I went to St Aelred's this morning with Dad and Nathan, conscious that the academic year was drawing to a close, in order to pick up my artwork before it all got thrown away. The weather was glorious, ELO on the car stereo, sun on my face - I was quite looking forward to seeing my artwork again after all this time - to feel the weight of the sketchbooks and the sheer size of that bloody huge A1 piece I'd done for my exam. A whole academic year had gone by, I realised, since all that stress, all that mithering, all those all-nighters with the thick aroma of coffee choking out my room.

We arrived and were received by a receptionist who asked what we were visiting for as we signed in. When I explained with a smile that I was picking my artwork up (at last!), she gave me this blank look and said that I'd be lucky if it hadn't been thrown out. She just said it, direct and devoid of sympathy. Gave Dad and I our visitor badges and hurried us on.

( Panic set in as I led the way to Mr Kelly's art classroom... )

The day wasn't horrible, but, let's face it, it wasn't fantastic either. And now, due to certain rantage, this post is both f'locked and under a cut for those of you who don't want to read my drivel.

( What sucked about the day. )

Okay, rant over. What went well, and what can be improved?

The museum was alright, I suppose. A lot of it was just looking at things, which I can't imagine was very stimulating for our three residents. Bob and Margaret seemed to enjoy themselves, though, which was good.

Tomorrow, it's imperative that we stick to the plan that was written. This means nobody argues with it (especially the people who weren't in during the planning phase last week) and everyone gets on with whatever needs doing.

Communication is also vital. I for one will be talking much more, both to other team members (so we're all clear on the plan) and to the residents.

The only thing I'm worried about is challenging people. We have to confront people who aren't pulling their weight, but, historically, the ones who don't pull their weight are also the ones who all have explosive tempers or kick off at the mildest, most benevolent of criticisms. I'll try tomorrow if people aren't following the plan, but the last thing I want is for people to kick off in front of the guests.

I can't believe I'm saying this, but thank god it's only this week and the next, and then it's done. I can have a week off before my Job Centre appointment on April 8, then go back to the St. Helens Star if all goes well. It's not the course itself that I'm being frustrated by, mind; it's the people who still explode at the tiniest thing, bring their personal problems to college and bicker all the time. We're probably the most volatile mix of students the programme has seen for a while. It's getting to the point where I'm considering just finishing the course and being shut of everybody on there. People are harassing me to get Facebook - uh, heck no!

So much for ending on a happier note. I guess there's no pretending - I came out of today feeling pretty awful. Thankfully, though, I managed to stay professional throughout the day, even when it was getting horrible.

Tomorrow, I'm hoping for a better day. How is it that this course has suddenly become so dreadful?

The sponsored novel is done! Well, I say 'done'... it's over, at 103 pages in total. I managed to get £44 out of it, which covered the shopping, at least. Half the people who decided to sponsor me didn't pay, but it's not a problem - as the great god Tesco says, 'every little helps'!

A massive problem has arisen, though. I won't have enough money to get to the community centre tomorrow, and Dad can't give me anything because he's got to be at a meeting tomorrow morning, so he won't be getting his money until after 9, when I have to be in.

Guess who's probably walking to St. Helens tomorrow? Unless my Aunt is willing to give me a lift, that is.

Never mind. Dad's giving me a fiver after all. Plus a lecture on how expensive it's going to be each week. Yes, Dad, I know how bloody expensive buses are. Before I got my bus pass I was spending about 20% of my income on transport alone.

Blah. Anyway. Last week was a stressful week. I can barely remember most of what happened, really; I think it was just a bit too much so my mind's wiped itself. All I remember is there was a lot of bickering, some tears, I lost my bus pass and even I, Kelza the Eternally Patient, started to lose my temper with people. That was the bad side.

The good side? I got my guitar and clarinet. But you know that already because I wasn't entirely dead on eljay last week.

So. Today. Thankfully the day wasn't too bad. This, I believe, was down to the fact that Anna, Jane and myself didn't really work with the others much today. We were responsible for writing up a detailed day-by-day, step-by-step plan for our Final Team Challenge, which starts tomorrow. Then, we went and did the shopping for the three days, using most of what I'd acquired though sponsorships. The rest of the team went out and about delivering leaflets for some fellow who'd agreed to give us £100 for our efforts.

I keep trying to remember what happened last week and I just can't. It's crazy how my mind has just gone blank. All I remember is I came out of it feeling horrible. It was bad to the point where I didn't think I could go back on Monday. But I did!

Tomorrow, we'll be taking our three elderly residents out to the Liverpool Museum. There's an awesome World Culture display on the third floor, apparently, and hourly shows in the planetarium which should be great to see. Wednesday, we'll be taking them to the Blue Planet aquarium - good for me, because the alternative was Chester Zoo and I've already been there - and on Thursday we'll be cooking them a meal and having a tea party with games.

Meanwhile, I can't think of anything else to write. Since I'm free of the sponsored novel (HOORAY! I hated that project and nobody shall ever read it!) I've decided to get back into 'The Great Couch Happening of '69', going at a more normal pace that won't kill my brain.

First, though, I shall tidy my room!