There’s nothing better than arriving at a pub, buying a drink and winning a prize. Well, there probably is, but not for the purpose of this story. You see, Nick, Michelle and I got a winning ticket with a bottle of Archers last night, and won a camera, which was nice. What was even nicer was the picture the Archers ‘crew’ (wicked, nice one, sorted) took of us, specially for the Archers website! Expect our grinning mugs on the Archers website in days…

I must just mention the walk home from the pub too. We stopped at a service station to get some food, and Nick spied a tasty-looking pasty on the shelf. Bringing it eagerly to the counter, he produced his wallet. The assistant looked bemused. He looked at Nick, looked and the small pasty, and then back to Nick again. Long moments passed, and the oligatory tumbleweed skitted idly past. “Are you aware,” said the assistant in utter astonishment, “that the pasty is ?2.29?” Nick tried slurring something back, but failed. So I piped up, “Christ Almighty, that’s a lot”, which rather neatly summed up the entire shop’s feelings. “Yes”, replied the assistant. “Yes, well, I’d like to buy it” replied Nick, to the astonishment of everyone, before turning to me and muttering, “Haven’t got ?2.29 on you, have you mate?”
So, I bought the most expensive pasty you could ever wish to set eyes upon, and didn’t even get a bite. Well done me.

8am – We amusingly discover a new friend on the balcony. He’s a bright green iguana, and we name him George, purely because he looks like a George. Honest.
8.15am – Once a suitable picture is taken, we venture downstairs and discover more food than you could shake a very large, nobular stick at. Its truly enormous. I take full advantage, and feel ill.
9am – We trundle off to our group meeting, where we are given all the esssential information, including a dolphin trip which Becki decides she simply must do. After that, we decide to get down to getting burnt. And, might I say, succeed.

I went for an ‘Assessment Day’ yesterday. They’re one of those job interviews dreamed up by ‘more important than you’ companies to separate themselves from the normal companies that provide average, run-of-the-mill interviews. Bless ‘em. It consists of 2 or 3 group tasks, a group presentation, a regular interview, and get this, a 3 minute solo presentation to the company on ‘Why You Should Select Me’! Get through all that in one piece and you deserve a medal.
ANYWAY, I did that for 6 hours yesterday afternoon, without offer of food, water or travel expenses (you can tell from the chandeliers that there could just about stretch to a few chocolate hobnobs if the felt like it), only for 40 out of the 50 attendants to be told, “Sorry, you came without a job, and I’m afraid you’ll leave without one.”
The company was Pareto Law, by the way. Their website looks quite good. Shame the company isn’t…
Ahhh, rant over. I’m off to collect my dole money.