Oh grow up!

Should people, especially men, GROW UP?

OK, I know it is not a good idea if 40 year olds strut around as if they were 14, but I really feel that if a guy really truly grows up he may as well lay down and die.  There would be little purpose in continuing to live.

I mean, look at Hook in Peter Pan.  He grew up and look at him!  Not nice and certainly not happy!

I don't want to grow up...

Wednesday...

Hump Day...

Made it this far on the busiest week of my year...

Deep breath...

Not far to go now...

And tomorrow is Pay Day!  Thank God for that, September is a really expensive month when you have got 3 kids, especially if 2 of them are moving to new schools...

Nearly there...

Just hope I can stay awake in my lectures on Friday - yes, both of the lectures that I will have to listen to and take notes from are on Friday afternoon... 

Oh well...

Huh...

Spending the morning fighting with the photocopier.

It is a sneaky little bugger - every time I think I am about to do the smackdown finishing move, it wriggles free and pulls a new move that sends me flying out into the audience.

OK you sucker, where is that folding metal chair...


Argh, he got me again - I am flat on my face, trying to get to the ropes before the flying sledgehammer hits...

What is this?  Hulk Hogan* storming into the arena!  The crowd goes wild!  The Copier stops and stares in disbelief!  Before he can regain his senses The Hulkster is on him, he hasn't got a chance...

Finally, to the cheers of our adoring fans and a chorus or two of "Real American", Hulk Hogan and I make our way out of the arena, stopping to hi-5 a few guys and kiss a few girls...


*The Zerox guy.

Could he get away with it?

In recent months, we have been watching a TV trivia show called QI, hosted by the wonderful Stephen Fry.  Various subjects are discussed by a group of commedians who bounce thoughts around in what is often incredibly funny exchanges.  Sometimes it get a bit rude - but not too rude, IMO.   It is a show that we all enjoy and watch as a family.

In one episode, Dan Brown's books (Da Vinci Code, etc) were mentioned, and Stephen Fry described them as "utter arse-water".

A few days ago, my youngest was talking about a book he is reading and how he is going to have to tell the rest of his class about it.

"Do you think I would get told off if I described it as utter arse-water?"

I immediately recognised the origin of this wonderful phrase.

"You might get away with it if you said that you were quoting Stephen Fry.  And said it without laughing or having that cheeky grim of yours."

"So if I said it like Jeeves would say it, you think I might get away with it?"

"You might, I guess, depending on your teacher."

"Hm...."



Now I am wondering if he is going to say it, and if so if he will get away with it.  Maybe we will be summoned to the school and be expected to be shocked!  Not sure I could act shocked - I would probably laugh to be honest.

Such a bad parent...

Kicking back...

Things seem to be settling down all round at the moment, both at work and on the home front.  Phew...

Tonight I am spending the evening with my best buddy.  The evening will probably go something like this:

I turn up while he is trying to get his living room tidy enough for 2 people to fit in.  We clear some space, crack open a couple of beers and eat the fried chicken that I picked up on the way.

We put the world to rights - topics will include the government, how the Lib-Dems (the nice-people-party) have sold their souls to The Devil (David Cameron) for a taste of power, how the country will be back in The Middle Ages by the next election, etc.

Then we will crack open some more beers and play a game or 3 of Wings of War:

This is great fun, with each of us controlling 2 or 3 First World War planes and trying to shoot each other down.  It is a great little game, easy enough to play after a few beers but with a good feel for the dodging and weaving that these little planes did.

Then another beer as we discuss ideas for future games, then I head for home, keeping an eye out for people who have drunk as much as me but are driving 4x4s...

Have a great day!

Best Buddies for Ever!

That is something that my daughter says in a funny voice, but it seems sort of appropriate today.

I got thinking about a really good friend of mine.  We have been good friends for a few years now, meeting up for beers, playing toy soldiers, eating bad food, putting the world to rights - the stuff that good friends tend to do.  We share a lot of views and have a way of inspiring each other, feeding interests, distracting with new ideas, etc.

I would say that we are really good friends and tend to be there when needed, as well as when there is beer to be had.  The best sort of friends.

But there is one thing that bugs me about our friendship.  We met once before, about 15 years before we actually became friends.  We met up, started chatting, and then another guy joined in, took over and my friend went off, not be be seen by me for another 15 years!

I sometimes wonder if we would have become such good friends if our first meeting had lasted a bit longer.  Maybe, maybe not.  I don't think that either of us are the people we were back then. 

