hello
i am feeling a lot better now...i had a very emotional friday and saturday, but i am feeling better. saturday afternoon i had spent with babcia, we saw joseph and his technicolour dreamcoat, and we had fun beforehand, but she said some stuff that made me think, and when i got home, i thought, and thought, and yeah, it went downhill...damn thinking - its not good for me.
sunday, i went to church - much needed, had a chat with scripture after, popped to the shops, drove home, drove to my nans and drove home. my bro from madrid rang me for an age which was amazing - i love speaking to him, and so that was really good.
on monday, i picked up dave and susan and we voyaged to brommers, and we went wedding outfit shopping, as dave is off to a wedding, and so am i! i purchased a dress, and now i have two to choose from....we had a wonder and a chat, and i drove them back, arranging a time for the evening. i was in my element in the afternoon - making stuffed courgettes, cous cous salad, garlic bread and then angel delight cake for pud! dinner i should say went down a treat. dave and susan gave me empty plates in return...and we had good conversation and funness, and then drove them home, having a good God chat with Dave before letting him escape my car!
work today has been a bit of a chillsome day, but hey sometimes you get days like that!
three day week next week, and a haircut in my "lunch break"...very excited

so yeah, i still have many issues to overcome for me and God, but i now know i have some awesome support to help me
thanks guys
x

at the moment of writing this, i am in floods of tears. i have had such a hard week - work has been manic, and my emotions are going on over-drive, and at the moment i just feel so alone.
some people who are still close to me will probably know what is going on for me right now - others probably dont care. over the past year, i have had my ups and downs, but i have always tried to be the best friend i can to people - always, and just now, i feel used and it really hurts...it really does.
work provides a haven for me - somewhere i can just be professional for 9 hours, and then go home.
home becomes a stressful place
I am having God issues - i am trying to unmask, knock down barriers that i have had for almost ten years of my life, and this is so hard for me - actually now having to face what i have been putting off in my life - and it is scary and it hurts, and i am scared, and i dont know what to do.
i cant think anymore,
i guess in the future i just have to be more careful

i have had quite an emotional week this week - but hey ho - things go like that sometimes. It doesn't surprise me, as my promise to myself was to be more honest with myself and how i am feeling - so I am allowed to be down, and not cover it. It is helping...i need to get the nasty stuff out of my system. I need to get the people and the issues that are currently getting me down out of my way, so I can let the nice things in! new philosophy.

i had a lovely evening on thursday when i met a friend fo dinner - it was just what i needed - a good religion talk, and a good man problem talk. we are both having some troubles in some parts of our faith, and it is so helpful to have people to chat things through with...loved it.

have had a busy weekend, and it seems as if the dizzy/fainty spells are coming back again, as there have been a few times this weekend where I have had to stop what I have been doing to regain a bit of composure - was not liking that.
have also been doing some deanery duties today, so that should be coming along. this week is going to be a busy week, with the release of my report at work, and so we shall see how this one is taken - i cannot say too much -

have got new glasses (will be collecting them next week) - i have to wear them when using the computer...they have cost quite a bit but hopefully i will get my voucher from work to cover the vast majority of the bill - they already paid for the test - good old government! hopefully that should stop the headaches I have been getting...have to wear my old ones until nexy week though!
have a few people to be meeting with this week, keeping me very busy, some people i have not seen in a while, some i have seen recently - should be good stuff...

