Beer tonight with Patrick, Dave, Teresa and Malcolm, with sightings of Kristian and the long-lost Chris and Becs, looking as beautiful as ever (Becs, not Chris!). Light-hearted chit-chat, which is just what the doctor ordered.

When BBC news stories collide.

This week’s Friday diversion: online bubble wrap. via Nick.

Readers will undoubtedly be relieved to learn that there is a parallel Graybo in a secure and secret bunker, ready and able to continue compiling this site in the event of a weapon of mass destruction being used against me.
Actually, I’m sure that Mo has probably had a parallel system in place for ages.

In case you’re wondering, I’m feeling ok today. Not great, but ok. Yesterday’s developments were not a massive surprise to me, but are still an enormous disappointment. I’ll live to fight another day though.
And thank you to everyone that sent messages - they helped to cheer me up.

Beer tonight with Bren, Greg, Heidi, Paul F, Arron, Kearn, Simon and Jeremy. Sightings of Malcolm, Dave, Gary, Laura and a few others.
I’m ok. No, really, I am.

I have a headache and lots of work to do. And I have a lot on my mind.
None of which are good for blogging. So expect long pauses here for a day or two. Sorry.
Why not go check out some other blogs? Some of my favourites are in the navbar on the right of this page in the “personal sites” dropdown menu.

Beer tonight with Paul F, Malcolm, Kearn, DA, Dave, Gary, Phil, Kev, Simon, Andrea, Jeremy, Matt, Ian, Tanya, Claudine, Helen N, Justin and Caroline.
I’m still ok. Honest.

Happy birthday to Sarah. We’re having lunch together today to celebrate - must wrap her gift before she comes round.

Lunch with Sarah, Abby and her other half, Ross. And beer. Need to sleep now, but have to do more homework - guh.

One of the best things about using a grill to make toast is that you can cook just one side, so that you have a side that will absorb yummy cheesy scrambled egg whilst the underside will retain its crisp firmness and not go sloppy.
It’s the little things in life that make it all worthwhile.
And, yes, I’m still pretending to be ok.

I’m beginning to hate horoscopes.

They always tell me unpalatable truths that I’m already aware of.

What is wrong with this picture? Look closely now. via him.

Go help with Dan’s survey. The results should be interesting, to say the least.

When Bagpuss and the A-Team collide. via Vic.

I happen to know that Mo stacks shelves at his local Tesco. He likes to talk up his job by creating an air of mystery, but, in reality, it is nothing glamorous.

It’s a beautiful warm sunny early spring day. Damn. At this rate my mood will improve, and that would never do.

Beer tonight with DA, Kev, Andrea, Kearn, Aris and Dave. And a laugh at college.
I’m ok.

Sparks. Class.

TFF: 28 points, taking my total to 816.
Transfer: OUT: Terry, IN: Ziege.

Who likes a good conspiracy theory? Did a Boeing really crash into the Pentagon? via Nico.

Osama bin Laden’s weblog.

Went to see Blue Velvet this evening. It’s a strange world, Jeffrey.
Tomorrow: Mulholland Drive.
Bizarrely, Blue Velvet brought back some very distant and pleasant memories which only one person who only very occasionally reads this site will key in to.

Today’s top purchase - Amon Tobin’s Supermodified - go buy. Now. No, go on!!

Last night, John Peel played Sparks. Tonight - Roxy Music. And the Bays (web presence?). Which is why I love his show.
UPDATE: The Bays session is one of the best things I’ve ever heard on Peel. It’s going to be on the BBC website next week - remind me to link it.
FURTHER UPDATE: thebays.com.

Busy. So quiet here. Off to a seminar this afternoon, then cinema this evening. So likely to remain quiet too.

House prices continue to rocket. I saw a “For Sale” sign on a flat I’ve always coveted on my way to cinema last night, so on the way home I took a detour past the agent’s window to see what price it is. Ground floor. One bedroom. Parking space. £155,000. My flat (also one bed, parking space, ground floor) is worth around half that, and isn’t that much smaller.
Oh well, I guess I’ll just have to continue coveting.

