First blog of the year. No idea that I have anything worth saying to say, so I'm just going to put down stuff that's not worth saying except to me, personally. Occasionally I like to go through my archives to see what I was up to, a bit like checking on an old friend. Boring for you but sentimental for me.

Last night, Texas Hold Em Poker for about 6 hours straight. I managed to squeeze a small fortune out of someone who thought I was bluffing when the two eights in the community cards might have been three of a kind for me if I held an 8 in my own two. Then, at the turn, a third 8 appeared in the community cards. He, seeing three eights now on the table, chuckled to himself, having caught me out on a bluff. I used to proudly say I never bluffed, but had been caught bluffing in earlier rounds and was quite happy to let everyone know I'd bluffed. Naturally, seeing a third eight on the table made me look silly.

Well, after some generous betting and raising and me smiling demurely into my cards and explaining that there are other hands out there than 3 of a kind (with no one believing a word I was saying by now) it turned out I did actually have the last 8 so *cha-ching* for me on that one. Fouran of a kind is beaten only by a Royal Flush or a straight flush - all of which I knew to be impossible for anyone else to have.

You learn a lot about people from Poker. You also learn a lot about yourself. My weakness is that I can't bear to fold if it means I don't get to see the other person's cards and I'll pay silly money just to see how well they beat my embarrassingly poor hand. My curiosity often comes at a high price and will no doubt one day cost me a game.

I've decided to take the job, despite the low annual salary (pro rata and all that). The low annual salary had me very scared. (It's only 68% of what I earn now!)

but look at the benefits:

 - I'll be working only four days a week. I can take every Friday off for studying and not fall so behind anymore.

- I'll have access to a large library nearby any time I want

- work will be a 45 minute cycle ride away. This'll keep me fitter than the 7 minute cycle ride my current job gives

- 2 weeks off at Christmas and 6 weeks off in the summer.

Of course, those 6 weeks off during the summer, when I live 15 minutes walk from the beach is naturally going to be very tough. I'm not sure how I'll cope with that... Brighton Beach, 6 weeks off in the summer, still receiving a paycheck...

So with all that, I think my summer is going to be a whole lot better than last year's. I'll have considerably less money but I won't be trying to juggle the commitments of an OU course while holding down a full time job and trying to keep a boyfriend, who wants to go off cycling every weekend, happy.

Also, since I get 6 weeks off in the summer, GL suggested maybe next year we go on an extended trip to somewhere more exotic. YAY! so maybe he won't go off to South America without me after all! So far I've only cycled abroad to France and in Germany. I'd rather like to go somewhere a little more adventurous.

I got a call from the interviewers. It looks like I got the job but they won't give me the official yes until my second reference comes through. They're chasing me to chase him about it.

I was tossing and turning last night about this job though. The money bothers me. It is considerably less than what I'm on now. About 6 - 8 grand less in fact. Am I making a retrograde step here?

but then again juggling a full time job while trying to study has been hard and having a boyfriend who wants to go away on cycling trips throughout the summer - a time when my course gets heavy and I have to spend weekends putting in the hours with the text books - has been particularly hard. With the summer off, I could study in the week and am free at weekends to go to the Isle of Wight or Scotland or wherever, secure inthe knowledge that I'm, not jeopardising my studies.

The job sounds interesting but not challenging. It's not a move forward, it's a move out but it is at a university. I'll have access to a library, be plugged into the academic world and may be able to find something more suitable within the organisation once I'm in. I could do it for 2 years while I finish my studies and then use my degree. and if I really don't like it or find the money is making things too tight, then I could look for something else in the summer break.

I'm scared of taking it. The money bothers me. The ease of the job also. But the good side is the hours, the summer off, the organisation, the location and perhaps what it might lead to.

hmmm and they want an answer as soon as possible. They keep asking me whether I;m still interested every time they speak to me.