All right, all right - even if I'm trying to finish preparing to move to New Zealand the day after tomorrow, I'd rather avoid more pressure from Founder Dart by squeezing in a Year Review for 2005 here like a good little PIGS member...
JANUARY: Fail to quit same old job in retail and leave Aberystwyth at long last. See New Year in alone in house as work failed to notify me I didn't need to be back in town for New Year's Day. Have the company of my new 'Lord of the Rings' DVD boxset, which makes things much more bearable and passes eleven solitary hours rather nicely.
FEBRUARY: Fail to quit same old job in retail and leave Aberystwyth at long last. Single on Valentine's, which always sucks.
MARCH: Fail to quit same old job in retail and leave Aberystwyth at long last. Do manage week's holiday in London, coinciding with housemates also being down there. Went on London Eye, by a complete fluke on its fifth birthday. Champagne all round, despite NO FOOD OR DRINK signs on Eye gondolas. Great stuff. Go to London Zoo for first time since aged 7. Go to Natural History Museum for first time in eight or nine years and reacquainted myself with the dinosaurs. Lots of good pictures. A week or two later, whole household is on edge of seats for long-awaited rebirth of 'Doctor Who', and remains there fot next thirteen weeks. Note with satisfaction London Eye used as 'Doctor Who' location. Marvellous.
APRIL: Fail to quit same old job in retail and leave Aberystwyth at long last. Do pop to family get-together in Reading to celebrate my grandparents' Diamond Wedding anniversary, which is an enormously impressive achievement. (Being married for sixty years, I mean, not getting to Reading.) Following nine years in Division One before last year's unexpected championship title, Norwich City are relegated from Premiership after playing their way to safety at the start of season's final day, only to lose 6-0 at Fulham. Goals from Brian McBride bookend game, after he's spent months as one of my nemeses on FIFA 2003 during Rhys and my 'Flat 2 Trophy' sessions. Typical. Sad but not surprised, at any of this.
MAY: Fail to quit same old job in retail and leave Aberystwyth at long last. Turn 26. Hmmm.
JUNE: Fail to quit same old job in retail and leave Aberystwyth at long last.
JULY: Fail to quit same old job in retail and leave Aberystwyth at long last. Join Founder Dart for one of his annual Clean Up Rhys' Flat When He Moves Out Parties; guest list: one. Strangely great fun, as always. Fond farewell to Rhys as he actually leaves Aber after eight years, the adventurous sod. Have operation on arm to remove metal plate put in last September to hold it together after I brokw it cycling (all in a good cause), which is no longer needed since the bones have knitted back together nicely. First week, operation cancelled at three days' notice. Second week, operation cancelled at eighteen hours' notice. Third week, operation cancelled after I had already made it to the hospital and got settled in the day room to wait for my call. Fourth week, operation actually goes ahead after only minor delays, and screws up the nerves and tendons in my left hand. Damn.
AUGUST: Fail to quit same old job in retail and leave Aberystwyth at long last. Do manage a day back in Cardiff on Bank Holiday weekend for Mum's birthday. Note with satisfsction our Turkish restauramt in Cardiff Bay was used as 'Doctor Who' location. Physiotherapy eventually unclenches my hand and restores mobility to my wrist, over the course of six weeks off work lasting into September. Still fail to organise my stuff/room/life or plan an exit strategy for getting out of Aber, though, but keep looking for the silver lining. Arm hurts like hell and is a bit useless, but miss six weeks of work. Ah, there it is.
SEPTEMBER:: Fail to quit same old job in retail and leave Aberystwyth at long last. This is the only the second extended period I've spent more than a few miles away from Founder Dart in fifteen years. Hard to adjust. Sniff. Back to work. Double sniff.
OCTOBER: Fail to quit same old job in retail and leave Aberystwyth at long last. Friend of friend tells me she's off to Canada on year's working holiday with BUNAC. Household making plans to finally quit Aber at New Year. I put two and two together and send off my passport for renewal.
NOVEMBER: Fail to quit same old job in retail and leave Aberystwyth at long last. However, apply to BUNAC to join their Work New Zealand programme. You have to have evrything booked and paid up a minimum of ten weeks before one of their flights - I send off application ten weeks and three days before earliest flight of next year, January 19th, figuring I'll end up on a May or June one. Forms come back two days later telling me I'm booked on 19th January flight. Aaaargh!/Wowwww!!! Wheels are finally in motion...
DECEMBER: Shockingly and to the amazement of all and sundry, manage to quit same old job in retail and leave Aberystwyth at long last. Don't even know it's my last day in work until lunchtime that day (21st), so have all of 4 1/2 hours to assimilate it and clear out. Home on Christmas Eve, drive to grandparents in London with parents and brother on Christmas Day, stopping off at Rhys's en route to say hello after five months. Head for Norfolk two days later until the 30th, catching up with other grandparents and rest of Mum's side of the family. Plan to return to Aberystwyth (I can't stay away) for a couple of days after New Year to pack up my house of 3 1/2 years and leave the town eight and a half years after I first arrived. Finally!
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