I am a tory party spin doctor

Apparently, Sir Peter Tapsell and I agree on something.

How depressing!

it was bad enough when I found myself nodding along to most of what Robert Kilroy-Silk (nutter) said on Question time the other week, but at least he was originally from the correct side of the political spectrum, and we could put the whole UKIP and Veritas thing down as temporary insanity (I'm not going to waste a link on either party - if you don't know about them, google them youself).

But Peter Tapsell! It's always worrying when tory MP's start to talk sence occasionally. The great British publc seem incredibly good at remembering those one or two sentances, and forgetting all the atrocious rubbish that spills out of their mouths all the rest of the time!

Breathe deeply

Much to my disgust, the inhaler does seem to be having an affect. Despite being absolutly exhausted today, and spending the day back at work - so back on the bike - the cough has seemed a bit less today.

This is, of course, a Good Thing. Although the cough is undobetedly still there, and still rears up enough to stop me working for a few minutes every now and then, it's not been constant as it was before I took the week off. However, I am slightly annoyed that the inhaler seems to have done the trick rather than sleep or even anti-biotics - I don't approve of allergies. i know they exist, and that they are becoming more common, and that I have some even, but I just don't approve of them! It feels like a petty thing to have such a ridiculous impact on ones life and somewhere deep down inside, I am sure it must be something I have done to "encourage" the allergy.

Oh, ad the reason I am absolutely exhausted? LMB woke up at 10.15pm last night screaming that her "mouth" hurt. She obviously had a horrendous cold, and her nose and eyes were streaming, so i guess she had a sore throat - but she refused to let us do anything to help. She wouldn't come downstairs for a cuddle, she wouldn't quieten down if we went up there, she wouldn't drink any water, or milk, she wouldn't take any medicine, she wouldn't do anything other than scream at the top of her voice!

All the way through Lost too! grrrrr!

We finally got some paracetemol down her, but she still wouldn't stop crying, so I let her come into bed with us. I eventually managed to get he talking about Xmas, which calmed her down at last, but then she talked for AGES! I don't know about her, but I wanted to go to sleep! By the time she eventually dropped off, and I had lain awake for a while to check she was ok, we were well into the early hours of the morning. I drifted in and out of sleep through the night, but didn't really get much proper sleep. I suppose that is what being a parent is all about:-(

I want it all

It's my last day at home today. back to work tomorrow, even though the cough hasn't really improved at all:-( I reckon that since neither the anti-biotics, nor th extra sleep have solved the problem, it is obviously unsolveable and just one of those things I'm going to have to put up with. As I STILL don't have a written job offer for now, and only a very vague discussion regarding a permenant post in the the new year, I need to get bak to work & make them think I am indispensile:-)

I went back to the Dr's today to let him know the anti-biotics didn't work. My x-ray results weren't back yet, but he said that probably ment they were fine as if there had been a problem they would have got them back quicker. As I expected the to be clear anyway, I'm not too worried. He asked if I had any other symptoms, but I can't really think of any - it's just a cough. And wheezing if it gets particularly bad, so he's decided to try an inhaler for a week & see if that helps. Oh goody, another £6.00 spent by me, and I don't know how much by the NHS, just "to see" if it helps. I'm a bit torn as to the benifit of this. I do believe that part of the problem with the NHS is that people want to feel "perfect" all the time, and if they don't they want drugs, and Dr's like to feel they can fix everything, and if they can't they should give the patient drugs just to show they are trying. But then again, I don't think I should have an unresponsive cough. I'm still young, I'm reasonably fit, I don't smoke, I don't live in a particularly polluted area etc. A cough should be a fleeting annoyance to me, not an ongoing condition!

Anyway, it has been nice having the week at home with Aggie. We haven't got much done being the sickies that we are, but it's been a long time since we've had time together, just the two of us. Time to talk, discuss current events, listen to the radio and just remember what life should be like.

