Tuesday 30 December 2014

Matched Betting Latest

December has been a profitable month - With all the football matches around Xmas, the bookies will tend to throw a few tasty morsels your way. A nice little earner can be had if you know how to do it right.

I'll be publishing my monthly winnings on here, for my own benefit aswell as for any interested parties. I would like to keep track of my money over time, and be more methodical about increasing my earning potential.

Something new for 2015 I guess..

Alex

Sunday 28 December 2014

Cholo Dizzy

Diz sports the menacing 'stache with the 'butter wouldn't melt' look: Dec 2014

Our Christmas tree is a sorry looking thing..

... covered in cheap, gaudy coloured trinkets with a star planted drunkenly on its head. Like a sad old drag queen it watches over proceedings, unloved and poorly adorned. It has seen seen better days.

Its the 28th today. Xmas went off comparatively well. The relatives have been pretty well behaved and the kids not too bananas. The last few months seem to have been a gradual build up to yuletide, foothills of early November where stress is low to the ragged peaks of mid December when the kids are excited and all I want to do is go and hide. Present giving went off without a hitch, the pile of presents stood tsunami-like under the tree, threatening to engulf it. X is the lucky recipient of three wonderful lego sets and had made them all by the evening of the 26th. Following that he paced around the house, looking for other presents to open -  his desire for unwrapping seemingly unquenched.

There is three whole days of peace now. Mum has been dispatched home safely and X is with his Dad. Hopefully this will give me chance to gain some sanity and peace of mind following December excesses: daily advent calendar opening negotiations, securing the perfect present for the person who says 'just get me some candles' or 'surprise me', fielding the relatives amicably and with good spirits. I'm glad it's all over, if I'm honest. 






Sunday 7 December 2014

Monkey dreams.. and other schemes

Been a hard couple of months.  Time has flown by quickly and I've had no inclination to update you with my doings. Sorry about that..

I woke up this morning at 8am, it was light and I felt refreshed. This was a novelty. 

Don' t remember last time I woke up after sunrise. A combination of early shifts and a surly toddler can suck the life out of you. 

I had a fascinating dream the other day which I'd like to share with you: I was swimming in the sea and enjoying the views below me. Imagine my surprise when a group of male gorillas started rising from the depths and tried to grab me down with them! ( Would that be a 'shoal of gorillas' if they're underwater?? Dunno..) They didn't look angry, or upset - they all had the same thoughtful, almost human expression of inner peace. I evaded them all, except the last one who dragged me down with him...

In other news, I'm resorting to increasingly complex financial gymnastics to make some cash. The realities of life dictate I'm in the whole by the end of week one after payday. So I'm leaning on my matched betting savvy increasingly to make ends meet. The mother of invention and all that, Will be following Mark's lead and honing my ebay skillz too. Any pointers you got for me, just leave 'em in the comments...

Cheers,
A. 


Friday 24 October 2014

I was called 'Granddad' for the first time in my life today...

.. by a freckled, cherubic young lad of 2.

I don't know if it was toddler wideboy sass or just one of those brain farts that preschoolers have from time to time when they speak.

Maybe he has a vibrant, salt and pepper haired young granddad and I remind him of that?? Or maybe I just look haggard and tired?? Who knows?

As you age, people give you different formal titles when they speak to you. I remember the first time I was called 'Sir' and it was a shock. I didn't feel like a grown up, I still felt like a kid! Same as when I was called a 'man' in conversations between others, my newly adult subconscious wanted to call out and disagree. Anyway, 'granddad' is a new milestone, didn't think I'd reach it at 37 though...

In other news, Diz knocked my phone into the bath a few days ago. She was reaching for her toothpaste and in it sunk like a stone. I'll admit it, I swore several times (should never do it in front of the kids, bad daddy!) and my mobile had a further 10 minutes of life before the Iphone equivalent of a death rattle and black screen oblivion. To be honest, I love it! E is demanding I contact Vodafone to get a new sim for my old phone asap but I might stall a little... 
 
A.

