General Update

It's one of those entries you all adore - a general update of the state of my life and the ongoing stories that run through this blog.

I'll begin with the Magnificent Octopus. I set myself a challenge last week to get 50 pages written within 7 days. Naturally I failed but I did manage about 20, which is more than I usually get typed up in a short session. Feels like I'm about halfway through the story, and I still haven't padded it out with red-herrings, side plots, background stories etc, so it's moving along nicely. I'm about to introduce a character called Simon Golding too, which satisfies two of the names I still needed to add :)

Malta. We're exactly 4 weeks from lift-off. My Southampton landlord knows I'm leaving (in fact his wife was almost in tears on the phone when I told her). TV licence people know, electricity direct debit is cancelled, change of addresses have been sent off. All that's left is to pack my life into as few boxes as possible, tidy the flat, throw out as much rubbish as I can and get the front door key copied (remember back to a previous blog about my other key being in the back of a cab somewhere).

That's the factual stuff about Malta. The emotional side still isn't settled. Really feels like I'm on an airport travelator, and I don't have the option to get off and turn back. I can walk backwards to slow the process down, but I'm still being carried forward. Good news is my own flat might be sorted already, so I can settle quite quickly after landing on the island.

Social calendar. It's drawing to a close, which puts even more pressure on me to get ready for Malta. I still have a quick visit to Manchester for a race meeting and to see Scrabble buddy again. I've got my fingers crossed for a mini SMTA reunion (that will be reunion III if it happens) in Norwich in mid August, but there is nothing else. That is it before I leave the UK...

...but then I hope to be arranging people visiting me in the land of the Maltesers :)