I shall now proceed with the mid-life crisis.

It's been a very strange and pleasant weekend. Saturdays I tend to lounge around, if I can, and (literally) let the hair down. My father sent over a gift of two jumpers he'd bought in the Lidl outlet, and I was pleased to find they approximately fit me. The black one, with its shoulder epauletes had a "Workzone" label inside and a slightly military look. This meant that with the wild hair and unshaven Saturday chins, I looked like the carpark attendant from Lost.

Although I knew my "surprise" birthday party was to be on Saturday, it was still very surreal to see my family gathered in the one spot without marrying off or burying someone. Also, the presents and cards that were handed to me in a steady stream just didn't register as being mine. I had to look them all over again today and put the cards up on the mantlepiece before it started to dawn through the fuzz of last night's alcohol that I wasn't minding them for someone else.

It's true to say I'm still in mild shock at the fact that I'm forty tomorrow and that Brig organised a great family party with catering and rounds of drinks, speeches and everything for me. Thanks a million for that, babe.

I've been very introspective over the "milestone" this past week. Some of my workmates even commented that I was quieter than usual, and speculated that I was just listening out for material for the blog! The truth was that I was looking forward to this fabled life that begins at forty, as the saying goes, while, at the same time, thinking about how much life has changed for me -- for the whole family, really -- over the past five years or so. You can probably glean some of this from entries on these pages.

Still mildly stunned, the night after the party. In case any of my thanks went unsaid, I'd like to again say how grateful I am to everyone in the immediate family and in my extended family who took time off and travelled, helped out, moved furniture or turned up in comedy spectacles... I love you all.