Sunday 12 October 2014

Saturday 27 September 2014

Playdough Recipe V1.0





  • 4 cups white flour
  • 3 cups boiling water
  • 1 cup salt
  • 4 tbs cooking oil
  • 4 tbs cream of tartar
  • Food colouring (optional)
Visceral looking and speckled. Like some gland plucked from a beast out in an HP Lovecraft story.  My first effort and a resounding success!


A.

Monday 22 September 2014

Carsickness, casualty and other parent rights of passage.

God, it's been a busy month....

Our clifftop idyll has taken shape, with our new sofa the place now looks the biz. The kids however have been providing us with plenty to think about, little D in particular.

D wakes up regularly in the night, it keeps us on out toes. Sometimes it'll be for a drink, other times it's to be tucked in, most of the time she settles down quick. However one morning she awoke about 3am, crying hysterically. It turned out she had been sick in her bed, and continued to chunder through the early hours like clockwork. We had to take her with us for a medical appointment later that morning and she continued being sick sporadically as we drove. Picture the scene, a miserable little thing wrapped up in towels with dried sick down the front of them. Sometimes kids can really make your heart bleed.

 Last weekend was fever with possible urinary infection weekend. Saturday, Diz was toting a temp of 38.5 and was in pain when she had to have a pee. I had the pleasure of a day trip down to the walk-in GP/Casualty Unit at Newport Hospital which was not how I planned to spend my weekend. We were thankfully fast tracked,  escaping some four hours later with a prescription, urine sample bottle and some probing nurse's questions for our trouble. Diz is an active girl and gets plenty of bruises, and the nurse who saw us was particularly taken by one of the more recent ones. 

We have the joys of toilet training next on the list. D loves her potty, a relic of X's adventures at a similar age. Even though a simpler life would be preferable right now, I guess we should give it a try....

A.

Thursday 18 September 2014

Friday 5 September 2014

Go see the Luccombe Jam Man!





Ellen at rest in the woods on St Boniface down (above). The ground drops vertically about 100 feet down to the road from here. You wouldn't want to slip, I can tell you..

The Island has spoilt us with some late season sunshine. My tan has been resilient to stick around thus far which is a rare treat. On the subject of treats I'm off to Luccombe beach this afternoon, I will be picking up some goodies from the Jam Man en route.  Any self respecting human being needs to go past the Luccombe Jam Man's place, he sells his produce from an unguarded table chained to a lamp post near his back garden. I heartily recommend the Lemon Marmalade which sells for £2 a jar, he even provides a carrier bag for your convenience.. now that's service!


Could you imagine such a thing up London way? Someone what have the jam, table and chain away in hours flat, wouldn't they?

A.


Sunday 31 August 2014

'What does Santa do with his reindeer when he goes on holiday?'

'He scoops them up, chops them up and eats them.'
Emma, aged 31 months.

Monday 25 August 2014

Other peoples' children and your own

The rain is pattering on the windows, I can hear the wind and the waves outside. D is frollicking in the bath right now and X is enjoying his favourite show on the TV. It's a calm ten (?) minutes in which I can update you.

Funny thing is, when it's raining by the sea your enthusiasm to be outdoors is undiminished. Maybe that's just me though, in a candid moment X described me as being 'like a dog' so maybe that's something canine inside, howling to get out.  Anyway, my new charges at work are a mixed bunch, aged 2 to school age they've greeted my with interest and warm affection in some cases.

On my first day, I introduced myself to some of the older kids. Unbeknownst to me, the first one was a four year old girl (lets call her 'A') who spoke only in Hungarian! She proceeded to speak very quickly in her native tongue for three minutes seemingly without taking in a breath. At times like this you try not to look alarmed and nod encouragingly! We also have a kid named Tony at our setting (I haven't meet a child named Tony for about 30 years), he has the tenacity and the expression of a mob boss in the Sopranos.

