The other one I was looking at said 'you may feel old, but you're still the youngest person I had sex with this year.' But I went with the more topical one. Besides, I would've had to amend it to say 'or last year, or the year before… Or for quite a while, really'. And then some of the humor is lost. So I decided on the royal foetus, because I know you didn't get enough of that at work. :-)
I love you, Gregory Martin Finchley Lestrade. Sometimes, I wake up and look over at you and I literally can't believe that I'm not dreaming. You mean the world to me, and I'm pretty sure that our wedding will be the happiest day of my life, except for all the ones that come afterward.
Note: the making Lestrade nervous tag does not actually apply. I just wanted to use all the tags relating to you
Also Lestrade found this a while ago and I meant to post it but forgot. Today seemed like a good day:
(No, L, it's not a hint about what we're doing today.)
103 comments:
Thank you for making me wake up looking forward to every day. Thank you for your patience with me. Thank you for showing me you love me. And thank you for a great birthday.
I love you too, John Hamish Watson. :)
(And I want to know how you make me feel younger everyday, too! I'm certain I've de-aged since meeting you.)
John dropped his phone in the river! be should get a new one and get me one too
Sherlock was desperate to dive in and get it so he could have it...
7tr olds don't need phones, kiddo.
Sorry, Danger.
my own fault! I was lea ning out to far for that picture. the perils of blogging
I would say it was lucky you didn't fall in. Except I know Sherlick is so desperate to life save someone he would actually have preferred that...
I'm glad you didn't fall in though.
I am too! few things are as much fun when you're soaking wet
Not what the dogs think! :)
I had a brilliant time. Thank you.
You can borrow my phone for a few days if you need to. I've got my work one.
I'm glad you're having a good day gentlemen but I'm sorry about your phone John, better your phone than you though that's for sure :-)
I don't normally post on - well anything, really. I don't like talking in public enough.
At the moment I do have something to say, though: John, that was really sweet. And Lestrade, I hope you have a wonderful birthday! Ya'll are amazing, and no one deserves a brilliant birthday more. Also, if you're phone isn't too dead from the little swimming trip, I want to see those pictures. :)
Thank you, Anon :)
I'm afraid John's phone is on the bed of the Thames... well, unless Mrs H sends a crack squad of divers to retrieve it, as it contains sensitive info... ;)
Well, it does contain a picture of Sherlock doing a handstand on a canoe while everyone else in the canoe tries to get him to stop... On the whole, I think they're lost forever though.
Thanks, Anon. :)
L - I'll get one tomorrow. I'll have to have it for work anyway and there's no sense putting it off. Mycroft can tell me which one to buy.
I had a great time today, phone or no phone :)
Glad to hear it's been a good day, lost phones aside.
John, did you have your photos going to Dropbox, or another cache? If so, the pictures are still there. My mom does this, because she's had so many phones just die on her.
Yeah, mine magically float into the cloud and appear everywhere with me having no idea how it all happens.
Thank you for my cake :) it's perfect.
Oh, maybe? I'll check. Somehow. Thanks!
L - you're very welcome. I didn't even need a trial-run cake this year; I think I'm improving.
I'm going to take a stab in the dark here... You baked, Mycroft piped icing, Sherlock provided sprinkles and edible glitter?
It's amazing.
And I think I've somehow promised Sherlock we'll go camping for a few days soon. Possibly for a belated birthday trip for me? He says we should because we're nearly married and it's where we got engaged.
What gave us away? The fact that the piping's actually legible or the half-bottle of purple glitter mounded up in the middle...?
That would be lovely. :)
I've got something else for you too. Well, sort of. It's an IOU. Because I didn't know which one you'd want.
Really? Well, I suppose my top two would be Craig, then Connery. Then probably...getting toughnow..Dalton, Brosnan, Lazonby then Moore.
...or did you mean something else ;)
Ha. Don't be silly, I know which Bond you'd want!
err...then...I can't think of anything else I need?