i am going to write a little bit more about taize - sorry if this bores people, but it has had a huge effect on me, and it is so important to me.
my taize day started at 7am...usually after a not a very much sleep as the tent was generally quite noisy. i made my way to the main site to wash, and then went to 7:30 am Catholic eucharist. that finished at 8, and then the main church was opened up for 8:15 morning prayer, that lasted until about 9. i then met up with the others, usually dave, matt and susan, and we queued up for breakfast...a bowl of hot chocolate, a bread roll and a stick of chocolate (sometimes 2 or 3 if you were lucky). after that it was chore time - cleaning the toilet block out by the church for me. then it was shower (after cleaning toilets it was needed). usually just chatted to randoms, dave, susan, and at 12:15 it was time for mid-day prayer. that went on to one, and then we queued for lunch. after lunch, we went to the lake/sat in the garden/did some quiet time...and at 3:15 we had a bible study/workshops/discussion groups - i went to the Luke workshops, and how it challenges us in our everyday lives. we then had taize tea at 5:15, and then had a break or optional workshops...i went to some on Christianity and Islam, Violence within us, we had a meeting with Brother Mark, and a meeting with the English groups with brother Paulo. tea was at 7pm, after which at 8:15 was evening prayer. after that we went to Oyak or did a prayer session, chatted, and did bible discussions. on thursday, Brother Aloisi did a reading of a letter to all the people in Taize. On friday there was a veneration of the cross - i wanted for ages to do this, and this was one of the most beautiful moments of my time out there. I felt such a release of emotion/pressures when i did this - it was a powerful moment of prayer and i feel very blessed to have had the opportunity to have done this. on saturday we had the candlelight service which was just beautiful, no words can describe this - it was just...(fill in appropriate word). usually, i would stay in the church for a while after evening prayer, i talked to some of the brothers of the community about some of my problems, some of the challenges that arose from the Bible discussions, and some of the emotions that were running through me. i would pray for a bit, and i spoke to the English Bishop about relationship problems, and things connected with that, and my greatest fears.

i met some amazing people - if i came out of the church crying, a random would come up and hug me. one day i went down to the lake, after having had a challenging bible group - i sat in one of the prayer shelters, and just cried...some people came up to me, hugged me, and said i could chat to them if i needed them....i became very close to two of the petts wood people, dave and susan - they began to read me very well. i was very open and honest with them, about my life, my faith and my worries. it was very rewarding and very open. i was able to cry when i wanted to, laugh when i wanted to, talk about my faith and not be shot down or questioned, sing songs, or worship songs, talk about loving God, and not get laughed at, but most of all I had the chance to develop my relationship with God which is something i most sincerely wanted to do.

Taize was such a small community, but the ability to find silence was amazing - i loved just being able to sit and have time to muself to read my Bible, and think a lot about what is going on in my life. and i did do a lot of thinking. i thought about the last few years - people who have made and broken me, friendships that i have developed, people i have met, what i have achieved, and what i want to do next - yes, some of these thoughts are still in my head, and some of the things that have happened in the last few weeks, have given me some answers. but now i have developed a relationship with God that is stronger then it has been for a while, I realise that some of these fears are passable, and even not really fears at all, and that to me was special.

i know that many people will not understand this, and i dont blame you, but this holiday was so special for me, for all the relationships that I made, the glimmer of hope that i received, and the little scratch that i began, that will soon get deeper so the real me can come out to more people, so they can get a greater understanding of me. i really have to thank everyone who went with me for the effect they had on me, and the friendship and the love and appreciation they showed me - what a blessed week it was.

i just have to say another thing about Taize - i have made some unbelievably close friends - and i have to say a huge thank you to both David and Susan who made my time out there so special, who looked after me, who cuddled me when i was crying, and who laughed with me when i laughed, and to david for giving me a shoulder and an arm to sleep on all the way back home. These two people have had a huge impact on my life in the last fortnight, and we contact each other everyday, and only go a few days without seeing each other. I pray that my relationship with these two can stay like this, as they have given me more support then they know.

Taize has a very special place in my heart, and I am very greatful for God, and the people there for that

i think i should do a quick update about Taize
it was in a word - brilliant. I had such an amazing time - and such a spiritual time. yes, it was very emotional, there is no getting away from that, and the fact you could just break down in tears at any time...but I think the point I have to make most whole heartedly is that my relationship with God did grew so much stronger. I really felt God work in me, and take away so many of my anxieties and worries. so much so, I am now on half of my dose of anti-depressants. it was like a huge weight had been removed from my shoulder, and i really have to praise God for that. I made some amazing friends....i really did. the group of us that went have all really bonded amazingly and i know that we will remain close for a long time. and we are going to go to Taize in Geneva for the New Years, and there will be many Taize times to have.

I really do thank God for everything...it was just such a blessed week.