Maybe we missed out on 15 years of drinking beer together. 

Maybe we wouldn't be the best buddies that we are now.

I think overall I am happy with the deal we got. But I sometimes wonder.

The Kitchen... one of the things on my mind...

It has been a while since I mentioned the kitchen.

This is because there have been a few problems that are really bugging us.

We point them out to the workmen who say things like "Oh it's OK, it's the floor that is slanting".  Then they say "OK, we will come back and have another look", and don't.

The problems?

I guess the main one is that the drainer for the sink slopes the wrong way.  Yes, the water runs AWAY from the sink, off the end and onto the work surface.  Stop laughing!  You want pictures?  No.  Just picture it in your mind, OK?

Another thing is that the supposedly smooth floor (they used that self-leveling silicone stuff) is very lumpy and uneven.

Some bits of wall are just plain botched - I could have done better myself!

OK, we rent the house so maybe we shouldn't moan that much, but the sink thing?  Seriously?

On the plus side, the kitchen floor is really slippy, which makes playing tug of war with Custard a total wheeze as you can drag him around and there is nothing he can do to stop himself!

More soon!

Too much to think about...

Lots of stuff going on at the moment - freshers arrive today, I return to studying next week, the kids are settling at school and doing lots of stuff...

Most of Saturday was spent on a very theraputic rebuild of our rabbit runs.  Bubbles, Buttercup and Blossom have now been sorted out for the coming winter, safe from wind and rain but still able to get outside if they want to.  They also have dirt boxes that they can dig around in, which is proving really popular.

Custard got a bit jealous of all this work devoted to his rivals, and when we went indoors he sat looking mornfully at his bed, so we gave him fresh cushion covers, fluffed it all up nicely and gave him a treat or two and he was happy.

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Here is a question for you!

How can someone spend years trying to do the right thing and still end up with some people seeing them as The Bad Guy?  Nah, enough of that, done with it now...

On the work bench...

Greek Hoplites prepare to fight off the Persian Empire.



THIS IS SPARTA!!!!!!
(No, I didn't paint the pictures on the shields,they are transfers - yes, I cheated...)



"Stop looking at them, I am much more cute!"

 

Wednesday already?

Lunchtime phone conversation

Mrs RC:  I am trying to put the dining table back together.  Where did you put the bolts?

Me:  Ummmmmm.  I remember you telling me to put them somewhere safe, where we would not forget them.

Mrs RC:  Did I?  You can't remember where you put them, then?

Me:  No.  Ummmmmmmmm.  Oh, hang on, I think I put them in the bowl that one of the kids made that used to be in the kitchen.

Mrs RC:  That is still in the shed.  I will see if I can find it.


Mrs RC rings back.


Mrs RC:  It wasn't in that bowl.

Me:  No?  I was sure I put them in there.  Sure-ish, anyway.

Mrs RC:  Well I looked everywhere and finally found them.

Me:  Where were they?

Mrs RC:  In the coal bucket in the hall.  (Note that this bucket is not actually used for coal, it is ornamental, having been painted with flowers etc by my MIL years ago).

Me:  How on earth did they get in there?  I didn't put them in there!  That is a dumb place to put anything!

Mrs RC:  Well it wasn't me either, but somehow there is a load of stuff in that coal bucket!  It's like someone just threw stuff in there when we were clearing the kitchen!

Me:  Really?  Hm.  I can't imagine who did that...

Mrs RC:  No, neither can I...

Friday!

This week has been really busy, both at work and at home.

At work we are getting geared up for the new academic year, while at home the kids have been settling in at school again, the kitchen is being finished (with a few niggles, but overall it is OK), life is returning to normal with elderly relatives, etc, etc, etc.

Had a great job first thing this morning.  When feeding the rabbits my daughter noticed that Buttercup (big female) had a lump of poop stuck to her rear end.  Seems that with the arrival of wet weather, it has started to stick to her fur rather than just roll around on the ground.  So there we were at 7.15, me holding Buttercup like a baby while Mrs RC washed and snipped until she was clean.  I swear my fingers still smell of rabbit poop...

This weekend is going to be as restful as possible - everyone seems to be exhausted.  Mrs RC seems to have an evening of snacking and watching movies planned for tonight, which sounds great to me.  Maybe there will be a disaster movie on - we love watching those, especially the ones that really stretch truth and logic.  Like the one where the moon is breaking apart so they stick it back together by flying a space shuttle into the middle of it, planting a nuke and then escaping in true Star Wars fashion.

