Guess who's back IV

As you can see I've been away for quite a while, almost a month, but I have a very good excuse! My wife gave birth to a beautiful baby girl on the 19th of October and I have just returned to work after 3 weeks of paternity/annual leave spending time relaxing with my wife and baby (along with plenty of sessions playing the new Pro Evolution 2009 - much to my wife's disdain, but boys will be boys). It's true what they say, having a baby does change your life. Suddenly everything has become about her. A baby who doesn't even respond to us has become the most important thing in our life.

Over the past three weeks numerous family and friends have been visiting, all wanting a cuddle with the baby, receiving a lot of presents and so far it has been really fun and enjoyable. Everything else seems to have taken a backseat. Arguments, concerns, distractions, all have dissolved into nothing and all the focus is on their new grand-daughter, niece, cousin, etc. Along with the attention comes all the advice. What's difficult is deciphering what's important and what isn't. Some of the advice is useful, other stuff is almost pure superstition. Overall, so far, it has been an amazing experience and it was a wrench to get up and come to work this morning.

While I've been away a lot has happened in the world. Most significant was the recent victory by a certain Barack Obama in the US presidential elections. The Americans aren't so stupid after all. However, the optimism has to be tempered somewhat be recent events following his victory. First was the appointment of Rahm Emanuel as his chief-of-staff. A man who is as pro-Israeli as they come - he even volunteered to serve in the Israeli army during the Gulf War in 1991. His appointment led his father to comment: "Obviously he will influence the president to be pro-Israel. Why wouldn't he be? What is he, an Arab? He's not going to clean the floors of the White House." Great! Just what we need.

Secondly was the response Obama gave when asked about the unprecedented congratulatory message he received from his Iranian counterpart (Ahmedinajad): "Iran's development of a nuclear weapon I believe is unacceptable. We have to mount an international effort to prevent that from happening." Never mind the fact that the chief of the International Atomic Energy Agency (a UN led watchdog) clearly stated that "...the Islamic Republic is still lacking the key components to produce an atomic weapon. They do not have even the nuclear material, the raw unenriched uranium to develop one nuclear weapon if they decide to do so." The President has already seemingly decided that Iran is making a nuclear weapon regardless of the evidence. Ominous signs already, we'll have to wait and see how this plays out.

What else has been happening? Oh yes, how could I forgot Liverpool continuing their fine start to the season, joint top of the Premiership and never have I been this optimistic that they may continue to stay there and challenge for the rest of the season. The optimism breeds from a great victory over Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. Their first defeat at home for over four years - I wasn't even married the last time a team beat Chelsea in the Premier League.

With my return to work comes the bad news of exams for my MRCGP around the corner in January/February. The next few months are going to be very busy with my surgeries, tutorials, ePortfolio and studying for my exams. As a result, it is going to be difficult to maintain this blog on a regular basis. Instead, I will strive to blog at least once a week and hope other will contribute and that you all will continue to read albeit at less regular intervals. For now, it's sad to be back at work, and I am missing my daughter!

Take care all,
Thoughts just flow, when do they have to make sense?