Hi Everyone

I've been reading through all the old posts, I have to admit I don't use the computer at home much after being on it all day at work so I've been catching up with all the news.

Life in Leicester is going well, I've been very busy at work with court appearances and hearings etc ... there seems to be much more stuff going on in the summer. I'm currently working in litigation, which is a nice change from employment and licensing. I'm hoping to be able to move onto a seat in business in September and we should find out next month whether that's going to happen.

Mum and dad are off cycling this week from North Wales down to Bristol and Karen and Jamie are off on their holidays so I'm house sitting at two houses, and trying to remeber to water the plants at both (well I've remembered so far!).

At the end of August (26th) I will also be doing a skydive with some other trainee solicitors in Birmingham (yes 10,000 feet freefall!) for a palliative care home in Birmingham. Mum's been a bit nervous about it but it's all for a good cause. If anyone would like to sponsor me I have an internet sponsorship page (all very high tech) at www.justgiving.com/emmariley (all sponsorship is very much appreciated).

Hope everyone is well and keep in touch.

Love

Emma

Emma, you are CRAZY to jump out of an airplane! If I raise enough money for your charity, will you agree NOT to do it?
Aunt Laura

Emma

So nice to hear your voice on the website, and to get an update on your doings. I expect you and the plants are having a plesant and quiet time of it with everyone else on the road.

Sky diving eh? Never, done it m'self, so I don't have any informed advice, other perhaps than don't race anyone to the ground.

Mike

I'm not sure I get away with not doing the jump but I'll definately not try to race anyone to the ground. I'm told that after the initial (minute) freefall the parachute opens and you float down to the ground rather slowly, although landing with a bump! There's a group of about 15 trainee solicitors doing it on the same day although not on the same plane so we've had a few worried supervisors wondering whose going to make their coffee on the following Monday morning!!!

Mum and dad are back from their holiday now as are Karen and Jamie. Karen was quite amazed because one of the plants that she thought had died before they left has come back to life (I remembered to water it!). She also thought she had left some washing up but I assured her that I didn't do any of that! Jamie is off again on Tuesday to Thailand with a group of friends so Karen and I are planning some "girlie" things to do whilst he is away, shopping etc ...

I'll keep you all updated on the progress of the skydive.

Emma

wow Emma, I am seriously jealous!
I would love to do that, although not of course on a wet, windy or otherwise miserable day. No, I would like perfect conditions and perhaps the placement of a large feather filled thingy (large to allow for a margin of error in landing, not for my bum, you rude people) to cushion my landing. Sounds great, good for you.

Am looking forward to coming up sometime soon to see the house of the many bathrooms. However in the meantime, with such glowing references in the plant watering department, would you like to water some Somerset plants for a week? You may not think so, but this would be a much more useful way to spend your time than pursuing your career in law.

see you soon, love Brenda

Hi Brenda

I can safely say we have to have "perfect" weather conditions to be allowed to jump although have to admit I don't know what they are, just something about enough visibility for the plane.

In this weather it would be nice to be down in Clevedon watering you plants for you but I'm not sure I can get the time off work. Besides I don't want to now ruin my record after successfully saving one plant after years of killing them off!!

Hope everyone is doing well down in Clevedon and hopefully we'll see you all soon.

Emma

House of many bathrooms...? That sounds fascinating! I want a house of many large and open windows right now!! (For the american contingent out there it's really hot over here at the moment, suposed to hit 35 degrees tomorrow, I think that's about 102 farenheit... proper hot for here at any rate!)

Not too many bathrooms ... just a few more than there used to be.

Large and open windows sound good. We have large but closed windows at work because of the air conditioning it's impossible to open them!!

Emma

Yea, we are the same at work... I hate air con... no particular reason, just a general hate. Yea, I know it serves a purpose but it's just so either on and freezing or off... maybe its just our air con doesn't work very well!

A/C spreads germs too. Of course if anyone tried to take my A/C from me they'd have to fight me to the death! I don't mind the occassional cold so long as I can suffer through it in a temperate climate.

I think we Okies have all of you beat for the heat records. Last Thursday, the mercury topped 108 degrees Fahrenheit at 5:30pm on my home thermometer. I'm not good at conversion, but I believe that is higher than 35 degrees Celsius.
Laura

108F is just over 42C so definately higher than we've had here. The highest it's been in Birmingham is around 36C and that was quite hot enough for me, especially driving home in my non air conditioned car!

Luckily the temperature has dropped a bit over the weekend so much more bearable!

Emma

Hi Everyone

To let you know my skydive was on saturday!!

We arrived at the airfield at 7.45 am to slightly misty, cold weather after signing in and plenty of tea and training I was sent up in a plane at 1.00 with my instructor Jenkins to make the dive (rather scary the height had risen from 10,000 feet to 13,000 feet, just over 2 and a half miles!!).

It was extremly scary but once the door opened and I was out it felt a lot like flying and I have a DVD and some photos to prove I was smiling all the way down

Luckily I was the first tandem jump out because I don't think my nerves would have held for the whole day but it was definately a fantastic experience.

Emma

XXX

Emma you brave, brave person. Would love to see the dvd. I don't suppose you took any photos or did any filming yourself on the way down? I am so impressed. Would you do it again, and would you recommend to friends and family?
I didn't do any forms, but will send a contribution to the sponsorship fund.
Give our love to all at B Road.
xxxx Brenda

Hi Brenda

I did have some photos taken both on the way down and on the ground!! Jessica came up from Clevedon as well over the weekend and saw the jump I send here home with a CD of all the photos that we had so I'm sure you'll be able to see those quite soon.

I'm hoping to get a link so that I can send the DVD via email but hasn't come through yet. If not I'll send the DVD to you so you can see me flying!!

Definately recommend the experience, I told Karen she'd love it but not sure I'm ready to do it again yet but never say never ...

Emma

x

WELL DONE EMMA!! Wow, two and a half miles!! You must have nerves of steel or at least a steely determination. Do you think you could get some of the photos onto the web site so I can see them? Have you decided on your next extreme sport expedition yet? Although I think it will be pretty hard to match jumping out of a plane two and a half miles away from earth!!!

I think once I'd got on the plane the only way to get back down was under a parachute!!

I am currently doing a CD of all the photos that we took, unfortunately not being too technically minded myself I'm not sure how to get the photos onto the website (I know that's terrible).

I'll get the CD to someone slightly better at these things than me!

Emma

Excellent, I can't wait to see them!