These were the blogs my friend I thought they'd never end, these were the blogs, these were the blogs my friend.

It must be a week since I last sat down and blogged. Indeed it is. Well, nearly. 6 days since I reported anything at all and that makes this day 64 and counting.

As usual, my life is packed with social events and happenings so I'll just document them in bullet points below:

:: Went for a coffee on Friday night then 'out' with some 'friends'. I had my eye on the clock as I had to work the next day so I was glad in a way that the evening was excrutiatingly boring as I needed to get home quite early.

:: That's it.

One full week to go before our trip to Laos. Not sure if Vietnam will be on the itinery as it might not be possible to cross the border. Might come back and then find a nice beach to settle on for 5 or 6 days.

May be meeting Carmel and 'Sharon' who I knew from Tokyo tonight. I hope James is there! Although James being there would be nicer if I was drinking.

Seem to be see-sawing between the 2000-2500 gram loss in weight and I was hoping to stay on course and reach 5000 before the 50ieth day.

I need another plan.

Blog you later.

Blog for Blog's sake, money for God's sake.

A few new's. Ate some 'Mon' food and used an industrial strength hole puncher. 'Mon' is the name of a group of people who originate from around the Burmese border area and I was treated to some snacks of theirs at a school I visited the other day. Fairly tasty. The hole puncher needs no explanation, should anyone be reading this, but it was the' mother of all hole punchers' and could probably enable one to file a steel plate in one's folder, should that be a necessity. That might mean around 94 news to go. Hmm. Difficult.

Anyway, it being March the 23rd, I am now into day 30, or day 70, whichever way I look at it. I ate meat yesterday but am not over-concerned about that. I shall just add another day to my 30 so as to acheive this goal. It was more of there not being anything else available on offer at the MOE in the lunch they put on rather than my 'breaking' as there is usually plenty of fair around that keeps me more than satisfied.

It's strange in a way that I am now even turning my nose up at some of the meat dishes that one sees on offer around Bangkok in the sort of irritating way a 'born again' non-smoker might be 'disgusted' at the whiff of cigarette smoke after he's finally got over the critical stages of quitting his ones extremely pleasurable habit. At least I'm keeping it to myself though and not turning into a complete wanker. Note the adjectival clause. Wanker!

14 days to the steak including the extra day for bad behaviour.

Not much going on in my life except work, domesticity, sleep and again again. I love the work, love domesticity and love sleep so I am happy.

Not sure whether it'll be an ice-cold lager in 70 days time or a large glass of fine Cognac or perhaps a Long Island Iced Tea. I don't really mind what it is and I now know that it won't seem anywhere near as pleasurable as a glass of cold beer would have done after a week of abstinence as that's the way the brain works. Not sure if I was an alcoholic or just had what the doctors or experts refer to as a 'drinking problem.' Not sure I even had that but I do know that the brain will act as a small child if the body doesn't get what it wants in the short term. If you deny it what it wants for longer than it can keep up the histrionics, it'll soon forget what it was even creating about in the first place.

Strange that as it's me who's tellnig me this at the moment. How close we are to clinical insanity.

Bye bye Blog.

March 18th. 3 days later makes it 75 days to go which is 7 fewer than the start of the European Championships so I'll be able to watch the first game over a tall thin glass of ice-cold lager. Might even extend till then - it won't seem that much more.

No meat is good for you. Official. Providing you don't go all Vegan, there's plenty of great fish and seafood here to enjoy. I'm 3/4s the way through the hundred days war and I weigh 2,500 grams fewer than I did at the start, including clothes, so I'm on target on most fronts.

Any news? Hmm. Need to think about this. Not off the top of my head but there'll be loads in the holidays to catch up with.

See you blog!

Hello Blogness my old friend,

It's been another few days so I'll catch up with what been and what's not been going on. Today is March the 15th so by all accounts this is day ... er ...78. Hurrah! 21 days for the T-bone and about the same amount till my holidays.

Nothing to report here. Must get off to Panaya.

Hello Blog,

It's been a while and here I am at my desk at work, hoping to add a few notes to keep the thing ticking along.

Today is March the 10th so that probably makes it 82 days to go. Fairly flying by! 95 news as I have never gone more than a day without meat. Thank Buddha for seafood, that's all I can say.

One more in that as I am approaching the big 4-0h rapidly, and I know you ladies and transexuals going through a similar stage will sympathise, I thought I'd start giving myself a bit of pampering. Apparently it is now 'OK' for blokes, geezers, lads and the like to care about themselves a little more these days.

