My New Favourite Website

I have been out for a while. Not ill. Just out. I’m trying to get back into it…again.

One thing I have been keeping up with is my blog readings. It’s a great way to start the day by firing up your RSS reader, and finding out what the people you are stalking following are talking about.

One of my recent finds has been Blagger (www.blagger.co.uk). No, it’s not a freebees website. If you want that go to www.moneysavingexpert.com. What Blagger is is a blog about becoming self sufficient, but in a gradual easy going way. It’s not all hemp wearing, tree hugging. It more common sense and using what they have to make their lives better. I especially enjoy the many recipes and processes that are documented on the site. One of the sections I find myself browsing through is the Brewing and Winemaking section. Does what it says on the tin really.

From elderflower champagne blowing up everywhere through the odd jammy disaster and finishing with a monthly egg count this is definitely a site to get stuck into.

Back Into the Saddle

Ok. Four months without any updates to any of my blogs is a bit pants. Last year I wanted to average one blog update per week…on all of my blogs. If you do a quick tour around, you will see that this didn’t happen. In fact, I barely made it past averaging one blog update per week on all my blogs put together.

So this year, I want to try for the full 52 on this blog. It’s going to be tough, especially since we’re nearly two months in already, but hopefully I will be able to do it.

You will have seen me say this before, but watch this space!

Books and Blogs - The Frugal Cook

Continuing from yesterdays post about frugality, I have a recommendation, particularly with Christmas coming up.

Typically for this time of year many books are being released, particularly in the cookery section. One book you may not be aware of is The Frugal Cook by Fiona Beckett.  As I said, there are other cook books out this season, one of which is Delia's reprise of her Frugal Food recipe book, and is a direct competitor for your pound this Christmas. While this is a good book, it is a re-release, and I would urge you to go for an original publishing.

The Frugal Cook is based on Fiona's blog of  the same name. I love the blog. It's on my RSS feed, and I read every article with interest. Fiona's writing is well thought out, her recipes concise, and her ideas inspiring. I also like the fact that if you comment on any of Fiona's articles, she will generally answer you personally. It is this accessibility that makes me a fan, and will see me buying her book (or getting someone to give it to me as a present) this Christmas.

Whether you get the book or read the blog, enjoy. It is time well spent.

No, I'm Not Dead

It's rather embarrassing when your own blogs are at the bottom of your 'recently updated' list of blogs on Technorati. According to that list:

Mouse's Musings was updated 41 days ago
Lifelong Pub Run was update 37 days ago
SheyMouse's Photo Blog was updated 37 days ago

This is not the longest I have gone without a post, but over a month without a post is rather slack of me. Since I have split my blog into three, I have enjoyed my writing much more, as well as found more motivation for taking more (and better) photos.

So, with the above in mind, what kept me from writing for so long? The answer is that Mrs-Mouse-To-Be has now become Mrs. Mouse. Yep, I am now married to the lady I have been in love with for nearly 10 years. We had a wonderful wedding in deepest Suffolk followed by a wonderful honeymoon in deepest Dominican Republic. Both of these have given me much material for all three blogs.

As always, watch this space...

Stephen Fry Rules!

My life is complete. I have always enjoyed watching Stephen Fry on TV. My earliest memory of him is a little hazy. I cannot remember if I first saw him in Jeeves and Wooster or A Bit of Fry and Laurie. Either way, I enjoyed watching Fry with Hugh Laurie in these shows and continued to watch them in the Blackadder series. Yes, I am aware that the Blackadder series predates Jeeves and A Bit of..., but I only started watching the series much later on. More recently, I have enjoyed watching Stephen Fry on QI (I've even been to watch the show being made).
By the way, if you haven't watched any of the above, you should either get hold of some of the shows, or shoot yourself. You don't know what you have been missing.
Anyway, as I said, my life is complete. My colleagues at work mentioned that they had heard a Stephen Fry podcast. Having piqued my interest I jumped on the internet to see if I could find it. Very quickly I found out that Fry has a website on which he keeps a blog, and more recently has been posting podcasts. Joy!

Being the fan of Fry that I have described above, you would be within your rights to wondering why I haven't found his site before. Well, I never thought to look, but now I have I cannot wait to read his next blessay, blog, or blissquisition, nor can I wait to listen to his next podgram.

If I have done anything to interest you in Stephen Fry, click on the link to his site on the right of this one.

New Beginnings

Right, so, nearly two months on since my last entry. It's amazing how, when life isn't just right, you can't be bothered with some things.

Well, I'm kind of back now. I have recently started a new job as a tester at WMS Gaming, and am now waiting to make my first foray into the United States to head office. I am hoping to go up the Sear's Tower and take some pictures. If I manage this, I will be posting the pics on my photo blog and flickr.

Watch this space...

How Slack?

Yep, I’ve been slack with keeping my blog. How will I ever become a famous blogger if I don’t blog? How can my friends and family ever figure out what’s going on if I don’t blog? How can I ever get into the habit of writing often (so I can potentially write a book) if I don’t blog? On a scale of 1 to 10 in slackness I go all the way to 11 (thank you Spinal Tap).

On a plus point, I am still taking photos, but they are in 35mm format and I need to take a few more photos before I can send the films off to be developed. With such a nice Easter weekend being predicted by the weathermen, I think I will have no problem taking photos.

Bring it on!

Customising One's Blog Template on Blogger

One of the features of blogger is that I can view/edit the HTML of my blog template. I have been trying to work out how to do this. I think I have finally done it. If you visit here and see everything messed up, I have pressed 'Save' rather and 'Preview' and am probably weeping in a corner.

It's not fun unless I am pulling it apart and figuring how it works.

Londoner's Blog Worth Reading

Having put Londonist and Random Acts of Reality into the links section, I remembered a blog I used to read, but hadn't in a while.

Diamond Geezer blogs a lot about life in London. He is witty, writes well, and writes about interesting topics. I especially likes some of the features he does like following the meridian line through London from Royal Greenwhich Observatory.

Go and have a look. You won't be disappointed.