All these things that I have done

Went to training at my new school on Thursday and the positive vibe definitely continues - I have a really good feeling about the move. We sorted out my application for the leadership course they want to put me on next year and they're right behind the writing assessment project I've got planned which will take forward what I've done this year. Also, on a geeky note, they want to buy me what looks like an *amazing* smart TV thing to use as my interactive board for my classroom, which would be super exciting. I really hope it arrives before the holidays so I can have a play with it over the break as it'll be quite different from what I've used before. Obviously the shiny video on the product website is always a bit misleading but it does look like I should be able to do some really quite neat stuff with it eventually, including controlling stuff on the kids screens and so on.

I am really enjoying the garden at the moment and I can't get over how much more light it gets now that we've had the horse chestnut next door cut back. It does mean that the decking is in full sun in the middle of the day though so I might have to buy a patio umbrella to sit under - it's not good for the laptop, if nothing else! Generally though, it's all looking really nice and the kittens love playing out there. They're only allowed out under supervision at the minute, but soon they'll be having their ops and then we hope to retire the litter tray - not a minute too soon!

shepline has had a fantastic idea for winter - solar powered fairy lights! I want! Seriously, something about this idea just instantly appeals to me. I am often a bit snobbish about outside lights but this is partly because I see so few that I think of as being tastefully done (we have a giant light up Homer Simpson that comes out for Christmas on my road) and partly because I feel annoyed that we should be wasting so much power when we're in the situation environmentally that we are so the prospect for solar powered lights seems like the ideal. Now I just have to decide where to tastefully drape them...

Well, I tried being really good on my food for a week and ended up putting on weight, which was really irritating. I suppose the next thing to try would be a week of eating normally and really pushing myself on the exercise front or something like that - I've only been cycling to work about half the time recently due to the weather in the last month so perhaps if I force myself to do some other aerobics any days that I don't cycle this week and see if that makes a difference. I really need to shift some of this though as I've put on nearly a stone since the start of the year and I don't want to have to replace my whole wardrobe for larger sizes :(

In good news, I've been doing lots in the garden recently and it's starting to look really pretty. The planting's pretty sparse in the back at the moment as the idea is to give me a chance to attack the things like the dandilions easily and I have been doing my best. I'm sure there's still plenty of roots waiting to come up again next year but still, it's reduced, I think. I really want to post some photos but it's ages since I've synched my treo to transfer them to the laptop so I haven't got around to it yet. Maybe later this week even. I wish I was better at remembering plant names as there's some really pretty flowers but I won't know what to tag them! Ah well. I should get one of those gardening bibles to help me out or something.

I really need to go shoe shopping soon. I've been putting it off for a while - I just couldn't face being in the city centre on Saturday for example! Maybe next Thursday? I've got roleplaying this Thurs, unfortunatly. Anyone fancy a bit of late night shopping with me? Or alternatively, meeting up afterwards for drink/dinner, probably around 7:30?

Well, I figure I should write on this sometimes :) I'm really enjoying my week off so far. Shed knocking down went with a swing and we turned the resulting pile of wood into a fantastic bonfire which inspired an impromptu bonfire party - we even toasted marshmallows although we had to do it on specially extended sticks to get them close enough to the heat. I got some good photos but I haven't uploaded them to a PC yet.

In the aftermath, the garden is starting to come together. The new shed is much smaller but still fits in our stuff with a little space to spare and the new layout is looking good. Mum and I have covered, edged and gravelled the new path while Dad has been sorting out the brick wall at one end of it. I'm going to try and do a bit of a photo project - I forgot to take before photos but I will be taking photos once we've got everything in and then in 3 months, 6 months and so on. Also, I managed to find a russet apple tree - my absolute favourite type and quite hard to find - you never see russets in supermarkets but now I'll have my own supply. I've also got a twisty hazel, which will look great.

All the gardening is quite tiring but it'll be worth it and it's a different kind of tiring from work so that's all good. Still, I'm in two minds about whether to go to the Los Diablos gig tonight. I do want to, but I'm really finding it hard to imagine summoning up the energy. See, this is where a teleporter would be great - I could just turn up with no effort, which would be perfect.

Tomorrow is our day off and we're going to do some shopping in town before the big dinner at Le Manoir for me and Dad - I'm excited but trying not to get too worked up in case it doesn't live up to it - I'll let you know.

Ah, I remember the other thing I was going to say. We went to see Walk the Line last night. A very good film. The two leads did fantastic jobs. I ended up not actually liking Cash that much - I think he was damn lucky he met June Carter really.