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Home > Blogs > Norfolk Single Dad > Posted in September 2007 Norfolk Single DadPosted in September 2007A slice of English life in all its glory, through the eyes of a 39 year-old single dad and his amazing 4 year-old son.... See Ya Ireland and Wales!
Source: Eddie2sox I have done a very unusual thing today - watched a game of rugby on the telly.... And it was great because Ireland got knocked out of the world cup! Well done you Argies! Also, apparently, Wales got knocked out by FIJI! Fiji must have a population of about 19? Hilarious.
So, why do I love the fact that Ireland and Wales are out of the rugby world cup? Well, you show me the taff or paddy who wants England to win anything, then I'll get behind their own countries. Same goes for scotland, I hope the Argies beat them in the next round.
England have zero chance against the Aussies, despite recent comments like "Cricket, football, rugby union, rugby league, we all hate England". Yep, nobody likes England which is just the same as being a Leeds United fan. Everyone hates you, you don't give a monkey's!
My (educated!) predictions for the semi-finals? New Zealand, South Africa, Argentina, Australia.
What a funny old game it is! To comment on, or report this post follow the permalink aboveLincoln Castle Is GRRRRRREAT!
Source: Eddie2sox We took a trip to Lincoln castle and had a really cool day out..... I’ve had a crappy week so not sleeping on Friday night was only to be expected I suppose. We had a tea that was a blast from the past - chip butties! When Sam’s mummy first moved into King’s Lynn she used to be worn out by Friday evening so instead of making food used to give Sam a chip butty. I’ve decided that every week is too often, so we tend to hit the chip shop maybe once a month, and this week was it. Mind you, if we go to the chip shop after I pick Sam up it takes about 45/50 minutes to get there and back, so I usually go at dinner time instead, tricks of the single-dad trade you know! We gave bathtime a miss as there was a spider in the bath. We called him Mister Seven-Legs, as he’d obviously had some kind of “incident” previously, and lost a limb, so we decided to set him free on Saturday morning. The usual bounce out of bed at 6 on the dot, then we “invented” chain racing for Sam’s racing cars (see other blog). Claudius stunk the flat out with what can only be described as a “Sunday dinner pooh” (blokes will know what I mean), so Sam bravely went in on his own to dispense the air freshener. Our captive spider was duly released in the hallway and Sam had a little tear and said “I’m going to miss Mister Seven-Legs”. We checked out the opening times for Lincoln Castle, which sparked Sam into getting his sword and knight’s helmet ready, packed up the mega-picnic, and headed off up the A17. We had an uneventful trip, except for two young male drivers who were racing each other, and nearly took us off the road. No driving for the under-25s I say! (The very same thing happened on the way back too, through Long Sutton village!). We even managed to find the right car park in Lincoln, first time, and had a “light lunch” before setting out. Lincoln Castle is great, it’s a “proper” castle with towers, walls you can walk round, a prison, gatehouses, fantastic. I really recommend it to anyone who lives within a couple of hours of Lincoln (only £3.90 to get in too). Sam ran in as soon as we got there, sooooo excited. Our first discovery was Cobb Hall, a corner tower which used to be the venue for public executions. The gallows used to be built on top of the tower so the people of Lincoln could gather on the courtyard grass below and eat the wolf-nipple chips etc while the “guilty” were done away with. Inside the tower you can still see the iron rings set in the walls to which the prisoners were chained. You can also descend down a very narrow, daunting ladder to a lower level, very dark, very atmospheric, it certainly sent a chill down my spine. From the top of the tower we got our first sighting of Lincoln Cathedral which is just a good chuck of the hangman’s rope away from the castle. Sam was amazed that people used to be executed in the old days. We walked along the walls around to the south-west corner, past the wash-house (Sam’s comment….”YUK”), over the west gate, and enjoyed the amazing view over the city and miles and miles of the countryside beyond. Sam loved running up and down the walls pretending to be an old soldier (mind you, an old soldier doing kung fu?). Apparently I used to do the very same thing (minus the kung fu) when I was Sam’s age and we lived in Lincoln, although I can only remember going there once - more of that later though. So, back round the walls, past Cobb Hall again and over the top of the East Gate where we had entered the castle earlier on. We had loads of fun yelling “Cooooeeeeee” to the people down below and waving like mad, Sam was so funny shouting “Coooeee” at the top of his 4-year-old voice. Bless ‘em, nearly everyone waved back. So, onward to the iconic Observatory Tower, which a prison governor built in 1820 - he claimed it was a watch tower to keep an eye on the prisoners, but the top floor housed