The fragility of my own emotions infuriates me sometimes. I know it's partly just who I am — I've always been on the sensitive side — and partly to do with our old friend Des, the Black Dog, whatever you want to call it. But it doesn't stop it being any less irritating when what was a perfectly good day can be spoiled by something as simple as an unkind word from a stranger.

Such as it was today. I'm not going to go into too specific detail because there's really no need to. Suffice to say, I got up feeling reasonably positive, did my EA Sports Active workout an appropriate amount of time after breakfast (OatSoSimple, aka oatmeal, aka porridge) and despite knackering my whole body (yet never creeping into the "zone 5" on the heart rate graph which either means "you're working super-crazy pro athlete hard" or "you're about to die") I came out of the experience feeling refreshed, positive and ready to tackle the day.

And the day went pretty well, too. I decided to experiment with the nice EA lady's suggestion of 5-6 small "meals" per day (basically an invitation to snack every couple of hours, albeit on healthy foods) and see how that worked. That seemed to go well too — when I got to lunchtime I didn't feel the need to stuff myself on crisps and whatnot as well as my sammich because I'd already had some fruit a couple of hours previously. I see how this works.

The day continued to go reasonably well until our old friend, the Internet, dredges up its favourite way of flooring those who lack self-confidence — trolling from strangers. I know it's really not worth getting wound up over the opinions of people I will possibly never meet, ever. But I can't help it. As I outlined above, it's the kind of person I am. I need to develop a thicker skin against this sort of thing — but old habits die hard and all that.

It infuriates me how a few simple hurtful comments can turn an otherwise positive day into one which reminds me that the Black Dog is still very much at my gate, ready to sneak in at any opportunity. He can usually be dispatched with a good rant at someone or an hour or two on Xenoblade Chronicles, but he'll be back. He always is.

One day he might leave me be, but sadly that day is not today.