Work was...relentless. Not particularly terrible in any one case, but a sort of low grade, consistent terrible that makes one wonder if the human race is really worth it. It's not an unfamiliar feeling, but I suppose when I came across it in other countries, I had the luxury of thinking 'oh, well, but it's better at home' even when I knew that wasn't really true.
Getting home (properly home, our flat, as opposed to London in general) helped. Pizza and getting L back from his seminar helped more. So here's the one mildly bright spot of my day.
Reasonably nice house with a flooded basement and a break in. The man came in through the basement, sloshed up the stairs and had an altercation with the home owners. In the course of this, the woman's pet rat jumped off her shoulder and bit the intruder. Scampered off downstairs (the rat, not the intruder; he tried to go out the front).
By the time I got there to treat rat-inflicted facial wounds, etc., both husband and wife were absolutely frantic about their pet...who was eventually found floating in a hat box in the flooded basement. Like Wind in the Willows, I imagine, presumably with oars and a picnic lunch and a mole.
Getting home (properly home, our flat, as opposed to London in general) helped. Pizza and getting L back from his seminar helped more. So here's the one mildly bright spot of my day.
Reasonably nice house with a flooded basement and a break in. The man came in through the basement, sloshed up the stairs and had an altercation with the home owners. In the course of this, the woman's pet rat jumped off her shoulder and bit the intruder. Scampered off downstairs (the rat, not the intruder; he tried to go out the front).
By the time I got there to treat rat-inflicted facial wounds, etc., both husband and wife were absolutely frantic about their pet...who was eventually found floating in a hat box in the flooded basement. Like Wind in the Willows, I imagine, presumably with oars and a picnic lunch and a mole.
79 comments:
At least you didn't have to give the rat mouth to mouth. Those whiskers must tickle.
You know Sherlock will want to train the goos into guard goos now, right? To bite any small intruders the dogs miss...
Bed? Soothe your troubles away with a back rub?
Sounds perfect, thanks.
"presumably with oars and a picnic lunch and a mole"
Thanks for the smile, John. I hope you had a real one out of the thought, as well. Forgive me for overstepping boundaries, but lately you've been sounding . . . stretched? Not sure how to put it. But the pattern of silence and statements have made me wonder if there's some low grade malaise that you just don't think is worth surfacing. So you get a little bit . . . polite, and . . . distanced. Sort of.
Hope I'm totally off base. Abject apologies since right or wrong it's not required that you share your every thought with the Internet.
Wishing everyone good sleep and a good day tomorrow.
fA
I'm glad the rat was found safely. Sounds like it had a better day than you did, John. Hopefully it too was rewarded with pizza or its preferred equivalent.
And I now have visions of the rat inviting friends around to have boating parties in the basement.
That'd be fun, SH. A hatbox, with a rat and a mole, an otter swimming alongside, and a badger watching from the shadows. Of course, it would have to be something a tad cleaner than most flood waters, I suppose. And I'll stop there, before I make too much light of flooding and the associated heartbreak.
I hope today is better, John. It's hard seeing people at their worst a lot, and it isn't much relief to know that they're seeing you at your best. But hopefully you made a few people hurt a little less than they were before you came.
Perhaps today you can indulge a little photography, like this fellow:
http://www.fastcocreate.com/3026935/everything-about-these-pictures-of-a-tiny-adventurous-lego-photographer-is-awesome
Ah, better link: http://www.longexposures.co.uk/legography
Hope you're enjoying a more peaceful day, John.
both husband and wife were absolutely frantic about their pet...who was eventually found floating in a hat box in the flooded basement
My head went first to Stuart Little, mostly because of the cover on the copy I first read... :)
I hope you've had a better today than yesterday, John.
I'm going to need the help of all my boys... Got my fitness test in a few weeks. Need to get running!
ReRe, that's the edition I grew up with too, but I hadn't thought of it, my thoughts had gone to Wind in the Willows too, but I love both.
RSF, thanks for those links, amazing stuff.
And as RSF says, it can't be an easy job always seeing people at their worst... and having to be at your best for them. I'm so glad you have each other.
I'm like a wet noodle after being sick with this cold for 5 days, but as spring is theoretically coming I need to get in shape too, must find a way to commit to walking every day.
S
I hope you're doing ok John. It's tough to feel run down like that.
I saw my surgeon yesterday (the US kind of surgeon) and it's surgery #6 for my poor foot. And eventually #5 for my poor other foot, but that's off in the future.
Thanks for the support everyone, it's much appreciated. I'm coping, but less than thrilled.
Lestrade, you can do all of my running :)
Hi, Becca, hope this surgery will be a major improvement. Sending you hugs, if you like that sort of thing, and best wishes too.
fA - made me wonder if there's some low grade malaise that you just don't think is worth surfacing. So you get a little bit . . . polite, and . . . distanced.
