Happy Birthday to...

Happy Birthday to my blog !!!

Just one year ago I was sitting in the office 'midst the christmas work lull and wondering what the hell this new software was that had appeared on my desktop.

317 posts later (why thats nearly one a day, you nerd) and what has changed ?

Well, that first ever post spoke of the pre-christmas theft of a baby penguin from a zoo on the Isle of Wight, a story which grabbed the heartstrings of the nation as a massive police hunt for the culprit was launched - the baby penguin was eventually found dead in a harbour, and this blog started going downhill at that point.

I also spoke of my glued in tooth, I'd forgotten that I spent last christmas not daring to bite on my left upper incisor for fear of losing it again, there followed a month or so of dental treatment and a bill of nearly £800 to get the tooth reinserted and I'm pleased to say that its still there, safe and sound - I still won't bite on it though.

And then came the third post, the one that got some attention from across the atlantic - the first gay marriage which was performed right here in Leeds. The thing that got me thinking about the anniversary of this blog was the gay marriage issue because the two blokes who were married at 8am on 21st Dec 2005 were interviewed again on Radio Leeds this morning, apparently they've spent all year arguing and bickering with each other - proof if proof were needed that gay marriages are as normal as everyone else's.

Twelve months on we've sold our house but the house that we were going to buy has been withdrawn fromt he market so we're hunting again - saw a house last night that would be suitable, all I have to do now is knock £15,000 off the asking price - my wife drives a hard bargain - and then we'll be looking forward to a new start in 2007.

Not only a house move but a shift in the business too, haven't mentioned it so far but we've now agreed terms on the sale of a majority share in our business - what sounds like a negative is actually a positive for me and Ned (my brother) and we're looking forward to new investment and a new lease of work life for 2007 - more about the nitty-gritty and whys and wherefores when all the paperwork is signed and sealed in January - suffice to say that HM Government and NatWest Bank will be the target of much shit flinging from me.

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On a nicer note, GMTV have this week featured a different junior school choir each morning - nothing brings a lump to the throat more than a group of five year olds singing childrens christmas carols, like a fool I was always too busy wth work to take an hour out to watch my children in their nativity performances, what a fooking idiot I was.

This mornings choir sang "Away in a Manger", 15 or so kids with no front teeth and santa claus hats covering their eyes, singing slightly off key but with bags of enthusiasm - and the lump in the throat moment - they were signing the song as well for deaf children, I could hardly see my cornflakes for the watery film in front of my eyes - perhaps its just as well that I never got to see my own kids doing that.

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Christmas shopping this afternoon at the White Rose Centre, how appaling is that going to be ?