Know your balls.

This was the somewhat uncompromising message of a poster displayed in my classroom a few years back.  Anyway, the point was that awareness of testicular cancer needed to be raised.  And now, with the advent and burgeoning of Movember, 'male cancers', as they're somewhat subtly called, are now being brought to the forefront of our awareness...  Apparently, more than 10,000 men will die of prostate cancer and more than 2,000 men will be diagnosed with testicular cancer this year.
Anyways, I thought I'd join in with the whole Movember thing.  Sadly, I fell at an early hurdle, when after the first week(ish) of growth, I accidentally started shaving (it was a bit early in the morning, and I wasn't with it...)  The upper lip was one of the first bits to go, and by the time I realised, it was a bit late to stick it all back on.  So I had to start from scratch...
This was followed by a period of 'growvember'.  As I was alone in my efforts (at least here at work/school) I was a bit of a wimp, and I didn't launch straight into tash/tee.  (It could equally be called 'hobovember'...)

This was followed by a (short) period of 'govember'.

This was followed by an even shorter period of fun with the razor...

Finished off with a flourish...

If you wish to donate, I haven't bothered setting up a page, but you can donate either to John B, an old school friend, or to John R, an old (work) school friend. 
And today, I've been clean shaven, having arranged to do a shift, so I didn't fancy turning up with comedy facial hair.  Maybe next year, I'll convince some other people around here to join in...
Hats off to the select few gentlemen of Worthing High, who strode fearlessly through the month, facial hair growing (in some cases, only barely...), ignoring ridicule and shunning. all for the sake of raising awareness.  Well done boys (and everyone else, obviously...)

Morals.

YOUR LOW DESIRE TO AVOID

is the most significant feature of your results

I've just done a 'morality test' from the BBC website.  Interesting stuff.  There were five headings, and my results show:

Your sense of wrongness is higher than average

Whatever that might mean...  I guess I think more stuff is wrong than other people do...  It tells me I'm 'probably less tolerant of moral wrongs'.  

Your sense of anger is higher than average

Uh, that's pretty self-explanatory.  Morally questionable behaviour angers me.

Your sense of disgust is lower than average

Personally, I wonder if this comes from a sense of, 'there, but for the Grace of God, go I'.  I've seen enough people screwing life up to know that it's not restricted to any one class/age/race/category of people.  I'm a huge fan of Casting Crowns at the moment.  This is a chunk from their song, 'Slow Fade'.  

It's a slow fade when you give yourself away
It's a slow fade when black and white have turned to gray
Thoughts invade, choices are made, a price will be paid
When you give yourself away
People never crumble in a day
Daddies never crumble in a day
Families never crumble in a day

Sure, what people do might technically disgust me, but they probably didn't wake up one morning and think, 'I'm going to act in a morally abhorent way today'.  It's a long journey, and every day I need to make sure I'm not making it!

Your desire to avoid is lower than average

I was actually quite pleased with this one.  It made me think of One who I try each day to follow, who tended to hang out with society's disgusters.  Given that I want to be like Him, I figure it's nice to see that there's a trait that I might be heading in the right direction on.

 Your desire to punish is lower than average

I think this is similar to the 'disgust' thing.  I'm all for rehabilitation, because it seems to mesh most strongly with the idea of forgiveness.  

What do you think?

I feel I should say something.

I really don't know what.  I have no particularly grand ideas.  It's just that it's now been one month since I last wrote, and that just seems a little lazy.  What have I been up to?
Well, I've tidied my desk.
In fact, it does rather feel like that's all I've been doing over the course of the last month.  But I'm glad to report it is now visible.  Our cleaner even commented on it's visibleness yesterday.  Referred to it as a bit of a shock.  How rude!  But true, it doesn't tend to get overwhelmed by my life's detritus.
Now, I merely have a pending pile to rival Ben Nevis to contend with.  Hey ho. 
There's also Little Boy, who's growing rapidly.  Sadly, sleep still isn't something he likes to do for more than five or six hours, which makes for a grumpy daddy.  He is ridiculously gorgeous though, so tends to get off with a caution.  In fact, here he is, with Big Boy, enjoying some time together.  Well, one of them appears to be enjoying it, anyway.

There's also been the much-hyped crumble fest.  That annual event that draws crowds from around the globe (or around the corner at least).  And sends me around the bend...
This was the cooker following an incursion into our kitchen by the willing (if somewhat lacking ability) Lower Sixth. 

We made 28 crumbles on this night.  Not a record, but not bad.  Sold about 60 in total, which is down on last year, but I didn't want to push myself too hard this year - didn't seem worth it with Little Boy to look after at the same time :)  He did rather hamper progress at times.
We're just making final preparations for the dinner tomorrow too.  Complete with a very exciting surprise on the entertainments menu...  More on that another time.

Other than that we've just been pottering on with life.  The occasional walk (and afternoon tea!) at Calke Abbey.

Quite pleased with this shot (also at Calke)

More pics another time.  Trying to feed Little Boy whilst doing this is fairly awkward!