Something like that maybe, I don't know. Maybe I'm just tired of winter. It seems exceptionally long this year.
Becca - thanks, and I'm sorry you need more surgery. I hope this one goes well for you and that you feel better afterward.
L - want to train for a half marathon with me?
Errr...I'm going to regret this aren't I? Yes, I'd love to train with you. If you'll train with me to run between two points while stupid bleeps get closer together?
Heh. I'll do my best to help you with the bleeps. I'm sure Sherlock will too.
You won't make me run a half marathon dressed as a rhino or anything?
Maybe a fox...
...no.
Will you do the bleep test dressed as a fox?
Oh, Becca! I hope there is enough track record of benefit from previous surgeries that you feel optimistic. In any case, I do wish that the results exceed your hopes.
John - I dislike February, worst month of the year, it lasts forever. But then, I live somewhere March really does bring signs of spring, either early or late in the month; hope March weather improves for you. I don't know when spring shows up in England.
Good luck training. I've recently increased my mileage but I can't seem to get any faster. Which wouldn't matter except It takes a loong time to cover a short distance when there are people who walk as fast as you jog.
fA
...no.
On the way home, Danger.
fA - there is blossom on a few trees here already. But the rain still hasn't entirely gone away.
I recently signed up to be part of a relay team running a marathon in May. My leg is 4 miles. My leg of the race, I mean. So that makes it very real. I've got an app I'm using to help train me, it's going well so far. I'd like to start doing 5ks. Maybe a half marathon...someday.
Ella
John, I noticed Greg's completely useless attempt to tell you he'd invited me. He did invite me down, but honestly, if you have a flat full I can get a hotel, not like I'm paying! So I'll let you know when I have the definite dates, hopefully I can at least take you guys out to dinner.
Good luck with the half marathon. I can just about make it to the bar.
Feel better, UnknownS, and ouch, Becca--I hope they manage to fix your foot properly.
I greatly admire anyone who runs any distance at all! (And have no intention of doing that myself... ;))
Danger, I have brought you a present.
Hey, RR, how are your eyes doing?
fA
Fine, thank you, fA--this was the 9 month/3 month followup and the doctor says they look good. (And I'm starting to get used to the new glasses, too!)
fA, thanks. The other surgeries are absolutely a success - I wouldn't be walking without them. I just took a tumble last August and did a lot of damage. Basically everything except breaking a bone, and soft tissue is the worst.
The other foot, well, we're not speaking at the moment.
I have one of the very best surgeon's in the world, at this kind of thing, so I have high hopes that this will get it fixed, at least for now.
Glad it's getting better, albeit slowly, Becca. And glad you've got a good doc! (Although I'm confused as to what a US surgeon is, now...)
I, meanwhile, am scared of my own hands...
...Why are you scared of your own hands? (And what's the present, or haven't you given it to John yet?)
Does surgeon mean different things in the US and the UK? Here it means the kind of doctor that performs operations.
He's making me - well, us - roast red snapper, and mine has got Scotch bonnets on it, because it's national chili day, apparently. And because he's a very thoughtful (and brave) husband.
:)
and I'm scared of my own hands because they have touched the scotch bonnets. The man in the shop gave me dire warnings.
Darren - you're welcome anytime! We'll have a room for you if Mycroft's at school. Otherwise...well, depends how full of a flat you want to put up with!
I had thought a UK surgeon was the kind that ran a surgery, which would be a general practitioner in the US. But I could be very mixed up. It's been a while since I was in London.
You can't wash it off (enough)?
Becca - hope, GP here is your regular doctor. Surgeons do...surgery. But yes, confusingly, GPs do work in surgeries...
RR - I've washed them. My fingers still tingle. Internet says rubbing alcohol or vodka might work...
Yikes!
Right, time to see if they live up to the hype...will John spontaneously combust??
I think you're possibly supposed to wear gloves when you're chopping them.
yeah...next time. If we survive this time.
John has gone pink across his cheeks and his ears...
It's good though!
Apparently the Aurora is visible as far South as London. We've been out to look and I don't think we can see it. But some readers who live in areas with darker skies may be lucky.
I do hope you can wash the chili off without further damage occurring, Lestrade.
I'll make it again then...but you do have a gentle coating of sweat on you...must've been nearly up to an acceptable heat level for you! But next time, I will wear gloves...
Mycroft, thanks! We can't see it from here either.
It was delicious, love. Thank you.
Anything for you. :)
I want mine hotter next time and if Darren stays he can meet my degus and tell me more better stories about murders!
Bed! And what do you mean 'better' stories?? What's wrong with my stories?
We're a lot further north and think we can just about see them low in the north!
Thanks so much Mycroft!
