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Rollercoaster Few Days....

Blog: Norfolk Single Dad
Posted by: Eddie2sox Sunday 1st April 2007, 9:52am
Last edited 01/04/2007 9:52am by Eddie2sox

It's been a weird few days for me in more than one way. Been right at the bottom of a trough, and also right on top of a wave.....

This all started on Thursday really, when I went to do my voluntary nightshift from 10 til 2 a.m. We were really busy but with no calls too heavy, and we had a really good chat in the few brief quiet moments too....as described in the previous entry one caller stuck with me afterwards. I certainly couldn't get to sleep. I remember hearing the start of KLFM's breakfast show at 6 in the morning so I must have nodded off soon after that. Only to be wide awake again at half past eight, argh! No way could I get back to sleep again and eventually gave up at 11.

I had to venture into town. After missing out on the 25 hours a week admin job it's time to get back seriously into job-hunting. So out thorugh the park and into town, beautiful sunny day, and into the paper shop for the Lynn News. I also finally went to pick up the prescriptions given to me by the doc on Monday, but there was a 30 minute wait - never mind, Costa Coffee here we come! Drinking that coffee and putting circles round jobs in the paper, I took stock of where my life is, and it was not a very comfortable process. My RAF pension was paid into my bank that morning, but even after that I was still well overdrawn. Only have one job - 7 hours cleaning a week. Pretty reckless attitude to my health too at the moment, slowly undoing all the good work I did last year. In the "Pros" column? Well, I am lucky enough to be the dad of the most fantastic little boy on earth (BIG Pro), plus it is only two months until the interviews for mental health nursing training (it's seemed to take ages since I applied in October).

Back to Boots for my drugs. One set of pills for high blood pressure (been going on since the split from Sarah), new ones to repress the desire to drink alcohol. I asked the doc for this, as I've been starting to drink way too much on the days that I don't see Sam, and I don't want to. It's not the particular drug that makes you throw up, it's just the lowest level helping hand to boost my own willpower. Pretty shameful that I don't have the balls to do it all myself.

On the way home I bought the chips for Sam's tea from Bitson's chippy, then went to pick Sam up from nursery. It was a lovely evening still, so we went to the park with Sam on his bike. He's loving his bike more and more these days, and getting better at riding it too. We took some old bread to feed the ducks (who are all behaving VERY strangely at the moment, see next paragraph) and some skittles to make a slalom course on the path for Sam to ride through. He only fell off once too! Back home it was chip butty for Sam's tea, then soaking wet bathtime for everyone, then bed. We had a lovely bedtime, lots of hugs, and Sam eventually fell asleep mid-sentence telling me about nursery. Love him. He woke himself up at half ten having a bad dream, but this is time to get him up for a wee anyway, so we went to the toilet then I cuddled him on the settee until he was properly asleep and quiet again.

Anyway, as an aside - ducks! More to the point, why are they behaving so bizarrely right now. I'm guessing it must be the season for mummy ducks and daddy ducks to make baby ducks? Me and Sam have encountered ducks in a variety of unusual places, which Sam finds absolutely hilarious - sitting in the middle of the gardens near St Johns church, waddling along the cyclepath near the level crossing, in the old tennis courts, even walking around right outside our flats, they're everywhere right now.

But back to the weekend. Saturday morning, and Sam didn't appear in my bed until quarter past six! A great morning's play was highlighted by a brief trip into town - Sam had £8 to pay into his bank (grand total now £16), in his quest to save for his next big Lego set (he's decided on a Lego fire station, costing £40!!!). Cash paid in we decided to be really naughty and had a doughnut from the van near the bookies (100% unhealthy but 100% delicious too) before walking down to browse in the "clown toy shop" (I think the real name is Kids' World). We'd agreed that we'd just look at Lego, because we were saving up, and Sam was, maybe a little surprisingly, more than content with that. Unfortunately just as we reached the toy shop Sam had a desperate urge for a wee, so we had to high-tail it to the bus station loos, before returning (this time through a "secret passage", i.e. the dark Sainsburys car park), to finally run the rule over the shelves. And are we glad we did! We found the exact fire station that Sam wants, priced at £38 - so, that's £2 cheaper than online, plus we will be saving about £6 packing and posting, brilliant! Seeing this set "in the flesh" really fired Sam's enthusiasm for the whole saving up idea again, winner!

We got home, got ready, then set off for Nana and Grandad's house for Sam to show them his bike again. Sam loves going up there, and my parents really like seeing Sam too, I want Sam to spend as much time with this set of grandparents as he can. It would be nice if he has some memories of them of his own without having to look at photos. We had a really good visit! Auntie Kay and Sam's cousin Emma turned up as well, so we went into the back yard with Nana to throw the ball for her dog (Didi) to chase and bring back (photo is Sam's Nana with Didi). Sam loves the big garden, and naturally Didi loves having a new playmate to go down said garden with! The three of us "scared" Nana, Auntie Kay and Emma when we crept round a side path, sneaked though the neighbour's back yard (naughty, SSSSSHHHHHHHHH!) then jumped into the yard, BOOOOOOOOOOO! Well, Didi actually crawled on her belly into the yard and didn't shout Boo, but you get the picture. My Dad is looking quite a lot healthier since he's been at home, which is a very nice thing to see. Also, their kitchen is now finished, all the local family have updated it with new units, carpet, fridge/freezer and washing machine etc, and it looks great. Actually took some pictures of it because Dad wants to send some to his sister Hazel in Canada.

All too soon it was time to head off back down the A17 again, aiming to hit King's Lynn just before 5 when You've Been Framed started. For once we timed it to perfection (first time ever I believe) and got home with five minutes to spare. I settled Sam down to watch his favourite programme while I prepared his tea - this time he had Cottage Pie Island in the Baked Bean Sea. Not as unhealthy as it sounds, the pie was the Annabel Karmel healthy version, and the beans were of the low-fat, low-salt variety. Sam loved it - mind you, he's been eating like a horse all day. We set up a quick banger race then watched Harry Hill's TV Burp. Now, I'm not sure whether many 3-year-olds find this programme funny, but Sam was absolutely wetting himself. Maybe I'm doing something right after all.

Time for Sam to go back to mummy's. Went OK. We woke Sarah up apparently, very rare for her. Then it was time to drive home on me own, which is usually the cue to stock up with beer and drown my sorrows. Last night I didn't. I bought orange juice instead, and stayed in watching dodgy Saturday night TV (loved The Culture Show though, especially Andy Goldsworthy "inviting" a critic to help him make his huge cow pooh mural), and eventually went to bed at half past ten. ROCK AND ROLL!

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