Home at last

I am now home and very tired. I am really glad to be back and have had lots of hugs and kisses which I have been missing loads.

Although I started this blog to keep in touch with my family, I am going to try and keep it going, although I most probably won't post every day as I have been doing.

Surreal

It was really odd finishing, when I completed to qualification lab and had to leave the room I was quite moved and didn’t really want to leave!! A room with no windows, 15 other consultants, all learning together. We each had 2 laptops, plus our own work laptop, 2 phones, lots of network cables and given the amount of time we had spent there it had become home.

I passed, but I kept wanting to pinch myself to see if it was real, not quite sure I had really managed it.

Last night I when I was awake during the night, dozing, I kept thinking about the questions on the exam and the qualification lab, thinking up new answers etc. I couldn’t seem to switch off and realise it is finished.

Well it is finished, but I won’t be forgetting it. I have learnt a lot over the last 3 weeks which I know will make a big difference to my work. It was hard work, but I knew that before I came. I hadn’t realised how hard it would be not being there for Kal and the kids with them dealing with mum and dad. My thanks to them for allowing me to come and I think given all I have learned it was worth it.

(I have written this whilst waiting at the airport, so won't be able to post it until I get home)

Diet blown in one night!!

Having finished exam etc. and got the result that I passed :-) I am now a Microsoft Certified Master. Only 5 of us out of 16 passed the qualification lab, which is how tough it was.

We have all been out for a meal to celebrate/commiserate which has meant lots of eating and drinking, none of which was on the diet, but at the end of three exhausting weeks we needed it.

I Survived!

It has been an interesting but exhausting 3 weeks. The exams are now all over, just results to come. The exam this morning was not too bad, so I am praying that I have passed. The qualification lab was long, hard and exhausting, but I did manage to complete it all so have passed (subject to verification).

I am now looking forward to coming home. I can’t wait to see everyone. Tonight we are all going for a meal out and a few (or a lot) of beers. :-)

Our God is a Wonderful God

We had our wrap up session this morning, and now it is just revision. I met with Tanya for lunch to discover she is leaving Microsoft, long story which I will tell when I get home.

I then walked back to the apartment, not realising quite how far it was. I read my revision cards while walking, making sure I kept half an eye on where I was going. I got to the bottom of the hill having got to the end of my cards, and thought I had a short walk along a road by the park, so I put on some worship music to have a break from revision and found the road was actually through this beautiful park and longer than I thought. The sun was shining, God is a wonderful God, it was a most uplifting experience to see the glory of his creation, and the long walk was well worth it.

If it wasn’t for the fact my sunglasses, sun cream etc were back at the apartment and I really needed to do more revision I would have just stayed there!! It is actually down a short path opposite the apartment, I am glad I didn’t find it before as I think I would not have done any work!

I am now back at the apartment, about to do more revision, but I think I will be taking a walk over the road later for more of God’s glory.

Michael Jackson....

For my daughter, don’t feel you have to apologise, your opinion is perfectly valid. For anyone else reading this blog, I apologise if you don’t agree, everyone is allowed their own opinion, put yours on your own blog, not as comments to others who disagree with you.

MJ is dead, which is sad for his fans, but for people like my daughter and myself I could say so what? The world will go on. I accept he was a great musician and performer, but I was not into his music. Beyond that I am not aware of loads of charitable work he may have done. I am sure there is some, but I am not aware of it, and posting comments to this blog about it is unnecessary as the point being if they were on the level of Bob Geldof, Princess Diana etc. then I would have been. Also his reputation was tarnished by allegations of child abuse. Now I know nothing was proven and you have to take everything you read in the news with a pinch of salt, but any 30/40 year old who allows a 12 year old (I know the ages may be wrong but you get the point) even if nothing happens just does not seem right. There have been several other great performers who have died in the last year, but without the same level of news coverage, and that’s my point and why I agree with my daughter. The outpouring is disproportionate, he was not Princess Diana, and there are several other people who I will miss more.

So to re-iterate to my daughter, don’t feel you have to apologise I agree with you.

End of classes :-)

We have had our last teaching session :-) The only problem now is that I need to revise everything for the exam on Saturday :-( Tommorrow we have a short feedback session with Adrian and then the rest of the day to revise.

I am really looking forward to coming home, I am missing everyone. I know I shouldn't complain but I would have liked to see "My Sister's Keeper" with you all, but given that you are going to see mum and dad on Saturday, you deserve a night out.

Glad to here the trip to Loughborough went ok, I am sure I will more about it when I get home.

I am still resisting the chocolate, unlike some others here. Craig is now into "virgin belt" territory, having passed the 2 additional notches!!! I am just hoping to have stayed the same. I am wondering though how much Kal might have lost through worry, or has she been comfort eating? No indication in her blog. I did also resist the deep fried ice-cream from the mexican restaurant we went to tonight, and no Sarah I can't bring some home :-P