We are at an undisclosed location in the countryside. Undisclosed to me, that is, because I fell asleep on the drive here, and no one will tell me where we've ended up... Doesn't matter that much, I suppose. It's green, and the dogs are enjoying because allowed to tear around in huge circles, leaping at dust motes and biting at grass. The grass must be particularly threatening. I just saw Deimos pull up a chunk of it by the roots and try to devour it savagely before he remembered it tasted like grass and spat it out again.
We're walking. We have a packed lunch to eat at some point. I have only the haziest memory of packing it, because for some reason I woke up around six and did it before I went back to bed. I think I thought it was a school day or something, which doesn't explain why I thought we all needed one. I think I'm becoming gradually more like one of the undead early in the morning. I suppose because L usually deals with things then, so I don't have to force myself to. Still, good job I'm not in medical school now, I'd never make it.
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Sherlock, last night: Can I have the middle of the paper towel roll when it's done?
Me: Probably. Why? (it's always better to ask)
Sherlock: So I can be an anteater.
Me: How are you going to get your tongue through there to eat ants?
Sherlock: I will have a prosthetic tongue with a stick and gum on the end so I can stick things to it.
Me: Of course you will. Silly question.
We're walking. We have a packed lunch to eat at some point. I have only the haziest memory of packing it, because for some reason I woke up around six and did it before I went back to bed. I think I thought it was a school day or something, which doesn't explain why I thought we all needed one. I think I'm becoming gradually more like one of the undead early in the morning. I suppose because L usually deals with things then, so I don't have to force myself to. Still, good job I'm not in medical school now, I'd never make it.
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Sherlock, last night: Can I have the middle of the paper towel roll when it's done?
Me: Probably. Why? (it's always better to ask)
Sherlock: So I can be an anteater.
Me: How are you going to get your tongue through there to eat ants?
Sherlock: I will have a prosthetic tongue with a stick and gum on the end so I can stick things to it.
Me: Of course you will. Silly question.
72 comments:
He hasn't eaten any ants yet - that I've seen! He also wants to build a dam across this stream.
And we're in the boondocks, what more do you need to know? :) fresh air, space, green things.
It really is kind of a perfect day.
It is. Bloody brilliant. Can't we keep Mycroft for a bit, not give him back to school? ;)
Ants only taste good when they've been covered in chocolate.
My dad was seemingly unable to walk past a stream without building a damn! Some of my best childhood memories are of paddling in streams building damns
L - I think we should get him at least another week, personally...
anon - I can see why, it's a lot of fun!
It sounds like you're all having a lovely day. I hope the rest of it is just as lovely!
I think the lure of dams is universal. I have very fond memories of camping and building dams with my family and friends.
Well... Three weeks til Italy! I'm excited. I want to show you all where I knocked about as a kid.
And... I'm thinking you had 'help' packing this lunch? Or you've gone a bit mad.
Both possibly?
Entire box of icing sugar?
You could bake in a solar oven!
Sherlock: I will have a prosthetic tongue with a stick and gum on the end so I can stick things to it.
Well, of course. ... (Yeah, it took a minute!) That's really quite ingenious, Sherlock. Let us know how it works, please--it might save me some bending down!
Sherlock just dumped stream water over John and me. He is now wisely hiding up a tree. Think I might dunk him in the stream head first when he comes down.
You could tempt him down with icing sugar. Or threaten to dunk the sugar in the stream, which might work even better.
I wasn't going to dunk him. But once I had him by the ankles he begged me too. So the top of his head has been dunked. Now loading wet Sherlock, wet John, wet dogs, wet me and dry Mycroft into the car to get home and get Mycroft ready to go back to school.
great job staying dry Mycroft ;-)
Streams exist for a reason. What odds that Mycroft will remain dry after riding home with everyone else wet? Especially dogs.
He's managed it so far, but the odds are against him...
I did get intentionally wet, when paddling. I am, however, sensible enough to stand well away when I order the dogs to shake.
Sherlock is sensible enough not to include me in his watery ambushes.
All in all, it has been a very pleasant day out. We are both very fortunate to have John and Lestrade to afford us such enjoyable days out.
And we're lucky to have you two to make the day way more fun than two old farts could have on their own ;)
Now, just need to get a couple of side cars, and we can get the dogs on the bikes too - then we'd really be set!
"Order the dogs to shake"...I'm impressed.
Paddling...I think that's what we call 'wading' where I'm from? I always think of it as being for canoes or kayaks, but I don't think that's right.
Paddling...it's like, going in water up to your ankles.
Unless you're Danger, then it is like wading (which is going into the water at least up to your thighs, I'd say. More, maybe...)
Yeah--of course, it's possible that there are regionalisms, but so far as I'm aware Americans would call what you call paddling "wading"--I'm unaware of different words for walking through different depths of water. (Unless you'd call is sloshing? :)) Paddling is for canoes, as in "paddle your own."
Sounds like a truly lovely day for all of you! *wistful*
good luck over the next few weeks at school Mycroft, I hope you feel confident and as relaxed about it all as you can :-)
Thank you, Pandabob.
I am sure the school would not have allowed me to enter my exams early had they not been confident in my abilities. League tables are everything, after all.
you're not wrong there Mycroft ;-)
I don't wanna give him back! (He even let me hug him goodbye - in his room, away from anyone seeing, of course! As I'm sure most boys here do.)
Sherlock, on the other hand, said a casual 'bye' and decided we should stop for fish and chips on the way back...hmm. Reckon he'll be moping about later though.
not long now and he'll be home for the summer :-)
I've often wondered how people cope with boarding school but I had never really thought about the adults missing the kids (stupid I know)
Did you ever tell John where you went?
