News from the last week

I went on my teambuild last Thursday. The day started well as an old man in a Passat (no, not my Dad) drove into the back of our minibus on the M25. Luckily we were pretty much OK but the Passat was a write off. The team build was held in a manor house which was obviously someone's home as there were all of these family photos everywhere. We did all the usual teambuilding type things - find out peoples secrets, what kind of team are you, blah blah blah. Then we had to go outside and stand in a circle and then sit on each others laps the idea being that as it is a circle no one really takes the weight. You have to REALLY close for this to work and lucky colleague Juan Sex got my boobs against his back. The other stuff we did in the morning was standard working together as a team - feeding people through holes in nets and then being tied together to walk through hoops and a bit of playing with lego. The afternoon was the best bit as I got to tear around Hertfordshire countryside on a quad bike and then do some off road driving in a Land Rover.

I didn't do much at the weekend. I wasn't feeling so good so I watched all of my feel good films in a desperate attempt to make myself feel better. It didn't really work and I ended up with square eyes. The good news at the weekend was that my parents are buying me a personalised numberplate for my new car. It's part a present for passing my exams and part birthday present. It is fairly subtle - they didn't make a pathetic attempt to spell my name or anything! It's my age and my initials and most people probably won't even realise it's a personalised plate. That suits me fine, especially as in the past I have loudly criticised people who have their own numberplate! The only bad thing about this is that it will take longer to register my car which means I won't have it in time for my birthday. However, as I have the week after my birthday off it wouldn't be a bad thing to get the car then as I could get used to it without driving in rush hour traffic. When I spoke to the garage the car is still on schedule to arrive next week, so it will come down to how quickly they can get it registered.

Other news in less detail. Friend Tiffani Holiday has got engaged. I'd better go and visit soon so I can check her boyfriend is a suitable match for her! Colleague and fellow Stevenage girl Chloe Bounce and her husband Slick Bounce are expecting a baby next March. Colleague Pussy Might was involved in a serious car accident on Friday night, but luckily she wasn't seriously hurt. However, she made the News of the World on Sunday as the accident caused a 20 mile tailback on the M1. As she was on the minibus on Thursday it was her second car accident in 2 days. I just hope that these things don't come in threes.

Time for the weekend catch up.

Last week was dull. That's why there was only one posting. I was unmotivated at work and tired during the evening. I did see my Mum and Aunt on Wednesday evening, but that was it for my exciting life.

The weekend was a bit better for entertainment. I went shopping with friend Kinky Malibu on Saturday afternoon. I didn't buy anything because the only thing I like was a red swivelly chair which cost £1500 but wouldn't look out of place in the Big Brother diary room. Saturday night I held a small dinner party for 3. Everything was going swimmingly until the bottom of the wok started burning things and set the fire alarms off! Some of you may be aware that this is not the first time I have set off fire alarms with my cooking, but at least the fire brigade didn't turn up on Saturday which was a pity really! Anyway, after deafening friends Bonnie Sin and Kinky Malibu we eventually got to eat the very tasty fajitas and cheesecake I made. We then spent the rest of the evening watching and criticising telly which is my favourite type of night in.

Yesterday, I had to do the washing up from Saturday night so obviously that took most of the morning and I still haven't finished. I only have myself to blame for using every single ting in my kitchen. I then spent the rest of the day sitting in the sun at my Mum's. I had a million things to do, but they will all have to keep for a less nice weekend and as it is coming up to winter I am sure there will be plenty of those.

The weekend was OK - nothing special. I went to the CIMA workshop on Saturday morning which was useful and the guy presenting was fairly attractive which made it much easier to be enthusiastic about having dragged myself out of bed in order to see his presentation. The upshot of the morning is that I am going to get my arse in gear and apply for membership in the near future.

I saw friend Kinky Malibu on Saturday night. We had a quiet night in watching Oceans Eleven which I can never see too many times! I really want to see the original but somehow I always manage to miss it when it's on TCM.

Sunday I had my hair cut and coloured in the morning. I am very upset as no one has noticed I have had it done - I work with girls as well which makes it worse. When I pointed it out to one colleague she told me that she though I'd just washed my hair and that's why it looked different. Evidently that was £50 well spent...

Sunday afternoon I spent shopping with my sister in town before going back to my parents for a yummy roast beef dinner. I was looking forward to going to work yesterday because I had new clothes to wear after Sunday's shopping expedition. I truly believe that if I had new clothes to wear every day I would always want to go to work! Anyway, I had new trousers to wear, but they are a bit on the long side so I put on my highest heels thinking that would be the way to avoid tripping over. I get out of my flat and fall down the stairs as my very high heels got caught in the trouser leg on the way down. Luckily I didn't hurt myself I'm just a bit sore today and the shoes are a write off. Since I hardly ever wear them that is no great loss either.

After such a phenomenal start to the day things only got worse from there onwards. It took me forever to get to work as there are roadworks everywhere between Stevenage and Hatfield. When I got to work, I got a call from the Peugeot dealers to tell me that my car has been delayed again. Estimated delivery is now the end of September so realistically I won't get the car until the beginning of October. I told the dealer that it's my birthday at the beginning of October and he said 'Oh, we'll have to send you some flowers then' only for me to tell him that I didn't want flowers I actually wanted my car! If when I'd originally ordered the car they had told me I wouldn't be getting it until October, I could've coped with that, but as things have gone, I keep looking forward to the date when the car will arrive only to find that it moves back. It makes me more disappointed and more disillusioned with the whole process.

I'm hoping today will be much better - I managed to get to work without incident so things are definitely looking up!

I saw my first '53' registration car yesterday. That put me into a sulk as by rights the first one I should've seen was on my new car on Monday. I have had no more news from the garage, I could call them again but I'm tired of chasing them all of the time. I guess if the car is coming on the 15th they will have to call me at some stage next week so I can get the insurance sorted. I hope the car hasn't been delayed as my CD player is being put into my sister's car tomorrow. I don't think I even own any tapes now so I will be restricted to the radio!

I am going to a workshop tomorrow morning about the practical experience I need to apply for membership of CIMA. Although I have passed all of the exams I am not technically qualified yet. I hope that I have enough as I want to get membership sorted this summer. I have 5 years to apply, but it's one of those things that slide away from you. A couple of my colleagues passed their exams several years ago and they are only thinking about applying for membership now mainly because the Head of Sales, Marketing and Customer Services Finance has told them they have to get it sorted!

Whilst I'm on the subject of exam results, look out for my name in lights over the next few days - the list of CIMA passed finalists will be published in the Independent on Sunday this week, as well as the Financial Times on Monday and the Evening Standard on Wednesday.

It's been a while but work has been a nightmare recently. This week I have to do month end, a 2003 forecast and another version of the 2004 budget. Hopefully you can see why I'm pushed for time these days.

A very quick round up of everything that has happened...
I went out with my family for my sister's birthday last Wednesday. At the weekend I saw my friends. On Monday my car refused to start, the irony being it was the 1st September the day I was expecting to get my new car. The car obviously has special powers as when my Dad came round to have a look at it Monday evening it was fine again. Evidently it needed a day at home to fix itself. The new car still has an estimated delivery date of 15th September which I sincerely hope doesn't change as I have lost confidence in the old car if it is going to start being temperamental on me. I've booked the weekend after my birthday off work as a holiday for myself. Needless to say I won't be going away anywhere, but it will enable me to spend some quality time with the new car!

I think that's everything for now.