Friday 31 July - Newsmap.jr, Stanford cs193p Free Apps Course

Thursday 30 July - Harry Potter, Stanford University, Karel the Robot

Han and I never got to see Harry Potter together today, unfortunately it rained cats and dogs all day long and it was far too wet for us to walk there. By the time we would have got there we'd have been utterly soaked and in no fit state to enjoy it. Deb took her when she came home while I went to bed for a few hours kip before work. Don't know if I'll get to see this one at the cinema. It'll be a shame if I don't as while we have all the films to date on DVD we have seen all of them on the big screen.

At work I was reading an article on the BBC website about the explosion in mobile applications that's happened as a result of the iPhone and the iTunes app store. It was mentioned the Stanford University, yes that Stanford, the Ivy League Stanford, was offering a free on line course on apps design. This course wasn't directly linked too but I eventually traced the free courses on offer. One is the Stanford introductory course on computer programming and is an incredible free resource. I'm determined to follow this up; tonight I read the preparatory material and the first two lectures and the manual on programming Karel the Robot. Must make and effort to stay on this, this course costs those attending Stanford 000's of dollars in fees.

Here are the links:
Stanford Engineering offers classes online, free of charge Stanford StoryBank
CS106A Programming Methodology
ProgrammingMethodology-Lecture01.pdf
Karel the Robot - Home Page
Karel the Robot lLearns Java.pdf
Karel the Robot - Google Search
Stanford School of Engineering - Stanford Engineering Everywhere
The Art and Science of Java an Introduction to Computer Science
The Java™ Tutorials

Wednesday 29 July - I'm an insomniac, Harry Potter

It's 01.18 and I'm typing this blog entry, nuff said. I the morning Han and I are going to see the new Harry Potter film. Tell you all about it later.

Tuesday 28 July - Watchmen DVD

I finished watching "Watchmen" The DVD, which was, I thought, superb; whether someone who hadn't read the graphic novel (posh comic) would agree is another matter. I knew the story so I had no difficulty following a plot that others might find baffling. Once again, Han spent most of the day playing with her new friends from number 36. Didn't really manage to do much else because, yet again, the weather was topsy turvy.
Here are a few stills and a vid for those who haven't seen the film.


Mr Manhatten



Rorschach



Silk Spectre



Silk Spectre and Night Owl



The Comedian



Ozymandias

Sunday 26 July - Town, Warhammer, Apple, Wetherspoons, Beaumanor Hall

Off to town this AM. Nats going to the GamesWorkshop on Silver Street to play Warhammer 40,000, Deb and Han are going to the Castle Museum. After dropping Nat off I went for a lust around the new Apple Store in the Highcross Centre then for a couple (3) pints in Whetherspoons. I really should wear a condom when I play with an iPhone, iPod Touch or Mac, the stains are so embarrassing. Luckily all the other Apple Fan Boys are suffering from the same problem; so we all just look at the floor, shuffle out and try to avoid eye contact. As you will see, from the photo, we exited as one and left the place as empty as a ghost town; I must stop cumming here week after week.

Whetherspoons was nice, quite cheap and filled with the elderly, I felt right at home. Joking aside, it's nice to sit in a pub with a book knowing you're not gonna get bottled by some pissed up arsehole; I'll never go to another Women's Institute wine tasting so long as I live!

Picked Nat up at 1:30 and walked to meet Deb and Han at the car which was parked on Highcross Street.

After lunch we drove Nat to Beaumanor Hall for his weeks YHA Do it 4 Real outward bound course. Met Brandon, from rugby, in the car park with his parents so we left them both with the camp counsellors and drove home. Below is a video of the kind of things they would be doing there.
When he got home Nat told us that, among other things***, he'd completed the John Muir Award

***
From Action Adventure to Urban Vibe there’s sure to be something for you…

Try quad biking, rock climbing, freestyle dance, surfing, kayaking, paint balling, windsurfing, raft building, DJ skills, archery, high ropes…

...take a deep breath, there’s more!