Birthday's aren't about what you need, silly :-p
Glad to hear that everyone is having a very good day :-)
There's an envelope for you on the table under the glitter bottles...
That's brilliant! And it's a piece of paper that barely has any glitter on it (glitter is like radiation in this flat - everything has a base level of it...)
They've bought me ...well, will buy me...us... tickets for a game at The Emirates :) Can't wait!
oh wow that is a fantastic present, you lucky lucky man :-D
It's not James Bond, but maybe the next best thing. ;)
Ha - there's potential to see 14 of these guys! It's brilliant. And perfect. And I hope you'll all...well, at least appreciate the experience, if not enjoy it :)
Oh, wonderful :-D
We got you something too me and Mycroft
You lot are far, far too good to me.
Are Sherlock and I coming as well? I wasn't certain. I'd never been to a football game before, unless you count the ones at school.
You would be very, very welcome to come. But if you don't want to, that's fine too.
Don't distract him, or he's never going to open it!
it's brilliant - thank you. You two will have to help me fit the mount for it though, right? And then we'll have to go somewhere!
(it's a camera to mount on my bike, for those of you not clambering on me as I open things!)
You can film the whole trip when we go camping!
...maybe not the whole trip. It doesn't have night vision, right?
Not that I'm aware of, which is probably for the best.
Thank you very much, boys. It's a very thoughtful present. And next time some scumbag hits me on the bike I'll have evidence, right? :)
He won't...but yes, someone could get charged a bit more easily.
And I did try not to get hit last time!
You going to stay up an extra half hour because it's a birthday and because you're probably too hopped up on cake to sleep anyway?
Wow, excellent presents--and cake!
(I vote with Sherlock--don't get hit again. :))
I am going to stay up all night!
Nope, you're not.
the key to giving someone a perfect birthday Sherlock, is spoiling them rotten, spending time with them and then going to bed without an argument. That way the whole day is fun and happy :-)
You've done a great job of the first two things and I know you're fully capable of the third :-)
You know, Sherlock, when - if - you ever investigate a crime, it's important not to say things like 'don't get hit again', because it makes it sound like the person getting hit had any say in the matter in the first place. And that will make the person who can probably be the most help in your investigation not like you very much.
I know you just meant you didn't want me to get hit again, but as you get older you'll realise the subtle changes in words you use can make people feel very different.
And c'mon, time to get your pyjams on, at the least.
Another lovely gift - nice one, Sherlock and Mycroft :-)
we chose it together and I shouldn't have to go to bed it's not fair!
....and he's finally in bed, and sleepy, despite protests.
Thank you to all three of you, I've had a brilliant day.
And thanks to all of you who commented wishing me a happy birthday - I most certainly did!
John said we were going for 'a walk', and then drove us to a place to hire canoes - it was fantastic fun. We found out the dogs can actually tow a canoe full of people - they have such huge paws, they're good swimmers.
huh, lestrade, i'm glad I didn't offer a wish that you not get hurt again, who needs to be slapped down like that. it's not like you didn't understand what was meant.
now I remember why I just lurk.
You are such a sweet bunch of menfolk, all of you.
I went to a place called the California Academy of Sciences today, and thought of all of you when I walked through their rainforest exhibit and watched the butterflies. The largest species they had were the Blue Morphos, and they were quite, quite big. I got some photographs of one of them eating at one of the feeding trays. It was an excellent day, and if ever you get the chance to go to San Francisco, I highly recommend it. Their earthquake exhibit was my favorite one.
AftSO (who is rather far from the Sacred Oak at the moment!)
I looked up Blue Morpho butterflies, AftSO, and the color is gorgeous! Sounds like you're having a lovely trip, enjoy. :)
Dalton before Brosnan? Surely you jest.
Happy birthday, L! It sounds like it was a wonderful day. Mmmmm, purple sparkles...