Hope you have a great weekend!  I certainly intend to!

Waiting...

The British taxman has screwed up, it would seem.

Many of us have paid too much tax.

Many of us haven't paid enough.

Some, somehow, seem to have paid the right amount.

Waiting to see which group I fall into.  Mrs RC is convinced that we are going to owe money - it is the way things seem to go with us.  If we do, I will be taking the route that the BBC is recommending:  they had all of my information, I did not commit fraud, it was their mistake and therefore their loss.  This new government is screwing us all anyway, so I will not feel guilty!

That said, if they owe me money I will happily take it.  They screwed us over badly for a couple of years running but refused to pay up, so they really do owe us anyway!

This is Mr Angry signing off.

You're only as...

I heard a great saying today:

"You are only as happy as your unhappiest child."

Such a simple statement, but so true!  People, especially children, have a great way of sharing misery...

I am glad to say that all of my children seem to be very happy right now...

So, hat is your favourite "You are only as..." saying?

How about:

"You are only as old as the woman you feel."

 

Just a way for dirty old men to justify themselves, really...

"You are only as good as your last record."

I first heard that in an old song by Bachman Turner Overdrive - and very true, IMO.

"You are only as sick as your secrets."

How true...

"You are only as good as your blog."

Fire away, then!

Will I ever grow up?

A couple of comments by the kids made me wonder this...

Saturday morning - I wake up (sort of) feeling a bit shell-shocked.  I stumble down stairs, grab something for breakfast, crawl into the living room and switch on the TV.

A quick look at the news and then I decide to trawl the music channels to see if there is anything good on.  Click, click, click - aha!  Bruce Springsteen singling "Born to Run"!  I hit the volume button a couple of times and soak up the pure energy of the song.

Then I hear a voice from the kitchen...

"Why is dad watching the music channels like a teenager?"

***********************************

Sunday afternoon, and we are putting new felt on the shed's roof.  Number One Son is on the roof, Mrs RC is on a step ladder which I am holding.  Both are hammering in nails.  Mrs RC turns and her butt is right in front of my face.

Me:  Grrrr...

Mrs RC:  What are you doing?

Me:  Trying to resist the urge to bite your bum.

Mrs RC:  Good thing you didn't - I'd have fallen off this ladder!

Number One Son:  God, Dad, you are so immature!

***********************************

So, do I need to grow up a bit?

Nah, I have made it this far, why change now?

Friday!

OK, it has been a short week, but a busy one!

Hoping for a nice peaceful weekend...

The kitchen is still being worked on - the painter is amazingly slow, but once he has finished the floor will get done and that will more or less be it.

Family stuff seems to be settling down nicely - hope things turn out as good as they seem to be going, we need some boring time where nothing is really happening...

Number One Son is on his way back from the ice breaking trip with his new school, a couple of days at an activity centre doing zip-lines and stuff.  From the texts he sent us he seems to have had a good time - at least he will now know the other kids better - it must be a big step for him to be going to a new school like this, but I know he is ready and eager to meet new people and new challenges.

Jeez I am hungry!  I skipped breakfast because I took the bus to work this morning - busses and me don't mix, and if have breakfast I am likely to see it again on the bus.  Got grabbed an egg and bacon baguette once I arrived, but then found I wasn't very hungry at lunchtime so I just had some ice cream.  Now I wish I had grabbed something more substantial!  But I can't eat now because I have to take the bus home again after meeting up with Number One Son...  Oh well, I will just have to stuff my face when I get home!  Yeah, I will make a massive sandwich oozing meat, cheese and sauce... 

Can't wait...

Have a great weekend!

Had to share this one!

How did the kids get this grown up?

There is no escaping the fact that our kids are growing up.

All 3 have reached new stages in their education - our youngest is moving up to High School and will nolonger need to be walked to and from school, he will be walking with a group of friends.  Our daughter will be starting to study towards the exams that she will be taking when she is 16 (2 years time).  Number One Son (having totally stormed his exams, getting A and A* in just about everything) has moved to a new school and will be taking the bus to Canterbury every day for the next 2 years.  The nice thing about this new school is that not only is it one of the best in the area, it is also just across the road from where I live. 

OK, call me an over protective parent, I am proud to admit it.  All I know is that when I was young I always wanted to know that there was someone there when I needed them...