As part of my course in college, I was offered the chance for a two day work experience placing. Figuring that'd it'd help me get into the automotive industry, I took it. Now that I've finished it, I think it's safe to say the entire business is run and populated by raving lunatics.

In my first day, I was assigned to help a 5ft tall man named Lloyd. His height caused obvious problems. Whenever he raised a car ramp to his head height to go under it, it had just reached my shoulders so I ended up banging my head a lot, much to his amusement. Once we'd complete a few services, we had to remove the exhaust off of a Transit that was leaking oil into the cat. Watching him drive it was one of the funniest things I've seen in a long time. It would have looked like it was driving itself if not for the pair of knuckles on top of the steering wheel and the top of a balding head just visible through the windscreen.

The next day, I was with a guy named Lee who liked to solve problems by shouting and swearing them into submission. Our first job was to remove the brake pads off an old Fiesta. I got my side off without too much hassle but Lee had found himself with a rusted bolt. Instead of spraying a little lubricant on it and waiting for it to ease up a bit, he decided to loosen the bolt by telling it how much he hated it's mother and applying large amounts of brute force. An unorthodox method but eventually came free.

I think the only sane guy I met was the apprentice, Neil, but I think that's just because he hadn't been there long. A few more years and he'll be just like them. Shouting, swearing and brandishing a hammer at any car that dares to disobey him.

Today, an important man in my life died

His name was Ivor and I've know him since I was born. He's always been there to offer advice and taught me a lot. He suffered a heart attack this morning. The ambulance arrived but it was too late and he died in his wife's arms.

Looking back, I feel guilty because he taught me so much and helped me whenever I needed it yet I knew so little about him. I never asked him how he lost his eye or how old he was. I don't even know his last name. What makes this worse is that in times like this, I'd ask him for advice which constantly reminds me that he's gone.

He was part of the scenery around here, every morning he'd be watering this plants and say hello as I left for college. Everyone in my street knew and loved him but no-one more than his wife Eileen. They were inseparable, they were Ivor and Eileen. I spoke to Eileen a few hours ago and she's inconsolable. She blames herself because she didn't ring the ambulance fast enough. I tried to tell her otherwise but she wasn't having any of it.

I don't care if anyone reads this or not, I just needed to vent. Newspaper obituaries never do people justice and he deserves to have something nice written about him somewhere, even if it is in some corner of the internet no-one will ever visit.

It's been almost a month since I wrote a blog so I'm writing one now.

College is back in full swing and I've been thrown in at the deep end with three written phase tests in the first six weeks which is kind of daunting. I've already passed two with an 88% and an 84% which I'm chuffed about with the third on this Thursday. It was kind of surprising how few people returned for the second year. Of the sixteen people in my group last year, only five have come back. I'd only met most of them that year but it's still a shame to see them go, especially those who passed last year. It's a waste of talent methinks.

Also, I've robbed my little brother's copy of VP: Trouble in Paradise which is basically exactly the same as the first one but more annoying. Some guy in a stupid hat keeps smashing my pinatas, he seems to target the artic/desert pinatas which means I have to catch them again before I can make them a resident. I prefer the first, it's much simpler. Like me.

I'm still looking to pick up Death Magnetic by Metallica but, from what I've heard, it's like St. Anger all over again. Convince me to buy it, I really want it to be good but I'm cautious.