Updated Back Tattoo

This is my completed back piece, finished at Diablo Tattoo on Friday 17th December 2010. This was taken about a week after it was done so is already looking less red and the black and grey is already lightening up nicely. The piece is somewhat of a cartharsis for me, the "betrayal" refers to my ex's infidelity and the subsequent demise of our marriage. Finally this piece has helped me to put the past to bed and move on from what has been a long and painful part of my life. When someone you trust implicitly betrays that trust it is one of the hardest things to come to terms with whatever the circumstances, you think you know them and suddenly they are a stranger. The fact that this piece is on my back also helps to signify that this part of my life is now behind me. I am so pleased with the final outcome and will wear it with pride.

Julia's 19th Birthday

Yesterday was Julia's 19th birthday! Can't believe where the years have gone, seems like only yesterday she was a tiny baby or a little girl and now she's all grown up and at Uni!

We had a good I think anyway, she had some presents (always a good idea) and money from friends and family, then we had a nice Sunday lunch at a local pub with her Nan, Grandad and James.

At this rate she'll be 21 before I know it - better start planning the party soon :-)

Julia off to Uni

Here's my gawgus daughter Julia with two of new best mates from Writtle College, Kirsty on the far left, and Alex in the middle.

Julia drove up to Writtle College last weekend to start her BA(Hons) Interior Design course and has happily settled in to student life.

Fresher's week has been one long round of parties with a few lessons thrown in for good measure, now the real work begins...

Still I know Julia will do her best as she always does and I'm so very proud that she has gained her place at Writtle to do the thing she loves most.

Eye Test

Went for an eye test yesterday at Vision Express for the first time in almost 6yrs! Cant believe I've left it this long between tests, a side effect of the fact that my company no longer provides in-house eye tests but vouchers instead and lack of funds, knowing that I'd probably need an update. Anyhow booked myself into Vision Express as I've been impressed with their service when Julia had her eyes tested, and went for the whole nine yards, including a digital photo of the inside of my eyes so they can monitor any changes. The upshot is that my eyesight has deteriorated since my last check, no surprise there, and I'm going to try out my first pair of varifocal glasses having reached that "certain" age whereby my arms are no longer long enough to hold my reading material at a sufficient distance so I can read it :-) However I also have a squint, something I've suffered with since the dawn of time and so have to get top quality varifocal lenses in order to have some degree of success in getting my eyes to work together. I'm too embarrassed to admit online what these glasses are gonna be costing me but they have a 60-day money back guarantee so if all else fails I'll have to have two pairs :-( Hopefully they'll be ready sooner rather than later, the lens are being tailor made to fit my new frames and how said frames fit my face so fingers crossed I manage to get used to them. It will be such a boon if I can as I have to keep taking my glasses off for reading and computer work which is a pain and I'd rather not have to carry two pairs around all the time as you always seem to be wearing the wrong pair at the wrong time!

Shaun Ellis

This chap standing here with yours truly is none other than Shaun Ellis, the wolf man who at one point lived with a pack of wolves at Combe Martin Wildlife and Dinosaur Park in North Devon.

We visited the park this summer and I was made up to catch him there being a keen wolf fan myself.

Julia took the photo for me and plucked up courage to ask for his autograph too so I am one happy bunny :-)