Time to celebrate....

As it's the last day of the year, I thought now would be a good time to take a look back over 2011; or at least the last quarter if it. I'm not usually one to reminisce and I am certainly not the kind of person who makes resolutions but this year is different. A few things have happened over the last few months that I am really excited about so it seems fitting to do a little summary if you will.

The year didn't exactly start off with a bang. It was much like any other. Going to work, worrying about money and the usual rubbish. I was lonely in truth. Yes, I had friends and family but I wasn't overly happy and I think I was just going through the motions of day-to-day life. In September, I made the decision to do more with this blog; to keep a journal of my life and for the most part I managed that. Yes over the past month I have neglected it slightly but there are good reasons for that!

I started my teaching assistant course in October  and started volunteering at the local school every Thursday. It is honestly the best thing I have ever done and although I will be slightly panicked going back to it in the New Year (I have so much to do!) I know I will enjoy it all the more.

In November I started seeing a guy at work. Emelyn asked me out very randomly one day over email. It has been 6 weeks and I couldn't be happier. I got to meet his little girl over Christmas and she is the sweetest thing, next to my nieces of course! I was so worried she wouldn't take to me but it seems she has and I love it. I am actually really happy and we have even talked about moving in together maybe in the summertime.

The year may not have started out particularly exciting but it certainly is ending on a positive. For the first time in a long time the New Year is full of so many possibilities and even though I will turn 30 in 2012 (!) I am so excited to see what it will bring. :) xx 

Merry Christmas....

It's Boxing day night and I am officially tired and full of food! It has been a lovely Christmas. I got to spend most of yesterday with the family, eating Christmas dinner and playing with my nieces. Christmas is so much fun when there are children around. We played silly games on the wii and laughed at Dad trying to fly his new remote controlled helicopter! In the evening I went to see my boyfriend and got more pressies (yes it is official, more on that later!). It was lovely.

I can officially report that my cakes and biscuits went down very well. The biscuits were lovely, especially the cheese ones...not bad considering I have never made biscuits before!

Sorry, no pictures of the biscuits but here are a few of the cakes.

Mobile phone mania....

The text message turned 19 today if you can believe it! In 1992, 22 year old Neil Papworth, an engineer at Vodafone UK sent a Happy Christmas message to an Orbitel phone.

It would be at least another 8 years before texting became commonplace.  Now it seems a mystery as to how we ever coped without any form of mobile technology! 

Growing up, I remember that technology moved so fast. In my lifetime, computers have become faster and smaller, games consoles more advanced to the point where we don't need controllers, TVs are in 3D and my smart phone can do more than my 5 year old laptop! I have 5 different ways of getting onto the internet in my house, all without wires.  It seems crazy that we ever lived without it....almost like my childhood took place in the dark ages! We only had one land-line in the house and if I went shopping with friends at the age of 15 I had to find a payphone. I was so deprived!

On the plus side, I didn't have the extra pressure from mobile technologies and the internet that teenagers must have now. They can't hide anywhere from it.

I had to take my cell phone to be repaired today. The thing would not charge! My whole life is on that phone: emails, phone numbers, photos. It is my link to the world.  I can't imagine not being able to Tweet whenever I want or check my emails while I walk to work. I know these are trivial, unimportant things but they have become quite a big part of my life. It's something that has crept up on me too. As phones become more complex and sophisticated, the more I become hooked. I want to use these gadgets to their full potential! xx