Well I am finally back in the USA - though not in Arenal. I managed to wrangle myself a job up in New York, working for Reuters and I am hoping that this time I manage to hang on and make myself a permanent fixture.

Pity they don't have any offices down in Arenal - I asked - but at least I am almost now in the same time zone.

Will keep you all posted.

The parents had some relations over for lunch today so I spent most of the afternoon in my room watching Kingdom Of Heaven and finishing off my lastest read - Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaimen - while Mo Bhean was out attending archery practice.

I could have gone down the local again but I didn't seem to get around to it and I expected Mo Bhean back by 10:00pm, my time. Looks like she might have gone to spend time with her dad on the way back so I might have a little longer to wait. No matter I can work on my persona some more or flip through the copy of Scientific American I bought for the journey home. Never got to read it on the plan as On-demand video is very seductive.

Not a lot happened today except I went and got my haircut. Also I had lunch out with the parents and fitted in a couple of pints in the local hostelery while Mo Bhean was out attending a local exhibition of school art (seems there was only Hawaiian Punch and cookies there).

Also spent some time looking for work but, so far, nothing has made itself available. I live in hope.

Didn't think I'd get to make an entry today. The morning started off with my Pc going kaplooie and refusing to boot. Then refusing to start at all - apart from the fan which seemed disinclined to stop even when the Pc was switched off. Possession crossed my mind as it had mysteriously turned itself on and off several times in the early hours of the morning.

My father - bless his heart - tried manfully to fix the problem with the aid of a screw driver and much swearing. In the end I convinced him to go to the local PC franchise (PC World - think Best Buy without the choice or the style) and see if they could advise me on what was the problem. There support staff were quite happy to run a diagnostic on the Pc if we were willing to part with about $110.00, which we decided we were not. Especially as we had an ace up our sleeve. Another Pc in the wings.

When I returned from New York, back in 2002, I had brought with me the PC Ihad bought for myself and it was still wrapped and packed in one of the cupboards. Father and I thought it'd be a simple matter to reload the operating system and install the Internet software. Little did we know that physics would conspire against us as every time we tried to plug it in it just blew the fuses in the plugs - we assumed - and sat there looking sulky.

Finally we went through the fun and games to get my Laptop loaded up with the neccessary software to attach it to the Internet and allow me to chat with my lady ob AIM.

Have spent the rest of the evening setting up my laptop to allow my father to access his mail and keep him away from my files. Fortunately I can set up new accounts on the Laptop (Windows XP is fun) and for the moment I have taken off the password protection on my startup so my father won't bug me every time he wants to read his email.

Didn't do much today. Still Jetlagged a little so I slept in till 8:00am (Shire Time) which was when I usually surfaced when I wasn't helping M'lady Leanne at her school. Then I was up with the Lark at 5:30am and out the door by 07:00am. Not so easy when the weather is cold and the clouds hang low and grey in the sky.

I did manage to make myself of some use today and helped my father sort out a problem with the side door of the garage. Because of the recent rains it had swelled so was sticking very badly. I helped take the thing off, plane and sand it and then re-hang it. Not a major job but it gave me the feeling of being useful. I suppose that tomorrow I should start looking for a job here in England. At the very least I need something to bring me enough gold to buy passage back to Arenal.

I would love to be able to make it to Gulf Wars but with the state of the job market and my parent's impending move south I guess that it'll be some time before I can meet up with everyone again. At least I live in an age where I can keep in touch via Email and this place lets me put down my thoughts.

I am now sitting here killing time till M'lady gets back from report card night and comes online. Hopefully tonight we shall will win the lottery and money will be a moot point. LoL. I don't think people like us are born to win the lottery. I guess god thinks all that money would spoil us. It would by a lot of ammo for our boys though.

Back in the land of my fathers after a reasonable - if long - journey from Arenal to England (via Charlotte, NC). The flight was reasonable and I managed to get a row to myself so I could stretch out and enjoy the food and movies (US Airways has On Demand movies so you can get them when you want them. There food is also better than most.)

Arrived back to drizzle and cold weather and to find that my parents had packed all my stuff into a number of boxes in preparation for moving.

Spent the early part of today alternately looking for things I needed and trying get my fathers Pc back online. The sound card seems to have packed in and he gets an error code 10 when trying to start the sound service.

In the end I gave up and spent the day snoozing and getting my body back to English time. Tomorrow I plan to take my problem to the local Pc World have them mull it over.

The only bugger being that M'lady Leanne and I have lost the ability to voice chat so we have been practicing our typing skills.

More tales of adventure tomorrow but, for now, I am off to the embrace of Morpheus.

YIS

Stiofan

Last entry for a little while as I am heading off to airport to fly back to Insulae Draconis and need to pack my Laptop away for travel.

Going to miss Arenal and all the fun people but have high hopes that I will be returning one day, soon.

Y'all keep safe and I'll see you around the firepit

My last day in the Shire before I have to head back to the dull mundane world of Insulae Draconis.

Lots of fond goodbyes and some great - as always - conversation. I will miss everyone more than they know and will count the days till I return.

Too many people - for too many kindnesses - to mention and all have made me feel welcome.

Lord Bastion wrote something special in my book which I will turn to in the darkest of times.

Know all that wherever I am my eyes will seek out the fires of Arenal.