Well as the subject says, I am over 40 now and have been for just over a month. As for losing my hair, well its been receding for many years, but lately I have been losing it in a different way. I have developed a few bald patches, one above and just behind my right ear, one on the back of my head at the base of my hairline, and a few on my face, this has led to me having to shave off my beard as it was looking scraggy and horrible.
    I went to the doctors about it yesterday, and its Alopecia Areata, he took some blood to rule out a whole host of reasons, and said that its more than likely due to stress. Will know the results of the blood tests next week.
    On a different note, I have upped my fitness regime by going to Karate more often, in fact I am going this evening, and that will be 5 sessions this week, feeling bloody good for it, and it can only help with the stress problem.
    The doctor did say to go home think about what stressed me and eliminate the causes of stress, so according to the doctor, I have to get lots of money, kill my boss, kill my son Leigh, get rid of all crap drivers on the roads, rid society of blinkered ignorant people, and instil respect into todays youth. Should be doable:-)

Well last year I promised myself I would keep this up to date, I failed:-), I intend to do better from now on, fingers crossed.
    I have this last weekend, turned 40, and I feel no different, strange that, in fact due to a change in lifestyle earlier in the year, I feel the fittest and liveliest I have for years. So what is this change in lifestyle?
    Well its simple really, I vowed in January after watching a TV programme by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall .... http://www.chickenout.tv/ ........ to look at my life style. It brought home to  me, that we are what we eat, and as I was getting older that seemed more important. So I embarked on a journey to eat as much as possible from fresh, nothing from jars, tins, pre packaged meals, no convenience food, its not easy at first and takes a lot of will power, but after 4 1/2 months, I and the rest of the family are reaping the rewards, I have lost weight, and feel great.
    The biggest challenge in this supermarket age, was to find a good quality butchers and greengrocers, I managed to find a Butchers in Tavistock, who sells only locally reared meat, and a Greengrocers in Saltash, who again only sells local produce, what has amazed me though is that its working out no more expensive, in fact in recent weeks as food prices have soared due to fuel costs, itt has worked out cheaper, because there isn't as much fuel being used for the local produce, it has just required a change in habits. I visit the Butchers once a week, most of the meat is kept in the fridge, but I always buy a couple of extra pieces and freeze them in case one week I cannot get there, and I then don't have to worry:-)
    The other thing that has to be done is some thinking ahead, we have to think what we want for our evening meal, the night before, not specifics, but would we like chicken, rabbit, pork etc etc. I have discovered some wonderful recipes, and my cooking skills have come on leaps and bounds in the last few months.
    The other thing that we have started to do is go to Karate ..... http://www.doryokuryu.co.uk/ ....... we, that is myself, Tracy and Tasha have our first grading for Yellow belt this Sunday, we started this back in February, going just once a week at the moment, but we will increase this after the grading. I think the key to life style changes is to do it gradually, that way its not such a shock to the system, and sort of drips into your life:-)
    Well that will do for now, I promise to update regularly:-)   

Well here I am, didn't ever think I would write a Journal of any sort, never been one to keep a diary, although I do feel I should have followed my dads advise when I was 17 years old and joining the Navy, he said to keep a diary/journal and I would then not have to try when I got older to rely on my memory to recall what I did and where I went. I can remember some of it, but some of it is alas lost in the midst of time. Although I was rather good at taking photo's, and these I have found to be good memory nudges, I haven't been quite as good at putting them into albums, and so I have a box full of about 4000 photo's, that are just lying there.
    I have a cunning plan though, I have started scanning them into my PC, this way I have them to hand, and can embarrass myself at any time:-) as well as embarrassing other people;-)
    Well that is the reason for this Journal, so I can remember what I have done, where I have been and with who.