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April 2012. With a fresh injection of holiday bonus cash burning a hole in my pocket, I decide that it is long overdue that I invest in my very first laptop. How I had managed to survive without one up to that point was perplexing. Just think of the hours of translation work that I could plough through with the right technology in my hands. And then there was the matter of my blog. Now that I had become a regular and accomplished blogger, with portable IT at hand, I could finally become one of those enviable souls that lounge around plush cafes uploading intentionally faded retro photos and typing up their witty repartee as they nurse the same pot of Lapsang Souchong over the space of an entire morning.

5 months later and time for a reality check. Glancing sheepishly this morning at my neglected, unedited blog, it dawned on me that I have spent €600 of my hard-earned on what is just another (more cumbersome) device for playing Bubbleshoot and that even my commuting hours have been spent mostly unfruitfully.

To be fair to myself, the past few months have been a busy time. But before I embark on an intricate myriad of excuses, honesty is probably the best policy. I feel compelled to acknowledge that this blog has been weighing me down somewhat and adding an element of unnecessary pressure to my life. While the concept of trying out new pursuits remains dear to me, the practice is unsustainable and what was supposed to be an escape channel from the humdrum of routine has, ironically, become equally as suffocating. By promising that ‘Every week I will try something new’, I essentially created a set of limitations for myself.

At the same time, my passion for writing and sharing anecdotes and photos has not dwindled, nor has my zest for new experiences. I considered starting another blog, something more focussed and sustainable, but I’m not ready to abandon ‘The Spice of Life’ and its voice just yet (nor can I be arsed desiging a whole new page!)  So I guess it’s time to take the blog somewhere else…I’m not sure where…but watch this space…

Happy New Year!

Mesdames and Messieurs....HAPPY NEW YEAR and ALL THE VERY HAIRY CHEST!

The final couple of weeks of 2011 for me were as hectic as the end of a year can get. Much of my December timetable was clogged up with the sterotypical seasonal events of hunting out suitable but affordable gifts, the thankless task of writing Christmas cards and dipping in and out of Liege's magical 'Village de Noel' for the odd glass of mulled wine and  merry-making. The highlight of the yuletide season was the two weekends when we had the pleasure of hosting family and friends, which, added to a week-long visit to the parental home for the Christmas period, culminated in a rollercoaster of emotions from shared belly laughs to tearful goodbyes.

I'm hoping all this maybe serves as a valid excuse for my recent silence and seeming neglect of my blog. I have a tendency to scribble my thoughts down during my arduous daily train journeys, from which I have had a very welcome break, and, to put it bluntly, I have been having too much of a good time to be arsed with my blog. There I've said it!

Now it's back to business as usual and I'm hoping to keep my blog high on the list of priorities. Like every other Tom, Dick and Harry, I'm starting the New Year with the best intentions, determined to reduce my intake of alcohol and quit the 'bines and, of course, fit perfectly into a size 6 before bikini season is upon us - the latter is of particular importance after having to endure my brother refer to me as 'Mr Corden' over the last two weeks. My main focus this year will be to increase the level of creativity in my life, hopefully digging out my guitar again and attempting to write some more songs and develop my blog further (guest blogs and maybe even a new blog entirely). I already have some new experiences in mind to write about - hell, I'm even taking the day off work this week to try something new.

Before I turn my attention to 2012, I would like to dwell for a little while on the positive aspects of 2011.

Buying a bike
Despite the discovery that I am subject to bouts of road rage and have a vocabulary of French expletives that would make Bernard Manning blush, getting from A to B has been made much easier by the purchase of a city bike earlier this year. The morning ride along the river bank is a much better way to start the day than sitting with my head buried underneath my coat trying to stifle the odour of whoever has omitted to apply deodorant sat next to me on a stuffy bus.

Learning to bake
Another string to my bow that I never thought possible - has had adverse effects on my waistline but vastly increased my popularity amongst colleagues.

Starting a blog
Many moons ago, putting pen to paper came easily to me and was how I planned to earn my living. But life  got in the way and after years of writer's block and dwindling inspiration, I am overjoyed that I am finally back in the zone and have this outlet for my nonsense with the added bonus that people seem to read it and the odd weirdo seems to enjoy it.

Moving house
Good riddance to a bone idle landlord and house that was literally falling to pieces around our ears and hello to a new pad, so warm and cosy that a slanket is practically superfluous to requirements.

Learning to tap dance
For those who recall my earlier blog and lame attempts at fancy footwork, 11 lessons down the line, I can now perform a Shim Sham Shimmy (though not quite yet comfortably in public).