Heeee's back! Sort of.

Hello again. I've so much to share with you, but it will all have to wait.

In the last few days I've:
put on a dinner suit and bow tie
visited the hallowed turf of Stoke City
seen more van Goghs, Holbeins and assorted other famous paintings
confirmed that Adam's girlfriend actually exists
lost all hearing in one ear.

Thanks to that last, I'm off to a health centre rather than help with the 6th form conference I should be teaching on.

Meanwhile, I just want to check on two people. Winter and Stupid Fat Hobbit: give me a sign of life.

More later, if I'm not having my ears amputated.

Temporarily disguised as not a pumpkin

As I briefly mentioned yesterday, I am going to a charity ball, because that's the kind of upstanding pillar of the community I am. Ahem.

The charity in question is the North Staffordshire Special Adventure Playground, a magnificent organisation dedicated to providing excitement, adventure and really wild things for children and young adults with disabilities. And to providing some peace, quiet and solidarity for their parents.

My connection with the place is a brief period volunteering there before I became the embittered and lazy reader you see before you, and a long friendship with its key staff member, The Well of Lost Blogs.

If you live in sunny Stoke-on-Trent, give them your time. If you don't, give them your money. Or give it to me, and I'll pass most of it on. Consider the donation a payment in gratitude for not living in Stoke-on-Trent.

All aboard the effete train

Cynical Ben and I are on the verge of starting our sort-of culture/book/stuff online club: The Culture, Cheese and Pineapple! Thanks to Ben for sorting it out. We'll get going before long, so sign up for excitement, adventure and really wild things, as Arthur Dent is promised, much to his horror.