Sorry, What?

Hey continued

Sun, 13 Sep 2009 01:54:58 GMT

I swear, I woke up one morning to see a fucking snail on the wall by the bed.

The new place is on the first floor so it's much nicer. Light and airy, with a lovely kitchen. But it's also a damn sight smaller. Obviously that's lead to some hassle, but I think it's worth it.

Anyway I'm running out of space again. So: be well, you lot. Peace.

Hey

Sun, 13 Sep 2009 01:44:19 GMT

Long time no see

Posting from my phone, so this'll be short.

Thought I'd drop in here and give you lovely people a quick update on the adventures of Dave. Cos I miss you lot pretty badly, and this seems like the only feasible way of keeping in touch.

We moved house last month. That's some pretty big news, I guess. The old place had just become unbearable- dark, cold, and damp. (continued)

Testing, testing

Tue, 04 Aug 2009 02:00:59 GMT

Testing something, nothing to see here

update

Mon, 11 May 2009 12:55:46 GMT

So, the walk went pretty well, although Amanda was understandably knackered yesterday...!

You can still sponsor/donate if you want, in fact I think the justgiving page stays active for a couple of months- see my previous entry for the relevant links. Thank you to everyone who already has, and thanks in advance to anyone planning to do so.

I Know I've Not Been Around Much Here, But PLEASE Read This Post.

Sat, 09 May 2009 12:03:40 GMT

Okay, I need to tell you a story. A true story.

You all know who Amanda is, right? She's my fiancee. She works in schools, helping kids with emotional and behavioural difficulties. Three years ago she was working in a secondary school near where we now live, as part of a very tightly-knit team of amazingly supportive people. Among them, Amanda's then manager, Liz Curtis.

When Amanda and I got together, Liz was pregnant, and Amanda was really excited for her, as we all tend to be when our friends are about to become parents- even if, as in Liz's case, it's for the third time. There is something about a new baby that brings out the love in all of us... even me, believe it or not.

As the pregnancy neared it's completion, it became apparent that things weren't quite right. The baby had stopped growing, even though everything else seemed to be normal. As a result, Liz and her doctors took the difficult decision to deliver by caesarean section 5 weeks early. Lily Anna Merrit was born on the 24th of April 2006, weighing 3lbs 8oz, despite being healthy in all other respects.

To start with, her growth was normal- but once she reached 4lbs, that was it. She stoppd growing.

I remember the day Amanda came home from visiting Liz and Lily, shortly after the hosptal decided it was okay for Liz take her daughter home. Amanda's joy at spending time with such a beautiful baby was palpable.

Over the months that followed, Lily suffered seizures, and underwent multiple tests and x-rays.

I don't know how long it took for the doctors to finally work out what was wrong, but the eventual dignosis was Mitochondrial Disease, a genetic problem effecting cell function. It's very rare, and varies widely from person to person in it's symptoms.

And it's incurable.

Lily lived for a year and six days.

(EDIT: Okay, this is embarrassing... as anyone who reads this blog regularly will know, my memory is apalling, and when I typed up this post I had my dates wrong. Lily was born on the 24th of August, not April, and so her life was even shorter than I've said- she was just eight months old when she passed away.)

Mitochondrial disease is, as I said, very rare. research into it's treatment is sorely under-funded, and public knowledge of the disease is shockingly lacking. Following Lily's death, it was obvious to Liz that someone needed to do something about this.

So Liz set up The Lily Foundation. Please click the link and read a little about what they've achieved in the last two years.

Today, May 9th is the day after Amanda's birthday. Do you know what she decided to do for her birthday weekend? Well, as I type this, she's halfway through a 40km walk through the South Downs. The walk is in aid of no specific charity; rather, each particpant is asked to choose their own cause and organise their own sponsorship. Amanda, as you will have guessed by now, is walking in aid of The Lily Foundation.

Please click on over to her Justgiving page and sponsor her if you can. She'll be very grateful, and so will I.

Thank you.

MINDHACK Chapter 2, Page 9

Mon, 27 Apr 2009 06:47:06 GMT

I forgot to link page 8 on Friday, didn't I?

Well, it updated, just like it always does, every Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

And hey! It's Monday! I guess that means it updated today, too!

