The good morning, good night thread

[desertwomble]

Spent today babysitting our grandson, Oliver in Manchester. Not sure who tires out who since we took him to RhymeTime in the morning (Library singing and pulling Santa's beard fun - he had a pressie, a pop-up book). Afternoon at Trafford Centre play centre where he took me up padded-cell-like tunnels, bumps and slides. But the best thing he enjoyed is in the video here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Lk-4GhZIaw

Geoff

If only all kids were like this!

DW

[delph_ambi]

Ha! Love it! Can I borrow him please?

[Ed]

Are you sure his name isn't Henry, Geoff?

[Ed]

Unbelievably frantic Friday. I had four jobs to go to before the phone rang and added two more. Half way through the second job, my mother rang me to say British Gas had been to service her boiler, had seen the pressurised cylinder I added, didn't know what they were looking at, told my mother they thought it was an illegal installation, condemned and disconnected the lot, told her a load of horror stories about how 'dangerous' it was and left her quaking in her boots. As if I would install something dangerous in my own mother's house - WFT? To sooth her nerves, I managed to get a sooty that I know to go over, reconnect it and reassure her it was just those officious conmen trying to sell her a new boiler. All added grief I could seriously do without. I had the dentist at 4:45, which I was hoping would be my last call of the day, but I ended up going back to work afterward until 8, in the dark and the freezing cold, hobbling around on joists, by the light of a battery torch (flashlight if you're American) to complete an underfloor heating installation, which would save me having to work there on Saturday. By the time I got home I felt absolutely wasted - used up. I didn't have an ounce of anything left in me, still hadn't eaten my lunch by that time, but didn't feel hungry. I just felt agitated and thoroughly pissed off. Took me a couple of hours to come down and feel normal again, aided by half a bottle of Pinot Grigio. No way to carry on, is it?

[delboy]

No way to carry on, is it?

You're right there, Ed. Too many days like that will get you in the end, one way or another. Just take care out there -make sure you're looking out for number one at least some of the time.

I remember British Gas disconnecting a boiler in my first house as unsafe - saying (quite belligerently)  who installed this? It's totally unsafe. You did, I told them. A different team, but still British Gas. About a week before, too. They still wouldn't allow it to be turned on.

On the upside, I've had a relaxing weekend. First time in ages I've not felt stressed about the job as I only have two (hopefully quiet days) to go before the Xmas break. I know come January I'll be wound up and anxious again, but for now I've put it out of my mind.

I've read an entire novel in just a day and a half (just like the old days!) and written 90% of the first draft of my short story for the Dead Westerns anthology which I'm really quite pleased with. Much like my comp entry was an examination on pain, this one is looking at courage. Downside, I'm missing today's rugby on account of family coming round for dinner, which is a tad annoying as I already have the ticket, but c'est la vie.

Anyway, hope the weekend was better than Friday, Ed!

Del

[Geoff_N]

Sorry to hear of your bad Friday, Ed.

I've had completely bad days as a teacher. One day over 10 years ago a 15-year-old who objected to being in school at all decided to demonstrate his prowess by throwing a chair at me. No problem - I caught it, but I was concerned that it had only just missed the heads of other pupils. As he picked up another chair, I got the endangered pupils to scoot out and get help. Two more chairs had to be caught and placed out of harm's way before I could corner him where there were no more chairs. I would have just left him in the room but some of his mates wouldn't evacuate and yet they remained in danger too. By then a deputy Head had arrived but he was useless. The kid then pulled out a sheaf knife and pointed it an inch from my chest. His mates laughed at me and the deputy head and yelled at their friend to 'stick me'. All I wanted to do that lesson was to illuminate their lives with the wonders of volcanoes! Eventually, I'd persuaded him to avoid a youth-prison outcome and he threw the knife on the floor.  Reaching home, I too was drained that day - not from physical exertion and the pressures you have, Ed, but from a thankfully rare situation in teaching.

That kid now helps run the pleasure boats on the River Dee in Chester. He has a young family and nice as pie to me.


Geoff

[delph_ambi]

I'm just back from the shops where I didn't get killed by a falling icicle. It missed splitting my skull open by a smidgen, and merely grazed my forehead. 

[Rev. Austin]

Blimey!

My brother and I are doing some last-minute shopping for our dad.  I had no idea is was so difficult to find a bean bag in Scunthorpe haha a lady who comes into the gallery quite often suggested a RHS giftcard (to get my dad) so me n my bro went one better and have got him a year's membership!  He's got dodgy legs so doesn't get out as much as he'd like to, but thanks to this he'll be able to plan proper nice days out to some really wonderful gardens. 

[delboy]

They don't mention that on those Channel Four adverts, do they? "Accident at work? Not your fault? Been killed by a falling icicle? Call 0800 SLEAZE for a no-fee consultation..."

Cycling to work this morning it struck me that I was doing something actually quite dangerous. The sides of the road and the cycle paths were slick with ice, the bridge over the canal was sparkling with the slippery stuff, lorries were thundering by inches from my head, and the kerbstones looked very hard and eminently capable of cracking open a skull. It was great fun!!    It'll be worse when I go home. As above plus very dark. I reckon there'll be a story in there somewhere.

I've struggled with buying Christmas pressies this year. The older people get, the harder they are to buy for (so I must be very difficult!). Still managed to rack up a very impressive bend in my flexible friend though.

Del

[Geoff_N]

That's a great gift for your dad, Rev.

Delph, sue God.

Del, I stopped attempting to cycle when there's ice or snow. The inadvertent lateral slides unnerve me too much!

[Caz]

I've not been able to ride my bike since the last week's heavy snow fall. Only the main roads are clear, all the side roads and pavements are covered by two inches of solid ice. It's dangerous to walk on it let alone cycle. I hope it rains soon and clears it all away.

[Ed]

I don't think I'll ever forget the front wheel slide I experienced on my motorbike when I was seventeen. Well, I say I don't think I'll forget the slide, but it's more the aftermath - I had no recollection of sliding at the time. One minute I was riding as normal, and a split second later I was face down on the road. No time to react. It happened with amazing rapidity.

There's no way you'd get me out on two wheels in this weather these days. I'm not happy about being out on four, even.

Went to a Christmas drinks party at a friend's house yesterday, had a few beers, then half way through the party I got a phonecall from the manager of a hotel I look after, saying both his boilers had gone down, so they had no heating or hot water. As I'd been drinking, I couldn't get out there, but I talked him through a few things to try, which enabled him to get one back online until I could get there this morning, on the way to somewhere else. My friend (the one who promised to help me today and tomorrow) turned up late and then immediately made his excuses and left me to it. I'm hoping he'll be more reliable tomorrow.

[Woody]

mustn't have my stuff here, ed keeps it.

[Ed]

The conspiracy theorist in me tells me it's the old 'divide and conquer' strategy at work. Governments hate unity, so the more they can divide the people, the happier they are, and the easier we are to rule.

[Woody]

mustn't have my stuff here, ed keeps it.