MARCH 29

TUESDAY'S weather was pretty... odd. It was sunny in Long Beach but by the time I got halfway up the 710 I could have been forgiven for thinking I was in Wales. Ever mindful that there's nothing that won't make an easy update, I took some pics with the trusty moby. I would have put these up Tuesday night but I was knackered after work, and I would have put them up yesterday but it was my day off and I was busy. And by "busy" I mean "playing Quake III and watching Casino Royale. Again." I did almost get the laundry done though. If by "almost" you mean "didn't".

Sweet Jesus, get a load of those clouds.

Unless I'm very much mistaken, it's going to rain.

It looks like three years of Californian sun hasn't knackered my built-in British rain radar - or, as we like to call it, raidar.

What, it's stopping already??

For Christ's sake it rained for all of six minutes. Clouds in Britain wouldn't get out of bed for less than half an hour. Still, at least the wipers got their annual exercise.

MARCH 25

SOME random pics from our trip to Santa Monica yesterday...

MARCH 20

IT'S finally rained just enough to bring the 5 freeway to a grinding halt yesterday while I was on my way to work. I've spared every expense in doing this animation to show the exact amount of rain that stopped an entire freeway for 10 minutes:

MARCH 19

A MILLION thanks to Converse for making daps so crappy they fell apart within two months of me getting them. I've now had to shell out $43 on a new pair, but at least they have the red stitching so they'll match my various Wales shirts. Oh, did I mention we beat England on Saturday?

MARCH 17

I JUST want to thank the England rugby team and so-called "World Champions" for losing to Wales today, giving us our only win of this Six Nations tournament. I'd also like to thank them for losing in front of my English cousin Michael who then had to endure a two-hour trip stuck in a car with my dad (Welsh), my sister (Welsh) and John, another of my cousins (Welsh). Yes I know we lost to France, Italy, Scotland and Ireland but as long as we beat the English, that's OK with us.

MARCH 13

I KNOW what you're thinking - you're thinking, "God it must be fantastic to work in a real professional newsroom." Well when I ever do work in a real professional newsroom I'll let you know, but if you want to know what it's like to work where I do then cast your eye over this email conversation I had with Matt at nine tonight. The first email is mine.

ME: christ, i've been asleep for 20 mins

MATT: Again?

ME: yep

MATT: Geez. I'm still waiting for a late file.

ME: sorry. i'm waiting for two late files if it makes you feel any better

MATT: Everything is a late file for me.

ME: stop it, i'm nearly crying

MATT: Oh, sit on it.

ME: darling, i never thought you'd ask

MARCH 12

SO I'M driving to work today at 1.30pm and this is the temperature:

And then I drive home at 11.20pm and this is the temperature:

And then I get stuck in this for 20 minutes:

Knowing my luck, if I get reincarnated I'll come back as me.

MARCH 11

THE Great CD Clearout ended today when we managed to get rid of about 300 CDs at the local second-hand store, making $210 in the process. Ev had already flogged about 70 at her work for $3 each, meaning we got over $400 in cash and some much-needed shelf space. Pictured above is a small sample of the ones I had to rip to the PC before we got rid of them.

MARCH 8

JOHN INMAN, better known as Mr Humphries on Are You Being Served?, died today aged 71.

MARCH 7

Sorry for the lack of amusing comment, but Ev's put Oprah on and I have to get out of the living room. Just click here.

MARCH 5

THANKS to Jules for sending over this pic of the eclipse he watched in London on Sunday.

ON A brighter note, driving home tonight after a crappy day at work (time spent in office: 8 hours; time spent actually doing something: 2.5 hours) my day was brightened by the dumb redneck in front of me who tried to get off the 22 West exit ramp a bit too late and smacked straight into the trees on the side of the road.

MARCH 2

TO MAKE up for the lack of rain this winter (seriously, it's rained about eight times since last March) here's a video of the rain in Wales I filmed out of my bedroom window in Merthyr.

MARCH 1

STONE me... today I've been in the States for three years.