Half Term blues...

Good day one and all.

I know that you've all logged on to read about the very exciting antic that I've got up to this week, but to be honest, it's been a pretty uninteresting week. Having said that, I feel my perspective is ever so slightly biased by what happened on Friday...

On Tuesday, I accompanied by friend Michael to Brighton. Him and his cousin recently bought a Mk IV Escort (same as my car) Cabriolet (Ernie has a roof though...). They are taking it to bits, and are salvaging parts for their cars, and selling the rest (some parts I have had...). It was good taking the car apart. Being almost identical (except for the lack of roof) to my car (Ernie the Escort), it's allowed me to see what actually is involved with taking my car to bits. I'm always nervous about taking stuff apart, in case I can't get it back together again! But as this car was being taken apart for good, it didn't really matter.

Once the interior was out, taking other things out was easy. Well, I say easy, one of the previous owners had painted over bolts, and done other bizarre things. Then there was the constant bashing of my elbow on metal, and even worse, was when I nutted the bare handbrake level with my knee-cap. I went home feeling like I'd been involved in a bar brawl with a load of midgets...

I've been off of work all this week, as it's HALF TERM!!!! I love working in schools, and I love half term (especially as a TA). I know that my teaching colleagues have all been busy writing reports, and doing various bits of marking, and lesson planning, but as a Teaching Assistant, I've just relaxed. Although I do find the gross level of inactivity very frustrating.

In Thursday, I wondered over the University (in Chichester), and saw some lecturers. I also met up with my friend Holly (as she was down for a couple of days). I always enjoy seeing my friends from Uni - I do miss them, and I can't wait to catch up with them all in September. It's also great to catch up on all the gossip!

Thursday evening saw me meet up with some friends from even further back, from my dark and depressing days at college. An interesting night out, involving many unrepeatable conversations...

Having met so many of my friends, you have wonder if this is all building up to something. And yes. Rather cleverly, I manage to keep my birthday under wraps every year, and only those closest to me remember from year to year. Last year, I blurted it out whilst on a residential trip to Lanzarote, when an assessment date was announced (same as my birthday). What followed was the best birthday I have ever had, and I still want to thank all my friends that made that such a great day. This year, I'd kept it much better concealed, and I nearly got away with it.

I should explain, that whilst I do like receiving cards, and presents, on the whole I don't really enjoy my birthday. It just reminds me that I am another year older, and whilst I am doing lots and lots, I still don't really have much of a personal life. It just gets me down a bit.

Despite being my 21st birthday (which many people regard as a really important one, but I really don't care) I went to NTC as normal on Friday evening. A couple of cadets wished me happy birthday (some of whom may have seen on Bebo or FaceBook I guess). But some couldn't possible have known, and I was starting to wonder how the flippin' heck they knew. Well at Stand Easy (break), I found out. The boss announced to all the cadets (I though he was about to tell them off) that it was someone's birthday... The kids had all signed a card, the boss' wife (and my godmother) had made a cake, and they's all clubbed together to buy me a very bright pen (because I'm always complaining that my pens get nicked). Thanks very much guys - just wait until camp, I will get you back.

At the end of the evening, everyone took home a piece of birthday cake, and several parents asked about it. Many obviously thinking I was mad spening my birthday at NTC, and not getting rat-arsed at a club or pub. My colleagues from work thought exactly the same, when I met them in Worthing for a drink. One of them knew my birthday was somewhen in half-term, but didn't know it was that evening, and I owned up to it being my birthday.

Most people asked what I got for my birthday, and to be honest, I wasn't really after anything. My brother got me Life on Mars series 2, and everyone gave me money. When I went to the hole in the wall, it normally tells me how much I owe the bank. But apparently, I have some money at the moment. Added to my birthday money, I have decided to buy myself a birthday present - a second vehicle.

It's important to say that - I AM NOT GETTING RID OF ERNIE. He's still a classic, and bomb-proof car, and there's no way I'm selling him. But, with current petrol prices being near the moon, I can now afford to run a second vehicle again. And as I'm now 21, my license has also been upgraded - I can now drive any powered MOTORBIKE! I stopped riding my old Hongdou (dodgy Chinese copy of a Honda CG125) two years ago, when I could no longer afford to run both Harry the Hongdou, and Ernie the Escort. I needed my car more, so the bike had to go. But now I'm going to get a bike again. And this time, it will be a real Honda.

To find out what I'm going to get (or have got), you'll have to tune in next week.

Thaknks for all the birthday cards, presents, and FaceBook messages - they do make my birthday bareable.

If you now know the date of my birthday, why not leave a message with your address, so that I can get you brainwashed.

If you still don't know when my birthday is, why not leave a message, and keep it that way.

Quote of the Week: '21 again is it?' asked one of my cadet's parents, just before I sheepishly explained this was my first 21st birthday... Do I really look that old?