As I state on my home page, this site is not intended as a blog. Since I couldn't entirely resist, this page is to note any major changes in my circumstances - e.g. a new job, emigrate, get married, sent to jail ...
Update: 8 October 2005
None of the above has happened yet.
Update: 20 December 2005
Who says nothing ever happens - and only ten weeks since my last entry. I will start a new job as a project manager in Plymouth in January. This is a 7 month contract with a company providing communications testing equipment.
Update: 20 February 2006
After six weeks of living in Bed and Breakfasts in Plymouth I have terminated the tenancy of my Maidenhead flat and moved into a flat in the 'cool' area of Plymouth. This blog's getting quite chatty now, isn't it ?
Update: 10 July 2006
Another bl!!dy sports injury. An MRI scan on my left hip has come back with FAI (femoral acetabular impingement syndrome), a labral tear and mild articular cartilage damage. Luckily I have lined up probably the only surgeon in the UK (and one of a handful in the world) who regularly treats this arthroscopically - the more common open surgery option for FAI would involve surgically dislocating the hip and sounds horrendous. Provisional surgery date for 17 August.
Update: 2 September 2006
Well, my operation took place on 18 August and I am currently two weeks into my rehab programme (12 weeks in total for a full return to sport). The FAI and the labral tear should hopefully be fixed by the operation. There was also some articular cartilage damage and the surgeon has performed a technique called microfracture to stimulate the growth of replacement cartilage ... because this will not be as good as 'original' cartilage I am advised to move away from high impact sports like squash and running. Not entirely pleased about that, but we shall see. On a separate point, my contract has been extended to December.
Update: 11 February 2007
Moved to Winchester on 15 January. I will continue working for the same company, but based in their Basingstoke offices - contract currently continues until August. Two further things, which I know you'll be interested in: i) I am close to declaring myself fit after my hip surgery; ii) as a tribute to my year in Plymouth, here are some photos. You will spot both a UFO and the interior of my flat along the journey.
Update: 9 November 2007
You would have thought something else would have happened by now, wouldn't you ?
Update: 10 November 2007
Oh, all right. No major change-of-status, but I can give a progress report. I'm still living in Winchester and still contracting in Basingstoke until at least February. Sportswise, I play tennis and cycle over the South Downs for now, as this is easier on my body after the hip op - but I still hear the call of squash in my heart. I successfully passed my 40th birthday in June with no major angst, although it does seem a bit old. I also wrote my first short story this year, about a dog learning the front crawl; it currently exists on a writing workshop website. I will try and find someone to publish it - out of stories about dogs learning the front crawl, it's probably in the top ten.