I'm grabbing a bit of houmous on toast and a cup of tae before heading back to my sister's house for more painting. I'm trapped in some sort of off-white purgatory. It's coming along, though. Like we've actually moved on to painting downstairs.

So, Friday is St. Paddy's Day, the Diageo-sponsored holiday that celebrates the eponymous saint's conversion to Christianity of the people who enslaved him, even​ though they were getting along fine with paganism. This time I have two equally terrifying things to look forward to: I'm working that night in the pub, but I've also been asked to be the Grand Marshal at my town's parade. Meaning I'll be standing at the front and leading the parade through town​. It promises to be mortifying, but I'll be the first one home. No Paddy's Day pints, though; bummer.

My sister and mother are planning on heading over to Tuscany for a week in May. Mam has a cousin who bought a house over there years ago with her partner, hoping to turn it into a B&B. It's not going so well, apparently, but they're still there. We visited a bunch of times when I was younger; it's been years now, but I think I might tag along, and then head up to Lyons to visit some friends. Maybe see what's going on in Milan on the way. I was thinking of going up to Amsterdam then, but I'm fairly strapped for cash at the minute, so I think I'll hold off on that for now. Well, I've got that to look forward to!

I just realised that I've never gone anywhere abroad on my own - everywhere I've gone, I've either gone with someone, or went to see someone. I think that's something I should rectify.