What's pleasing me today

Season 2 is clearly going to open with a misfiring V12 soundtrack.

Woah, hold on there, I’m sure they have hair transplant studios now you back in the big city…I assumed getting a weave would be somewhere on your list, unless your just going to go full Ross Kemp on us…

Yearly reminder that Russ once made fun of me for mulling the idea of getting more tattoos at the ripe old age of 36. A mere 17 years ago.

I’ve occasionally thought about getting more but nothing’s really grabbing me lately. With the amount I have, I can only assume that Ingo would consider me bordering on sideshow freak.

My hesitance for tattoos has largely been about:

a) I'm not one for pain and needles, especially if it's avoidable
b) I can't think of any design that I wouldn't likely hate in a decade or so (and don't see the logic in spending more money to adapt them)
c) I'm nowhere near cool enough and never have been

I do think they can look awesome on the right person, mind, but I'd argue that's mostly (but not exclusively) the younger generation.

I thought I was done at 36.

I’ve been considering getting another one for 5+ years now, still can’t decide on exactly what I’d want and knowing I’d have to deal with comments from Señora Mus for a while are the only things preventing me…

The good thing about doing it at our age is that no one gets to use the "aren't you worried what it will look like when you're old?" argument on you.

My friend reminded me this morning, because she knows I'm fucking useless with such things, that today is the deadline for benefits claims for the 2024 fiscal. Half an hour later and I've found $1500 of stuff to claim.

That sounds like enough for another fcuk-off big tattoo. Spider's web on the back of the head?

Got two more sittings to finish my sleeve still, which coincidentally will probably cost about $1500.

Nationwide giving my wife and I £50 each as a Big Thank You. Fairer Share payment still to be announced.

Moved into the house we've bought in Sheffield today. Compared to our old flat in London it is frankly, fucking huge.

Fear not, you'll always be a cockney in my eyes, Mince.

I agree. Sheffield is a great option for bringing up a kid, but London is where my heart is. I might get a tattoo of Big Ben.

What's better though, sharing apples and pears, or having your own apples and pears?

No 1 son got called for jury duty. I never have been. He's a gentle soul and quite insular. He got assigned a case yesterday that I think may have been gang related. He was terrified that they would follow him home. Jury got dismissed today for some reason or other. Though obvs someone else will have to do the jury duty I cant help but pleased that he stood up and was prepared to do the civic thing despite his fears but doesn't have to actually go through the week or so of fear he would have had to.

I've been called up once for jury service about 15 years ago. I remember being quite excited and then it being a damp squib because it was the last two weeks before Christmas and there were hardly any cases.

I finally got called from the jury holding room where we were mostly sat around drinking tea and doing suduko puzzles. They took 15 of us into the court room and drew 12 names out of a hat - I was one of the three not selected. Lucky I was being paid by my employer at the time really, given that it would have been an expensive fortnight with very little to show for it.