Most of the time, I feel like I'm still 22. Oh I know I'm getting older, the hair is thinning at the front, and no-one except my father calls me "son" anymore, but I don't *feel* old.

One of my best friends, who's the same age as me, also says that she too feels like she's still in her mid-twenties - and so it is, that when ever we're together, our conversation usually touches upon convincing ourselves that we are secretly twentysomethings, with a few extra miles on the clock.

In the past year, I've been told by various people that they thought I was in my late twenties (instead of late thirties) which is very nice to hear, and a result of having a "baby-face", plus hiding my "inner old codger". That, plus my usually having friends and girlfriends that are younger than me, keeps up the illusion. Yes, I still buy my t-shirts from Next and The Gap, but hey, didn't you hear? Mutton is the new Lamb, err Black (sheep?).

And then, just when I think it's safe to relax, an advert comes on TV. They're selling (yet another) retro late-70's/early-80's compilation album. That in itself isn't a problem, until I hear the following voiceover, "Give your dad something to remind him of his youth.... featuring....The Jam, The Undertones, Dexy's Midnight Runners, Squeeze..." etc etc.

Sadly, in a sign that still feel 22, I thought to myself, "that's not Dad's music, that's my music!", then a pause as it sank in and, "oh... I see... I'm old enough to be someone's dad. Ah."

P.S. The album in question was New Wave Heroes although you may want to get a young person to help you work the CD player.

I've started writing DMfM stuff four times now, since the last post. Thing is, as I get started, the phone rings, someone comes in to see me, an instant message or text message arrives. You get the idea. Before I know it, the article is forgotten about, and in some cases, not saved to disk, then lost under a myriad of other windows, until a month later, when I finally have cause to reboot the Powerbook (a rare occasion), it's lost forever.

So much has happened since last we saw each other. Some of it I can't even talk about on DMfM yet. I will though, when it's safe to announce.

It seems that lately, the media is full of stories on how modern life has so fast-paced, that people aren't spending enough time relaxing. The irony, that the press likes to point out, is that this is believed to be as a result of all the modern technology that's supposed to free up our time. Of course, the reality is that people just end up expecting you to do more.

And so it is that week after week, I've been tearing around like a blue-arsed fly, getting stuff done, but not doing fun stuff like writing, seeing friends, and laughing. Work is getting steadily more busy and I'm very much in the spotlight. So much so it feels like being in a video game, where if you do well on Level 1, you find yourself on Level 2 - having to move even faster, with less time to complete the level.

Things I'm thinking of writing about:

• "Grown-Ups" - same writers, production company and similar cast as "Two Pints". Equally as unfunny shite.
• Observations on Oxford - My new place of residence, leading city for the sale of velvet jackets to lanky young men, and home to a disproportionately high number of fairly plain, bookish young women, destined to live alone, eventually surrounded by cats.
• Big Brother 7 - How the least offensive (and least swearing) person in the house, is the guy with Tourette's Syndrome, and how bigger tits aren't a substitute for a personality.

Over the past few weeks I've thought of other ideas, and I'm sure I'll get to them, when I remember. Stay tuned!