Canoes sound fun Greg I'm glad you had I great birthday :-)
Have a good day today whatever you're all up to :-)
Anon - been thinking about this all morning. I'm not sure I get the thrust of your argument, really. Sherlock's old enough to understand the way you say things can seem to change the meaning. He didn't take any offence at what I worte. He finds it interesting.
Olli - that was the hardest choice, those two.
AnonyBob - yeah, canoes were brilliant fun. Back at work now.
well Lestrade if you were saying it to just sherlock you could have said it to him while you were putting him to bed privately. it looks to me like you were aiming it at the only commenter who bothered to say they didnt want you to be in another crash either.
Lucky you escaping to work for a rest from all the madness Greg ;-)
Good luck with everything :-)
Anon - yes, I could have. I suppose I was saying it to everyone. Because I hear that sort of thing all the time. I've seen people survive horrific crimes only to be completely floored by a well meaning comment by a loved one. I've seen people convinced things were their fault because abusers have cleverly implied it is. I feel fairly strongly about it.
But I wasn't making the point just to RR, as you're implying. I assumed she was just echoing sherlocks words. I have no idea how she might have phrased the same sentiment had he not just said that.
I expect I would have said something along the lines of "I hope you never need it for that," or the like. (I have to say, though, that I didn't see any problem with what Sherlock said, obviously, since it was clear what he meant--and he's not overfond of jokes about worst case scenarios, which I can identify with. But I guess it's possible a stranger might misunderstand.)
A while ago I had a meeting with some police officers to give a statement about domestic abuse. One officer asked me at least three times 'why I didn't leave?', when I didn't know how to answer the other officer said 'What he means is what stopped you leaving?' On the face of it the two questions are after the same answer but the first one implies that by not leaving I was partly responsible for what happened while the second one accepts that it isn't always possible just to up and leave whatever is going on.
If Sherlock is ever going to investigate crime, which is something he seems very interested in doing, then he needs to know how to ask the questions he wants answers to without upset the people he is supposed to be trying to help and Lestrade giving him advice on how to do that seems no different to when Sherlock is advised to say please and thank you and to be polite in asking about how to grow things on the allotment. It is not polite to give any suggestion that the victim of a crime is responsible for it and I am sure Sherlock himself would be upset to think he might ever make that implication.
Well said Anon!
I hope you're safe now, anon.
And yes, how things are said matters (as well as in what context), so it's worth rephrasing yourself or explaining when someone either doesn't seem to understand or seems miffed or hurt by what you've just said. Sherlock's lucky if he can learn that young, particularly when it comes to inadvertently hurting people who have already been hurt. I know grownups who still haven't figured it out.
Anon - we do a lot of training about using the right phrases.... Like everything in life, some people are better at it than others. I'm certainly sensitive about such issues because of my past.
Obviously i don't expect Sherlock to get it right away, but he's thinking about it. And thinking about how he feels when grown ups imply something is his doing, or his fault, when it isn't, and how we can all work to communicate more clearly. It's a learning curve, and he's right at the beginning of it. :)
you see REReader not all the anon's hate you either that or you are the anons!
...Nice. I suppose you felt the need to balance it out?
If it needs saying, I was not posting here anonymously.
Also a lot of people who have been in bad situations listen and watch very carefully--sometimes too carefully--for signs of judgment or anger or violence. It's a survival mechanism. Since I was so young, I've never had anyone insinuate that what happened to me was my fault, but the one thing I can do to make sure it never happens again (or, in some eventuality, happens to any kids I have) I to be hyper-vigilant about people I'm getting to know.
I wouldn't take sherlocks remark at anything past face value (even if he was older), because his sentiment is clear, but it's also not a bad remark (and not a bad time in his life) to start thinking about how people might hear the way he says things, and to learn how to talk to a wide variety of people.
I'm not sure if I'm on point or off point right now. Just babbling a bit.
Ella
Also, happy continuing birthday, lestrade. :) this being your birthday entry and all.
Ella
you lot are crazily funny today!!
Comment you could get annoyed by - 'What do you think you're saying Sherlock, do you think I rode into a car on purpose, how dare you blame me you horrible little boy!'