Taize today!
am very excited, a wee bit nervous, but very excited...hope to meet some absolutely amazing people, and have some time for contemplation and just a wee bit of a relax

hopefully my contract will be extended after my appraisal yesterday...HR have to agree first...a strong business case has to be put in....but they are very happy with me, and told me not to look for a new job! i was pleased, and will be getting a wee bit of a payrise now! yay!

finished my court report, its off with vicky now to do her little section to it...she has received a 27 page monster from me! hehehehehe...was good having a wee little slam of the court system. we may have a very new interesting project in the pipeline now....just have to finalise the funding!

august in turning out to be a very busy month for me, work wise and social wise! should be fun!

better go to the shop and get coach food now....leaving in a matter of hours.

take care, and i will speak to you all on my return...will try not to leave it so long next time...have been very busy with work, youth club stuff and trying to sort out the bromley deanary!

have just finished packing - think i have taken way too much as per usual! but am ready for all weathers!
xxx

once again, it has been an absolute age since i have last blogged, but i have been very busy. work has been keeping me very much occupied. i am now writing up a comparison between the two magistrates courts i have been observing - its very hard. but qualitative analysis is taking ages. work has been very enjoyable, lots of laughs, and quite a few drinks after work recently...which i do love, but i do get annoyed when i am sometimes not allowed to buy a round! i am very glad that places are now smoke free - hurrah! i wont smell when i go out now! yay!

um, rain - obviously has made a huge impact on the country at the moment. luckily floods of the dramatic scenes that have been seen (see james' blog) have not happened in London - but we have had rain, and indeed we have also had bomb threats. on friday i didnt know that much about it on my way to work, but now i am getting quite scared about my commute into town - that is exactly what they want, and i hate that, but hey...i hope that it goes ok.

i have been doing some youth type stuff - yesterday i had a youth training and resources day - it was very good, very informative, and also introduced me to the people who rub breaking opeb the word which i am going to try and go to from now on, as it does sound fab! have meetings galore this week, another youth group one, and a taize meeting also! very very busy, but good!
met up with susannah recently - hadnt seen her for two years - crazy! but just great - was cool to see her, and nice catch up. so yeah...

um, rain broke off for long enough for me to do an hours run - am cream crackered now! but it was a good run - always what the doctors had ordered...and it is true - it makes me feel so much better, and the happy hormones do go like crazy. talking about that, my mood has been up and down. two things in particular are making me down, not wanting to divulge too much, a few people know what they are...one i think will get sorted, but the other, well i dont know at all.

anyways, enough for now
take care
xx

yet another week has passed before i have been able to blog...not much has changed. work has been very busy...saw an awful court last week, and could not believe that this was it - shocked me. have booked a meeting with vicky and steve tomorrow to talk about the court research we have done...vicky = very enthusiastic, steve = very enthusiastic...i wonder if i will be able to get a word in edge ways! oh man..never mind, we shall see. should be a good meeting though, and it will really help me with the project that I am currently doing so that is always good.

um, work has been fun...on monday it was catching fruit in the mouth thrown over from the other side of the office - oh yeah...blueberries were easier than orange segments, and i was trying to compose a proper email to steve at this point...obv it turned silly, but hey, work emails generally are.

i have been doing some SPSS training with Tania so that I can deal with the diversity requests that we are dealing with at the moment...i did one all on my own this afternoon - wohoo. yesterday i did one with supervision, i got a high five! made me smile.

my nan came over on sunday - said i was looking thin, which was good. my priest told me that taize had been booked - 11 of us going - yay, and i am now going to a youth training day which will be fun, so that i can help out in the parish. i did some running but it had to be on my trampoline as the weather was shit.

all in all things are very much samey. missing notts people, and some exeter people too, but hey, that is always the case. its been three weeks since something, and that has calmed me down which is nice, well not nice, but am getting there

it has been a bit of a strange week - i will try and explain. monday last week i left work late as we had some much needed work to finish, and as i was highly involved in it, i couldnt just go. on tuesday, i have to admit, even though i had so much work to do, and really had to concentrate when i was in court, i was thinking about what was happening after work - and that was i was meeting up with dan, who the week before had asked me out again. i was thinking about what to do an what to say for a long time. stayed at work later than usual as i was meeting dan quite near to work, and by the time i had met him, i had made up my decision. we had a drink, and skirted around the issue...but i said to him no. basically i saw it as a step back, and not a step forward, and with a crush on someone else i couldnt go out with him...and from what i have now been told about him, i am glad about the decision i made. i slept very well that night. on wednesday, i told work, and they were happy for me. to make up for tuesday i worked hard, but played hard too...and in the evening, Nigel, Ash and I went to the Duke for a quick drink, and four hours later we decided to go home...they made me laugh until i cried...the best type of laughing! thursday was court, but a normal day, until tania and i went to collect ants for our antfarm...friday, my brain was not working at all...tania, ash and i had a huge fucking laugh in the office, dares, stupid eyes, ant collecting, dancing, juggling - it was just really really silly! not much was done, but we had just had such a laugh! steve came up to see our antfarm - one of the only people we have told about it that actually likes the sound of it - and he was actually fascinated..he wouldnt put it down...it was so funny!

