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Another morning on the train where I sit in front of the eMate & say… “Grunt”.

It’s not like I was late to bed. We went to bed early last night, but that does not stop you feeling like my brain has been replaced by mucus.

Anyway, yes, it was a good weekend. Caroline hopefully had a good time. We pottered about a bit. On Friday, after watching Jack do his sponsored run they went off to Hebden Bridge. The run sounded delightfully chaotic. The children were supposed to be running the one way around the pitch, but ended up that some groups ran one way, & others counter. I don’t know what the goal was, but Jack ended up doing 5 or 6 rounds. It’s a good job we put the relatives (who are unaware sponsors) down for ‘fixed amounts’ or we might have been out of pocket there. One of Jack’s friends was going in a ‘counter’ group, so they apparently stopped for a chat once or twice. Also, he had a friend from his class running with him, who was flagging a bit. Jack is a good runner.

Saturday we all went of to Howarth. Over the tops on the bus, top deck to see the views better. Went past the church & there’s some ‘allotments’ there where people keep chickens & goats, so the Jack & Eve enjoyed that. Up onto the start of the moors, just for a mini-walk. We did have the pushchair, so anything really adventurous way out of the question. Eve needed picking up when some horses went by on a nearby path. Like dogs, she is braver when they are not so close.

We had hoped we might catch a steam train from Howarth, but we missed one… Shame, as the kids… well, Jack especially, would have enjoyed that. He asked on Sunday (next day) if we could go to Howarth again… A sure sign he enjoyed himself, or perhaps is aware there’s something he missed out on… Ended up in Leeds from Howarth, but as it was getting on a bit, it was not really a major stop. As the trains were out on the Caldervale line that day, (Leeds refurbishment work?) we had to catch a coach back home. Eve so nearly made it home, but we were just getting back to Tod when travel sickness got the better of her. All in all it was a very busy day & the kids did very well. Were well behaved even though we were late getting back & they must have been truly fagged out. An easier day on Sunday, as Carloline needed to go home. As Jack woke up he asked (as mentioned) if we were off out anywhere special (Howarth). When told not because Caloline was going back to London today, he was most upset that she would be leaving. Both Jack & Eve really love her. We went off to Hebden again & as (yet again) the trains were not running, it was a coach at the station that took Caroline on her journey back. It was, of course late. Louise went to change Eve’s nappy, & while they were off the coach came. Jack & I said the good-byes. As Caroline settled on the coach Jack said, “I’m really sad now”. I gave him a hug & pointed out Caroline at the window, & then the coach pulled away. Jack returned a few blown kisses & started to cry.

‘The News’ was breaking as I was winding up at work yesterday… Oh, that sounds just too stupid… We tried to get some web cam footage from NY as all the news websites were timing out. The BBC eventually dropped ‘off the map’ under the strain. We managed to get some pictures just as I was leaving & it all looked worse than we thought.

It was, of course, much worse. Such platitudes are written worldwide at the moment.

When I got home, (when the kids were away in the garden playing) Louise & I turned on the TV & winced as they showed pictures of the event.

When the kids were in bed we looked again. News saturation does not suspend disbelief.

The NY skyline will never be the same. It will cease to be recognisable – just another city.

Paranoia about the future begins all over again. Media speculation is rife, & centres at the same hot point of speculation that was focused on after the Oklahoma bombing (we were actually in America then). Time may never tell. Truth may be lost in expedience.

I sat in my corner pollyfillering my wall.

Bleh

not a great night sleep. Had metaphorical dreams of clearing my chest – wiping data from a computer that I did not want – appropriate enough for my foolish computer addled brain. Tidied up our/to be the kids bedroom yesterday. Took all to hyuge boxes of books & records upstairs again. Was surprised that I could actually lift a couple of them! We weeded through a couple of boxes as well – disposing of books that we will never be reading, & do not really want gracing any shelves that we may have in the future. Three bags & a small box full to go to the ‘book bin’ at the recycling point in town (for Oxfam).

