What's Hot, What's Not...

Dear Cars all over the world,

Cyclists have rights too. Just because you have the horsepower, doesn’t mean I am not allowed to overtake you. Just because you’re bigger, it doesn’t mean you don’t have to look in your mirrors when you turn. A cycle lane is for cycling, not for parking, and certainly not for swerving into when you’ve made a mistake or aren’t concentrating.

I don’t have a hooter… if I need to, I will shout to make my presence known – if you don’t like it, please suggest a suitable alternative.

A helmet doesn’t make me indestructible.

That is all… for now. The vendetta may continue.

What’s Hot, What’s Not…

Wind… I don’t like you. You only seem to make things worse.

Spooner… I like you. Liz is always in a good mood after spending two and a half hours talking to you.

Guitar… I like you, but please stop hurting my fingers. I caress your strings as often as I can.

In other News…

Two years ago yesterday, Liz agreed to marry me. My life has never been the same since. A whirlwind of adventure has ensued in a non-stop fashion; if a montage was created of the last two years it would definitely be set to a high tempo song with lots going on, as opposed to Aqualung’s Strange and Beautiful. We managed to get married, have operations, have fun holidays, and are on the brink of our first child popping out. We’ve had weddings, funerals, baby dedications, special birthday parties, have 2 god-children, have seen both sets of parents become grandparents… a huge amount has happened in just two years. Was there really ever a time that I wasn’t married?? It seems peculiar that there may have been.

Liz is my favourite person on this world… that I get to spend every day with her for the rest of my life is kind of overwhelming, I am a blessed man. Her commitment to me is beyond question, just as I’d do anything for her. At the risk of sounding cheesy, it is 100% the grace of God on our lives that blesses us in this inexplicable way. How the heck did a girl grow up an ocean apart from me, mature into the most amazing woman, then somehow end up with a wet Englishman… crazy. I am wholly bemused by this!

Thanks for an amazing two years, Liz!

4 Thousand Words...

So, it turns out that Photobooth is probably my favourite ever application on a computer!!! I love pictures, and it's kind of lame, but because I don't have a working camera, this is one of my few ways to document good old memories (apart from my sense of smell- thanks for that Spooner).

Here are some of my recent favourites:

Teeth galore here...

How mashed up various doctors and surgeons have made my shoulder look- pretty manly!

3 members of my household- amazing guys- trying to look like Groucho Marx...

All in all, I'm not very good at documenting my favourite moments- thank heavens for Photobooth!!!

Out and A-Bolt

Bowing out of the football charades in style was always going to be my big aim prior to being in a football wilderness, a barren patch longer than I've ever experienced. 6 goals in two days and a probable red card (or two) was enough to keep me happy- and will have to serve me well for the next 6 months.

On Wednesday 16th April I kissed the footballing world behind with an operation that will keep me out until October 2008- it already feels like a long time since last venturing onto the football pitch, with 3 more bolts and a major muscle reconstruction that hinders ambition, stubs-out hope and renders that one last game impossible.

Nevertheless, it has given way to a life of luxury and a fresh realisation that I have found my happily ever after (some one's just watched Enchanted!!). Having Elizabeth taking care of me has been a pure delight- as difficult as I have inevitably made it for her. Being pumped to the rim with anesthetic and morphine (God bless the inventor of that concoction), I've spent most of every day asleep. Elizabeth being there when I drop-off, when I wake up and knowing her watchful eye over me has been the greatest blessing I could have hoped for from this operation. There is no one else on this earth that I can imagine being with for such lengthy periods and still love every minute with them more than the last.

In short, the fate of being so distanced from my love of playing football sharply fades away into nothingness when I consider the unconditional love, grace and compassion that Elizabeth has poured upon me in the last 2 weeks. What a woman; what a blessing.