Progress Report

Learning to Drive - Oh my. I've only gone and booked my first driving lesson. My provisional licence arrived today and excited as I am it must be said I am terribly disappointed the DVLA felt the need to mess around with my photo. I clearly remember taking maximum permitted previews in the photo booth to ensure I didn't look too much like the back end of a bus. It might sound vain, but I have to live with the fact I am whatever the opposite of photogenic is.

So I made sure I sent the DVLA a reasonably acceptable photo. And they put it through some dehumanising process and now I am stuck with a licence that makes me looked like a photofit. With a wonky mouth. Pfft.

Then I had to book a lesson. Two recommended instructors fully booked until August so I had to get on the tinterweb. Although I desperately tried to convince myself that just because the website is bad doesn't mean the instructor is, it did take a while to find a company that pleased both my online aesthetics and my financial status. Finally found one that mentioned 'patient' quite a lot, which seemed perfect. I phoned, it rang, they answered. And I swear it was the photofit girl on the other end of the line. Greeted by a gruff " 'Ullo" I tried not to stutter as my brain screamed 'hang up, hang up, they'll never know who you are'. But I didn't. I am in persevering mode and just maybe my new driving instructor was having a bad day. I'll let you know next Friday.


Getting Thinner - Woop woop. Another 2lb thinner, so 13 stone 8lbs now. Celebrated with a home made burger and fries. With salad of course.

Considering a Career - Tried to call about career change job today (as I promised New Friend yesterday) but was told it had 'expired'. Whatever that means it probably means it's not the job for me. So I responded to a more my line of work role and phoned to enquire whether that the fact I am a PC wasn't a deal-breaker (I couldn't work out from the job listing whether 'PC/Mac literate' meant either or both). It wasn't a deal-breaker so CV will be wending its merry way in the next day or so. Depending on the sunshine.

Getting Out More - Little to report as I haven't been out since Sunday. Well, not out, socialising out anyway. But I have been out of the house on daily dog walks, trips to the shop and to post letters. And today I went on a bus for the second time in as many weeks. Buses are cleaner than I remember and It's quite interesting listening to schoolgirls talk about who they are going to punch next week.

Being Terribly Naughty - The reverse psychology seems to work. My good habits are beginning to feel normal. OK, so I still have the odd bitch-twitch tantrumette that I have to quell, but I a) spot them coming and b)feel good about ignoring them.

And I've been smiling for about 5 days now.

Yours in hope and fear, AJ x