…gorge scrambling, caving, music and video production, sailing, mountain biking, acting, aerial zip wire, abseiling, costume design, talent shows, canoeing - the list is endless.

.....................................................................................

NATS REPORT - DOING IT 4 REAL

Sunday

In cabin 2 , took bottom bunk with Brandon in top - 18 boys in cabin - terry from Newcastle, Callum from London, Nathan the Gordie and Sam

Had our t shirts, rucksacks and sleeping bags

Played football - 6pm tea - had left over wedding food puddings
7pm coach arrived with rest of people - it had broken down on way there

lights out at 10pm after hot choc

Monday

Breakfast toast & cereal

Me brandon, terry, callum, william, chris, chloe, and bella in group our team leaders were Chris and Louise.

Went off into wood for cliff climbing after lunch we did absailing

In freetime I did the John Muir award work Brandon played sports

after tea we played capture the flag

Tues

Kiaking all day - for tea had burger, chips garlic chicken

in free time did john muir award

Weds

After bfast did high ropes - leap of faith, jacobs ladder after lnch was raining so did team games after tea played hide and seek in tehe cellars
and had a quizz - I was manacure man

THURS

in morning did archery after lunch did high ropes again, and zip wire, ariel assult course

after tea there was a disco

Fri
after breakfast packed and waited to be collected
.....................................................................................

Friday 24 July - Leg pain, last day, bad mood, Nat No. 2 in World atRetardo game.

My left leg is begining to become almost permanently painful and my mood reflects this. I'm incredibly short tempered because I'm always tied. I can't sleep, even with a pillow between my kness, because my left knee feels as if someone has injected acid into it. I constantly burns. Added to this, when I walk I get random sereing pain in my upper thight which I'm constantly anticipating. This can only get worse, each day I understand, a little better, why people with chronic pain commit suicide. Role on surgery!

On a happerier note, Nat now ranks number 2 in the world on the retardo game site. He's one very special retard that boy!

Thursday 23 July - He's Gone.

The arrogant T**t has gone, did a runner hurray, obviously realised he would be kicked out so jumped b4 he was pushed. I wouldn't normally get worked up over a silly reality TV prog like Big Brother but that guy was one twisted F***!

Thursday 23 July - More Stuff

Can't remember much about today, remember jot aide memoirs in future, kids on holiday me tied me work no sleep what's a memory?

Wednesday 22 July - Sundry Stuff

Home for 8:00 and watched highlights of Big Brother, Christ that Chinese guy, Kenny, is a total f***ing c***. I sincerely hope that some day some nastier piece of work blows his head off. He is one of the seriously most obnoxious people I've ever have the misfortune to see on TV, arrogant twat!
Aside form that tried to get to bed reasonably early as I was shattered last night, it?s hard to get enough sleep when the kids are on holiday. Nat stayed upstairs on his PC whilst Han spent the day downstairs painting and gluing, Shantelle's away today. Up for 6:00, just in time to say bye bye to Nat who was off to Scouts; to participate in a bit of archery. I pity those who stand behind him!
Off to work for 8:00, told Han she couldn't come in with me because she was wearing her pyjamas.
Redrafted and updated the distributors list and emailed to the team. Nuff said!

Tuesday 21 July - Han with Friend, Me and Nat, Lock Stock.., Han Dinner Again

Not much today, Han spent her time with the little girl who's moved in to No. 36 and nat and I watched Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels. I've only seen it once before a very long time ago so it was like a new film to me. Not quite as good as Snatch but good all the same.

Monday 20 July

Changed my hospital appointment date, this Wednesday isn't going to be feasible. New date 19 August 2.30.
We walked Monty today and he met Coco, a chocolate Labrador, who could dribble for England. It was love at first sight!

