Future plans

Another long weekend has passed, but I had a few things that needed doing - that haircut, and the pulley rope. I needed to get the Conference Poster finalised, but to do that I needed to find the guidelines, and to do that, I had to go through all of the junk paperwork I brought back from GNT in rucksacks and briefcases and boxes. It has taken a while. Then there was the press release, which I'd like to have ready before the Conference. And the hinge on my toilet seat broke, so I bought a new one - more than 50% of the cost of a brand new toilet seat - and fitted it successfully.

So I've been doing a fair bit of work, although without too much pressure, and with one or two opportunities to go outside, where the weather has been beautiful.

The plan for the coming month is as follows: a bit more work around the house this week, vote in the local elections and the AV referendum, blood donation, an evening trying out a new badminton club, a social visit to the Association for the Blind who helped with my research. Then the British Dietetic Association Conference next week, when I will be staying with Lola II, so there will be Fun. After that there is a week of lectures and revision, and we each have to do a presentation, although the details are not yet available. The following week I will have some sort of practical examination, and I'm guessing it will be a consultation with a pretend patient, and then there is the final written exam.

After that, assuming that I pass, I can send off for registration with the Health Professions Council, pay the fee, and I become a qualified Registered Dietitian (RD). It is a protected title, which means anyone calling themselves a Dietitian without registration can be prosecuted. Unlike nutritionists, who are not required to have any academic qualification whatsoever, and can write any old clap-trap in the papers and magazines if they want to. Reliable sources will choose a nutritionist with at least a Nutrition degree, but Gillian McKeith doesn't have any relevant qualifications, and look how far she went with her rubbish.

Anyway, June will probably contain job applications, although that very much depends on jobs being advertised, and the locations. If at all possible, I obviously want to be able to commute from home, but there are no guarantees of suitable jobs coming up in this area. I just have to wait and see.