Only nine weeks to go. It doesn't seem like very long. All the invitations went out this week (after a grueling day spent assembling them). There's not much left to do.

Dancing

On Monday my fiancée took me to a dancing thing. Some guy named Mr Cha Cha who is apparently well known in dancing circles is choreographing a finalé for the Festival of Perth. I've only seen him on TV but I thought he was a pompous git.

Monday was the first lesson. I hated every minute of it. For a start it was poorly organised - the number of participants must be making things difficult. There was only one instructor who knew what he was doing; the helper drones seemed as clueless as we were most of the time. I felt really uncomfortable the whole time. I struggled to pick up the steps, and I struggled even more to remember what order everything went in. I really don't see the point. Most of the time we're not even dancing with our partner - we're just wiggling our hips and arses around at Mr Cha Cha's whim. Not that he's attending the rehearsals of course; he's far too important for that.

Bring on the bridal waltz. At least I feel motivated to learn that. Mr Cha Cha's huge ego-stroking session doesn't interest me.

Family history

I've been getting into it a bit in the past few days. There's a lot more online now than there was a few years ago. I had reasonable success with one branch of the family in the 1881, 1891 and 1901 censuses (is that the correct plural for census?), plus a marriage in 1875. Another branch is far more elusive - I found my great-grandmother living with her sister in 1901, but nothing at all before that. I'm being hampered by ancestors with common names, all living in London.

Some numbers

For last year (and 2003)

• Movies: 46 (45)
• Money spent on movies: $451.35 ($345.45)
• Flights: 16 (21)
• Miles flown: 36,685 (40,900)
• Nights in hotels: 48 (49)