Kick boxing and cubs tonight, I finally got my hair cut they way it now needs to be whilst nat was at kick boxing. A Number 2 all over; hello baldy!
Han played out with Shantelle, he new neighbours daughter, when she came home from cubs and they ended up on the trampoline, in the back garden, while Deb, Nat and I watched a giraffe being sliced and diced..Amazing!

Sunday 19 July - Town, Games Shop. Apple Store, iPhone, Witherspoons

Went to town today, Han was unwell yesterday, so that Nat could go to the Warhammer games shop, Deb and Han could go to the museum and I could check out the new iPhone and have a couple of pints at Witherspoon's. So we did and we did. Nat loved the games store, I want an iPhone my god apple know how to make stuff you just want, Deb and Han enjoyed the museum and I had thre pints at amazingly low prices.

Thursday 16 July - Snatch

Nat and I watched Snatch this AM before han woke up.

Wed 15 July

Not alot, knacked got the kids home on holiday and I'm on nights Mon- Thurs this week. Did EA last night. D leant me a VHS of Snatch and Lock Stock.

Tuesady 14 July - Broken Promises, Working at Home and Dy-R Office Closure

7.30 AM, I finished work and I was completely knackered; for the first time, in five years of working nights, I almost fell asleep. Got home full of good intentions, walk the dog, cycle to Brockington.

Whoops, the kids were up late and now they’re both asleep and dead to the world. By the time both were up and fed and watered it was passed 9:00 and I was almost passing out on my feet.

Fell asleep on the sofa and was awakened by Han throwing a letter onto my face at approx 11:00. Made for the bedroom but interrupted by call from Donna asking if Deb had any rubbish that needed to go to the tip. We could have had 18 skips in the hall and I wouldn’t have been cognizant of their existence so I said “thanks but no thanks” and went to bed. No mp3’s or other distractions. Door closed, children bound and gagged, dead to the world; slept the sleep of the dead and woke only for two unavoidable pee breaks, how hard can it be to insert a catheter?

I woke at 6:00, more dinner from allotment, but I can’t remember what, it’s now 03:17am and dinner seems a long time ago.

Got to work for 8:00 pm and quietly logged on and got set up, we had a meeting at 10:00, did we want to participate in a home work project? I wouldn’t mind but I think there might be a few logistically problems, the downstairs PC runs Linux and is situated in the main room. This eliminates it as a possible work station. Could use Nat's PC in his bedroom but this runs Vista (work uses XP) and there is no phone line in his bedroom. We’ll have to see what develops.

Dyno-R are closing, their office, the call centre not the franchises; will we be taking their calls this winter? With the potential problems facing our own new emergency system this could be a move to far. I’m beginning to hope that’ll I’ll be in hospital having my hip done when all this kicks off if it’s turns out to be as bad as I think it might be!

Another really sleepy night, I really don’t understand why I’m so tired, I had to fight hard, between 01:30-03:00, to avoid nodding off; seem to have got my second wind now, perhaps writing this Blog isn’t a complete waste of time after all!

Only 45 minutes until lunch and then only 2 Hours 45 minutes until I’m done for another night. Christ I hate clock watching!

Monday 13 July - Walk Dog, Ride to Brockington, Borders

Early start today, I'm up for 8:30 and the kids for 9:00. Washed dressed time for Jeremy Kyle and our daily don't become a CHAV inoculation. No surprises, the usual shower of asocial morons; this time - "IS MY BROTHER THE FATHER OF MY GIRLFRIENDS BABY?" who gives a f***, either way the poor little sod's doomed to grow up to be just like you, a unpaid-up member of what some have termed the evil poor:

Night Jack* describes them thus....

The respectable working class according to Night Jack are defined by ‘lots of neat gardens, washing hung out to dry, hardly a piece of litter, happy laughing kids playing out, people washing their cars’.

