This week has been a really strange one as I have been pottering back and forth between home, my Nieces and my Daughters. Not really knowing which house I will decide to sleep in each day until virtually the last minute.

My Sarah is moving on or around next weekend and of course there is a lot to do getting her all organised for that. On top of that she had to have a visit to the hospital for x-rays and MRI scans. This is for her knee. Many of us have hereditary "squidgy" knees, which cause us all problems in different degrees and Sarah in particular, but this present problem is because she has ripped/torn (whatever) her cartilage. She had the tests last night and is booked in for the op on the first knee on the 18th May, so she will be off of work for a couple of weeks after.

We went back to our signing classes last Wednesday, the first after the Easter hols, and I swear my brain had been emptied at some point during the previous 2 weeks. I could remember nothing of what I have learnt and couldn't retain anything new we were covering that day.

But.................. Whilst staying with Beverley her next door neighbour, Pippa, popped in for a cup of tea. Now Pippa is deaf and is coming to the end of her 2nd year of signing, as I am coming to the end of my 1st year. She stayed for a late breakfast with us and her and I managed to get some serious signing in while Beverley pottered out the kitchen.

After signing with Pippa for almost 2 hours I was thrilled to realise that I actually know far more than I gave myself credit for. On top of that Pippa has invited me to go visit her next Wednesday morning for a couple of hours for another signing session. My class will be on the Wednesday evening so I should be nice and hyped up with a busy brain for that class and not the soggy slug I was for last week's group.

I really need to sort out getting a place for the "Pre Level 2" course which runs through the summer for 8 weeks. Although it's not a requirement for continuing into level 2, I feel that it's very important to keep ones hand in, so to speak, through the long summer break before level 2 starts in September. It also prepares us for the different way of teaching for level 2.

With level 2 there is no talking, or as little actual talking as possible. It will be all signing. During the first year we have concentrated building up a vocabulary and the short sentences needed to scrape through in order to communicate with the deaf. I suppose one could liken it to having a holiday language. Level 2 is all about far more in depth communication. At the end of level 2 one is qualified to teach level 1 and to also work professionally with the deaf. For the majority of people this is as far as they go with learning the language as Level 3 is more for training as interpreters and for teaching Level 2.

At this point I will of course be doing Level 2 but wont decide on Level 3 until far nearer the time as that will depend on finances and location of where the course will be held. As fewer people go onto Level 3 it isn't always possible to find a class in ones own area as the amount of classes held around the country are less. But we shall see.

On a side note. my smoking, or lack thereof, is coming along nicely. I am now down to 6 cigarettes a day leading up to a quit day of May 1st. Fingers crossed that works out for me and I am finally able to kick old Nic O'Tine in the butt. If you wish to have a read of my Smoking Blog then please make your way to http://kick-the-habit.u.yuku.com/blog/view