Becoming a father... the best thing ever!

It's finally happened, I've joined that club of men who can be called fathers... and I don't mean a priest! Yes, I am the proud father of a beautiful baby. Whenever you seem to talk with a man in the lift and you discover they're a dad there's a bit of a common bond instantly established. It almost goes without saying, you just know, they have a different air about them. Perhaps it's the twinge of grey in the hair from the stress, the distinct look lack of sleep gives any new parent or perhaps it's the beaming smile they just can't seem to shake - and why would they? Many people ask 'what's it like becoming a dad?' and until it happens to you, there's no real way to describe it.. it's amazing, scary, beautiful, special, unpredictable, exhausting and numerous other things all rolled into one big feeling. The moment you discover you're going to be a dad is exhillerating and daunting... the build up as the weeks tick by shift from exciting to boring to preparation and a bit like your first Christmas... the anticipation is all consuming. Birth day, depending on how the birth goes, is just breathtaking, the finest example of human nature in its rawest, simplest form. You are fairly helpless apart from offering support, requesting attention from the medical team or just begging the wife to push as hard as possible when they're spent from all the contractions and reassuring her when they finally are delivered. Ultimately, it's something that is so personal and intimate you can never express it properly but you know you wouldn't change any part of it for the world and the pride and achievement, even though you're mostly a spectator in their life, is beyond compare. Finally the sense of love you experience for and from your child and partner is perfection and blissful in its truest form. Lovely... simply lovely!

www.GamesScoop.com - start following it!

If you're interested in having an impartial review about apps, games and technology as well as any relevant news, take a closer look at www.gamesscoop.com! It's a pretty new site but one that's honest and not quite your mainstream mouthpieces for conventional marketing ploys etc. It's definitely a site worth trusting and hopefully will start to grab the attention of the underground indie gamers and game makers as well as anyone else interested in the scene.
At the end of the day we pay too much on stuff we don't want - why cram your iphone, ipad or ipod or android phone or anything else for that matter with junk and pay for it?! Get an insight and fair review first!

Amy Winehouse RIP

I won't speak ill of the dead and my sympathy goes to Amy's family. I can't say it came as a shock that she passed away as we know of her well publicized issues with drink and drugs. It's a waste of a life and I hope that it will help prevent more wasted lives from being wasted in the same way.
Of course the monster that is media had covered everything she did and indeed didn't do. There will be much speculation over this but I hope that in the end she and everyone finds the peace they sought.

Sore foot and yet my boss still wants me to work!

I was unlucky enough to stamp my foot down onto a plug so one of the prongs gashed it. I can't believe how sore it is. I think what's worse is the skin flapping about and the bruise being rubbed by the shoe.
My boss wants me in to work as we're deadlining this week. On the one hand I am up for it as I like keeping active and I'm mentally fine, but on the other hand I can't barely walk to or from work let alone drive or go out on patch and visit clients. It's crazy!

Botox like crack!

I don't agree how a surgeons can offer free botox knowing that it's like a drug to addicts or a way to tempt people into this falsely beautiful world. It's so superficial and a dark art to practice. Once you try it, you'll have to keep doing it to maintain the effects. It's horrid!

Cosmetic Surgery

I attended a cosmetic surgery specialist the other day. The session was quite weird as they had champagne flowing, botox for free and loads of other non surgical things before the talk. The talk itself was freaky though. The surgeon made it clear he was going to promote surgery (after all it's his profession) but also wanted to promote the less invasive procedures.
His talk was interesting enough given that it was all about how he was ethical. Shame that these ethics weren't translating into caring for the patient mentally. Surely somewhere a governing body (which isn't owned by a select few surgeons for their own ends) should step in and say that the issue should be treating people with dignity and not trying to milk them for all these different operations.
I thought I was in another world when he said that all ugly people would be beautiful in 10 years time. Partially down to technical advances, partly down to people getting treatments done earlier on and it being more commonplace.
I wonder if people in the congo (not saying that anyone there's ugly), would agree with him at all? I doubt it! I just don't think that they live on the same planet these specialists. Obviously the botox has got into his brain!

Saturday night

Another week over with and a Saturday night on the horizon. I can't wait to have another night with my wife!

Promoted at work!

I am really pleased to announce that I finally have been promoted at work today. This long overdue promotion came in recognition for making significant sales and contributions in the office as well as launching new platforms in the magazines I work on which has seen fresh revenue come in and helped others generate money.
The increase in pay will certainly come in handy as we're planning to get away for a week soon.

