Why hello there, stranger

Yea, I know, long time. Well in that almost-month-long hiatus, my bank account got raped by the new flat security deposit (money hemorrhage) and then the summer sale (money flood) and then the 32 inch LCD TV (future money flood). (Don't worry, mummy, my savings are still intact and untouched.)

Then there was lots of grief because my bank account was empty and it was still a couple of weeks to pay day, the old flat wasn't going to release the deposit sharpish, I wasn't sure if more money would be forth coming from the CFA, and my beautiful new TV couldn't even get freeview.

And then pay day came around (money in!), I actually passed CFA level 1 (some more money in!), we should get the deposit back by next week (lots and lots of money!), and I won't have to eat jam and bread for the next six weeks.

But when things are picking up, there's always something to gripe about. Like how today, the second it struck 2pm BST, the CFA website crashed: think 7,000ish over-achieving, banker-wannabes all trying to get their results. The pass rate was 35%, not pass mark, pass rate. Or how the weather's been too hot, which makes me cranky and Weng, slow, and when Weng is slow, I get even grumpier.

On the social scene, Aaron and Young came to visit for a weekend. That was wonderful even if it was an extended WoW pitch about how it can develop all your soft skills and make you a better manager/gimp/CEO/king of everything.

Cheryl went home and has become the new communicative channel between my parents and myself, bringing messages about the family and our aging dog and guilting me at every chance they get for a) not going on the Alaskan cruise this fall, b) not visiting home enough, and c) not permanently moving back to Singapore / KL. I will be home soon.

The only thing that's not rapidly changing is my location, I must be the most stagnant consultant in the world, and my desperate yearning for a (couple of) Maltese puppies - two girls please. I want to name them Theo/Po and Smudge/Mercutio. I've not decided on names yet, maybe I should get FOUR puppies, then I won't have to choose!