0ne year ago, or 366 days if you prefer, Maria and myself said our "I do"'s. Well actually Maria said hers twice, does that mean she knew she was on to a good thing or was just delusional? That's a rhetorical question by the way so there is no need for any smart arse remarks in my comment box.

We have had a very nice relaxing day out, a romantic day out at an auction. Well that's what happens when you really cant make your mind up where to go. The items for sale were not so interesting as they usually are but it was good fun never the less. The auctioneer allowed himself to get annoyed by a lady repeatedly bidding the lowest allowed amount just after the hammer had fallen. The lady herself was also getting quite annoyed as he was repeatedly ignoring her.

The rest of the evening we spent watering our newly planted vegetables at our allotment. There is no running water, instead we fetch our water from the lake about 100 meters away. It really is teaming with life at the moment, every other watering can comes complete with an extended family of tadpoles, we have also seen a couple of young deers and today we were visited by the mother of 3 below.

There once was 3 rather cute ducklings...

*Gulp* It is now only 13 days to the Stockholm Marathon. Time to panic! My training has totally gone to the dogs since I started working again and I have to admit I am underprepared. I have to hope that my base fitness due to cycling instead of driving, walking and the physical side of my new job and my previous work will see me through. Its not ideal, I could have done with a few extra long runs under my belt, but then doesn't pratically everyone who lines up for a marathon say that?

I have totally had to readjust what I hope to get out of the race and will probably end up taking it easy at the start and see how I feel towards the end. I will be started with the yellows (third start pen) but I will have to be careful not to get carried away and try and keep up with them.

So I am unsure of how I will be able to do on the day, the only think I am certain of is that it is going to hurt towards the end. Please please don't let it be a hot day. The mental side is going to have a large part to play, the conflict between wanting to stop and yet a desire not to take the easy option.

Having said all that I still cant wait, my running vest arrived in the post today - had to get it post order from the UK seeing as the family complain doing the half marathon last years that they couldn't spot me in my standard Swedish store vest. Hopefully by bright orange top complete with my union jack shorts should make things a little easier for them this time around.

Oh the Irony. The reason I wasn't posting in the past was due to not having a job and now the reason my post are lacking is my tiredness because of having a job.

So far the new job has been great. I drive around in a little fork lift truck with 3 roughly 600 litre cages on the back. My little touch screen computer tells me where to go - its the boss, the only chance I get to return the favor is when it crashes. Wherever it send me I jump off scans the item, and then play a game of 3D tetris trying to decide what the best position to place it in the cart would be.

The people all seemed to be really friendly and helpful but you largely work on your own. That suits me just fine, no need to worry what other idiots get up to. The pay is good, its worked out on a piece rate basis so if you work hard it shows in the paypacket at the end of the month. The only negative being that a slack day also shows.

The work does also have some unexpected downsides. You see a cute puppy or kitten running around in the park. I see a waste disposal unit that cannot wait to scolf the next free lunch it has placed in front of it. Don't they know how much a box full of dog food weighs. A responsible cat owner with value-supersaver of cat litter granules or an evil villain who just wants to put my back out?

Not that I should complain really. I don't often work in that section anyway. My department is the fresh fridge section. So think of me this summer while you are out sunbathing. I will be wrapped up warm in my thermals from neck to toe driving my little chock-a-block truck around. And who knows I may even post again before that time arrives...

Okay okay its a fair cop I had stopped blogging. Everyone's been great trying to get me out of hiding (apart from when suggesting to get me beaten up!) but it wasn't going to make any difference, not until I knew myself how things were going to pan out.

My moods have been a bit up and down since January really. The work at the bookfactory had dried up as per usual after Christmas but wasn't picking up during spring as it has done in the past. No one bothers to tell you anything you just notice that the phone doesn't ring anymore. I was never under any contract, well only during the summer months and then only at a month at a time, they just call if they are short. Usually at 6am with the words, I'm sorry did I wake you????? What narks me more than anything is the way they haven't said anything to me at all.

Anyway that is in the past now, I have been firing off job apps to anything that I can find. Not that much comes up seeing as the job market is pretty flat over here at the moment but still. Back in Feb I applied for a job working at a supermarket distribution warehouse place in the next town. I didn't really expect to hear anything but you try all the same. Roughly 2 months ago I got the shock of my life to hear that I was going to have my first Swedish interview! Once over my initial excitement it scared the crap out of me I can tell you. Anyway I came away from the interview only really knowing I hadn't nailed it or blown it but had to wait 3 weeks as the bloke was going off to Bali on holiday (bloody inconsiderate if you ask me!) but he said I would hear either way when he came back. That and over 850 people had applied.

Well Monday came and went so I was thinking that was it, letter will arrive in the post saying blah blah blah not interested. To my surprise he phone on Tuesday to say he wanted to send me on a drugs test. Anyone who has taken one will know they are a bit of a performance. They shut you away in a little toilet where they have coloured the water in the loo so you cant use that as your sample, they monitor the taps on the sink so you cant use those. Then they watch you via a little perv window just to make sure it really is your sample. Glad to get that out of the way.

Anyway the fella phoned back to say I was clean and could I start on Monday. I was so keen I even turned up a week early, opps! A slight misunderstanding with the phrase next Monday. So now you have me back in the blogsphere, waffling on a (more) regular basis. Its good to be back...