The heat of Summer Sunshine

Been over a week since I last posted anything on here so I thought it was about time I posted something seen as I am sat here.

Well since I last posted I have PASSED my theory test and I am so happy about that!! I didn't know what to expect when I went in and although I was very confident about the questions and rushed through them in under five minutes I was worried about the Hazard part because I had lost my Hazard disc but it all turned out very well and I was pleased with the result and it was such a relief to have gotten through that.

Last week I mainly spent the week working on course work and reading. I read a really great book called "dead until dark", it only took me about three days to read because I couldn't put it down. I loved it and I want to get the next in the series in the New Year and read it because I am sure I will like it.
The other book I read (which I finished yesterday) is "Dead Run" by P.J.Tracy, it was amazing. I couldn't put that book down either although I was ill and couldn't read much during one day I got it finished in record time. It was such a great book though and it was a great story and wasn't at all boring. It's the second P.J.Tracy book that I have read and they seem to get better so I can't wait to read another P.J.Tracy book and will get one in the New Year I am sure.

I am up to date with my T175 (technology course) course work and it seems to be going well, our tutor group was put into smaller groups and on Monday we had to take part in a online chat for part of our TMA (tma = tutor marked assignment) and I wasn't feeling too well but I made sure I was online for that. If I do some of this course each day I will manage to stay ahead with it and will be able to do the TMA next week which isn't due until 4th Jan but it will be good to be ahead and also gives me time to have over Christmas.
I am also right on target for B120 (business studies course) and I enjoyed this months work more than last months. I have to take part in a online activity before the end of Friday which I will probably do tomorrow whilst I am working on my TMA for that course. The TMA (assignment) isn't due until next week but I am hoping to have it finished and submitted on Friday. Then all I have to do on Friday is my first CMA (computer marked assignment) for T175 (technology course) which I plan on posting in although I can submit it online if I want.

I still don't have all my Christmas shopping done yet which is quite shocking for me but I still have things to buy. I have some more things to buy for my dad, hoping to get my mum to come over next week and go with her to get them. Am also going halfs with my dad for my niece and nephew's Christmas presents and I still have to pick something up for my brothers. I couldn't think of what to get them last weekend when I was out and about but I am sure I will think of something over the coming days that I can get them.
My mum asked me if i have done my wrapping yet and she was shocked when I admitted that I hadn't even started. By now I do normally have everything wrapped but I don't think time, alhough on Sunday I did start wrapping the presents for Caroline, Rich and Pete and finished them off this evening. I will have to post them at the beginning of next week to make sure they get them in time for Christmas.
Talking about Christmas gifts i have just bought my dad a DVD player and am waiting for it to be delivered. I don't know where he will put it, he will either put it in his living room or his bedroom so he can then watch DVD's in bed. I might buy him a TV/DVD wall bracket so he then can put his TV up on the wall with his DVD player and make more room in his bedroom - hmm what a good idea.

I don't know if I have said yet but my dad is getting me a TV/DVD player for Christmas for me to put in my bedroom. Me and my dad have our own living rooms and I have a nice 28 inch TV in my living room that my dad bought me last summer but I really want a TV/DVD player in my bedroom now so I can sit in bed and watch DVD's and then can lie there and it's OK to fall asleep. I never fall asleep on the sofa downstairs so it will be nice to lie on my bed and watch a DVD and of course it would be nice to cuddle up next to someone in bed as I watch a DVD hehe.
I picked out the TV/DVD player I wanted the other week and it's 21 inches and it looks amazing. I need a wall bracket for it, we do have some already but they only take up to 14 inches and it would be silly to put a much bigger TV onto it as it wouldn't hold the weight.

So all in all I am keeping myself busy although I am sure I have time for other things and could probably be a lot more productive but it's hard trying to be more productive at times. I am doing a lot more than I used to do and I will take each day as it comes and do more and more.
I like being more busy and it's great getting more stuff done as well as being up to date and even ahead on course work. I hope that everything managed to carry on this way over the next twelve months.

I have invited my mum, step dad and brother here for Christmas Day just like last year and I am really looking forward to it. I like to make a lot of the food from start and never buy anything frozen, it's all fresh and a lot of it's home made and so much more tastier. I can't wait for my Christmas dinner because it is the best dinner I have all year round and at Christmas I let myself eat what I want and fill myself on chocolate biscuits and chocolate log which I just love and would live on if I could hehe.
I have all my cards written and sent and just a few more to go, I hope my dad buys us a tree this year as it would look nice although I don't want a black one like my mum bought, maybe a pink one hehe.

Anyway this weekend is the same, shopping etc. I think I am going to get my TV this weekend although I can't have it yet but that doesn't matter as it will soon be Christmas and I can't wait.
I haven't made the Chritmas puddings yet because I need to start them early in the morning because they take 8 hours to cook, I might try and do them tomorrow morning.
I have one more Christmas cake to make and then that's all the Christmas things organized I think.

I got a lovely Christmas card off my mum this morning, I don't have many yet but I am sure I will get more over the next week.
Lucky will be getting a new bed for Christmas and some toys and some dog treats, he doesn't really understand what Christmas is but likes it on Christmas day with all the food. He runs from one end of the table to the other hoping that someone will give him some food and they always do. We always get his dish and put some of what we have in it and give him it at the same time and he eats it in like one minute and then it wanting more and is so cute.

It only takes a minute

WOW!! What a week it has been this week, well yeah what a week lol. I have been rushed off my feet lots this week with study and what not and have been fighting a cold at the same time - a cold being it is a half a cold and stays a couple of days and then I am OK, I guess it's better than having a full on cold because they are so bad but it I driving me round the bend a little having a bit of a cold here and there as I can't get much done when I am feeling like that and my head is banging.