I like going to work, and enjoy what I do. I certainly like it better than being a stay at home mum. But I miss having time at home too. It's been nice to do things when I want to, to spend some time with my family, to cook proper meals again, and to have time to think about my life.

I guess I just want it all:-)

Tony Blair is sorry

So Tony Blair has said he feels "deep sorrow". Unfortuantely not for any of the many things he has done that you might think he would be sorry for, but for the fact that a few hundred years ago, Britain traded in slaves.

Now, this is not news. I knew that historically Britain was a slave trader when I was at school. Here in the West country, most of our main city (Bristol) was built on slavery - by wealthy traders and through the massive boost it gave to shipping. I also knew that slavery was common accross the world up until BRITAIN decided it was a bad thing to do and made it illegal (the French made a desultory attempt a few years earlier, but our government was the first to recognise the innate human rights of all peoples, and to state in law, that slavery was wrong). We should be congratulating ourselves on being the most liberal & forward thinking government of the time, not apologising for doing what pretty much every culture (including African ones) had done for the previous 5000 years minimum!

I do not think we, as a country have anything to apologise for. Nor do I think an apology from Tony Blair would have any impact. After all (to my knowledge) he did not own, sell or buy slaves, or support those that do. The people who could make the apology are all dead now! And they don't have any need to either. Should the Italian government apologise for the Roman Empire - they were invaders, slavers and genocidal during their time in power, but as an "oppressed Brit" I feel no need for an apology. Should the current German government apologise for Hitler? How do they have the ability to issue that apology? What would it mean to me? Absolutely nothing! I don't hear anyone calling for queenie to apologise to the british public for the generations of slavery and serfdom in the years before (and after) we discovered the African slave trade was more lucrative - and she (kind of) comes from the same family at least!

Considering slavery was made illegal in Britain in 1807 (some two generations before the USA managed it), there is no-one alive today that has any personal experience with slavery. It deserves to be consigned to the history books, along with many other unsavoury parts of our past. There we can learn about it, and from it, without continuing an anachronistic view of Africans and Carribbeans as part of something that no longer exists here.

Perhaps those that wish to spend their time worrying about slavery should spend their energy more wisely on the millions of people and children in slavery (serfdom/bonded labour/servitude call it what you will) today!

Social responsibility

"Pressure group Cymuned (Welsh for communities) believes holiday homes should not account for more than 5% of any community's housing stock.
It wants VAT added to the price of second homes, council tax raised at 200% on each property and says planning permission should be required before a permanent dwelling can become a holiday home"

Doesn't that sound remarkably like my Utopian World post on second home ownership?

Maybe some parts of the world are moving in the right direction:-) I don't think I'll be moving to Taffland quite yet though;-)

Being off work at the moment, we were quite disturbed to see how many school age children were wandering around town, visiting leisure facilities and generally going about life as though school didn't even exist. We decided to make use of Friday afternoon, and went to the local cinema to watch the new Bond film - we thought it would be more polite to hack our guts up during a quiet afternoon showing than a busy Friday night;-) Aggie mentioned the numbers of youngsters going in to the guy selling the tickets, who just shrugged & said he didn't know how old they were and why should he care anyway?

That attitude really pissed me off, so I pointed out that they were obviously school age as he had just sold them childrens tickets! And he should care because he could be aiding and abetting a criminal act. He looked a bit worried by that & called his manager over. The manager was even less interested, and said it wasn't anything to do with him who used his facility, and how was he to know if kids should be at school or if they were legitimately off. Aggie suggested phoning the school, which he grudgingly agreed to do when we said otherwise we would consider phoning the police.

The cinema obviously has school age children using their facility reglarly, and have made a corporate decision to "turn a blind eye" to this. To the extent, that when we left the cinema they asked for our names & addresses to "keep on file" - I assume as troublemakers!