My two at home have settled alright with the move. The big one is thrilled with the trampoline installed in the garden and seems to consider all trips out of the house (for whatever reason) as breaks between trampoline time. The little one grows apace, she is chattier, smarter and more demanding every single day. X and D's relationship meanwhile is like the weather, at times sunny and at times squally with stormy outbreaks. D is a shrieker when she doesn't get her own way, so a lot of the time my life revolves around keeping her quiet. You don't taunt an angry bear (unless you really have to) and our two and a half year old cub is no exception. She has that toddler fickleness in spades right now, 'No. I don't want that' apparently doesn't mean 'No I don't want that' as I've learnt to my cost on several lunchtime occasions. I eat the food she says she doesn't want and when it's finished.. she shrieks that she does.. 

Meanwhile X starts year 5 in September. He needs a bit of routine in his life as August feels like an extended holiday as far as can tell. His scout troop is chock full of Minecraft fans so he should have some kindred spirits there. I hope X's transition to small town life is free of stress, he is a unique boy and sadly some people can take offence at that sometimes. We'll see anyway...

I better stop there. D is out of the bath, I should wrangle some clothes onto her.. and something with minimal sugar into X's stomach. Life with kids is a delicate balance of negotiating and putting your foot down very carefully at times. The iron rule of parental authority would be a lot simpler, but I don't think the kids would respond well to it. As parents, we try not to **** up our children in the long term... and that's quite a challenge I can tell you...

A.

Saturday 16 August 2014

Crazy Golf, Ventnor Carnival and some light reading - August 8-15

Dizzy gets into the party spirit
Dunno which Roman Legion this guy comes from! 

Gorilla in Spaceman outfit takes pride of place in the parade

Diz waiting patiently for breakfast

Diz joins in with crazy golf on Shanklin beach. 

Sunday 10 August 2014

Shanklin Beach: Little D and X at play

We hit the beach as it was a particularly sunny,  I have sunburn on my ankles as a momento of the day. Do the locals ever get tired of proper summer weather? I feel particularly spoilt this August.

A.

Thursday 7 August 2014

We've arrived!!!

Boxes unpacked (mostly).  Order restored (tentatively). Internet ready (sporadically). I write this from our clifftop bedroom overlooking the sea. A few thin wisps of cloud overhead and a welcoming view of the channel below.

..It's truly lovely here...

There are differences I've noticed already between here and the mainland which give the place a sense of unreality in the most delightful sense:
  1. In the week we've been here the warm sunshine has been almost constant. I have a tan which throws my mahogany forearms and pasty white upper body into even starker contrast.
  2. You hear crickets instead of police sirens or mopeds outside at night.
  3. When an insect flies in through your window during the daytime, it's as likely to be a butterfly as a bluebottle or a wasp. 
 I started work at my new place on Monday and it has been a joy. 10 minute commute and Sandown beach a few minutes down the hill. I've had to forgo the £4 lunchtime frappucinos (which were getting addictive) but now have the seaside to go paddling in during my working week. My bank account will be weightier (hopefully), whilst my soul should be that much lighter.

Anyway, this is just a marker. Consider it day 6 (out of ???) of our new life. More adventures to come in the weeks, months and years to come.

A.




Monday 21 July 2014

Help me rename my blog!

2 days till the end of term for X (?!)
4 days till my last day of work. (!!)
11 days till we move! (!!!!!)

All the stars seem to be in alignment now. I still cannot believe we'll be starting our new life in less than two weeks, and the prospect fills me with heady excitement. I can finally start visualising my future life whilst E has been planning hers for the last 12 months or so. I dream of finding time to do things again. To run, to read, to swim, to plant, to do my MB productively. It's obvious now that my life in London is all about damage control: lots of working, ensuring the kids are fed and watered and then collapsing on the couch at day's end. 

I hope this is a new start. I can clearly see myself reading a book on the decking in the garden. Or taking the kids hunting through rockpools on the beach. Or even (gasp!) cycling! I bought a bike many years ago which lies unloved in the greenhouse. To dust it down and oil it up for use would be the ultimate sign of a New Life. 

In other news I'm considering a blog rename. The Man Cave is being packed into boxes and will become a memory soon. So what handle should take its' place? I have some ideas but leave the door open for any motivated readers out there. I'll post an update closer to move day so have a good week!

