Apparently, I was trying to scare the snapper who was taking the photo. Seems my scary face is about as scary as your average house spider. Of course, this has nothing to do with vodka...

Almost 5 years ago I spent a couple of weeks in LA, Vegas and San Diego with a dear friend, who was soon to be married. She left her husband-to-be at home and spent two weeks racking up an enormous bill on my portable telephone (hers wouldn't work), calling him lots.

We saw Elvis in Greenland. We met Pluto and Spongebob. We met an old schoolfriend of mine in Vegas, her son managing to twist her round his little-finger and get in the front seat of the car by claiming he wanted to pee. We watched gangsters exchanging goods for bundles of greenbacks in an Italian restaurant in San Diego. Ours suitcases were invaded by ants in our hotel in Santa Monica. She complained that I kept her awake all night, snoring, and bought some earplugs. We saw Winona Ryder on Rodeo Drive, with a large security-type gentleman, probably to stop her doing any more shoplifting. We learnt how to perform the hand-signals employed by Aussie Rules Football referees, whilst watching the Aussie Footie final with a couple of Brisbanites in an English pub in America, and drinking Irish Guinness. And then we rode the big red and white Virgin all the way home.

And then we just drifted out of touch. She got married, I assumed that a friendship has passed into the past. The last time we met, even spoke, was when she rushed off to meet her man at Terminal 3.

And a month ago she got in touch. The marriage was over, he was one of those controlling men who manage to make ladies think that they're lovely, before they realise differently. And it was just like before when we talked.

So I'm off to the south west this weekend, to catch up on 5 missing years and share a few cocktails and wish her a jolly happy birthday and meet her new man.

I can't wait.

Good golly gosh 'n' grief, where have I been for the last 47 days? Beats me!

So, to make up for my inexcusible absence, a brief history of the gap:

• Went to Brussels for Xmas, waited for 13 hours at a foggy Heathrow airport, got the last flight of the day following three previous cancellations. Got my haircut in the hair-pod whilst I waited. Drank beer with Australians whose flight to Sydney was 13 hours late and wouldn't be getting home until Xmas afternoon.
• Started a new job (with the same company, which is actually now a different company, more below). I used to do these cars and those cars. I now do different cars,  and mums, and fish, and old-folk, and walking and photographs. Horses and pets and probably-more will be added to the portfolio soon. As the lead-developer I have to make sure they all work spiffingly well, I have a lot of work to do...

And that's about it, hence the lack of bloggery - I've had nowt to shout about.

From today, the company is now German. The takeover by Bauer was completed today and everything has changed by nothing has really changed. Perhaps I ought to brush up on my somewhat rusty German and hunt down a job in Hamburg. I'm looking forward to the special share-dividends, they'll buy me a nice holiday. But to where? Ideas welcomed.