Well, I think it's safe to say that it's spring now. L took these today...
Things are blooming, the sky is blue, the sun was out... We got very dirty at the allotment... Well. Very dirty is relative. I have no doubt it will be much worse later on, but there was mud in abundance. And I strained the top of my foot somehow getting my boot off later. That's unrelated to the allotment. Probably.
Reg suggested to Sherlock that he make a scarecrow to keep the birds away from the new plants. He doesn't know what's he's wrought. I remember one of you being worried you'd started something here a few nights ago -- never worry about that. Honestly, it is impossible not to start something with Sherlock. His enthusiasms are enormous and often overwhelming, and always entertaining. We will have the most terrifying scarecrow of all time.
The running is...going. Well, the running itself is fine. Finding time for it is going to become increasingly difficult as the runs get longer, I think. And of course one has to schedule in all that time lying pathetically on the floor afterward...
Things are blooming, the sky is blue, the sun was out... We got very dirty at the allotment... Well. Very dirty is relative. I have no doubt it will be much worse later on, but there was mud in abundance. And I strained the top of my foot somehow getting my boot off later. That's unrelated to the allotment. Probably.
Reg suggested to Sherlock that he make a scarecrow to keep the birds away from the new plants. He doesn't know what's he's wrought. I remember one of you being worried you'd started something here a few nights ago -- never worry about that. Honestly, it is impossible not to start something with Sherlock. His enthusiasms are enormous and often overwhelming, and always entertaining. We will have the most terrifying scarecrow of all time.
The running is...going. Well, the running itself is fine. Finding time for it is going to become increasingly difficult as the runs get longer, I think. And of course one has to schedule in all that time lying pathetically on the floor afterward...
128 comments:
I have it on good authority that my clubbed seal impression after running/chasing people etc. is second to none. It's all in the eyes, I think ;) So it's just the running part I need to practice.....
Your welly related injury going to be okay for running?
I think it'll probably be fine tomorrow. It just felt like they were welded on for a second there.
Good day :)
Yeah, it was great.
Next time I shall throw myself to my knees in order to ease your boots from your tired feet...
I actually worry I'll be scared to go to the allotment once Sherlock has created a scarecrow.
It may scare everyone away. The place will become a ghost town and revert back into wilderness.
As long as you're brave enough to sneak in and get the best veggies out, that'll be okay.
I have already told him it's not to contain any form of cannon, explosives, or electronic noise makers.
Oh, beautiful! It gives me hope that spring will eventually be sprung here as well. .
L - I am very glad you thought of those things...
He'd started on the internet... always a bad idea ;) wanted it to incorporate distress sounds of different birds! Can just imagine what everyone in houses around there would've thought of that idea.
We used to go and find the gas-guns as kids, dare each other to get close to them...
How close did you get?
...close enough that we nicked one to hide in the garden of a man who we (at the time) thought had it in for us kids and set it off in the middle of the night...
In our (very meagre) defence we did return it to the field again after.
Ha! That's pretty close...
We'd got quite brave by that time. Knew how to turn the gas off for 'relocation'. And once the idea was out there, any one of us would never have coped with being too chicken to do it, you know? The folly of youth...
Mm. It can be a problem.
I'd like to hope we're bringing the boys up to value themselves above peer pressure... but yeah, it's difficult. One of those things you invariable wish you'd learnt a lot sooner.
The "lying pathetically on the floor" part is always the bit of running that gets me down. I *love* to run while I'm doing it, and then if I go over a certain threshold I feel shaky all day. Which is fine, if it's an actual race and you can lounge about pathetically afterwards with the support of all your family and friends. Not so fine if it's a Thursday morning run and you're expected to be at work after.
Beautiful spring flowers.
I have one child resistant to peer pressure & confident of their own judgement, but when a child's intelligent enough to effectively execute their own schemes, sometimes the results are different but not materially better. And my kid is ordinary, garden variety smart, not like your two. Hopefully Sherlock will also develop precocious common sense.
fA
They think it might top 20 degrees today!
We're topping 20 degrees too! Just the other 20 degrees.
We've got to get Mycroft back to school...but Sherlock is virtually turning himself inside out with the desire to go swimming.... so the obvious answer is to go on a swimming adventure up near Harrow, right? Swim, drop Mycroft off, return...feed the ravenous small being in our midst.
The swimming pool was deep in the middle and shallow at the ends and big and I still swam whole lengths and now we've given Mycroft back to the school and it's getting dark
That's very impressive that you were still able to do lengths in such a big pool, Sherlock, well done. How far can you manage to swim underwater now, are you nearly catching up with Lestrade?
It won't be long til Mycroft is back again and you'll be able to have a nice long break together next time, I'm sure you'll be able to plan lots of fun things for you all to do.
Have a fun evening everyone. :)
Sometimes I feel as if you two and my school are engaged in some sort of custody battle...
You know, it often does seem like that from the outside.
Feels that way a bit from the inside, too, sometimes. Sorry, Mycroft.
I don't mind. It's better than the other way around. I have classmates whose parents prefer them to stay at school over the holidays.
Well for us, you're a pleasure to have around. We miss you, no matter that you're only up the road, really. Can't speak to for the school...I think they may want you partly for your exam marks ;)
(And that for years to come they'll be able to tout your name about as an alumni...alumnus? thing.)
Lestrade cheats at being underwater. He said it was 33.3 metres long today and John said soon we can go and swim in the pool they did the Olympics in and that's even BIGGER. I'm hungry.
Yeah, those gills I keep hiding most of the time are totally cheating.
Any moment now you shall have frittata. I can't cook it any faster.
Especially not with me hanging over your shoulder and annoying you.
You don't annoy me :) And I'm just...prodding it, as if that will somehow help. It won't help. It's going in the oven, it'll be done soon. Hopefully before Sherlock is just skin and bones.
(And anyway, don't you mean 'hanging under your armpit' ;) )
Hush, you.
Love you when you're trying not to be amused ;)
I'm slightly scared of swimming in the olympic pool...I just feel like you should be...good or something :)
I'm sure they'll let you in when you show them your gills.
No one gets to see my secret cheating gills until I know them well enough... You know what I mean, though? It's like...somehow you should be a good swimmer, more Olympian... not just plodding about like I do.
Yeah, I understand. Good thing they don't do it like that though, hardly anyone would get to use it.
I'm fairly sure Sherlock has more energy than most olympians....
Even I'm hungry now. Come on, oven!
It's hard to remember that other people are not so much judging you as just not giving a hoot. Act like you belong and eventually you will.
Apologies if this makes no sense, I'm really tired and stoned right now.
Sherlock is fascinated by this live programme about life in space. He wants to sleep in zero gravity on the space station.
it's good and they're interesting and I bet it must be a bit lonely up there too because it isn't that big and there's not loads of people.
Becca - you make perfect sense. Hope tired + stoned = good rest.
I'd have been miserable sending a child to boarding school, at least before 16, but you do what's best for your kids. In Mycroft's case it certainly serves to make extremely clear how much he is loved and valued.
If Sherlock does a fraction the things that capture his attention, he's going to have an astonishing life. I mean, most of us do, in some sense, but I imagine his as more dramatic than most.
John - I hope you will post a photo or at least a description of the scarecrow if Sherlock is successful.
fA
Sounds like it was a good weekend.
Happily, I guess, for us, Mycroft made the decision and was very sure about it. All we had to do was support him in his choice, and let him know we'd also support him if he changed his mind.
I just got called out for the power of my glares. I have to admit I felt a brief moment of John-ness.
Ella
Ella, I salute you!
fA
Haha, thanks, fA :)
Hope everyone's sleeping well.
Ella
Ella - we'll have to hope the two of you never meet, or there could be some sort of black hole formed as glares meet.
