How are you today?

[paul-pgss]

In my former relationship it was more a five year itch. So I'm confident that we're good

[sound world]

Good one, Paul! I wish you all the very best.

OK I went and bought a new Macbook Pro, my old Mac seemed to be dying, I shall sell the body for parts. I pronounced it dead at the same moment as Steve Jobs' death was announced, weirdly. Nightmare couple of weeks for me, like losing a limb, extraordinary how dependent we get on these things. I realise that a huge part of my life is stored on my Backup HD, so all I shall say to everyone here is...BACK UP YOUR FILES!

Some good news-my favourite poet, another Swede, Tomas Transtromer, has finally won the Nobel Prize for literature. Every October for the last couple of decades people have wondered whether the Nobel committee would award the prize to one of their own, and last year he was the hot favourite-but someone else won again and it seemed as if they were never going to honour him. So the news that he has finally won is fantastic.

My son, 15 now, has just gone off to do a week's work experience-strangely enough with my old employers, Horse and Bamboo Theatre. I stopped being their MD almost exactly twenty years ago and haven't had much contact since. Funny how the wheel goes round... My son is just at the point where he has to decide what he's going to do at A Level-and thereby create a career path, so I think it's quite timely that he'll spend a week in an artistic milieu which he'll either love or hate but will give him a valuable insight. Otherwise he definitely inclines to the scientific. The other day he asked me whether I would mind if he didn't do Music for A Level. I said no, of course not, he has to go with his own passions-(but inwardly I thought 'yes! I'd be terribly upset!!' .

[RobB]

Good to see you back on-line dave. Hopefully your new Mac will last longer than the old one?

I'm quite selective of what i back up....usually photos and family history documents although 90% of these items are also in a more physical format.

Good luck to your son. 15 is still very young to worry about a career....who knows what work he's going to be doing in 10 years time let alone fifty plus years time. No doubt he'll be retiring when he's 70 or 75 the way things are going?

If he takes after you, i'm sure he'll have a successful future as a musician in some form or other......and he won't need a bit of paper to achieve it either.

[blue]

Congratulations, Paul! I'm delighted for you.

[alx5962]

I really love my new job for now

Everyone is interested by my work, I only do webdesign, very pretty women around I manage my planning myself (no boss around me all the time to annoy me and slow down my work) and last by not least paid more.

[bday] [bday] [bday]

I really hope it will be like this for years, now !

[RobB]

Thats excellent news Alex....i'm delighted for you that you made the right move. Long may your new employment continue.

[alx5962]

Thats excellent news Alex....i'm delighted for you that you made the right move. Long may your new employment continue.

Thank you, Yoda

[blue]

Really pleased for you, Alex.

I'm wondering how much longer I will have a job at all, seeing as another two stores in our area are being closed. That only leaves us and one other store now.

Alex, Paul, I'm thinking of moving to Europe and becoming a housekeeper. Do either of you need a housekeeper?

[alx5962]

Really pleased for you, Alex.

I'm wondering how much longer I will have a job at all, seeing as another two stores in our area are being closed. That only leaves us and one other store now.

Alex, Paul, I'm thinking of moving to Europe and becoming a housekeeper. Do either of you need a housekeeper?

you're already in Europe, my dear

[Angie]

Congratulations, Paul! (um, a rainbow banana?) And congrats on the new job, Alex. Beth, I know it goes back a ways, but your baptism story was delightful, seriously! If I'd had my kids baptized I would prefer an unforgettable experience like that.

[paul-pgss]

Alex, Paul, I'm thinking of moving to Europe and becoming a housekeeper. Do either of you need a housekeeper?

Oh, I'm REALLY in need of a housekeeper. Doubt I can afford you though

[paul-pgss]

Angie, Beth, Alex, Rob en Dave, thanks for all the congratulations!!

[blue]

you're already in Europe, my dear

No I'm in Britain, which is a group of islands off the coast of Europe.

Sorry Alex, I know we've been 'part of Europe' for many years now but it's in name only as far as I'm concerned, and a lot of other Brits too! Island race psychology, I guess.

[blue]

Alex, Paul, I'm thinking of moving to Europe and becoming a housekeeper. Do either of you need a housekeeper?

Oh, I'm REALLY in need of a housekeeper. Doubt I can afford you though

Haha, you don't know how I've been living this past few years! Seriously, give me a room with a warm fire and decent food to eat, I'm yours!

I found out when I went into work on Sunday that the hours have been cut at the shop - I'm losing another 2 hours off my contract (ie 8 hours per month), which may not sound like much, but it equates to £50 a month. FFS. Another winter without heating approaches.

How is it that working people in one of the richest countries in the world in the 21st century are having to live without heat? Something is very wrong here. Meantime, the fat cats who run the Big 6 energy companies in the UK are taking home paypackets of over £1 million a year. Pretty sure they won't be doing without heating this winter.

[blue]

Beth, I know it goes back a ways, but your baptism story was delightful, seriously! If I'd had my kids baptized I would prefer an unforgettable experience like that.

It was definitely that! It'll be a family story for years to come, now.

Rocco had his first birthday on Sunday. Can't believe how quick that year has gone. He's almost walking by himself now.