Take these chances to turn it around...

Been out doing more work in my garden. My fruitpatch is coming along tremendously, the fruit bushes are looking really healthy and my first batch of strawberries are budding, some of them are starting to redden...

Before all the back breaking work...


and after...

There is still a hell of a lot of work to do, not least building a fence at the back and installing a big assed wildlife pond, gonna stock it with some fish and let it attract whatever water based creatures feel the need...

Band rehearsel the last few weeks has been amazing. Bought an effects unit for reverb on my vocals and a new microphone and boy do they make a difference! We've lost a guitarist (very careless of us, wonder if he is behind the sofa?) and learn't 2 new songs, Funeral for a Friend - Into Oblivion and Bad Religion - Infected (yay for guitar heroes!). We are looking to gig pretty soon and are looking at options for PA equipment and a screen to project some kind of light show behind us... getting serious about this now!

Tonight is a big old experiment for me. I am a self confessed alcoholic, well, a self confessed drunk because i've never been to a meeting. Today I have had a 35cl bottle of vodka and I am now drinking pre-bottled shandy - a basically alcohol free drink. My reasoning is that I spend so much time in front of my PC that I have gotten used to having a drink at the ready... hopefully this will help me turn that part of my life around. I have lost so many friends down to my drinking it is unreal.

Had my bathroom plastered yesterday. It was fully artexed (artex is a textured surface, very 80's, very annoying and ugly) and was an embarresment to a non too special home to begin with. I've stripped 2 rooms ready to remove the dado rails and then I can get to painting and laying my laminate... hopefully soon.

Not been out for a while, every penny I get seems to be going on the house... at least it is going to something useful and not 2 litres of vodka a day!

Well i'm crying now, isn't that what you want?

I'm not a big fan of 'reality' TV, because the majority of people who want to be on Big Brother and it's ilk have nearly all had media exposure for quite a lot of their lives... thats not reality, fuck, why not just put the Hilton sisters in the BB house? One show has me hooked though and that is Hells Kitchen. I've never seen the UK version and i'm currently trying to get it but the yank version is awesome. Gordon Ramsey, to me, is your atypical English stereotype. Most countries expect us to be all greyhounds and crumpets and tea at 11 with the Queen... we're not. Attitude wise I think we could rival the Americans for that certain part of our society which embraces violence as part of it's daily life... there are certain elements in this country who partake in violence BECAUSE THEY CAN! GR on the other hand is a very successful millionaire (possibly more) chef with no bones about telling people exactly what to do and where to go... This bloke is my new idol!!

Finally figured out the whole process of converting my camera footage to dixv for upload to youtube so I have upped some more footage from Lanzarote...



Done a lot more work on my house, trashed the evil orange bush thing that was taking over the arse end of my garden. Got a plasterer coming in tomorrow to do bathroom and patching. I ache!

Been reading a book on Manic Depression, bipolar for non UK, and although I do show quite a lot of signs, i'm not sure

Alcohol consumption cutdown has started again. Drank half the amount I had last night and feel ok. I think because I am stuck in front of my PC or my TV for so long it's instinct to reach out for a drink... kinda like somebody who smokes saying that they eat more because there hands need to be doing something?

Last band rehearsal went awesomely. We've lost a guitarist, he felt he was letting us down by not turning up (and also his 2 other bands have PA equipment!!) - Rob, our lead guitarist can easily make it work by himself, the dude has talent! I am gaining a bit more confidence and I think it is showing to the rest of the band... I hope so anyways...

I <3