I've got a sore throat. Why does that happen when the sun comes out?? Danger, hope you're feeling okay.
Good morning all!
Getting ready to head into the city to get my splint changed.
John, hope you're feeling fine and Lestrade, I hope it doesn't get any worse than a sore throat.
Good luck with the journey and the splint change. I hope it all goes smoothly and ends up more comfortable.
Sally has just bought me a chai latte....she claims it will have magical restorative properties. All I can say so far is it's incredibly sweet.
Best wishes to you Becca. Hope everything goes smoothly.
Hope all goes smoothly, Becca!
Going by those gorgeous photos, you've got a LOT of tree pollen floating around there, L. If you are even slightly allergic (which you might not even know about if it's mild), you might have a bit of post-nasal drip causing that sore throat. Or not! Anyway, I hope it goes away soon. :)
Sherlock, I think you are quite right about it being lonely on the space station--and also about it being really interesting. And yay for doing extra long laps!
Oh--and how's your foot, John?
Ella - my mum would tell you your face will stick like that if you're not careful ;)
RR - bit better. I swear I get the most absurd injuries.
Becca - good luck, hope it goes well.
L - I feel all right, so hopefully at least if you are coming down with something we won't have it at the same time... Do you want to get coffee (or a chai latte) later?
Danger - that what your mum used to say to you, then?
Dunno about my throat - just woke up feeling like I'd swallowed glass. I am occasionally slightly allergic to...something, but usually just itchy eyes. I'm not snotty or itchy or anything. Just croaky and sore. I shall make wild attempts not to kiss you with too many germs. Coffee would be lovely. Chai stuff was about a million times too sweet. Although it was a nice mix of spices.
I think as long as John and I avoided glaring at the same thing at the same time, nothing catastrophic would happen.
There's enormous variation in chais, based on the brewer. If the one you have is too sweet there's definitely more savory ones out there. There's a brewer here called Bhakti Chai that a friend of mine (who hates sweet things) completely adores.
Good luck, becca!
Ella
L - yeah, although she said it more to Harry than to me. Actually she still does say it to Harry.
Text me or something when you want to go?
You want to come down now or wait until you've got the little whirlwind from school?
Now's good if you're free?
Next time maybe she'll try what is called here a "dirty chai latte"? It's a chai latte with one or two shots of espresso added.
I bet you grimaced, didn't you, L.? It's true, that doesn't fix the sweet.
(Hmm, captcha says "runs triumsel" I think it's impressed with your training.)
fA
Now is good. We can sit in the sun and drink real coffee. :)
Call when you're near I'll come down.
I'm off Weds and Thursday.
Sal is mocking my ....slightly husky voice.
Mocking or admiring? ;)
I dunno, John--there are a lot of things to damage in a human foot!
Mocking. She says I sound like I used to when we worked for days on end and I smoked about 40 a day to get through it...
That doesn't sound good... Do you want me to cook tonight so you can get some rest?
You can cook to protect yourself from any germs I may spray around ;)
Sally thinks a good hot curry will cure me. Not sure where her medical degree came from... the local curry house?
I don't feel too bad, just a sore throat and coughing a bit. Medicating with strepsils and ibuprofen :)
Hmmm. Well, we all need a job perk or two...
(Tea or lemon water with honey feel good on a sore throat. Feel better!)
Sherlock has sent me a shopping list. DVDs, tin foil, small cymbals, lights..... he might get some foil.
Gone are the days when you could grab a 100 free AOL CDs at every turn, huh?
Back from my surgeon's office. It was briefly quite painful, but overall went well. I have a cast on (purple) rather than a splint, which is much nicer. As soon as I got it on my pain got better.
Sherlock, I took pictures of all the gory details, but I will post them after I get them off my phone, which might be a few hours.
My goodness, Sherlock, are you building a scarecrow or a UFO? ;)
Glad things are improving, pain-wise, Becca!
