The Grind Begins Again

Since the beginning of August I have been quite lucky to have some holiday days I could take, which has meant that I've been working shorter weeks than normal. Last week was a four day week and this week coming I am working a 3 day week but the week after will be a full on five day week.
I have been enjoying some additional time for recreation but I know soon enough that will change to feeling that weekends are too short and the working day will start to feel longer as the nights begin to get darker and the autumn and winter seasons begin. It is already feeling a bit cooler than it was and we're only just into the beginning of September.
I've been enjoying blogging but I worry that my free time will be eaten up just trying to stay afloat amid the chaos of daily family life. My son starts a new school this week, I hope he enjoys it and that he makes some good friends at the school. I hope we do too as parents actually. We have started to make some inroads into that, we were invited to afternoon tea at the parents of a friend of our daughter's on Saturday and had a nice time. They seemed a very nice couple and their friends seemed nice too.
My wife starts back at her school this coming week, so it's really all back to the grindstone again. No wonder we look forward to holidays.

Films to see

Not being a regular cinema goer there are a few films from this year that I would really love to watch.

The Amazing Spiderman
Total Recall
The Bourne Legacy
Batman Dark Knight Rises
Expendables 2

I don't have any subscriptions to film services like Netflix or Love Film. They all seem to offer the same choices of method of delivery. But I guess I'd probably end up buying the DVD for films I really liked anyway. So that's why I haven't subscribed and I think I could get films via a pay as you use service in my TV (but I haven't researched this option yet, so I might be wrong about this).
Lately, I have tended to watch films I already own or have recorded from the TV. They might not be the latest blockbusters but I pay enough for my children to see the latest films so I think I am contributing to the cinema economy through paying for them.
Are there any films you would love to see but have missed at the cinema?

Underworld (film franchise)

When the first film came out back in 2003 I missed it completely. My introduction to it came via Tara's blog, I think Tara even had an image from the film as her avatar. I have watched the film a few times, including this week when I bought a double disk version on DVD. I also picked up copies of Underworld Evolution and Underworld Rise of the Lycans. I am watching them in order. There is a new film in the series from this year, Underworld Awakening I think it's called. I haven't seen this yet, I guess I'll be waiting for it to come out on DVD release before I see it. The image below is of Kate Beckinsale who plays the role of Selene, I've seen Kate do an interview recently because she is also in the new version of Total Recall that is hitting cinemas. I'd like to see that. She is both very clever and very beautiful too, which doesn't hurt while watching the films.

Football Premiership Season 2012/13

Two games in to the new Premiership season and the team I support (West Bromwich Albion) have got off to a great start beating Liverpool by enough goals to humiliate them (3-0) and drawing with Tottenham Hotspur in the last minutes of the match on Saturday.
I'm looking forward to seeing how they fair this season. They have a new manager, Steve Clarke, because last season's manager Roy Hodgson is now the England national team coach. I wonder how they'll perform against the bigger teams in the Premiership league like Manchester United, Manchester City and Chelsea.

Driving Inspiration - Paralympic animation

The 2012 Paralympic Games start this coming week. This animation is a great endeavour to celebrate the diversity and spirit of cooperation.

Blog legacy

Do you ever wonder what happens to a person's blog after they die? There must be thousands of examples surely?
In a way, a blog could serve as a kind of tribute to one's life, showing part of their personality that would otherwise be hidden. My children don't know I keep a blog or are only marginally aware. My wife similarly. I can't decide whether this is something that they would ever want to read or not. Perhaps after my death they'll read it and possibly understand me a little bit more. Either that or it will all be wiped from disk in error by Google and there will be no legacy.

Imagine if there was no ...Google... (hums tune of Imagine by John Lennon)...it's very hard to do....

Movie memories - Blade

I watched the old Blade movie from 1998 this week. It's a bit of a daft film really but it does have some good sequences and some funny lines that are enjoyable to hear.

There is a good story behind the film, although the script is more unintentionally amusing than it demands. Not enough is made of the vampire true blood elders and the way the villains in general were portrayed don't convey much threat. The henchman Quinn plays a particularly amusing clown-like role.

If you haven't seen Blade before (where have you been?) it's worth it for the amusement.

007

We visited London on Monday, somehow the days we choose to go into London involves some issue with trains. We were delayed but things weren't so bad.

My main objective was to go and see an exhibition devoted to James Bond. style. It was great, there were clips from the films, the costumes, models and storyboards and other artwork. I thoroughly enjoyed it. My only quibble would be that I'd have liked it to be a little larger. The book for the exhibition looked good but was 30 pounds, just a little bit more than I could justify buying on top of the ticket price.
I have my memories I suppose and I think my kids will remember it in future. Here's a photo from just outside the door, no photography inside unfortunately.

Back pain

As I get older I have started to become more aware of my physical limitations, especially where lifting goes. There was a time when I would try my hardest to lift anything, even including things that I shouldn't have even tried. I still seem to have some of that mindset. My wife and I visited a garden centre and as we were weighing up compost prices we decided to get two of the heaviest and bulkiest bags. They were the most economical. However, getting them in and out of the car and into the back garden was the problem. I got them into the car fine, with my wife's help. The problem was that when we got home we needed to lift them up a step from the drive into the back garden. I must have twisted as I lifted, I did have my knees bent and tried to keep my back straight but something happened and I knew I had done my back.

So, I've done it again and now have limited mobility and pain for a while. I hope not for too long. I seem to do this to my back two or three times a year. I have continued with my back exercises since the last time I did it. They do help.

My body is just not as flexible as it once was and I now have a belly. When I first started dating the woman who was to become my wife, she always says she found it attractive that I had no fat on me, that I was lean. Although, I don't think I've ever been as flexible as I could be, trying to pull a few yoga moves or trying to do dance moves shows me up as someone who doesn't really have a skill with moving my body.

I would like to be able to lift heavy stuff when I need to, without the indignity of hurting my back and not being able to put socks on, bend down to pick something up or twist in my car seat to see behind when reversing properly as a result.

Holiday period

Last week I was in the fortunate position of being able to rest and spend some time with my family. I was on annual leave and not working. It was a very needed week of rest. I had been feeling quite run down and tired. I just needed some time to recharge my batteries.

I didn't have a plan. I took each day fairly easily and watched quite a bit of the Olympics on TV, my wife and I clubbed together to buy ourselves a new TV. So it was a good week to take off with the massive number of medals that Team GB won, I couldn't believe that we came third after USA and China. It just goes to show what having the tournament on your home turf can do for you.