A. 

Monday 7 July 2014

'Seventh... of the seventh...'

It's my friend Patch's birthday today. I was filling out some forms today and realised the date. The 7th of July. He would've been 37. He's been gone since the Spring but I'm realising he still has a warm place in my heart.

What would he be doing today? Some work in the garden is my guess, listening to the cricket. This would be followed by a piece of cake and a good cuppa. Patch had his problems, but also a love of the simpler things in life which I admire. I can just imagine him relishing the sunshine with tea by his side and rollie in his mouth.

Grief is a funny one. You don't know you're experiencing it till it creeps up on you unexpected. My was the seeping in variety this morning. Like damp in the bathroom walls..

Still, I'll be raising a glass to him tonight. Such a good hearted man deserves nothing less...

A.

Friday 4 July 2014

Adventures in Poo - tales of why I love my job

We were putting the kids down for a nap the other day..

One of them was standing on his mattress and had some poo on his feet. 'OK, no big deal', I thought, 'I'll carry him to the bathroom. Get him cleaned up.'

So I picked him up in the crook of my arm to sort him out. That was the my rookie mistake. A couple of steps across the room I realised there was something warm and sticky on my arm. You guessed it, the contents of the nappy had exploded out and up the child's back and now coated my forearm like a faecal gauntlet..

That was the cherry on top of the steaming turd that was my day yesterday. However today has been better, each day is a step closer to a new life which I'm so ready for.

A.

Monday 30 June 2014

'Make me fart like Stan's silver moon sparklings...'

Misheard from Sixpence None The Richer's 'Kiss Me' (it's in the chorus).

I mention it as the tune has been running through my head this weekend. E has it on CD.

Plus it bugs her when I mention it, a lovely jangly pop song ruined by my puerile sensibilities. And selective hearing of course...

Anyway, its lunchtime and I'm nursing my latte in the usual location. Nice to have some time off, the coursework has been submitted and there is no rush with the matched betting right now. I have four weeks to go at work and I'm realising I will miss the place. Well, the kids anyway.

I was helping a two and a half year old girl as she climbed the rope wall the other day. A dainty, poised little thing, lets call her Marty. Now Marty will have the world in her thrall when she's bigger. She's pretty, tall with killer eye-lashes already. However her poise left her momentarily as she climbed. M let out an extravagant, reverberating fart like a middle aged man motorboating one into a leather sofa. Stunned,  I asked Marty 'Was that you?'. She said not a word. I then said 'We say 'excuse me', dont we?'. Marty meekly said 'excuse me' to recover some of her dainty composure. 

When you're around little kids no day is the same. They can go from contentment to gut-wrenching torment in an instant. The highs are higher. The lows more stormy and intense. All you can do is hope to keep them somewhere in the middle. The irony is, by the time they've mastered that...they're off to school!!!!


Wednesday 25 June 2014

That home straight now...

Just one month at work to go through. Most people would be demob happy right now, but I'm drained, anxious and fundamentally un-relaxed. Working at my current place has broken my body clock for good I reckon. Even on a day off I'm awake at 6.30 or so, my senses seemingly flicked on like a switch. The morning commute is a joy as Bushy Park is beautiful and calm just before 7am on a sunny summer morning. I would love to park the car and go for a gentle stroll for an hour but I don't think the boss would approve!

Now the people I work with are the most professional and dedicated group I have ever had the privilege of being alongside. They have taught me alot. However I need to get a personal life back, I long to exercise again and to enjoy pursuits at a leisurely pace that normal people enjoy. Hard core professional people don't have much time for their families, to nurture them and help them grow and I fear being one of such a dedicated group. 

Still, I've got to plaster a smile on my face and get on with it. Despite the busy-ness and the dedicated-ness I will miss the kiddies I've grown to have a bond with. Soon though I'll be getting a new batch in much less strenuous circumstances. 

A.

Friday 20 June 2014

You give England another chance and look what happens?

England 1 Uruguay 2. Depressingly familiar result.

I no longer feel distraught when our national football team is defeated, only a gnawing sense of delusion and disappointment.

