I think this is probably one of the posts I’ve felt saddest writing, and it’s going to sound like absolute bollocks to anyone who hasn’t actually read my website (ie: peeps reading this on Facebook) so if that applies to you then feel free to click the close button now

It’s taken a few months to make the final decision of when this was going to happen, but it was always going to happen sometime this year… and now is the right time. Virtuallynicky is going on permanent hiatus.

So why is now the right time?

I’ve had the domain “virtuallynicky” since 2001 and have been blogging (or online diarying) in some form since 2002. In which time I’ve graduated, moved house several times, seen friends come and go, had minor (and not so minor) real life dramas and finally moved up here. Virtuallynicky has charted the “nomad years” of my life (I’ve changed address around 10 times since I got the domain).

That period of my life is about to end. I’m about to stop being that nomad and actually have a place to call home. I can finally leave behind all the shit that I relate (in my head) to that nomadic life. I can leave behind the scary ex-boyfriend, the people who tried to bring me down online, the people who betrayed my trust in real life… and yet I can choose, now, to take forward the good things that are in my life and make them part of “home”.

Virtuallynicky has not been one big episode of “bad” though. I’ve made some fantastic friends (you know who you are) and I can officially announce today that I raised £205 in my last blogathon.. which means over the past 2 years I have raised £405 for the Association for International Cancer Research. I’ve used this place to help publicise the odd environmental or ethical campaign and generally enjoyed getting my words out there. And that, really, is what blogging is about isn’t it? Getting your words said in the hope that someone, somewhere reads them and maybe has a little nod in agreement or a little twinge of empathy.

I’m not actually going to delete the site. She will stay online, for me. I’ve put too much into her creation (and yes, I know I’m talking about a website as if it’s a person, but to some people virtuallynicky is me) to just delete over a 1000 entries. Yes, it still needs tidying up, but that’s not important.. it’s something I can do for me, when I want to. The gallery will go and so will the email contact form, but that’s more to do with space issues than anything else. I will be back in some shape or form at some point, albeit under a new domain, so let me know via the comments if you want to be kept in the loop.

I’ve made a wee playlist to share with you all. It’s only 10 tracks, but it’s something I wanted to do as a “goodbye”. It has songs that I know most of you probably have so I haven’t made it downloadable but if you are missing some give me a shout. The songs or artists have been featured on this blog in the past and/or I’ve found through events related to or on this blog and are to be played in the following order:

i’m not in the next room but i’m not too far away

Cheated Hearts - Yeah Yeah Yeah’s >>
The Crane Wife 3 - The Decemberists >>
Henrietta - The Fratellis >>
Single Girl - Lush >>
I Hear Noises - Tegan & Sara >>
We’re All Going To Hell - The Bastard Fairies >>
Govinda - Kula Shaker >>
Loose Mouth - Tigers & Monkeys >>
God Only Knows - James >>
Sing - The Dresden Dolls. >>

…and here’s the video of the track I’ll always relate to the end of the blogathon, and things ending which The Boy played for me as I relaxed in the bath after the first ‘thon finished last year, Embrace’s Ashes:

Take care, and see you around.

So I haven’t updated this thing in weeks because I’ve just been too distracted with other stuff.. you know, things like mountains of coursework, my involvement in the students association, field trips to Arran (sunburn, rocks, dolphins, otters and midgie bites!)

I’ve got no final total of my blogathon sponsorship because I am still waiting on one person to donate (and my JustGiving page appears to be down atm anyway… must go and investigate that in a mo)

I’m seriously thinking of putting this blog into a proper hiatus now.. I’m just too busy with other stuff and, the problems with my back/arms are getting worse. I’ve had to get special books from the OU so that I don’t have to hold the books open and also will have to have rest breaks during my exams so that I can get up and stretch etc I’m still waiting to hear from the physio about getting a formal assessment so I can get medical proof of my “condition”. Ho hum.

Some of you may have noticed that communications via email are much shorter and have a slightly terse tone due to the fact I am either in pain or typing standing up

The good news is that things are moving forward with the croft. We actually own it now, and have completely ripped out the kitchen in preparation for the new one.. the floorboards have all been pulled out in our bedroom and that’s semi-painted. The carpets are mostly pulled up in preparation for the wooden flooring and we have got the tiles for the kitchen already. The living room has been completely stripped of wallpaper and the truly horrible fireplace ripped out!

We’ve even chosen which breeds of chicken we are going to have this year

Apologies for my absence - I’ve been battling with 2 assignments (now complete) a bad back (not much better) and now I have found out this afternoon I will have to have an operation at the local hospital to have one or two of my wisdom teeth out (one is growing sideways and the other looks like it may be heading that way..)

I should be back soon though, and hopefully with some good news

I’m having time-management issues at the mo (not least because I’m getting sucked in to The World of Facebook!) so that’s my excuse for not blogging for over a week*.

I’m currently celebrating the fact that I managed to get another assignment into the post (huzzah!) by looking for a hard hat for my field trip. Yeah, you read right. I was tempted by a baby pink one but I am edging towards a blue one now. Think baby pink may look a little silly if I’m wandering around the beaches on the Isle of Arran.

So, anyway it’s going to take me at least 7 hours to get there - essentially the entire memory of Zebedee (aka my Creative Zen Nano Plus). So I want some music recommendations. It’s worth baring in mind that my Last.fm profile is a reasonable indication of the type of stuff I like (although my current favourite songs are lower than they should be because I haven’t been listening on my pc lately).

Any suggestions?

*If you are reading this on Facebook this is actually written on my website and forwarded over… just to put this into context…