This forthcoming weekend I have Friday and Monday off. I'm going to take my kids to see their gramps on Friday and on Monday may go into London to visit a James Bond style exhibition. So I have more of a plan for the days with this next holiday chance.

Vehicular Fame

Just being out and about sometimes I come across cars that are copies of famous vehicles, here are just a couple of the ones I've seen very recently.

When I was much younger I used to see a lot of these cars and they always made me go "Wow!", I haven't seen one for absolute years though.

They were called Bond Buggies and you can read more about them here. I thought they must have been related to James Bond, but sadly no.
While I'm on the car theme, somewhere I don't usually go, my first car was a Volkswagon Polo. The photo is just for illustrative benefit, mine was a maroon colour.

A stroll in the park

On the first day of my holiday I took the family to a country park we've not been to before. It's not far away and I had no real expectations. However, I thought it was quite a good morning out and my kids, who were grumbling, within the first half hour were both playing well and asking if we could stay.
A nice touch was some of the wooden things embedded into the park at unexpected places. You'll see what I mean when you look at the photos below.

Omen Trilogy

What do you think about these films? Do you have to watch them from under the duvet with the lights on? Or don't they scare you?

There are few movies that send a chill down my spine quite like these ones. If I watch these films I don't do it lightly, I make sure I'm with good company.

What films set you a little on edge?

Poppy fields

Having a relatively wet summer this year may have a correlation with me noticing a larger spread of red in the countryside. A number of fields I don't normally think twice about are awash with the red of poppies. It's quite lovely to see.

Go Team GB Go!

I feel obliged to give a massive shout-out to the Team GB Olympic competitors. The first week of the Olympics is over and they have done the whole nation proud.

Cycling, rowing, shooting, swimming, gymnastics, riding, tennis, athletics, sailing, judo - it's been so entertaining to watch. I've had tears in my eyes nearly every day. It has been a fantastic competition. There's a lot more to come as well! The audiences have been fantastic, exploding with encouragement and our players have responded brilliantly to it. I love it!

Bigtrak

When I was a young lad I thought Bigtrak was so totally cool. I never owned one myself though. I'm not sure now why that was, perhaps I was just at the point where I felt I was too old for kids stuff (that's a typical teenager trait isn't it?). Well I'm younger than that now and I saw Model Zone were selling them at a discount of 50% so I bought one for my son and me. I have to say what an awesome tank it is, with programmable instructions including the photon laser. It's every bit as good as I thought it was.

Multiplayer Mayhem

My son and I like to play videogames. We sometimes play together and enjoy the thrill of going head to head in splitscreen multiplayer. He recently visited a friend and got playing a James Bond videogame title "Nightfire" on PS2. Since moving on to the Xbox360 I gave my son my PS2 console and I've bought him a few game titles for it (Star Wars related and Lego ones mainly). But Nightfire is an older game and I knew it was selling relatively cheaply compared to new games so I picked it up and we have been playing it on multiplayer. It's pretty good and has lots of options. It's a good introduction for him to games we can play together when he is older.

I don't like him knowing too much about wargames and the like, I try to keep him away from that stuff but it's hard when all of his friends parents seem to think nothing of buying the latest Call of Duty games for their youngsters. Just because they are games doesn't mean they aren't making an impression. I do worry about this stuff.

Hey you deejay! Put a record on!

If you had to do a DJ set for twenty minutes what records would you play?
Okay, perhaps a little unfair without any context. So let me give you a scenario:
- it's a set that will run from 1am to 1:20am
- you are a DJ at a bar in a city
- the clientèle have been in the bar since 8pm
- ages range from 20 to 55
- they have been dancing/socialising for the last couple of hours

Hit me with a song or two of your choice and say why you think it's appropriate.

Fitness and weightloss

It sounds so simple. But eating healthier foods, giving up alcoholic drinks and taking exercise is a lifestyle change. As such it's very hard to change a lifestyle you enjoy to one you don't. I want to change my lifestyle but I don't have the willpower to make it happen.
Where do you find the inspiration to change your lifestyle?

London 2012

What a tantalising spectacle is in prospect. The 2012 Summer Olympics are finally here. It has been a long time coming. I remember I was eating lunch in a restaurant in Birmingham with work colleagues when I found out. I've moved on since those days.
The time for sport is about to begin. I must admit I'm going to be interested in the events and human stories behind the athletes competing. I was fascinated by a programme on tv last week about women's cyclist Victoria Pendleton.
The minority sports are always worth a watch.
The real shame about the games is that the ticketing has been completely mishandled. My family isn't going but we applied for tickets and were not successful. If all the relevant information had been available we might have decided on going to watch another event. But it wasn't very clear what we could or could not do.
The opening ceremony is on now and is looking good so far!

Thrash Metal

I occasionally listen to a genre of metal that is absurd in most ways but exciting in the best way. It has to be good thrash metal by bands like Anthrax, Metallica, Megadeth and Slayer. Pretty much all of the output of these bands is worth listening to. These bands are probably very old school but I still really like them.These albums are a good place to start if you ever want to experience this musical form.

iPhoneography

I had not come across this term until this last weekend. It's a term for describing photography with an iPhone, as you might guess. I bought a slim but excellent book of the same title and there are lots of intriguing suggestions for photo projects. I am contemplating starting another space online for my iPhone photographs. But I'm having trouble deciding where to go...

• Blogger
• Wordpress
• Tumblr
• Facebook
• Twitter
• Flickr
• Photobucket
• Zapd

and this is just scratching at the surface. I'm certain that there are a gazillion I haven't heard of. How in the world does one decide...?

Pain

My throat feels like shards of glass are sticking into it whenever I swallow. It's hard to function properly when I'm in pain like this. My voice is beginning to go too.
I seemed to spend the weekend being a taxi for my son and a house cleaner and gardener. My daughter was questioning why everytime I gave her a task, that and saying no a lot. So I ended up doing most of the cleaning tasks myself. Both kids came round in the end but I had to show them that every member of the family has to pull their weight.
We're allowing the kittens into most of our busiest rooms in the house now. They seem to have gotten used to that and have found sleep spots to go to when someone is home with them. They seem to like being in a room with a family member, rather than finding somewhere quiet on their own, which is nice. I like watching them play together. We let them come sleep on our beds if they want to. I am slightly worried that I might roll onto one of them and accidentally squish them!

How do Ubuntu?