It's known as 'Metrosexualism'. So, in the good tradition of the phrase, I am 'coming out' before Aree 'outs' me!! Yes, I am a 'Metrosexual' and happy with it. I use 'moisturizer' and I am planning to have a pedicure and possibly a 'Spa'. Panaya are in virtual talks with Nivea. I am not, however, but have no problems with those who choose to be; heteroflexible.

Not drinking alcohol at all and now no meat seems to be having an effect on me. I am thinking strangely but I am getting things done. I seem to have 'energy' when I wouldn't normally have had.

I think it will be for the better when I can welcome back friend 'lager' into my life and my mates 'cigar' and 'cheese and bacon sandwich'. I miss you chaps.

I shall ask for spiritual advice from my mentor, 'The Gift' and I shall hope that he may deliver me.

It's going to be Hanoi in April via Vientienne in Laos and I'm looking forward to a bit of a change of scenery. Hope the seafood's good.

26 days of vegetarianism (well, not exactly, but who cares).

Elvis lives ....

So, 96 news to go and 86 days. Hmm. I have decided to take new drastic action to see if I can encourage a few thousand grams to shed themselves from me.

30 days and 30 nights of no meat to add to my misery. I really felt like a beer last night but resisted. I am glad I did as as pointless I do feel this whole exercise is, more pointless would have been the last 14 days.

So it's a healthy, fishy month to come followed by an enormous, rare steak at the end of it to celebrate. Roll on April 6th and I'll be on my hols after that but it's Easter so I might keep the fish thing up till the Monday after.

Pah! Feels like one of those Japanese challenge shows that I like to watch on channel 37 from time to time.

Jya ne!!

Day 88. Today is 'Macha Bucha' Day so it is a holiday for all.

P'Yong was cremated yesterday and his ashes cast over the Moon river. A good resting place. Now his ex-wife and family and wife are fighting over his property. A global post-death scenario, I guess.

Went out on the town last night. Another excellent Ruby in a different restaurant this time. Thought I'd risk the chicken for the first time in over seven weeks and it was well worth it. For anyone ending up here via Panaya Park and lives in Japan, the Indians in Bangkok are simple in another league. This is UK Indian quality if not better. Chicken Jalfreizi was 'awesome'.

Visited a few bars including one in Soi Zero where the music is excellent. They have a great idea of coming around the bar with a karaoke style menu and asking you to select your favourite tracks. Excellent stuff!

Came home in a taxi and lucidly recall all of the journey. That I will count towards my tally.

Another good thing happened to me yesterday and earlier in the week. First I learned that I would be asked to go back to Sydney in May for a regional meeting and training session. Bummer!! Then I was told that I'd have to go down south to train some schools in ICT & professional development. Catastrophic! Finally I have been asked to organise a Fantasy Football tournament for 16 schools in Thailand to take part in as part of a 'learning through sport and ICT' initiative. Money for what I do in my precious little spare time. Unfair!

Not missing the booze much. Not losing weight or feeling much better (not that I don't feel great, anyway) but I've started so I'll finish.

I think I'm in the 89th day if I'm counting backwards so that means it's been over ten days since my last drop of lager. Don't feel any fitter but I shall try to remedy that in the holidays which are a mere 5 weeks away.

I thought there would be tests but today takes the biscuit. My best friend - only friend in Thailand who is from this country, died yesterday. P'Yong was killed in a car crash. I don't know the details but I do know that one of the nicest guys I will ever meet has been taken from his new wife and his family and friends way too early for logic to have played a part.

I dedicate the rest of these few blogging days to you Yong and by God I'm going to say goodbye to you properly when I next go to Ubon Ratchathani.

I will miss you, mate.

This is Yong's wife Bee, P'Yong (he is actually a few months younger than me but he's P'Yong to everyone else so I call him it too) and me in one of our trips out to the stunning countryside of North-East Thailand.

Day 91, I think. Difficult to keep count. Anyhow, the no drinking thing is getting easier, if anything. Wore a suit I had forgoten I had today to visit the MOE so that's a Thai first. I'm kind of scraping the barrel so anything will do as long as it doesn't breech my own unwritten 'gentleman's' rules.

For example, I didn't eat chicken at all last month but that's because of the bird flu and I bought a pair of shorts but that doesn't count either and in fact I am just going to over-rule the suit thing so it's still the same as before. 97, I think.

Went for a run yesterday and it was my best for a long while but I'm just too knackered to bother today. Tennis tomorrow so that should make up for that.

Well done to the unpopular Boro as well for wininng their first ever significant trophy. I'm sure the British lads in the team will all be off to the nearest passport office now to prepare themselves for the UEFA cup next season. Big up the Boro!!!