Just want to fill in the gaps for the last few weeks...

The weekend between getting back from Berlin and EXEAT, we saw Tangled in 3D (really good) on Friday and didn't go out on Friday night so working Saturday morning wasn't too bad. On Sat afternoon we went with all the boarders to the theatre to see Goodnight Mister Tom. On the Sunday we went to the cinema and I saw Rango with some of the girls while the others saw Gnomeo and Juliet. The older girls saw I Am Number Four which I want to see sometime.

The Tuesday following, seeing as I started later in the afternoon, I went for walk. The same walk I'd done a few weeks before - along the back of the cemetery behind school. I took lots of photos and went just at the right time to see the sky looking almost sunset-like even though the sun was still high in the sky. I couldn't go as far as I had last time as I saw a huge cloud of smoke across the second road and cops turned up just as I got there.

The next day I did a bit of op shopping. I got a pair of 'Versace Couture' jeans for £1.50. Whether or not they're real I couldn't say but they're awesome anyway - light purple and high-waisted and I will probably cut them into shorts eventually. I also got a denim vest for £2.50 and a couple of nice-patterned skirts for £3 each (one of which is a size 20 but so pretty).

Friday-Sunday we were in Bath (see 2 posts below).

I went down to town every day of the next Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, which means a walk up the hill each time. On Tuesday Janet and I saw the Adjustment Bureau because we both started later and Tuesday is cheap movie day. It was okay but the ending sucked. Massive cop out. Wednesday I went down after lunch to get a haircut for £13.95 (the cheapest you'll get - around $23). I just got a trim because my hair was becoming awful, and because I didn't need it washed she cut it dry - I thought she would spray it! Very weird. I was also that awkward person you walk past in a hairdressers who has to stand to have their hair cut... But I think it turned out okay. (No, I have not done anything about my regrowth and it is getting worse/better by the day.)

On Friday night (18th March) we went for dinner at a 60s diner in High Wycombe for Caitlin's birthday on Sunday (since we have to work). We were planning to go out afterwards but I was too tired so just Rose and Caitlin went. I stayed and watched Comic Relief for a while in the flat with the others. I ended up falling asleep on the floor at about midnight and then headed back to Highlands. But it was so moving, I ended up donating £10 to Red Nose Day the next day.

I worked Saturday morning and it was a good feeling not being hungover/ridiculously tired. I even played a bit of tennis with an 8 year old who was surprisingly good. I'm getting so nostalgic every time I see the tennis nets up now (the girls have moved on from lacrosse in school). Rose and I went down to town after lunch and bought ingredients for truffles and came back up and made them for Caitlin. We also spent good time taking pictures of us on Rose's Macbook holding up 'happy birthday Caitlin' signs, which I stuck on her door that night.

On Sunday we got breakfast in the house (including muffins!) and then we took a bus to Henley-on-Thames (I think) and had a packed-lunch picnic on the river. The weather was nice so it was really pleasant. Then we went and painted plates to be put in a kiln, which Amanda and Sam have just picked up (exciting!).

The following day, the four of us walked down to check out the equivalent (but definitely not as good) of Officeworks here, called Staples. It was a bit of an adventure trying to get across a massive roundabout to get there but we did it in the end. It wasn't as big or cheap as Officeworks which was a bit disappointing. We walked back a safer way and saw the uni for the first time.

Wednesday was a nice day, we lay in the sun (YES! So warm and nice!) in the morning and then we watched the dress rehearsal for the lower division (grades 2 and 3) production before work in the afternoon. The main character, who is a boarder at Highlands, was sick so her sister, also a boarder, had to fill in for her, script in hand. I also squeezed in an episode of 90210 (Izzy and I are now on season 2 - me for the second time). The sun was out again on Thursday and we lay out on beanbags on a picnic rug and read and ate cake. Martin (groundskeeper) started mowing the lawns and the smell of fresh grass just added to the Spring feeling! So nice!

We thought that maybe seeing a movie last Friday was wasting the time we could have in the sun but nevertheless we ended up seeing Limitless, which also had a stupid ending, and a seemingly stupid message about drugs. We watched the real performance of the production that night after dinner and then headed down to Yate's. It was the pub's 1st birthday so they had a 'special guest', some soapy star, serving drinks and helping out with the DJing. Izzy was the only one who knew who he was but I was still pretty excited. Caitlin, Georgie and I walked back up the hill (yes, we're silly) and the others taxi'd. I think we got back a bit before 3:30am and God, it was a great feeling not having to work on Saturday morning for the first time in so long (because of holidays our alternating weekends/Monday mornings had gotten out of whack)! On Saturday afternoon I 'helped out' with the international fashion show, which most of the boarders were involved in, because of International Weekend. But really all I did was take photos. I'd watched the rehearsal a few days before and thought it was going to be horrible but it was quite good really.

I worked Sun morning - daylight savings started early that morning and getting the girls up at the usual 8am which was actually now 9am meant I worked an hour less, woo! We were busy making dishes for the international buffet at dinnertime. After brunch/work Rose and I went down to town where I had quite a successful shopping trip: flowery belt £1 and wedges from Primark £4 (meant to be £6 but whatcha gonna do); lacy summer PJ set from the op shop £2.50 which works as a jumpsuit; an amazing ring from Topshop £8.50 (just about the only thing not on sale); and a compact mirror (on my travel to-buy list) from another op shop for 99p. The buffet was so so yummy that night and we all ate so much.

I've been pretty tired this week. Caitlin and I went into town on Tuesday to check out some travel things like towels, sleeping bags and backpacks, since we leave in 8 days! So close! Camille (an amazing cook who helps at Highlands every weeknight) brought me in some of her travel bags and a travel towel last night for me to have a look at so hopefully that takes away some of the stress. Yesterday, Janet, Caitlin & I got driven to Hughenden, 10 minutes down the road, to do a walk and a risk assessment, as the girls will be doing a sponsored walk there next term. It was quite uneven, lots of uphill and downhill and a bit slippery but it was very pretty at times and good exercise for us. It started raining though which wasn't so nice. It took 1 3/4 hours but with the girls it will be hell. It will probably take 3 hours with them and we'll have to put up with moaning and complaining. Ah well, don't have to think about that till May!