When I was 10 I was Take That's biggest fan. Me and my best friend had every album, video and poster. I went to see them in concert in Manchester, quite possibly the best day of my life (up until the age of 10, at least) and I cried buckets when Robbie left. The worst day of my life. Until they all split up. The next worst day of my life. Up until the age of 11.

Now, ten years later, they are getting back together again.

And I feel nothing.

Women of my age all over the country, as well as a fair few men, are rejoicing in the news that they have reunited and are going on tour.

And I have no desire to go and see them.

Maybe its because Robbie won't be with them, and Robbie was always my favourite, but then again I've had nothing but a passing interest in his solo stuff. Whatever it is, I feel like I am betraying them.

Or maybe, just maybe, I am finally (starting to be) a grown up!

Surely not.

In other news, I am 342 words, including title and footnotes, into my essay (see last post), which I have, believe it or not, been working on all day. Only 1658 words to go before I reach the word limit. Those pesky Italian merchants are proving difficult.

Maybe the repeat of Lost will give me some inspiration ...

It is the middle of November, the first semester is not far from over, the nights are starting to get frosty, and all this means that it is essay time (apart from the frost bit, which has no real relevance to essays, but rather to the fact that its just really cold at the moment)! Yes, my weekends are currently revolving entirely around whether or not I can get to my desk on the basement level of the library (yes, I am in there that often) before anyone else does, and then work, work, working away on my current piece de resistance -

• 'Why did Italian cities become the commercial leaders of Europe by the early fourteenth century?'

I say my 'weekends'. What I really mean are my weekend days. Saturday night revolves around flicking between Strictly Come Dancing and X Factor, X Factor Results, and then a DVD and a little bit of chocolate, followed by an early night so I can get up early on the Sunday to get back in to the library.

Having said that, last Saturday was a night of TV fun and frivolity followed by a night out here, reaching a state of such drunkenness that I found it difficult to focus on the faces of those stood right in front of me. This, I am sure, being a direct result of not being out drinking properly for, well, ages. I still managed to get up relatively early the next day to plod off, hungover, to the library for 5 hours, though. OK, I lie. I got there at 2pm after eating porridge and toast and drinking gallons of tea in bed, watching Almost Famous that I had taped off the telly from the night before while I was out. I stayed in there working until 7pm when it closed, though. The library, not bed.

OK, that's all you're getting out of me tonight - Strictly Come Dancing is on!

This week nature has made me happy.

Driving home to North Wales on Monday night, I was driving westwards, at about 4.30pm. The sun was setting, in fact it took ages to actually set, and the whole time the entire sky was the most amazing colours - a mixture of bright red, burnt orange and the same pink as the blog! As I got near home at about 5pm I was driving towards the mountains, which were all dark, with this amazing sky behind it. I saw a few people along the motorway pulled in and taking pictures of the sky. I wish I'd had my camera with me.

Driving back up to Leeds today, I drove along the prom in Colwyn Bay to get to the motorway. The sea was absolutely crazy. The waves were massive and the sea looked really full. That's a weird way of describing the sea, but that's how it looked. There was a small van parked up right next to the railings and waves were crashing over it, while its driver was on the edge of the road taking pictures of it. Two waves actually went right over my car and the water reached the other side of the road. It was hilarious! I got off the prom as soon as I could as I realised there was a chance it may have been a bit dangerous, but it was very funny.

I went to see The Brothers Grimm last night.

We wanted to see Nanny McPhee really, but it didn't start for over half an hour after we arrived and we were too impatient to wait.

The film was very tongue in cheek and really didn't take itself seriously - which is good, because there was absolutely nothing about it that you actually could take seriously. Trust me when I say that that picture gives a very good overrall impression of the film. It was terrible, but in a good way, I suppose, because it did make me laugh and jump quite a bit, which I'm guessing was its main aim.

Apart from showing how much of a scaredy cat I am, jumping out of my seat at least once every five minutes to a film certified as 12A, The Brothers Grimm also served to remind me how sexy Heath Ledger is, although, admittedly it isn't all too apparent from that picture. Just trust me.

One of the trailers before the film got me all excited as well, for Brokeback Mountain,with, yet again, Mr Ledger.

Obviously I've been hearing all the hype about it for ages, especially from Trent at Pink Is The New Blog, who has an obsession with Jakey Gyllenhaal verging on, well, my obsession with him, and has been lucky enough to see a preview of it.