I watched the game with E with no expectations, but felt my hope rising slightly when England strung some passes together in the first half. 'You never know', I thought, 'we could pull off a result.' Looking back now, it's amazing I still care after all the mediocrity and false dawns. The team could certainly be marked 'A' for effort. They sweated and toiled honourably as you'd expect good Englishmen to do. Where was the class though? Where was the swift passing  which would give one of our forwards space to do something special??? Everytime Sterling received the ball somewhere dangerous it seemed he would stop, giving the Uruguayans a chance to catch up!! Long gone are the days when a Gazza or a Hoddle (or even a McManaman!!?) could look up and knock a 40 yard cross field ball for a forward to run onto. I realised today that it has been 18 years for me since the word 'sublime' could be attached to the England football team. Gazza's goal against Scotland still makes my hair the hair on the back of my neck stand on end.. as does the brilliant team goal against Holland. Nowadays watching the Three Lions play just makes me feel numb.. and a little depressed....

A.

Sunday 15 June 2014

The Long Slog before Move Day

I have an acronym for the next most important day in our lives. Move Day (MD). 

August 1st is when we'll be packing up our chattels and backing out of 17 First Avenue for the last time. We've paid out several large chunks of cash for the house and a movers deposit and have alot more money to put down before we move.

Thats ok. My matched betting money has been a welcome buffer from life over the last few months. Trouble is I won't have much left by the time we move, and expect to be picking up the financial pieces come the autumn. In the meantime the World Cup is proving a fertile ground to build up my stash before I hand it over to our new landlords. The nice thing is the bookies are keen to throw money to suck new punters in and a canny bettor can profit whatever the result may be.

Currently most of my cash has ended up at an exchange (where the money goes if your bets lose - this is normally what you want). I'll be taking it out for the next round of offers which will come out for the England match on Thursday. Come the final on July 13th I'm confident I'll be back with a decent pile of cash.. before I have to give it all away again... 

A.

Dizzy at 27 months

At the Garlic Farm, IOW. May Bank Holiday
Dizzy discovers her huge Hello Kitty. She is thrilled! 

Monday 26 May 2014

It's something about the shape of his head...

Reading this had me in stitches on the bus, I hope you enjoy it too..

A.

Monday 19 May 2014

74 days to go!!

Oh J***s! I've just googled 'days between today and August 1' (our mooted moving day). The answer is the above.

It feels like the flow of the world has got even more intense over the last few months. The reality of our move is looming ever closer, like that nameless horrible thing which chases you down in a dream sometimes... In a good way, mind..

I had an interview on the Island last week. It was a beautiful warm sunny, cloudless day. Three hours of a commute which I could do every week if I was honest! On top of that, the lovely interviewing people will be reimbursing my expenses to the princely sum of fifty quid! I mean, how good is that??

Please send your positive feelings out into the ether/to your deity of choice as securing this role would be absolutely perfect. More to come in due course on that one.

In other news I've been doing some internet stalking of my friends recently (the only way I can seem to touch base with them, sadly). To Jim: I love your twitter stuff and the when googling your name the first picture which came up was suitably cool. Sometimes I wish my name was a bit more unusual - this guy is streets ahead on the search engines as far as I can tell. 

A.

Tuesday 13 May 2014

Passer-by in Chancellor kicking shocker!

A friend of mine saw George Osborne doing his rounds in Lancashire the other day.

He had a very clear mental image of him walking up and giving the man a slap.

Cathartic? Very much so. Sensible? Probably not. Fortunately my friend relented and the tabloid headline remains unwritten.

We visited our dream house on the Island the other day and will be going over again at the end of May to visit. Hopefully taking a tour of the property itself. Please keep your fingers crossed it becomes available soon as the place is perfect!

A.

Saturday 10 May 2014

Trip to the Island. May 2014

Wight bear eats raisins. Or Else!
D has just awoken from her nap. She is comically unimpressed.
A.

Thursday 1 May 2014

All about the Benjamins: 1

Hi there, here's a quick one written during my lunch hour, the Yummies are roosting with their lattes nearby..

