Some back-dated info

I haven't been doing well updating my blog recently. I know. I should put in more effort. I've been so busy working last week, mostly till 2AM, waking up at 7AM, that the last thing I wanted to do at the end of a long day was sit behind my pc some more... I was offered a translation job with a petrochemical theme. I thought, why not. How hard can it be, petrochemicals? Turned out to be a law case of thousands of pages (I only did a batch of them) between two famous petrochemical companies. No chemicals involved in the document, all the more judicial language though! Damn. After a lot of stressing and hardly any sleep, I delivered all my translations and was grateful to be able to relax again. I can't wait to do this full time, don't get me wrong, but the whole going to classes in between is just a bit too much!

Went out for a quick one on Friday night, which turned into a very late one, and in Stu's case a very drunk one! He was still feeling it on Saturday so his planned bike ride for the day (he's taking his practising for the London to Brighton Charity Bike Ride very serious now!) was swapped for a leasurly day at Ma and Pa's.

Decided to bike on the Sunday instead. We'd planned to visit Kurt, a (very tall) friend I met on the Proms tour. He lives at the other side of the river so we took the pedestrian tunnel under the river to get there and took the little ferry back to get to the right side. It was a beautiful sunny day. We met Kurt's family, who has 3 fabulous children, and planned their visit to us at the end of July in England. I can't wait to take the kiddies to Groombridge Place, they're going to love it! (and so will I - being a kid again is great!)

On the way back from Kurt, dropped in at Evi's and decided to have a bbq at the edge of the river for dinner. Drove passed home to pick up the bbq and put it in the Beast, grabbed some meat from the freezer, camping table, chairs, bottle of wine, PIMS (suuuuumer time!) and found ourselves a lovely place with a view of the cathedral to the left and the pretty harbour lights (petrochemical companies!) on the right. It was simply a fabulous evening. Sat there till the sun went down and we started freezing. Not quite sure how often Evi and I said the word wonderful.

Few more things worth to mention:

• We're moving early. No "leaving party" but a "moving in" party! Due to some rubbish small print in the contract of our tenants, they are allowed to hand in their notice only 1 month in advance, which they did. We can't really afford to pay for both a mortgage and the rent, so we're moving out on the 8th of June - in the middle of my exams. Ouch. Mum and I have it all sorted though.


• Stu and dad are going over on the 27th of May - which means Stu isn't here for my birthday - and will paint and decorate. They'll then drive the lorry to Belgium on the 8th, load the lorry with everything Mum and I have put in boxes and leave the next day. Mum and I will then go with them in the car, unpack some stuff and drive back on the 11th of June. I would probably feel poo if everything went back and things were being unpacked without me there...


• "Moving in" party, highly likely on the 7th of July. Whoever is first gets a bed, then the floor, then a tent in the garden.


• Got inspired at Kurt's house with their 'library' wall - it's made up of old fruit crates. Brilliant! Phoned up the people where he got them from today and just picked up 40 of them at €1 a piece...