What's that I hear you all say? You want a reminder of why Jake is so dear to my heart? Oh OK then -

(Thanks to ms. mac!)

Anyway, yes, from the trailer it looks like such a good story. I can't wait for it to come out, as it were. Now I just need to persuade someone to go and see it with me.

The eternal mess that is our house and the resultant in-house fighting about whose mess it is, who does all the tidying, who doesn't do anything, etc. etc., has resulted in a chores rota. The featured chores are -

• Washing up and cleaning the surfaces
• Hoover lounge and hall
• Sweep and mop kitchen floor
• Empty bins
• Clean bathroom

The idea is for each of these chores to be done every day (except for the bathroom - we're not that dirty), with everyone in the house doing chores 4 days out of the seven, and therefore having 3 days 'off'.

The desired result is both a happier and cleaner house.

Today is the first official day of the rota and I'm about to go off and sweep and mop the kitchen floor in earnest.

Lets see how long it all lasts.

Oh God. Huw's comment (from last post) about my 'bi-monthly' posts have scared me somewhat. Scared me into the realisation that I am now a rubbish blogger. Gone are the days of regular posts. When I first started blogging, way back in June 2004, I used to post 3 times a day. That initial enthusiasm soon ebbed away and levelled out to a pretty regular average of 3 posts a week. I don't know how often I actually post these days, but I would hazard a guess that it is in fact probably only twice a month.

I read all my favourite blogs every day (all the ones in the list on the right) and some of them I check several times a day. I definitely haven't lost the love for blogging, so maybe I just need some more inspiration. It doesn't help that I don't have the internet in my room anymore. There's only net access on one computer in my house at the moment which everyone uses and is always busy, and I really can't be arsed going into uni when I don't have to in order to use the computer when I only have one and a half days of teaching a week.

I suppose, though, through all this moaning, I am actually posting. There. I did it without even realising. Although, this has probably been helped by the fact that I am at home in Wales for the weekend and in this house there is internet access in every room.

Most significant and blog-worthy event at the moment (that I can think of right at this moment in time although there are probably, in fact almost certainly, countless other far more significant things, but I just can't think of them right now): yesterday I cut my fringe myself. The first time ever I have done that and it ended up looking good. Very significant, as far as I am concerned.

Huw, next time there will be more Home and Away updates. Don't worry - I won't let you down.

Ok, its official, I'm crap at updating regularly. I don't really know why this is the case as, as has been discussed elsewhere, its not as if I have a life or anything. Due to shortage of funding, lots of work and general lack of enthusiasm, I have been out for a night out, apart from my birthday, obviously, just the once so far this semester. And with funds look more and more, shall we say, difficult, its looking like it'll be the only night out, AND I'M NOT EVEN REALLY BOTHERED. Bloody hell, I've hit 21 and may as well be signing up for my pension and bus pass. Before I know it I'll be 30, and then I may as well be dead!

I think that the most pressing issue that has taken place since I last updated was the revelation that Zoe was, as I accurately predicted, indeed the Summer Bay Stalker. Really, I could see it coming a mile off. That whole faked kidnapping and murder thing she had going on didn't fool me for a second. Really, that Peter - perhaps the worst *detective* ever. As for my outstanding detecting skills, all I can say is that all that watching of The Bill has really paid off.

The (other) most significant development recently has been my car dying on me while I was at home this weekend, which resulted in me having to use, the shame of it, public transport. I had to get a train back to Leeds yesterday. Oh the horror. Thankfully, though, when I go home again this weekend (by train AGAIN) it will be all fixed and well again. Really though, I'm not that much of a transport-snob, but it does take a bit of getting used to when I've always been able to drive door-to-door before.

Also, last night, in the spirit of Halloween and all, me and the girls went on a jaunt up to York, went on a spooky ghost walk, and had a drink in The Golden Fleece pub, the most haunted pub in Britain and as featured on Most Haunted. In fact, they were even playing the said Most Haunted episode in there on a big screen all night, which we watched some of.

Right now I am going back to working on my *yawn* dissertation proposal *yawn* for a few more hours here in the dusty old library that I am typing to you from. I shall be back soon! I promise this time!

One more thing -

Ys - I am afraid it can not possibly have been me, for the following reasons -

• I was not in Newcastle Emlyn on the weekend. Or ever, in fact, now I come to think of it.
• My car actually has purple cushions on the back seat, not pink.

I love how you went to have another look to make sure though!