Although I work in an office, all I?ve ever wanted to do was be a writer; I?ve dreamt of this since I was 8 years old.  Sadly, I do not think it will every come to pass, due to a combination of not enough time, a need to earn to pay the bills, and a distinct lack of talent. Frustratingly, one of my closest friends is also a budding novelist, and has an agent already. One step nearer my paradise, I guess.  I?ve tried to engage my children in the arts ? last year I took part in a live art installation, but to be honest, they are just kids. They want to do their own stuff with things I?ve bought for them. I probably should be happy with that.

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I live in a medium sized town in North Hertfordshire, England. It?s about 20 miles north of London, and falls smack into the commuter belt for London and other larger towns. It?s very much somewhere people live rather than work, although there is a very large pharmaceutical research centre on the outskirts. It sits there, ominously, and I wonder how many animals are in there. Perversely, I pass it on my way to and from work, so I?m also trapped, but this time only on a rat run.  The town itself is pleasant enough, lots of parks and other large open areas, which are very popular with families, mine included.

Today was usual work clothes, albeit ones picked in a hurry as I needed to leave for work, and not pause to select my finest clothing before hand. So, it?s a pacman shirt and jeans, with my old, faded, and hopefully still strong enough to last the day out trainers. There?s a move in work that we dress more appropriately, but as I?m stuck in an office, never meet customers, and only go out when I?m on my way home, this seems unlikely. I?ll reserve the suit for another time. Perversely, when I get home I?ll get changed into something less scruffy to spend time with my family.

The one thing I’d wish for in all the world would be for my entire family to be happy. Now, I fully accept that happiness means different things to different people, and quite frankly a lot of people hang a lot of hope on things which cannot come to pass, but still, happiness seems the easiest thing to hope for. I suspect if you asked my kids, it would be no curfew over the summer holidays, a new bass guitar, or riding lessons, or something else which impacts others time or environment, but as a father I cannot hope for less.

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When I was a child, my mother explained to me that toys were pretty much only going to be bought for me for Christmas or birthdays, but I could have any book I wanted. And I did, endlessly. It?s been a lifelong habit ? I love books, I adore reading, and even though my parents have long since passed away, I still get enormous pleasure from books. I own many, many hundreds, from the latest best sellers, through classics, to the slightly obscure.  It still puzzles me why this seems entirely unusual ? I?d far prefer a book to a chance to go to the cinema.

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My father was in the military, so we travelled a lot, and lived wherever someone else decided he’d be based for a while. I adored living in the Mediterranean, even though I was only young. The weather was always lovely, the people friendly, and it was like being on holiday for two years. Endless days on the beach, or walks near the sea in the evening. Of the time there, my single clearest memory was a long walk up to one of the local bars, during the town?s festival (like a lot of Mediterranean areas, Malta?s towns all have their own festival) ? looking at the fireworks. I remember standing and watching a Catherine Wheel ? I?d never seen a firework except distantly in the sky.

As a family man, I enjoy anything which combines my children and the minimum of costs. We occasionally do proper, costly trips, but it?s mostly local things which we can manage on foot ? taking the dog for huge walks, geocaching (which is a sort of treasure hunt using a GPS receiver), that sort of thing. Until recently we?ve enjoyed all going swimming, but the government has just cancelled free swimming for children, so that makes it a costly, and mostly unaffordable luxury. Tonight, perhaps the kids will help be see if we can teach the dog the concept of fetch. At the moment it gets running away, but isn?t so keen on coming back to us.

Because of the recession, our dining options have greatly decreased. Last night it was pasta, with hotdogs chopped in, with a little cheese and mayo for flavour. The previous night it was pizzas ? our rarely fully enjoyed monthly treat, as it was pay day on Friday. Another month until another treat?. I have no idea what the plans are for tonight ? personally I?m fearing more pasta, and dread it being baked potatoes again. Oh, for some choice, some flavour. We?ve taken to growing salad stuff in our garden, sadly none of it is ready quite yet ? it sits out there, teasing us with it?s freshness.

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As far as it affects me, the recession seems tolerable. Taxes have gone up, various costs (food, fuel and so on) have risen slightly, but by far my biggest concern is what would happen if I lost my job. Times seem to be very tough in the job market ? I?ve seen plenty of co-workers lose their jobs recently ? am I next? It seems a little unfair that in financially tough, troubling times what people need to help them get over the stress, holidays, chocolate or alcohol are becoming harder and harder to afford. I?ve spent the last few days of and on listening to our government saying that we need to cut costs, yet good times are just around the corner. I don?t believe them, either way.

I enjoy my phone carrier. Not only do I get a kick out of their advertising campaigns, but I feel that they offer good customer service. The primary reason I like my carrier is because most of my friends and family members have the same carrier. This helps me to keep in touch and save money. I am dissatisfied, however, with the lack of affordable options for cell phone replacement with this carrier. I feel that waiting to obtain a cell phone at a reasonable price should not take two years. Regardless, I like the coverage and service I receive.