That was the year...

It's been a hectic sort of a year. We almost got to rent a castle, but didn't. While we were disappointed it galvanised us into sorting out some of the decorating and landscaping work at home. There's plenty more to throw ourselves at, crunch time for decisions on moving will be in two years when #1 daughter finishes uni.

I emerged from the Advanced Creative Writing course with a Distinction, along with the other active member of our group. I learned lots, thanks to an excellent tutor, but the online group was a source of frustration, mainly due to lack of participation. As a result I'm ambivalent about postgraduate study. Napier's new genre fiction MA looks good - it works through mentoring rather than peer workshopping - but competition for places will be strong. Back in the real world, the books have arrived for my final OU course which starts in the New Year.

The craziness that is NaNoWriMo has been and gone, lots of finishers with the OU this year, clocking up over a million words between us. Meanwhile I have an archaeology essay to write, more decorating to do and Chr*stmas shopping to commit. Perfect time to update a neglected blog...

October already?

Wow, time flies...
DIY tip for the month - drilling a hole in your central heating pipe is an excellent cure for boredom. That was, of course, the latest episode in the saga of the study flooring, which had expanded so much it was crimping the pipe and making the radiator leak. The ensuing application of the drill to the offending floorboard was by and large counter productive.
Looking on the bright side, while the plumber was here he pointed out the noisy new boiler wasn't meant to be that noisy, so it's had a new fuel pump fitted. Now it's so quiet you can hear the cat snore.
No 1 daughter is settling in at uni, my new OU course started this weekend and great progress has been made in decorating the house. And one of the preceding statements is untrue.
We've been waging a war of attrition against the slugs which seem to spend most nights trailing around the conservatory and dining room. On average we've been catching one or two a week. Then a couple of nights ago - when it was really, really rainy - four of them launched themselves at the salt barricade across the point where they emerge from beneath the skirting board. I think the plan must have been a sort of team Slug Walter Raleigh effort. Or they may just have been really hungry after being cooped up behind the skirting for a fortnight. Either way, they didn't make it.
I'm just worried now how many grieving sluggy relatives are behind the skirting boards, pumping iron and making ready for the next mission...