Thursday morning

This has been my morning so far -


I've made my own espresso blend; not through skill or the urge to experiment but because I didn't have enough coffee left to fill my espresso pot and used the last of three different bags. I'm now on my third espresso (having had my second one stolen by the cat) and it's pretty excellent. I'll never be able to repeat it but I suppose one should enjoy the fleeting experiences of life, everything being impermanent and all. (I've been reading lots of books about Buddhism recently.)
It's hard to enjoy the small things in life when you're rushing around the way I tend to these days. I've found that the best way to appreciate the details of the life you're leading is to never become an adult. I try to look at my life with the excitement of a child pretending to be an adult. I'm playing at being a grown up but I'm not trapped in being one. I think that makes sense.
I'm also currently reading tons of ghost stories as I'm overjoyed that it is getting into Autumn and that's the best time for ghost stories. This book was set dressing for a show at work and I rescued it before it was gotten rid of. It contains my favourite M.R. James story called, "The Mezzotint". It's excellently spooky and well worth a read: you can find it free online.

Just back from a couple of days in Stratford.
There was a place that sold Harry Potter type stuff and played the Nightmare soundtrack on loop! It was amazing. There was Shakespeare stuff too. Here are some pictures;

Spent ages exercising yesterday. It felt great to be doing something again. I did a warm up with my medicine ball and then spent about 45 minutes on my spear. I don't ache half as much as I expected to this morning. Back is killing me though.
Just been for a quick walk to free up my back a bit and then did the washing up and the hoovering. Lunch in a second.
My goodness I miss Naomi. Not that it'd be much more exciting with her here, but it'd be better.
Need some string to tie up this rose bush. It's pretty mad.

So today is our 5th wedding anniversary. I'm making crispy duck with pancakes and greek salad. The same meal I made her on our first date type thing. I've just come home from having my hair cut and dropping Naomi off at work and, rather than spend all afternoon home alone I drove the long way home past Chatsworth and stopped off at the garden centre. Spent ages looking around for nothing in particular and found a really cheap cranberry bush. I got that and some ginger beer and have just got home. I got asked for ID when I bought the ginger beer. Score!
So I'm now sat at the table in the yard blogging and checking up on why the work Facebook page has stopped updating. Next it's planting my cranberry and tesco for duck and salad and off to fetch the missus.
Big day.

Forgot to actually put anything on here about the fact that Naomi is pregnant. It's still a little bit unbelievable but It's absolutely amazing. Here's our first picture -

Sexy Byron.

Oh yeah.

Blogging from my phone. Fancy.

Having always been moving house I've never managed to vote before because I've never been at a registered address at the right time. Today I managed to vote for the first time in my life and even though it may not make much of a difference I can finally see what people mean when they say they're proud that they can vote.
Walking back home knowing that in some small way I at least had a say is something everyone should be thankful for.
I'm honoured that people fought for my right to have a say in this country and I hope to always use it wisely.

Finally got started on the back garden by painting the fence white. Looks a lot better. There's just so much to do in this house it's hard to figure out where to start.

I never celebrated valentine's day. I've always tried to be romantic spontaneously rather than on a specific day.
The reason today is special to me is that on this day 7 years ago I had the first conversation with the woman who became my wife. Here's a bit of my blog post from the next day.

I answered the phone and got to spend ages talking to her. I was so scared of not being able to talk or having nothing to say, 'cause that's how I am, but she was telling me all about her night and things seemed to go pretty well. I was so nervous that I couldn't stand still. I ended up walking around most of town just to distract myself from being on the phone to her in some way. I'm sure I sounded like and idiot some of the time but just being on there with her and hearing her voice (which was beautiful) was amazing. She has the prettiest accent I've ever heard.
So yeah, that was that. I got a bit cold and a bit wet as I ran out so fast I forgot my top and was only wearing a t-shirt but none of it mattered.
It was so perfect to spend my valentine's day on the phone to her.

Whether you are in to valentine's day or not I hope everyone has  the chance to feel a connection with another human being that makes them as happy as that made me.

Finally got around to doing something with my other blog.

Here you go [link]

I love snow!

I don’t think there’s much in this world that makes me happier than snow. Similarly there’s not a lot that elicits more heart-felt grief than the day the snow starts to thaw.

Every time it snows I think I’m honestly sure it’s going to stay this time. That it’s finally going to be Narnia or something. So, when the inevitable comes, I do really grieve to see the colour coming back in to everything. The pavements; the houses; even grass. At the minute we’re still being bombarded so there’s a while to go yet before we see a pavement. Speaking of which I’ve spent at least two hours of today shovelling our drive. (With a spade; you don’t really appreciate the difference till you try and shovel with a spade.) I should mention I was doing this during snow fall so, by the time I’d gotten halfway, the bit I started at was covered again. It was a getting a bit “King cnut” (That is how you spell it; I looked it up. Not a typo.) so I came back inside for a shower. Even that didn’t annoy me though; if it wasn’t for my body aching from stooping so low with the shovel I’d have gone on all day. It’s just lovely to be out in.

I’m now sat waiting at the window for Naomi to arrive home and watching the snow flurry in the street lamp.

It’s been a good day.

I feel like i constantly have to re-evaluate my idea of how stupid other people are after driving.

So, this is my first re-design in years. I kind of wanted to keep my blog as it was when I first met my wife but things have to move on and this one is nice and simple.
I don't need to desperately cling on to something from the past any more. Letting go of that time is hard but I think it'll be better to move on. The symptom of not wanting anything to change was just a fear that it might have done, I know now it won't and the future will be better than any of the past was. I have my memories and posts from that time so there's no need to keep everything stuck in the same rut.
This doesn't make much sense, i feel an edit coming on later.

THE HOOVER

Missus is currently trying to build a hoover. It’s going well so far; it’s hoover shaped.

”Doing ok?”

”Do you think I KNOW?”

Better go help.

Sherlock

The newest member of the family. Look upon her in awe!

New hair!
Shortest it's been for ten years. Maybe longer. I'm liking it though; I thought I'd feel much less like myself than I do. I feel more myself if anything. Strange.
Really loving Lastfm at the minute.
^_^

Missus is sick.
I don't like it when the missus is sick.
Byron won't stop screaming at the bedroom door.
Fecker.

SNOW!!

So, yes, lots of snow. It’s the deepest I’ve seen it for years and it’s actually stopped me from getting out to work today. Hopefully going to get out for a walk though. We went out for a run in the fields last night in the dark. That was pretty amazing.

So, Panto’s over; Assassin’s Creed 2 is over (till the DLC!) and Christmas is over. It was pretty awful taking down the tree and everything else. I’ve not even put any pictures up here of our cottage Christmas. I’ve gotten a bit useless about taking photos recently. Even more so about being excited enough to show them off.

Missus is currently cooking pancakes so I’m away. Bit late, I know, but we didn’t get up till nearly twelve. Laaaazy.

Ok, bye.

^_^

The wonderful wizard of Oz

The show’s actually looking quite good. I think it’s the first show I’ve lit that I’m actually quite proud of in places.

The last few days have been amazing. Tuesday was exhausting but it was worth more than anything in a long time. Things are going good ^_^

AND Assassin’s Creed 2 should arrive tomorrow!