Shockingly, the seminar I went to this afternoon actually proved to be useful, in a thought-provking kind of way.
Either way, it was good to get out of the office for a few hours, and network with a few people from other nurseries.

Mulholland Drive. Wow.
Go and see it if you haven’t done so already. It is visually and aurally stunning. I think I need to see it at least ten more times before I figure out exactly what the hell is going on. In fact, I could go and watch it again, right now.
Wow.

Sorry for the silence today - Blogger has been down all day (another opportunity for all those using other content management systems to be smug).
Anyway, more tomorrow.
But beer tonight with Bren, Greg, Arron, Stein, DA, Paul C, Kearn, Paul F, Helen N with sightings of Phil, Malcolm, Dave, Gary, Laura and many others.

Plan for today:

• Drink coffee
• Go to the bank
• Drink more coffee
• Do college work
• Have lunch
• Go to Waitrose
• Drink coffee
• Cook and eat dinner
• Head to the pub

Football - Brighton are playing away at Reading today. We need a win.

I must say that my idea of a perfect day off does not involve spending nearly six hours doing college work (and even then, not completing it). Sigh.

Beer tonight with the splendid Ian, the gorgeous Sasha (I’m not paid to say this stuff) as well as these fantastic people: Julie, Caroline, Paul F, Malcolm, Kearn, Arron, Dave, Helen N, Alison, Justin and many many more.

Somebody has found this page by looking for a Boards of Canada conspiracy theory. Anyone got anything on that one?

Now here is something useful for the linguists amongst my readership (I know you’re out there). Obviously a top quality site because it includes a link to Grayblog.
Actually, this site is more useful because it raises the issue of minority, dying and dead languages - a whole cultural and human rights issue that it would do us all well to ponder for at least a moment or two.
Of course, as someone recently pointed out, I have little room to talk on this subject:

Mothers’ Day today, and so I shall be hosting a dinner tonight for the parents at Chez Graybo. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to tidy up before they get here.

Today has that long day feeling already.

Meg has pointed me in the direction of MEMRI - The Middle East Media and Research Institute, “an independent, non-profit organization providing translations of the Arabic and Farsi media and original analysis and research on developments in the Middle East”. Excellent for culture, news and opinion addicts like me.

Today is going to be another long day - I’ve got lots of chores and errands to work through, and then I have to go to a village near Brighton this evening to give a lecture. Which means I won’t be home much before 10.30, and will be eating junk food at some ridiculous hour.
I ate pizza at some late hour last night, and consequently had some very very strange dreams involving my bathroom being converted into a pub (which is interesting as my flat was converted from a pub), then walking through verdant yet bleak mountains and watching snowploughs at work.
Interpretations anyone?

Ok. ‘Fess up - who’s having a laugh?

From the Bella-has-too-much-time-on-her-hands department: Portamoo.

Due to unfortunate administrative cock-ups involving the group I was supposed to speak to last night, I didn’t actually get home until gone 11pm, by which time I was totally exhausted. Thankfully, I’d had time before leaving to grab a fish and chip supper, so didn’t eat at ungodly o’clock.
However, I still had strange dreams. Not sure what they were about, but I woke up with that confused, slightly bizarre sensation that usually follows strange dreams.
Actually, I have that sensation most mornings.

Anyway, how are you? My regular comment-writers all seem to have been a bit quiet lately. Something I said?

Happiness is eating home-made doughnuts brought in to work by one of the girls. yum!

Brrr. The wind outside is certainly chilly, and managing to find its way into my office.
In spite of that, I’m being shockingly productive at the moment. I think I’ll reward myself by going to the pub tonight, after I’ve done a little college work.
This message sponsored by Nick “Interesting” Jordan.

Feel good. Washing up done. Homework well underway - will do more tomorrow night, and hopefully leave myself free to enjoy Sunday in peace. Now to cook and eat, and get to the pub by 10pm.

A useful marketing resource: SherpaBlog. I really must update my marketing pages - but when?

I’m concerned about someone at the moment. But I don’t know what to do to help them, or even if there is anything I can do. Or, for that matter, if I’m the right person to help. gah.

Incidentally, a couple of quiet beers last night in the Nags in the company of the newspaper, with sightings of wonderful Wanda, Simon, Terry, Dave, Teresa, Phil, Ricky and Clare.

