Pinky and the Black

This seems like a bit of an anti-climax after yesterday's 500 - a return to a bike shot and little of interest. Anyway, first off a HUGE thank you to everyone who commented on the Blipspotting entry - I don't think I've had anything on the Spotlight page, so that was nice. I'd actually planned that shot for my 200th, but life got in the way a bit, so it has been in the BlipBank for a while.

I will get round to popping into everyone's photostream to thank you personally. Eventually.

So what's been happening apart from cross-dressing and wet t-shirt competitions? Well my soil eventually got delivered on Monday (the driver had the temerity to phone and complain that there was no-one there to help him, so he was just going to have to leave it in the road, which I'd expected anyway). I'll be writing to them to reclaim my £25 'named delivery day' charge - as well as informing them of their data protection obligations with regard to customers which really should include not putting an A4 sheet onto each bag of soil with the customer's name, address, home phone number and mobile phone number all clearly displayed.

Seriously, if you're thinking about using Turf and Stuff for any supplies... Don't.

And I didn't get the job I interviewed for on Friday. Apparently I did really really well, and they liked me, and could see how easy I was to get on with and so on. But I'm too young. Except they can't say that, so instead I don't have the requisite senior experience - in the words of the recruitment agent from them, "Come back in two years." Same old story, I always interview well, but the last few positions I've gone for I've been the wildcard who doesn't quite match the spec, and they've decided to play safe in these uncertain times.

I've also been reading the Guardian's Edinburgh blog - a role I also applied for (with my writing and photography being 'very interesting and impressive', but not having formal journalism qualification or experience scuppering any natural talent). 4 or 5 blog posts a day, often being a re-hash of the local paper, with a few photos. Honestly, I have no idea what I'd do with the other half of the day after getting that done.

I do 'bitter' so very well don't I?

I've actually come to a decision about my own website as well. Issue 57 went online at the start of this month, and a while back I'd decided to give it to the 5 year marker to be providing an income stream of any sort. I have to admit the last wee while I've been enjoying putting each issue together a little bit less, and really it's distracting me from other writing I want to be doing, and some other photography stuff. I think the next two issues will go out as usual, with the 60th, the 5th anniversary, being the last - and a little bit different, with me taking over all 50 pages for a detailed 'manifesto', if you like. I've been writing and reading about cycling intently for the last 5 years, there's a lot I can say about it.

Time to finish the novel, and try and get articles published in the 'real' world instead. Hard decision. Big decision. But it already feels like a weight off. Unless it starts to make some money in the next 10 weeks of course...