So almost a week has passed since I wrote 'Most Sad & Depressing' post ever. I vow never to challenge that record again!

It's amazing how much one's outlook can change in a mere six days - come to think of it, its amazing how much one's outlook and circumstances can change from one moment to the next. Even though I'm constantly reminded that life is made up of the moments and it only takes one moment for fate to change one's life, I still find myself genuinely surprised and slightly distraught by this fact of life.

So, yes, I am feeling about 100% better than I was last weekend. I don't really know why, it just happened. In this particular instance there was not one specific event/insight that magically transformed my blues into pinks (or whatever colour is associated with happiness). Certainly, the words of wisdom provided by others had a major effect on my state of mind.

Anyways, enough of that - here's the update on how I am going to deal with my crises:

NOTe - if you want to skip these rather boring details just skip down to 'Review Of The Last Two Weeks'

I've decided that I will stay in Edinburgh until the end of August and am crossing my fingers that the landlord will let Kelly and I sign a five month lease. My reasons for staying are threefold:

1. I think it wise not to commit to any new adventure whilst in despair or a state of limbo. I have seen what happens when people make choices based on a temporary emotional state, and most often they end up regretting that they made the decision they did. I think the best thing for me now is to re-energize and do some soul searching about what it is I want from the rest of my formative years (am I crazy to consider mid-twenties formative? or just in denial of my ageing self?)

2. I do love Edinburgh and had a blast here last summer. It would seem rather silly to leave just as summer is about to hit the bonnie land - after all, I made it through the darkness of winter just so I could be here for the Festival, looonnnngg days and warm nights. I have slight concern it will not match up to last year's summer, what with Jen & Vanessa in absence - but, boody hell, I have to remember my own credo to Jen & Keri when they were worried we'd have no friends after last summer, when Kathleen, Brandon and ABerdeen gals left - I told them that's the life of a traveller - and, no doubt, we would soon have a new circle of friends and., of course, we ended up with a load of fab new friends (Fall Friends, I like to call them)!!! Heck, I've already got a new flatmate, and another one coming in May (think it will be Kelly's friend, Lindsay) and Brandon is moving back to Edinburgh!

3. By staying put for the next five months I will have an opporunity to research potential new adventures and opportunities. To that end, I am seriously considering getting Broadband at the flat if it is possible with my laptop - right now I could really use the presence of a computer savvy person ..in completely unrelated note: so Mom & Jim, I think you should come to Scotland to visit very very soon :)

Anyways, so that's the plan of the mo. I've already started considering possibilities for future adventures/opportunities and will keep you posted as the picture becomes clearer.

I guess now would be as good a time as any to stress that I am not desperately searching for love/soul mate. I know I mention lack of significant other once in awhile (or maybe more often), but, believe me, I am not out in search of aforementioned 'soulmate' at the moment. If he happens to pop into my life, then so be it, I'll accept fate's decision that the time is right.In the meantime, I shall reassure myself that fate has decided the timing just isn't right and take that as an indication that I should be doing other, significant things with my life! As a sidenote, however, I will say that to have love and lost is, in fact, not better than never having loved at all - at least in my limited experience, but then again I have a rather great fear of failure......

Review of Last Two Weeks

(in bullet point, to boot!)

• Returned from Sweden - highlights of return trip included: 1) purchasing huge box of Fazer Mints at Vasteras airport, thereby satisfying my need to dispense of Swedish Krona and my appetite for delicious chocolate with liquidy mint filling. 2) Purchasing 100mL bottle of Issey Miyake Perfume at London Luton airport for duty free price of £42.70 - I can't stop smelling myself these days - I am in love with my scent. 3) getting on an earlier flight home from London Luton thanks to super-friendly EasyJet check-in lady - bless her!
• Meeting my new flatmate - OK, so I already know Kelly. We went to university together, we made it through Intergrated Functional Management together, she lived in Ottawa at the same time I did and, funnily enough, we both worked at Health Milk company back when we were both much younger (She had the better job as ice cream sampler. My job as office clerk only afforded me free paper cuts). Despite all this, I really don't know Kelly that well and am excited at the prospect of having a new flatmate (ie new blood!)
• Celebrating Jen's new career at Disney World with a night of karaoke - it had been too long since the world heard the harmonies of the Dynamic Duo! We treated our audience to insipring renditions of Queen's 'Don't Stop Me Now', The Spice Girls' 'Wanna Be' and Bryan Adam's 'Summer of '69'. Rock on Belushi's!
• Surviving last weekend (see previous post to understand why this is a highlight worth mentioning)
• Planning Spain trip. I am going to Spain!!! It's all fiestas and siestas for me!!!!!!!!!!!

Other notes/news

• Loads of O/T available at work - my manager was literally begging me to come in this Saturday morning but it really isn't work it for me to work double time when I have to take two hours of commuting just work a four hour shift. Much more reasonable for me to do mid-week overtime at 1.5 times pay, since I am already at the office.
• This Tuesday the entire team is staying until 7 o'clock to get the figures down (i.e. process client's requests before they go out of service standard targets). We are being fed. This is anticipated highlight - you know how much I love KFC (ahem..ew!)
• I am seriously contemplating possibility of hopping over to Ireland after my Spaing trip - that bloody Tony Hawks book about hitch hiking around Ireland has got me wistfully wishing to I could spend some days relaxing on the West Coast. I've been checking into coach tours, even though I'm usually opposed to packaged itineraries that I haven't made up myself. I think I 've found myself an aweseom deal -I can buy a jump-on, jump off ticket for the Paddywagon Tours that is good for 6 MONTHS!!!! IT costs £89, but fees during time on coach are included, the tours are guided and there are loads of day activities to go on during the journeys from place to place. Definitely cheaper than hiring a car on my own and a great chance to meet other people, while following my own sched. Best of all I can return anytime in the next six months and still use the ticket!
  

K, best get going, I've lots to do today in preparation for tonight - it is Vanessa's last weekend in Scotland and it just occurred to me that I have to get her something as a going away gift!