nothing more than his own telescope. The governor was a very keen astrologist - can you imagine a similar misuse of public money these days! This small turret is the highest part of the castle and is reached up a very narrow spiral staircase of 67 steps, which is VERY hard going when you’re carrying a 4-year-old. It’s well worth the effort though, the 360 degree views are awe-inspiring. Back down the spiral staircase (nearly as tough on the way down) and we had a look around the Georgian prison. It’s a spooky old place! Looking into the cells still made me nervy, despite them being empty for donkeys years - in particular the condemned cell which leads out to the courtyard is eerie. The scariest bit of all for me is the chapel. At the time the authorities used the “Separate System” which meant that prisoners were not allowed to speak with each other. They were still allowed to hold their christian faith though, so a unique chapel was built, which comprised of rows and rows of individual booths, with shuttered doors, allowing each prisoner to see the preacher but not each other. This is the only part of Lincoln Castle I can remember from my childhood, and it’s a scary memory. Now I’m old though the fear has gone, a bit anyway! Back outside we made our way up another extremely steep stairway to Lucy Tower, which is the oldest part of the castle. There’s very little there now except rows of little gravestones, which mark where executed prisoners were buried. It’s actually a very bleak, lonely place with a slightly chilling feel to it, not very pleasant, and I was more than happy to make my way out again! We made a quick visit to the shop to obtain a Lincoln Castle magnet for our collection, then back to the car for more of the uber-picnic. We dropped in to see Nana & Grandad in Sleaford on our way back. My Dad is looking a LOT better, but my Mum looked very tired. She’s been in bed poorly for a few days, and yesterday was her first day up and about. Apparently Dad’s nurse told him, off the record, that he is “a tough old bugger”, I’ve never heard them use that particular medical term on Casualty! It was lovely to see how they enjoy seeing and speaking to Sam, who can blame them? It shows how different generations see things, my Mum & Dad were amazed I had to pay to go into Lincoln Castle, as it “should be free”, whereas I was chuffed that it was so cheap! So we sped home, nearly got wiped out by kids racing again, and we had a couple of hours of good fun playing before it was time to head back to mummy’s. Best memory of the day for me? “COOOOOOEEEEEEEEE!” To comment on, or report this post follow the permalink aboveDeer Outside Our Flats
Source: Eddie2sox You know it's going to be a good day when.... ....you sit down with your first cup of tea of the day and a muntjack deer wanders past the window. Lovely thing is nature! To comment on, or report this post follow the permalink abovePairs Racing, Action Man & Another Huge Picnic!
Source: Eddie2sox Up at six today as usual, and we've tried a new game! At the real banger racing they often start the programme with a "chained pairs" race, where cars are chained together in pairs. It's always funny to watch and the drivers seem to love it too. This morning we have finally produced our own version (see pic) with pairs of cars sellotaped together, Sam is delighted with the whole idea. Also, in the last week or so Sam has taken an interest in his inherited Action Man toys, so they are all watching the racing from various vantage points inside the castle.
Soon we're heading off to Sleaford to see Nana & Grandad, from there onward to Lincoln Castle. With another massive picnic in the coolbox waiting to be scoffed. Our last big picnic was at the start of the month so I think we've earned this one. It's only 4 weeks since we visited MacDonalds, so that is OFF the menu until at least next weekend. Today's picnic includes mini-sausages, sausage rolls, chicken drumsticks, crisps, ham rolls, and a nod towards a healthy diet with a large amount of red grapes.
Sam's chosen chicken nuggets for his tea, which are now defrosting in the fridge, because as usual we may well be in a rush by the time late afternoon comes around.
Beep Beep, Off We Go! To comment on, or report this post follow the permalink aboveEnglish Sport Freefall
Source: Eddie2sox Oh dearie, only a couple of weeks on and English sport is looking as bad as usual.... I had hopes that the cricketers would make the semi-finals of the 20/20 World Cup, but they were blown away by everyone they played in the Super Eights stage. Back to the drawing board (note to players, slog it like a baseball player).
The football team has lost it's goal-scoring lucky charm, again. Michael Owen has tweaked a toenail and will miss the next two Euro 2008 qualifiers. Heskey is injured too, so who will play up front? Rooney and Ashton, I bet the Russians are terrified.
English tennis "great" Tim Henman has gone out on a low, raising the issue of players taking bribes to throw matches. ""I personally have never experienced it but, listening to the players talking, it seems it goes on" he bleated, unconvincingly. Well, he's loaded and never won anything, so draw your own conclusions!
