Helloooooooooooooo!
Just to let you know that I'm still here and haven't totally forgotten about my blog. It's just that I've been really busy and for the last week or so I've been fighting a chest infection so have been sleeping when I haven't been at work. Well, I couldn't take any time off in my third week, could I?

So...
I had a birthday! Yes, I'm now the grand old age of 29. Eek!
My mum and my sister came to stay for a weekend. Yay!
I officially started my new job and set myself very high standards by getting my name in the paper in my first week.
I gave my first ever workshop to a group of medical students.
I dived off a one metre diving board but was too scared to dive off the three metre one and could only jump!
I went ice skating three times on the outdoor ice rink in the centre of Leeds and have now learnt how to stop without crashing into the side (well almost).
I decided that skating is my most favourite thing in the world.
I went to the cinema and saw Notes on a Scandal.
I (well, a pic of me) was in the local paper as part of a Climate Change stunt.
I went to an indoor ski slope where I got very grumpy because I wasn't very good and then my arms and legs were killing me for the next three days.
I got an evil sore throat which went straight to my chest so I've been coughing lots, sleeping lots and taking lots of extra meds.
Two of my friends have had babies.
I helped H bleed the brakes on his kit car.
I enjoyed the new series of Life on Mars, which is my favourite programme on tv at the moment.
I helped organise some students so they lay on the floor to spell out 'Make Trade Fair'.
I watched Loose Change, the conspiracy theorist's film about 9/11.
I learnt about poverty.
My stomach has decided to fully embrace it's cfness again (not so great) but this time the meds actually seem to be working. Hurrah!
I was interviewed by Radio Leeds (although I don't think they'll use it).
I heard Lucy Siegle, the Observer's ethical correspondent, speak.
I went out for my friend's birthday meal.
I only overslept once and still wasn't late for work.
I went to a FLASH (Focused learning and self-help) appointment.
I opened a new Smile bank account.

And I didn't do much cleaning, cooking or washing up!

Hello all you lovely people who are still reading my blog,

I hope you are liking these happier and more light-hearted posts of late. I am definitely liking these happier and lighter-hearted days. Yes, you'll be pleased to know that the bubble hasn't yet burst. Yesterday I had a meeting with some council-types that wasn't as 100% positive as my recent meetings but I know that things aren't going to be great all the time and there'll be bad days and evil days and days when everything goes wrong and I'll get upset and feel that things are the same as they were before Christmas. So if on a day like this, I complain to you, remind me of today and how happy I've been at work this week doing campaigny-type things that are interesting and exciting and fun!

I officially start my new job on Monday but have been doing it already because B has moved to Oxford and he had to hand everything over before he went.

For those of you who want to know what my job involves, it's something along the lines of what's written below. As you'll see, I'm totally unqualified to do this job, but am somehow managing it. All I can say is how lucky am I to get this job without being interviewed?

Part press officer (but obviously for a good organisation not an evil company) so I'll write press releases giving a regional angle to national campaigns to attract local media coverage. I'll help organise stunts to publicise different campaigns to attract media coverage and keep abreast of some (thankfully not all) of the national campaigns. I'll try and place articles or write 'letters to the editor' which I've ghost-written for local celebs. I'll build up contacts with local journalists to help publicise our campaigns. For Fairtrade fortnight we're hoping to get lots of media coverage across Yorkshire and the North East and will also help other groups around the region with their publicity.

I'll help build up contacts with local MPs and alliances and work with local affiliated groups which will involve more stunts and media work (even being a media spokesperson!! Oh dear, clarity when speaking is NOT my strong point), maybe also helping to organise a film and music festival. I'll have to give presentations and workshops about campaigning and media work PLUS I'm managing the volunteer co-ordinators in the North East.

All this will involve lots of ideas (so, if anyone's got any, please pass them on) and I'll be able to input them into both local and national campaigns. And I can even comment on national campaigning strategies, if I have any time left over.

Umm...Think I'll recruit my own volunteer to help me with some of this work...who, of course, I'll have to manage.

P.S. I told my line manager about cf yesterday and he was fine about it. YAY!