So yes I know it’s July and usually I update this blog on the last day of the month but there’s been a few things for me to take care of this month, hence the delay in getting this update done.

June did not start off well. Customs have finally caught me. Well actually, they caught me once before but I had expect it, but not for this order….actually…two orders with a week of each other! I’m guessing that it’s just with the current economic situation and they’re needing the funds for the Christmas party :p *runs*

Uni life…well, I sat my management oral and was nervous as anything despite it being the second time around (I would have said third but that’s another story). The good news that overall I got an A for my management placement. Now I just have to get through the acute oral and the actual written exam (which I am sitting for a third time!! Third time lucky anyone?) and I should be fully qualified Then all I need to do is find a job…easier said than done.

So the last week in June I was off on holiday which was kind of strange. I mean, we were only going down to Centre Parcs Whinfell Forest in Cumbria (and I don’t mean that in a bad way btw) but usually if we were going away as a family, we would do just that. Unfortunately this time, it wasn’t to be. My brother was working the day we were leaving so it ended up that my mum and I went ahead in one car with some of the bags with my dad and brother to follow later on that night.

So yeah, I’d been to this place before a few years ago (then it was under the name of Oasis Whinfell Forest) so I knew kinda what to expect. But as I said, with it being just my mum and I at first it was strange. Although we had fun as we ended up watching Mamma Mia and singing along (back door open!!) with it to pass the time. I now understand why so many people love Mamma Mia. Absolutely hilarious (well, except Pierce Brosnson’s singing!!).
So we had already planned our activities but we didn’t actually know what it was that we were going to get to do but no problem. So we got all the activities that we wanted in the end
which ranged from:

Archery (sadly we weren’t allowed to stand with apples on top of our heads….and probably a good thing lol)
Court for a few rounds of Badminton
My dad and brother signed up for the badminton tournament that was running.
Painting pottery
Meeting Owls
Birds of Prey experience for me

In between this we had been at the pool and managed to get a game of ten pin bowling in too. Most of the evening were spent playing pool (….or maybe in my case, getting utterly beaten at pool! I can’t play to save myself!) or playing Air Hockey (now I have a half chance at that ). We ended up going out for dinner to the lovely Chinese restaurant Yangs for the holiday meal (it’s kind of a tradition that we go out for a meal when we’re on holiday) and it was absolutely brilliant. Cost nearly 100 GBP (but granted that it was 10 GBP per head deposit, but it wasn’t actually that bad) it was worth it .

So on the Saturday my brother was leaving (because he was working later on in the evening) which meant leaving me and my dad in Cumbria. So the previous day I’d booked myself in for a painting pottery session. I forgot how relaxing painting was! You had an hour and a half long session and it was just…peaceful. There was no stress. God why isn’t there anything like it here in Scotland or at least, near by to me? So yeah, that was the morning. Later in the afternoon, I officially killed my laptop. Not as in it wouldn’t start up, but more killed the screen. Where most computers suffer from the Blue Screen Of Death, mines suffers from White Screen of Death. I now have that laptop set up as a desktop and have it plugged into the television at home. Anyway, that night went off to meet some owls including a Barn Owl, European Eagle Owl, a four week old European Eagle owl chick (who was just a big bundle of cute flu

So, here’s my first OFFICIAL post of 2009. What’s there to tell?

* Completed my community placement. Was kinda sad to leave it as I feel by the time you get into the placement, it’s time to leave.
* Have received provisional results for the exams in January. Currently passed my OSCE (that is Objective Structured Clinical Examination) however failed my finals. Oh well, in the words of Meatloaf “Two out of three ain’t bad.”
* Started my Acute placement. Seven weeks of orthopaedic receiving….the joys!
* Saw Errol Brown at his Farewell Tour when it came to Glasgow. Great night had by all who were there (my theory is that the men were at the football (Rangers Vs. AC Milan) and the woman were at the concert.
* Caught Sandi Thom when she came to Glasgow with her Homecoming Tour. Brilliant night if not a little different as for most of the songs, she wasn’t really playing, just singing.
* There’s talk of me doing the Race For Life this year again, but sadly the closest one to me is Glasgow and I really don’t fancy running round Glasgow Green at 9.30am on a Sunday morning. Then again, doing this means I get out of the Busking For Cancer event this year
* My car’s had a little accident. And it wasn’t my fault (cause I wasn’t driving at the time). Fortunately, the person who caused it has accepted all responsibility for it and have to say that Direct Line have been fantastic in the speed of getting everything sorted out from arranging for the car to be picked up and taken to be repaired (it looks like there is a dent on the bonnet, but don’t know what’s going on underneath :s) to arranging my hire car. And everything’s been organised with the various companies that I’m dealing with too all in the space of an hour! Can’t ask for better than that, can you?

Think that’s all for the moment

Huggles
Vhari x

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Now playing: The MacDonald Bros. - Me & Rose
http://foxytunes.com/artist/the+macd...

So as 2008 draws to a close it times for me to look back and see what this has brought and what 2009 will bring.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
2008
I've not done as much photography as I would have wanted because of time constraints and course work etc
I completed project:ANCHOR that will be hanging in the local church at least for the next 10 years or so (I hope longer!!)
I experimented with new materials and failed miserably (the charred remains of sculpty are proof of my failures!)
I found a new love of emotion making (and friends on Messenger have met most of them lol)
I've been to some great gigs this year…alright….four of them were Sandi Thom…sue me!
Met some artists this year at in-store performances (and made some great friends from it along the way )
I busked to the public in the streets of Glasgow all in aid of Cancer Research UK
I've spent far too much time online when I should have been doing other stuff!
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
2009
Want to do more photography!!
Seeing Miss Thom in concert in Glasgow in February
It's Scotland's Year of Homecoming!!
If all things go to plan, I'll graduate from University with a BA in Adult Nursing!
May be busking on behalf of Cancer Research UK again!
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Anyway, just to finish off just want to wish everybody whether you passed by or offered a friend request or whatever, a HAPPY NEW YEAR AND A PROSPEROUS 2009! (and if you don't celebrate just now, accept it for when you do!)

Huggles
Vhari x