Wombat & NNB,
Thanks for the kind words, the encouragement and the welcome! World of joy 'n' frustration is right; I reckon I know it pretty well already! I get pretty pissed with myself if I get things wrong and often do! I'm probably a bit anally retentive and I've still got a loooong way to go, but as all solo studes would know, now at least I BELIEVE I can do it!
But back to thread topic - being a lowly stude I can only talk in my case re. solos and x-winds, - I'd agree with Wombat in saying reduce the variables for us duffers! Just to manage solo in perfect conditions does wonders for the self-confidence and probably puts you in a more positive state of mind for those more difficult landings.