To retake, and pass, my theory driving test. It seems that there are shortages of driving instructors it’s going to be tricky to pass my test before the end of the year. I hav3 the aim of driving home for Christmas as my parents are getting too old to come down and pick me up.

lockdown has aged them, and not only am I worried about them, there’s a bit of me looking at my own future and thinking I need to stay fit!

And they’re really quite fun.  not great works of literature but entertaining enough.

and I’ve enjoyed being back in the company of old friends and feeling a bit more like my old self 

Screams into the void

I have tried doing stuffs to move life forward and they've not gone well due to the fact that no one has simple email systems any more, they've got smart AI systems to deal with issues, only not with the issue that I have, viz trying to find out just how much of an Egyptology first degree I did twenty years ago so that I can convince Manchester University to let me do an MA in Egyptology (online) to pass the time. 

I am not sure if there is going to be any movement on the job front over the next six months, the way things are going. 

I also have to sort out my tax return and .... that's going to be a job in itself. 

I see promptfest is moving to the request and extensions phase so there might be movement on the Exchange shortly. It's going to be twenty years since the founding fic Beyond the Silver Rainbow in June

I've never seen it, and never read it, and no one I know has a copy!

Iz slightly back.

I did pick up your messages around the time of my birthday, for which much thanks, but I was rather unwell. I don't know if it was the coronavirus, but I felt awful, sniffled on the sofa and napped for a whole month or thereabouts. 

And then I was knackered from being ill, and I'm only just getting back on top of things round the house. It is amazing how much filth and untidyiness can be achieved over six weeks. 

I had heard that the giftfest was up and running, though this turns out to be only true in a limited sense — and I'd put relighting the exhange on the back burner until that was over. However, as it's just prompts up for a loosefest, I don't see that's an issue. ETA — oh promptfest is going? 

I am not a cheerful soul at the moment — still no job, just cut off ties to Francis for what feels like good (him getting engaged to a girl who can't stand me, and who I prefer not to acknowledge exists turns out to be something of a dampener on a friendship; also he's being especially fucking dull at the moment and I'm tired, fed up and not prepared to make the effort, and I've decamped from twitter as a result. 

This too may turn out to be permanent. People are very cross and very scared and very shouty and I'm feeling exhausted and stressed out by it all. 

Life sucks, but there are people who have it worse, I am a shit and flighty human who drifts around not living up to her promises as regards the exchange etc. 

So... hello! What gives with everyone? Tell your Aunty Shiv all.