Brave new world
When the world wide web was shiny and new, causing content to appear within it’s rapidly expanding sprawl required a very specific set of skills. Intrepid au...
Posts from 2024
In limbo
I find myself in a curious limbo at the moment - anything I post will not be delivered to subscribers until the administrators that run the Ghost infrastruct...
To the pixel mines
You know the one where you post the right thing to the wrong blog, or the wrong thing to the right blog? I’ll pretend that sentence makes some sense to me (i...
I did it again
You know the one where you post the right thing to the wrong blog, or the wrong thing to the right blog? I’ll pretend that sentence makes some sense to me (i...
Christmas Shopping
Following best laid plans last night that I never dreamed would come to fruition based upon my eldest daughter’s seemingly deliberate failure to either under...
Not shaving
Oh the hopes I had, leading into a week off work. The things I was going to do. The universe obviously saw those hopes, raised a considerable boot in the air...
Oh the possibilities
When I switch off my work laptop in a few minutes, I won’t be switching it back on for a little over a week. Nine days. Two weekends, and the days in-between...
The best and the worst
I’m a little bit sad today. A little bit disappointed. It’s hard to describe why without breaking any confidences, but I’ll try.
Four gatherings in four days
Rather that spread the celebration of Christmas with friends and co-workers throughout a number of weeks, this year we have compressed it all into one never-...
Burning the last day
If you work for the same company for long enough, you eventually amass more holiday days than you can possibly use. Add to that a busy year - billable for mo...
Old friends and strange dreams
I had the strangest dream in quite some time last night. Or at least I think it was last night. I’m never quite sure when the dream happens - during the nigh...
Humming in the Kitchen
Friday night. Listening to Kate Bush, accompanied by a glass of wine, eating secret cookies that were hidden in the book-case. I forgot all about the cookies...
You know the one where
You know the one where you post the wrong content to the wrong platform, because it’s nearly 2am again, and you’re about to collapse into a stupor?
Its been a few days again
Let’s keep a long story very short. The new version of the pretend aeroplane game that I make pocket-money out of arrived a week ago (I like calling it a “pr...
You know the one where
You know the one where you post the wrong content to the wrong platform, because it’s nearly 2am again, and you’re about to collapse into a stupor?
Development Day
I’m back at work today after a week at home - a “staycation”. Of course I work from home, so I’m not really “back” - I’m still here - where I was, where I am...
Immaculate Constellation
When I was young I was fascinated with science fiction movies. It’s perhaps worth noting that I grew up before the internet - before video recorders even - s...
Colours of the Wind
Against all expectation, I’m starting to understand not continually running from one thing to the next. It’s interesting though - this “finding a balance” la...
It’s been a few days
When invited to describe my online journal, I often describe it as “almost daily”, but in reality for the last few months it’s been “once or twice a week” at...
The day after the night before
I woke up this morning to a number of messages and emails from distant friends - apologising for the news I hadn’t read yet.
Resurrecting the Pandemic Podcast
Four years ago - during one of the periods of isolation in the depths of the pandemic - I recorded a podcast talking to family, friends, writers, and blogger...
Depressing inevitability
The clock ticked past 10am a little over fifteen minutes ago. I’m sitting barefoot in the junk room in front of the computer, scrolling through blog posts, r...
Stealing an hour from the Sandman
The clock ticked past midnight nearly three quarters of an hour ago, and now races me towards sleep as I endeavour to complete one more thing - writing this ...
Invisibility
Given unanticipated “home alone” status this morning I took it upon myself to wander into town and get some fresh air. Perhaps grab some breakfast at the pub...
The chocolate cookie quotient
After days filled with adventure and exploration last weekend, the return to reality this week has been somewhat jarring. I’ve been head-down for much of the...
Do not disturb
While the rest of the imaginary world (everybody else, in my head) took part in all manner of exciting adventures and escapades over the last few days, I beg...
Electricity
Exciting times arrived in the hereabouts this morning when a workman smashed and bashed his way around the front of our house. The workman was installing an ...
A self destruction and an exodus
In the spirit of Wellybob the Backwards Cat, who starred in a single episode of a british 1970s children’s television show called “Jamie and the Magic Torch”...
