok after my cup of tea.

Categories: General
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Well, it’s that time of year again It’s actually been that time of year for us since the start of the month with various xmas get togethers going on - have had two christmas dinners already and a fair few mince pies, along with some very nice presents

My parents are now (I hope!) safely in Oaxaca in Mexico til mid January with my brother and his girlfriend/fiancee (not entirely certain which!) - haven’t heard anything from them but I hope they have a lovely christmas and new year! Looking forward to seeing all the pics when they get back - it’d be nice to know what the probable future wife of my brother looks like after all!

Categories: Family, Holiday
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There is now - hoorah to my wonderful (and very clever!) bf for passing his Viva on Friday!

Categories: Important events
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I passed 35/35 for the Theory test and 59/75 for the Hazard Perception - couldn’t have asked for much better than that! Was feeling ok nerves wise until I sat in front of the computer and then my heart started racing and I could see my hand shaking whilst holding the mouse - still, over with now and even I should be able to pass the Practical within two years

Categories: Driving
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Theory and Hazard Perception tests this Saturday…. fingers crossed!

On a side note - how busy can one couple’s calendar get between now and xmas??? We’re packed!

Categories: Driving
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Well, I’ve put in for my theory test - should be in a few weeks time. I had a nice little letter from BSM saying I should probably get on with it so I did, spurred on partly by the fact that I can’t make another driving lesson until November 11th and I wanted to do something constructive to make me look nice and dedicated Going to pick up a cd-rom with test questions and things over the weekend so I can swot up a bit.

The lessons are going really well - I feel I’ve taken a bit of a leap forwards in the last couple of weeks. Been going along the old A30 - using higher gears, tackled my first three-point-turn and roundabout last weekend and whilst the roundabout thing will take some practise (being on the right hand side of the road was most weird - finally understand what people are going on about!), the three point turn went very well! Have enough in my account to pay for another 20 hours almost on top of what I’ve got left to take which should see me through hopefully, then it won’t cost very much to insure me on Kev’s car it seems which is a bonus

As for Torchwood - what can I say? Welsh and actually proud of it for once - not a pot noodle in sight and Cardiff has never looked better Love John Barrowman - he’ll do til Dave Tennant is back on our screens - and Eve Myles is great in her role too. Keep it up BBC - you’ve done well lately! We hardly ever watch TV but for the past few weeks have spent Friday -Sunday evenings being entertained by Maria hopefuls, strictly come dancers, Robin Hood, Not Going Out, Have I Got News For You, QI, Jane Eyre (Mr Rochester - the new Mr Darcy!) - are you spotting the Beeb theme?

Categories: Driving, General
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Have been ill with a filthy bout of Freshers’ Flu this past week - getting better now but it’s still clinging on :/ I foolishly attended the TKD demo last week despite feeling like death warmed up - completely failed my destruction technique which wasn’t that much of a surprise and was very glad to get home and not to leave the house again til the weekend. Would still rather be flopped on the sofa watching daytime tv, but you can’t stay off work forever so back to work this week.

Have also now had 3 driving lessons with my instructor, Amy, who’s lovely It’s going ok I think - need to work on braking more gently, but my steering, gear changing, general observation and, most importantly, my confidence are all coming on in leaps and bounds Have another 16 hours paid for, taking me up to early December, and then we’ll see how it goes - I think I’ll need another 10 at least but am hoping to get it sorted not too far into next year. Hoping to go for the theory test in not very long anyways, once I’m happy with it.

Categories: Diet and fitness, Driving, TKD
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Well, last weekend I had my 2 hour session in the simulator with BSM. There were a few crashes (both me and the software itself - go Windows!), and it got a bit annoying having to listen to the voice reading the words on the screen to catch up with me and move on, but overall I’m glad I had a go. I feel more confident about getting into a real car now that I’ve at least been able to practice what you do with your feet when moving off, changing gear etc. So, with that in mind, I’ve got my first on-road lesson this Saturday - watch this space….

