My life has been difficult of late. Learning how not to smoke again, learning that what is good for you is not always easy... And that love really doesn't conquer all.

However, life has also been really rewarding. I've learnt a lot about me, and what I want to do with my life.

So tomorrow I start a 2 month secondment doing Call and Resource management - for non call centre type people, managing the numbers, making sure there are enough bums on seats for calls coming in.

I'm very excited - while I was doing this previously prior to changing employers, it also came with bonus shift work and misery. While this doesn't look like being a permanent gig for now, if I impress the powers that be now, it puts me in a great position and in line for a big fat salary boost. *crosses fingers*
 

So over the past few weeks a few things have become pretty apparent.

Firstly, I can't keep working full-time and studying as well. I'm getting too stressed out from work and I don't have the time or emotional/mental resources to learn anything. Also, work is being pretty crap at the moment.

So I'm making a choice, and its not a pretty one. I have decided that next study period (Nov - Feb) I will have a break from study. I will work like buggery and clear my credit card debt, have a lovely Christmas with smileyfish and turn 30.

At that point, I will drop my work days back to 4 or less a week. I am going to do the decent thing and ask my work if they allow me to drop to part time, if not, it will be a severe cash flow drop (as the job I have at the moment pays pretty well, and I can't expect a job that pays as well to come to me).

However, spring is springing... the sun is shining, the beer is fermenting, and I'm starting to feel more positive about the world.

After the craziness of the Fishes (and Mr Webster) coming down, I've settled down into normal life for a bit.

Study is neverending - I'm catching up on 2 weeks this week due to Open Uni having 4 semesters a year. The new subject is proper programming and I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed, but I'm taking it gently and re reading everything until I think I have it.

This weekend will be chock full of study again - and also cleaning out the back room, which needs to be converted into a LoKel study room, brewery and storage space before our lovely temporary (and former) flatmates Kim and Yukti move in for 2 months. We are both looking forward to having them back, although it might take a bit of getting used to after so long on our own.

Work is work  - they just announced there will be no pay rises this year, for the second year running. Not very impressed *insert employer here*. Underresourced and underpaid - however I have plans of leaving early next year for something 4 days a week. That gives me enough time to do 2 subjects at a time, 4 semesters a year means I'll graduate in normal people time!

I feel hopelessly underprepared and very afraid I'll fail. I just have to remind myself that I only need a pass mark to pass the subject - I did get 100% on all my assignments, after all.

I'm not good at exams, and doing them when I'm 29 is just as bad as when I was 18. If not worse.

However, I'm off to see Scott Pilgrim tonight! Hooray!

Turns out it has been around 2 years since I posted. Who knew?

Life is good at the moment - the weather is warming up and we have the fishes and webby down for the week.

Went to see Tim Burton exhibition on the weekend, which while crowded was great.

And I've got an exam on Friday, but once that's over I can start relaxing again.

I've been on leave for about a week and a half now.. I'm enjoying it lots... So... Things I did on my holidays so far...

I went to Royal Doof again - this year we were a lot more prepared for the cold. We slept in the car, which, while not as private as a tent, provided warm and snugness... and we didn't even have to turn the heater on! It pretty much rained on and off throughout, but was a lot of fun, and slipping around in the mud was fun, even if I was sliding around in my car at one point...
The music was awesomeness, ran into lots of people we know and love, and had an all round awesome event of it... And was very proud to have driven through some of my most tricky driving in the car.

After that, had a few days off lazing around the house while K finished off his leave.. it was lovely and I wish there had been more of that part.

On Sunday I went to visit my parents, who had hired a holiday house in Marengo, about 2 minutes drive out of Apollo Bay. I'd never been down that area before, and although the weather was still pretty dismal, the house looked directly on the beach - it was lovely to see the sea boiling and raging while I snuggled up next to a roaring open fire. Also, my favourite aunt was there and it was really lovely to catch up with her.

This has made me determined to take K around the Great Ocean Road in the next 12 months - he's lived in Melbourne for about 7 years now and hasn't gone yet, although this isn't entirely his fault. Every time he wants to go, something happens to stop it.

The drive back was lovely, I took the Great Ocean Road rather than the inland route to go home, and the sun was shining, the sky was blue, the sea was turquoise and I was driving with beautiful coastline on one side, and gorgeous forest on the other... Lovely.