I've been getting very hot overnight in my room at mums houses, and i've just firgured out why. I normally have one window open, but because Precious isn't allowed out at night, it has to be closed!

Precious slept in my room for most of last night. When i lie still she likes to come right next to me and put her head under my chin. When i'm tossing and turning,, she went to the bottom of the bed and stayed there (being only 4 foot 8, there is plenty of space at the bottom of my bed!). Patchy would never have done that...

I laughed my arse off at James and Dave's "kungfu" conversation.

Tonight i'm going to PT and then straight after to a pub quiz with Joolz. I think it should be a good laugh. Although i've just realised that i will have to rent a towel, as when i packed my gym bag i didn't think i would need one. Oh well.

posted by small 4:25 PM

On the debt front i have just applied for a second 0% BT card. I will transfer a small amount from my Capital One account, an amount that i know i can pay off during the lifetime of that offer.

I don't want to transfer everything from Capital One in case i get refused another 0% card when i try and transfer it again.

At the rate i am going i won't be debt free until 2006, which seems like a very long time off.

On the other hand, i can easily meet my minimum repayments, and pay way over them...so i guess it's just something i live with!

posted by small 4:00 PM

I completely forgot to write how my exam went! I was very nervous, but got to the Great Hall in plenty of time, and met several of the other students in my tutor group. It was a flashback to my days at school over ten years ago. Those special exam tables, and clocks specially placed...

I think i did ok though, i know i got some parts wrong, but i remembered almost all of the vocab, and that is half the battle. If i haven't got 40% i think i will be really surprised.

posted by small 4:33 PM

Time to move on to the next course. Well the one after next really. I'm going to buy some books in advance to get a little bit ahead. The Three Theban Plays and Lysistrata and Other Plays, and finally PrometheusBound .

It looks like it might be a depressing Christmas read!

posted by small 11:56 AM

I spent 40 pounds in asda over the weekend. I felt realyl bad about it, but 25 pounds of that was on new gym clothes. I shouldn't feel bad about that as having more sets of clothes means i don't have to wait until the washing is done, so i can now go three times in one week.

I am getting increasingly nervous about the exam, but i keep telling myself that i am capable of getting 40%, and that is all i need.

My boot just broke this morning. The upper part of it has completely come away. Oh dear, more expense.

According to the machine in boots i went down by .4 of a kilogram, yes stayed the same in pounds. I find that odd, i guess it's because it rounds up or something.

posted by small 4:29 PM

I had a note put through Mum's door that Parceline will make a final attempt today at delivering a package. Pity i didn't get notes about all the other attempts! They don't have a depot i can pick up from, so i have had to leave it to chance that they will leave it by mum's door, and no-one will run off with it. I don't even know what it is.

I have thought about getting a PO box, but Royal Mail won't accept mail from other couriers (eg OU use SMS), so that rather defeats the whole purpose. We are no longer allowed to have items delivered to work, and oddly enough i am not at home between 8:30am and 6pm. These delivery firms need to be a lot more flexible.

I had a rather hard time dealing with Countrywide insurance. I spotted a rogue payment and had to go to through different phone numbers before someone could help me. It is a different payment because of the re-mortgage, and on a different day. I will receive notification of this (albeit after the fact) and i will get a part refund as i have already paid this months premium. So it was worth it. It's a pity that the first two people wouldn't help. The even said that they didn't speak to different departments! I don't think that was anything to boast about particularly.

posted by small 4:24 PM

A bit of a mixed weekend really. I put on 2 pounds. Considering how long it has taken me to lose those, it's quite a blow.

Part of that was due to going to a work colleagues wedding. Indian food and dieting don't really go together...

And if i am honest, i didn't have the best week ever. So i will try and do better this week.

I did some revision, but this morning i realised that although i can conjugate eram, eras - i have no idea what tense it is...

I bought a stand for the widescreen tv i will purchase. it is rather too large for my current sitting room layout, but i remember that i am going to give me small sofa to Joolz. So i moved that sofa into my dining room, and put my armchair in it's place. It still rather dominates the room, but i guess widescreen TV's and their paraphenalia do that.

posted by small 4:17 PM

I got a call at 9:15 this morning to say that Leanne can't make tonights session. I am not very happy at all. I think Alex is going to take me on, but he can't do tonight! So i have had to rearrange for tomorrow, but then i guess it's not certain that i will get another session with anyone.