Tomorrow, another lighthouse
Yesterday marked our first full day in Brixham, and a concerted effort to not run here, there and everywhere - to not chase our own tail.
Berry Head and Sharkham Point
Today’s adventure took us along the coast path from Brixham to Berry Head and Sharkham Point. We left mid-morning in no hurry at all, and slowly made our way...
First morning in Brixham
A few weeks ago – after learning when I would be using my remaining work holidays – my other half arranged her remaining holidays to coincide, and asked an o...
Another day, another cafe
I’m holed up in the corner of the café where my daughters work – surrounded by a coffee, half a sausage roll, a chromebook, and a rag-tag band of people from...
The Upside Down
This week marks the first of my staycations – a series of “use them or lose them” holidays resulting from a year where I carried on working while others esca...
Sunshine on a rainy day
After working solidly throughout the year, I have ended up with almost all of my holiday allocation untouched. This is not unusual, given my character, perso...
Bookshops and Jigsaw Pieces
We were supposed to go for breakfast in town this morning – just the two of us. A quiet breakfast together, and a wander around town while the new car charge...
Coffee Solves Everything
Another five days have passed since the last post. Five days in which I stopped the cross-posting escapade, put up sign posts notifying the change, and then ...
The remains of the day
How on earth have I written nothing in the blog for five days? You might think – given the cavernous period of “missing time” that I would have breathless ad...
The four horses of the blogging apocalypse
After experimenting with cross-posting to various platforms over the last few weeks, I thought it might not be amiss to scribble down a few thoughts about th...
The way the web once was
For the last several weeks I’ve been perpetuating perhaps the most ridiculous escapade in quite some time - cross-posting blog entries to Wordpress, Tumblr, ...
D for Dog
This afternoon I have escaped the confines of the junk room for a couple of hours to visit the café where my daughters work. A break from staring at code for...
Twenty three years
Today marks twenty three years since I stood at the front of a church in front of family and friends, exchanged rings, and signed a legally binding contract.
Friday morning in Starbucks
It’s Friday morning, and I find myself sitting at a table in the middle of Starbucks. It just occurred to me that today is Friday 13th. Isn’t it interesting ...
At the Café
I have escaped from the confines of the junk-room for a few hours. I’m holed up in the middle of the café my daughters work at for the morning - or at least ...
Relentless
To say the last few days, weeks, or months have been something of a grind would be something of an understatement. A relentless trudge between drama, argumen...
Socially challenged
Rather than trudge through the rain this lunchtime to a nearby store that sells marvellous sausage rolls, I warmed up leftovers from the fridge, and plan to ...
Midnight
The clock is ticking inexorably towards midnight.
What if it’s made out of cheese
Why is it the moment I sit down to write a blog post, my body decides it’s time to visit the bathroom? It’s almost like my body is better at procrastinating ...
Authenticity
Following the quite predictable implosion and subsequent exodus of users from the hellscape that Twitter became once Elon gave free reign to the toxic horde,...
Recursion
Every time a computer wakes up, it sees the world for the first time. In the first seconds of it’s resurrected life it learns “how to be what you expected it...
Endings and beginnings
While attempting to work this week there has been constant noise from next door - the sound of workmen crashing and banging around in the garden. I wondered ...
Like an exhale
Tuesday became Wednesday ten minutes ago - while brushing my teeth alongside my daughter in the downstairs bathroom. We have a weird synchronicity - we often...
What will your verse be
Tonight is all about having nothing to write, but writing anyway - in the vague hope that forcing words into the keyboard will somehow cause them to self-org...
On the inside, looking out
It’s Sunday evening, and you find me sitting in the dark of the junk room listening to a random chill-out Jazz playlist. It feels like Charlie Brown is going...
Proper Posh
While messaging back and forth with a good friend this morning I opined that I used to write in the blog almost every day – and that somewhere along the line...
I’m still here
Somehow a week has passed since I last wrote in the blog. I’m not sure how or why. I used to write almost every day – sharing thoughts, ideas and whatever el...
Finding Balance
I seem to have fallen off the writing bicycle just recently. I know I’ll get back on it eventually – I always do – I just need to find a bit better balance. ...
