Progress!

I've had quite a productive week list-wise :)

I volunteered an hour to help a mate - driving to meet her halfway and loaning her my sat nav (as well as teaching her how to use it!) in order for her to go over to Belfast and collect her daughter whose relationship had gone a bit sour. As it turns out, she didn't need to - but I may well be volunteering some more time to help move her house round to accommodate said daughter when she eventually does come home for good. (Mums are like that - always there when you really need them!).

I've been researching retreat sites and I think I've found one I'd like to attend. It's basically a Buddhist place (although there's no emphasis on religion) and it's a week long silent retreat. With today's consumer emphasis a week of silence is equally attractive and terrifying.

I have ordered my pedometer so I can start counting steps. 10,000 a day is supposed to be healthy - I suspect I do less than half of that - so more walking is in order.

Note to self : Get back to the gym and start swimming again!

I've been forecasting next year's budget in order to work out what I can save for. I reckon I'll have reached the "Rainy Day Fund" target (6 month's wages) by next December, after which I want to save for a really special holiday for my 40th birthday (May 2011). I could do the Banff Rocky Mountaineer train journey (first class all the way!) for about £4,000 so that will be the next target.

(Looking back on that, I feel the need to add that I really do know how lucky I am to have a job that pays well and that I love. There are an awful lot of folks who struggle to make ends meet - I used to be one of them and I am eternally greatful to not be there anymore.)

All the regular tasks are ticking along nicely and I've updated the list over there ~~~~~~~~~~>