These malware infections are like the random battles on Final Fantasy 7. Only not as frequent and ten times more annoying.

Yes, I will probably shut up about that game eventually. Some time soon? Probably not.

Wow - I haven't updated much, have I? Since my last entry, in fact, I've written a heckload of articles, seen the next issue of the Star go to print and, of course, said farewell to my work placement.

Yep, my work placement ended yesterday. I was only in until 12 because the team had to meet outside Student Services at college by 12:15. So, I wrote a couple of church fillers, a longer piece about the Friends of the Sacred Heart's £1000 donation to the North West Air Ambulance Charity, finalised that annoying college paperwork and went.

We'll have to wait and see whether I can continue the placement after the Prince's trust is over. Which, incidentally, it almost is. Three weeks left of the twelve. Blimey.

The main problem I can see with continuing my placement after the course is transport. I'd have to get a bus into town every day, and it's £2 one way. That's £4 a day, so £20 a week. I'd be spending £40 a fortnight just on transport, and I only get £102 every two weeks. A weekly saver would be £16, but that's still £32 a week out of the money I need to save to move to Ireland.

I expressed these concerns to Tim, the assistant team leader, and he said he'd see what he can do. Now, I've been put onto a company called TNG who works with the Job Centre on job skills and employability - I'll be going to these guys one day a week and my placement the other four, if indeed I can go back. I think something was said about a grant for transport.

Yep, I'll have to buy a weekly ticket on the first week, according to the e-mail I got, but they'll refund £12 of it. I also continue to get the normal £15 on top of my JSA, which means I can spend this on a weekly saver and put away most of my money for the move.

So, what else has been going on? Not an awful lot. Honestly, I'm looking forward to a nice, relaxing weekend.

(  Not a lot is under the cut )

Today's Thursday, which means that the latest issue of the St. Helens Star was released. Guess whose article ended up both in the paper and on the website?

This is big. Nay, this is huge for me. This is the first ever piece of writing I've ever had published, in all my years of scribbling. It's not the sort of writing I do normally, but it's still words, still penned by me. There's a piece of writing out there, being viewed by other people, with my name on it. On paper.

( Under the cut: further bits and pieces have been published/Kelza's views on an increasingly impersonal society/she gets crushed on FFVII/how she plans to slay the Dreaded Phone )