Positively North Street

And so it's come around at last - my 365th consecutive blip!

As a long-term Bob Dylan* fan the first thing that came to mind when thinking of a 'concept' for this momentous journal entry was to pay homage to the famous promo clip for Subterranean Homesick Blues (filmed by DA Pennebaker in 1965 - the year before I was born!) and so I ducked down the alleyway by the office to give you this piece of nonsense! Thanks very much to Inez for her help with setting the shot up.

The year has flown by in some ways although there have been times when it's been a slog, times when I lost my mojo or doubted my ability to see it through - the past couple of months in particular have been difficult and stressful for one reason or another and my motivation has sometimes dipped a bit.

BUT... the people I've 'met' through this site (mostly in cyberspace, occasionally in the flesh!) have made it all worthwhile and carried me through. You're a wonderful community and it's been a pleasure getting to know you, being inspired by you and sharing your ups and downs - many of which have put my own minor stresses into pretty stark context. I love you folks! Special thanks to Goatee for the initial encouragement and thanks to all at Blip HQ for enabling the whole endeavour.

My plan now is to take a short break - a week, maybe two - and then to return on a part-time basis, blipping when I have something I want to share but taking the pressure of producing a daily blip off myself. I want to catch up on some of the other enthusiasms in my life - reading, music, exercise, sleep! - and I need to start thinking about finding a new job (my contract finishes in March) - something that spending several hours on this site every day isn't helping! My ability to comment on your journals will inevitably take a bit of a hit but I will still be here following you, a little more silently than previously perhaps but not in a sinister way!

So, thanks once again to all my blip pals old and new - I really couldn't have done it without you! It's been quite a 365 days and I won't forget a single day, believe me! xx

*Happy belated Birthday Bob - 71 last Thursday!