Normally people bask in the glow of being paid on the first of the month. I've allocated most of my money on living expenses so will have to resort to creative measures to get some more cash in the bank. The MB is a real help though, there is a VERY generous website (lets call them 'PoddyPawer' who do lovely offers which equate to crisp £50 note three or four times a month if you're lucky. I've been using them as my personal cash machine recently but they've got wind of my efforts. Still, there are plenty more avenues to follow - I can wring anything from a few quid to 20-30 at a time from my 'work'. It's a drip, drip, drip which can end up as a nice little pond of liquidity if done right...

Laboured metaphor, I know....

Anyway, I gotta get back to work in a mo. I'll be with the bigger kids this afternoon which is a nice change. The preschoolers get less upset, are more entertaining and get more out of me when I come to visit. Trouble is there's like twice as many of them, when I'm spotted they shout 'Alex! Alex!' and grin their happy little smiles. When you see how much difference you make to the lives of so many children, it puts a spring in your step. I'm useless after 10pm but I'm loving my work right now...

A.

Friday 18 April 2014

Taking two year olds to the toilet is a bit like spinning plates.

You gotta give each one a little bit of attention.

Give them a gentle prod in case they start pushing each other over...

...or trying to climb into the nappy bin...

..or smearing soap all over the mirrors...

It is an art to keep them all upright for any stretch of time...


Monday 14 April 2014

Lunchtime Latte with smooth porno funk

I'm in Costa Coffee again... no yummy mummies around yet today. At each table sits someone with their laptop open, vibrant apple logo aglow. It's quite soothing if I'm honest, a bit of breathing space amongst the tantrums and toileting that is my job.

The kiddies have been pretty well behaved today. The usual suspects are mellow and relaxed this morning (so far) and we sit outside enjoying the sunshine. One of my key children is away so I'm enjoying the company of just the other two today. One, lets call him 'M', has taken a real shine to me and I've taken to thinking of him as my little shadow. 'M' always has a look of either soulful introspection or slightly ill as a resting expression (beats looking like a bulldog as I do) but I strive to get him to smile on a daily basis.

I'm hitting the parenting books at home now, as well as the development books at work. My latest subject to swat up on is 'tween hormonal changes'. That nine year old in your life can be an enigma so I need to study up on him. Little D continues to match her cuteness with equal measures of stubbornness and musical talent. I was marvelling the other day that my girl has now turned 2! I cannot imagine what life was like before her now and marvel what an epochal change fatherhood actually is. You really don't know what it's like till you're in the middle of it!

Anyway, that's enough for now. Gotta hit the books for 25 mins before getting back to the kiddies.

A.

Saturday 12 April 2014

Dizzy and That Ghastly Mouse

D's musical education continues...

She loves They Might Be Giants and their collaborations with Disney. Now if there's one thing I don't mind her watching on a Saturday morning it's Here Come The ABC's and The 123s.

Catchy, wholesome, yet quirky, stuff.

Ties in with Disney are another matter though. TMBG are deserving of taking a fat paycheck off Mickey and Co but the less exposure my daughter has to The Rat, the better. Trouble is, this is on her favourite DVD. Seventy seconds of dire saccharine which makes CeeBeebies look like Eastenders by comparison.

Is it just me or does any one else find Micky Mouse creepy? He sounds like he's on the verge of a nervous breakdown.

PS. I was going to attach a pic from Google Image search for 'Mickey Mouse creepy' and came up with this. Diz was resting on my shoulder so maybe she's been turned off Disney for good. I can only hope.

A.

Saturday 5 April 2014

The eagle eyed amongst you...

.. will have spotted the links on the right hand of my blog.

I use them for my Matched Betting (MB), a lucrative little hobby I've been doing over the years to make a few quid. My daydream is to be able to teach someone the nuances of MB without the looks of blank confusion they normally exhibit when I try.

If you want some pointers in the wonderful world of MB, let me know. 

A.

Monday 24 March 2014

Spearmint Rhino reaches the singularity

Spearmint Rhino enters the 21st Century with their new dancers.

