Archives: trains

Train Home

Not that I could not have typed on the train in – I had a seat at which I could type, I had no one sitting next to me & I had a good nights sleep. For the 1st time in… um.. rather a long time, both Jack & Eve slept all through the night without shouting for attention. Wow!
Jude cried a fair bit as we were going to sleep. Not really sure what the matter was – he didn’t especially seem to want to be comforted, & we kinda concluded he was hungry – but would not really settle well for a feed. Still – he did settle in the end… with a feed…

Putting things on the web falls behind again – but it’s been a hectic week. Maybe plough out some time next week.

Present OS annoyance is that my digital camera will not work with OSX. It seems that it should & there seem to be drivers – but it won’t have it. Bah. More the problem is my lack of time to investigate at the moment.

There are more amusing anecdotes to impart. Again – they have evaporated since Louise told me & I come to type. Actually I know my memory holds them, but I cannot grasp them from the fog of here & now.

Train Home

Ha ha – what fun it was this morning – with the train cancelled & the next one no longer running while North Western Trains are in industrial dispute (overtime ban?) the train to work arrived some 40 mins after the one I usually get. No tying – it’s crowded by the time it reaches us.
That may all sound bitter – but I take it all with a pinch of salt really – why should I worry if I’m a little late for work? I still get to sit & I get to read & no one bothers me. I kinda enjoy the farcical nature of it all.

Jack slept a bit better last night – in that he slept…
He went to sleep relatively easy in the evening as well. Counter to expectations Jack & Eve were not really that fractious. Eve was a bit on the hysterical side, but then she does get a mess of tears & shrieks when she gets over tired. Jack did wake up in the night again. I don’t recall what he complained about. I seem to think that he asked whether today was a ‘school day’ – to which it could not be denied – yes. He then was in need of a cuddle & then got one. He then also got a few pokes <jab-jab-jab> on the eyelid as I noticed that he had his eyes open a crack – so, naturally I poked them closed. He complained that it hurt… OK! – OK! – I’m a bad dad. Mitigation: I was sleepy yer honour – stupid things make much more sense when you your brain is not engaged. He does have a sensitive eyelid at the moment. It sometimes gets a little swollen… I wonder what that’s about?
Louise’s nephew called to say ‘tara’ yesterday evening – he’s off to New Zealand for… well – I dunno how long for. He’s got a job & accommodation lined up & everything. I don’t think he’s yet 19 (I may be wrong) but that is such a good example of landing on your feet. I’m well impressed. Louise had a chat with her sister as well – it seems that we get their mum’s good side at the moment in comparison. She is getting her for Xmas as well, while we scuttle off to see my mum & dad (Hurah! – I’ve spoken to my dad &he can give us a lift!). It has been conceded that we should really have her to stay next year.

I can’t really think of much more to add in writing – so I should shut up. It all seems like one long round of sleep derived mutterings at the moment

The train has been more crowded of recent. I have been told why now – the ‘turn around’ from Tod to Southport has been removed from service. This does not bode well as that was my ‘stand by’ train in case there were any problems with this one. This means I have a much higher chance of being late for work. Bah. Not happy about this. Especially not happy about the ‘little things’ like having to start typing as soon as the train starts, rather than wallow in the paper for a while my by brain solidifies from the liquid state induced by sleep & waking. Again, BAH!
<Tries to tune brain in to thinking> ummmmmmm
Duh yeah – went to school last night. One of those ‘parents meet the teachers to discuss schooling’ things. Just 10 minutes. It seems Jack is happy, confident & social at school. Such things are happily reassuring. He is also willing to answer questions & be involved. He did have & still does to a lesser extent, it seems, have a tendency to be a perfectionist. He wants to get things right. He is less worried about this now though. Whereas last year this impeded him – slowing him up to the extent that he was not getting things done; he now completes tasks in the given time. I think he’s less afraid of mistakes – which is a good thing. Having said that…. Louise & I have noticed a tendency to be worried more about making a ‘social’ mistake. He seems to be worried more at the moment about doing something wrong. It’s a little odd, as he can get himself quite upset if you reprimand him for some minor misdemeanour. It’s like suddenly we have this aura of ‘they must be obeyed of you suffer the consequences’ – which can be quite disconcerting.
Jude still has no teeth. He has very very lumpy gums at the moment though. He was throwing himself about as I was holding him the other day – jumping up & down in my arms to the extent that I thought he was going to hurt himself on my shoulder. He didn’t seem to – but still – you think – that surely can’t be good for him.