John has definitely done #2 and #16.
http://www.buzzfeed.com/expresident/signs-youve-been-british-too-long
(And this is how I got there - from Mycroft. All true. - http://www.buzzfeed.com/robinedds/helpful-charts-every-londoner-to-live-their-life-by )
Lancs. - Brilliant! I'm quite jealous. (And still sad that Sherlock thinks Darren will have better stories than me!)
different = better in kid speak Greg don't worry ;-)
I can't see anything but floodlights in our sky :-( I think they forgot to turn the lights off after the match again which doesn't look good for sleeping tonight!
Also 17. It's very sad.
I don't believe there's anyone in the world who hasn't done 17!
AnonyBob - he said I've told him all the best ones!! He clearly feels there should be at least one noteworthy murder per day.
It was very faint and very low in the sky, but also not a colour/texture that I've seen before so I'm fairly confident!
I get why you're sad incidentally.
I like both these lists - so many of them all are true. :)
Now that definitely sounds like love - the willingness to handle 'lethal weapons' (in small red form) for one's husband. I'm glad you both enjoyed the meal at whichever heat level you had. :)
No lights visible from here unfortunately, it looks like you're still going have to head up to that glass house in Greenland/Iceland to give yourselves the best view.
That's brilliant. I wish we could have seen it.
And thanks. He's growing up too fast, you know?
Not to worry, L! Should he decide one day to go away to school, he will expect you to show up there every morning to make him breakfast. :)
RR - Sherlock really has staked that out as "his" time, hasn't he?
There are so many different great things as kids grow up - usually there's a new cool, amazing or just plain nice thing starting up to distract one from the sadness as some of the old ones fall away. Ah well. Without change, where'd we get the fond memories?
fA
ahahah, both of those links are great! I love the charts, especially 2, 3, 11 and 12. As for the signs, I'm not British, but I have done something like 2... ie, looked for a spoon in the fridge, and the milk in the cupboard, does that count? #5 absolutely. I guess I do have some British habits learned from my dad who grew up in England, like writing the date day/month/year, it does make more sense. I've probably done 16 and I'm sure I've done 17!
I am starting to be more awake and less stuffed up all the time, so that's progress.
Becca, I'll be keeping my fingers crossed for you, hope your surgery is a success. I've only been under the knife once, and it's not something I'd care to repeat. Mostly the reason for, and the recovery from, of course...
S
There is actually a bloody conspiracy... My day off and it's bloody pouring with rain again!
I have been entirely successful at 2, 16 and 17. And if we can add that other great British trait "moaning about the weather" - you can keep the wet stuff over your side of the country, L ;)
I'm sure you can find some 'training' to do at home that will raise your heart rate Greg ;-)
We have ice this morning, two kids a pram and a mummy all slipping in opposite directions is the stuff of comedy that's for sure ;-)
John found a bleep test app. I'm actually dead. An old dead man in a muddy park.
In a few months of it you'll be an old, dead, fit(ish) man in a park. Much nicer looking, healthier corpse. Do Sherlock proud.
fA
OMG, ghost posting!
(Never mind, between John and Sherlock, you'll be trained whether you want to be or not. ;) )
L. - I'm curious. Do you have to test to a different/higher standard because you have some sort of firearms qualification now?
Pandabob - I SO admire your parenting skills and attitude. I think about having an infant and two still fairly young and panic slightly at the idea: once there are three there are NO LONGER ENOUGH HANDS! Hope you all stay safe on the ice.
fA
Happily still clinging to life as Sherlick has volunteered us for the big school clean up tomorrow. Would do no good for their image to have a zombie in the grounds.
SherlOck and frogspawn will be coming any day now and the lady will come and talk to us about the pond and it has to be nice before then! And you have to run anyway and I bet cleaning the school is good for that.
Cleaning the pond does sound like a good aerobic workout...
fA - no, no different standard. Just the usual endurance and strength. But there's not just the passing it...there's passing it without looking like it was too difficult ;) you don't get to do it on your own - there's an audience!
there's passing it without looking like it was too difficult ;)
Yeah, I guess you owe it to Sally (and in a different way, to John) to uphold your DIGQMF status around the office. ;-)
fA
or, DI GQMF.
typos. sigh.
Ah, I don't owe anyone...I just don't want to embarrass myself. Too vain to end up just over the pass mark a big red sweaty panting heap.
But I've barely run since doing my ankle, and...well, I could be a lot beter than I am, and I should be. Giving up smoking was meant to be this big step...and then I only took a very very small step.
Don't be so self critical. Giving up smoking is a HUGE step, even if you then gained 30 pounds and never moved off the couch. SO many people can't do it, even when staring death in the face.
And you really can't help the ankle, or the dismal weather. Or the rich full (time consuming) life. Go forth and conquer!
fA
What fA said!
Go forth and conquer!
...or clean a pond. ;)
I miss Woolworth's too!
And following your links I found this, which ought to be helpful for my upcoming trip to London.
http://www.buzzfeed.com/lukelewis/45-things-every-visitor-to-london-needs-to-know
rsf...hahahahaha!
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