Unfriend I've just come off Facebook and am feeling angry to say the least.....I've just had to "unfriend" someone for the very first time and it hurts. A week or so ago, this guy I used to be at school with, sent me a friend request. To be honest, I couldn't remember who he was, but saw that we had one of my best friends from school as a mutual friend, so decided he must be alright......how wrong could I have been? You see, the thing is, I've been really fortunate in my #life to meet some absolutely amazing people, and am proud to be able to call these people my friends. I have Black friends, White friends, Chinese friends, Asian friends. They are gay, straight, bisexual, asexual. They are Christian, Catholic, Jewish, Islamic, Sikh, Buddhist, Pagan, Atheist. They are vegan, vegetarian, pescetarian, carnivores. They have all helped me to grow into the person I am today.....tolerant of all people's views and understanding of their beliefs and values. However the one type of person I will never understand, tolerate or befriend is a bigot......and that's what this guy turned out to be. His posts became extremely offensive almost straight away....I couldn't believe what I was reading half the time....full of vitriol, hate and ignorance. I just won't stand for it.....I've not only "unfriended" him, I've also reported him to Facebook. None of us has the right to judge or comment on the lives of others....

Me Time I've always struggled with the concept of "me-time". As a young father in my thirties, I worked all the hours God sent in order to keep a roof over my family's head, food on the table, clothes on our backs and the gas boiler lit. I was happy doing this, but felt that I was disappearing as a person in my own right.....I was merely seen as a worker, husband, father, son, with pressures on me to fulfil my roles, and little time to spend on the things that made me "me". I've always loved music, reading, walking, spending time with friends and family; the usuals for most guys I suppose, but found little time, or the heart, to pursue my interests. Then I discovered the gym, and ploughed all my efforts into "getting fit", spending at least two hours per visit, four times a week. I enjoyed it.....or rather I enjoyed the fact that I had a few hours to myself, listening to my iPod as I slogged away on the treadmill, sweating my arse off in the sauna for far too long as is good for you as it gave me the time to just sit and think. It was then that the crisis of conscience kicked in; by spending so much "me-time" I was forgoing "our-time" with my family. I gave up the gym accordingly and gained a renewed bond with my wife and son.....as well as a few pounds in weight. But d'you know what? I'd rather have a few pounds extra weight than trade it in for the hours I've spent laughing, crying, arguing and talking with them. In fact, I've grown fond of my pot-belly....it reminds me of all the good times I've spent with them, eating long, drawn-out dinners at the table whilst discussing our days. And so, here I find myself in my mid-Forties, with so much me-time that I don't know what to do with myself. I still work all the hours God sends, but make sure I'm here to sit down to dinner each night. My wife now works most weekends, and my son's at an age where his world revolves around his friends, so here I sit curled up alone on the sofa with a coffee and an iced bun, enjoying my "me-time"......counting down the minutes until they're home......

Starbucks I love sitting outside Starbucks with my usual Venti Skinny Latte, people watching and just generally daydreaming.....that is until the designer in me wants to scream out "NO!!! What the hell were you thinking when you put that outfit together this morning? And that spray tan is three shades darker on your face than it is on your wobbling muffin-top escaping over the top of your too-tight leggings, which I'd rather not look at by the way, thank you very much!" However I return to my milky heaven in a cup and just smile to myself instead.....

Time Shared Well, the day spent with my son was insightful to say the least. You think you know someone, watched them grow, nurtured them, only to find that no matter how much you believe you guide someone, they will always follow their own path.....which is as it should be! However, I do hope his change of future career choice from marine biologist to dubstep DJ is purely a teenage whim.....

Rare Today I'm going to be spending one of those extremely rare moments.....a whole day alone with my teenage son! "What's so unusual about that?" I hear you ask. Well, the truth is that, as I watch him grow into a young man, I also see him growing away from me....he'd rather spend his time with his friends than his old fart of a father. However, on the rare occasions that we actually manage to spend the day together, I love to get the odd glimpse of the little boy he once was, as well as see the great person he's growing to be.....