The ‘evil poor’ on the other hand are:

"Kappa clad, drugged up, workshy, wasters swaggering through the town centre streets with a can of lager in the one hand and a bull mastiff on a string in the other. They aren’t out looking for a job or a chance in life let alone a wash. They just want to get high, shag your 14 year old daughter until she is pregnant and nick your stuff. They are just looking to do you over, nick your stuff, sell you stolen stuff and drugs, take the next drugs and collect the next dole. The attendant girls aren’t much better (Yes, if she couldn't sing, Amy Winehouse would be one of them, even with all her money she still manages to give the impression that she's a total chav.), shrieking complicit harpies who will all end up looking grey and faded round the edges, kicking dirty nappies out of the way to feed the dog in the kitchen of their two bedroom basic box flat on the grim estate where everything has been broken if it can’t be stolen. Sorry if that’s a bit bleak but it’s a lot true."

Anyway, I digress, JK over with and another salutatory lesson learned about associating with the hard of thinking we embarked upon the days adventures:

First, a long walk for Monty with the kids running around the field, with him, quickly enough to meet me before I finish crossing the field. Hannah managed while Nat kept stopping to take photos with his N73, he plans to enter these into a wildlife photography competition on BBC 1's Country File programme.

Home, drink get the bikes, we're off to Brockington, Nat's new school, to see how long it takes to cycle there. Took about 30 minutes to get there slightly less to come home, there's a gentle upward incline on the way there.

Stopped at Borders for an hour on the way home. When we got home I made the kids toasted sandwiches using the new toasting bags, which worked OK, while I had a cheese and onion sandwich made with slices of one of our allotment onions....Jesus it was hot!

Tried to get some rest before work; no luck so now it's 02:04 am and I'm struggling to stay awake!

* a police detective who recently won the Orwell prize for blogging, a blog that is no longer on line since a Times journalist outed him, revealing his identity to the public and his employers. His local Police authority forced him to remove it. Shame on you The Times.

Sunday 12 July - Miserable Bastard - Part the Second

As per day before without ref to Torchwood.

Went to bed at 7PM slept through until 8:30AM

Felt better, whcih was good cos we had a long walk followed by a long cycle ride ahead of us!

Sat 11 July - Miserable Bastard - Part the First

Better to draw a veil over this weekend, I was in a foul mood and spoiling for a fight, which Deb dully gave me. Woke up with my legs hurting, toothache and a blistering headache that just wouldn't go away. I was the bear with a sore head, went to bed early to try and sleep it off. Forgot to mention, Monday to Friday was the last series of Torchwood
Torchwood:Children of Earth; it was bloody brilliant. Nothing like going out on a high note, bye Capt Jack, we'll miss you!

Friday 10 July - Good Bye Millfield

Rather a sad day, end of another year and Nat's last day at Millfield. It's hard to believe that he's been going there for eight years all told (Millfield has a very good nursery which he attended before entering the school proper). He's looking forward to his new school but I think he'll miss this one; after all he took the time to get his shirt signed by EVERY teacher, quite a feat in itself, so he must have liked it there! I know for a fact he loved it.
Hans got three more years and then Millfield will be history and I won't be eligible top remain a governor. The other girl in the photos is Sion.

Thursday 9 - Millfield Sports Day.

Thursday morning and it’s finally school sports day, twice cancelled already, too sunny and too wet. It was supposed to start at 9:30 and so I arrived at about 9:25 to find it in full swing. Han did quite well but Nat’s plan to be three times winner of the 3 legged race came a cropper. Was this simply an accident or were there sinister forces at work…. See for yourself dear reader, and then you decide……………….

Nat and Jack have won the Millfield sports day three legged race for the last two yrs and were looking forward to this year being their hat-trick year as they bow out and move on. This was not to be, as you can see in the video they suffered from a Velcro malfunction and walked in 4 legged and last. Neither were happy campers and both claimed that their Velcro had been interfered with. I suspect the Greys and the Illuminati, but then I always do.


Han should have won the sack race, most definitely, and would have done so if she’d had more “putting your legs into a sack” practice. She's the girl in the blue sack who comes second.


