Since my low point at the end of October, things have rapidly improved for me this month - albeit with a sour note. I couldn't get the overdue salary in too quickly, but Lottie managed to lend me some bus money and on Friday my account looked a lot rosier. Then on Saturday a letter from Halifax congratulated me for being accepted for a proper bank account with an overdraft et cetera. A small step for some, but a giant one for me right now. My NHS card had come through the post earlier too, so I got my passport application underway. Mind you, without the passport I can't activate the bank account yet. Oh well. I should soon be able to get a provisional license and CBT too, to finally get off the bus for good - and on a bike instead. If I get my airse in gear, I might get somewhere at last. I might even get to the Netherlands on a holiday in early January, to see my family. Not as significant but still quite good, I ordered another cd-rom on line with which to play Fifa 2005 - after a previous order turned out be scratched. It worked after updating my 3d card drivers and provided plenty of entertainment after work. The sour note though is that, last Tuesday, the lovely next door neighbour quite unexpectedly died after mistreatment (seemingly) in a Salford hospital. I always liked her a lot, and she was a second mum for my girlfriend from the day she was born. Less than six months after her real mum died, it's hit Lottie by surprise - but as there's a funeral to arrange there's no time yet to think about any pain.