First post - 30th Oct 08 19.40pm

I have decided to start an ongoing diary in blog form. I have always wanted to keep a diary and have started numerous blogs in the past only to abandon them a few days later when the whole idea of blogging becomes monotonous and dull. Not this one. This one will last. I will be be drafting up notes whilst out there living my life, using the handy Notepad function on my Ipod Touch (This introductory papragraph was actually concieved last nite, hence the date and time in the subject header).


A quick summary of whats going on in my world at the moment:

Moving on 1st December, to a large white house in Braintree (about 8 miles away from my current dwelling with my parents) with 5 friends - I can't wait. I have lived away from home before but this will be different - This is the sort of place that will actually become my home rather than just a stopping-off point. This house is bloody massive! And the garden stretches back further than my eyes can see (ok so i'm short sighted, but you get the point). My friend Jack wants to grow fruit and veg in the garden, and maybe keep some chickens! At first i mocked him a bit but now i'm really starting to get into the idea...The sense of accomplishment at actually growing your own food must be great.
Initially, I was a bit worried about the cost of getting to work and back (about £10 a day) but luckily Karen at work has offered to give me lifts to and from work as she also lives in Braintree. We've agreed on £40 per week, which I think is very reasonable.
There's going to be a lot for me to fork out for once I've moved - For one thing, the heating system in our soon-to-be house runs from a large tank which needs filling with oil every couple of months to keep it burning. I get the feeling from what our Indian landlord and landlady said that this may be quit expensive. On top of that we'll have phone, internet, TV license, electricity, Water rates, (no council tax as the owners have agreed to continue paying this), and not forgetting rent to pay. I do feel though that this whole experience will teach me about looking after my money better and budgetting for necessary costs (something which I have been notoriously bad at up until now). I'm look at the as not just moving house but a project in self-improvement.


I have decided to get back into shape by running and excercising once again - I have gone through speights of doing this in the past but, much like my efforts to sustain my previous blog attempts, these speights have soon wilted and died. not this time.

I suppose you could say the decision to start this blog signals a turning point in my life. I want to emerge as a new man, as I can't I am particularly a fan of the man I have been up until now, at nearly 21 years old (i won't go into detail). But now my eyes are open.

Time to grow up.