1am is an old friend
How is it that I don’t write anything for days, and then the urge to write something appears an hour after I should have already been asleep?
Hyper Japan
On Saturday morning we dragged the entire family out of the house, jumped on a train, and headed towards Olympia in London – one of the biggest exhibition ve...
Being Dudley Do Right
My other half spent all afternoon and evening sorting through bank statements and downloads of transactions to prepare my tax return for next year. Once upon...
Running on two hours sleep
Our youngest daughter arrived in the living room late last night doubled up in pain. We’ve been here before. After giving her ibuprofen and paracetamol she w...
Paying it forward
I received a message from a friend on the other side of the world last night – somebody I have known for years. I think our story started back when Tumblr fi...
Election Night
In the United Kingdom we exercised our right this evening to vote for who we wish to form a government to lead the country over the next several years. I’m p...
Falling off the internet
For the last several evenings a thought burrowed away at the back of my mind – that I hadn’t written anything in the blog recently, and that I didn’t really ...
The core memory music time-machine
The clock is racing towards midnight, and before long my week off will be no more.
Beaches, Castles and Journeys Home
The weather turned during our final full day in the holiday cottage on Anglesey. While my other half holed up in the lounge for the better part of the day, I...
Shipwrecks, Puffins and Chip Shops
It’s been a long day. My feet hurt. My legs hurt. Ominously, the achilles tendon that flared up while doing a charity run last year has flared up once again....
South Stacks Lighthouse
Today’s adventure took us to the South Stack Lighthouse, on the north-westerly tip of Holy Island, Anglesey. The lighthouse was built in 1809 by Trinity Hous...
Slowing down
It turns out slowing down is far more difficult than I imagined.
By god sir, I’ve lost my leg!
Today has been very much a day of two halves – first exploring the ruins of a medieval castle, and then poking around the preserved family seat of a proper l...
The Rhoscolyn Coast Path
I finally fell asleep a little after 1am last night – after lying in bed listening to noises in the roof-space of the ancient cottage we’re staying in. A fur...
Anglesey
After a somewhat epic journey across the country during the day, we arrived on the island of Anglesey late this afternoon. Along the way we battled through j...
One more day
Several months ago, after a particularly difficult few weeks at work and home, my other half asked if I might book a few days away somewhere - just the two o...
Not the bravest smartest of funniest
My other half started watching “Suits” recently - the legal drama that launched several actors towards stardom - most notably Megan Markle, I suppose.
A kind of magic
I’m running on empty. Again.
Tomorrow
I’m headed into the city tomorrow with work - the heart of the city.
George and Kaspar
These two idiots are George and Kaspar.
All work and no play
This evening you find me sitting in the dark of the living room on my own, finishing off a glass of wine. Our old cat George is sitting across from me, stari...
The fool on the hill
I’ve been sitting in the dark of the living room for the last ten minutes, looking straight through a cup of hot chocolate. The cursor blinks on the screen i...
Two days in London
This past weekend has been a first for me. A long time friend from the other side of the world - a huge Harry Potter fan and collector - made the trip to thi...
You never know
I often wonder if we are leaves floating along a river - travelling together for a time, finding our way, sometimes drifting apart, sometimes returning, some...
Writing code
I’m not really sure where the last few days have gone. Actually - that’s not entirely true.
History, people, dinner and music
I watched the boxing this evening - the fight between Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury. Although I know very little about boxing, the result went the way I thou...
What will your verse be
Fifteen kilometres. I think that’s how far we walked today. A walk down to Talland, a pit-stop at the beach cafe, then along the coast-path to Polperro for l...
The journey home
After two days of glorious sunshine, the tables were turned this morning. The heavens didn’t so much open, as their entire contents fell on Cornwall.
Unexpectedly good trashy books on the beach
You know the one where you visit your parents for a long weekend with your youngest daughter, and then try to fit an entire weekend’s worth of activities int...
Sometimes predictable is good
It’s Friday morning, and you find us sitting on the train, whistling across the countryside towards the south-west of England. By “us”, I mean my youngest da...
