Well, it seems winter is here again.  Sitting in my office, next to an open window so that the server cooling unit can have it’s exhaust pipe hanging outside - and it is snowing.  My main concern right now is that I remember the last time it snowed - and public transport just stopped.  That was fine - because I was at home.  (Well - at the pub, but close enough)  But this time - I am at work.  I am really hoping that the good old Transport For London keeps running long enough to get me home.  Or the pub - close enough.

But anyway - I realised today that I hadn’t updated this for a while.  The reason I remembered, was that I discovered last night that over the last one or two nights - Chook has been staying up all night, reading it.  There is something vaguely disconcerting about the image of Chook sitting at his desk at 2am, reading through everything I’ve written over the last few years, while I am asleep in the very next room.  I have a stalker, and he has a key to my house.

Other than that - I guess the last month or so has been a period of settling into the new house, new suburb.  The nice man at the wine store has already started giving me ad-hoc discounts “because you are such a good regular”.  I have discovered where to buy the best grapefruit juice (or - in French - pamplemousse.  Such a good word… PAMPLEMOUSSE!).  I can’t find any hollandaise sauce yet, or even dry mustard to make my own.  But - am hopeful for my next search - gonna go to one of the bigger supermarkets, and then it will be eggs hollandaise, eggs florentine, eggs benedict for breakfast every weekend.  Have been playing squash rather regularly.  Soon, I will buy my own racquet - and a tracksuit, and will tell everybody that “I am a squash player”.  Luckily, this will probably be next year - when my New Year’s Resolutions kick in - and one of those should prevent me from hating myself for saying that.  Speaking of New Year’s - we are having a party.  And you WILL come.  And Resolutions - I am still in the process of finalising those, but I’m nearly there.  The theme this year is ‘Album Titles’.  Every resolution will be in the form of an album title.

As for my nemesis, the old binge drink - there hasn’t been too much of that recently.   Moving away from The Greyhound has been a huge help.  Last Friday - I went to a gig (is that how the kids say it?), and then on to a surprise party Bibby had organised for Ang.  Everybody there was really rather intoxicated.  Martin bit my ear.  Ang was needing plenty of assistance to stay upright.  Bibby had given up on the whole upright thing.  And there was madness aplenty.

And that’s about it.  Over the next couple of weeks - I am working.  Working on Jeebers’ birthday - to make sure that nobody tries to get me to work on New Year’s.  Which you WILL be coming to.  Balham.  31 December.  Don’t forget.

All photos thus far have been uploaded.  Nathan - you´ll be happy.  Photos from a bar.  Thought I might have to get some random bar photos from NZ to post, but luckily - big night out last night.

Well - I’ve given in, and decided to make this whole website thing easier.  Even if it means using a ‘Web-Log’ - like all the other self-absorbed wankers around the world.  And even though I AM self-absorbed, and possibly even a wanker - that’s not actually the reason I’ve given in.  It will actually be handy for travel, I guess - letting folk back home know that I’m still alive.

Eventually though, I’m sure, it will devolve into nothing more than my being opinionated, and relating the minutiae of my everyday life.  Even this initial post has shown signs of both these normal ‘Web-Log’ behaviours already, damn it.  Therefore - I will finish up - and go back to sitting on the couch with my delicious Export Dry, watching the Black Caps thrash the Arsetralians.  What was Adam Parore, or was it Carlos Spencer (always get those two preening cocks mixed up) - thinking when he knocked Fleming?  Sure - he probably lost that one game for us, but ……