A few years ago there was a big push for the community to be involved in truancy, and to report where children where. That campaign has obviously passed Odeon Cinema's by completely. But more to the point, how many times have you heard people moaning about the kids of today, and when we were young, any adult would give a child a clip rpund the ear and all that? Yet the cinema staff (and a number of people queueing) acted as though Aggie was the criminal in suggesting adults should check up on children roaming the streets in the middle of a winters afternoon.

So much for social responsibility & community action!

It's finally happened

We were called into Mstr A's school today, following a "behavioural incident". I knew it would happen sooner or later, but it was still pretty upsetting to get that call.

We went straight down there, alternating between worrying about what he had done, and psyching each other into righteous indignation as we had told the school before he started, and as soon as he started, and at parents evening about Mstr A's "issues", but so far no specialists have been involved.

The head was pleased at how quickly we'd come in, and he explained the situation. Mstr A has been sent to him for behaviour 5 times since September. Generally the school will call parents in after three, but considering we had explained Mstr A to them prieviously, and most of the incidents weren't that awful (2 times of "being silly" in the corridor, 1 of spitting (which I knew about) 1 of hiding at the end of break, 2 of physical "attacks" on other students.) neither of the attacks sounded that awful, although we do have a zero tolerance of physical behaviour with Mstr A, because he just doesn't understand how much is acceptable, so it's easiest to say none.

It was quite useful actually - we got a bit more info on how they have been managing his behaviour at school, and we were able to pass on our admiration for the improvement we've seen in his schooling. We also agreed that they should push forward with getting him seen by the Ed Pysch service again and all the associated professionals. Despite the fact that we were very open with the school even before we applied for the place, they still seemed worried about bringing up the issue with us - but once they got over that they said that he showed many of the signs of, surprise, surprise, Asbergers! Both the heead teacher and his class teacher (and his learning mentor) have all worked with aspie children before and were keen to tell us how they can and should go on to great academic careers:-) But it was still depressing that we were called in to the school in that way - especially as i ask Mstr A every day, and he hasn't told me about any trouble since the spitting incident ages ago:-(

Feeling awful:-(

I feel awful:-( The cough - the one that has been hanging around since the beginning of September! - has defintely got a lot worse since Saturday night's episode, and now, rather than merely being very annoying, it's really affecting me both at work and at home as I can't sleep.

To make things worse, I started the antibiotics yesterday (my Dr still reckons there's an infection there, but when spoke to the locum after finishing the last lot at the start of Oct, he said there was no need to come in & get checked, if I still had a cough after two weeks of antibiotics, it wasn't a bacterial infection & tough - even though I pointed out it had improved massively while I was taking the anti-biotics!) , but the ones I'm on now have made me feel REALLY nauseous, and slightly unsteady on my feet:-(

So, I've had to call in sick to work today. I'm off to see the doc again later this morning to se what he says, but I'm not happy about taking the time off. partly because it's quite busy, partly because I rather lik working, partly because I'm still new there and it does't look good, and partly because I haven't actually received a job offer yet (still!) and worry about taking time off from a job I don't officially have!

Birthday blowout

I can no longer claim to be in my early thirties:-( At 34, i am, without doubt, now in my mid thirties - as Aggie has so keenly pointed out nemerous times today!

It was a bit of a struggle getting up this morning - and the first birthday i have had to go to work, as I haven't actually received a job offer from them yet, I didn't get around to asking for the day off:-(

But then, once I was there I decided the whole thing was pretty silly - I had a Dr's appointment mid-morning, and Aggie had booked my fave restuarant for lunch - so I went in, caught up on a couple of things, gave out cakes, and took myself off for the day. I would have asked someone, but there was no-one to ask, so i just sent an email saying i would "assume" it was ok unless I heard otherwise:-)

It was lucky I did really, as the dr's was running over 30 mins late (no surprise there), and after i spoke to him about my cough, he sent me off to the hospital for a chest xray (along with a prescription for MORE anti-biotics, and strong anti histimines for the cat thing). Apparently the hospital does chest xrays every day between 12 and 2pm. Considering they take less than 5mins maximum, that is one hell of a lot of people needing chest xrays! Although tbh, I felt quite fit and healthy amongst the motly crew waiting with me. I was one of the youngest, was the only one that could walk easily, and obviously one of the few non-smokers! - my cough was nothing to what I heard there!

i had the xray, then met Aggie for lunch. Yummy.

