Here, after much procrastination is the promised Blog entry.



The reason I have put off writing today is because yesterday morning I spent 90 minutes typing, only to lose the whole lot.



If you have any comments/suggestions about the font/size etc, please let me know. I picked arial because it seemed easiest to read.



You may be wondering why “quest4aragorn” ? I f you are then you obviously haven’t seen “Lord of the Rings”. In which case go see it immediately. Aragorn is the god-like creature with the brooding good looks who appears to have been born in the saddle. He is strong, sensitive, loyal, brave & looks great in tights.



If you have seen it, then you already understand.



I figured the best place to look for this man was in NZ as that is where LotR was born so he obviously lives there. Queenie has tried telling me that Aragorn is not real & the man who plays him is an actor who probably lives in LA. Some people are so keen to crush your dreams.



Most of you reading this will know about me but for those who do not, a little bit about myself & why I am disappearing off on a career break.



Age : 34, Starsign : Capricorn, loyal, boring, perfectionist (not that I believe in it obviously), Favourite colour : blue. Favourite film : T2



Likes : aminals (not a typo, that’s how it’s pronounced) especially notters (small, brown critters which live either in the West Country rivers or off the Californian coast) & gees, most classical music, Honda Fireblades (sore point) Radio 4 in general, The Archers & Gardeners Question Time in particular, burning things, Bill Oddie, David Attenborough, Alan Titchmarsh, Michael Palin, golf (when I am playing well)



Dislikes : Sharks (yes, I know they are aminals, but I can’t help it, they scare the bejesus out of me), smoking, children (especially toddlers) that feeling when you chew wet wool, damp mild days that make your newly straightened hair curly. Golf (when I am playing badly)



Relationships : 5. 3 long-term, 2 not. Longest, 5yrs, Shortest, 18 months.

On good terms with all exes apart from the one who had an anger management issue ie: he couldn’t



Last November, it occurred to me that I was disillusioned at work. I work for the police at Kingston Police Station & I think the public get a pretty raw deal from us. The only “victims” who seem to get a speedy response are drunken yobs who kick the crap out of each other. If you are a genuine, law-abiding citizen who is unfortunate enough to be burgled then don’t expect the police to turn up for anything from a couple of hours to a couple of days. It dawned on me that I went to work, shuffled crimes, apologised to the public for not being able to send someone & went home again. Nobody would notice my being there or not. (audience begin to sob at this point …)



In contrast, my days off have been spent at a livery stables for the past couple of years. I exercise a few different horses & help out with a few jobs. I found that after a day at the stables I would return home filthy, aching, smelling of poo (the horses, not mine) but generally very happy.



After working full-time for 17 years I was no closer to getting that elusive first foot on the housing ladder & I was in a relationship which was making me unhappy. I decided to do something about all the above in one fell swoop.



The answer seemed obvious ; Take a career-break, go to NZ, work with gees, blindingly simple.



Except of course, it wasn’t.



My first step was to move in with Diane, an old (well, she’s not old but you get the gist) The 7th Feb 2003 saw me, plastic boxes packed, en route to Hersham. I didn’t know Di well until we both worked in New York post 9/11 (or 7/11 as I heard Ali G call it recently) I won’t bore you with details of what we did; suffice to say it made for good bonding.



Di did all the things girls do for each other when they go through break-ups. She made me welcome in her house (even drawing me a little picture of the boiler controls – bless) She bought me chocolate. She bought me candles. She bought me wine. She bought cats (but I think she was planning on getting those anyway)

She gave me hugs when I needed them. She gave me space when I didn’t

(I quite often needed space) She listened when I sobbed “ … then I saw a man who was wearing black shoes, he used to wear black shoes …. And they had laaaaaces !” In short she was a rock.



And how did I repay this kindness ?



Within 20 minutes of moving in I had broken a very fragile Xmas decoration, to my shame the thought occurred to me that if I put it away & denied all responsibility I would be in NZ by the time it came out at next Xmas time. Needless to say though, felt obliged to own up. A couple of days later it was the unique, hand-crafted, African table/stool (?) A short time later I almost burnt the flat down with a combination of a carelessly placed tealight, a curious moggy and a billowing voile curtain. You get the picture. In fact, I never told Di about that one (she was still recovering from the table/stool (?) & I thought it best to protect her from further shock), so if you are reading this now Di, oops - sorry ! Anyway, the flat didn’t burn down, Di sold it & move no. 27 brought us here to 19,Snellings Road with Jeffrey & Tallulah (I know, I know) Did I mention that the removal men (who were a quarter the price of their nearest competitors) turned up in a graffiti-covered van, stinking of cannabis & asking for cups of tea & biscuits. I had visions of our belongings turning up at the nearest car-boot sale & lovely Colin spent the day trying to find a mobile tracker device to secrete in the van so that we had a chance of finding our stuff again. Oh how we laughed.



Which brings us up to speed (thank God, I hear you murmur) I can’t help it, I have this slightly compulsive need to explain everything. Think yourself lucky I haven’t talked you through the other 27 house moves. “This Blog’s not big enough for the both of us”



So, in answer to the FAQ’s



No – I haven’t got an exact start date (early May)

No – the visa isn’t through yet

No – I don’t want to do a ranching holiday in Arizona instead & yes, I agree it might be easier.

No – I don’t have any family out there.

No – I don’t plan to never return.

Yes – It’s true I will be looking after 6 kids.

Yes – My mum will miss me (I hope)

Yes – Barley is allowed to come with me & will probably travel out to join me once I have decided it’s suitable.

Yes – I will miss Radio 4 & Yorkshire tea. “If it int in Yorkshire I art goin’”





It has taken me 3 months & 7 agencies to find a job but now that I have it looks like a corker. For any of you that don’t know, a 440 acre farm, 10 horses, cows, sheep, beaches, wine & good weather. Oh yes – & 6 kids, go on laugh.



At the risk of using a cliché, & just as Bill promised, it has been a real roller-coaster of emotions. From elation at getting the job to a whole week when getting out of bed was too much of an effort. Honourable mentions to the friends who baby-sat me during that time, especially AG.



So, here I am, on the brink of what I am sure will be a life-changing episode. I want to use this Blog, partly to let my friends know what I am up to but partly as a diary to record how I am feeling.

I am sure there will be times when I wonder what on earth I am doing and others when I can’t believe my luck. If it gets too maudlin or soul-searching then just look at the foties. When Queenie went to NZ for his 6 week holiday I found it fascinating to read his perceptions of the country. I hope my Blog is half as enlightening as his was.



Must sign off for now as I have to try & cut & paste this from word onto Blog. I am having an early night because I have very foolishly agreed to take part in a Society Golf Day at Bushey Park with some people from the Police Station. They take it kind of seriously & I don’t want to make an ass of myself so I have arranged to meet Andy & Trevor @ 8am for some driving range practice.



Wish me luck.



Carol x