And finally, the rugby team. Apparently there has never been a worse team trying to defend a world title, in any sport. The reason being? The balls are too new at the start of the game, oh yes you read that right! Conveniently forgetting that both teams play with the same "too new" balls, and also forgetting that the idea is not to spend the whole game kicking it, but to chuck it to each other and plonk it - by hand - in the other team's "end zone". Their last game is a sudden death chance to make it to the next round against a team from Tonga, population 100,000. And what part of France are Edinburgh and Cardiff in? Doh!
Still wouldn't rather be anything but 100% English though.
Picture shows England superstar Jimmy Watkinson snapping another hamstring after 17 seconds on the pitch. To comment on, or report this post follow the permalink aboveJust A Quickie
Source: Eddie2sox Thursday = Good Spoke to my parents. Dad has had, according to his nurse, "a remarkable recovery". His liver is nearly how it was in August ajnd his kidneys are nearly normal for his age. Typically, mum is now in bed ill, with a stomach bug, sounding very ill. Gym was good today, didn't feel like dieing once! Gone for a great part-time job today. Fell asleep at tea-time so didn't speak to Sam, mistake. Sis, I love you xxxx To comment on, or report this post follow the permalink aboveMy Son Is Amazing!
Source: Eddie2sox I guess most parents say the same thing, but their little boys would have to be pretty damn good to match up to Sam.... A few things.
First of all he got his mummy to phone me when they were on the way to school, because he had found some conkers and he thought they might cheer his Grandad up next time we go to see him.
Second, again, today he told me he loved me "sixty five one hundred".
Third, he told Claudius off (see later), but because he's a very old cat he told him off in a whisper, then gave him a kiss to show there were no hard feelings.
So, what else has happened today? Up at 6, which is now happening every day as Claudius has set down his own ground rules and makes sure I am up to give him his breakfast when he demands it. Cleaned the pub, did the extra time from yesterday which allowed me to do a few extra bits and pieces. We've got a Phantom Bogey-Wiper who is sticking her snot regularly onto the toilet wall, YUK!
I was still feeling a bit iffy, and worried about heart problems, but I went to the gym anyway. Kill or cure I guess. It wasn't too bad, quite hard but maybe I've picked up a minor bug from somewhere? From the gym off to West Bilney to pick up two dining chairs I'd nabbed from Freecycle. The chair Sam used to use at the table is now too tall for him to get his legs under the table, so it had to go and had been replaced with two nice, comfy, "proper" chairs instead. We're getting a good routine going for midweek nights, and these chairs will make it much more comfortable to use the table, together.
Unfortunately, the chairs also led to Claudius' bollocking. I had cooked Sam's spaghetti bolognaise earlier in the afternoon to avoid "wasting time" doing it when Sam was actually here. I warmed it up in the microwave then left it on Sam's placemat to cool down a bit. Imagine my surprise when, after 5 minutes playtime, I went back to the kitchen and found the chuffing cat tucking into Sam's tea! The new chairs are just right for the cat burglar about town to reach the table, aaaaargh! I was livid, but kept my temper and placed the criminal on the floor, then went to explain that Sam would have to have emergency beans on toast instead of his beloved spag bol.
This news didn't go down well, and there was a hint of tears, until I told Sam why and made Claudius out to be a cheeky monkey who liked our new chairs as much as we did. I knew he wouldn't be starving anyway as he'd scoffed a HUGE bowl of grapes and a banana straight after nursery, while we watched Shaun The Sheep together. The beans on toast didn't last long either! Straight after tea Sam had his bath then we did some reading homework.
Yes homework, he's 4! Yesterday we were doing number recognition, reading together today. I don't remember homework when I was at primary school. Mind you, I don't really remember primary school either.
To comment on, or report this post follow the permalink above Good, Bad And Indifferent
Source: Eddie2sox What a strange day, started great, good bits in the middle, but generally RUBBISH! The sun soon disappeared this morning as did my good mood. I had to leave the cleaning 20 minutes early cos I had a right old attack of gastritis. So I'll have to do extra tomorrow, I don't like short-changing people. On the way to the pub I helped push a broken down car off the road, as it was rush-hour and Tennyson Avenue is bad enough at the best of times. It was binning it down with rain when I knocked on the car's window and asked the people if they wanted a push - woman driving, chav-bloke passenger. The bloke then proceeded to finish a text message he was sending before getting out - while I stood like an idiot in the middle of the road getting wetter by the second. We pushed the car but the woman didn't bother straightening it up, so it ended up sticking out into the road anyway, at about a 30 degree angle! I am claiming 1 1/2 Karma Points for that, 1 for helping and the half for not swearing at the texting chav. Every little helps.