Click the pic and go be sick (if you don't you're thick):

MINDHACK Chapter 2 Page 7:

Wed, 22 Apr 2009 07:02:21 GMT

MINDHACK Chapter 2 Page 7:

(click on the preview panel and by the incredible magical power of the internet you will find yourself transported to the site of true wondrousness where the page is displayed)

MINDHACK Chapter 2 Page 6

Mon, 20 Apr 2009 11:04:07 GMT

MINDHACK Chapter 2 Page 6 :

Click the pic to do the magic trick

MINDHACK Chapter two, Page five

Fri, 17 Apr 2009 06:08:28 GMT

MINDHACK Chapter two, Page five:

the trick is to click on the pic

MINDHACK Chapter 2 Page 4

Wed, 15 Apr 2009 14:29:03 GMT

Here you go, everybody, MINDHACK Chapter 2 Page 4:

Make with the clickyt to get to the comic

Mon, 13 Apr 2009 13:31:32 GMT

MINDHACK Chapter 2, Page 3 (usual drill, click the preview panel to go the site)

Fri, 10 Apr 2009 15:45:34 GMT

Twitter is awesome. I love twitter. You all know this already. Today, I discovered that one of my "twitter friends" had made this:

Just thought I'd share.

MINDHACK Chapter 2, Page 2

Fri, 10 Apr 2009 11:09:04 GMT

Mindhack chapter two, page two- click the preview panel to read it-

I'm not very happy with this page, from an artistic standpoint- I dropped Amanda off at the airport yesterday (she's visiting a friend in Israel for a eight days), and then drew this page in the evening. Thing is, drawing is just about the very last thing I wanted to be doing... when Amanda's not home, I tend to lose a lot of focus. I think it shows in this page.

On the other hand, I think the last panel will have a few people extremely confused- in a good way. And I've got two days to get a run up on the next opage and try to bring the standard back up...

MINDHACK Chapter 2, Page 1

Wed, 08 Apr 2009 09:50:33 GMT

That's right, chapter two has begun, and as you can see from the preview panel- which, if you click it, will take you to the site to read the comic- it features the return of my favourite character from Damnation.

Go, read, enjoy.

MINDHACK Update to Date

Mon, 06 Apr 2009 10:27:01 GMT

Okay, so I finally cracked and downloaded a new browser. I am now a Firefox user! Woohoo!

Anyway, this means that livejournal has decided it's oing to work for me again, so here's the preview panels for all those pages of Mindhack that I haven't linked to (each preview panel links to the page it's from):

This, by the way, brings us up to the end of chapter one.

MINDHACK update

Thu, 02 Apr 2009 13:32:13 GMT

...so, livejournal has completely fucked the posting interface, at least for me. Oh, perhaps it's to do with my browser, I don't know... anyway, I can't post images here now. Well, if I could remember the html I could, but I can't so there you go.

Anyway, MINDHACK continues to update over at the site, Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. Three pages since the last time I posted here, in fact- I've been waiting to see if the problem with lj was going to go away. Since that doesn't seem to be happening... best I can do is advise you to head on over to mindhackcomic.com and catch up. Sorry, that's a bit rubbish, innit. But the best I can do right now, I'm afraid.

Mindhack Page 11

Wed, 25 Mar 2009 07:58:42 GMT

Still going... Mindhack page 11:

Click the preview panel to go to the site.

MINDHACK Page 10

Mon, 23 Mar 2009 08:12:24 GMT

Here you go, my pretties... Mindhack Page 10:

(you know the drill by now, right? Click the preview panel to go to the site)

MINDHACK Page 9

Fri, 20 Mar 2009 14:10:58 GMT

Here you go, Mindhack Page 9:

(As always, click the preview panel to go the site and view the page)

MINDHACK Page 8

Wed, 18 Mar 2009 14:14:52 GMT

So, once again, I've ended up posting here way after the fact, but MINDHACK updated this morning as usual. Click the preview panel to go to the site and read Mindhack page 8:

MINDHACK Page 7

Mon, 16 Mar 2009 07:46:06 GMT

Today's page is a good page. I like this one, and have been looking forward to sharing it since I drew it, many months ago.

Click the preview panel to go through to the site, and see the vision of wondrousness that is MINDHACK page 7:

This page also rather sums up the difference in tone between this story arc and Damnation. If you smile when you see this page, then you will enjoy this story, I hope.

MINDHACK Page 6

Sat, 14 Mar 2009 07:41:20 GMT

So, here we go, the page updated on time, but I forgot to link here till twenty four hours later...

MINDHACK Page 6 is up now at mindhackcomic.com - click the preview panel to go to the site:

Mindhack page 6

Sat, 14 Mar 2009 01:50:33 GMT

I'm posting via email from my phone, cos I just realised that I forgot
to post here earlier that Mindhack page 6 is available for your
reading pleasure right now at www.mindhackcomic.com

MINDHACK Page 5

Wed, 11 Mar 2009 07:36:30 GMT

It's Wednesday, and Blake's in trouble. Click the preview panel to go to the site and read the comic:

MINDHACK Page 4

Mon, 09 Mar 2009 09:05:49 GMT

Mindhack page 4 is up and ready to read at mindhackcomic.com right now, and has been since 6 o'clock this morning- click the preview panel to go to the site: