seems like there’s problemo’s with DragonDrop (dot org). Looking into it. .

The moment of realisation, originally uploaded by DragonDrop.

Felix is 10! this was the very moment about 2 hours ago when he opened his main prezzy – an MP3 player. He’s a happy boy. 10 years old. Quite incredible to think back over the last 10 years. So much has happened and yet it dosent seem that long ago at all since we moved back to Harrogate and Eirene had a big baby in her belly.

Blogging is soo 2004 – according to this Wired article. As someone who’s been blogging from the embrionic days of 2002 I’ve seen the reserved few having an understanding of what one was.. the publishing of my thoughts and chronoligical bookmarks through my Watchcam Adventures , then social networking networks such as myspace and facebook and (the big one for me) flickr has been a fascinating journey. I’ve bolted bits on to what started out as a steady stream of text and embraced new bits as they’ve come along such as Twitter (‘micro blogging’ – I’m sure I invented that phrase).

I’m been fascinated with the stats in the background – who is visiting, how are they getting here, where are they from.. Some utterly random stumble across visitors, some avid explorers of information.

One of the common reactions has allways been – “why do you do it?” – It’s as much for myself as anyone else. It’s a tool for documenting my life so I can free up memories for fresh thougt. Or something.

My fascination with communications technologies and networks wonders what will come next?

So yea – The weekend bag packing raised a massive £1300 for Harrogate16th’s cubs. That’s ace. Since then I’ve been busy – Did a great photo shoot on Sunday for a friends band 601. Really pleased with the results – dragged them out to some brilliant locations including an ex silica quarry in the middle of the moors that was like a set from The X Files.

Went out for a friends birthday last night. Turned into quite a late one – lots of fun though!

DO YOUR BIG SHOP SHOP… THIS SATURDAY!

On Saturday 18th of October, Felix and I are working at ASDA Harrogate – bag packing. We (and a bunch of other cubs) are bag packing to raise funds for cubjam. If you’re planning some shopping over the weekend, do it at ASDA and do it between 0900 and 1600 and we’ll pack your bag for you. Keep an eye on my tweets/micro-blog on the right hand side for news of which check out we’re on!

I tried a walk last Sunday – a gorgeous walk. Not a circular walk – Eirene picked me up at the other end. We’d arranged a rendezvous but she randomly happened to be driving up the country lane that I was crossing near the rendezvous at the time. The route was pretty much all off road, all public right of way / bridal way from Harrogate thru Killinghall, Hampsthwaite, Birstwith, Darley onto Thornthwaite. It takes in some lovely sections of The Nidderdale Way and part of a walk I’d like to have a proper go at – The Dacre Walls Walk. It was a lovely day – warm but not too warm, not windy, perfect. I’d been craving a bit more of a distance for ages. (11 miles).

We ate some super nice for Aid 2 hospitals

After that we went to a fundraiser dinner in aid of ‘Aid 2 Hospitals worldwide’ An African / Asian banquet including some very traditional African stews and curries. Fantastic. Aid 2 Hospitals is a fantastic charity that makes so much sense. They take ‘old’ kit that UK hospitals are throwing out (in favour of newer version) and take it to deprived areas – such as Africa. Really heart warming. Our table had someone who’d just sailed round the world – fascinating stories to boot!

Played Tiger Woods 08

This weeks been nice. Reading, not much geocaching (‘stuck’ on 49) and a Tiger Woods 08 on the big screen golf night last night with friends.

I found a book – meaningful coincidence?

Ran out of book – ploughed through The Pear by John Steinbeck (stunning – left me feeling drained). Had some more booked that I thought I would read but hungered the hunt of a new book. Yesterday lunch hour I set out to Skipton to try and get the new Booker Prize winner – White Tiger. WH SMITHS told me they’d been sent the wrong batch and the independent bookshop didn’t have it in yet. Hurumph. Today I went to Colne in my lunch hour to try and find it.. The only book shop in Colne also didn’t have it. Hurumph MKII. Very randomly, on the high street, on top of a bin, there was a book. I looked around – not one looked like they’d lost it. It was in perfect condition so.. I though.. this must be my new book then. It’s called Then We Came to the End: A Novel by Joshua Ferris. No idea if it’s going to be any good but if feels like I’m supposed to read it having specifically gone out to get a book only to find one.

Every now and then you find yourself reading a book which you just don’t want to end. This was one of those books. I’d never heard of it or it’s author before when I picked it up from a charity shop on a ‘ooh, that looks interesting’ whim.

Set in Bombay the story is based around a block of flats and it’s residents. From the cigarettewalla to the man who sleeps on the bottom step to the Hindu families and the Muslims. References to class and caste, secularity and spiritualism without as a construct, rather than a plot. Steeped in the fascinating world of Hinduism, the subtle intricacies of Indian cosmopolitan life as well as a star crossed love plot. With sub plots of marriage, myth, legend and superstitions this book has so much going on.

At times the book had me laughing out loud with its heart warming characterisation, this story took the age old stable of ‘keeping up with the Jones’s’ to a new level.

A pure beauty and deepness unfolds surrounding the main character – Vishnu like no other character I’ve ever come across. A magical plot and a book that definitely goes down as one of my all time favourites.

Yesterday turned out to be nicely random. Started the day with a good old Methodist sing song at our local church – Grove Road. Felix’s cub troupe (is that the right collective noun for cubs?) were invited to make an offering in the traditional harvest festival service. Great Sermon. Underlying rabble rousing with a strong Yorkshire bent. I liked it. Humour without the cheese, down to earth things to think about and I do like a good sing song.

More sing song followed – After that we headed into Leeds to the Carriage Works theatre to see a ‘Family Concert’ by a West African Quartet called Tamala (see press release) . This was ace. They whipped up a superb atmosphere, loads of audience participation (teaching us a couple of lines to repeat whilst they built a song round us as a choir). Some great rhythms and melodies totally un influenced by the stuff we’re used to.

After that we went for a slap up meal at one of Eirene’s favourite restaurants – Salvo’s in Headingley, Leeds. I had a calzone about the size of Belgium. It was ace. Eirene had similar, the kids tucked into Italian kids menu. Great value, superb authentic high quality stuff, friendly attentive quick service. It ticks all the boxes! I showed the kids my newly acquired skill of how to make a box from a sheet of paper.

Headed home, put the wee’ns to bed, I stuck on ‘The Tribe’ DVD – first 3 episodes – wow. Bruce Parry is the ultimate human being. Incredible to see footage of humans genuinely un touched by western worlds.

Righty. Food O’clock.

Congrats to Dave and Holly who became parents of a wee boy during the week. Archie. Top name. The boy’ll go far.

Last night we went round to a friends M&E’s (same initials as us!) house for eats. Our friend is a chef and she pulled out all the stops for the 6 of us. Starter of Cajun Salmon Steak, Main of a to-die-for Beef Burgionion finished off with the nicest home made sticky toffee pudding I’ve ever had. Muchos wine and laughs. A lovely evening. Thanks

So this was quite an interesting thing to do..

I’ve visited the counties in yellow. Which counties have you visited? made by marnanel map reproduced from Ordnance Survey map data by permission of the Ordnance Survey. © Crown copyright 2001.