just checking the way

so i downloaded and am trying a new web browser: camino. it's supposed to be mozilla's bespoke offering for mac's os X, and seems to work quite well. it certainly supports blogger better than safari. whether i start to use it as my default browser is another thing entirely though.

so our new car has a spot of rust on the rear off-side (left) wheel arch. if we leave it untended to it will mean, in due course, we need to replace the wheel arch. if we tend to it ourselves, it may well mean the same thing. unfortunately the garage we use recommended a body-work specialist who only does entire body panels - so for them to remedy a spot of rust the size of a 50p coin will mean they re-spray the entire panel (which even i will admit is OTT). but if we try and do it ourselves with a bit of sandpaper and touch-up spray we'll probably end up having to replace the entire panel too. perhaps i am being overly pessimistic about my wife's talents with sandpaper and spray paint, but surely there's another way...? i guess we'll be trawling the yellow pages for body-work shops for a more helpful solution.

did anyone else think phil and grant mitchell's re-appearance on eastenders last night was terrific? "hello mum" *smirk* - sheer brilliance. mrs hope and i had a tv binge last night, having had the two shows we watch (spooks and house) recorded for us last week (we'd plumped for spidey 2, which was only available on video, otherwise we'd have recorded it ourselves). spooks and house followed 'enders in merry fashion; dinner was eaten off laps on the couch - great stuff!

Due to an overwhelming response to the ticket pre-sale, some of Jack's shows have been moved to larger venues and additional shows have been added.



so in early march we'll be sitting in cardiff arena listening to jack's sunny hawaiian surf melodies. anyone else thinking what i'm thinking?

up north

it takes a while to get here by car on a friday. i have never had to queue to get out of a service station before, but that's just how bad the M6 northbound was last night. at 10.15pm. north of birmingham too.

my niece is now 27 weeks old - and looking ridiculously cute. granny and grandpa (didn't realise they wanted to be called that, but makes sense) are all cooey over her, which is really nice to see. and i am too actually, although she was totally freaked out by my resemblance to her father for most of the morning, and so burst into tears at the sight of me. mrs hope was always at hand to comfort me though, so don't worry, i'm alright. but amber did warm up to me at lunch thankfully, and i'm the happy receipient of several toothless, gummy, dribbly grins!