hello, hello, hello!

Bet you all thought I forgot I had a blog! I promise I didn't. I've thought about posting on many occasions but just never actually sat down and did it.

Life has been full of ups and downs as usual - although I hasten to add that I'm making sure there are lots more ups in my life to help me get through the downs! I have a lot to be grateful for and I remind myself of this whenever I start to get down. Mostly, the downs are things I can't control and while I know I shouldn't stress about them, sometimes I just can't help myself. Chocolate helps! Lots of it! And doing "up" things.

Right now, I'm up to my neck in study. I have three exams in three and a half weeks. These are the final three exams of my graduate diploma. Fourteen exams in two and a half years, while working full time, and trying to write....hmmmm, I think I'm mad!

And the study doesn't end there! I've recently started an Open University course and the second one starts in February. I'm really enjoying my M150 (data, computing and information) course and the good thing is that it's assessed via assignment so NO MORE EXAMS!

I've also been on a life planning and career success course recently which means I have a plan (which I'm looking at right now!) of where I'd like to be in three months, six months, 12 months and three years from now. No surprises for guessing that having a book published is in there somewhere!! Along with things like learning Spanish.

I've also been to see Col Tim Collins give a talk. He gave the famous speech to his men on the eve of the Iraq war. I'm sure I remember several romance authors talking about how dashing Col Collins was at the time! In person, well, let's just say I was awestruck! His speech was just amazing. I came home and ordered a copy of his book.

Oh, and I'm thinking about writing! This weekend I've penciled in time to do a final run through of my ms before sending it off to the agent who requested it. Yes, I know that was ages ago and I promise you I haven't been pissing around. The agent specified it was not to turn up at her office until after October 29th so I'm posting it on October 29th.

And, looking back through my blog a few minutes ago, I realised my partial has been at M&B for four months now. Not that I'm going to stress about it. Exams are the only thing I have time for stressing about right now!

But I did promise the fantastically inspiring woman who presented the life planning and career success course that I would start writing something brand spanking new before Christmas, and that I'd email her to let her know I had done this.

One final word (or words): fingers crossed and best of luck to my fabulous CP who is sending her requested full into M&B. Go Sue!!!!!

the best holiday ever was followed by...

...the crapiest day at work ever. But that was yesterday and I've moved on. Almost. OK, so I might still be a tiny bit annoyed.

But, moving on.

While we were away, I told my darling husband that I felt I needed to become more high maintenance. Where did this come from? I don't know. I've never been what I would call a girlie girl. I can be ready to go out in a matter of minutes. It's not that I don't care about my appearance. I do, but I've never been into all that girlie taking hours to get ready business and stressing about how I look. OK, maybe I do stress about how I look a bit but I am definitely not high maintenance!

Naturally, my darling husband was concerned by my statement and told me I was not to become high maintenance!

He can relax. I couldn't do high maintenance if I wanted to. I'd bore myself!

But this week I have managed to visit Boots to purchase a new (and expensive) skin care regime only to instead come away with enough free samplers to last a week at which time I have an appointment to see the skin care specialist to review my options. Now, that is high maintenance for me! And, as a side note, my skin is already feeling and looking better after just two "three minutes a day" sessions!

And today I went shopping and came home wearing a matching bracelet and necklace, which my darling husband looked at and said "is that your attempt at being high maintenance?". Then, having found out how much these items cost (£4 and £8 - ok, so not much but I liked them!) he practically fell on the floor laughing at me.

High maintenance I am not. I don't know why I would want to be. Maybe I was flirting with a mid life crisis. Or maybe I just needed to spend some money on myself to cheer myself up because some crappy things have left me feeling a little down.

Usually I would simply buy a book or some chocolate. OK, you got me there! I have bought a lot of chocolate in the last two days as well!

Whatever the reason, I am feeling happy right. Tired, and still suffering from the cold from hell, but happy.

things to be happy about

1) I'm going on holiday to sunny Spain on Friday!

2) I bought Swan Adamson's latest Little Black Dress, Memoirs are Made of This, today to take on holiday with me. It features the delightful Venus Gilroy from My Three Husbands. That and She'll Take it (by Mary Carter) are two of my favourite Little Black Dress books so far. Believe me, I have a lot of them! They're all brilliant!

3) I've eaten an obscene amount of chocolate today. Ok, so maybe I shouldn't be happy about that, I mean, I'm not exactly a perfect size, I'm somewhere between a UK 10 and 12 with jiggly thighs and bottom and a less than flat stomach but I don't care about dieting today, or pretty much any other day.

4) I have a tan! So what if it came out of a bottle and it's all streaky. I have a tan! I never tan. Never. Ever. Hence why this year I bought FAKE TAN. Tonight's application should fix the streaky bits. Maybe. I don't really care right now.

5) An agent who asked to see more of my ms when I sent her a query letter has just been in touch to ask for revisions! Thankfully, I understand exactly what she meant in her letter and know exactly what I'm going to do to fix it.

6) I have a fantastic husband who I love dearly!