Rebuilding Miss Nineteen
Note to self - grammar check blog posts before they go out into the world - then at least there might be a chance that entirely missing words will be picked ...
Filling the days with good
When our daughters were young, friends with grown children confidently remarked that while boys were hard work while young, girls would provide an entirely d...
Exhaling
After falling off the internet pretty spectacularly in recent weeks, I started looking at the likes of Threads, BlueSky, and the smouldering wreckage that Tw...
Where nobody knows your name
The clock is ticking towards 1am again. I’m not entirely sure how this keeps happening. I’m sitting in bed listening to a strangely relaxing ambient jazz caf...
Running and not dying (yet)
Well this is going well. I sat down to write something in the blog about going running after work today, and instead got sucked into watching some guitarist ...
Everything and everybody
It’s been a week. A week filled with hospital visits, very little sleep, and endless juggling at work. The good? Our youngest daughter is on the mend. Slowly...
Go straight to hospital - do not pass go
The night before last our youngest daughter started complaining that her back hurt. We didn’t think much about it at the time - she always has some ailment, ...
One thirty AM
You find me sitting in bed with a Chromebook propped in my lap, bathed in the light of a bedside lamp. Midnight came and went quite some time ago. All I can ...
Alexa knows me too well
It’s been a bit of a day. A bit of a week really. I’m at the start of a huge project at work, so wearing a succession of hats. Once the project starts rollin...
Catching up with the world and it’s dog
Today started so well. A lovely quiet morning clearing the decks before sitting down at my work computer to catch up on email. Oh. Why have they written to m...
Another Four Kilometres
I went for another run at lunchtime. I must be mad. After
A Very Quiet Weekend
After being invited out for dinner on Friday night, I found myself caught between a rock and a hard place. While I love spending time with friends, I haven’t...
Nearly Four Kilometres
I surprised myself this morning. After scraping myself out of bed I pulled on some running shorts and wandered downstairs. A few minutes later I was out in t...
Melancholy
I’m sitting in the dark of the junk room, lit by the glow of a desk lamp. Taylor Swift is quietly filling the room with wistful songs while I tap away at the...
Bootstrapping
There is a term used in computer science called “bootstrapping” - describing the process by which a computer starts itself - essentially bringing itself to l...
The Roads Not Taken
After the properly scary events of yesterday – which curiously seem like several days ago now – my body seems to be rallying somewhat. The pain in my shoulde...
Falling Apart
On the last day of our holiday I could feel either the same bug I had before going away making a comeback - doing an encore of sorts - or an entirely new bug...
Final Day in Prague
You find me sitting in the bar of the Hotel U Prince on the edge of the old-town square in Prague, watching the hours tick down towards the arrival of our ca...
The National Museum and Chimney Cake
After taking quite some time to scrape ourselves out of bed this morning (or rather, after it took my other half quite some time to scrape herself out of bed...
A Walk to Prague Castle
Yesterday morning we were up and out early for a walk to Prague Castle. Given we are staying in the old town, this meant picking out way through the city str...
Welcome to Prague
You know how you have all the good intentions to do something for day after day, but the moment never seems to present itself? That explains how you don’t kn...
Taylor and Tori
It’s been a week since the last post. How does that even happen? I remember years ago when I would write almost every day. How did I find time? Perhaps I did...
Sunday
It’s already Monday morning. I’m playing the age old game of avoiding tomorrow by making today last longer. It’s been a bit of a weekend.
Tired
How has an entire week passed since I last wrote anything in the blog?
Bletchley Park
After surviving another lap around the local star aboard our collective ball of mud, my other half asked what I might like to do this weekend. I pulled “Blet...
Experiences and Growth
Today’s writing prompt at Wordpress asks “what experiences in life helped you grow the most?”. Good question - and one I might answer differently on any give...
It’s late again
How on earth is it the 1st of March already? Also, it’s been almost a week since the last post on the blog. Again. What is happening? I can’t remember postin...
The Biggest Challenge
Today’s writing prompt asks “what is the biggest challenge you will face in the next six months”. Here’s where I step back, take a breath, think through if I...
Friday Morning
How has it been a week since I last wrote anything in the blog? I’ve been meaning to write something every day - but one thing or another has got in the way ...
