Cookies

My daughter made some amazing cookies yesterday for my birthday.  I was going to bring them into work to share but she hid them and I was not able to do so!  Git... 

My final birthday day (this year)

Quick post.  Dog walk in the morning, loved it, as did Leia though this was after my son had got up earlier and taken her out first thing.  A quick trip to work after.  And for lunch my gorgeous wife and I went to see Isabel and Tony.  The kids were left behind (and did not destroy the television).  It was good to meet up with them.  He would have seen them sooner after their return from the USA, but their children contracted the plague (and both have recovered well).  Great food, great company and a great end to the second of my birthday weekends!

 

Birthday weekend (part two)

My birthday weekend is almost over.  Today, we had two friends come round before my family took me to a meal.  I thought that we were to get a lift, and we did, but not from the person who usually helps us out.  I had told my wife that I had always wanted to be in a stretched limousine, and she arranged it for me!  It was an awesome experience and then she took me to a local(ish) restaurant were we had some amazing food.  The kids loved the experience as well.  Though they may want it for Prom, an issue that is going to have to be addressed this year for my daughter...

Appreciated at work

My work appreciate me.  Got into work to be greeted by this.  Work was busy, not as bad as it has been on other days, but they did surprise me with more gifts later on and a rendition of Happy Birthday.  Did not get surprised by a cake though I did get some brownies which my kids love!

PMQs, the continued farce but my son did well

At the time of posting this, the nation waits to hear about the Sue Gray report.  PMQ's needless to say focused on it.  But today a new addition happened, Boris may have lied about a flight out of Afghanistan, allowing animals to fly out while leaving behind people who could have been helped out instead.  It may be that it did not impede the escape of others, but the issue is that Boris Johnson said one thing, and now another version of the truth is coming out.

On the plus side, by son just had his parent teacher day and did well.  Really really well.  Made my wife and I very proud.  

Another awesome birthday weekend day

Another day, and it again, was an awesome one.  I went for a walk with Tony and Sally in the morning and later we all went out for lunch were another friend from university surprised me. I had been given one of my presents before, an old Arsenal shirt from David, which I have been hinting about for years.  After lunch, I got given others from Tony.  Sally, his wife, thought that they may not be appreciated, but they were very different to what I had before.  I got a mug with a picture from university along with some Boris toilet paper, some alcohol, but most important of all, a Putin calendar!

A surprise

I met up with my past today.  My family have organised a great birthday weekend for me.  They had driven me into the middle of nowhere telling me that we were to go somewhere for afternoon tea.  It turned out that we were staying in a Air BnB place.  A fabulous house, and being shown round it, I missed seeing David, a friend from university sitting down (though he had been hiding at first).  It was great to see him, though he let slip that Tony, another friend from my past, was to come.  

While it took him time to come, he was being driven from the other side of the country.  He arrived with Sally, his wife and his son, the same age as my son.  All of us had to leave our dogs behind, and we talked and talked as we all caught up.

I am looking forward to the rest of the weekend as there is so much to go over.

The dog and treats

First of all, the weekend update (though a bit late).  My wife went out a bit for the birthday of a friend, the celebrations taking place over two days.  Saturday I was to pick her up, and I knew it was going to be late as she told me.  I was woken up about one on Sunday morning as she decided to get a friend to drive her home, but half an hour later, I went to collect her as she was still not home and I guessed correctly that the friend was being distracted.  A drive over and a lift for another friend and we finally went to bed.  

As for Leia, she has been having loads of fun with some toys that I have bought her.  We had started to run out of some treats, but thanks to eBay, they have been sourced.  Together with the puzzles, she is having loads of fun.

Prince Andrew & Matt Gaetz

Do I think that Prince Andrew did anything wrong based on UK law? Not knowingly, but I do not think that what he did was immoral. If he cannot recall not having sex with Victoria Giuffre, the question arises of how many other friends of Jeffrey Epstein did he have sex with? If he had just had sex with one, you can argue that he thought that this was attraction. If he had sex with many, then the motives of the friendship of Prince Andrew with Epstein needs to be examined. 

There is no doubt now, that Victoria Giuffre was the victim of grooming, the question is if Prince Andrew knew this and I suspect that the answer would be no considering that there was not as much information about this in the public eye as there is now. It will be interesting to see what happens in the USA about this considering he has done so much to avoid this case and even tried to use the Bill Cosby clause to get out of this. But as this case is being heard in the USA, if it is appealed, will this have ramifications for Matt Gaetz?

Sorry not sorry

I have seen the worst apology, or rather non-apology so far this year.  Our Prime Minister has decided that we was not aware that what he termed was a legal work meeting (where you bring your own bottle) was a party or could be considered such.  If we ignore the breach of COVID guidelines and assume that he is right, the issue of just how drunk staff at Downing Street can be while working comes to mind. In my job, I cannot drink alcohol and work.  Needless to say, in my job, I would be rightly sacked if I took a bottle of wine in to drink during a meeting.  His excuse is as follows.