by the end of the day i was so tired...just laughing loads!

so my week was knackering, but by the end of the week i was a bit blue, which turned to very blue at the weekend. on sunday at our church was the first holy communion for 26 little 7-8 year olds, and i had a tear in my eye - it was beautiful..i remember my communion loads, and it was just so sweet - beautiful service....

today at work - i was grumpy - i told ash as soon as i got into the office - but he didnt mind - he is great like that...nigel noticed too - but they were happy when i showed them my popping candy and wham bars i had found them! at four this afternoon, Tania suggested the park, so we downed tools and went to the park...ash was very enthusiastic with my poi - resulting in them needing some love and care - we shall fix them tomorrow, nigel was perfecting his handstands, and then twisting me round on the swings...this is what 24-30 odd year old people do at work obviously! that made me feel better, and some other bits of information that I received today also made me feel a lot lot better about things! oh and a lopt of our ants have died, but we are going to start again

tomorrow, i have court, and then a busy day, and in the evening i am having a meal with some ex-monks and priests and the deanary forum....should be good, but it means that i have to leave work dead on 5! should be exciting!

well, that has been going on in the little world of me...we shall see what else will happen...my mind is relieved

ok
so this week of work had flown by, because i have had laughs - ash is back - hurrah! we have been sampling the delights of chocolate covered crisps (not so good), and just been having office fun, although i didnt do a dare they were desperately wanting me to do, even though the dare money was the highest it has ever been (£13.50), and i would have earnt a few points doing it also. my sweet-talking i did for steve was noted, and he said i should have a point, but my office said it could only come from them - robbed. we went out on wednesday night, just spur of the moment - as i found my trains home were cancelled, and so it was going to take me an age to get home, so i thought that i might make ot a bit longer...we had a lot of work drinking fun, with nigel trying to teach me magic tricks, and them finally realising that i do indeed have large hands for a girl. we also planned some summer lunch time fun, including frisbee on the street and park, juggling, football, and a sponsored run between the london buildings. on my eventual way home, i was thrown into a poetic whirlwind of confusion.

on friday at work, tania came in late in the afternoon, just as my brain was beginning to stop working completely, and i had a much needed girlie chat. she was telling me about the difference between american and british men, and sometimes that she found it really hard to relate to british men...she then asked me about my relationship status, which at the moment is very complicated, as well, lets just say that it is. anyway, i told her about a huge crush that i have at the moment, and admitted who it was. she found it very funny, as she thought that the person in question was gay! hehehehe! she understood my position very well, and understood that it sometimes could be a bonus, especially when it has been a slow day at work. so i have a lot of thinking to do over the next few days, but thanks to tania, my secret is out, and unlike other things in the office, this is going to stay between the two of us, otherwise my life would not be worth living (in the office anyway). but it was a big relief off my shoulders, and made me feel a lot lighter, which was very good. i did say a big thank you afterwards, and then helped her learn mack the knife for her drama class! and i may even have offered to help her find ants for her ant farm

we have had my ciocia from canada over for a few days this week which is nice, and she took the whole bajorek clan, and my babcia out for a meal which was lush. she is a lovely lady.

and on an end note, i have been covering a different court recently, and it has been much better, and justice is actually served! shock horror i know, but it was nice to see...and they even gave me a court list to have, so i knew what was going on. thanks camberwell!

well, as you read on saturday, i was feeling blue...well soon after that post, it got worse. i got so down, i basically made myself ill...not sick...well i was sick, but not like that. basically i had cried so much on saturday that i gave myself a huge migraine, my head felt like it was going to explode, and my eyes felt like they were being pushed out of my head. it was because of my migraine i was ill, it wasnt pretty...and well that was saturday evening - how i love bank-holiday weekends. yesterday, my mum for the first time in me having depression for about the past 7 years, said to me the word depression, and how worried she was about it all...that must have been a bit of a breakthrough for her i swear. and today, well i have no migraine, and i havent been crying...yet, but i am still not good.