You will be aware of my ongoing battles with EvilDuvet II - how it always tries to make me late for work by keeping me in bed for just that extra minute or ten. Well, it seems to have formed a pact with my pillows. I have four pillows on my bed, two on each side. This morning, when I woke up, all four were on top of my head. I think this was a deliberate ploy to muffle the sound of my clock radio, thereby ensuring my lateness. Unfortunately for their plan, nothing beats Sara Cox in the morning, the irritating bint.

TFF: 42 points, taking my total to 858. Could have been a lot more if I hadn’t signed Ziege last week, who got sent off twice in one week. Idiot.

A proper spring morning this morning - steady rain and mist, birds singing, pleasantly mild. And a flat that smells strongly of grilled mackerel. In spite of burning umpteen candles and leaving a window and door open for half an hour, the smell is still strong. But I don’t mind too much - there are far worse smells that I could have to put up with.

Readership figures down, comment writers quiet. I don’t know - if I was the sort to really worry about these things, I could get a complex. Maybe you’d all take more interest if I was to start talking in great detail about my emotions or something.
Actually, I think my readership dropped off around this time last year as well. Must be a spring thing.

How come we didn’t celebrate International First Person Plural Day this year? We thought it was suitably silly and good fun last year.

Yayyyy!
This news just received by email from Ian:

Excellent news! Congratulations to all three!
(Lightweight baby - not! Although not as big as me - I was 9lb 7oz.)

I know you shouldn’t make fun of other people’s names, but I’ve just had a Mr V D Speck on the phone. I had a really hard time stifling the laughter.

I’ve just been down to the maternity unit to see Sarah, Louis and DA. What a cute baby Louis is! And so much hair! Louis is sleeping it all off, Mum is doing fine and Dad is beaming all over his face. Utterly brilliant - I almost came over all paternal (almost, mark you!).

How cool is this? I’ve been invited to a film premiere! Popular Graypie Lizzie is screening her short film mockumentary Under the Skin next Thursday in Soho, and it sounds too good to miss. I need to shuffle a few things around in my diary, but hopefully I’ll be able to go (will call you, hun).

Beer last night with Patrick, DA, Kearn, Kev, Andrea, Wanda, Paul F, Paul C, Sarah, Nigel and numerous other people.
Went to Wimborne today to give a presentation, which went well.
Beer tonight with Jo, Wanda, Andrew, Julie, Bonny, Kearn, DA, James, Hamish, Matt and Arron with sightings of Cath, Helen, Greg, Dave, Gary, Phil, Malcolm and countless others.
Very tired.

Lunch in the company of Phil, Mark and Cath in the Nags.
I’m trying to just relax today. I need to. Even if it means not completing my homework. It’s been a long and very busy week, and the week ahead looks about the same, and I desperately need to wind down.

I wonder how big a problem this really is. I must have linked to hundreds of sites from Grayblog since I started (772 in fact). I simply haven’t got time to check all of the links regularly.
But then again, judging by some of the strange Google searches that people use to get here, some of you might actually be looking for dodgy web content.

This is not only useful (very useful in fact), but also easy to use and free.

Sometime very soon, the 50,000th visitor will pass through this site. If it is you, please say hello.

Monday morning:

• It is absolutely chucking it down outside.
• Visitor 50,000 still hasn’t arrived (check the counter in the navbar to see if it is you [scroll down]).
• I’m still tired in spite of my rest day and early night, although my sleep was disturbed.
• I have loads of work to do, so am likely to remain quiet for the timebeing.

Thanks to everyone who sent nice messages commemorating my 50,000th visitor.
Just completed a day of mad work and mad college, followed by cooking dinner and a glass of red. Now just about ready to collapse.
So much I need to get down here before I forget it, but no time or energy now.

Still incredibly busy here. So enjoy the quietitude whilst it lasts.

AFF: 17 points. I got some points last week too, but don’t think I mentioned it. Not really doing very well at fantasy football this season.
My itsagoal.com team are still doing well though, currently leading division 13.

madly busy. only just in from college. eating dinner. then going to pub. badly need to update here. no upper case either.

