Note: you really have to read this page from the bottom up in order to get the story straight!!
December passed in a flurry of assignments and buying and selling on eBay. Chris came down to Cardiff mid-December but was working all over Christmas and New Year. I stayed with Mum which was fun!
28 November 2002
Today was a good day, I passed my driving assessment for minibus driving. I'd have looked a right clown if I had failed that!
On Tuesday, I was biker chick and was told by my Course Director (tongue in cheek of course) that he'd always thought I was a scary person. Strange the effect that black leather has on some people!!
On Monday, Chris went back home to Scotland, having spent the weekend with me. As usual things didn't pass off without incident. We sat down to watch a video and discovered that the video recorder (second hand when I had it) had decided it didn't want to talk to the television any longer. hmph. So off we trotted and I sprung £60 for a new one. Got back home, plumbed it all in and guess what, it turned out to be the fault of the television set. Pants!
September 2002
Mum retired on 6th September and she and I headed off to Cyprus for two weeks holiday shortly after. We had a brilliant time. We stayed at the Atlantica Hotel Apartments in Limassol. We had a hire car for the full two weeks and went all over the south of the island. I got a stunning suntan and we both had a really good time. Pictures will appear somewhere when I pull my finger out!
The week after I came home from Cyprus, Chris came down from Scotland to stay with me for two whole weeks! We went walking in the Brecon Beacons and also walked up the Sugarloaf. A fantastic two weeks.
August 2002
In mid-August, I went on a two day cycling "holiday" in mid-Wales with Clive Powell Mountain bikes. It was jolly hard work, as I wasn't as fit as I would have liked to have been, but what a good laugh. I was with a terrific bunch of people and we did have fun. I'm thinking of doing it all again next summer .... I must get some front suspension forks on the bike prior to that though.
At the beginning of August, Chris came down from Scotland and we met up for the first time. Wow! We had a lot of fun and have continued to have a lot of fun since.
It turned out that there was an upside of the whole damaging-the-motorbike-and-self event ... I had to go to see a Chiropractor because I could hardly move my head. He diagnosed me with a sprained neck and I thought he was rather dishy. I went back and forth to see him for about 8 weeks, which was fairly costly (there is an upside apart from the view, ok, just bear with me!) I went to him one day in early August and he said I was all fixed (unless I injured myself again) and then asked me to lunch! Ok, so that was most amusing and good for my ego, the upside. Then things got surreal .... in order not to appear too eager, I said that I couldn't make lunch on that day (I was meeting with Helen) but perhaps another day. To which he replied that there wouldn't be another day as he was leaving Cardiff to work in Bournemouth .... hmmmm. *lol* Well it amused the hec out of me anyway!
Oh, and I passed my exams too.
6 June 2002
Finished my exams on Friday, results are allegedly due out on 26th June, so it's all over bar the re-sits!
I spent the weekend in Ireland with Gerry (Aeroplane Guy), we had great fun! We flew across in his little aeroplane ... my first time in a little aeroplane, boy did my hands sweat! We did a tour of innumerable bars in Dublin and then went on to Limerick, where we landed on a grass airstrip. I got to drive a bit, but there are lots more dials on the dashboard (probably not correct terminology!) of a plane than there are in my car, too many things for my goldfish mind to remember, I feel!
Coming back to Cardiff, we flew down the coastline from St Davids Head, the weather was fabulous and the views spectacular. Really enjoyed that bit! We also flew over Ashpile. So many things to see .... and guess who didn't take her camera?!
Yesterday I dashed out of work to take my bike in for MOT. Rush rush rush, typical of me. I put my foot into a pothole and dropped the bike. I'm a little bent out of shape but more annoyingly the indicator unit smashed beyond all repair and the clutch lever broke. So, the Yellow Peril will now have to be fixed before MOT. That'll be a guarantee of good weather over the weekend I should think!
