So bad news first so I can finish on a high here! This might be my worse year for hayfever for several years which means that despite taking the maximum dose of my tablets it is always there. It makes you feel like you are about to develop flu but just never do, it stops you sleeping properly and means you sneeze at very inappropriate times, like when you are driving. Driving with your eyes closed is not to be recommended!

I wasn’t sneezing when my car collided with a metal railing outside our office, though I am not sure what I was doing. All I know is that from a moments carelessness I have a hole in the wing of my car and am very embarrassed that I have done such a stupid thing. I have discovered that the front wing of a Renault Clio is made of plastic and not very strong plastic at that. I am talking about a hole of about 10 inches diameter, and when your car is orange a hole in the front drivers side wing is not un noticeable.

For the two reasons above and because I have realised some hard facts about my financial situation and begun to take steps to rectify the matter, it has not been the best week. Worries about money, hayfever sometimes bordering towards what might be asthma (I don’t have asthma, but my chest was incredibly wheezy last night along with a sudden cough) and the dreaded essay have meant I have not been my usual cheery self and people have noticed. I guess I need to be generally less happy, smiley and enthusiastic, because I only have to drop the smile and people are asking each other if Julie is all right. For the record, despite the above, I am fine.

So onto the good. I am up to 3000 words (well almost) on the essay front, so only 4000 or so to go. Even if I do say so myself it is beginning to come together and I have given what I have done to a colleague for some constructive criticism. I will be getting on with it over the long bank holiday weekend though. I also spent some of yesterday with the same colleague putting together our latest leadership / management course which will be for district nurses and Macmillan nurses and will start in June. We also had the time to catch up on gossip, you know who is leaving, who is shagging who (usual stuff). The other good thing yesterday was the efficiency of my insurance company and the garage that will be fixing my car next Thursday. I am suitably impressed.

So onto last night and out for a hen party for one of my colleagues who gets married next month. 12 of us met at a local hotel to give her a good send off into married life. There was good food, plenty of wine and lots and lots of hilarity. Just what we all need as some of us are facing a pretty uncertain future job wise. Have a look at the lovely hotel we went to here. Today I get to go back to collect my car as I got a lift home, so might go for a walk around the beautiful city of St Albans. Oops given away my general location, but never mind.

Now I am off to the land of the essay, and my target of 3500 by lunchtime, hayfever etc permitting!