Well, it's all been a bit of a hectic weekend, frankly. Oh, and it's my birthday!

On Friday, I got my first cheque! I was really quite excited by that, which is possibly somewhat sad. I missed the bank unfortunately, so it will go in tomorrow. I wouldn't have missed the bank had Mildred not decided to empty her radiator over a car park in Hungerford. Finally, after the knowledgeable man arrived and poked at her, it turned out I had an air lock in the radiator circuit and that she was just getting rid of it through the overflow pipe. I blinked and looked as if I knew what he was talking about.

The evening - or at least the bits I remember - was really good. It was a slow start as everyone seemed to be in other places for the meal but turned up eventually. I was drunk by the time they arrived anyway as I'd been sitting outside with a big bottle of wine, gently supping. Paid the bill with an additional "I'm leaving the country so I can tell you I think you're fucking gorgeous!" to the waiter who looked a bit concerned. Bless.

We shifted to Parisa where loads more people turned up - including RobL who got the wrong night but came to Newbury anyway - and got very drunk indeed. Lots of wine and champagne and being slaggy. I don't remember much about that apart from having an argument with TVR Ed in which I pointed out Mildred would beat his TVR in a race, so long as it was down Northbrook Street with speed ramps. He wasn't convinced.

Was very gay in Parisa. Probably insulted a few more barmen but we were spending too much for them to take it personally. Ed tried to come on to Jamie, which was mildly annoying. Jamie tried to prove he was stronger than me and that he wouldn't let go of whatever it was he was holding, until I proved him wrong with the tickling weapon. Bless him - goes all giggly. Very appealing.

After we'd been thrown out and I'd lost my phone (which turned up yesterday in Liam's trousers) we descended on The Granby in Reading. That's about all I remember, apart from Jon and I rescuing D from Mirror Chicken with "Come with me, he doesn't earn enough for our friends to associate with" and telling Chickeratti Queen something that was apparently desperately insulting but I don't remember. I bit laisse faire in my "I'm leaving so ner" attitude.

I do remember the cab fare to Reading and back was £44 in each direction and that I tried to order my chips in French. I'd forgotten Jamie took me out on Thursday night for "my last English fish and chips" which I thought was really sweet, if not desperately mean as he kept on poking my stomach and then showing me his. Pah!

Yesterday wasn't pretty. I woke up at about 6am for a tactical chunder and some Ribena/Ibuprofen before going back to bed. Liam called at about 10am to see if I was awake, which I was, next to a Jamie who'd passed out on the bed in his clothes. Complete with shoes. Bless.

Jamie dashed to work at about midday and I ended up starting the remaining packing. Jon had comandeered Liam to go to Rob's house and pick things up. Thankfully I was running late with packing but I was somewhat miffed that I was then left to myself, although it was probably the best way. The good point was that the knock on effect left us leaving Newbury quite late when the heat had gone out of the sun. Packing the van was actually quite easy in the end as everyone pitched in and we got it all in in very little time. I still have some stuff to do but that can be done tomorrow and Tuesday morning.

Here for about 9pm last night for a really nice dinner and then a drinking session with Liam and Nicola which didn't go on too late. All was very peaceful and wonderful and everyone got on with everyone else and dinner was lovely.

I woke up quite early today and wandered downstairs only to be told it was my birthday. I'm 28! Ohmygod I'm so old. It really had escaped my mind - which probably proves I am getting old! Eek! Throughout the morning we unloaded the van and the car into the house and now I'm officially moved!! We had a nice lazy roast lunch and then headed to Ludlow for Nicola to look at old things. We'd hoped to get up to Clee Hill - which was where we said we'd meet Liam on the bike - but ended up going into St. Lawrence and climbing the tower. From there we sent him a text then watched him roar into town and park. I think (hope) Nicola had a fab time up there looking at wonderful scenery and stuff. I've never been on the tower there actually, only Hereford.

Liam has a very cute itsy little GPS system and I think I want one. The little Garmin one he has on the bike has mapping and stuff but no routey stuff. At about £350 or so I'm wondering whether to buy a Palm m505 with a GPS attachment and some route planning software. Certainly with lots of memory I won't have the same problem with it I had last time. After installing the not-so-detailed maps into my PalmV I decided to get it to calculate me a route home. (It was the week C2 was sold, actually.) Hm.

"At unnamed location take unmarked route to unnamed destination."

Anyway. I might invest in one of those little toys before I go to France - perhaps. It might be cheaper just to buy a European road map and a compass, actually!

Chilling this evening and washing and stuff. Tried to get NatWest Book Keeper to work but can't work out how to turn off VAT registration. Grr.

Breakdown assistance for France is proving difficult to get here. I'll have to do it there. Direct Line, however, seem to have a flaw. "If you break down in Europe we'll take you and up to six passangers to a garage of your choice in Europe." Hm.

"Hello. I'm in Calais and have broken down. Could you drive me to a garage in Prague, please?"

Or, of course, you could go to Tesco and buy too much wine for the car, then put it all in the van when you "break down" on the way back. And the man on the phone said that was right and that you could. Hm. I see a plan emerging.

The closer it gets - and now with the finality of having moved - excitement is giving way to "ohmygodwhatthefuckdidIthinkIwasdoing?" panic. I'm sure it'll all be alright though when I get there.