Han’s last race, a good attempt; we’ll have to work on the endurance over the summer, by the time you’ve cycled to Brockinghurst 30 odd times you’ll be as fit as a butchers dog!


Nat’s Last Race at Millfield…see the above comment!


That was it, another last for Nat is this how a condemned man feels, doing everything for the last time? Whatever!
While I was waiting for events to begin I had been speaking to Paul, a local boy whom I’d met shortly after moving into the area in 1985, a former drinking companion and now father of six! He’s got kids at Millfield and we cross paths every now and then. He was there supporting his daughter and had his wife and youngest son in tow. I hate to say that I forgot to ask either of their names as we got talking phones. I’d got my N82 to hand to film and Paul commented on how surprised he was to see me with an old phone. I explained that I had recently acquired it on EBay and had specifically bought it because of the quality of its camera. It turns out Paul is also a Mobile freak and he proceeded to bring out his iPhone 3GS (the latest). The morning was spent with the both of us waxing lyrical over the relative merits of the latest Smartphone’s. Oh the Joy!!!
Eventually their daughter ran her last race and they departed for MacDonald’s. When Han and Nat finished I cycled home and made my way to bed!

Rest of the day……..SLEPT!!!!!

Wed 8

Home, sleep and work; thats it, at least so far as I can remember!

Tuesday 7 July - SATs, Police Brief and Sara Reveals All!

SATs Results were given out at school today and Nat was a little disappointed with his. He got 4 in English, which given his problems* with writing and spelling, is amazing, 5 (top mark) in Science but only 4 in Maths. He was expecting to get and was expected, by his teachers, to get a 5 in Maths; we all have bad days and in the long term this could be beneficial, maybe it’ll stop him getting too big for his boots and serve as a warning for future exams….take nothing for granted on the day and make sure you read the question!!!


Our team attended two very interesting meetings at work tonight; one was on lecture, discussion, on personal safety and was given by a serving Policemen (Detective A. Cook – yes cook not crook). This meeting ran from 9 to 10 and was immediately followed by a strategy brief, given by Sara, on the company’s future plans. It would appear that our team missed out on the equivalent brief last year so this was both extremely interesting in itself and a chance to find out what was planned for the future. We also discussed a number of areas, where we were still experiencing difficulties and where customers were being let down. I’m looking forward to submitting, as requested, a number of responses to the issues raised and making some suggestions as to how some of these problems might be resolved.



*(both he and I, we believe, may suffer from a very mild form of dyspraxia, it’s one of the reasons I’ve never kept a diary and why they had to drag essays out of me at university; my hand writing and spelling embarrassed me so much I tried to avoid writing whenever I could)

Monday 6 July - Brockington College

Today was a momentous day for Nat, because today he spend the day at the school he's moving to in Sept. After a full day on campus, the first thing he told us when he got home was, that he was mightily impressed with the quality of the catering!!!!!!!! Little (BIG)Greedy Guts. Subsequently it emerged that the rest of the school wasn't bad either. He was in Tudor House and Form G7 and that his new teacher Ms Lewis was "kinda mad" and very competitive. He's one luck SOB to get into Brockington, he's out of catchment, it's a brand new school (completely rebuilt in 2007) with special technology status (it's full of computers) and there's now a growing waiting list to get in: we must get Han's name down asap. Here are a few pictures to give an idea of how well this place is equipped. For more images click this link

Later it was the turn of Deb and myself to visit; at 7PM there was to be a meeting, in the main lecture theatre, for the parents of the new Year Seven starters. Afterward we were supposed to meet with the form teacher who taught the class group Nat was to be in. We arrived about 6:45 and just about managed to find a parking space. The parking area is minute, the Head assured us this wasn't the fault of the school but rather that of Blaby council's penny pincher's when the new school was being erected. We made our way to the main entrance meeting numerous parents, that Deb knew, on the way, I lie i did know a few. The common talking point, on the way in, wasn't about the school but rather about how good the performance of "From Leicester with Love" had been. When we entered we were both pleased to see that there were quite a few parents of Vipers players in attendance; Nat plays for the Vipers Rugby Club, so when term starts he will already know quite a few of the new Year Seven cohort and not just the children he'd come up from Millfield with.

