I seize every opportunity to parody James Bond...

This week has been crazy - after a long summer of having absolutely nothing to do, I was definitely not prepared for everything that had to be done these last few days.  I’m having to cross to Malta every couple of days, taking stuff to my flat, and I’ve been breaking my back in the fields, literally. 

I'm part-owner of a couple of fields, where we have some fruit trees and lots of olive trees.  The problem?  The olives are ripe around August, but they have to be picked when there’s a Northern wind, otherwise they rot.  This year, the cooler weather only started about a week ago, and it brought with it a lot of rain.  This resulted in very muddy fields, where I have to go every day to pick the olives, before they all fall off the trees.  Contrary to what you may have seen in commercials, olive picking does not involve shaking a tree while somebody holds a jar under it and catches the olives.  What really happens, at least in our case, is you have to pick the darned things one by one while trying to keep leaves and twigs out of your eyes, dodging any bees and wasps that may have hives in the tree, trying not to sink up to your knees in mud…

That was probably too much information, but I needed to vent off about it - I feel sore and every exposed piece of skin is scratched and bruised.  I wouldn’t be surprised if the first thing I’m asked at University is whether I’m being abused and need to talk to a guidance counsellor.