I spent the aftenoon resting, which was absolute bliss, then picked up the kids for another meal out at a local pub with a play area! i am absolutely stuffed! Aggie had birthday cake at home too, but although the kids ate it, I couldn't manage it:-(

I got chcoccies from the kids, jewellery from my mother, money from Nanny A, and a promise of a quiet shopping trip from Aggie - not at all bad considering I thought I'd had all my pressies a few weeks ago:-)

So - not the most exciting birthday ever, but a nice one, once I'd got the medical bits out the way. Looking forward to a hot bath, and an early night. How sad is that? I am truely middle aged!

Birthday's, banquets and barely breathing

It's my birthday tomorrow.

Happy birthday to me.

All the Crazies gave me my presents a few weeks ago while we were on holiday, and my family don't really go in for birthday pressies, so I think it's going to be a bit of a quiet day.

We went to the Company of Chivalry annual banquet last night though. this is the big social event of the year and as it tied in with my birthday weekend, and we could stay overnight so alcohol consumption wasn't a problem, I was really looking forward to it. There was a 9 course meal being served, plus we'd made a dozen bottles of ciser (apple mead).

CrazieQueen was nabbing a lift from us, so she turned up about 6ish, with all her new kit, and we all trundled off down the motorway to the banqueting hall (well, a village hall that had been converted for the weekend). We said our hello's, found a good place to sit (not a lot of choice as we are grouped by rank), and started drinking.

It was all going great for the first half hour or so, then my cough - which still hasn't gone since September! - started getting really bad. I went outside for some fresh air, and it seemed to calm down, so i came back ready to start the meal. 9 courses takes quite a while in anyone's book, and as we interspersed each course with "entertainment", company promotions (we went up from Villien or serf, to Yeoman, or freeman), it was obviously going to take all night.

By about 9pm, my wheezing was obviously getting worse, and by 11ish I realised that I was not only very wheezy, but I was actually unable to breathe sufficiently at all (I had stopped drinking about 9pm), and was still getting worse:-( I gave up & went out to the car to try to sleep it off. - Our car specifies that you can convert the back seats into a double bed - so i put them all down flat, climbed into the sleeping bag and realised that Mitsibushi's version of "flat" and my version of "flat" are obviously not the same! We won't be trying that again!

But in fact, it didn't matter, beacuse if I tried to lie down - or even just sit back a bit, I suffocated! It stopped being difficult to breathe, and became impossible! I started to get a bit stressed out after a while & texted Aggie to come back, but he was too busy socialisig & didn't notice:-( I was still getting worse and was starting to go hypoxic, with tingling fingertips & clawing hands! I called Aggie & when he came I said I was really worried and should I call an ambulance. He gave me an antihistimine that he had found, as it was obvioulsy an extreme allergic reaction to something. He said I should come back inside, but I didn't want to as whatever had set it off was in there, so he said he'd check back in 10 minutes & dissappeared.

Half an hour later he hadn't come back, so I decided to call NHS direct & ask their advice. Bad idea. It was now nearly 1am on Sunday morning, and it's well into Xmas party season. all their medical staff were "busy" so I go one of their idiot receptionists who have a tick list of questions to ask you.

• "Are you choking?",
• "No, I'm having an anaphylactic reaction to something & i am hypoxic",
• "Do you have pains in your chest?"
• "No, I'm having an anaphylactic reaction to something & i am hypoxic, it's not a heart attack",
• "Do you have a red rash that does not go away if pressed"
• "No, I'm having an anaphylactic reaction to something & i am hypoxic, it' not meningitus"
• "Would you say that you have a headache and are losing consciousness or are very drowsy?"
• "No, I'm having an anaphylactic reaction to something & i am hypoxic, not having a stroke"

This went on for a good twenty minutes, then she said that she would have to get a medical professional to call me back & it would be about an hour & a half wait. i didn't have the energy to tell her I'd either be getting better or dead by then & hung up.