So, I decided against the gym as I was by then feeling really unwell, and collapsed on the settee for a couple of hours until going to pick Sam up. First thing Sam said was "Daddy do you know how much I love you? Forty nine one". Which must be a big number to Sam! We had fun at home, Sam wolfed down a bowlful of grapes followed by potato wedges and home-made chicken nuggets. Bath was good, Froggy the wash-mit was in a VERY cheeky mood and kept soaking me, how naughty. Sad to take Sam back, can't be helped.
Since then I am still feeling decidedly poorly, tonight could well be a News 24 night as I am already scared about going to sleep in case I don't wake up again. Tomorrow must be better I'm hoping. More Sam-time, less feeling like I'm about to die would be good. You reading Karma? To comment on, or report this post follow the permalink aboveAs Bono Would Say.....
Source: Eddie2sox "It's a beadddifur daaaaaaay, diddly daddly, to be sure!" But then he's about to become a saint so maybe I shouldn't take the mickey in case he smites my unholy ass with a bolt of lightning or some such. Bejasus!
Anyhow, it is a bright sunny day in beautiful downtown King's Lynn, and it's going to be a good one. I am DETERMINED that it is going to be a good one.
Get the pub cleaning out the way, get the gym over and done with, take in a bit of this AMAZING new drama on TV.....ever heard of it? It's called something like "Murder She Wrote".....it's sooooooo radical, there's a WOMAN who works out whodunnit!
Best of all today though I'm picking Sam up from nursery, I have been missing him so much. He's going to get the biggest huggiest cuddle of his entire life. He's having "school photos" done today. Another milestone on the growing up path. Harvest Festival is soon too.
The pic is of Claudius showing his ass to the PM, he seems to think staring at me will make me give him his breakfast sooner. Wrong! To comment on, or report this post follow the permalink aboveReady Salted World Cup
Source: Eddie2sox After the success of the Salt & Vinegar World Cup, it's time to move on..... The S&V competition was a lot of fun, and Seabrooks crisps have been in touch with me about it (cheers chaps). Now it's the turn of good, solid Ready Salted.
Seabrook’s won the S&V competition, who will come up trumps this time? Collection of entrants has begun, and the initial list is as follows - 1. Tesco Finest Lightly Salted 2. Walkers Ready Salted 3. Kettle Chips Lightly Salted 4. Walkers Salt & Shake 5. Seabrooks Sea Salted 6. Tesco Ready Salted Potato Chips 7. Hula Hoops Original 8. Tesco Ready Salted Potato Rings 9. Pombear Teddy Shaped Potato Snacks 10. Morrisons Potato Triangles 11. Pringles Original 12. Walkers Ready Salted French Fries The number of each snack will be that snack’s number in draws throughout the competition. Rules Matches to be decided on the basis of comparing: 1 - Crispness (1 = soggy, 5 = perfect) 2 - Flavour (1 = almost flavourless, 5 = taste bud orgasm) 3 - Size of crisp (1 = shrapnel, 5 = whoppers!) 4 - Aroma (1 = no "bouquet", 5 = 100% olfactory confirmation of the flavour) 5 - Packaging (1 = looks completely wrong, 5 = perfect for this flavour) 6 - More-ish-ness (don't think that's a real word) (1 = don’t want any more, thanks, 5 = gimme the whole pack!) Each scored from 1 to 5 points, highest total score savoury potato/maize-based snack wins. To comment on, or report this post follow the permalink above Charge!
Source: Eddie2sox "Izzy wizzy, let's get busy", as Oscar Wilde once said.... Today I plan to be busy all day, starting in the next hour with a trip to the gym, then sorting the flat out. Tonight from 6 til 10 I've got a voluntary shift.
So, quiet, sober domesticity is the aim for the time being. If you think this makes me boring (or "pedestrian") please keep your opinions to yourself. You may enjoy a life full of people close to you dying, divorces, job losses, not seeing your children as much as you'd like, but I don't, and I want things to calm down a bit. I don't think that's a bad goal.
Changing the topic, me and Sam are about to go into the "build phase" of the cardboard Ferrari, which will be a lot of fun this coming Tuesday and Wednesday. Do you have any idea how tough it is to find a photo of the exhaust system of this year's Ferrari F1 car? We've ripped apart an old computer and the circuit boards will make up our on-board computer, some of the keys from the keyboard will help make up the steering wheel (they're flipping complicated too), and we are expecting a parcel from Fiat UK containing lots of goodies for the finished article (thanks Giulietta at Fiat). It's going to be a lorra lorra fun! To comment on, or report this post follow the permalink aboveBBC News 24
Source: Eddie2sox I can sometimes judge my mood by BBC News 24.... Going back to 1999 (yes it WAS going then) sometimes I just don't want to/am scared to go to sleep. And then I watch BBC News 24. Half hour stretches of various news topics.