Article on the recent rise in left-handedness - I’m becoming less unusual, apparently.

Quick beer tonight with Arron and Aris.
Time to sleep.

Still very busy.
For some reason, the Stone Roses are running around and around inside my head. Must find some other music to listen to.
Cheesy DJ-style messages: biggup to Charlie, who needs cheering up; hi to Sally - you’re not forgotten; apologies to Lizzie - sorry I can’t make it; happy birthday to Fi for tomorrow and enjoy your break; soothing words to Julie, who is stressed; and hi to anyone else who knows me.
Back to work…

TFF: 29 points. 887 total.

Right - time for a slower evening I think, with a little college work, a lazy bachelor dinner, some good music, a cold beer and an early night.
I was monumentally productive today at work, and hopefully I’ll have something to show for it by either tomorrow or Friday that I’d like your collective opinion on. It won’t be very exciting, but with the smattering of web professionals that read this guff on a daily basis, there has to be some useful and valuable opinion and experience that I can gain from. But more on that in due course.
In other news: the postman has suddenly taken to leaving all the mail for my neighbour at my door. Not sure why - I thought I’d suddenly become popular, but was obviously disappointed when the reality became apparent.

Today has been spent fighting with HTML, Perl, a digital camera and other picture postcards. Tonight will be spent in the pub, celebrating Arron’s birthday.

Beer tonight with Arron and Nathan, with sightings of Dave, Teresa, Gary, Malcolm, Simon, Terry, Leah and Kristian. Then later with Paul F, Alison, Julie and Aris. Somehow, tonight W2 seemed like my true home. Maybe I’m just too sentimental after a few V&Ts?

Somehow I’ve really hurt my shoulder so that twisting and turning is agony. Sleep was very fitful last night, as every time I moved I was woken by the pain. Not good - pass the ibuprofen.

Update: shoulder still very sore. If this persists, I think I may seek medical attention - which will mean a lecture about my steadily increasing weight and my less-than-healthy drinking habits. And possibly also mention of the fact that I’ve not had a holiday in 15 months - my doctor has a thing about taking a break frequently.

The satirists are going to have a field day with this one.

Approved.

Ben Hollioake killed in car crash - very sad.

Beer tonight with Sarah, Nigel, Abby, Polly, Jacky, Paul F, Malcolm, Kev, Ian, Kearn, Paul C, Simon, Bren, Greg, Dave and numerous others. tired now. Shoulder still sore, but hopefully enough alcohol in the system to assure some sleep.

Beer tonight and a fair few laughs with Lady Bren, the Thin White Duke and Paul F, with sightings of Roy, Louise, Malcolm, Dave, Gary, Simon, Terry and numerous others.
Tired now and slightly forlorn.

I’ve woken in a shockingly good mood today, for no other reason than the sun is shining, I’ve some good music on (courtesy of Alicia Keys), a fresh cup of coffee is by my side and I’ve just enjoyed a couple of bagels with poached egg. Sunday mornings were meant to be like this. However, the day ahead is dominated by a massive amount of college homework. Thankfully, some of it is the sort I can carry to the park and do there.

Today is Palm Sunday.
um. Just thought I’d let you know.

UPDATE: actually, I’ve remembered what I was going to say about Palm Sunday. The first time I went to Barcelona, I was there during the run up to Palm Sunday. Like all Spaniards (got to be careful here - the Catalan people are very proud and independent and don’t like being lumped together with the rest of Spain, but I hope in this instance they can forgive me and that I won’t be firebombed by some separatist militants), the Barcelonetas like nothing more than a good parade, especially on religious festivals. It’s a shame I wasn’t there for the actual parade (there was one on when I went to the city for the second time, but the crowds were so enormous you could barely get close enough to see what was going on, and I was also tending to a girlfriend who was feeling a bit flaky). But I did get to see the special palm market on Rambla Catalunya, north of Plaça de Catalunya - a street full of stalls selling dried palm fronds, bleached to parchment white by the sun and towering six or eight feet above the heads of the purchasers. It makes an amazing sight - I’ve got some photos somewhere which I’ll hunt out and scan up if I get time.