Half an hour later, I was able to lean back in the chair and start to doze, so when Aggie came to bed (only an hour & a half after saying he'd check on me in 10 minutes) I got him to call them back & say don't bother.

I dozed on and off through the night, slowly getting better so that by 5am I was able to lie down! But I didn't get much sleep really:-( By morning I was just a bit wheezy again, with a horrendously sore throat, but I have spent most of the day feeling pretty crappy, both from the reaction to lack of oxygen, the agonising throat & the lack of sleep. Aggie has been good, and despite being hung over & watched the kids most of the day & let me get some sleep, but I am definitely going to have to go to the Dr's tomorrow & stop pretending that I'm not anylphalactic.

Aggie thinks he tracked down the cause - CQ's cloak was hanging over the back of my chair at the beginning of the night, and her cats had been lieing on it! My allergy to cats has been getting progressively worse for the past decade or so - and for the last year or so I've known that i can not visit houses where cats live as I can not breathe withing about 10mins, but just sitting next to somthing that once had cats near it is just silly!

It didn't happen

I did manage to get all 8 pieces hemed, lined and sewn together to make the bodice, but it still needs finishing - at least 24 button holes for the laces to go in before it's wearable, plus a load of hand finishing round the edges. I don't have time to do that now:-(

I'll wear the old one tonight, and try and get on with the other one bfore Xmas, so i can start on the kids new clothes in the new Year.

Ho hum, a womans work is never done!

It will never happen

I kindly sewed up CrazieQueens new underdress earlier this week, so it would be ready for her to wear tomorrow night at the big annual company banquet. We took her shopping for it a few weeks ago, and she has since marked it out, tacked it & handed it to me to machine the seams.

When we finished our last event of the season, way back in August, Aggie promised that he would cut out the material for my new bodice, which will transform my 11th century dress (from the previous group, but worn with minor adaptions this season) into a 14th century dress. I have no skill with scissors and tend to waste an AWFUL lot of material if I try to cut it myself!

Every week I have put it on his "to do" list - he only has three things per week on there! Since the start of September, the same three things have been repeated each week. I did take one off, when I completed it myself (clean out the car!), and he did finally finish one (the bathroom ceiling), but although he has measured me at least three times (It involves me getting undressed & him feeling me pretty much all over!), not a single piece of material has been cut!

I got dead stroppy with him last night & was pretty upset. He has three complete outfits, and I have none! He's been promising for nearly a year now! So he was suddenly guilted into getting on with it. Last night we made the toile (a basic cloth pattern), tonight he cut the lining material & fitted it to me properly. which leaves tomorrow morning - with three children running around) to cut the wool, hem 8 pieces of material, and sew them all together.

oh yes, and the sewing machine needs fixing1

He's done a really good job, and it fits wonderfully (from what we can tell without actually making the real thing), but why waut so late?! It's never going to be done in time for the banquet - and if it is, it'll be because I've spent the whole day sewing, and I don't want to! I want to take the kids shopping!

Bloody men!

Giving up and cashing in

OK, I have given up trying to pretend I can stay in bed till 7am each morning. Not only does it mean I don't really have time to get all three kids up, fed, washed, dressed, packed and sorted for school by the time we have to leave at 8.10, but I rarely even manage to stay in bed that long as the kids wake when Aggie goes out at 6.30, and I just get cross thinking that I am being woken early! So I have decided that I might as well accept the inevitable & set the alarm for 6.30 each morning:-( Still, I have to say, I even had time for a shower this morning:-)

I am cahing in on all the stuff we have taking up space in the house, as I have finally got around to advertising the big things in the local free-ads mag. The travel cot was snapped up a couple of days ago, and today someone came for the enormous rocking feeding chair I had in LMD' room. It was dead comfy, & I had wanted to keep it, but it is just so big it's not practicable now:-( Still, the money is nice, and it means I can start looking for a bed for LMD now there is space for it in her bedroom! - which will mean i can sell her cot early next year. Hurrah! No more baby things!

