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!

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

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!!

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!

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!

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.

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!