Categories: Driving
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Anyone else been addicted to this recently? I have to say, I can see Connie winning, and while that would be no bad thing by any means, I would really love to see Siobhan get the part as there’s just something about her that I’ve liked since she started singing ‘I could have danced all night’ way back in the beginning. Honestly, how did one person get to be so pretty *and* good at singing, and presumably drawing too?? It’s really not fair :p

In other news, I start driving lessons this weekend (in a simulator to start off with to get some confidence up and protect pedestrians everywhere for a little bit longer) - little bit anxious about how that will go but hoping it’ll be fun It better be - it’s costing enough!

Categories: Driving, General
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The fact that typing ‘F’ brought up a drop down box with the rest of this post’s title in it would suggest I’ve used it before, but it’s as relevant now as it was then and why waste precious brain cells on being imaginitive when you don’t have to anyway?

We are, as implied in afore mentioned title, going to Florida again for the last bit of July/first bit of August next year! Big thanks for this go to a certain set of lovely parents who know who they are, and unlike my own dear folks, may actually read this at some point.

Speaking of my own dear folks, they’re off to Mexico in a few months time to visit my brother who now lives over there with his apparently lovely girlfriend who I shall at this rate be meeting at his wedding. What’s remarkable about this isn’t so much that my younger brother is doing brilliantly in a foreign country all on his own and has managed to settle down, but that my parents are not going on any other holidays between now and then which is something of a record.

What with a holiday to look forward to, certain key things looking far more positive than they’ve done in a while, and a weekend of socialising ahead, I’m feeling quite chirpy

Categories: Family, Holiday
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Yes, I know it’s still August, and therefore *technically* still summer, but there’s a definite autumnal vibe in the air now, at least around these parts. I had a feeling the warm sunny days might be behind us when it bucketed down last Saturday and we had a little stream where our patio normally resides for a while, and the theory seems to be bearing out so far.

Don’t actually feel as if I’ve had a summer as such this year - or rather, it feels as if it was all squeezed into the start of July when we went to Coychurch for a weekend of birthday and wedding fun, with an extra surprise serving of engagement. I think part of that is down to not having had a holiday this year - even though we didn’t go to Florida til September last year, we had it to look forward to all summer, and working here where there’s not much to do from June to September and everyone else is off for weeks at a time you do notice it when you’re the only one not going away . Next year will be better though - holiday in it’s planning stages already

And autumn’s not so bad - reminds me Christmas is on the way, and if there’s one time of year I love it’s Christmas

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Today was an important day in my life as a female adult with a partner. I cooked my first Sunday lunch for the two of us, and Kev’s brother and his fiancee, and it was a success Considering it was my first attempt at roast potatoes and home made stuffing, as well as the first time I’ve cooked for more than two people in a long time (the most I’ve ever cooked for being about 12 whilst working as a campsite courier but that was spag bol and therefore just mince, sauce and pasta, and was at any rate many moons ago now), I feel quite pleased with myself! Really quite looking forward to the time, one day, when we have a nice house with a big kitchen and dining room now so I can entertain more often

Aside from that, and related somewhat to food, my other big achievement of recent times is losing a great big dollop of weight over the past few months - I started this year at 14.5 stone and I’m now 12.25 - still a fair ways to go but my jeans now look like the pair of trousers you see ‘Slimmers of the Year’ standing in for their ‘ after’ shots so I’m quite happy

Categories: Diet and fitness, Friends
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Missing bags, dangerous old ladies with hand cream, boys without tickets, hand luggage restrictions - where will it all end I wonder? I’m not actually opposed to the hand luggage thing, although the missing baggage is more than a little worrying! Glad I wasn’t flying recently anyway.

Categories: General
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Main things to have happened since my last post:
- got my Green Tag in TKD
- went to a friend’s wedding
- celebrated some birthdays and an engagement (not mine)
- saw Pirates of the Caribbean 2: Dead Man’s Chest
- saw Return to the Forbidden Planet
- socialised
- witnessed the break up of the Doctor and Rose Tyler (ok that one didn’t really happen but it was pretty sad nevertheless!)

Categories: General
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