I'm still hoping to sell a few more things - the double buggy is pretty bulky, and the very expensive but no longer required bike trailer the insurance stumped up for will bring in a good amount (hopefull). Next i have to sort out all the baby clothes & freecycle them. I've already got rid of a load of stuff that wasn't saleable (or, like clothes, not worth the effort of marketing) there. I'm hoping I'll get known enough on there that i can start to ask for stuff - a slow cooker sounds like a good idea right now!

Bright lights, cold rain & bloody beta!

It was Weston's carnival last night. We all got to leave work early as the road was being closed. Woo hoo! Unfortunately, as the carnival route passes along the end of our road, we don't have much choice but to go;-) So we bundled all the kids up, and trundled out there at 6.30pm to bag a good seat at the front - and we did have seats, our own, with Aggie waving his stick in people's faces to make them let us have the space to sit on them:-)

The floats actually started nearly on time this year! when the first one came past, LMD screamed & leapt into my lap & hid, but she was soon twisting round to check out what the bright light was, and by the time the second one appeared, she was watching & clapping. By the third, all three kids were dancing along to the music:-)

of course, with some 150ish floats to go past, it takes a while, and since it didn't start till 7.30, it meant they were all pretty tired today. The girls nursery expected it & made all the kids nap, but Mstr A just got into trouble at school:-( And they're being OFSTEDed this week too - oops! ah well, maybe it push along the Ed Psych referral which seems to be stymied at the moment!

We had a lovely freezing rain most of the day today. Mstr A just about made it to school as it started, leaving me to cycle all the way to work in the sleet. Then it was even nastier in the dark tonight when I went to fetch him. I really must buy myself some gloves and waterproofs!

Oh yes, and I have been trying to swap to Blogger Beta for weeks now. I've had the option up on my dashboard since the very beginning, bjt it wouldn't let me change because "one or more of my blogs is not suitable". As their help page states that "very large" blogs with "several thousend posts and comments" are not suitable, I'm baffled why mine isn't. Then last week they changed the dashboard again and put up a half page ad saying "change to beta now", so I thought I'd try again, but still no luck:-( Grrrrrr!

I'm forever cooking dinners

Even though I now work full time & so have managed to get out of cooking lunch every day & thinking up interesting & nitritous snacks twice a day, it still feels like I'm forever cooking:-( Because I don't finish work till 5.15pm, then I have to go fetch Mstr A, there really is not time to cook properly by the time I get home (we used to eat at 5pm - now I try to keep it as near to 5.30 as I can), so I need to cook meals the night before, ready just to be thrown in the oven for 30 mins when Aggie gets home.

of course, back in the BC years (before children) Aggie did pretty much all the cooking, but somehow he seems to have delegated that task to me now:-( I do occasionally put my foot down & tell him it's his turn, but instead of the yummy & healthy stir fry's or roasts that he used to do, it invariably means we get whatever packets of food are in the freezer - or once I caught him serving up pot noodle to the kids!

the thing is, I don't really like cooking. I cooked for 9 every day from the age of about 12 to 18, then for myself on a VERY minimal budget until I bunked up with Aggie. He LIKES cooking & gets all creative (read: uses every pot & pan we own) and excited. It's really not what I fancy doing after a full day, then feeding & clearing uo after the kids, playing with them, washing them & putting them to bed. At that point in the evening I want to sit down & relax - which is what Aggie does! So I start to find excuses not to do it (which is why I'm blogging now btw). But this means we don't have anything ready for the next evening & either eat frozen rubbish or go out & spend too much money.

