A day at the park

My dog is stuck in the house all day when I'm at work, don't get me wrong I don't really think he minds. If I come home early, he meets me at the door yawning.

Anyway, although he enjoys his sleep he needs a lot of exercise. So every night when I get home from work, I take him to my local park. It is a good sized park, its about a mile around and loads of space to kick a ball around which is his want.

Anyway, come rain, sleet or snow my dog gets his walk of around mile round this park or something equivalent. In the summer I meet and chat to around 5-6 other dog owners and see maybe another 5 or 6 yet in the winter, I'm lucky to see 1 other person down there. Where are they the rest of the time?

Let the animal out

I have a dog and class myself as a pretty good dog owner. Don't get me wrong, my dog is not perfect and I have had many many moments where my I've been in the owner with 'that dog'. For example when when he jumps out the car runs straight down to the beach into the water and squares up to a swan while everyone else watches, like when everyone else avoids the gigantic muddy puddle but he runs through splashing then encourages other dogs to follow, like when he loses his ball in the river and has 4 different people doing the 'dawwww' face and climbing in to get it out for him.

However, I am firm believer that if you own a dog you should learn how to train it. You know, do a bit of research, read up, watch some of the many shows on TV on the matter. My personal saviour is the Dog Whisperer with Cesar Millan. My dog was wild when I got him at the age of four. He wandered off, he charged, he escaped, he barked, he jumped up to name but a few, but now he's....no bad.

In the UK we are lucky as you don't have to keep your dog on the lead. We have the pleasure of being able to let our dogs run free (which is great if you take the time to train your dog) I regularly take my dog long walks, I like to vary the venue but one of my favourite things is the social aspect of a park for the dogs and for me. The majority of dog owners at parks are great. However, there are the few who go to this wide open space, don't let their dogs off the lead and even worse freak out when another dog goes over to theirs. They panic when my dog sniffs their dog's behind. This is what dogs do to greet each other, it is normal. But no the panicky owner is shouting at this stage to get my dog under control.

I tend to make a point around these people to NOT put my dog on the lead. To NOT call him off and to let him basically do what he wants. The more the other person wants me to shackle my dog, the less likely I am to do it. You also notice that these people's dogs generally have a jealousy in their eyes that they want to play.

If you are going to take your dog to the park, let them play, let them get dirty, let them have fun. You might just find it brings a smile to your crackling old face too.

A damn fine cup of coffee

Everyone needs caffeine to survive right?

Well a few years ago my main source of caffeine was Diet Coke. I drank gallons of it. I probably went through 4 -5 cans during a working day and then probably more when I got home. Then I decided that was probably bad so I stopped and started drinking orange squash.

However bizarrely since I stopped doing shift work and moved onto the 9-5 life late last year, caffeine has become a staple diet in my life again. Although this time in coffee form. Although I have become fussy about my coffee. My place of work has a Costa Coffee on the premises which I vow not to use due to financial implications but the jar of instant I keep in my drawer (even if it is premium instant) just doesn't cut it when you know Costa is just downstairs.

Work is covered but I don't tend to drink coffee in the house. Firstly because it doesn't occur to me to boil the kettle, secondly it takes so long to boil the kettle and thirdly, it instant - see previous comment. I have never bought a coffee maker because I live alone, and as I say don't drink enough coffee alone to warrant it. But today that all changed I bought a pod system coffee maker. A Tassimo to be precise. It makes one cup at a time which is perfect for me, makes it instantly, and you can buy lots of different varieties.

I have had it for a grand total of 7 hours and am already in love with it.

It's a whole new world

I've said it before but this time I mean it. I am determined to make some changes in life. I'm gradually getting fitter, losing weight but the best bit is I'm actually enjoying doing it. I recently found a social tennis group to join. Tennis is a sport that I have never played, never. I love watching tennis, love it. I become obsessed with Grand Slams and always want to give it a go but can't think of a way to start playing. The group I'm playing with seems to be a solution. I am really enjoying it and finding that I am also not terrible at it. I'm not great, but not terrible either. But most importantly it's got me looking into trying to find lessons...at my age!

Also, last month I completed a 26 mile marathon walk (Kiltwalk) for charity in 8.5hrs, something I am very proud of completing. Something that a some people who know me and should support me, didn't think I could do. It wasn't the easiest thing I've ever done, but it certainly wasn't as hard as I expected meaning that the training had helped. Since then I've done a 10K walk and am slowly attempting to start running, but to be honest, I hate running. I'm getting better at it and I'm certainly feeling fitter and better than I have in years but running is not something I enjoy. Walking yes, running no.

I have also found social groups to go out with which is great which means I have some semblance of a social life. I have also found new interests. I joined a debating group. Again it's a fun and social group (we meet in a pub) I signed up while on a pub crawl with the group's organiser but decided to go anyway and actually really enjoyed it.

My new philosophy of trying new things seems to be going well. I guess it's a little bit about getting out of my comfort zone.