i just feel let down by myself and other people. they probably dont even know who they are, but man...i have been so mucked around by so many people in my life, that i just cant stand it anymore. it hurts too much. people who know me, know that usually i put so much effort into everything, and that includes friendship, and on many times i just feel that i get slapped in the face. well i am not taking it anymore. if people want to treat my like shit, then they should not be surprised when it comes back at them. i cant be putting 100% into trying to maintain contact, and trying to be happy, and trying to do all i can to save things i once believed was worth saving anymore. i just dont physically have the mental strength to do it. its not fair, and its impossible.

i am not the strong, happy out-going person that everbody seems to think i am. gosh no. i am so weak, feeble, so unsure of myself, my looks, my personality, constantly critising every last little piece of me that you would not believe. i worry about me, i worry about those around me. i found my diary for nottingham last year...every paragraph was at the moment i am worried about people x, y and z. my friends meen everything to me, they kee me going more than people realise...so when something is up with them, i take it on personally aswell - i guess its lucky that i never did become a counsellor - i would not be able to get up for work in the morning would i?

anyways, that is it. i am a person who suffers from depression, and at the moment, things are not going exactly the way that i planned, but i know that i have to keep on going, and trying to resolve issues, and i am going to put 100% into making me better for a change.

at the moment i seem to have entered an incredibly down phase. i have spent most of today crying - even whilst shopping, and i just cant seem to pick myself up...there are a few things making me feel like this. work is the only thing that is keeping me going at the moment - as i always seem to be cheered up by the people around me, and i get appreciated for the work that i do, and the comments that i make. on thursday i had a hugely busy day at work - i had to run from court to work, and when i got in i bumped right into steve, and usually i would stop to chat, and i really wanted to, but i had 20 minutes to eat lunch and print out the documents that i needed for a meeting i was the minute maker at..me no time to talk - shows how busy i truly was. on firday i had to do steves dirty work, as he left the office early without contacting a member of my team...he rang in from the train..."zofia, ive been a fool", was very funny! have been really into my court work at the moment, and i am changing courts for the next month, so i will have to get to know the prosecutors all over again. i had to stand up in open court the other day and explain to the court what i was really doing there...eek! it was very nerve-racking! but i managed to blag my way into staying in court...thank goodness.

so, yeah, my work is really keeping me sane at the moment...the only thing that is actually doing that. home is making me go insane...am looking on flat share websites for places i can afford...but there are not that many. i want to stay aroundish this area as i am getting more involved in my church stuff, and i dont want to leave it in the lurch now i have got stuck in.

but, man, i really need a boost in the old happy hormone at the moment, as its not looking good at the moment. in fact, its the worse i have been in a bloody age, at a time when i thought that things were getting better for me as i had been feeling so much better. i have regressed about a year i reckon. have just done a 50 minute run as i think i have put on some weight, just as i had reached my target weight as well...so more exercising is going to have to happen to me to maintain that, and lose a little bit more as i still am not happy....but almost a stone lost now, so it is coming off slowly.

not much else to add. dixie chicks playing - good tune.

Wow - i never meant to leave it this long until i blogged...here we go!
the deanary meeting went really well from my perspective - i was the feedbacker from my group, so i managed to add a few of my things too! a few priests from around the area took my name so that i can get involved in things, and my priest asked my to do a write up for the parish news letter which i duly did, and even got a mention in church too! so that was all good!

work has been going..my work remit seems to have grown, but i dont mind...i have been having a laugh with people, and steve came up last week too, and we had a good chat, and he met my new boss! he was much liked by my office - not hard really as he is so easy to get on with! court is becoming very interesting...i have prosecutors throwing info at me, just wanting to get a lot of stuff off their chest, which is brilliant for my research. today 36 cases in less than three hours - how can that be providing justice? my question exactly? one more day at thames magistrates, then i start at camberwell - i feel like a dirty women cheating on my court...i have become quite attached to thames court 7!