We always said we wanted to eat round the table, as a family, every day. It is something we feel very strongly about. Not only that the kids learn to eat at a table & proper table manners, but that we get to be a family unit every day, and that the children see us eating the same food as them (and in actuality, they eat the same food as us).

I know i have to be more organised & just do it every night. But i don't want to *stamps foot & pokes tongue out*! Why can't good food just appear magically occasionally?

Take what you can get

We've been out tonight. We went out for a meal with Aggies little Eve buddies. I know, it's sad, but every now and then they do actually manage to leave their computers for a few hours and meet up to discuss Eve in person:-) There were about 25 guys there, not quite as nerdy as i was worrying they might be, but only 3 girls - who had all come along with a bloke. A few of the others had partners, but they refused to come out to the meet. I reckon they've kind of missed the point! Even if you destest everything about the game, you may as well get some of the social action when it's available!

Nanny A babysat for the evening, and as she's staying the night we didn't have any worries about time, so got to spend all evening happily chatting (I didn't understand most of what they said though) and eating. Tomorrow they're having a BBQ (I know - it's November), so we're heading over to Bath at lunchtime with the kids to scare the nerds a bit more:-)

This morning we went shopping in town. I finally bought some new boots:-) We also saw loads of things the kids want for Xmas, so I have to go back on Monday to buy it all!

I'm still not feeling great - I spent a couple of hours in bed this afternoon, which helped a bit, but I've still got a really sore throat and the cough seems to have no intention of ever leaving me:-( But at least I can get out and do things again!

Not nice!

It's not fair! I'm ill!

I've spent all morning in the bathroom, inbetween getting the kids up, fed, dressed, and preparing tonights supper. I thoguht I was going to make it to work & see how I coped once there, but by the time I made it to the girls nursery that was obviously & uncomfortably not going to be possible:-( I still had to take Mstr A to school & get back home which s really not alot of fun on the bike:-(

I'm not at all happy. Not only because it's just not nice, but also because in reality this is my first week at work - previously i was officially a temp, and last week I wasn't employed at all, and taking a day off sick in your first week does not look good! especially as I still havn't actually been offered the job!

This is good - isn't it?

So the Americans have actualy realised that Bush is not a good idea, and mananged to make it to the polls yesterday to show their disatisfaction by voting in a Democrat House.

Not alot of surprise there really - Every gov't has lost seats during a mid-term (except one I think)! But it was good to see that turn-out was higher than the usual 40%. Considering the US sems to feel that democracy is soooo good they have to force it on the rest of the world, wanted or ot, you'd think they'd actually take a bit more pride i having it? Although admittedly, the US version of democracy is particularly undemocratic!

Still, it was good to read that America has voted in their first Muslim congressman, and also their firt black Governer.

Except......

It's 2006 people! we elected black MP's in 1987, and have had a continous "black" presence in parliament since then. We elected a Muslim MP in 1996 - 10 years ago! Although to be honest, the religious affiliation of most of our MP's is neither known nor cared abou. We are more interested in what they stand for politically - which is surely what democracy is all about?

Considering the US still claims to be the land of opportunity to people of all creeds, colors (sic), and religions, I don't think these firsts are something they should be proud of. They should be ashamed that it has taken so long, and they are still so inherently racist that this is news!

At last

Our new bikes were delivered today. Yay for insuarance! they were delivered in enormous boxes to my work, which caused absolute chaos as we unloaded them from a big truck & into my car. Lucky i've got a big car! The delivery driver didn't think they would fit, and left one box out, but with a bit of pushing & shoving i managed to get all three in:-) No room for children though - barely room for me!

I dropped them all off at home this evening and we've just finished putting them all together. Apparently I've shrunk by about a foot in the last month as the new bike is so big I can't even reach the saddle if I jump! It will be interesting trying to ride it with the girls on the back & stopping every couple of hundred metres while Mstr A looks at something interesting!