I think it's to avoid sleeping, in case I don't wake up, but I'm not 100% sure. Life is strange at the moment, either very good or really pants, with no in between, and I'm trying to ride it out. I just want a boring life. A mundane routine sounds so appealling. To comment on, or report this post follow the permalink aboveSam's Fire Station
Source: Eddie2sox At last it arrived! Sam saved up for ages and eventually chose a Lego fire station, which then got lost in transit. Today it finally arrived, sparking a great deal of excitement. Today was also Sam's first day at school so it's been full-on excitement all day for the little lad, no wonder he is now zonked out in bed, snoring slightly.
Tomorrow we are going to see his Nana and Grandad in Sleaford. My Dad is really poorly at the moment, he has cancer and severe heart problems. Last November doctors told us our Dad might not see this Christmas, and it now might be true, I hope not. He did have something of a recovery for a while but he's now not eating again and is under 7 stone in weight. It must be terrifying for him and for my Mum too. So tomorrow we're heading up to see them, and I went to Tesco today to buy a selection of tempting food that will hopefully prove irresistible.
I am so full of huge emotions at the moment, and finding it tough to be them inside. Tonight I sat next to Sam's bed as he was falling asleep and started crying for no reason, and it's not the first time in the last couple of weeks. I guess I am pretty scared about losing Dad, worried about finances without a full time job, worried about the future in terms of ever owning my own property, fed up with myself for not caring about my own health enough. My friend's suicide was a big knock too, plus my friend's wife who died in a car crash, so many of the good people seem to be disappearing out of my life all the time. I think the only positive thing in my life is my amazing son.
So, back to the fire station. The alarm is set for 6 a.m. tomorrow, I predict the fire station will be in use before 6.01! I might even let Sam have a go. To comment on, or report this post follow the permalink aboveIngerland!
Source: Eddie2sox It's been a good few days for England in some of my favourite sports Football
Two 3-0 wins on the bounce means England have a chance of reaching the European Championship Finals next year. Although I don't think Steve McClaren is the best man for the job as manager, he's doing OK at last. It's still not certain that England will make Austria/Switzerland next year, but at least it's in the hands of our players now.
20/20 Cricket
England got off to a good start by comfortably beating Zimbabwe (who beat the Aussies earlier in the week). 20/20 is a really exciting form of cricket and will probably attract more spectators to the game in England. It's such a sprint of a format that it's easier for underdogs to topple the so-called big-boys, so anyone can win it.
Women's Football
The World Cup is happening in China at the moment and the English women have qualified, which is unusual. They drew their first game against Japan thanks to a "last-kick" equaliser from a Japanese free kick, and that will probably cost them dearly. Next match is against the almost invincible Germany, who beat Argentina 11-0 in their first game, yikes!
Air Guitar
Yes Way! An English dude by the name of Colin has walked off with the World Air Guitar Title, windmilling his way through a Thin Lizzy song last weekend. You see, England still rule here and there! To comment on, or report this post follow the permalink aboveA Bit Confused....So What's New?
Source: Eddie2sox The way life works is really peculiar sometimes, if anyone can tell me why it's good to be rude then send me an email.... I had a really nice day yesterday, despite getting up at five a.m. Unfortunately a few small niggles put a bit of a downer on proceedings, but overall it was pretty good.
Cleaned the pub then picked Sam up at quarter to eight. FIRST NIGGLE. Sam's mummy yelled "come and give me a kiss", Sam ran off, then back to the car and we came home. Next minute a text message reading "Cheers for just going, and not letting me say goodbye to Sam, or wave, or anything. Great start to mine and Sam's day." I was, and still am, confused! I assume that when Sam ran back to her they had a hug and kiss goodbye, and I definitely don't remember taping her arms to her side so she couldn't wave when we drove past. Must be my bad memory.
We had a really fun morning playing, then popped into town for a drink and a snack - Sam chose a gingerbread man, just like I used to when I was that age. He also chose water for his drink, so I guess my "water not juice" crusade is working. We got to nursery in time for dinner and they let us in, nearly first ring, hoorah! Bit worried when I overheard Sam tell one of his knights "My mummy and Richard smack my bum", not sure whether to bring the subject up with his mum.
Straight from nursery to the gym where I did my programme again while watching Bangladesh stuff the Windies and England bat against Zimbabwe at the 20/20 World Cup.
Then home to housework and a few beers in the evening.
NIGGLE TWO - Anyone who doesn't know, I have had big problems with alcohol in the past and am very pleased to be winning my battle against it, thank you.