Friday
Ever since I can remember, my middle daughter has had her heart set on joining the police. Throughout school she read endless books, and watched innumerable ...
Bluesky
About seven years ago one of the first federated social networks appeared on the internet. If you’re unfamiliar with the term, “federated” just means “not a ...
Saturday Night
I canceled my Amazon music subscription this evening, and re-signed with Spotify. While pulling pizza from the oven at dinner time I explained to our middle ...
Exploiting the machinary of the social networks
There’s something I’ve noticed on the various social networks recently – I imagine some of you might have noticed it too – a crafty trick to do with the algo...
Computers and the Internet
Today’s writing prompt asks what the most important invention in your lifetime is. While it’s an easy question to answer – the internet – it only really make...
Perfect Day
Today’s writing prompt asks us to describe an ideal day, from beginning to end.
What If
How do significant life events or the passage of time influence your perspective on life?
Here, There and Everywhere
I logged into Wordpress at lunchtime, expecting a writing prompt to appear - only it didn’t, because it’s not January any more. That didn’t stop a piece of t...
Annoyances
Yesterday’s writing prompt (because I missed a day again, and it’s much easier than today’s writing prompt) asks “what do you complain about the most?”
Winning the Lottery
Today’s (or rather yesterday’s) writing prompt asks what we would do if we won the lottery. I say “or rather yesterday’s” because it’s already gone midnight,...
Books
Today’s writing prompt asks “what books do you want to read?”. I’m trying not to grin while writing this - and wondering if I can just write “all of them”.
Five Things for Fun
Yesterday’s writing prompt asked what five things we do for fun. I say “yesterday’s writing prompt” because life kind of landed on me like a bag of spanners ...
The Internet Detective Agency
I got followed by somebody on Tumblr the other day - who then private messaged me and struck up conversation. After a few messages back and forth - “love you...
Living the Dream
Today’s Bloganuary writing prompt asks what our dream job might be. I can certainly tell you what my dream job was when I was young.
Uninvention
Today’s writing prompt asks “if you could un-invent something, what would it be?”.
Decluttering
I’ve given up trying to take part in “Bloganuary” every day. Life happens. Mayhem happens. What was it Obama said to the woke keyboard crusaders? Life is com...
Memories of California
Life conspired somewhat yesterday - causing me to miss a day of the Bloganuary writing prompts. I’ve just carved out half-an-hour amid the usual weekend mayh...
Communication
Today’s writing prompt asks “in what ways do you communicate online?”. The quick answer would almost certainly be “not as much as I used to”. The real answer...
All the peanuts
Today’s prompt asks “what snack would you eat right now?” - which I think might just set the low bar so far in terms of the writing prompts fed from Wordpres...
A Child of the Star Wars Generation
Today’s Bloganuary prompt asks us to “describe an item you were incredibly attached to as a youth”, and “what became of it?”.
Pretend Aeroplanes and OnlyFans
Today’s Bloganuary writing prompt challenges those taking part to “come up with a crazy business idea”.
The Mission
Today’s Bloganuary writing prompt asks “what is your mission?”. Sometimes it feels like my mission is no more than making it through the day unscathed. There...
Who wants to live forever
Today’s Bloganuary prompt asks “What are your thoughts on the concept of living a very long life?”. Quite apart from objecting to the wording of the question...
What could you do differently
Today’s Bloganuary prompt asks “What could you do differently?”. Oh my word. This question must be out of the top-drawer of cold reading questions. A grand f...
Freeway Billboards
Today’s Bloganuary prompt asks “If you had a freeway billboard, what would it say?”.
The Future or the Past
Today’s Bloganuary writing prompt asks “do you spend more time thinking about the future or the past? Why?”.
The Greatest Gift
Today’s “Bloganuary” writing prompt asks “what is the greatest gift anybody could give you”.
Playtime
Today’s writing prompt for the annual “Bloganuary” blogging escapade is “Do you play in your daily life? What says ‘playtime’ to you?”.
A challenge for the year ahead
During January I’ve decided to take part in the annual “bloganuary” escapade at Wordpress - where you’re encouraged to write something inspired by the writin...