Anyway – all the shifting & opening of books generated the sort of dust that really gets to me, & thus I have ‘tight lungs’; just a bit of a phlegmy cough – the sort of thing that does not help sleep. Still, I don’t feel too bad this morning, that considered. I really must not stay up too late tonight or I will really start to turn into a zombie. Still a lot more sorting out to do! I rather hope that we can get some bookshelves for downstairs, it would be good to have the sort of thing again. The records tough… eep – what are we going to do with those long term? The do make excellent ballast for a bottom shelf (making a free standing unit very stable.

Jack was all keen to help, & Eve enjoyed pottering about, but I was left on my own in the end to tidy things up. Jack later burst into tears when he realised I’d done this as he was evidently been expecting to help. Louise went round ‘our/to be the kids’ room later & hoovered & so on, so it now looks… unnaturally tidy! Weird. I guess that’s what we are supposed to aspire to though. Perhaps when the walls are one uniform colour & not half wallpapered & half green washed old plaster with many patches of polyfiller… Be nice if we can stretch to a new carpet in there as well, but I feel that may be pushing it a bit.

Read James Kolchaka’s Diary strips the over the weekend. Finished it over my morning breakfast. It’s an intriguing thing. I’ve read a few diary comics (John Welding’s Goathland & Jim Cameron’s ‘ision’ series) but this is in the form of a 4 panel strip. It must have occurred to him at some point that this could be ‘sellable’ to a ‘daily’ paper. Having said that I may be being over cruel in my thinking on his motivation. It may have started with no real intention of being used in that way… Means must at times. Whatever, the whole concept intrigues me. I keep this text as a form of diary, & the limitations are frustrating, but they are usually due to my Lousy memory & inability to capture those tiny moments of life that are so interesting. It makes me think that drawing a 4 panel cartoon in this was would be a good discipline, but I have so little time to do what I want in the 1st place, that this seems a foolish ambition. It makes me think that I should at least try to illustrate, in whatever way, my daily ramblings.

What has James achieved in his comic? Well, I would recommend it as a comic to another comic creator, but I have misgivings as to how Joe Public would approach such an item. James snatches little moments in time, & they range across many little facets of life… love frustration & the occasional bit of crabby joy. Reading an individual strip would only make you feel as though nothing was happening, but a collection like this, or a daily drip feed, I think would soon have people hooked (even a great many of Joe Public). People, I guess are inherently nosey, & this, you could amply theorise, is just another block in the ‘Big Brother’ syndrome (as we is all big brother now). It’s kinda sweet, & I like the way he draws – always have.

More pollyfillering of walls last night.  Felt a bit exhausted
on going to bed… Odd really as I was not later than I would
normally be, & pollyfillering is not exactly a strenuous
activity – maybe a little stretching here & there, but that’s
yer lot!  Quipped, when done for the evening that I’d not be
doing this tomorrow, & Louise retorted, “Why?”.  I’m
wanting to do some ZUM! work & suchlike.  Louise is right
to be concerned that time is slipping by though.  She is 5
months pregnant & overall, I cannot really claim to feel we are
making that much progress.  In reality, it is progressing, but
I’m all to aware that it seems too little, & perhaps resent
being reminded of that.  I’ve kind of resolved to see how a
period of alternating nights between the computer & the
decorating goes.
There is just never enough time.
I have been asked to work Saturday morning again, due to there
being no one else to cover that shift.  When I say ‘asked’ I
really mean I have been marked down as in for that shift without
having been consulted.  Like anyone I would prefer to know
when things are changing.  In this instance it is rather
inconvenient as we have still to do a shopping expedition to get
clothes for Jack’s imminent school start.  This was planned
for Saturday…
My brain would like to stop now, it is feeling weighted by
tired.  Commuter zombee mode start…

Here sitting at work, typing on the emate.
Yeah… At ‘work’.
I do not normally do the Saturday morning shift, but then I will
have Monday off, so… better than working Monday in my opinion as
that’s a Sunday Shift (being Bank Holiday) & although I would
be in later, but also not be able to get home until later… &
I don’t want to be doing that! Keith normally does this shift – but
he’s on hols.
Just a longer week.
It’s not as busy, by any stretch of the imagination…

