I'm not a coprophiliac, but…
Why is it, that since I got a camera phone, I keep having to suppress the urge to take photos of wholly inappropriate stuff and send it to people I know?

I haven't yet given in to the temptation, so no pictures of hands or elbows or any other part of me has winged its way through the airways (and certainly no pictures of the produce of my digestive system), but is it only a matter of time?

Is this an urge which strikes everyone who has a camera phone, or is this something which is personal to me?

The short answer is I don't know whether this is a faze which will pass (I sincerely hope so – for the people in my phone book's sake as much as anything), or whether this is something I'll have to put up with until I either abandon my new found technology, or give in and send pictures to one and all.

Those in my phone book: you have been warned.

Those who now want to be in my phone book - leave a comment and I'll bear you in mind should I crack.
- posted by Paul @ 2:45 pm |

 
Heartbreaking
Had the terrible news that one of my friends has breast cancer this week.

The fact that it's incredibly rare in women under 30 is unlikely to be of any comfort I would have thought. Sadly, the first doctor she saw about it told her it wasn't cancer meant that rather than catch it early things have worsened.

What do you say to someone who now has this to deal with?

I'm sorry - doesn't really begin to scratch the surface of how sad I feel, or do anything to appease how crap she and her husband must feel.

My heart just breaks every time I think about them, and I feel like crying.

At times like this my own mortality, and that of those I hold dear, is really brought home to me. It's not a good feeling to consider I'm statistically into the middle third of my time on the planet assuming I live into my seventies, and with the chances of experiencing some form of cancer less than 1 in 4 if memory serves me correctly, it means this probably won't be the last time that I’m confronted by this issue.

For those who are already affected, my heart goes out to you.

All I can say to those who aren't is: please make sure you remain careful and vigilant because this is one issue which won't go away, no matter how hard you want it to.
- posted by Paul @ 4:47 pm |

 
Overdue Welcome
A quick welcome to Pete, who has finally joined my blogroll after an age in which I've kept thinking "must add Expecting to Fly" but never got round to it.

Better late than never, that's what I say.
- posted by Paul @ 5:29 pm |

 
Keeping my finger out
Those of you with good memories will no doubt recall this post in which I detailed the basic thrust of my last appraisal, when I was told to up my game or else I'd be out of work this time next year.

Yesterday, I had the follow up meeting which went something like this:

Them: "We're really impressed, you've responded in the way we had hoped, and we want you to keep doing it."

Me: "Hurrah!"

So it's a hearty pat on the back for me, and a plea for more of the same from them.

My next trick is to try and raise my blogging game, whilst keeping up my increased level of paid work.
- posted by Paul @ 5:25 pm |

 
Just a quick note…
To say I'm back from my holiday, which hopefully I'll have time to tell you about later.

I notice that England appears to have become cold, wet, miserable and dark in my absence.

Happy Birthday to my beautiful wife – who was taking her first breaths 27 years ago today, and without whom my life would be immeasurably poorer.
- posted by Paul @ 3:30 pm |