Back at work (no mega stress yet), back from Ireland, and I’ve got loads of photos on the computer at home so I will post some of those up soon. The dog had a blast, and we were really relaxed so that was a good trip. Looking forward to the next time off, I have to say, though. We are having a mock inspection at work at the beginning of May and it’s going to be pretty hellish around here for the next while, once everyone gets back from their own holidays.

I’ve just found out this morning that my friend and former colleague Anne Gibson, who was the manager of one of my community partnership sites at work, who has just moved to Sudan to be with her husband (who is directing part of the major aid effort there) has a blog! I am very glad she decided to do one in the end, I had suggested it and it looks like her family has helped her put it together. It’s at annesdiaries.blogspot.com and it’s a hell of a lot more interesting than this drivel! She’s in a seriously isolated and impoverished part of Africa; her and her husband Brian met in Sri Lanka both doing similar work from what I understand, and she is hoping to contribute to things even just on a voluntary basis. What a way to retire from the NHS! She was probably the closest relationship I’ve made through work, and we had a really fruitful partnership so I was really sorry to see her go, but it’s a great move.

In other news I am expecting the wedding invites to arrive from Canada imminently. Yes it’s probably a bit silly to get them done in Canada, then sent here, for me to send back a whole bunch to Canada. But they are really nice and they are cheaper than I would have got them done here by far! Patti’s company is called the Uncommon Bride and I love her stuff! I can’t wait to see them in person. It’s a global economy ya know, as Em in Wales pointed out!

We stopped in to see her and Mark on Sunday on our way back home from Ireland, and it was great to see them even briefly. They are doing a lot of work on their house and it’s looking really great.

Mark’s cousin Karen had a baby girl named Katie on Sunday, and I think we are going to visit them all on Saturday after we have lunch at his mum’s for her birthday. On Sunday I’ve got lunch at my old boss Theresa’s house with a few other people from my team at work, so we will be able to catch her up on all the gossip and things to complain about since she left!

Blair just called the election here for 05/05/05, which we were all expecting. I’m going to be teaching people at a hostel and a family centre here how to vote, and how to get more engaged in the political process and other community development activities in the next few weeks. Should be interesting. Teaching a course is scary! Yes I know I work in adult education. It’s still nerve wracking.