Train home… Well, that wasn’t too bad. A bit like the old days
before we took on more work & lost some staff. Was able to
concentrate on things for more than 5 minutes, which was a bonus.
Not bad. Train home cancelled, but the next one is fine. Meeting
Louise from the train to go to the supermarket so that we can get
that weekly shop out of the way. Insignificant details creep into
‘diary writing’. I wish I could filter better.
Eve woke a couple of times in the night. She’s cutting teeth
again. Canines this time, & they can be a little torturous.
It’s thrown her equilibrium a bit. For instance she had had an
afternoon nap yesterday, & was still grumpy when I got home
from work; delicate & not at all happy. Gave her a little
Calpol, & she brightened after that started working, so they
must have been giving her gyp.
Louise called work this morning at @ 8:30, & Jack was still
asleep! Wow – that must be one of his longer lie-ins ever! Why can
he not do that on weekdays… Mind you, when it comes to impending
school days, then there will be none of that. It’s gong to be a
fundamental change in the families daily routine

Louise was chatting about what the kids had been doing the day
before as we were drifting off to sleep last night. The kids have
been real charming, by the sound of it… but can I remember a
single detail? Can I heck as like. Usual morning brain fog. No
thought swim in my head – just the surface activity of moving from
A to B & these words that pop to the ends of my fingers as I
type.
My typical dilemma of not being able to think; creatively or
otherwise. Or was that ‘concentrate’? Oh, never mind… Manchester
arrives at the train so I have to make me arrive at
work.

Heh – was nice to have a 2 day week last week – but back to a full week of toil this week – boo!
Went to Louise Mum’s on Saturday in Bradford. It was for Jack – a sort of picnic party, but, like not quite a picnic, & in terms of ‘party’ – not such a big deal for him as not many of his pals were there or anything… Just Hamish in fact… Oh, & Eve of course… As well as assorted relatives from Louise’s side. Not all could make it, but some did. Louise sister, brother-in law + 1 nephew. Louise’s mums’ sister, her daughter, & her daughter (latter a little younger than us) – so no other kiddies. Hmm.
All went a lot less stressful than worried about. Louise’s cousin bought along some little spades & some crayons & paper – which was very good. Jack & Hamish enjoyed a little of one of their favourite occupation of ‘mud digging’ & then some scribbling. Jack is still too impatient for drawing & enjoys making marks on the paper quite a lot.
Umm… what else… well, the day at the picnic was quite uneventful really – as I said – not as stressful as anticipated, & time passed well enough.
We set off for home late afternoon evening. We were waiting by the bus stop when a new red Corsa (car) stopped just past the bus stop & reversed sharply back to where we were standing. A bloke stuck his head out of the window & asked us if we were going into town…
“Yes…”
“I wouldn’t”
“?”
“There’s a full scale riot”
Merd. There was a BNP (aka racist shitheads) march planned in the city centre today – which was wisely banned. While we were on the way through town on our way to Louise’s mum’s I saw an anti-Nazi league rally in the town centre, which reminded me I saw a small news report in the paper that the BNP had been banned.
There was quite a evident police presence as well – presumably as a deterrent to the BNP…
So what happened during the day for everything to escalate into what turned into a messy, dangerous & uncommonly ferocious (stolen cars driven at police lines!) riot? Who really knows. It’s just tremendously sad – it besmirches the towns reputation. It isa town where the is peaceful interracial society. Tolerance is the norm.
I am at home now on Monday Evening, & Jack would like to write something…
uy8loi65r593e=rly7o u874i654 uypo98r Jack ‘l
waAQ234476-=UO[\U7gdkiahjhdsio
(Jack can pick out his own name on the keyboard when promoted & helped with the caps button)

Louise is going to the dentist in Hebden Bridge this morning. Just a check up. One of the benefits of pregnancy is the free NHS stuff; there are areas like dentistry & opticians that you have to pay a nominal fee for, but not in pregnancy.
Jack was in the garden 1st thing this morning playing with his wheelbarrow. It’s another ‘early’ birthday present. He was not keen on the idea of going to Hebden Bridge, but has come round now. He wanted us to stay doing the garden. Granted there is a bit to do -weeding, lawn privet hedge trimming, but we are better off going to hebden with Louise. He made a long exhausting fuss over the principal, but has accepted it now. We go in 5 mins.

