I thought it had been a while but I've just realised how long it has been since I blogged about me - over a month in fact. Latest developments: Exchanged contracts for our new house on Friday. Get the keys this Friday. Moving to Ash which is not too far from Aldershot. We're not moving for another month so we've got a chance to do some decorating and get the place looking the way we want it before we shift the furniture. Fortunately this fits in almost perfectly with when our lease finishes on the flat. Off to Malta for a week next Tuesday. Been invited to a wedding over there. Had my next placement confirmed for the graduate scheme I'm on at work. In the same department as I expected but doing a slightly different role. Not too sure what it will involve just yet but quite looking forward to a change. Would prefer a rest though. Once again I'll be getting drunk in Guildford on Friday night as yet another colleague is leaving. My floor at work is beginning to look like the Marie Celeste! Went and saw The Village last night. Good film, not ridiculously scary but there's plenty of tension and a copule of moments that made the whole cinema leap out of their seats. Sure there are plenty of other things that have happened since I last wrote but none that spring to mind so I'm going to leave it there.

22.8.04 21:46 Permalink / 3 Comments / comment

Finally work has its uses Other than the usual abuse of the email, internet and postal service I've found out that where I work does have its advantages. Spent a fair bit of this afternoon staring out of the windows watching the Red Arrows doing their full rehearsal for the Farnborough Airshow. Later on a Stealth bomber did a couple of fly-bys. Meant that I achieved the sum total of sweet FA at work today, not helped by constant interruptions. Off out to Guildford tonight for a colleague's leaving do. Excuse for beers as if one's needed. Then back home for the weekend to see a few old mates. Again beers might be a possibility.

15.7.04 19:59 Permalink / 2 Comments / comment

Escape from Aldershot Managed to escape the confines of Aldershot and head into London for the last couple of days. Knocked off work early on Friday so I could jump on a train into the capital and headed over to Kilburn to meet Little Chris, a mate from Uni. Actually ended up meeting him at Waterloo as he was on his way back from work The absence of staff at Aldershot station and on the train allowed me to blag a travelcard as if I'd only travelled from Clapham Junction. Their fault, not mine. Went for a couple of beers with Little Chris, his brother and his brother's fiancee in the North London Tavern before heading off to Leicester Square. After a quick KFC to line the stomach, we met up with the Nanny Mafia - a load of Antipodean au pairs - and a few of their mates. Had a few pints in Yates' before going to Tiger Tiger. Got charged a tenner to get in and enjoy overpriced drinks. Sometimes I think the bars and clubs in London believe a bit too much of their own press as I've not found many places I'd write home about. We had got tickets for schooldisco but Sound has lost it's late licence so I ended up getting a refund earlier in the week. Ended up wandering over to Chinatown. Left the first place we tried due to a stroppy waitress. Managed to find the legendary Hungry Ghost which our accomplice Upi had been raving about - except it was called the Laughing Buddha. Food was good if overpriced - not helped by a sly 10% service charge being tacked on. Nightbus back to Kilburn via a 24-hour store to get essential fry up ingredients. Almost daylight by the time we got home - a regular occurrence during my placement year in Frankfurt but rare back in Blighty. Yesterday we eventually dragged ourselves over to London Bridge in the afternoon for a few riverside beers. Wetherburgers for dinner then cinema. Had planned to see Fahrenheit 9/11 but it wasn't on so settled for Shrek 2. Beers in the Walkabout followed. They had a band on. Played the instruments well enough but the choice of songs left the singer struggling to hit some of the notes. Fairly uneventful day today. Headed home early afternoon and been watching TV and reading transfer rumours ever since.

11.7.04 21:18 Permalink / 3 Comments / comment

Note to self: Check for any tube strikes before booking an exam in Shepherd's Bush. The one day in the month that I have to go in to London and it was a nightmare journey. Fortunately the train strike had been called off or I would have been completely screwed. Got to Waterloo without too any problems and then a tube up to Oxford Circus came along quickly enough. Got there but no Circle Line so figure it'll have to be a bus. Find a bus stop but the only bus to Shepherd's Bush that arrives isn't in service so get a different bus up to Marble Arch. See a bus waiting at the stop. Don't even bother running cos sod's law it would pull away just as I got there. Finally a bus turns up. This is at ten past 1 and my exam is at 2 but needed to be there for 1:45. Still 20 minutes from Shepherd's Bush. The driver then proceeds to do what seems to be a week's worth of paperwork and take a little stroll around the upper deck before finally letting the passengers on. Made it to Shepherd's Bush with just enough time to grab a KFC before going in to the exam. Got 84% so that's 4 out of the 5 foundation exams passed. Going to start on 2 intermediates soon so I can sit them in November. The journey back was pretty much plain sailing. Bus was waiting at the stop but had to change at Marble Arch again. Just managed to catch a train at Waterloo so back in about 90 minutes. Sure plenty of commuters have had much worse journeys than me today.

30.6.04 18:09 Permalink / 3 Comments / comment

Found a house, buying a house! We've had an offer accepted on a 3 bedroom end-of-terrace house in North Town, just outside Aldershot town centre. Went and had a look around on Thursday. Liked everything we saw and it meet just about all of our criteria. Put an offer in on Friday. First one was rejected which we expected as it was quite a cheeky opening bid. Next one was accepted though and it was still lower than we were prepared to go. Went and saw the mortgage adviser on Saturday morning. Found that Nationwide would lend us the amount we needed without us having to scrimp and save each month to make the repayments. Had to get life assurance and all the other associated bumpf. All being well we should exchange within 28 days as the sellers want to get it done quickly. Might not move until September though as they are having a new house built and it won't be ready until then. Fingers crossed it will keep going so smoothly.

31.5.04 18:21 Permalink / 5 Comments / comment

3 down, 2 to go at Foundation level of CIMA. Passed Management Accounting Fundamentals today. Very chuffed as got 91% which is much better than I'd expected as there were a few awkward bits in the syllabus. Had to go up to Shepherd's Bush instead of Reading this time. Thankfully the train and tube both behaved themselves so got there with time to spare. Enough time for a KFC in fact. Only had to wait about 10 minutes at Waterloo on the way back so a very painless journey for a change. Finally back to wearing contact lenses!! Had a check up on Thursday and got given a 5 day supply of daily disposables. Went again yesterday for a final check and got the all clear. Had to go back today and pick them up today as they only had a supply of lenses for my right eye which was kind of useless on its own. Finally spent my WH Smith vouchers - combination of a birthday present and a prize from a survey I did. Bought the latest Snow Patrol album and Keane's debut. Not had a chance to listen to them yet but from what I've heard previously I'm sure I won't be disappointed. Back to work tomorrow after almost a week off. No doubt I'll spend most of tomorrow playing catch-up and ploughing through a bundle of emails. Really looking forward to it as you can imagine.

26.5.04 19:17 Permalink / 3 Comments / comment

Revision time again. Well it is and it isn't. Am off work from now until Wednesday as I have my next exam then. Have done some revision today but don't want to overdo it so having a break and watching the cricket. Chances are this break will last until Sunday. Have to watch Soccer AM tomorrow and the FA Cup final. Probably just enough time for a visit to the garden centre and possibly buy some more fish in between. And can't possibly revise in the evening! Have worked out what I need to do in terms of revision and it should fit nicely into 3 days so no need to panic just yet.

21.5.04 18:22 Permalink / 3 Comments / comment

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