NIGGLE THREE - Sam's mummy put a picture of Sam as her photo on the Facebook website. I sent a message asking if she had really thought about that. She sent a very rude message (two actually) back. I am really thinking there must be problems for her at the moment that she's taking out on me. Ho hum.
Today is Sam's sleepover day, which will be fun as it is also his first day at school. He looked very grown-up in his school uniform this morning, and yes I did have a few tears as I walked home. I'll email you a picture if you want to see my handsome little schoolboy! To comment on, or report this post follow the permalink aboveNer Ner Ner Ner Ner!
Source: Eddie2sox Someone's trying to upset me and wind me up for some reason......well guess what mate? You've failed miserably!
One day I returned Sam, along with his new school shoes, and was asked "Who fitted them?" Now, not knowing the name of the camp bloke in the shoe shop I replied "Errrm.....a passing fireman". At which point Person lost their temper. Well, look Person, next year try not to leave it to the last minute (and AFTER YOU start back at work) to buy Sam's school shoes. And use the maintenance payments to buy them with, that's what they're for, NOT to pay your Sky TV subscription. And dear, try not to lose your rag when someone does you a favour, or you'll soon find that the favours will dry up!
Second day I pick Sam up at quarter past three, hot sunny day, and forecast for more of the same next day. So I left Sam's BIIIG coat at nursery, he won't be needing it. On return, Someone throws a wobbly "His coat HAS to come home every day, some days it's not warm when he goes to nursery!" No **** Sherlock, that's obvious, but TOMORROW I am collecting Sam in the car, and by the time you take him to nursery on Friday YOU can have picked up the coat. It's not difficult to look up the weather forecast, and although you have trouble planning your life even five minutes ahead, some of us don't!
So, why on earth is this person losing it all the time? Maybe there are work or domestic problems, but even so, Sam needs to find a smiling and welcoming parent when he returns there, not a snarly, angry, short-tempered one.
Trying to get to me? Guess what mate, you're failing miserably!
I'm sober and coping and up at five for my little boy's sake! To comment on, or report this post follow the permalink aboveTuesday - Sam's First School Shoes
Source: Eddie2sox Another milestone passed, now my little boy has sensible shoes for school, eek! Tuesday started as usual cleaning the pub, with another coat of "Mop & Shine" on the wood floors, looking nice now after a little neglect during my absence. Hey, I AM the UK's Champion Pub Cleaner you know (self-acclaimed). The Good Food Guide said "Your loos are immaculate, it was a pleasure piddling in them!" So from the pub to the kitchen where I cooked the rice for me and Sam's chicken curry tea, and then got stuck into a whole load of housework.
I also got round to making a couple of phone calls I've been putting off for a while, both with excellent results! The Seabrook's Crisps email WAS genuine (yay), and Lego, Denmark will send Sam a replacement fire station after the one they shipped a while ago went missing.
After collecting Sam from nursery we headed straight back to town to track down some school shoes, his feet were measured in Clark's (size 9H) but they didn't have anything suitable in the right size. Eventually we found a pair that will do the job, I just wonder how long they will actually fit him? On to Costa Coffee as promised on Monday, but I only let Sam have one mini-muffin before his tea, what an evil Daddy I am. We painted some "wheels and exhausts" for the cardboard Ferrari (see pic), so at last the project is back on the rails! The chicken curry was a huge success again, despite being one part chicken, five parts vegetables, must be the healthiest curry around. Sam was very sad when it was time to leave, saying he'd miss Claudius, but he gave him a nice cuddle and I told him Claudius will still be here tomorrow - that seemed to perk him up a bit (not a lot) and off we went.
I had a nice evening cooking a HUGE batch of Hidden Veg pasta sauce, which Sam loves and is very healthy. Health by stealth again! Don't tell him about all the veg in his food OK! So now there are another 8 freezer bags in the freezer, should keep us going for a month or two! To comment on, or report this post follow the permalink aboveMonday - I Must Be Cooking Crazy!
Source: Eddie2sox It's been a couple of good days at 2-Sox Towers! This week I am lucky to be seeing Sam every day, which is a recipe for a happy Daddy! On Monday morning I picked him up at quarter to eight and we had a lot of fun with the ongoing knights (plus random allies) against pirates & monsters game. We also took a trip into town to:
1. Register Claudius at Millhouse vet practice. 2. Post a competition prize to somebody in Leeds. 3. Attempt to order replacement parts for Sam's car-seat, as we will be removing the harness now he's getting older. 4. Buy Sam school shoes - he starts on Friday. 5. Chill out at Costa Coffee and share some of their mini-muffins, yum!
