I've won the lottery!

Yeah, right!

I was pressganged into buying a 'Bono Loto' ticket for 150% of its face value by a chap who obviously thinks it's OK to buy a load of tickets and then con people out of cash so he can make a 'living' whilst saving we poor mortals the expense (physical) of actually walking to the lottery shop. But I won - a Euro (the actual face value of the ticket) and still have to go to the shop to collect my 'fortune'. Ha! I won't be doing that again (well, at least until I go up to hospital again and get forced to buy an overpriced ticket for the privilege of parking my car).

Unemployment is getting a bit wearing on my patience and sanity. I 'signed on' on Monday for the first time since being made redundant (I have settled on this termonology for now). I handed my paper into the security guard who wandered inside with it and returned with a new one approximately 6 minutes later. No signing, no interview, no nothing. Does this mean they're going to keep giving me money? I have to go back and repeat the process in three more months.

I've been to the UK for 12 days (but don't tell the dole office - well, actually you can, because I was on a job seeking mission). Saw the family, which was great, and some friends, as well as having the 'interview'. Not holding out too much hope as the timeline is not feasible. Ah well, at least I tried.

The prospect of a permanent move back to the UK is becoming more appealing as time goes on; only a great job opportunity here would change my mind now, and with the Rock as it is, I hold out little to no hope of that happening. Problem now is the sale of the apartment. We're in a recession (I don't care hw many bods say we're coming out of it) so the value of the flat is at quite a low point. In the meantime, house prices in the (Y)UK have apparently risen by 10% very recently. This would price us out of the market to buy, unless we were to take on a repo and an overhaul project. But there's always renting; however we would still have to sell here to free up capital, pay off the mortgage, car etc.

It's all rather daunting. What do you take with you, and what do you sell? Particularly when 3D TV is approaching fast. I think we're resigned to the fact that a 3D TV is a must have, even over a sofa it appears.... I must admit that if all this goes ahead, I am relishing the thought of shopping for furniture, gadgets etc. I see adverts for almost constant sales on beds, sofas and the like, and I've never really had the exerience of furnishing somewhere all in one go. Bring it on!

Ah well, I'm definitely at a low-ish ebb so wil pootle off for now.

Have fun!