Last week of my contract this week. Am looking forward to not having to get up when it's dark and to having more sleep than I need.

Booked my flight back to NZ! I leave on 3rd Feb and fly through LA again (sigh). I don't actually know if I get off the plane at LA this time though. I think the flight is straight through and will only touch down there to re-fuel. The itinerary says Heathrow to LA, with no mention of any flight times from LA, so that's where my 'straight through' theory comes from. Guess I'll find out for sure at checkin.

Am very excited about going back, but also very sad. I was at Edinburgh at the weekend, at the castle, and it got me to thinking how proud I was to to be scottish. When you live here you take it for granted what a special place is it and how much of a rich history it has. When you leave, and live in another country, you go bananas at the slightest mention of the place. Getting teary when you hear the bagpipes......that kind of thing.

Have no idea how long I'll be away for this time...........

Well, the deed has been done....I've booked my flight back to NZ. Hassles about visas mean that I could be back in about 5 weeks though. Still, nothing ventured, nothing gained. Life without risk is a life half lived....etc, etc.

Don't need to worry about packing my case...it never got unpacked after I got back. This time I'll be taking over a few things to remind me of home.....broons and oor wullie books, chewing the fat videos....lots of crisps, few bars of chocolate.

Just have the stress of having to get my flat sorted before I go.....safety certificate for the boiler.....new timer fitted on it....bathroom is a bit of a mess. The grout around the tiles on the floor has crumbled, and I thought it might be easier to just put carpet down.....can I put it down on top of the tiles though, or do they have to be removed first? It'd be so much less hassle just to slap a wee bit of carpet down. The white stuff round the edge of the bath has also turned black in some places.....I'm thinking that's not a good thing. I'll need to think of a solution to that too.....maybe some of that white tape stuff. I also need to repaint the tiles in the bathroom. The previous owner painted them, but didn't use a very durable paint and it bubbled and is peeling off. I wonder if I can just paint straight over the tiles, or if I need to strip them of the existing paint first......

New Year. New body. That's the statement I'd say was made by around half of the population at the new year. Then comes the frantic stuffing of the face before the first day back at work. Everyone's diet usually starts the first day back at work. They come in full of good intentions, having had a bowl of muesli and fruit for breakfast, armed with salad sandwiches, or pasta in a low fat sauce. I made the same resolution myself. Eating out all the time and doing no exercise when I was in NZ has made me a bit bit heavier than I was. Not so bad except that because I'm so short, the extra bit of weight means I've gone up 2 dress sizes.

My usual tactic after having put on weight is to loosen the top button on my jeans and go into denial. Since I can usually still get them on, I see the fact that I can't button them as not being so much of a big deal. I tell myself that my jeans have shrunk, or that I'm just a bit bloated...

I got a shock last night though....clothes shop dressing room mirrors are not kind....you see every lump and bump illuminated by bright light. My shock came as I tried on a sleeveless vest top, and noticed that I had cellulite on the tops of my arms! That was the turning point for me. Some people are shocked into losing weight by health problems......that was my shock.

Diet starts on Monday. Couldn't possibly start today...cake day at work.