Saturday 22 March 2014

Genius at work


March 2014 - It seems like only a few weeks ago my daughter could only lie on her back and cry alot. Every child goes through learning mark making and using technology, but it's always a marvel when your child starts doing so.

Battling the yummy mummies for coffee...

I've started my new job at a nursery in Teddington.

It's a 15 minute drive but might as well be another country: genteel, well maintained, with convoys of Ladies That Lunch all over the pavements. Lunchtime means a quick visit to Costa Coffee to get my caffeine infusion. Here you'll see the yummy mummies in their native habitat, roosting round their tables with Jackie O sunglasses perched atop their glossy barnets. Meanwhile the  little Tarquins and Bellas mewl quietly in their chrome plated strollers, replete with technology a BMW engineer would be proud of. 

I roll out of bed at 6, and two weeks in I'm used to it. Despite the early starts I've settled and hitting it of well with the kiddies. Management are hardworking, supportive and very nice so it's a big change to my last place. There is a sprinkling of foreign languages amongst the parents so I plan to try a few key words in Spanish/Italian/etc which is for my benefit as much as for the kiddies. Already I've mastered a stern 'NIET!' to chasten a feisty Russian boy in my charge.

Roll it in your mind, go on.... Niet... I always think of the word in a deep ominous tone along similar lines of 'I will crush you'. or 'If he dies, he dies'. But maybe thats just me.

A.

Sunday 23 February 2014

Patrick Randall 1977-2014





A dear friend passed away at the start of this month. I knew Patch for over 25 years and we shared many happy moments together. It's always hard to do the memory justice of someone you knew well when they pass away suddenly, it was the same with my friend The Claw in 2007. Patch's life was turbulent at times from early on but he always had a fundamentally kind and decent side which put some people to shame. I envied his skills and passions when I was old enough to appreciate them, the brewing, the skills he had with his hands. My fondest post teenage memory was spending a summery afternoon with tea and cake in his parents' garden. Patch showed me the greenhouse which he glazed personally and then went into proud rhapsodies about his home grown tomatoes.  He offered me the prized back yard seat and I marvelled at the marvels of warm sunshine, peace and quiet and a nice cup of tea and cake for the belly. Anyone who holds such values in as high regard as Patch will always have my respect.

I'll admit I didn't see enough of him in later years, screaming toddlers and questioning pre-pubescent tend to take the attention. However the guilt I do feel is for not doing more than sending the occasional text and email. We exchanged photos, discussed family and Patch seemed to radiate a certain content after moving out of Guildford. I was looking forward to extending an invitation to our house so we could spoil him. So the children could enjoy Uncle Patch and he could enjoy them. 

I wish I could be more erudite as I write this. All the usual truisms of an early death do not do justice to a truly lovely man. Those of us who are left can only look out for each other to the best of our ability and to share the good times we have. 

Anyway, I must return to the urgencies of daily life now. Little D demands my immediate attention as she distributes her play spoils all over the floor. 

A.

Wednesday 12 February 2014

Like a dank and drizzly Everglades

We've had helicopters flying over us all morning. The news media scoping out the damage to this part of the world I reckon.

The floods haven't reached us. Yet. Might need another 6 feet before I dig out the old rubber dinghy that X years ago christened 'Sink'. 

...He was a joker even then...

The heavens are opening again even as I write this. We now have the bonus of storm force winds too! What next? Sleet and snow by the end of the week?! 

.. I wouldn't want to tempt fate....

This shows what the extent of the flooding is so far.  As the Thames winds North out of Surrey, the real damage is only too clear. I wonder if anyone sells these in Chertsey? They'd probably make a killing.

A.

Sunday 9 February 2014

Diz does comedy?

She's a funny little thing anyway, but I reckon she should start in stand up.

One blustery day last month we both bundled up warm for an afternoon stroll.

I donned my trusty winter hat (called a Ushanka, apparently. I did not know that.) Diz gazed up from her pushchair, pointed and matter-of-factly stated 'kitty kat'.

Maybe she was appreciating my style, or maybe she was just cracking a joke. I will never know.

