Thought I should blog to explain where I've disappeared off to (if you'd noticed that I'd disappeared!). My nan (my mum's mum) died on 7th March, but things haven't been happening quickly since the police had to get involved (it was classed as a 'sudden death'). It's all sorted now; the funeral's on Friday.

She'd been in hospital for a few days, had come out (back into her old people's home) and seemed a bit better. But then she died. One of the staff popped in to check on her and she was gone. So in the end it was peaceful, though she had been through a lot lately. She had heart problems that meant most of her heart wasn't working. She hadn't been supposed to live more than a few months but she managed a few years. She'd gradually been getting weaker, though, kept picking up infections and things. Once she'd gone into an old people's home she'd become more like her old self - it must have been getting too much for her in a house by herself. It was good to visit whenever I came to Essex. Every so often it hits me that she's gone.

Anyway, I decided to take the whole week off and spend some time at home. Rob couldn't come for the whole week so I got the train down to London (only cost £13, not bad) then walked across London to get to Fenchurch Street station. I enjoyed the walk, though some of the area around King's Cross isn't that pleasant! Walked towards St Paul's then along the Thames to the Tower of London. Then another £9.40 or something for the ticket to Southend and I was home. It's good to be back. I really miss my family...

Other stuff that has happened, hum... Went to see the new Ghibli film Ponyo, which was much better than I expected. Went to see it in Japanese, of course. :) Looks like my job's being regraded, so should be earning more (woo!). Had a couple of birthday celebrations - went out for dinner with Megan and her family and also went for lunch with Ali and Mat, my brother John and Rob (it was Mat's birthday).

And yesterday it was the Bahrain GP, though as Martin Brundle says, "Bahrain was a rather tedious Grand Prix which didn't live up to our pre-season billing of potentially great racing" - basically it was incredibly boring! I think the track made it even less interesting than it could have been. Why they made it longer I don't know... But it's hard to see how the new rules will make it more exciting than last year - last year was pretty exciting. Why do they have to change things? D'oh.

So... that's what's going on with me at the moment.