As of yesterday I am up to date with T175 (technology course) and need to do a little each day to keep up to date. Now I am trying to catch up with B120 (business studies course) and it isn't going too well as I didn't get much done today but I was busy with other things. I want to have all the course work done by next Thursay so I can spend about 3 days on the assignment which is due the following week. I have looked at the assignment questions and they don't seem too bad which is something I guess, I just need to get through four weeks worth of course work in 8-9 days which is do-able but I do rush through some sections of it but as long as I understand it then it's all good.
I got my mark back for my first TMA (assignment) for B120 and I passed!! I am pleased about that because I didn't do my best on the question and rushed through it and then realized I had made a mistake and my mind was too numb to try and rectify it so I submitted it how it was and planned on making the points up on the next TMAs as they are worth more points but I don't need to. I would like to get more points on my next TMA (assignment) if I can, even if it's just one more point I will be happy.
I have one online thing to do this week for b120 and one for T175, so need to find the info I need in the appropiate book and then do it before the deadline.
Then Monday evening (11th) I have to be online from 7-8pm to take part in a group decision on something, not sure what but will read up about it on Sunday and write some notes for the live online chat on Monday.

Talking of courses today I got my first lot of course materials through for AA307 (Religion) which starts in February next year, it is level 3 which is the highest undergraduate course and I like the look of the assignment questions although I might not be saying that when I do them. There is 5 TMAs but one of them is double weighted and is 4,000 word limit which I don't think I will like doing. You only get the same amount of time to do it as a normal TMA (assignment) so I will need to try and get a little ahead on that course around that time so I can spend a week or two working on it. I never spend more than 2 days on a assignment for a ARTs course but which something at that level I can't afford to spend 10 hours on it, I need more like 40+ hours of hard work as I am determined to do well and pass it.

Course results for my exam are out on the 15th, it is all down to one question if I pass or not. I hope I do because then I can finish my degree at the time I planned by doing a level 2 and 3 course in 2008 but if I have failed then I will have to do a course in 2009 and not graduate until 2010 which isn't what I planned but life got in the way and certain people got in my way and of me working hard but as I have said that will never happen again!!

So today I have done loads of cleaning and there is loads more to do as I have let my cleaning routine go a little but I am sick of being the only one who cleans. I live with my dad who is messy and gets things out and never puts them back and the dog drops fur all the time. I do try to do half an hour a day and sometimes more but for the last 3-4 weeks I haven't done much except a quick tidy up here and there. Today I got the kitchen clean and the other rooms are tidier and I washed my bedding and some clothes but there is still more to go but if I do 30-60 minutes a day I should soon be back on top of it.
I also baked a Christmas cake, I should of done it three weeks ago as I like them to be 6 weeks old before I give them out because then they are proper rich fruit cakes that have been fed with brandy and iced. I personally don't like them but everyone else seems to love them and say they are the best cake they have ever tried and I like hearing nice compliments like that.
I have already got the fruit soaking in brandy for the next one and I will make that either Thursday or Friday and then I will make the next two beginning of next week and that's them sorted then.
This Sunday I will be making Christmas puddings, we made some a few years back and get one out every year and they are the most amazing Christmas puddings I have ever tried. In fact I don't like shop bought ones so I must make us some more as I said we have run out and there isn't any for this year, I don't think we had one last year but I can't remember.

I finished NaNoWriMo last week and am so glad to have finally got over the 50,000 word mark. Now I won't work on that book until next year and then I will set aside 30-90 minutes a week to work on it. I hope it is ready by the end of next year so I can have it published in 2008 if I can get someone to publish it for me.
With it being a true story I am hoping the ending is amazing and has a certain person involved but we will have to see how things go when we meet up in the new year...hehe I know some of you reading this will wonder who I am going on about and there is about two people who know who I am going about hehe... I am not saying names here but all I will say is ;o) hehe.

I had a good weekend, my dad worked Saturday so I got to lounge round the house all morning which was great. I didn't get much sleep and wish I had gotten more but I was ok. I didn't even go and have a shower till midday which was great and then I took ages to get ready as I just enjoyed myself and relaxed. We didn't get out till 3:30pm and then went and got some meat first before going into town and posting lots of post. I had aout 15 job applications to send off and my dad had his posting xmas cards to post and a few other things so we were in the main post office for ages. I was so hungry as I had only eaten breakfast and that was early morning so I was walking round very hungry. We did the shopping in the supermarket and then came home and I cooked the dinner before spending the night in front of the TV. I watched Strictly Come Dancing which I just love and Casutaly and then there was a LIVE Take That show on ITV1 which I watched and absolutely loved and then on ITV2 when it finished was their live concert from Manchester (that you can buy on DVD, it's on my xmas list now) and it was amazing!! I now love Take That, I wasn't really into them before they split in 1995 but I love them after those TV shows....they are great...no wonder Dan likes them. Talking about Dan he was at the concert and I saw him a few times because he was very close to the front.
Sunday I didn't do much other than some course work and then spend most of the afternoon and evening in front of the TV watching repeats of the Live Saturday Night Take That show and repeats of the Live summer 2006 concert, both of those program's must have been repeated 3-4 times that day and sometimes they were on at the same time but I flicked from channel to channel for the best bits and enjoyed it so much!!

This week will just involve me working hard on both sets of course work, house work, going to town for my dad, looking for more xmas gifts for people, walking the dog and trying to read one full book as I am trying to read 5 by the end of the year to reach my target of reading 25 books in 2006.
I will of course be on MSN tomorrow night (health, well being permitting) as it's Wednesday night and if all goes to plan my dad will be out like all Wednesdays so will be online from 7-10pm.