Looks like an angel

but farts like the son of Beelzebub!

We got his school photo proof back this afternoon. It's a shocker and the prices of it are a disgrace. £19 for a copy on DVD. He looks like has been dragged through a hedge backwards on it - not so much untidy, as dishevelled. It turns out that he had had to run from one end of the school to the other to get to the location, so he was sweaty, his hair was stuck to his head, and because his blazer was big on him at the time, nobody has thought to just tell him to pat it down a bit and do the same with his tie. So he looks like a sweaty over-inflated boy.

His verdict - why would we buy that when you take photos of me all of the time which are way better. This was said just before I took this shot when he actually gave me permission to take photos which is an unusual occurrence for him - he normally stops himself just short of telling me to sod off!

Corin's verdict - why would we buy that when we have a near professional photographer in the house.

Me - tempted to ask the company whether 1 armed blind monkeys are setting up and taking the shots.

When we have our photographers in at our school the kids look immaculate, because the adults (us and the very excellent photographers who come to do the shots) take 15 seconds to advise them on ties, blazers and looking spot on. It's not rocket science.

Fortunately, it's not an issue - we'll take a formal 'documentary' photo of him in his uniform for family members to have as keepsakes. If I didn't take a reasonable photo myself though, I think I would be quite peeved that something that should be a family memory to cherish came back looking quite so poor.

Am knackered - seem to have had a few relatively settled days in terms of the undiagnosed pain, but I am getting the warning signs of the early stages of the next round. I'm going to try and be more upbeat on this run through although I can't guarantee that I will maintain a positive outlook when I am 14 days into a cycle of pain and absolutely knackered to boot - the next fortnight is just ridiculously busy, with late nights at work, a training session on saturday for work, the Russian delegation visiting for a week so more late evenings (through choice) and a final performing arts show at the end of the week, followed by a full governors meeting the following week. Somewhere along the way this week I have to get up to the Lake District to drop off my promotional material at the hotel as the first wedding fayre (fair?) is on Sunday - I'm hoping my leaflets arrive before then!!!

SO, bath, wine, bed.

Thanks for all the comments and views yesterday - my moon made the spotlight page - not been there for while and although I don't covet it like I used to, it's now a lovely surprise when I get that notification.