I was feeling fuzzy-headed through work today, and it was only as I was walking home did I realise why. I'd thought I'd come down with a cold or something after yesterday's escape into Lee's loft when Dave was round, but I remembered that I actually hadn't eaten in more than 24 hours. My last meal had been around two o'clock the previous day. Hence why I felt ready to faint.

Thankfully I've eaten, now, and I'm feeling a lot better. But if I may be a bitch, it's kind of Dave's fault. Jason had planned on cooking something for the two of us but when Dave decided he was staying those plans went out of the window. So I was guzzling sugarless tea and wondering what the hell was up with me all day.

Anyway, I've had quite a productive day in work! Crossed a few items off my to-do list, tried my hardest to get some more done (but you know phones, sometimes people don't answer) and got a shedload of fillers and smaller news stories out of the way. Plus I've realised that I'm actually quite useful at times in the office; Andy's working on a cracking story this week about the new Saints stadium - one of the contractors has gone bust so its employees are essentially building it and getting no wages - and it was me who took the initial call and passed it on. So I'm quite chuffed about that!

I asked Steve for a letter of recommendation today that I can flash at potential employers in future, and plan to remind him later in the week. Thursday might be a good time, after the paper's gone and he has less on his mind.

Steve was saying today how much I'd be missed when I went - I didn't really know what to say to that. He said not only would I be missed as a person, but my workload would be as well - that the amount of articles he saw in the basket with 'KP' marked against them (we have to mark every article we submit with our initials, as well as a byline - i.e. By KELSEY PILKINGTON - at the top of the main body of the piece) was mindblowing.

Me being me, I just grinned and said 'groovy!'. I suppose that means I've made my mark! I really will be sad to go, and I hope I can pop in to do some voluntary work there in future. It would be awesome, actually, to come back from Ireland to an offer for a paid job there, but let's not get my hopes up. I'd have to get not only my degree but my NCTJ qualifications before I have even the slightest hope of being paid to do what I love.

I know one thing: I plan to teach myself shorthand while I'm off at university. This should help me somewhat, so when it comes to my NCTJ exam I'll have the upper hand.