Our last 2018 trip to London

So this weekend, my wife and I decided that we needed to relax.  And I know it sounds bizarre, but we travelled down to London.  Our aim was to have breakfast in Maltby Street and when we got there, we were surprised to find it empty. It was just missing tumbleweed really. Almost every place was closed, but one place at one end was open and we had a great breakfast there.  We went into central London where I bought a CD for my wife, a book for my daughter and my wife got a few things. My son wanted a particular book which we were not able to get, and naturally he was a bit disappointed.

Do not get me wrong, it was great to have my mother up for Christmas and seeing my Brother, his partner and his two new dogs on Boxing Day was brilliant, but it was tiring.  I cannot just ‘blame’ my family as having friends round in the evening on Christmas Day probably helped to exhaust us.  So as enjoyable the two days were, when I returned to work on Thursday, I honestly felt that I would have got more rest had I been in work for those two days!


After that it was a trip to Canary Wharf where we had drinks and lunch before heading home.  While I felt guilty at not seeing my mother, we were tired by then and doing so would have been too much.

It was brilliant to spend time with each other, though tomorrow I am going to have to catch up on work.

Who let the dogs out

Well that was an exhausting Christmas!

On Christmas Eve, I was working late so missed out on drinks at a friends, as well as the trip to the church.  I came home to my wife wrapping the presents for the children (I am of the view that they should only have one each) and allegedly passed out while she was doing so.

My son woke us up on Christmas Day, excited about opening his presents and we went through the Christmas stockings.  After breakfast I drove down to collect my mother from London with my daughter while my son and wife prepared Christmas Lunch.  When I got back, I helped a bit, but did nothing compared to the effort my wife put into the meal.  Some friends came round for drinks later and we chatted till late while the kids played Monopoly.

In morning we prepared for the visit of my youngest brother and his lovely partner.  They came with two dogs, Cassie and Pixie whom they had adopted recently and my kids loved taking them on a walk.  The kids have wanted a dog, and this trip proved that they were not ready, the evidence being when my son refused to pick up the dog poo left behind by Pixie, who he was walking.

After lunch and another much shorter walk, my brother left, taking my mother with him.  A game of Trivial Pursuit followed and then bed.

But I felt so tired this morning and I am certain that I would have got more rest if I had been working!

RIP Ron

Our hamster died today. He has been around for some time since we adopted him and was getting old.  We knew it was going to be soon, but it was still a shock to the kids when it happened.  The plan is to bury him tomorrow and we may consider getting a replacement after Christmas.

If voting changed anything they'd abolish it

The midterm elections were last month in the USA.  While some consider this to have been a Blue Wave, considering the gains that the GOP made, while they had losses, if anything it was a ripple for the democrats. Trump was right when he said that the GOP did well considering the losses that Obama faced in his mid terms in both 2010 and 2014, something that those who expected more need to note for any reelection campaign (jail not withstanding) by Trump in 2020, or anyone from the GOP.

Those results though may have been different if people had not been prevented from voting.  It is interesting to see how electoral boundaries have been drawn up, and in places where the Democratic Party have won elections to become governor, how the powers of the governor of that state have been taken away.

The election rules were not bent as much what happens in Russia, but a nation that takes pride in democracy really should provide a better example to the rest of the world.

The school carol service

It was my sons last carol concert at his junior school yesterday. I have missed watching many of his performances due to my work, but my wife and I had planned to go to it together. Sadly she was not feeling too well, and had to miss it.  It did mean that my son and I got to walk there together.  The service had a dual theme, being based on the First World War and the Christmas truce on 1914 as well as the story of Jesus.  There were traditional carols as well as some that I do not recollect hearing before.  It was a special night but sad as well because my wife did not get to watch it.

Wrath

Anger has been an issue this week.  But not all the time.  Some of it is related to fatigue, some appears to be related to device time, but some has no relation to anything that we can determine.