Gripe: shite train – no tables – typing on lap (oh, & it’s running late, but that never bothers me as I leave plenty of time for getting to work).
Jack was… well I’m feeling conscious that I seem to put every run in we have down here & it’s not really fair on him. He was difficult at bedtime yesterday & I upset him because of this. We managed to calm down eventually & we were left with the situation that Jack & Eve were in his bed as I read to them. Eve was just dropping of to sleep & Jack started knocking her. I said not to & he just about started hitting her. Granted, it’s his bed & he does not share it when I read to him, but it was a situation that his behavior had created. So – Louise had just managed to get Jude asleep & took Eve into her bed to get her to drift off. I was mad at Jack for being insolent & unhelpful again after we had just been through all that, & he had moved on. Grumpy as I was I was not willing to read anymore to him, but Louise told me off & told me to read. I was rather pleased about this as it gave me the room to be grumpy & voice said displeasure at the situation, but still carry on reading so that things progressed ‘normally’ & Jack drifted off to sleep instead of getting annoyed with me & staying up later than he should.
This morning did not go to plan either. Eve awoke crying just as I was getting out of the shower. Hurriedly scooped her up & got her back into bed, but she was settling to sleep again, but… not quite – which was frustrating. She eventually won when things were starting to get too late to be practical – I needed to be getting going to actually have some breakfast. In the end all the kids are awake before I leave the house in a dash (but determined not to be too much of a dash, as I’m not confident I’m fully better). I dislike hurry in the mornings, but sometimes it seems difficult to avoid.
Eve is very ‘clingy’ with me at the moment – I carried her all the way to pick Jack up from school & on hunt for an open barber for a haircut for him (which he desperately needs at the moment). She also clung to me. We did not find an open barber.

Louise’s mum comes today & I get to linger in Manchester a little after work. A couple of little jobs to do & I’m going to have a look at glasses. Both Louise & I are going to get new glasses. I want to do a little window shopping today

Oh they’re my favourite trains, are those ones – the old ones than don’t even have a drop down table on the back of the seat in front for you to use & swing around on suspension springs better suited to slinkeys. Thankfully today, we have a better train.
Now, I can’t remember a jot of what’s been doing. My brain is empty this morning. I will try to tease some glimmer of though like a tortoise being tempted out of a shell with a nice bit of crisp lettuce.
The carpets are due this Friday – they are coming to fit them! Ah, that just reminds me of something else I forgot – to get call the people we want to clean the stair carpet.
Must … try…. to…. remember….
um
This will be good though as we will be able to move into the attic space even though I have not completed lots & lots of things. This is immaterial – we will be up there! Woo! I will paint strip, paint & scowl at the damp plaster that still seems to refuse to dry out. Perhaps the presence of people up there will help… I dunno. Scare it away with our contempt of it or something?

How did the weekend go? Hmmm – well at some point Jack was in angry defiance mood. I suspect this was Friday. That evening he was very mad with me for stopping his shower & we were in a stand off situation. He angry with me & me, as usual, not backing down. He’s still in the bath – sitting down & reusing to get out. This could have continued a while, but fortunately Jude was still awake & Louise needed to get something. She handed him to me & Jude smiles at Jack & Jack just melts. He loves his brother. Jack plays up for Jude & I melt. I love my kids.

We went to Bradford on Saturday. Another ‘out of the blue’ “lets go to…” from Louise. I like these – unplanned & haphazard. Can’t really recall what we did. No real impact on memory. I wonder if we did anything that might impress itself on Jack & Eve’s memories? Ah – we met one of the teaching assistants that were attending to Jack’s class on the way home. She’s nice – she has a family of her own, but she stopped for a chat with Jack. Jack likes to engage people.
Sunday – we -um- what was it?
We did a little tidying & sorting – moving a cluttered shelf of toys from the front room to the back. The front room carpet is also due a ‘replace’.
Oh – & what else we’ve gorn & done? Louise, I suspect, would not like me reporting this, as it’s our private lives – but this journal thing documents our lives (kinda). We have moved our mortgage to the (hateful*) Halifax. In doing so we keep our outgoings about the same & my personal cover is better, & we have a little money for home improvements!
(* I say this out of knee jerk on long dissipated chagrin at being manoeuvred out of a job I quite enjoyed)

Journey to work could have been better… I took my wallet out of my pocket when I got home yesterday as it was too hot & was carrying too much. Forgot to put it back until I was half way to the station – so had to turn back… Missed the train & then faced 2 cancels & a very packed train on the way in. Arrived at work an hour later than I usually do… & that was because the train was so packed it took an age to get there.
Hey ho.
It’s a lark
etc

So – we went to Urbis yesterday. The inside of the building looked interesting… what I saw of it… It cost £5 per adult, so we were less than enthusiastic to pay £15 for the 3 of us. There we were thinking that museums were free by law these days… how foolish. Jack was most disappointed. He had been very good that day, but crabbiness due to lack of sleep was probably starting to surface. He coped very well in general though.
We sauntered off to Piccadilly station (taking in a couple of shops on the way) to see Caroline off. Louise got some new shoes – she is pleased about that. Eve fell asleep – so missed Caroline getting on the train. It was good to have her visiting for the weekend. She’s a good guest to have about & the kids really like her. Jack was quite good with it – quite & sad. He only cried as we walked away. We distracted him with the palaver of getting to the trams to get back to Victoria: lift down – across concourse – lift up – across concourse – establish final lift down inoperative – carry pushchair down the stairs against the flow of oncoming commuters.
Home a little late & the kids late to bed again. I hope they managed to sleep in a little today.

