If you've been wondering why I haven't posted anything recently, it's because I've been working hard on my new website. The old one was getting too difficult to update and thus no updates were happening.

The design of the website is pretty similar to the old design. I'm no kind of artist at all, so I've kept it pretty simple. However, the new site is dynamic (it runs off my own little homemade content management system), is laid out completely using stylesheets instead of tables, and has a semi-flexible design to suit almost all screen sizes. Which I think is pretty cool. But then I'm a web geek.

Anyway, if you've got a link to my website, please change the link to http://www.patricksamphire.co.uk/ as the old one won't stay around for long.

If anything about the new site doesn't work, please let me know. I haven't managed to test it on all browsers. Also, if you've got any suggestions for other stuff to have on the site, I'm always happy to hear them.

Finally, if you liked the old design more, please don't tell me! (The old design was the same as the design of Steph's website, except with smaller fonts.

#
Steph's brother Ben has been accepted for Clarion West this year, which is awesome. Steph and I met at Clarion West in 2001, and we had a wonderful time. However, Ben is fairly broke and is trying to raise money to go. He's a really good writer, so if you feel you can spare a few dollars to send him there, visit his donation page.

#
I thought this had already happened a couple of months ago, and I was very, very wrong. However, Spring is definitely here now. The last few days have been sunny and hot. Nika and I have been taking long, slow walks through the woods. The trees are all breaking out new leaves, and the bluebells are just opening. There's a smell of wild garlic everywhere. It's peaceful and after a long, grey winter it's just wonderful. I can't wait to go out again.