I still miss Zeb. It's just so strange not to see his silly spotty face, not to hear his tail hitting whatever he's standing next to, not to be able to give him a hug, not to have him walk through my legs and nearly push me over! *sigh*
26 May 2002
I went to see an opera on Saturday evening, the first one I have ever been to. My long standing e-pal Alan booked tickets for Cozi fan Tutte at the New Theatre. It was rather good and I thoroughly enjoyed the whole evening. In keeping with the theme of things we went for Italian food after the opera. A jolly good time! Thanks Alan!
13 May 2002
Two months have gone by and I still miss Zeb. The other dogs have settled down a bit, although Saffy is still very clingy. I left her in the garden on Saturday when I went to teach my class and she showed her disapproval by digging up the border outside the back door and lying in the bluebells! She is so funny. I shouted at her and she gave me a load of "arrooo roo roo" back.
It's coming up to exam time now and I'm starting to get a little panicky. I just spent the weekend attempting to write a 5,000 word essay. Got to 1,000 and ran out of steam! Pants, I say.
I had a riding lesson with Becky last week and managed to stay in the saddle ... just about! I invested in a new riding hat. My nose is still a bit, um, well bits are still moving, but thankfully it doesn't look like it's been broken.
14 March 2002
As you've probably already seen from the HomePage, I lost my lovely Zeb yesterday. I have no words at the moment, just a big gaping hole in my life.
22 February 2002
Gareth's Christening was held today, it was a really nice service and Gareth didn't cry or kick the vicar! David was obviously keeping a close eye on the proceedings and when the vicar called him out of his pew to be blessed with Mark, Sian and Gareth, he said in his squeaky American accent "I don't think I want to do that!" I think he thought the vicar was going to pour water over his head as he'd done to Gareth!
We all went out to dinner in the evening, which was great fun.
18 February 2002
On Saturday I held a cocktail party. It was great fun. Boy oh boy did I have a hangover on Sunday! (It took me 48 hours to recover from my hangover and a further week to find my underwear. Damn that was a good party!)
15 February 2002
Zeb's Birthday! I made all the dogs baked potatoes for tea. I had a half day off to prepare for my party tomorrow, because I am teaching on Saturday, and ended up going out into the garden and cutting down part of the fir tree by the garage! The evening was taken up with cooking quiche for tomorrow's party.
7 February 2002
On Tuesday of this week, I finally had the results of my coursework and exam .... I have a 72% average! Wow! I was completely stunned, I was very much expecting to be told either that I had failed or that I had only scraped a pass and that I would have to buck up my ideas. Hurrah for me!
On Sunday (03.02.02) I went out riding with Becky. Things were going very nicely until the horses spooked. Toffee bolted, I stayed with her for .... ooooo about 3 yards then I was over her shoulder and onto the floor with a headache and a nosebleed! Becky was horrified and Toffee legged it back to the stables! I'm fine now, must buy a new riding hat though!!
Mark, Sian and the children are flying into Cardiff this Saturday. Can't wait to see them!
24 January 2002
Mark and Sian and the two boys are coming back to Wales next month for a holiday. Very much looking forward to seeing them. We are all hoping that we are going to be able to fit in Gareth's Christening during the time that they are at home.
Mum and I have been decorating the dining room, stairs and landing at her house. We had to use some very long ladders to get to the top of the stairwell. Now I remember, why we don't decorate very often .....
I've been looking at booking some activity-type holidays. The first will probably be a mountain biking weekend. Should be a bit of a laugh if it doesn't kill me first! The second I am hoping to make a ranch riding holiday in America (although on first glance this might be way out of my price range!) and a visit to Mark and Sian.
I am still awaiting the results of both my exam and coursework!
14 January 2002
Another New Year. Wow, the time goes by so quickly. I spent New Year in Guildford with Andrew. Zeb and Saffy came along too and I spent quite a lot of time walking with them on Pewley Downs.
I returned to Cardiff and spent four days (or some part of each of those four days!) furiously swotting for an exam in Law. I sat the exam on 7th January and am now waiting for the results ....
Yesterday I had lunch with my cousin Nikki and her hubby, Ian. They asked me to be Godmother to baby Morgan, who is being christened on 10th February, and I was very pleased to say yes!
I guess I missed out a bit here. Andrew and I broke up. So I'm a single girl again.