Over the course of several months I've been experimenting with a new operating system. The copy of Windows XP on my laptop has not been ageing well, getting slower and slower to boot. I've recovered the drive a few times, each time beginning again with a fresh install of Windows XP. But XP doesn't delight in the same way that Windows 7 does. I've been moving more content to the web in what I do as well - Google and Windows Live and Dropbox - as well as my blog. So, to cut a long story short I completely removed Windows XP and have gone over to Linux and Ubuntu in particular. I love the font and the colourful and large and uncluttered desktop buttons. My netbook is now much similar to how using a Mac feels. I'm pleased so far. I can watch and listen to my media.
I've also set up wireless printing, which is something I never got around to with my netbook before. I have also fixed a problem, which bugged my WinXP O.S., that meant my netbook seemed to just freeze for about 4-7 minutes on booting, now it boots without pausing at all.
I've been installing some cool software on my netbook too. I think that's because a lot of software for Linux is free, which is a great bonus.

Library Sale Goodies

Well we took a stroll down to the library sale and bagged us a few goodies this Saturday. I watched The Italian Job last night, what a perfect picture it is. Entertaining, not difficult to understand, good clean fun, good car chases and a reasonably short length. They don't seem to make many films like this nowadays do they?
The photo below gives you an idea of the bounty. We did go back a bit later because they don't open all the boxes they get sent at the same time, they have several tables full of stuff on at once and replenish when they need to.On our second visit we also picked up season one of The West Wing, which is one of those series I've just missed (there are lots of those!). So I look forward to catching up with the rest of the world on that one. I'm also looking forward to watching The Dead Zone too.

Good luck Andy

Something pretty spectacular is happening later. An Englishman is playing in the Wimbledon final. I never expected it to happen. So, despite the odds against I hope there is lots of support and encouragement for Andy from the crowd and virtually from the internet too.

Wet wet wet

Well the Roald Dahl festival began in lovely weather. So much effort had gone into the models and handheld wavy things.

Then, just when most of the procession had passed us the rain started. It really came down in buckets and didn't stop. I felt so sorry for all the kids, parents and teachers. Including my family and friends who were part of it too.

Rain

There seems to be a surplus of water everywhere in the UK over the last few months. In the first quarter of the year, there were drought warnings and we were talking about the poor plants not getting enough. It's completely turned around now.

We have big events coming up, like Wimbledon finals and, obviously, the Summer Olympics. I hope the rain diminishes so that the best of British weather turns up on show.
I feel sorry for the organisers and volunteers at smaller events happening at weekends. Things like summer school fetes, festivals, open gardens, art walks, fun runs and such like. We're going to a Roald Dahl festival procession later this morning. The school children march with bands and show off the character models they have made and painted. These structures can be impressive and have to be carried by several people. The weather can really put a damper on it because the models are made of papier mache, so they just dissolve when it rains.
There is also a big event in the calendar for the library. They set stalls up outside and sell off some stock. I usually end up with a few good items from these. It's important to get there early.
Have a good weekend all!

Madder Rose - Car Song

I loved this band.

Retro chronograph

It's been a long time since I have had a new watch. I have an analog watch that I like to wear for work. But as far as digital watches go I haven't worn one for years. But a couple of weekends ago I was very glad to see that Casio still make a watch I wore for the first time probably when I was in my teens. The good old reliable F-91, what a functional classic! I'm glad I'm reunited with it.

Hit by Sugarcubes

When I began to buy compact disks instead of vinyl, this was probably my third or fourth new compact disk purchase. The whole album is good. Bjork has an interesting voice I think, never gets boring.

Jacket or shirt?

In the current climate of hot weather wearing thin summer clothes seems an obvious decision. BUT! The wind can suddenly pick up and be quite chilly, especially if you are in a shady place that doesn't really warm up. With air conditioning in public areas there isn't much temperature control we can exert and some places can be very chilled. It's worse when you know you will have to traverse very hot and very cold areas during the day. What would you decide: wear just a shirt and accept you might be cold or wear a jacket too, knowing you might get a bit hot and sweaty.
I know removing a jacket might be the obvious answer but you have then to carry it around with you and have to remember to pick it up again if you put it down anywhere. If you also carry a bag you have to decide whether to put it in the bag or perhaps its a smart jacket and putting it in a bag would crumple it. You know that carrying a jacket and a bag in the hot weather is just going to tie up your hands and make them sweaty.
Today, I'm wearing a shirt and trousers but even though the forecast is good I reckon I might be cold at some point. I have a long walk to and from the office though so that will probably negate the cold.

New family members

One of the promises we made the children was that after we moved we would get them cats. Well, it's been 11 months and we have finally sorted out the necessary and two new kittens are now installed.

They are both quite playful with each other, so much so that it's difficult to get a photo they move about so much. They like to climb the scratching post and jump onto the windowsill to get a view out to the garden but they're not allowed out yet. They're pretty adorable though, I didn't think I'd be quite as smitten as I am with them. I'd better get back to them actually, so more photos will no doubt follow, watch this space...

The predictability of chemicals

I've just eaten a lovely nectarine. It was very ripe and juicy and was one of the white flesh variety, I don't know which country they originate from. They are very very nice though, shame there is only 4 in the pack.
I was thinking that nearly all sweets have chemical flavourings to make them taste similar to the fruits we love. The advantage of chemical flavouring is that the flavour can be strong and predictable, which is as we all know, not exactly always the experience we get with real fruit. It is a shame that the taste isn't as important as the fibre and nutrients.
What's your favourite sweet that tastes like fruit?Probably worth a clarification here: by sweets I mean confectionary items.

.com or .co.uk ?

Hmmm, my domain seems to be furtivewangler.blogspot.co.uk now, I'm pretty sure it always used to be .com

I wonder why Blogger has made this change? Perhaps it's related to a lot of new domains coming out?

Father's day

Here in the UK today (Ed: and US as it turns out), it was Father's Day. I actually remembered the day for my father and sent him a card and gift. My kids came in to wake me this morning and deliver cards, gifts and chocolate. It was nice, I just wish I hadn't drunk a bottle of wine last night on my own. I was a little bit tired and probably still had alcohol going around my system. I went back to sleep for a bit after they had gone.
For lunch it was my treat to my family, so I took them to eat at the local Chinese buffet, my son loves the food there. I really enjoyed the duck pancakes with Hoisin sauce I started with today. You can easily eat too much when the food is help yourself, I managed to eat with some self control and left the place with some dignity. It was quite busy due to Father's Day, lots of folks eating with their fathers.
My wife worked out that I've been a dad for 4,382 days. That seems like a lot of days to me. It doesn't really feel that many. I don't think I'm a shining example of a dad, I do hope my kids remember me more for my good points than my bad ones. We learn from our own parents and I have some bad habits I picked up from my own parents, notably the ability to be fiercely annoyed one minute and fine with everything the next. My parents are loving and kind and were like that when I was young, I do remember some episodes when they got annoyed though. I suppose that can't be avoided. It's hard being a parent and difficult to analyse your own behaviour when you're trying to juggle lots of things at the same time.
Anyway, here's a shout out to all the good father's out there.