Train Strike day. Sitting on the ‘turn around’ to Southport – that, of course goes through Manchester. They also seem to have laid on coaches today… That’s a 1st. Surely nothing to do with the Commonwealth Games starting today…? Noooo…

Louise, her mum & the kids went to Hebden Bridge yesterday. I think the plan was to look at a shoe shop there, but it has ‘intermittent’ opening hours – so as nothing has been said on the subject, it may not have been open. Eve is in need of new shoes again. She has a pair that seem too small for her; her 3rd toe has a tendency to hide under the 2nd toe if there’s not ample room.
Back to Hebden again today for Harvey & Flo’s birthday party. Not sure why it’s in Hebden bridge tho – but that’s the way it be, so that be the way it is (they live in Tod, & like us do not have a car). I will be late, & will have to spend longer on a bus that I’d like. The trains back home only get as far as Rochdale today, & thus I get a bus from there all the way to Hebden – bleh!

Trying to think why I was tardy in writing the end of last week… I might have been reading – there might have been trains without tables…
There were no trains on Friday at all what so ever. In the days of British Rail, if there were a train strike then all the trains would go. Nowadays – with competing train ‘companies’ a strike usually means I can still get the sparse service of another company (we being at the end of their reach into this ‘territory’ there are a couple of ‘turn back’ services a day, but no through runners’). Ah, but the shame, oh the shame, of the fact that both companies had a strike on Friday. I was forced to stay at home with the family :)
Got a little attic work done. More sanding, although this was curtailed by the auto sander packing up on me. Dunno why – it just stopped. The electric motor that runs it decided it didn’t want to play no more. It wasn’t like it was getting over heated or anything either…. Gah! Nevertheless, did get a good amount done before then. I’m now muttering to myself over the colour scheme I should use. I think, although I would like to go for a more daring warm purple for the woodwork, It will have to be a slate blue. I cannot see me doing the ceiling beams purple, & that means thinking of another colour to add to the balance, which won’t do at all.
We were discussing the problem with the chimney/roof & the leak up there somewhere. Now it has been dry for over a week we he suggested that he go up & have a look at it. I will not get onto the roof. I’m sure I could but I’d rather not dare to rationalise my vertigo. He had a good look & noted that there was some mortar, which was still damp – which seems odd. If I stand on a chair looking out of the velux window I can see it myself – so I took a couple of pictures with my digital camera. They are printed off now & Louise is going to call Jill to have a look at them, (or in fact the roof it self) to see if she thinks that this may be at the root of it all. It would be nice if it is – to finally get this all sorted. I worry now that the plaster may be afflicted to the extent that it needs to be redone. That would really be tedious (but hopefully covered on the insurance). Louise & I had a good ol’ chat about what we’d like to get done in the house. We would like to get the downstairs sorted out – kitchen & carpets – but we think that will have to wait another year. This year; window maintenance & painting the back room (as well at the attic). Louise has dangled the carrot of a CD writer for the completion of the latter…
Louise was not feeling well yesterday & was not really any better when I left this morning. She is worried that she has mastitis, but it may just be a cold as I have a few flu like symptoms as well (not as badly as poor Louise though). The kids seems basically OK as well – although there have been a few running noses etc to deal with.

Back to normal trains again. No doubt there will be more strikes before the dispute is settled – but apart from the slightly involved journey home, it’s been a pleasant change. I just would rather not have to do the bus on that final leg.

Eve is certainly back in good health again & is back to being happily loud. She was the one who would not calm down to go to sleep yesterday. I thought it might be Jack as we had a run in out bath depth – he wanting to be too deep, me worrying that there would be water everywhere. He got mad at me, but we managed to calm down in the end. We went downstairs for a bit & he let me talk him round. He was in a bit of a wind-up mood for most of the evening, so a clash was not unexpected.

Health visitor came yesterday & Jude weighed in at 9lb 15oz. It seems quite a lot in such a short time. He was weighted 2 weeks ago as well & was 8 something then. Louise checked Jack & Eve’s charts & he is heavier than either at this stage, but not by as much as she had envisaged. He’s a strong lad – able to lift his head when lying on his tum already & holds his head quite straight when looking about – which he is doing with a lot more focus. He has no real toys – like an arch baby gym thing at the moment, but he seems to not get bored enough to worry about that yet.
Jack used to be under the baby gym very early. He was jaundice & it was summer – so he’d lie under it in the sunshine from the window in the hope it would help the jaundice. Jude was jaundice as well & on his 2nd or 3rd day he stopped pooing & weeing – which worried us – but he recovered soon enough. The intensity of the 1st few days with a new baby makes you much more focused on things like that.
There were a list of other things re Jude’s early days that I’m sure I wanted to mention, but memory is fractured when typing on the train in the morning. This writing is all very immediate. Surface brain ramblings.
See I think too much & I grind to a halt.

“It’s going to be commuter chaos in the north & north east today” Radio4 are saying.
This is another train strike day – so I will be taking a later train from a non-striking company. This gets me to work, but I only get halfway home – the other half has to be done by bus. Hey ho – a considerable increase on my travelling time & no real chance to type as these trains do not have tables – even flip down jobbies on the back of the seat in front.

The kids are still asleep this morning (at the moment). It’s all quite.
Right – best get me bag ready to be off… bah!