...(cont from previous entry)…
Nice one. He also muttered darkly about the lead in general. The pipes had might go at any moment & all that sort of crap. Thinking about it – he was most probably frightened of them. It’s curious to note that Hattie chose not to put any specialist lead to copper fittings there, but soldered the joins. The emergency plumber was unwilling to do any repair soldering because… he did not want any comeback that any work he might do may go wrong, or perhaps as well, he did not like the concept of lead pipes. His advise was to have them all ripped out as they were all rotten. Yes, well, he was a doom monger in general. In his line of work, I guess it pays to be. They should be replaced. – we would prefer it, but this is not something we have the means to do. He left it that there would be someone coming to assess the plumbing, & that they would most likely advise the need for replacement. Oh, & in his opinion the whole ceiling would need to go. Riiiight. I could even see that this was a highly dubious assertion. The paper on the ceiling had been damaged, but peeking thru a hole in the paper – the only thing that could be said to be wrong with the plaster was that it was still a little damp & it had a little crack in it.
So, after undermining our sensibility with his prophecies of doom, our cheery morbid hungover plumber was on his way. Caroline next door helped us with a ‘getting things into perspective’ type chat. We spoke to the people who had sent the plumber out & they felt no particular need to send anyone out to inspect the plumbing, so we await the return of Hattie from Spain to await the return of hot water to the house. Pan boiling & stair tramping to fill the bath for the kids on an evening is not such an onerous task.
Oh, & the store we bought the lights from yesterday called to advise thst they would, in fact be sending the lights out to us (as we fully expected) &they should arrive… in the next few days to a week.. or so (depending on how lethargic their post room is.
Stress at work yesterday. Still working like billio on our ‘support mailbox’ that is drowning in correspondence. Passed on an urgent query from last week to the technical manager, which caused ripples, as it should have been sent on…. last week. Another dissatisfied customer. Oh, & said technical manager actually shouted at me. I asked him a query from a customer on the phone that I could not answer. Typed it into the IRC channel that all the staff use to communicate & he was not looking, so I tried a few tricks to alert him, still nothing, so I resorted to leaving the phone & going into the next room where he sits to check he was there & point out I had a customer query – so he shouts “what is the question?!” – yeah – right. It’s in channel, but let me get back to my desk & I’ll type it again if you want. sheesh. Sure the customer heard his foolish bellowing. That makes the company look professional dunnit. That’s good for all round staff moral innit. Bloody fool. He has shouted at a couple of the other lads. as well. We all rant, rave & fulminate, but not directly at each other. There are common grounds of decency.
At home, the attic is on the home straight… it’s looking really good and Louise had some news for me when I got home yesterday, but perhaps more on that later.
Above going into work – now headed home.
Much better day at work – stress levels seem to be returning to normal.
He had green marker pen on his arm & face yesterday when he came home. A testament to the foolish over excitement that playing with his pal Tom Kelly produces. Tom is a little wild at the edges & Jack reflects it when he plays with him. He was none too appreciative of me rubbing off the marker in the bath that night. Fortunately it came off with basically little fuss, but I’m not sure Jack would agree on that one. Hopefully that will prove as a deterrent.
I’ve had my thrills over the past couple of days. I say an item on Ebay (Internet auctions) that I wanted as it would be useful (thinks I) – so I bid for it. I had a budget to keep to, & was well within that & the highest bidder for a good long while. Unfortunately the bidding closed after I left work (where I was keeping an eye on it) & I was outbid. But then the person who strategically outbid me was pipped within the final 30 seconds of the auction by someone else completely new to the bidding – which I thought very cheeky! Even if I had been watching the bidding, & seen that final (below my budget) bid, I don’t think I would have been able to do much about it. PAH!
I guess I’ll have to wait for other chances.