Magazines

I don't currently buy a regular magazine. But I have done in the past. It's probably a habit I got from my brother because he used to buy a lot. They covered computing, music, photography, cycling, cars and camping/outdoors. Magazines I've bought regularly (more than 5 issues) in my past have included:

Crash (ZX Spectrum games)
Kerrang (heavy metal)
Select (alternative music)
Classic CD (classical music)
Xbox 360: The Official Magazine (gaming)
Q (music)
Metal Hammer (heavy metal)
Classic Rock (heavy rock)
Maxim (mens general fashion/style)
Linux Format
PC Plus
PC Advisor
Computer Arts
PC Answers
Photo Plus
.Net
Computer Arts
Digital Photographer


If I added up the cost over the years it would be a bit of an eye opener. The main reason I used to buy magazines for was to read reviews. I did read feature articles but they were not driving the purchasing decision. The second reason was to hear music or install some new software.

The niche that magazines fulfilled for me has largely been taken over now by the web. It's really a surprise that magazines are still being published today with so much free content available on the web. Reviews can be published instantly without having to wait. Software is widely available for download. Podcasts and vodcasts can be recorded and distributed with a few clicks. Feedback can be given instantly too through comments and liking and rating. No longer do we have to wait to see readers letters published.

Yes, magazines are having a hard time at the moment. I still enjoy the covers and the paper and the glossy photos though. Perhaps devices like the iPad can keep magazines alive in the digital world.

Can you imagine walking into a newsagent and instead of physical paper magazines seeing a wall of monitors where you can browse digital editions by touching the screens? Well, that could be done at home on the Smart TV screen I guess. My, how life is changing for us with technology that's out there now.

This started out as a post to say how much I used to like buying magazines and a lament that I don't feel I have to buy any now. But it has turned out to be a comment on the digital age

Breakfast favourite

If you had to name one favourite breakfast ingredient from The Full English breakfast, what would it be?

Mine would be hash browns, I love them.

Solitude vs Social

There are times when I need to be alone. Times like this are usually when I haven't had much break from either work or family duties and I'm tired of looking out for others. If I don't have the right balance I can get irritable, it sort of takes over and I spiral into a descent of feeling undervalued. Nothing I do is appreciated. I know now (in a relaxed, neutral state) that this is not true but when I've not had chance to relax and rest I get a bit paranoid.
I like company and I actually prefer it but I also need time on my own. I think that people like me can be hard to understand when compared with people who are social and like the company of others at all times. I like to just do my own thing sometimes and this might seem like withdrawing to those who are social. It's not a comment on others, it's just part of me. It can be difficult with a family, there are responsibilities that mean withdrawing completely is not possible.
On the spectrum of solitude to social, where do you think you are? I would be closer to solitude but some way in from the pole.

Jubilee Weekend

This weekend Britain celebrates 60 years of the Queen's reign. I imagine it will be quite a public spectacle of concerts and street parties and schools events up and down the country. It really is amazing how something like this draws the whole country in. We also have an extra national holiday day on Tuesday (Monday is a traditional public holiday too), so I'm grateful for that.
The monarchy probably doesn't feature much in the everyday lives of the majority of people, who go about their busy routines of work and family life. However, the Royal Family does play an important part in the psyche of the nation - if a whole nation can have something like that. I wonder if it is because they are a family and we each see something of our own family's journey reflected in this? They are not famous for what they do necessarily (although they seem to do a lot of things), I mean they aren't entertainers or wealthy entrepreneurs and they don't have a unique talent (as far as I know). And yet despite this, they do have influence and we hold great affection for them and so do other countries, America, other English speaking countries and the Commonwealth countries to name but a few.
So, here's a toast to the last 60 years and another for the next!

Morning rush

How quickly can you get ready to leave the house? How difficult would you find it if you had to leave the house in 15 minutes from waking up?

I would be terrible. I have my rituals in a morning, one thing I always have to do is make a cup of coffee. Even if I don't have time to drink it, I always at least have a few sips. Next I always have to make my son's lunchbox up that he takes to school. After that I can start to get myself together. I need at least 45 minutes to do everything but I like to take longer. In the past I could get ready earlier but now I don't think I could rush it. I hate rushing in general.

Eurovision Song Contest 2012

I always look forward to this time of year. On Saturday night there is something to look forward to because the Eurovision Song Contest happens. The Eurovision is such a cheesy show but can sometimes deliver some good songs, not to mention some awful costumes. It is a long show, there are 26 live songs performed on the night and the voting almost takes as long as listening to the songs. The votes are split 50/50 between jurors and televotes. Countries in Europe vote and I always like the part of the show where they visit each country's celebrity to read out the scores from their voting. More information is available on the songs here, along with some videos if you choose to watch. I haven't seen or heard any of the songs yet, I prefer to hear and see them performed on the night - that's how I judge them. I'll be printing out my score card and scoring them. My selection always differs from the final scores not surprisingly. I do it just as bit of a laugh really, my daughter scores them too. She enjoys it as much as I do.
This year the host country is Azerbaijan because they won last year. I must confess that I know not where Azerbaijan is! But Baku must be a famous city, perhaps even their capital - gosh I'm so useless at geography I'm going to have to look this up after finishing this post I can tell!

Whatever you do this weekend, have fun and stay safe.

A sunny spell at last

I heard yesterday that our country might be about to enjoy a couple of weeks of decent weather. April and May were very wet and even on Saturday the weather was chill outside. So I look forward to wearing T shirts outside and generally enjoying being outside. The only shame is that we're not given time off work, so we are still expected to hide our bodies in stuffy buildings while outside other people are enjoying freedom of movement. I do wonder where is the sense in this modern world?

Bad Blogger, Naughty Blogger

I have so neglected this blog. There is really no excuse. I'll stop going on about it now. I'm not a ranty person and I tend to have to forgive myself a lot in life generally.

Here's a question for you. Have you ever had your heart broken? And a supplementary, do you think it made you a stronger person? One more question: would you say it would benefit everyone to have their heart broken at least one time?

I was reading a blog post somewhere else that said it was good because it made them a person who was able to empathise and be resilient and not so certain about everything.

I have some sympathy with the view but it depends on the degree. I've experienced heartache and heartbreak in different ways and neither experience was enjoyable but yes I think you have to have been loved and in love to appreciate the cliff you fall off when things turn bad.