Unfortunately the queue at the post office was out of the door which delayed us so much that we had to scrap the shoes and muffins, much to Sam's indignation. These days the post office always seems to be having this kind of problem, surely the staff haven't been directed to let things slide so that people will be happier when their postal services are provided from a small corner of WH Smith? Nah........impossible! Or is it? Anyhow, we legged it home (via The Walks, where Sam was excited to see that the new play equipment is being installed - see pic) and managed to get Sam to nursery in time for his dinner.
In the afternoon I returned to town in search of school shoes but couldn't remember if he was size 9G or 9H, and thus returned shoeless - BUT with the ingredients for chicken curry. Zoomed off for a family visit then zoomed back again - if zooming is what you do on the A17. The evening was spent stripping Sunday's leftover roast chicken and cooking up Sam's current fave chicken curry. To comment on, or report this post follow the permalink aboveOwls, Eagles, And A Foxy Chick!
Source: Eddie2sox With the foxy chick being Caroline Flack, presenter on Saturday morning show TMI..... Friday
Friday was a crazy busy day! Starting off with cleaning The Woolie, and then into town, to pay the loose change into the bank. Every three months I count up all those loose coins you collect and take it to the bank - this time it came to £47, how welcome is that! Next it was onto a voluntary shift from 1000 to 1400. And it was a busy shift too! When I wasn’t on the phone or replying to email, I was collating the statistics for the last month - just another little job of mine! Straight home for a cuppa then away again to collect Sam from nursery. We had a really excellent Friday evening together! Sam had the spaghetti bol with a million hidden vegetables, and loved it as usual. In the “playtime” world, the pirates are still teamed up with the bad guys, and made a very big attack on the knights’ castle. Fortunately the knights, together with honorary knights JJ from Bob The Builder, Robin from Batman, Doot De Doo (see older blogs), Surfer Chicken and Red Power Ranger (who ALWAYS injures himself when he tries to do kung fu), managed to see them off AND grabbed their pirate cannon too. Some of the baddies were thrown in the dungeon but escaped and legged it in a stolen dumper truck - fortunately caught seconds later by a Lego policeman in a “police sports car” as built by Sam.
Saturday Morning
Boing! Out of bed at 6 on the dot! Headline news today - TMI is back! Fantastico, we LOVE this programme. Sam loves Mark, and Sam, and Caroline, and Daddy LOVES Caroline! Sam understands that to be because Caroline is funny and clever. Which is true, but she is also 100% brum brum drop dead gorgeous! If any woman could persuade me to let them share my flat, this is the one! As usual Caroline was funny and cute this morning, DING DONG! Then we headed off to Stowbridge to pick up our rescue cat mate Claudius (see prev blog). Traffic was chronic so we were a little bit late setting off for….
Saturday Afternoon
….Long Sutton Butterfly Park. As recommended to us, this place was a delight. Yes it’s kinda low-key, yes it’s small, but it is a really lovely place for a visit. It cost us a tenner to get in, but that turned out to be OK…..first of all we headed straight for the tropical house, which was VERY warm, and full of absolutely beautiful butterflies, which flap and flutter around your head. There are also some tiny birds living in there, and some lovely little white birds, can’t remember what they are but still very pretty. There are a few little paths inside this area, which wind between warm pools containing goldfish, terrapins etc, and interspersed here and there are display tanks with more exotic but potentially dangerous animals in, like crocodiles and snakes! The insect room in here is cool, with tarantulas topping the bill along with giant snails, giant cockroaches, and all manner of scary looking creatures that you would usually see on I’m A Celebrity! The Ant Room was fascinating! There is a big glass box in the centre of the room which is full of earth and is the ants’ nest…..in the corner is a tray containing tropical leaves. And these two things are connected by two ropes which wind upwards and around the ceiling. The ants make their way along the ropes, cut off a section of leaf, then carry it back along the rope to the nest, absolutely intriguing to watch. We indulged in our traditional game of crazy golf (the only criticism, the course could be cleared of leaves and twigs a little more often), then Sam had a wild time running round the adventure playground with other kids before having a go on the motorised tractors. From there we picked up some ice cream and headed to get a seat for the birds of prey display. Amazingly, once again (for the second week running) we saw “wild” birds flying and walking among the audience. I’ve never seen that before, so to find two places on the bounce was brilliant. At the butterfly park they “flew” their Bald Eagle, two barn owls, a kestrel and a falcon, wonderful stuff! Sam was knackered by now, as we both had a bad night’s sleep, so we took a quick stroll round the outdoor animals - water buffalo, racoons, ponies, sheep, llamas, all lovely. The water buffalo looked a bit wild-eyed though. Then homeward bound, Sam had turkey meatloaf for tea, and then back to mummy’s. It was a very sad return this week, because Sam really didn’t want to leave Claudius, and was crying and saying “I’ll miss Claudius, I’ll miss you Daddy, I’ll miss my toys”, and I had a tear in the eye too because I hate seeing my little boy upset. All in all a very busy two days, but pretty damn good too.