Newsflash...Hell Freezes Over

News just in... we've received reports that hell has frozen over. A rather angry Mr. B. Alzebub is quoted in saying "What the hell?!" and "I didn't see that coming!"
We'll return to this exciting story with more details as soon as we have them. Be sure to stay tuned to hear the latest!

The best feelings in the world...

Feel free to add to this list but I think to get things started the best feelings in this world are -

Love (and being loved)
Finding money in your pocket/in the street
Having a soak in a hot bubble bath or jacuzzi
Sunbathing somewhere beautiful
A freshly made bed after a long day

Tired, cranky and looking forward to having a good soak and long night in bed!

After having such a hard day at work I really feel irritated and generally not up for socialising or let alone speaking or listening to anyone. I just really want to come home, put my feet up, have nothing on the telly and unwind properly or I'm likely to go into meltdown.
I hate feeling this way! At least it's over with and I have the nice evening and some food and drink and bed to look forward to after having a nice hot bath to soak in.

Tuesday.. Monday's hangover!

I've got a sneaking suspicion that Monday's get all the bad press and that perhaps Tuesday deserves to fall into the same category of Monday blues.

London Gay Pride 2011 - Let Down!

My wife got back from the London Gay Pride event today and it was a total blow-out. Having to wait for hours to get into the loos, crime (her brother had his bag pinched - including all his booze!), crowds everywhere and generally no atmosphere or sound systems to be found anywhere... sadly the worst bit of all was the attitudes of quite a few attending. I doubt 2012 is going to be worth it?! This seems to be something that keeps getting worse year on year.

Staying in and babysitting

My wife really loves going to gay pride and as her friend couldn't go as she couldn't find anyone to babysit her children I volunteered as I quite like her children and last year pride didn't seem as good as previously. It's a good deal really as I get to chill out this weekend and they get to go out and party. I wonder if I'm getting too old for this kind of thing? At least its good practice for when we may have kids!

Getting my first comment on blogspot

I am so happy to have had my first comment on Blogger. I had started to wonder if anyone had been reading the posts and more to the point what the thoughts were. True this is my personal bit of the web where it doesn't really matter who or what people think as it's not ably that, but I am delighted to hear that I have helped someone out, especially knowing they were interested in Train2Game (please see my blog about that). I really hope they can now find a better course and path to achieve their goals.

Wedding Day

Went to a friend's wedding yesterday and it was pretty nice. We attended a church and turned up just as the bride was about to walk down the aisle. It was pretty brief, just a couple of tunes played over the PA system and a short service and then it was outside for photos of the grand day.
After we had all been filmed we filtered our way to the reception. It wasn't quite what I think many had expected but what the place lacked in form seemed to make up for in warmth and love as the people all were genuinely very happy.
It's funny thinking that the last wedding I was at was my own!

Heatwave in the UK

It looks as though finally summer has started. Spring showed a taste of what hopefully should be to come and after a few wet days and nights and mud being on the menu at all the festivals (when isn't it?) if today's anything to go by, we are going to be all having a proper summer that will be just what we've wished for - who needs to go abroad when you've got days like these? I just wish I had air con in my car! Man I am roasted!

How do you uninvite someone who's invited themselves?

I was wondering how to uninvite someone who's invited themselves to a family holiday? Both my wife and I were planning to escape to the countryside later this year and our friend ended up inviting herself along with her two kids. Since then we've been wondering if it's such a good idea for a number of reasons but when it's been brought up in conversation she's managed to play on things and avoid getting told she can't come. So now we're left feeling a little cornered into taking them along when it was meant to be a romantic break away. How can you let someone down gently or should it be done quickly and sharply like a plaster?

Helping my neighbour pays!

I got home today to find out my neighbour had asked her carer to deliver a card with a thank you note inside as well as a £10 note to treat ourselves with a drink on her. I feel awful about accepting the money but I don't want to offend by handing it back. We pressed the intercom and said thank you to her and we had a brief conversation. I wonder if she'll start being more involved now? Probably not but I hope she doesn't feel so intimidated.

Good Deed for the Day

I had a shocking day at work and basically when I got home couldn't crawl into bed soon enough. I woke up hearing a gentle tapping on the door and discovered it was my neighbour upstairs. I've never seen or spoken with her in my life (despite being her neighbour for about 2 years - I think this is normal for London). She'd managed to blow the fuses and couldn't get the lights or sockets to work so after a few tentative flicks of the switches, I found it was the kettle fluking the switch as she'd managed to pour water over the base (and power supply).
I hope this means she won't think we're ogres!