Here's another question for you: do you think a clean break is better or do you keep in touch with old lovers? It may say more about me but I've never managed to stay in touch with any old loves. It's always been a clean break. Partly that's been down to geographical distance but also because the nature of the split. With one person we mutually decided it had to be all or nothing and the time just wasn't right for us, so it ended with nothing. It still stings a bit in a way but I know it was the right thing.

If you have any thoughts on these questions, I'd be interested to hear them.

Somebody that I used to know

Improv

How are your improv skills? Can you think on your feet?


This is one of those blog memes. I thought I'd give some of these things a try as I've been absent from blogging for a while. 


One of the games I enjoyed as a child was Charades. I like games where I have to think on my feet. Pictionary is good for that too. I enjoyed creating characters as a child, I would often record myself with an old cassette recorder putting on funny voices etc. If I can be creative or imaginative when thinking on my feet I'm strong at it, however I'm not so good at thinking on my feet on practical matters. I'd be no good in a crisis for example. So for me, it's a bit of a mixed picture: I'm good at times at improv and other times I'm just not.
I did enjoy the comedy series Whose Line Is It Anyway? and when it first came out I thought it was hilarious, but I think comedy improv wears a bit thin after a while. On the stage, I know that some apparent improvisations are actually scripted but they always seem to amuse the audience anyway. 

Easter Come and Gone

I'm sorry I've been very lax over here on this blog this year. I've concentrated on other areas of my life I guess. I had a couple of extra days tacked on to the Easter weekend last week, which were nice, but now Easter has come and gone and my kids are due to return to the normal school week tomorrow. That's another milestone of 2012 out the way, the years go by so quickly.

I've been living with a sensitive tooth for months, since November. I have a dental appointment in a couple of weeks when I hope I can get it fixed up. I think it's a result of not filling it properly last time. I had two fillings re-filled in November and one was fine but the other hurt and the pain has just got worse. I'm okay normally but if I get any cold in my mouth I really feel it and I hate tooth pain.

My work life has been really busy and at home it seems like there is never enough time to sort things out, like we need a new fridge but are getting by with the one we have even though it's not refrigerating as often as it should - we're coping by swapping out the blue plastic ice blocks from a chiller bag every 12 hours. We've been doing this for months. Also there is a light switch needing to be fixed in one room, so we just taped over it and don't use it for now. Then there is a plumbing issue to sort out in another room. Instead of sorting these things out we are busy cleaning, cooking and shopping to keep everything on the straight and level.

My eyes are feeling very itchy this afternoon. I hope it's got nothing to do with the weedkiller I was spraying on the lawn earlier.

I watch X Men First Class last night on DVD, I enjoyed it. Thought it was worth seeing again in the future, I haven't bought it yet though but if I see it cheap I would buy it. I borrowed X Men Origins Wolverine from my dad a few weeks ago and haven't seen it yet. I'm looking forward to watching that now.

A fine Saturday

I had to travel more for work this past week, I face the same next week. What made it all harder for me was this cold/flu bug that came on suddenly during Monday.
I had a nose that ran all the time and was most irritating. It gets a bit sore if I have to keep blowing it. So I tried blowing it less but that just made me need to puff and pant more with my mouth. I don't like blocked noses.
Today however, I'm feeling a bit better. At least I'm not in the same state that I was on Tues and Weds.
The weather has been a lot milder towards the end of the week. It was mild and sunny yesterday and today has been like that so far.
It's a shame that my wife has had to work today. She would have enjoyed pootling around town with me and our son.

PS Vita

A new game console comes out in Europe soon, possibly even this week. It's called the PS Vita and it's Sony's latest handheld.
My wife bought me a PSP a couple of years ago and I've played games on it and bought a few movies that I haven't watched. Apart from a few, the gaming hasn't lived up to what I really wanted. The main issue wasn't that it lacked a touchscreen, it was that the grip and the trackstick just didn't afford a very good ergonomic. I'm sure the new console will be better than the PSP. The game lineup will probably be strong for the launch. I do think the timing isn't great, not Sony's fault but unfortunate for them and I wonder what the sales will be like for it. I can't afford the luxury of getting one, unless I am prepared to give up my PSP and because it was a present, I'm not likely to do that.

Bird table battles

Hello folks, it's been a while! I have a day off today. It feels like Siberia in our house, but the weather outside has risen a few degrees. We're being cautious with the heating after being slammed for 500 pounds recently.
The bird table my wife bought is bringing us some entertainment. Blackbirds, robin redbreasts, pigeons and bluetits have all been seen as well as a cat prowling around.
I watched the BAFTAS last night, it was good to see Stephen Fry being the anchorman again. He's much better than Jonathan Ross, I have to say.
It was quite a shock to hear about Whitney Houston. Such a shame for someone so talented to end up like that due to the drugs, what a powerful lesson for anyone who thinks drugs are worth investigating: forget it!

Friday before Christmas

I feel a little bad that it's Friday already. I was sort of hoping for it to feel like I'd had more time off. Ah well, at least Christmas is really on top of us now. There's still time to get a last minute gift or two!

Been so long...

I finally have a bit of time to myself! Thank goodness for the festive holidays. More soon...

Halloween 2011

I've been incredibly busy lately, both at home and at work. At times like these the blog has to take a backseat. Time for reflection and general musing has to go out of the window.
To mark Halloween we have carved our pumpkin and it will be outside tonight to ward off the evil spirits. I believe they are called Jack'o'lanterns in the US? We put a candle inside. I always find pumpkins surprisingly dense. This year I've noticed that the pumpkins seem physically bigger than they have for a few years. I wonder if the growing conditions have been good?
Anyway, time for me to get back to rhe world of work, so have a happy Halloween all!

Sunday Morning Musing

I watched a bit pilot episode from a series I bought a boxset for from the library about six months or more ago. The series is called Over There. I'd never heard of it before. But I enjoyed what I've seen of it so far. The DVD stopped playing though, so it's either in need of a clean or it might be that the mini-DVD player I was using is a bit too sensitive for it.
I expect I'll be helping with the cleaning of the house today. I also have some work to do and I'd like to have some time to myself but I've probably had that already, it's 8:19am.
Yesterday, my wife and I had some time on our own to do some shopping for Christmas. It's good to get out on our own, amazing how much less stressful it is without the children. Even though I love my kids and don't think they misbehave, it was nice not having to worry about them.
I am using an official iPhone Blogger app to post this. They finally got round to building one, I've been looking for one for a long while and have been surprised they didn't have one. I might have been persuaded to move to WordPress if Blogger was going to remain stagnant. But with the redesign and the smartphone app, I'm settled.
I want to get the iOS5 for my iPhone 4, the iPhone 4s looks good but I won't be trading in my iPhone. I might get my wife the iPhone 4s for Christmas but I need to consider the cost a bit more before I decide. Christmas doesn't seem so far away.