Comment you really should go back and read properly - 'You know, Sherlock, when - if - you ever investigate a crime, it's important not to say things like 'don't get hit again', because it makes it sound like the person getting hit had any say in the matter in the first place.'
No where did Greg not understand what Sherlock said to him or misunderstand Sherlock's hope that he wouldn't get hit by a car again. They talked, agreed a late night for birthday celebrations and then it struck Greg that he had an opportunity to impart some information to Sherlock that would do him good in the future if he ever investigated crimes so he shared it with him and he absolutely addressed it to Sherlock its there in the first few words.
What kids say to their parental types and what they should say to strangers in years to come are two very different things and weirdly kids don't learn that without being told!
To completely change the subject...
Danger, got nights on Fri and Sat, then five entire days off, if Sherlock and Mycroft have picked somewhere to camp? They were discussing the new forest at breakfast...
Then I've got to go on a course :(
Telepathy still doesn't work. Alas!
yay camping :-D that sounds like great fun although the course sounds less so :-(
Two nights in a row sounds very unfun--but five solid days camping should be great. :)
Is the course one you don't want to take for content or for location/hours/general upheaval?
ETA: I am not being able to read the captchas too well (3 tries so far!) so I tried the audio clip? IMPOSSIBLE!
I couldn't be bothered to hate you REReader, I just think you're rude to ignore an anon who tried to explain the problem with what Sherlock had said IF he said it later in life and my only explaination for your rudness was that it was you who wrote it.
I'd really hope no one here hated anyone else.
I do expect that we won't all agree, and I don't expect everyone to like each other - this is, after all, a little slice of life, right heere, in cyberspace.
I think it's far too little to go on to decide anyone hates anyone else.
As long as we can all stay civil, that's all I ever really hope for. And when people do become 'friends' that's even better.
I certainly like having all of you in my life, even if you don't agree with me! It would be incredibly boring to only e surrounded by people who shared my opinions.
Well, that escalated quickly.
This is a blog. That sometimes into a forum-y thing in the comments. That we all participate in voluntarily. Nobody's under any obligation to reply to anyone else, and lack of reply is generally not to be interpreted as rude, or even purposeful. I've asked John questions that he hasn't answered, and generally I assume he just didn't see it. Not that he's rude. If its important ill ask him again. If its not, then whether or not he answers and why shouldn't be troubling me anyway.
Ella
Frankly, L and Ella, I have no idea at all what that last anon is even talking about. I am not aware of ignoring anyone (although perhaps I should start!), nor am I aware of any requirement to respond to every comment--in fact, I was given to understand, in so many words, that posting just to agree is considered annoying and I shouldn't do it.
I'm not even aware of disagreeing with anyone on this comment thread (aside from that last anon's two comments--and the first wasn't a disagreement but a negation)--the only thing I said that could be construed as a disagreement was saying that I didn't think, as I echoed Sherlock last night, that there was anything wrong with what he said AS IT WAS SAID LAST NIGHT, IN CONTEXT, which seems to me something that no one has challenged.
Ella - sorry if I've missed your questions, I think I do miss a fair amount of things on here.
L - that's good news about the camping. And I've acquired a new phone. That I will someday learn how to use.
Oooh, new technology! What kind?
(ETA: My captcha ended "MD". Ha!)
It's the new iPhone. Mycroft said it would give me the last trouble. hope he's right...
I thought you'd have got that new waterproof one :)
Oh, those are GREAT, I lust over the new iPhones! They are pretty intuitive to use--I have an iPod Touch and found it easy to use from the get-go.
(Of course, I'm pretty well embedded in the Apple tech sphere, which undoubtedly helps. But so does its good design. :) And be sure to play with Siri!)
There are waterproof iPhone cases, you know! :D
Seminar will undoubtedly be interesting. Just don't like being away :)
It's mainly about regional co operation and international crime. I'm doing one on Cross border detection in Europe. So I'm told :)
Camping sounds like fun. And maybe you know why it's called the "New" Forest. I've often wondered, because I've never run across mention of an Old one!
