Welcome to my almost new blog.

Good morning and thank you for visiting. I know, I know.........I should have welcomed you all to my blog last time, not the second post, but surely you didn't expect me to get something right did you?

Anyway in my weekly..ish blog I intend to keep you up to date with the carvings, the countdown to Chicago, (or shakago as my daughter Millie wrote the other day, I blame her mother!) family life and any other nonsense that may occur to me. And if that's not enough there will also be a competition, each week you will have the challenge of finding the grain of truth my stories are based around!

One day I hope to be able to write a story about an achievement that shows me in a good light but until then here's one that goes back to November 1st 2009, the Newport Convention.

I had the onerous task of choosing a winner of the "Carve a box competition". Onerous because each model was wonderful in it's own way and choosing just one seems so unfair, plus I feel the disappointment of all those not picked. As the winning carving was to be turned into a box that helped narrow the field and I eventually chose Bill Park's model of his dog Melmo with a pumpkin.

I carefully transported the model back to the UK where it sat gathering dust for the next 17 months!!!
Shame and embarrassment are the first two words that come to mind. Think of an excuse.......are the next four! How on earth am I going to make it up to that handsome man Bill and his beautiful wife Amy.........too subtle? In the time it has taken me to do nothing Bill and Amy have managed to produce a one year old baby, Sebastian!

With Chicago only three months away I realised I wouldn't have the nerve to turn up if I hadn't finished Bill's model so this week "Melmo" has had my full attention. They have been very kind and not once told me to "hurry up" or words to that effect..and they had every right to. So a mere twenty months after carving his model I should get Bill's model to him........thank God I don't deliver live organs for a living!

Now I hope there's no link between that story and this one but last Friday I played golf. I am a member of the Pheasant Inn Golf Society (P.I.G.S.) and once a month we play a different venue. This month we visited The Worcestershire G.C. This exclusive club was established in 1879 and designed by a Dr Alistair Mackenzie who apparently also designed Augusta National and Cypress Point ....wherever they are....

Luckily they were holding a "Peasants day" and our society was let loose on it's hallowed greens. At this point I can tell you that I played like a true champion.....providing that champion was called "Dobbin" and was the four legged ploughing champion of Great Britain 2010. I look forward to our monthly golf so much that when the time comes I am at such a high level of expectation that utter disappointment is the only possible outcome. I'm not sure why I even like golf....did I say "why"..I meant "if". I think it's the contrast between my visualisation of the shot I'm about to play and reality......if I knew where the ball was going to go where would the fun be in that? To make things worse I lost my usual £5 side bet with Roy "I'll put down a four" Sumner. So, am I looking forward to next month's game at the Herefordshire G.C.? You bet I am, luckily I have a very low threshold as to what counts as a good game of golf.....anytime I don't get struck by lightning!