Hue and Cry

A truly wonderful vocal performance. I loved this band but I always felt they were underrated.

19 Adele

I love Adele's voice, it is so emotional and powerful at the same time. I've been listening to tracks from this album for some time and it just dawned on me that this calls for a blog entry in my favourite albums category. I don't really have much back story to this post. Except to say one of my favourite tracks on it is a great cover version of a Bob Dylan song (Make You Feel My Love). Infact, I also love Bob Dylan so expect to see some Bob Dylan albums getting the nod on this blog too.
I've heard Adele's normal speaking voice and was quite surprised by it. She sounds very down to Earth and normal, instead of sounding like the Superstar that she is.

Favourite track: Tired

Red - Saturday Scavenger Hunt

This is late, due to a very long day out yesterday. But here is my entry for the Saturday Scavenger Hunt. We attend a fair number of sport events and there are competitions known as Red Belt Rumbles, so here is my son's red belt. When it is first handed out to the children by the coach and they have to put it on for the first time, it is a great for the children to feel the pride and sense of accomplishment. I love the way they use coloured belts in Judo to reward progression.

Alright, Still - Lily Allen

This is an artist that on paper, I shouldn't like. However, it is inspite of everything else that I still enjoy the music on this album and her voice, phrasing and  songwriting. I love the melodies, the lyrics and the ska beats and horns. There is an Englishness to the songs that appeals to me and the personal nature to them. I know there are some mockney jibes about her and I'm pretty sure that she didn't grow up on the streets in poverty. But my exposure to the tabloids is fairly limited, so I have listened to the music more than I've read about her. I don't like the whole album to the same degree but there are some wonderful songs on this.

Favourite track: Knock 'Em Out

Strife

Over the last few years I've found life generally more difficult in various ways. I did think long ago that life for me would be sorted once I got a regular job with good pay, a car of my own, a wife, kiddies and a house. I have all of those things and yet sometimes I don't feel any happier than when I didn't have any of it. Life is certainly more complicated the more involved you get. I often say the wrong things or react in the wrong way or even just appear to be thinking a wrong thought and then everything turns toxic. I probably am very difficult to live with sometimes. Short of a personality transplant I don't know what the answer is. At times I just think I'm sliding down a slope and have nothing to hang on to anymore.

Mellow Music for a Sunday night

Hope you like this song by two great artists.

Big Fat Moon

Hasn't the moon been big and fat recently? I love the moon when it's big and fat and close to the horizon and there is still enough sunlight before the sun goes down. I overheard a question on the radio this week, asking how much does the moon weigh. The answer was of course some ludicrously heavy amount, actually it weighs nothing but has a mass of several million million kilos.

To be precise :  mass of the Moon = 7.36 × 10²² kilograms

The moon is a thing of beauty I think. Something to be observed from a distance, rather than seen up close - I have no desire to set foot on the moon. I do wonder whether man will ever have the resources and patience to venture into space and colonise another planet? We know so little about the universe really. I do find it fascinating to listen to scientists who try to make the complexities of quantum physics understandable to the common man. I wanted to be a mad scientist when I was a young boy, inventing rocket ships and ray guns. I still do have those desires infact. Never going to happen though - I just don't have the processing power in my brain to do calculations and I think you need to have a great deal of brain versatility to become a physicist. Dreaming doesn't hurt though does it?

Mary Lou Lord

I first heard about this album while reading a glowing review of it in Melody Maker. That particular music paper no longer exists. This was back in the 1990s. It's one of the few albums that actually lived up to the glowing review. It is simple, folksy music but quite charming at the same time. I think all the songs are cute and catchy and deeper than they first seem. I don't know how many copies of this were ever sold, I suspect it wasn't produced in the same quantities as more popular artists, being released on K Records (I think, writing this without it in front of me). I vaguely remember there was some connection with Kurt Cobain and I don't think Courtney Love approved - I believe I even read a news story once that Courtney bashed Mary Lou but that might just be complete nonsense dreamed up by an over-imaginative journo.

Favourite track: The Bridge

The Need for Art

I realised today that I love art. It allows me to explore the creative minds of other human beings and make insightful connections that would otherwise be lost or trampled. It sounds trite but there is a simple fact in this.I believe that when I'm being creative it actually helps me to relax and understand myself, and possibly others, better. For too much of the time I'm stressed about work or other stuff. I sometimes think how peoples lives change, go in unexpected directions, not through their own choice. And I wonder if anything like that will happen to me. Or will I carry on and keep going as I have been for the last few years. I don't have any answers to the question, of course. But it must be nice to do what you love every day, instead of doing what you have to, in order to earn money. Art can be an escape from the humdrum of reality. I like that too about art.
I'm pleased that P.J. Harvey won the Mercury Music Prize this year, I love her work, it's so original and interesting.

Today is the 10 year anniversary of the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Centre and Pentagon. I was at work when it happened back in 2001, I remember seeing a photograph on the web of WTC1 with smoke pouring out of it - live streaming of the BBC website was not possible since so many browsers were trying to access it. At first I could only accept that it was a terrible accident, a plane hitting the tower. I thought the terrorism theory was just scaremongering. Then the second plane hit and I could scarcely believe it. It was beyond my comprehension, beyond the realm of real life. Then the tower's collapse, to be followed by the collapse of the second tower. The terrorists could not have known that their attack would prove so effective. It is so shocking to be alive and watching something like that. In 100 years time it will be in our history books. May all the victims of that day rest in peace and the people who survive them find the strength and courage to live their lives day by day with a place in their hearts reserved for loved ones lost.

Let me introduce my new feature...

I've introduced a new label tag to this blog, if you select the tag 'albums' you'll start to see my posts of albums I consider to be very good. In each of these posts I will tell a story or say why I think the album is so good and I will include my favourite track or tracks.
Who knows, you may even read the entry and consider a listen, if it's not an album you've heard - or you might agree or disagree with the album by the band or track on the album. If you feel strongly, why not post a comment?
This is going to be a pretty permanent feature because I have so many great albums and discover new ones all the time. I hope you like reading these and that it inspires you in some way or other...