I have to get a new phone too, John. I've been looking at the iphones, but I'm still waffling. I hope Mycroft's right!
I hope it's not a long course, then, and not too far away. Is it maybe being held somewhere it might be fun for others to visit? :)
International crime sounds important--and cross border detection sounds a bit ominous...but all interesting.
Good question about "new" in New Forest, rsf, I never thought to wonder!
Camping sounds like a great way to spend vacation! I hope you all have a blast. Sorry about you having to go to conference, L. I hope it passes quickly and isn't too boring.
I got a new phone a few weeks ago because my other one died horribly. It's the latest version, and much too smart for me. I'm jealous of you having Mycroft to help you out, John.
Maybe it's new because England was basically deforested during the industrial revolution, but now they've grown this one back in? (I truly have no idea.)
I would be very interested to know how cross-border detection (er, whatever that is, though I can guess) differs between the US and Europe. Borders in Europe seem more porous and less militarized. But I don't know how that affects crime-fighting per se.
Ella
John--truly, don't worry about missing questions from me. They're almost always things that I can (and should) google, except I'm lazy. And then I forget I even asked them for several days so I don't always notice or remember that I didn't get an answer. And i know the boys keep you busy. So clearly, the weight of the world is not at stake. :)
Ella
The New Forest was created by William the Conqueror (the geezer who arrived in 1066). It was new at the time.
His son William II was killed there when out hunting.
Thank you, SH.
You Brits don't update your names very often, do you?
Ella
Once new, always new! Thanks, SH, that was interesting.
1066? Ah. I'm not sure I'd want to know what gets named "Old" then.
I could have googled, I suppose, but thank you, SH. Now I will enjoy speculating about William, and his inordinate fondness for trees.
I have a vague memory that William Rufus died by riding a horse under a tree and being brained by a branch? (This is the remnants of an American high school education, do not trust!)
I could have googled, but then I'd have to open a new window...too much work!
Forest doesn't mean trees, it just means a hunting ground, so some cover but nothing dense - forests were often actually thinned to create a hunting forest!
Rufus was shot by one of the other people out hunting. He wasn't very well liked so there was always doubt as to how accidental it was.
His dad, the conqueror, also died of horse related injuries, he was thrown against the pommel of his saddle and ruptured his intestines.
Ah, not a tree branch, an arrow. (I gave in and googled.)
Thanks for the info, 7:30 Anon, it's more than I found.
Dangerous animals, horses. :) (Well, they are very large!)
Danger... how do you feel about being compared to cute creatures? (Favourably!)
And...slightly unflattering pics of yourself? ;)
I feel that I probably can't stop you...
Of course you could! I wouldn't do it if it would make you call the wedding off and never speak to me again!
What I read that as: "if you tell me you mind, I will totally wait until after the wedding to do this." :)
Ella
Ha. I think you're right, Ella...
L - go on, I'm sure I'll survive it.
Oh no, had enough pictures of myself end up places I didn't want them never to do that to anyone else!
I would still have shown the boys though ;)
Of course not! Sorry, lestrade. I was teasing, I was teasing, perhaps inappropriately. I know you would never actually do anything to John that would make him feel violated like that, and I know you know the lines that teasing shouldn't cross.
Ella
It wasn't inappropriate.
And I'm not at all sure I do know the lines teasing shouldn't cross - I know my lines. I just guess at other people's, as we all do. And get it wrong sometimes.
Er, my repititious phrasing up there was not intentional.
Ella
I think you know the boys' lines, and john's, pretty well? I suppose they're the best judges of that. But all three would also tell you if they weren't okay with something, and I know you'd respect that, which is about as close to knowing someone else's lines as you're likely to get, I think.
Also I have a different animal that I think that picture looks like but I'm going to have to wait until I get home to post. ;)
Ella
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