my weekend was good, it was dans birthday so i met up with him, and his new teacher friends (i was the only one who didnt really know people), but it was really good. i was able to mingle and fit in well, his friends, and even him were lovely, and a good time was had by all! i had to leave earlier then the others to run for my last train home, so i missed dan getting thrown out - it doesnt surprise me as he had to drink everything we got him - it wasnt pretty!

and well...things are just going on, i am having a bit of fun, and a laugh, and just plodding on....now i have to go and get some stuff ready for work tomorrow!

quick summary of the weekend as my bed time is approaching fast - it was good.
saturday i tried to get my haorcut, but booked an appointment at the hair dressers instead for next week, and so just chilled at home, until gone fourish when i got ready to go to my bros for a joseph and eurovision night - a night of campness - bloody fantastic. eurovision - well uk sang ok actually, but i had pulled out serbia in the sweepstake so i was pretty chuffed with the result...i claimed greece on the night, and they came up good too! but andy won on the claims - he claimed russia! many gin and tonics, some guitar heroes, and maltesers later, tim and i made our way back to brixtom station for the last train home!

today has also been good. we had three baptisms at church this morning - i think that these were my first baptisms i had seen - and we had some damned good hymns too - so i had a very gppd church time today, and at the end i lit a candle for little madeleine - it is so sad, and i really really hope that she is found alive. made my way home - got a bit drenched in the rain, but hey ho...watched a film - the magdelene sisters - very very sad but a brilliant film, and then went to my nans...but she was very down and sad, so it didnt put my mum and i in the best of moods.

tonight i have packed a few clothes for birmingham, as tomorrow, i am one of two people representing my parish at the diocese meeting...at 24 i am glad that i am still seen to be the representative of the youth! brilliant!

anyways, had better finish my kiwi and make my way to bed...work is going to be very busy this week!

helloo dear blog!
well, this week court has been very interesting. some cases have not been nice at all, and actually made me shiver sometimes in my seat...thankfully, i do not sit in crown courts, as i would have heard the horrid details. as a result i have had some very interesting conversations with my team, and judging people and the society that we live in. thats why i love my work...we are quite open and open to discussion, and i feel appreciated which is even better. have been doing a lot of reading at the moment - train helps. at the moment i am reading the five people you meet in heaven, but a few times, i have had to stop for nearly crying...its a very moving book, it really is.
this next week is going to be busy too..two days in court...and trip to b'ham for the annual staff conference, and i am staying overnight the night before in a hotel with a double bed....little things! hopefully i will see ady too, which will be fab.
um, not much else to say. congrats to ben on getting a job...i am glad that one has finally come for you...good luck when you start.

wow - two posts in one week - what the hell is going on?
well, i have a bit of time before some family come round in an hour or so, so i decided to do some webbing, add some songs to my radioblog, and i thought that i would update my blog too.

today at church we had a reading about barnabasm, the name meaning son of encouragement, and we were asked to think about all those who have encouraged us in different positive things. and oh my word my list seemed to be never ending, and so i thought that i would mention a few...

first - jonathan - indeed, you were right when you said that i would get this job, and all the help that you gave me in nottingham last year - thanks!

all the rest of the nottingham boys - indeed the cloister boys kept me going, and allowed me (a girl) to hang out with them - brilliant!

ben - for a person that i have only met a few times in my life you too helped me through last year. i think that both of us know that things are not nearly the same anymore, and i do kindof miss that sometimes, but it is totally understandable i guess...but hey, you were a great support to me

james and mark - my third year in exeter would not have been so fun if it wasnt for you two just making me laugh so much and being there for me for a shoulder to cry on, and save me from my manic revision schedule, and introduce me to the wonders of monkeyball!

ellie and the occ psych girls - ellie - the first english person i spoke to in nottingham - hehehehehe! thanks you for last year, swapping notes, and drinking gin, and wine soc, and stuff.

han - like ben - wow we have only met each other a few times, but the amount of laughter i do when you are around is just silly - almost wetting myself laughter - the best type. you are a special lady, and in subtle ways you encourage me in so many ways...you naughty bunny you.

lesotho team - wow the amount of encouragement i get from you guys is amazing...when i need as prayer - i know exactly who to turn to....with my unobtainable crush - you get me, and laugh it through with me, and understand what i mean...lesotho 2005 - with us forever dudes.

katy - cathsoc katy...grassu slope, biscuits, pub career sessions, avoiding goose poo - what a star.

