Sure was nice out there in the sun. Pity the wind is still so cold when you move into the shade though. Still, spring must be coming soon.

Theoretically, we are being environmentally audited today to ensure we aren't doing nasty things to the outside world. Our section gets done this afternoon but as there are two scheduled interviews not due to finish until 5ish I reckon I could get away with my ignorance! How are we supposed to check that bus companies are disposing of waste oil responsibly or using the right cleaning materials anyway? Especially given that we are not being allocated any additional budget to do this with.

Now I've seen everything in this place. My colleague Danny has just produced a pair of wet trousers he washed at home this morning and is now attempting to hang them in the window to catch the sun and dry. Takes all sorts I suppose.

Anyway, I was talking about music earlier but didn't mention any band names, so I will now. Those I'd never heard of before getting the dish and now either have invested in or want to know more about include: Sum 41 (mentioned below somewhere), Lostprophets, Vex Red, Rival Schools, The Drowning Pool and several others the names of which escape me. Those I did know about but had never heard include Linkin Park and Marilyn Manson (whose cover of Tainted Love is possibly the most ridiculously brilliant thing I've heard for years). It hasn't all been gosh wow though. I have been reassured that my initial thoughts from reading about them only have not let me down when I reckoned that I wouldn't like Slipknot, Kid Rock or Limp Bizkit. So I guess I'm safe for now!

So we are now in the week containing my 31st birthday. I am definitely feeling a lot better about myself than I was at this time last year, when I came very close to the edge of sanity but that seems a long way off now. Not planning anything major this year (last year we had a reasonable sized party) although we are having a day in london at the weekend. Looking forward to that as it seems like ages since we last went down. Will just have to try not to go into too many shops as we really should be saving to get the new bedroom furniture we urgently need.

Joan is off this week but I'm too tied up with meetings to join her for more than tomorrow. And then I'm seeing the dentist (well, Kirstie the hygenist actually) whihc will no doubt be excrutatingly painful. Damn my insufficient bone growth and extra-deep pockets.