The main meeting was very impressive, the school seems to know exactly what it wants from pupils and parents and what they, in return, will get from it. Rights and RESPONSIBILITIES were emphasised, rewards for good behavior and CONSEQUENCES for bad were laid out. There seems to be a perception amongst the public that there is no discipline in schools these days and that pupils can get away with anything; Millfield and Brockington give the lie to this idea. The children had to follow a strict dress code, girls were not allowed to wear make up, no one was allowed to chew gum or smoke on school grounds, bullying would not be allowed to flourish and disruptive behavior in class would be crushed with an iron fist!!!! Personally, I wasn't sure, at first, that these policies could be enforced but after witnessing the Head (Vanessa) bite the head off of a live chicken and bend a steel bar with her bare hands I was convinced that they could and would be, rigorously!

Parents had been told what form group their child had been allocated to (there are going to be 10 - eight classes of 30 and 3 of 31 - groups in Year Seven) and as each form teacher stood the parents followed them to their child's class room. We were unable to meet with Nat's form teacher because she was attending a similar meeting to the one we were, at her Son's new school; the deputy head stood in for her. Much of this meeting was a rehash of what had already been said, especially as the deputy head gave one of the talks, but it did afford parents the opportunity to ask questions, I asked a few. We were done for 8:15 and I thought I'd make it to work on time, we stopped to chat no less than five times on our way out.

Made it to work for 08:55 then spent 20 minutes finding a computer that was both functioning and not already in use; finally taking calls at 21:20 on A bank(!!!) luckily I'm on EA tonight so it's only until 10:45.

Wed 1 – Sun 5 July - Allotment Toilet, Rob Hill Died, John's Lee Wood Camp, Jongleurs and Han's Photo.

Wednesday 1 – Don’t recall a lot about Wednesday; I had tried to avoid going to bed and losing the day but eventually, by about midday, I couldn’t stay awake any longer, and gave up on this plan. I didn’t emerge again until around 6:30 so missed all the Sunshine..…..Shame!!!
Deb and I went to the allotment later that evening and gave all the beds a good soaking.

Thursday 2 – Another sunny day, I spent most of it sitting in the garden reading. Everyone home for 3:40 too hot and humid to do much. Again, that evening, visited the allotment to water the beds. Surprise….there’s a composting toilet on the site
and Deb’s driven passed it everyday this week without noticing it, my excuse, on the wrong side of the car, wasn't I, so couldn't see it. Had a chat with George and Margaret about future plans for this amenity, perhaps we could get panels and have it solar powered?
Home, the kids couldn’t contain their disinterest as we enthused about the new toilet; odd that!

Friday 3

I didn’t know this at the time but in the early afternoon Rob Hill, a colleague I worked with in the Service Improvement Team a few years ago, died. I still don’t know the details, apparently he slipped in the car park went down hard and sustained fatal head injuries, God knows what he must have hit. He was only 40years old; you never know when it’s going to be your turn! Friends have created a page on Facebook in remembrance of him. Of the five males who were in the SIT three have since died, first Paul Whittington died in his sleep, then 3 yrs ago Duncan Hastie killed himself. Only Steve and I remain.

It’s Friday It’s 5 O’Clock and it’s Crackerjack well no actually it’s 5:30 and they’re off and away, the kids are off with Scouts and Cubs to camp at John’s Lee Wood. We won’t have them for nearly 3 whole days, YES 3 days!!! Nat hadn’t intended to attend this camp, because it was a mixed Cubs/Scouts event, but changed his mind at the last minute. He and Han should really have largely separate experiences as the Cubs are too small to take part in a lot of the activities the Scouts do. Well, only time will tell, lets see what they say when they get home!