tess, rachel, and maltese rachel - such special ladies...you guys also made my third year at exeter - how much of a good time did i have...so much fun, and you guys were such a big part.

amy and ali - the girls i lived with for so much time at uni...brilliant lovelies...love you.

fr paul...had to be there...greatest landlord fo all time!

so as you can see loads of people have given me encouragement, and this is without family, and people at work who have given me a huge boost recently....

so i have done a lot of thinking indeed...
tomorrow, museums and art galleries i think it is!
xxx

well, in this last week work has become quite hectic...i have been observing court quite a lot, and having to take notes. I am now recognised by some of the Crown Prosecutors and court clerks, who say what they think are passing comments, but are in fact very interesting and informative. but a lot of what i see a) makes me quite scared about some of the people in society and b) makes me scared about the criminal justice system and some of the workings of the court. But having said that it is very interesting. Vicky is away on fieldwork at the moment, and when she comes back we are going to start going through all our notes, and picking out themes...qualitative analysis - oh yeah! I am still making lots of report summaries to put around the commission, and maybe to the public on the website, and am doing a briefing for the commissioners of our latest work too. Ash has gone on leave so i proof read his article for him, and sent the changes for big nigel to go over...

other things...soon our diocese is doing its final towards a vision session, where five people from every catholic church go to one church for a meeting. at church last week, fr bryan told me that i was one of the chosen ones from our church! wohoo...another time to get my voice heard about how to get youth back...

in other things...well having not had my a-ds for a few days, and then going back on them again, my body has been a bit mucked up, and doesnt really know if it is coming or going. this has stressed me out a bit, it has made sleeping not very good, and has also made me a bit emotional. jonathan has been getting the train home with me which has been good, as it means i can talk things over with him....and monday lunch was a really nice time, as adrian was around, and so after giving him details as to how to get to the office, jonathan and i met him and chatted in the park for an hour for our break which was fantastic! it was so good to see him again, it had been 7 months since the last time! wohoo! that cheered me up a lot, its so good to see a good friend after a long time. anyways, am doing my best to do things to cheer myself up....dares in the office had me laughing till i nearly wet myself. i now know that i cannot eat a fairy cake from between my elbows!

in the last few years i did a running count down to my birthday, but this year I am too old to do stuff like this, so i have just let it pass this year. but i did do something different, and that was to go to madrid to visit my brother and my sister in law. I left work half an hour early on thursday, got to gatwick, and found that my phone had broken...great way to start the holiday! i arrived in madrid to be welcomed by both of them. i basically had a great weekend. i managed to spend a lot of time with my brother and talk so much through with him. i had so much that i wanted to talk to him about, so many many things. it gave me time to think about what has happened to me in the last few months, and he was able to give me a lot of wise words, and i realised just how much i missed him not being in the same country as me. i was spoilt so much by them, rounded off on my actual birthday with a three course meal cooked by davina. i flew back home yesterday evening, and got home at 11, way past my bedtime!

today was back at work which was good, i had a laugh, and then did some more fieldwork at court. i had so many emails to sort through it was silly, but i managed to do it all which was good, and now i am concentrating on the paper i am helping to co-write. I always wanted to get some work published in a journal, and if this goes well, then it looks like it might.

the only bad thing about the weekend, was that i forgot to take my medication, and towards the end i started to feel ill, proper withdrawal symptoms as it is almost like cold turkey. i am back on them now, as over the weekend, unfortunately, i realised that however much i tried and try, i realised that i need them.

this week has been a very strange week as it has only been four days at work - next week will be three and a half what with me going out to Madrid for my birthday weekend. i love my work...this week i have done my perosonel development plan and chatted through it with alexy, and i have some very interesting things coming up. we have gone out for team drinks which was lovely, and yeah, i have been knuckling down, and having a much needed laugh with some members regarding some of my nick-names....and at the pub after a few glasses, they made me say out loud in front of my boss how i had been dared to end some of my emails...luckily the funny side was seen by all those around me!

other things have been getting on my nerves a lot this week, but i am just trying to forget about such things, and say sod them if it happens again, as at the end of the day it just isnt worth it. i am not 100% with how things are going in my life at the moment, but i dont have to be laughed at by others.

and just to say, am soooo glad peep show is back on channel 4....it makes staying in on friday worthwhile....many laughs came from me - hurrah