I think once you pass the age of 30 trying new things is definitely not as easy as it once was but I am slowly and surely finding that you can get a hell of a lot of out of just biting the bullet and trying.

So, I'm feeling pretty good, I'm trying new things - let's hope it continues.

Libel Reform: My MP's response

I have been following Simon Singh's libel case which has spawned the libel reform campaign.

The short version of his case is that Simon published an article in the Guardian in which he discussed chiropractic treatment with reference to the British Chiropractic Association.

In a passage describing the BCA’s claims about the treatment of a number of childhood ailments, Singh wrote that ‘even though there is not a jot of evidence’ the BCA ‘happily promotes bogus treatments’.

Despite the article being published in the Guardian, Singh was sued personally.

This case prompted the charity Sense about Science to start the libel reform to try and get the libel laws changed.

As part of the website you can sign the petition and you can also send a letter or email to your MP. I have done both of these things and this is the disappointing response I received from my MP the Rt Hon Adam Ingram.

Early Day Motion 423: libel law reform

Thank you for your letter of 31 March 2010 on the above subject.

I read your comments with interest, however, I do not support the underlying principle of EDM 423. I believe fundamentally in the right to free speech, however, those who exercise it must do so responsibly and with regard to the rights of others. Sadly, we have a media in this country which operates in a largely, unconstrained way, with only the libel laws available for redresss. There are now too many so-called journalists and commentators who operate on the basis of character assassination, never allowing the facts to get in the way. In short, we now have an imperfect situation brought about by media excess.

I fully support the need for freedom of expression in relation to genuine scientific debate, although we have to accept that there are all too many examples of flawed scientific research and opinion which can have hugely damaging consequences. The most recent example of this related to the MMR vaccine. That did not result in libel action, but I could have, so the law of unintended consequences could have resulted from unfettered comment, as you and the campaign propose.

Thank you again for taking the time to write.

With best wishes

Yours sincerely

Adam Ingram

I'm at a loss. The Winter Olympics are over - what on earth am I going to do to take up my time. I can't afford to go out, but I didn't notice that during the Olympics.

People don't get excited about the winter Olympics, not in Scotland anyway. I was in Calgary over Christmas and there was definitely a buzz there about it, but no-one really cares here. That was until it started.

We were all getting excited about the curling. It's like chess on ice, while making coffee in the morning in the office we were discussing the intricacies of the shot that Eve Muirhead made that went round three stones to get a 3. Then came the snowboard cross, it's like BMX on a snowboard. The most insane sport that became my new favourite almost instantly. Well that was until I saw Ski Cross. Ski Cross has to be THE most insane, violent, bloody, ridiculous, fun, made up Olympic sport I have ever seen.

It all ended with something USA v Canada ice hockey final which was tense and exciting with USA equalising with 20 seconds to go taking it into sudden death overtime (a stupid idea that football tried for about 10 minutes until everyone agreed it was a ridiculous idea) where Canada came out victors, closing the Olympics in style.

Everybody I know seemed to get caught up in the Olympics in some way or other and now I have giant gap in my schedule. I guess I'll have to wait for the next big sporting event which is probably the French Tennis Open. But really, it's just a countdown now to the FIFA World Cup.

98 days to go!!

New Ethos

So I started this blog ages ago but rarely update it. I think part of my theory is that since I'm rarely interested in what I have to say other folks definately won't be. Regardless of that, I'm going to endeavour to update more regularly and make more of an effort.

The past year or so have been strange for me. I feel like someone has hit a pause button on my life. I've spent the last few weeks feeling pretty sorry for myself, mainly because of financial constraints meaning that I couldn't really do anything at all. But I've been thinking about the past year.

The life and people I knew from the age of 17 changed overnight and then over the past year I've slowly changed. My tastes have changed, my taste in clothes and accessories have changed a lot. For a long time I kept feeling that my friends had changed and that annoyed me, until I realised that it wasn't them, it was me. They still wanted to do the same things we always did, and the other things they suggest doing, I never have the finances to join in so I feel like the pauper, can't join in and I blame everyone but myself for that.

The problem is, I I'm waiting for something to happen. My flat has been on the market for 14 months with no end in sight. Until it sells, I don't have a lot of money. I have no social life to speak of so I have resorted to never ending watching of DVDs and sporting events - Loving the olympics by the way! I got a new job late last year which is going spectacularly well at the moment so I'm not a total loss. I have my job, my friends are still awesome, I have my crazy dog, I am doing a marathon walk in 6 weeks. I'm looking forward to the World Cup.

So in short, all my introspection has made realise that I have to make more of an effort. Make more of an effort with my friends, who despite myself, are always there when I need them. I need to remember who lucky I am to have them in my life. And in the meantime, I shall amuse myself by talking to relative strangers on twitter.

Oh, and if you do know anyone who wants to buy my flat, that would be great!