Aggie forgot to claim for sundries such as bike locks, lights, mudguards, a child seat, etc, so I won't be able to collect the kids from school until I get to a suitable shop at the weekend, but at least i can take them in the morning and get to work on time:-) Hopefully.

Fuck me shoes

I doubt this is what Germaine Greer was talking about, but I wore tights for the first time in years today, instead of my nice warm, thick, woolen socks. I pit on my admittedly old boots & proceeded to walk the mile to Mstr A's school, followed by a quicker 1 1/2 miles back to work. By the time I got there I realised the nails holding the sole onto the boot had pushed right through the inner lining, which had mostly torn away over the years.

As my office is built accross four floors, covering three buildings, and I have to go up/down at least two flights of stairs and along a corridor every few minutes to collect/drop off files to the solicitors, by the end of the day, all i could think is "fuck me, these shoes hurt!"

Caa-aake!

We all went out to a little restuarant in Padstow on Friday evening for a meal to celebrate CQ's birthday. We've been to this place before - it's nice enough food, especially the seafood, although a bit pricey for what you get imo, however, they do a fantastic selection of desserts. Hot desserts, cold desserts, traditional puddings & fashionable sweets, they have them all - and all home made & and on display to tempt even the hardiest dieter:-) Placed in pride of place, right in front of the main entrance & therefore directly next to our table, is a large cake cabinet, displaying their very best & yummiest creations.

With 11 picky people to feed, it naturally took a while, and we ate & drank leisurely, so the kids soon finished their pasta & started to get bored. Clever CQ had foreseen this possibility, and brought along some colouring in for the three children, which LMB & Mstr A happily got on with, but LMD soon tired of this pastime and asked politely (for a baby) to get down & stretch her legs. I put her down on the floor & went back to my meal.

The next we saw of her was her little face peering over the edge of the cake cabinet & a plaintive cry of "caaa-aake" as she saw what was inside, followed by an excited babble of "cake, cake, cake, cake...." as she pointed at each one in turn eagerly expecting to be able to grab a handful.

It was incredibly funny to watch - and went on for some time. But poor LMD didn't even get to eat any of the gorgeous cakes there (at £4.50 a slice, I'm not wasting it on a 20 month old!).

So taday we kindly took her to pizzahut (there's no food in the house anyway), and allowed her the much saught after cake for dessert. She prefaced each mouthful with "caaa-aake" and added "yum" after swallowing every spoonful:-)

snigger

I can't help but laugh at Ted Haggard's fall from grace. I hear people ask why men in such high places risk it all for a few minutes/hours/days of fun, but i reckon that's the wrong question. we should be asking why do people with such predilictions chose to seek high profile positions in institutions diametrically opposed to their preferred lifestyles?

I mean, if you were a drug using homosexual, surely you wouldn't want to be associated with the New Life Church at all, never mind seek to promote yourself as representing it's views!

that's a bit like a tory prime minister being elected on a "back to basics" morality campaign then presiding over the most personallly & morally corrupt government in a century, while secretly having an affair with a cabinet minister.

Or a labour leader campaigning for state schools to have "industry sponsors" and the NHS to be privatised.

If people have strongly held beliefs, would they not be better trying to rise to positions of power within groups that agree with those beliefs? And if you get caught out doing things opposed to the eliefs of your chosen group, I have no sympathy for the subsequent fall-out.

we're back

it was fun, but exhausting. I need a holiday to get over my holiday!

I don't think the other Crazies were particularly impressed by their insight into parenthood for a week - and the 6.30 am mornings! but great fun was had by all I think.
Now to sort out all the laundry, fix the freecycle bike I aquired, tidy up & get ready for work on Monday.

Assuming I have a job to go to - I've recived my P45 saying I finished my temp post - but no contract or letter actually offering me a full time post yet! I guess I won't know until I turn up at 9am and ask!

I'll do a full hols report this evening, once the kids are in bed & the car is unpacked etc.