Paranoid - Black Sabbath

I can listen to this album all day and never get bored. As the starting point for a new feature of this blog, I can't think of a better way to begin. Sabbath came up with so many great riffs in their early albums, it seems like they must have made some kind of pact with the devil (of course, they did no such thing and actually thought a lot of the black magic brigade at the time were nutters). The story of the band is well known, Tony Iommi's fingertips cut off in a machining accident and Ossie Osbourne working in an abbatoir, coming together in Birmingham in the West Midlands. It is close to my the town of my birth and I think there is something in the fact that the area was known for iron and steel and black smoke billowing out of furnaces and foundry chimneys. I still remember the constant sounds of a machine press a few doors down from our house in the street. This album reminds me of my childhood and happy memories.

Favourite track: Hand of Doom

Midweek

I don't normally post on a Wednesday. I don't know what has gotten into me! I have enjoyed a nice couple of days without work on Monday and Tuesday this week. On Monday, I enjoyed the last day of the summer holidays for my daughter. On Tuesday I did the same with my son. Both are now back at school for the autumn (fall) term. Their next holiday is the last week of October, I want to take some leave to spend a few days with them then - so I have something to look forward to.

I keep feeling the urge to write but keep pushing it away and finding other things to do. I mean "write" as in story writing or something but at the same time I feel like I wouldn't be able to create something I'd be happy with. The hardest thing is to start writing - I used to have a book that contained lots of little writing activities designed to let the imagination roam free without having to worry about producing anything. I was told once that writing is like exercise, if you don't do it frequently you don't get any fitter. I'm not sure the analogy works 100 per cent but I think there is some truth in it.

A Golden Oldie

Back to school week

Posting this using Blogger's new user interface. It's very clean and simple so gets a thumbs up on that score.

This week my kids go back to school. My daughter starts at her new school on Tuesday. I'm going to be around on Tuesday but I work away from home for a couple of days. I find this difficult as I'd really like to be around for her for a few weeks, but working from home a couple of days is already a luxury I have: guess I can't push my luck too far!

I feel like this time of year signals the run up to Christmas. Programmes like X Factor, Strictly Come Dancing and that ilk are all starting their run up to Christmas, so that they can pull in advertisers. My sons birthday is in a few weeks and a month after that it's Halloween, then Bonfire Night. That's when the dark mornings and dark evenings kick in.

We got our heating sorted last week. It gets warm really quick, that might be because it is already warm enough though! We are having a lot of rain but it isn't too cold with it.

I have a couple of days off tomorrow and Tuesday, I'm pretty glad about that.

I'm starting to think about Christmas.

New

I feel like I've got a new Netbook. But I haven't, I'm still using the one I bought a couple of years ago. Last night I restored it from the recovery partition again, for the second time since owning it. You see, I counted up all of the applications I had installed and the list was HUGE. I was using it just like I would a notebook/laptop and I never intended that I would use it like that. It was taking longer and longer to load Windows and then I would have to wait while all the applications loaded, including things like the antivirus package and my anti-Spyware protection loaded. So basically, it was taking like-forever! Hence the decision to wipe it and start again. Now I have a fast loading Netbook again and I've only installed the minimum necessary software. There are a couple of programs I need to add but my email, office, social networking, blogging, bookmarking apps are all online and accessible through my favourite browser: Google Chrome. I feel cleansed and so does my Hard Drive.

We visited the town this morning and picked out a Hitachi stereo/CD/FM radio/iPod sound system for my daughter. She is starting to get interested in music of her own choice. So the time is right for her to have her own music system. We've had music players in the kids room before but they were mainly for our own use, now she has her own room as an 11 year old she has a clearer idea of what she likes to listen to. It wasn't all that expensive and the sound is quite good. I tried the speakers on the shelf but they actually sound better on the floor with their backs to the wall. I think that has amplified the bass.

It's match day 3 of the new football season. My team is West Bromwich Albion, they are playing tomorrow, rather than today like some other teams. I've been playing quite a bit of a football video game series called FIFA, it's published by Electronic Arts and at the beginning of all their games they have someone say "It's in the game", which I find a bit funny. I normally find that football games get very very cheap much quicker than other types of videogame. I think it's because the teams move between leagues each season and clubs change team members during the transfer season. So when you buy a new football game you expect it to have up-to-date teams and players. At least as up-to-date as at the start of the season at any rate. But I found this morning that I was able to create a new tournament and add the current crop of teams to it, so I might not have all the current players in the teams but I can mirror the teams that are in the current season's league.

Not much to post about

This is probably going to be a random post, as I don't seem to have much to say about anything. We're still sorting through stuff we brought with us when we moved. At least I can say its in the garage and not in storage where we would be paying for it. I found out where our local recycle centre is, after taking a few wrong turns. I briefly looked at Google Maps before I set off and the signposting to the centre wasn't, well it just wasn't - at least not from the direction I was travelling. The wrong turns did lead to to find a country park and a local wood, so I don't feel too bad about losing my way; sometimes a wrong turn helps in some other way (a bit like life!). The recycle centre itself was smaller than I've used before but it had a better feel to it. At our old centre I used to feel that the staff were a bit sharp, meaning I felt some trepidation before putting my rubbish in the skips, occasionally I would get one of them shouting I was putting something in the wrong skip. I know it's their job but I hate being told off.
I did a bit of gardening this weekend with my wife. Putting some slate chips down around the shrubs on the front garden, had to buy 8 bags and boy they are heavy! I did some digging in our back garden, which is much bigger than our old one. It's got some borders, grass, a stepped area and a patio. I would like to work out a design for it, my wife doesn't think it'll ever happen but actually I can't see her agreeing to what I've got in mind anyway. I like gardens that have secluded areas and interesting things. The garden centre where I bought the slates from had these ornaments that were zombies climbing out of the ground - just the head and arms as though they were rising from the grave. I thought they were quite cool but my wife would never have one.

second week back

It's the start of my second week back at work since my holiday. How the time goes by!

The holiday was good. At first I thought it wasn't going to be. But it always takes a day or two to settle, at least it does with us. After that you begin to realise that you're somewhere different and that you might as well enjoy it. I'm pretty positive and always look for the good but my wife at first is more sceptical. I wouldn't say she is negative generally but she is certainly quite negative at first when we go away and either the hotel or the apartment is new to her, she tends to notice the things I would gloss over. However, after the first couple of days she relaxes and we have a good time. Same thing happened this time and actually, even though I was worried it would be too hot and that there wouldn't be anything to do it turned out that was the good part. Lovely hot weather, water and a great time on the beach or by the hotel pool. My kids enjoyed themselves and I read a Michael Connelly, a Nicci French and a Stieg Larsson book, which is quite unusual for me to read so quickly. I preferred to read than watch TV.

