lets see...
sun glasses - check
sun screen - check
bug repellent - check
bikini - check
passport - check
flip flops - check
toothbrush - check
mobile phone - left at home phew

nothing else is really necessary is it? I'm off to Portugal / Spain...

see ya on the 12th

yea so...

as it goes the pay rise ends up with me making less money than before... (different tax bracket) cruel and unfair! Such is life! I can but laugh it off

bought a new bike over the weekend. it's purdy. Nice to be mobile again... it was/ is still mildly terrifying being on the wrong side of the road... All my road biking reflexes are backwards... At least after cycling for a while I'll gear myself up for one day driving on the 'other' side as I've learned to say... make the mistake of saying 'wrong' side of the road and you risk upsetting peeps. Cycled for 4 h yesterday with lots of stopping and decision making as to which trail to follow... The heath is no place for biking... there are a few trails marked for cyclists but it's predominantly marked with big 'no cycling signs'... didn't seem to stop other people so we scurried along the 'no cycle' paths heading all pedestrians... nothing wrong with that? I can't even begin to describe the discomfort that a new saddle brings to you the day after the first time you use it. OUCH!

The rest of my bonus is going towards a trip to Portugal... I'm very anxious to get out of here as I'm losing steam here at work by the minute... If I don't get out soon they may just be asking me to leave! Just kidding. I found a great flight for Wednesday but was told I can't go then... it was a BA flight too... I really was hoping to not have to fly with the masses (sporting their England jerseys, Reebok trainers, gold hoop earrings carrying portable cd players) alas I think I haven't much choice in the matter now. Ah well. Sio says the sea is already warm... Rain is forecast here for the next few days and apparently well into next week too... can't think of a better reason to jump ship now.

Ah yes... the move, yup looks like I'm moving again. Turns out that after 6 months on a lease we can leave with only a month's notice. The neighbour situation will never improve... when you live next to a sound studio there isn't anything you can do to avoid the noise and the land lords are unable to do anything either so we just decided to feck it and pack up and move someone better. Low and behold, the rental market has serious come down. There are tons of beautiful places in the area I want to live in for even less than we're paying right now... very exciting indeed. I hate moving but it will be nicer to live in a less 'ghetto tastic' neighbourhood and cut some time off of travelling to work.

back to the salt mines I suppose...