The pic is of a barn owl having a rest on the bench in front of us. To comment on, or report this post follow the permalink aboveClaudius 2-Sox
Source: Eddie2sox The newest member of Team 2-Sox is making himself at home quite nicely! Yesterday Sam and me waded through the crazy King's Lynn traffic to go and collect our new mate, rescue cat Claudius. Claudius is a 16 year old fella, so I decided he deserved a few nice years at the end of his time - this cat was born before even my first marriage!
Sam adores him already, but it's costing a small fortune, not that I mind really. He'll be a welcome addition to the 2-Sox team. It will be nice for Sam to have a pet here as well as at his mummy's, and it'll be nice for me to have some company, albeit a cat! - because it can sometimes be a lonely old life on your own.
So, Claudius spent yesterday getting used to the place. He has to have special "giffer" cat food and biscuits, and medicine to help his arthritis! We can't let him go outside at all for 3 weeks at least, so he's been sitting on the wide window sills looking and sniffing longingly at the outside world.
Last night the cheeky git evicted me from "my" spot on the settee.....I was watching football and he didn't have enough room - next thing I realise I am sitting wholely on the middle cushion while Mr C is sprawled in my usual spot. And this morning I found out that he really is a "bloke" cat - he took his Sunday dump (you know the one chaps) and WOOOOOOOOOOOWEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE stunk the place out!
So. This is Claudius! To comment on, or report this post follow the permalink aboveNo Title Really
Source: Eddie2sox Not really got a "snippet" either Just logging in to download some stuff out of my head and into text.
Thinking about my mate's suicide, I feel angry, sad, and confused. I'm angry that she killed herself (selfish blonde cow!!! lol), and also angry I didn't do more before she died, like emailling, texting etc. Obviously sad because I will never see a friend, ever, again. Confused about why it happened, and will never know, there were no letters or notes, so it's a mystery. I really wish I had kept in touch more, admittedly it was emails and texts usually, but even that dried up in the last few months. Seems that during that time she was going through a personal hell, and I didn't know, or even try to find out.
What I have realised is that friends, no matter how tenuous, are worth keeping. So from today, I will be emailling a mate every day, just to say hello, how are you.
Lots of strong emotions, but the biggest one being regret that a lovely young lady is not with us any more. That is sad.
Otherwise, feeling positive. The gym went well today. Had a fantastic conversation with Sam tonight before his bedtime. I have friends, and a caring family.
Although I usually think my life is rubbish, I suddenly see - again - that it is "a life". I'm lucky to have it, and so are you, if you're reading. What a privilege we have. Here to enjoy it for 70/80 odd years. Which brings me back to the subject.
"Carpe diem" I used to say to L, when she was moaning about her love life. "Should I ask him out?" etc. "Should I go for cleavage or bum?". If you like him, just say so, I'd say. She ALWAYS asked what "carpe diem" meant, every time.
Love ya L. Look after your family if you can, wherever you may be. To comment on, or report this post follow the permalink aboveGym'll Fix It!
Source: Eddie2sox Yesterday was a strange day with huge emotional extremes.... The gym was fun, not to strenuous to start off with, and the delightful young lady carrying out the induction was....well, delightful. Back today for a "shadow" visit, where I am left to my own devices to see if I can use all the equipment safely before being let loose on my own.
The morning was spent cooking sesame chicken fingers and plaice goujons for Sam, they look like junk but are very healthy. Certainly Sam wolfed down some of each for his tea, and now there are lots of them in the freezer ready for another day. The afternoon with Sam was a lot of fun. We started off by watching Shaun The Sheep and then carried on re-arranging his bedroom. I have moved the last of my stuff out of there now meaning there is enough room for all of Sam's toys from the living room. We've moved his bed too, which Sam finds very exciting in itself.
All that remains is for the person who claimed our chest freezer on Freecycle to come and pick the chuffing thing up, then Sam's room will be a 4-year-olds paradise.
On another website we started a memorial page for Jane Tomlinson, collecting (we hoped) a couple of pounds for her charity "Jane's Appeal". In the first day it collected £44.87, including gift aid, fantastic.
All this good stuff was overshadowed by finding out that a friend had died by suicide. Whatever pushed her to such desperate measures must have been terrifying, but at least she's not suffering any more. It left me feeling sad, frustrated and angry that neither I nor anyone else helped her.
Anyone want to make unfunny comments about suicide? |