Since being back from holiday, I hit work on the Monday and it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. This is now my second week back. I finally managed to walk into my new local town and although its smaller than our last town, it is actually a lot pleasanter. There are lots of charity shops and lots of smaller shops that are local people offering craft and other stuff. A new party shop was opening on Saturday and they must have booked an Elvis impersonator to open the store, even the town Mayor turned up and started to dance with people. It was quite good to see that.

Sorry to end this on a downer but we think our fridge has a problem. It makes no sound and doesn't seem to refrigerate properly. The door seals are good, the freezer compartment works and the light comes on when you open the door. It just doesn't seem to be refrigerating as constantly as it should. I think it might be expensive to fix.

It's the little things...

I was chatting to a colleague at work this afternoon about how small things you don't expect can have big consequences and might sometimes lead to death. For example, I guarantee that when I'm moving cables or trying to plug something in, at least one cable gets snagged around something meaning what should be easy becomes a lot of effort to try and reach and un-snag. Or when carrying a heavy box, my foot might hit something I didn't expect like the roll of a floor mat kicked up at the corner. Or perhaps I'm trying to move a box between rooms and it's just too big to fit through the door because one of the flaps is out and I haven't got a hand free to hold it in. I bet there are hundreds, if not thousands, of deaths each day due to small snags like that but in more extreme circumstances. Or perhaps not even extreme circumstances, I think there is some crazy statistic that suggests a number of people each year are killed by their own clothes. Imagine being killed by your own trousers! My own bastard trousers! I'm sure there must be some comedy value in that notion. I wonder if anyone has been killed by their own bra?

Where is summer?

Here are some thoughts I blogged earlier today...

I thought we were supposed to have fine weather this week, if the sky doesn't clear I don't see it getting any warmer.
I'm in a waiting room at the train station. A lady opposite me keeps yawning really deeply. On my journey home yesterday I sat opposite a lady who fell asleep with her head back and her mouth wide open. I had the mischievous thought that she looked like an inflatable doll as might be found in a adult catalogue. She wouldn't have thanked me for that thought, I'm sure.
The train announcer has told us that the train is delayed. That's a pain. I bought a fruit salad from a new stall just before the ticket barriers. I've eaten it but the fruit was very bland to be frank. I think that's the trouble with fruit salad, the flavours don't sit well together if you leave it too long. I don't think I'll buy the same thing again from the stall, even though the seller was pleasant enough.

Monday commute

Here's me posting something what I wrote on the train this morning...

I woke this morning, realising it was Monday and the weekend was over. A bit disappointing considering the weather is so nice. We're on holiday next week and I bet the weather is going to be unusually great here, meaning we could just as well as had the hot weather and not have to have spent a fortune on going away. I keep telling myself we're going to have experiences we couldn't have in this country. We're going to experience a different way of life for a week: you can't get that staying at home. That's certainly true.
I'm on the train at the moment. This is only my second journey from my new local station. It's a busier station, there are more places to catch a train to. I am lucky to get a seat. I didn't last week. I think a lot of people are on holiday for the next few weeks. I'm starting to think I should have taken more leave and had two weeks this summer. Never mind, at least I can take it at the next half term.
My journey is approaching it's end, I'll soon be walking in the sprawling metropolis that is the capital city. Another week begins....

Summer 2011

Hello all, what can I say but it's good to be back. I've been extremely busy in my work and home life since March but finally I feel like I can start to come back to the process of living life instead of worrying about where my family and I are going to live. We moved house 5 days into July and we're still in the process of trying to sort out boxes and boxes of possessions. The good thing is that we're very happy to be where we are and the house is really great. It does feel odd living somewhere where we all have enough space but it's nice at the same time knowing that it's a place we can grow into.

We were without the Internet for about a week and that really made a difference. It's hard to imagine life without the web. Fancy saying that 30 years ago, you'd get some strange looks. We're all connected up now, so I hope to be able to keep this blog up-to-date again.

My final thoughts for tonight are about looking forward to the holidays. My children break from school in two days and at the end of next week we fly to Spain for our holiday. I'm a bit excited and a bit fearful. I'm excited because it is somewhere different and will be a new experience for us as a family to be abroad. The last time we flew my son was just two years old. And I'm fearful because I feel the pressure of being the one who books the holiday, so if it doesn't meet expectations I'm the one who gets the blame. There are four people to please, including myself, and that's not an easy balance to get right. What happened last year was that I booked somewhere and it didn't meet expectations: I thought my wife would just return home after the first night but she stuck it out and by the end we were alright and even enjoyed ourselves: I know that sounds crazy but believe me it can be difficult when you don't get a lot of time off work - I think it takes a few days to unwind your springs and get into that holiday mood. My wife and I aren't lazy beach bums, so it will be out of character for us to do nothing. But really, that's my intention. Buy a nice reading book and just relax as much as possible, letting life go on around me while I chill. The only issue might be what to do with the children. I hope they are able to do the same. I suspect not though, they are like us in that respect! Ah well, at least it will be interesting no matter what.

Not Removed At All

I have been pre-occupied with moving house, that epic is still to finish running, but in the meantime I thought I would just visit my blog to check it out this afternoon. I was shocked to discover that it had been removed, the reason was apparently suspicious activity on my gmail account. So I've resolved that but I'm at a loss about the removal of my blog. I have managed to restore it but I don't need a shock like that very often, I'm not afraid to tell you.

I hope I will be able to blog regularly again soon. In the meantime it will be on an ad hoc basis.

The Return

My dear blog friends, I thought I would post an update since it has been so long. I am sorry I had to neglect my blog for a while, the pressure of different things was getting on top of me and I had to simplify my life. The things are:

• My daughter's school appeal
• Our decision to put our house up for sale
• Finding a new house
• Talking to mortgage lender and estate agents
• Starting a big new project at work before completing the last one
• Starting a new project for our local judo club

As you can probably guess, my daughter's schooling and our house move have been the biggest areas of concern for me. It's a massive decision and change for us. The process of buying and selling takes a long time we're finding out. I literally haven't been able to deal with so many things happening all at once. There have been things I've had to say I can't or won't do in order to be near home and family. Some of these things have been very painful, such as declining an invite to a friend's wedding in May. That really upset me. But I know that sometimes in my life, I just have to batten down the hatches and ride out the storm - and that's exactly what my life feels like at the moment.

Thank you for your good wishes, I hope to be back soon. I would like to give you some news on the house move when I can.

On Hold

This blog is on hold while I try to sort out life. Back soon.