When was the last time you said, "I love you"?

The last time I said "I love you", I think the only time I said I love you to someone other than my parents or close mates, was to my ex-boyfriend John. Boy was that ever a mistake. We were sitting outside a bowling alley hugging. I'd just dragged him down there so I could keep playing pool with my friends rather than go sit in the cinema with him (a really big flashing sign that your relationship is a thing of mud). He was hassling me to see him more, to tell my parents about us so like a fool I let it out... and got nothing back. Good God. I mean it's bad enough to lie when you use that phrase, it's even worse to lie and then realise that you didn't need to because the other person has been praying you won't ever say soemthing as foolish as that.

I fully beleive that Jon is the worst person I have ever met in my life. He is the only guy to have spitefully made me feel powerless. He once sat on top of my legs while I was on his bed and refused to let me up. Although it's not as bad as it sounds I had a tiny,minute, frightening flash of the thought "Oh my God he's going to rape me" go through my head. Fine maybe I was just being over drammatic and weird but it's the first time I've ever been physically frightened of a boyfriend, which is funny because Jon is the weakest specimen of human life in the universe.

He also acted selfishly many times, forcing himself in between me and my friends when they were really upset. He's of those people who has a talent for inserting comments designed to make you uncomfortable, and not much else. He had such a nasty effect on my life that when I met a guy who had the same exact voice, characteristics and manner as Jon I threw a plastic bottle of water at him after knowing him for just three days. Jon made me a crazy woman unwilling to have a relationship. I haven't been properly out with a guy since him (though I've kissed and blown off a few) because he showed me how much work a boyfriend can be and how not worth it that work is. The effort seems wasted in the middle and at the end, the only point where you think it's worth it is at the begining where you feel like you've snagged a trophy. And to be honst who wants really wants a a water-buffalo's head stuck on their wall?

'A Song for Nero' - Thomas Holt.

I guess he feels the need to use a slightly fancier name for his Classical comedies than he does for his fantasy comedies. It really threw me off . For a while I had no idea that ' The Walled Orchard' was by the same person who wrote the only book I've ever seen Stourbridge mentioned in. I actually gave up on another book of his ('Nothing but Blue Skies') to pick this up, not realising it was by the same author who's book I'd just rejected.

Anyway I am enjoying this book so far. Although it does seem to take a while to make any progress through the it physically. I felt that I was a long way into the book because of all the hair-brained schemes Galen and 'Lucius' had got up to but when I looked at the page number I was only on page 95.
I think this is a great example of the historical comedy (also showing that one of my Classics teachers had no sense of humour as she took it seriously). However having just completed a brief study of the period it talks about I can see where he's sourcing his comments about Nero's family of previous empereors from. I'd think he's used mostly ancient sources, like Tacitus and Suetonius, as those present the more straight forward views of the emperors and are probably best for basing comedic things on. They're generally full of anecdotes about how stupid or evil a particular emperor was (Suetonius is especially full of these). Most of the things mentioned can be said to be broadly true but I've got to say I feel a little sorry for Tiberius when he's lumped in with all the other blood-thirsty rulers when he wasn't really that bad and generally became more preoccupied with killing after the several genuine attempts on his life.

"Lis', women are easy, state capitals are hard." - Bart Simpson

I only need three C's to go to Reading University. I continue to tell myself that. I continue to block out the thoughts of how cool Swansea University is.

I have a 'Good Luck' card from my parents saying that whatever I get they will still think I'm the best. Can this be used as a legally binding contract?