FOR SALE

At long last our house is now For Sale with the local Estate Agent.  The bloody HIP (Home Information Pack) nonsense meant that there was a two week delay before we could advertise but now it's all systems go.  

I'm not daft, I know that we are in the middle of a recession and house sales are at an all time low, but anyone looking for a house at the moment is in luck, there are some great deals out there - not least our home.  

So if you're looking a lovely big family home that's been filled with love since we bought from new, here's your chance - take a peek at the Agents website for details and pictures.

 http://www.dezrez.com/drapp/Search.ASP?WCI=Particular&WCE=001459105

Phew, I've finished Chapter 1

It's been a really good day today. 

Dave has been running around taking more 'stuff' to the tip, dropping off the contract with the Estate Agent and taking Murphy to hydrotherapy, all so that I could spend the day writing.  And all his hard work has paid off, I've finally managed to finish Chapter 1. of Death in the Morning.

I can't believe how much fun this is to write.  With feedback and comments from Dave and Paul Daniels (yes the real Paul Daniels!) my hero is morphing from a quivering wreck in to a foul mouthed maverick, although I'm not sure if that's what either of them expected to happen.

Now I suppose you're wondering why Mr Magic himself is commenting on my story, well if I say that's it's all down to the power of Twitter would you be surprised? Well not half as much as I was when he Twitted me with his comments on my last post - you could have knocked me down with the proverbial feather - all hail the power of Twitter.  

I'm thinking up a new challenge for Twitter, something that's never been done before - keep watching this space and all will be revealed.

Dear Diary

I've never kept a diary, I've written numerous holiday journals and for the past couple of years I've rabbited away on this blog but I've never written in a proper diary.  I was about to say that I'm not sure why, but the real reason is that if I starting writing one then I would have to be honest about everything, feelings, emotions, relationships, everything and I don't think that I could do that.

No that's not true, I could do it, but then I would be terrified that somebody might read it.  After all what would people think of me if they knew that instead of being the kind of person who always believes that the cup is half full, they suddenly realised that sometimes I could scream about life not being fair and regret that I didn't have the courage to do things that might now have me living on the lap of luxury on a Caribbean island.

I couldn't cope with laying myself out to such scrutiny when the times I spend navel gazing are so infrequent.  Most of the time my cup really is half full, it's just now and again, usually after a disturbed night or bad news, that I could put my head in my hands and weep about how shitty life is.   Introspection would give me an ulcer, so I think that I am far better off looking on the bright side, keeping my chin up and occasionally topping up the half full glass.

There is a diarist I particularly admire though.  Alright Tit is the diary of a young woman who has been having treatment for breast cancer.  She writes with passion and humour about a subject that most of us, if we are honest, would prefer not to think about.  

The funny thing is that I only found her blog because of Twitter - Steven Fry again - 

I think it's fabulous that potentially millions of people all over the world can now read such an inspirational story just because they can access a computer.  

As I've said many times before, this interwebby thingy is a very strange place....

I feel a real twit

I'm in a quandary

Many moons ago I signed up to Friends Reunite. What fun I thought, you can look up your old school friends and see what they have been up to over the years. Then dear FR started charging for emails and frankly I was miffed - this wasn't what I signed up for but reluctantly I paid my £7 (?) and mailed a few old school mates. Now of course the service is free and you can mail away to your heart's content and believe me some people are doing just that.

This week I had a message from somebody I don't know, never heard of them, can't remember them for toffee and I don't know what to do about it- should I mail this woman back and explain that the ravages of time and a misspent youth have addled my brain and I can't remember going to school with her? or should I just ignore her message and leave it sitting in my inbox as a permanent reminder that I am a bad person who doesn't deserve friends? I did ask an old friend who has a wonderful memory for all things scholastic (I can't even remember the name of my favourite teacher - how bad is that!) but even she didn't know the name. I feel so guilty, this woman obviously knew me and even mentioned that I used to have long red hair - shit, what ever I do will feel wrong. I don't want to upset her by telling her that she is truly unmemorable but on the hand it seems rude not to reply, but on the third hand I tried searching for her in my old schools and couldn't find her, so maybe she isn't who she says she is - maybe she is a stalker - maybe she isn't a she at all - maybe I'm being groomed!! But probably I'm just being neurotic and should get on with some work.

While I'm rabbiting about this social networking stuff I have a confession to make - I have joined Twitter - and what a strange phenomenon that is. If I'm honest I only signed up because of an interview I saw/heard with Steven Fry who was raving about it, shallow I know but at least I'm honest.

The trouble is I don't know what to do on there. I am 'following' mainly news based and current affairs type stuff ( as well of course as Steven Fry) and it was very strange that half an hour after I started 'following' Barrack Obama (how cool is that) I had message to say that he was following me.....Do you think that means that some poor sod in the Pentagon or the White House is logging onto to Twitter each day to see what Barry's 'followers' are twittering about? I wonder how much they get paid? I wonder if they have ever considered employing a remote worker for the job? Just think they could be paying me for doing something that is a bigger waste of time than being a mystery shopper (don't ever believe that customer service is important in this country - that way lies madness!) after all what do they expect Barry's followers to be twittering about? world domination and the collapse of capitalism?? As far as I can see the only things being talked about are either breaking news from Channel 4 or random twitters telling you what they had for breakfast - as I've said many times before the web is a very strange place!