Saturday 4

Hot sunny day, again, and still very humid, did a lot of not much and tried to stay comfortable. I think Deb and I went to the allotment but I’m not certain. It’s weird not having the kids at home, this is the first time they’ve both been away since last August. We’re treating ourselves this evening we’re having a night out…WTF! Yes for the first time in at least a couple of years Deb and I are going out together without the kids in tow. We’re off to Jongleurs



The Acts

R David
Unfortunately I can't find any videos of R David who was compare for the evening and absolutely spot-on. Jongleurs attracts a lot of Stag and Hen parties and he was unbelievable good at taking the P**s out of them. I’ve never seen him before but I’d recommend him highly (this last sentence is going to be repeated quite frequently).

Smug Roberts

Smug is a standup a character actor writer and force of nature. He is currently starring in Channel 4's new prison drama Buried. Again, I’d never seem him before and his I missed some of his performance because of the brainless heckler sitting behind Deb. What I did catch was very funny and there were times when I though I was going to have an accident because I was laughing so much. I repeat my comment about above Re: R Dave

Trevor Crook

"My all time favourite funny man!, Superb totally unique" Rick Wakeman
Trevor is a dry laconic Australian who’s deadpan delivery is hilarious. I had seen him previously on TV, particularly old episodes of “Live at Jongleurs” and live he was no let down. I think I laughed even harder than I had during Smug’s routine.

After Trevor finished his act R David come back on stage for some more audience baiting prior to the interval. I was looking forward to the final act because I’d seen him at Jongleurs before and he was side splittingly funny. After the interval it was time for:

Dave Fulton

'Whiplash delivery and relentless pace" The List
Whoever it was who decided that Americans don't have any sense of irony they forgot to tell Dave Fulton. This wry Seattle wag is positively brimming over with ironic invective. With his stringy beard straggly long hair and rock 'n' roll black leather jacket Fulton looks more like a refugee from a defunct British heavy metal band than an allAmerican standup. He was totally awesome, as an American kid might say, he truly was, he should do more TV but perhaps he can’t tone down his act enough. Rude in the extreme don’t take a prude to his shows….please!

When we got home, we didn’t stay for the disco having spent all of our money before the comedy finished. I’d only taken £20 because when I went to the cash machine I discovered I only had £25 in my account which was somewhat less than I thought was in it. So we were on a tight budget because Deb was also all spent out this month. After we’d arrived and bought a pitcher of Raspberry Fissile(?) for Deb and a pitcher of beer for me we were left with the princely sum of 60 pence between us. So we were home by 11:00 and Deb went off to bed. I wanted to see Criminal Minds before going up: I was woken on the Settee by Deb at 7:30 AM!

Sunday 5

We had planned an early start today because there was work to be done on the allotment and we wanted to get started before it became too hot to work. We made it on site for about 8:15 but had been beaten too it by Trevor, who has the allotment 2 down from ours, who was already busy when we arrived. We made a brave attempt to clear another part of the plot that’s infested with bindweed but we didn’t feel as if we had achieved much. It’s so pervasive, every time you think you’ve cleared a patch you turn over some more soil and there it all still is, it’s heart breaking and I think we’re in for a long job.

We left around 11:00 and returned home, Deb was going shopping and I needed to go to bed because I was back at work that evening. Before I went upstairs I got a call from Deb to tell me she’s just discovered a text she’s been sent, last night, by Cathy (She’s Jonathan’s Mum – he was at camp with the kids and is Nat’s best friend). The text read:

“Jonathan + nat + LOADS of other scouts (and a map each) just set off on a night-time hike around bradgate, will get bk to camp at about 1am OMG!”

Well we know one not so little boy who’s going to be knackered when he gets home.

Finally, off to bed; the kids arrived home while I was there, (listening to back episodes of pod casts of Radio 4’s The Now Show. If, like me, you are a fan of topical cutting comedy then check out this programme its absolutely pucca) and were well behaved and quite for the most part, I told you they would be knackered! Deb woke me at 5:30; for dinner we had belly pork with the first of our allotment grown potatoes; they were nice but I’d have preferred them hot with butter rather than cold with salad.