A.

Wednesday 29 January 2014

Norovirus anyone? Anyone?!

It swept through the house last week on a explosive wave of gargling guts and rapid toilet visits.

[Apologies too graphic..]

Unfortunately I was the only one who got washed away in its path. First that horrible throbbing body ache, followed by an alarming bubbling of the digestive tract, culminating in the floodgates opening as the body screams 'Enough!!' I was lucky that Diz didn't shake anything further loose as she leapt on my stomach and kneed me in the groin whilst I lay in bed. My body needed no further help in sabotaging my day which culminated in being nearly unable to hold my head over the toilet whilst being sick into it..

I didn't fancy falling in afterwards, I can tell you.

Still, I recovered enough the following day. I went to an interview and promptly snagged the job which was offered. It starts in March, and I'll have to say goodbye to this free Wednesday I've come to enjoy so much.  Will update you more as the time approaches..

Here are some pics from our latest IOW visit.

X, D and I on the beach at Shanklin in the wind and driving rain.

 
Diz fresh out of the bath. Late Jan 2014





Wednesday 22 January 2014

From Behind The Pushchair II

After a particularly eloquent paddy this morning, Little D taught me something new...

..she's starting to learn her letters.

With a grin on her face she pointed at the letter 'C' on my shirt and happily declared 'C!' And to emphasise the point she gestured to another 'C' on my shirt and said 'C!' again! My little girl is starting to read and I find that fact astounding. 

A.






Wednesday 15 January 2014

What's going on behind those big old eyes?


Diz loves my phone. Her latest thing is to use the photo enhancer app to adjust the many pics I have taken and stored upon it. This is one of my favourites. Taken at Xmas, here Little D has an enigmatic Mona Lisa-esque quality about her which I adore.

Tuesday 7 January 2014

353 days till Xmas..

(I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong. You know who you are!)...

Here's a rapidly pondered paragraph before I gotta deal with life (and a bawling Diz upstairs).

Life just goes by too fast, you know. You spend a month planning for Dec25 and all that goes with it, and boom! It's gone. Gotta take a few New Years breaths and gather some thoughts together for 2014. 

The Kids are going great guns right now. X is a mixture of energetic puppy and worldly teen who always has something intriguing to say (often in the most circuitous manner). D right now is in her bed, I've put her down for a nap after lunch, but she's just not having it. Every 20 secs I'm hearing a little shriek as she's expressing her displeasure (she's good at that). Hopefully she'll settle soon...

I've got my birthday coming soon (the 12th) and when asked how old I was recently couldn't give an immediate answer! Was it the result of poor sleep, or dealing with the needs of a toddler or do I care that much any more?  When you're keyed into the welfare of little ones about, a personal milestone tends to pass you by. X on the other hand is now focusing on his next bday keenly. He'll be 9, and a charming, fully faceted 9 at that. X reminds me of one of those no-frills sports cars, he'll get you to where you want to go, but the ride can be a hectic but satisfying experience at times.

Little D is 2 at the end of Feb and becoming more of a wonder every single day. The individual words she says are becoming clearer and more frequent amongst the toddler talk. Her word of the moment which she declares with some relish is "No!', sometimes with two or even three syllables, depending on how annoyed, upset or irritated she is. Another favourite is the name of her favourite TV character, Spongebob Squarepants can be a mouthful for those who have already mastered talking so Diz settles for 'Bobpants' instead. This has many different intonations (in a similar way to the fact that the Eskimos have seventeen different terms for 'snow':
  • It can be jubilant as in 'I'm watching Spongebob, hooray!"
  • It can be irritated as in 'Turn of the news, I wan't to watch Spongebob!'
  • It can be despairing as in  'You're taking me upstairs to bed when Spongebob is on the telly!'
And a host of others.

And what about me? I'm plugging away at life. Expect another countdown calendar soon, this time for our move it the summer. What should I call it? Moving Day? Wight Day? Any ideas? X's final school day is Weds July 23rd, so that's 197 days to go...

We got so much to do so I better get on with it.

Cheers,

Alex