A sound assessment, as usual, Mycroft. I know you don't need it, but good luck anyway. (It can't hurt!)
What are you doing this evening, Sherlock?
Anon - we never told him, but he worked it out on the way back :) (which he stayed awake for!)
We were out in the Stour Valley.
Lestrade has hiccups and it's funny. John was lying on him and he had to move.
That sounds like some very big hiccups, if John had to move... :)
Which reminds me--has your eyelid stopped twitching, L?
Are you excited to see the chicks tomorrow, Sherlock?
I moved involuntarily in time with the hiccups before I had to get off of him. It was pretty funny.
Can't help it! You two are mean.
Sherlock, I'm only coming to tuck you in if you stop giggling at my hiccups.
John...make them stop!
RR - no, eyelid has not stopped! Well, did for...the weekend, actually. Twitching again today. But less.
So you were sort of bounced off, eh, John? :)
Sorry about the tic still going, L. I hope it goes away again by morning. (Eating spoonful of granulated sugar without breathing sometimes works on hiccups. I don't know anything that works on eyelid tics, though.)
Death by heart failure. Both hiccups and eyelid cured. But I am extinct.
You could try drinking a glass of water from the wrong side; that's supposed to help. Although if you get it wrong you'll get wet again.
Or maybe a shock: Sherlock shouting "boo"; Anthea offering you the loan of her underwear ...
L - what happened whilst I was typing out my helpful suggestions?
L - you literally asked me to make them stop! Worked, didn't it? :)
Now seriously questioning your medical skills if killing you patient to remove their symptoms is how you go about it.
SH - They called me up to tuck in Sherlock, and leapt out of Mycroft's room yelling at me when I got up there. Hiccups - and indeed all life signs - have stopped. Apart from eyelid twitch, which carries on, like a horrible death-spasm.
You type well for a dead man...
my ghost will hang around to haunt you both, for being so horrible.
It's probably a better typist than I was.
Can you shave me? I'd like to look my best for the funeral. Or, you know, in case I return to life, for work tomorrow.
(John--betting the person with the hiccups that they can't do it again right now often works, too. But it's not as much fun. ;))
Can you call in dead to work? Think they'd believe you?
Unfortunately they'd probably send my team to investigate - which is as good as work coming to me.
I seem to be exhibiting some signs of life. You secretly been doing heart massage over there? After all, you stole my heart a few years ago ;)
And I do have to shave. Back shortly.
You want an actual (non-heart) massage after you're done?
mm you sure .?
Yeah, I'd like to.
feel free then :) Sorry, last message was trying not to get shaving foam on the phone.
Face will remain smooth and stubble free for...ooh, five whole mins now? :)
mboyfriend is the beast
best. And bit of a sexy beast.
Who're you calling a beast, Stubble Man?
...my phone would Never let me type 'who're' without 'correcting; it. unfair.
You. You're lovely. Lovely sexy beast.
I bet Sherlock liked that cure! At least he will until the next time he has the hiccups.
Is it nice, bright and sunny with you this morning?
Have a lovely/good/productive/fun day whichever is most applicable ;-)
Brilliant and sunny. People murdering each other. Swings and roundabouts.
Hope your day is lovely and sunny.
I've never understood 'swings and roundabouts' as a phrase. It's wonderful sounding, but I don't really understand what it means.
(Roundabouts are replacing four way stops where I live. I do understand them in that context, but I seem to be in the minority there, too.)
I'm sorry there are not-so-nice people out there.
Captcha says 'worrv wheenia'. Not sure if that's a commentary or not.
To me, a traffic circle is what replaces a four way stop; a roundabout is something you spin on in a playground, which fits with swings...but I'm not sure about the phrase.
yeah, the playground sort.
Just...different actions, I guess? swinging back and forth, versus going around and around?
just means there's some good (sunny, lovely day) and some bad (dead bodies.)
sounds like an interesting day Greg but I'm glad its sunny :-)
Thanks for answering my silly question. Round-a-bout as what we call a merry-go-round. I was trying to make 'swings' fit the traffic context and getting confused.
I even KNEW about the merry-go-round use of the phrase. But now it makes sense, and is an even lovelier phrase.
Sorry about the dead bodies. Glad about the sunshine.
A, merry go round for us is maybe what you'd call a carousel? Roundabout is both a spinning thing for kids to play on (powered by child-power, never a motor etc.) and a circle cars go around.
And it wasn't a silly question!
I'm going home!
I made a shaving foam mountain in the sink!
That's fun, and nice and squishy. :)
...do I have any left? Or did you use John's?
I used some of both so you wouldn't run out. I stuck my whole hand in it and it felt like wet air.
Um, we'll, thanks. I think. And yeah, it's odd stuff. But better than an electric razor, in my opinion.
I was going to ask Sherlock what the hand that he stuck into the foam felt like--was the skin slippery?--but I just looked at the time and I guess he's in bed.
I hope you all have been having a good evening!
We used to seal shaving foam/cream into a zip bag with a few drops of food dye. Squeeze out almost all the air, tape over the zippy part to prevent explosions. Squish, and watch the patterns and mixtures. Very calming, quiet activity. Even the adults used to enjoy it.
Yes, merry-go-round does sometimes get used for carousel. I tend to think of carousel as the thing with horses on and a calliope, and merry-go-round as people powered playground equipment. But I'm weird that way.
According to some folks, Merry-Go-Rounds go clockwise and Carousels go counter-clockwise. Or is that the other way around? In any case, I've always liked both sorts. And the playground ones too!
I've always called the big, fancy ones carousels, and the smaller, plainer ones merry-go-rounds, and I love them all. :)
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