Life through the Square Window

I eat a lot of cheese. So much so that I decided to give up eating cheese for Lent. I haven't had a single pizza for three weeks. (I haven't had a double pizza either, so that's definitely an innovative idea to bear in mind for Easter Monday!)

I haven't written for a long time. I'm sure none of you has actually noticed, but I'm telling you anyway.

I've been in Australia and New Zealand. I had eight weeks in Oz and then only three weeks in NZ, which is nothing near long enough I can tell you. For the full story of my trip, look here and on my flickr site.

As I am away from home for a few months and will not be earning for that time, I had to find a different way of getting income.

I spotted a gap in the market in Australia for designer men's clothing and so I started my own chain of stores and stands in department stores.

They have been doing quite well so far, as you may be able to tell from my delighted grin in this photo, taken from my stand in Melbourne's flagship Myers department store:

I'm leaving on my Big Tour of the World on Sunday. I don't know if I'll have time to write before then, so I thought I'd say my sad farewells now. I've enjoyed being part of this community over the last few months and I've come to regard you all as... people ... I've met. Which is weird, because I haven't met most of you.

I'll probably keep an eye on this site from time to time, but I will be doing most of my blogular posting on my new blog during the time I am away. You may recognise the title of the blog. I can only have one good idea per year, and I've used up this year's one. When I had the good idea of cutting my toenails with a scythe.

Yes, I'm another year older and deeper in debt today, so to celebrate I've brought in some cakes and some sausage rolls. You'll all have to imagine how delicious they are. The cookies are not as delicious as the ones Brian has been eating, and the doughnuts are not Krispy Kremes!

Before you ask, 29.

I was born here:

In the John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford.

I lived here for the first eight years of my life:

I'm a big fan of nostalgia, although it's not what it used to be! *GROAN*

Anyway, these are some of my favourite TV programmes when I was growing up, can anyone suggest any others?

• The Littlest Hobo
• Family Ness
• Mysterious Cities of Gold
• Raggy Dolls
• Willy Fog
• Jimbo
• Danger Mouse
• Dogtanian
• Bertha, lovely Bertha
• Bananaman

He he he, all brilliant. Looking back on it now I think Danger Mouse was the best!

I'm now counting down the days until Gaz Man's (and Pol's) Big Tour of the World. Only three weeks to go - where has the time gone?!

So I thought, what could be the least sensible thing to do before going away on three months' unpaid leave? Yes, buy a house. So that's exactly what I've done. (Some of you with more vivid imaginations can probably think of far less sensible things to do, possibly involving a bath full of baked beans and/or custard.)

On Monday night at the Melton Mowbray, the Four Stooges defeated all contenders to win the £80 top prize! In usual 'ironic' style, there were six of us in the team.

This means that the [insert a number between one and six, or the word 'magnificent' if there are seven in the team] Stooges have now taken on and defeated the following Monday night pub quizzes:

"You'll make someone a great boyfriend one day."

Why do I only hear this from girls who are already accounted for...?

Translation:
"You'll make someone a great boyfriend one day, but not me. And hopefully not any of my friends either."