Happy new year!

I’ve had a very good month or so, despite having had a cold continuously for nearly all that time.

Mom and Graham came to visit for Christmas.  We spent a couple of days in London immediately upon their arrival, then went up to Birmingham to see John Barrowman in the “Robin Hood” pantomime.  It was amazing - more like a West End production than I had expected.  There were songs, dancing, lots of costume changes, a “robot” and ice skating.  Truly, ice skating - on stage.  I have to admit that I don’t really understand WHY there was ice skating, but there was.  I think perhaps it was the kitchen sink school of panto production.

We had lovely Christmas at home, very low-key.  I worked a few days leading up to it - they were manic - but then was able to get an extended period of time off.  All four of us went down to Somerset to visit Angus’ mom on Boxing Day.  That Saturday, we went to Wells Cathedral - beautiful - and we went back to Gloucester on Sunday via Stonehenge, for my brother.  Monday we went to Cardiff, got to see the silver tower from “Torchwood”, and Tuesday morning Mom and Graham went back to Texas.

New Year’s Eve was very quiet, just me and Angus.  In fact, we were asleep long before midnight, although the fireworks and a call from his mom ensured that we were awake at midnight.  After a couple of days of work, we’ve just passed a fairly relaxing weekend, although my grad school procrastination has finally caught up to me.  Applications for three of my four schools are due on the 15th, which… actually, isn’t as soon as I had thought.  I had it stuck in my head that this coming weekend was the 13th and 14th, and that therefore applications were due this coming Monday, which, given that we have guests coming this weekend, would have made it close.  Thursday is better.  I’m still going to mail my supplemental Tufts material tomorrow, so it gets there in plenty of time, but that’s a little better.

Now for the really exciting - for me - news: I have a job in the environmental sector!!!  Vision 21, the non-profit in Cheltenham that I’ve been volunteering at for almost a year now, has offered me two days a week (paid) as a fundraising officer.  This is exactly what I was hoping for!  Fundraising is a crucial part of any non-profit’s activities, and Vision 21 is giving me the opportunity to gain experience.  Given that it’s usually the cycle of “no experience, no job; no job, no experience,” this is a huge break for me.  And there’s the possibility that it might go up to four days a week, though I’m not holding my breath.  In any case, this is my first, paid job in the field that I want to go into, the first step of my career!  Huzzah!