Got everything ready for work, Deb dropped me off at 8:00; I immediately saw the cordoned off area, of the car park, and the bouquets that had been left there, I knew some one had died but never could have guessed who. I saw Barry M as I entered and asked him what had happened, he told me that it was Rob who had died and a little of what had happened.

On a happier note, I had received an email from Karina with an attachment. The attachment contained a copy of the photo I’d requested from the Big Day Out Event. The one of Han, high in the air, on the super trampolines. A great picture taken with a camera with God knows how many pixels. So far it seems to be able to be blown up infinitely.

Finally the Evil J was pulled by the Filth over the weekend for harassment. No details this is private; just to remind me when it happened.

June 28 - 30 - From Liecester with Love and Night School French

Sunday 28

Absolutely knackered, slept the day away, work tonight, Deb left us all asleep and went to the allotment at 8:00 am, she didn't return until midday. Four hours weeding is preferable, apparently, to staying at home and looking after her 3 sleeping beauties. At work i was on EA and it's a good thing I was because the system had crashed and jobs had been recorded on excel sheets that weren't fully compatible with the back-up excel system we use when the main system goes down. Luckily I know, to a degree, my way around excel and I was able, eventually to transfer the relevant data. Let us hope it's fixed by tomorrow night or I'll be flitting back and forth all night long helping out whoever is doing it that night.

Monday 29

Home, bed, work, system fixed, HURRY. Got this blog up to date to Sat 27, but I still have to insert some pics and videos later this week when I'm at home.

Tuesday 30

• Home this morning and I have to get to bed at a reasonable time because tonight it’s the year 6 play “From Leicester with Love” staring, amongst others, the Natster as Dandinni servant to the Prince and Italian Allo Allo knock-off. The play is a synthesis of James Bond and Cinderella and Nat’s character is an amalgam of Dandinni and Capt Bertorelli from the Allo Allo TV series. His catch phrases will is “Whata mistaka to maka” whilst slapping his forehead and “Bootiful Laidies”.


I made it to bed for about 11:00 and managed to get some sleep, the humidity hasn’t abated and sleeping is difficult in this heat. I got up at 5:00 pm in order to have time to eat before we left for Millfield. Nat had to be in school for 6:30 and we wanted to get there early in order to get seats at the front. We dropped Han, who had seen the matinee performance that afternoon, off at Donna’s and reached the school at about 6:15. Chatted with the teachers and grabbed 2 front row seats.
Then I met someone I’d known 20 yrs ago and rarely seen since. In the late 1980’s, when I worked in London, I did a one yr Immersion French night school course at Rowley Fields College. One of the people on the course was a chap named Brian and it was he who was crossing the room to say hello, he was as nice and as funny a guy as I remembered. I’ve always regretted that circumstances conspired to cause me to lose contact with everyone in the group*

We chatted for a while until finally the performance began, (INSERT VID) it was brilliant from start to finish and I don’t say that just because my Son was in it. The three lads who played the evil stepmother (Blowave) and the 2 Ugly Sisters all had superb comic timing and could really act. Nat, for his part, Ham’d it up with a vengeance and proved to be especially popular with the “Bootiful Laidies” in the audience when he started kissing their hands. It was a great way for Year 6 to bow out; this will be the last thing they do together because they’re all off to various secondary schools in September.







* I lost contact with everyone because the course was only supposed to run for two terms course and somehow I didn’t get informed that the course had been extended to a third term. By the time I did find out and attended an event the group was also attending in Abbey Park it was made quite clear that I was now an outsider and no longer part of the group. As a result and because I had started temping, which made having a social life virtually impossible, I lost touch with everyone involved. It was a shame, we had all gotten on really well and we’d all had a great time doing the course, especially when we all went to France for a weekend, but it seems I am fated to have acquaintances rather than friends.