"I want to apologise. I know that millions of people across this country have made extraordinary sacrifices over the last 18 months. I know the anguish they have been through - unable to mourn their relatives, unable to live their lives as they want or to do the things they love. I know the rage they feel with me and with the Government I lead when they think in Downing Street itself the rules are not being properly followed by the people who make the rules. And though I cannot anticipate the conclusions of the current inquiry, I have learned enough to know there were things we simply did not get right and I must take responsibility. No 10 is a big department with a garden as an extension of the office which has been in constant use because of the role of fresh air in stopping the virus. When I went into that garden just after six on May 20, 2020, to thank groups of staff before going back into my office 25 minutes later to continue working, I believed implicitly that this was a work event. With hindsight I should have sent everyone back inside. I should have found some other way to thank them. I should have recognised that even if it could be said technically to fall within the guidance, there are millions and millions of people who simply would not see it that way, people who have suffered terribly, people who were forbidden for meeting loved ones at all inside or outside, and to them and to this House I offer my heartfelt apologies. All I ask is that Sue Gray be allowed to complete her inquiry into that day and several others so that the full facts can be established."

That Boris is lying is no news to me, after all, he has past form on this.  What I am shocked by are those MP's who are defending his lies, but I am glad to see that many Conservatives are not standing by him.  

There is to be an investigation into this, but I think that Boris Johnson will do what he has done in the past and will ignore the findings.

And for those who may not know what this is about, the first video is about the e-mail for the socially distanced drinks meeting in May 2020, the second a reminder of that the NHS was facing in May 2020 when front line workers were literally dying.

When is breaking the law acceptable?

Today is an interesting day.  The right of protestors to break the law was featured in a huge way in the media last year across the globe, and also has been brought into the news today as well in the UK. 

The Colston Four were found not guilty after the destruction of a historical monument associated with slavery.  I understand the anger that people have over this, but in general, I stand with Marjorie Taylor Greene on this.  I think that statues, in general should not be pulled down, but I am in favour of them being put in context, be it with a plaque, or even another statue, ideally one to show why the first was controversial but the other statue can be to venerate the 'opposing' side with an issue.  My concern is if it is acceptable to destroy a statue of the slave trader, Edward Colston, then is the vandalism of the grave of Marx acceptable as well?

Last year, people took the law into their own hands.  And there has been partisanship amongst some as to if this should be condemned in the same way that some BLM protests were rightly condemned when they became violent.  In this, I think that the law should treat all the same.  A controversial view I know, but one I am open to change, and am happy to debate.

Weight loss

 I have been walking for over a year.  Over that time, I lave lost in total, one kilo.  But despite my lack of weight loss, my walking is to continue.  Leia will not let me do otherwise. 

The Hitman’s Bodyguard

We watched this as a family film yesterday. By family, without my son who does not watch many films with us that often.  We had started to watch this a few days ago, but had to take a break.  But we got back to this.

I have to say that we loved it.  It was the banter between the two leading men, and also the character of Salma Hayek. Yes, watching a man with an injured leg leap over a stairwell with no issues was unrealistic, as was many parts of the film (how do you get on a ferry with no passports), but despite some of the characters being stereotypes, it was the three main characters that made it.  

I am looking forwards to the sequel.

On the topic of Arsenal, I have not posted about them for a while.  The match on New Years Day was interesting to watch.  I think that Arsenal were hard done by not to get a penalty, but despite the loss, it was a great performance by the team, one I hope that they will repeat in the games to come, though with three points as a result as opposed to a loss.  We are still two points above the scum, but they have two games in hand, so that will not be for too long sadly.

The Suicide Squad

First of all, family.  One actually took Leia out for a walk which is unusual.  Needless to say, that did not stop her wanting a walk later in the day with me as she is now asking for two walks a day.  I do love walking with her and my wife thinks that I have lost weight around my legs (note to self, weigh myself at work).  We are not sure how the other is to cope with the return to school this week, but they feel up for it.  Time will tell.

Anyway, the film.  I loved it.  In fact, my daughter, I and my wife loved it.  Was sick, twisted and filled with gore but it was better than the first one and also better than Birds Of Prey.  And it is as good as a film by Marvel.  In general, DC films of late have not been that good, so much so that I do not get too bothered about watching them.  But this was worth the wait to watch.  I would have to say my stand out character was Pete Davidson.  Loved him in this.  

Veeraswamy

Knackered.  

We went to see my mother for her birthday.  We collected her from her house and left Leia there in her crate.  My brothers drove into town as did we and after dropping my mother and family there, parked and walked back.  I was nervous considering the levels of Omicron in London, but Veeraswamy is a great place to eat.  We used to go there at this time years ago, but have not been here for a while.  All loved the food and my mother loved having us all together.

I am not sure if we would have all been there as one of my brothers lives in Manchester and is doing his best not to catch COVID before travelling to the USA later this month.  But my youngest brother had told us that this was my mothers 80'th birthday.  Turned out that it was not, this being to come another year.  It is hard to tell my mothers age, as she looks younger than she is, also she was 50 for nine years many years ago.

Overall, despite being tired with the driving, it was really nice for us all to be together.  I am not sure when we are all to meet again, but I hope that it is not too long.