I don't feel bad anymore about ringing the management as Leanne obviously can't keep me on anymore!

I just hope i don't get stuck in traffic on Friday.

posted by small 3:59 PM

I have now given my payslip which shows the 295 pounds on it to our HR person. It turns out that my team lead didn't have this on his payslip, so it cannot be the bonus. In which case it is clearly something that has been paid to me, which shouldn't.

That puts me in a pickle as i would guess that that money will be wanted back, and i have already written and sent the cheque to ING. Still, it is better that it is sorted out and that i have advance warning, rather than a rude awakening.

Hey, i got abc1 over the weekend. It's rather nice to have silly American Comedies to watch. The news is so depressing lately, and i like to try and keep myself cheerful. Pity it only broadcasts between 6am and 6pm! It means i only get weekends to watch it, but i guess over the winter it'll be nice to have some laughter when it's cold and miserable on a Saturday!

The office where i work will no longer allow personal packages to be delivered. How mean. After all, most companies deliver during working hours, and as you are at work, you then either have to risk them throwing your package over someone elses wall (as happened with my hammock), or having to drive to the otherside of the city. It would have been so much easier to get it delivered to work.

I moved all the items (apart from the futon mattress) into my bedroom, so that i can sort though them and box them. I have a whole load of old flute books. I think i may gie the beginner books to charity, and perhaps keep some of the more advanced ones.

posted by small 4:42 PM

I may not have lost weight, but i am certainly stronger than I was. I guess it must have been about a month ago when i did my first "fly" with Leanne. Then, i couldn't even use weights on my right arm. Sunday, i picked up the 2kg weight and it was too light. Then i got the 3, and that was too light too! For the other move i was up to 6! And at body balance last night i was able to do some moves where i support my body weight on my hands and heels. Yeah!

It was amazing to come back to my house for the first time in a long time and not have to be greeted by piles of boxes as soon as i walk in through the back door.

posted by small 4:35 PM

So, first things first. The Big Push. I now have left to move:
Blue bookcase
Shell of chest of drawers
TV
Video
DVD
mini tv stand
Contents of vegetable rack from the garage
Futon mattress

The futon mattress will stay at mums for a while, as i currently have nowhere to put it. Seeing this list has made me realise that i really need to work on getting my bedroom carpet removed. When this is done, and the new carpet down, I can then move in the chest of drawers, the bookcase etc etc. Those large items of furniture which i currently have no place for.

I did move a lot of the boxes which had been piling up in the dining room. There are still some things there, but it is a lot less.

I wondered into MVC on Saturday, with minidiscs on the brain and found out that they buy CD's. I have quite a few which i haven't listened to in years, so on Sunday i took them there. Most of them fetched 1 pound, which i pleased me. My plan had been to go to a car boot sale and sell them for 50p each. I even got rid of an ep which normaly they wouldn't take, but the assistant said that he wanted it for himself and so gave me 50p for it!

I gained space and a little over 17 pounds! That will go straight into my Nationwide account, into my tv and stand fund.

The weightloss is going so slowly. It's not going up, but i was only down by 0.1 of a kilogram this week! That's not even half a pound. And today i have already had a chocolate bar and mayo on my jacket potato.

I will work harder tomorrow.

posted by small 4:28 PM

It turns out that the bonus is 295 pounds minus tax/NI etc etc.

Oh well, it's still nearly 300 pounds...

But taking that money and putting it into savings will leave me short again. But this is bonus money, and i want to spend it on a treat. Something tangible, so that i can look at that and think, i worked so had on that project and this was the result of my effort!

Despite saying that I will be good, i do spend money on unnecessary things. So i must try harder this month.

I did have a session with Leanne last night. I feel a little guilty as the club gave her an ultimatum about continuing with training. It turns out she only trains two people, so i would guess that my comments to a team lead about not being contacted by her got taken on board. But it was true, and Leanne herself has said that she has so much to do with her new job that is difficult for her to find the time. So, next week she is going to get someone to shadow her during our session with a view to whomever it is taking me on. She says that the best fit for me would either be Kate (who took me on Saturday) or a young lad named Alex, who seems very friendly. I hope it is Kate as she is very hot on nutrition, which is the area i have a lot of trouble with.

I also hope i get that session i am owed back.

posted by small 4:32 PM