That sounds like it's going to be an epic scarecrow, Sherlock. :)
Glad your pain has lessened now, Becca, hope the rest heals as quickly.
Hope your throat feels better soon, Greg, Although you could do without the soreness, I'm sure John will appreciate the huskiness, it always sounds extra hot. ;)
Becca, glad to hear the cast improved the pain. Wishing you steady progress.
Will this scarecrow require batteries? It sounds as if it might be so effective that a half dozen could cover the entire allotment. And possibly violate zoning regulations.
(I push hot lemon & water with honey for throats, but you have your own in-house doctor.)
fA
Thank you Becca and my cast was purple too and it's the best colour they had and my scarecrow is going to be the best ever and I want to make kites like birds of prey too.
"entire allotment grounds"
Kites like birds of prey sound AWESOME, Sherlock.
Technically a bit of a challenge, maybe, but that would be really cool.
fA
What's a zoning regulation? John made Lestrade something yucky with whisky and apple in it I think it was to make him stop watching what John was cooking.
Sherlock, zoning regulations are rules about what you can and can't do or build on land. The ones about buildings wouldn't matter for a scarecrow. The ones that might, might cover what kind of noise/how loud any noise could be (especially at night), how bright any lights could be, and what size or kind of sign or sculpture you might put up.
I doubt a single scarecrow would be against any rules. I was imagining the whole allotment grounds protected by a number of your scarecrows!
fA
Birds-of-prey kites would be very cool and I would think quite effective! Do you plan to have them perching on the scarecrow you're making first?
(What is John cooking?)
Lestrade says that's called 'planning' here not zoning and I'm not allowed to put a cannon on it.
John made us peas and fishcakes and carrots and it was nice.
I'm sure you'll make a sufficiently scary scarecrow without a cannon.
That does sound nice! I'm having a very early graze off Saturday leftovers because I'm off to tai chi class and don't want to eat too much either before or late at night.
John's trying to get me drunk.
and you're complaining?
On a school night!
Is he trying to ease your throat or does he have other more nefarious reasons though... ;) Maybe you should tell him that as they say in the movie from the 80's of the same name - as far as he's concerned, you're a sure thing. ;)
I think he's trying to make sure I sleep tonight and don't cough loads and keep him awake ;)
you do know that worrying that its a school night is a sign of old age setting in don't you? ;-)
I hope you do sleep, it always seems unfair that when you need sleep to get better its almost impossible to get it.
Your in-house doctor/husband plies you with tasty medicinal alcoholic beverages? And no doubt has plenty of fluids & pain killers handy to keep you hydrated and your throat as eased as possible?
I'm with Pandabob. Still hunting for a downside here . . .
fA
You know how it is, top brass seem to think you should be alert and working, not in a medically induced coma at your desk...
my throat treatment these last three... going on four... weeks is ginger lemon and honey tea, generally made in a great big mug with a bag of gypsy cold care tea. it's at least as good an expectorant as any chemical thing you can buy in a pharmacy, in my experience. Eating lots of garlic is supposed to help fight off viruses too.
love those photos of the blooming trees. you are waaay ahead of me, that is for sure. i don't expect to see my magnolia bloom for weeks and weeks yet.
Becca, the purple cast sounds like just the thing! I'm glad it also made you more comfortable.
Sherlock, I wonder if the scarecrow will be more effective over time, if you can change some of the components from week to week... so the birds don't get used to some part of it and think it's harmless after a while. I'm looking forward to seeing pictures of it!
S
Sherlock, it might be useful to look into what sorts of critters you're hoping to scare away with your scarecrow, and then research what sorts of things they're scared of. You want the scaring to be specific to the varmint, not just general noisy-ness, right?
Ella
John has been making me apple, ginger and whisky possibly with other ingredients that I'm not tasting... there might be cinnamon.
I'm going to bed, night all.
Sleep well, all.
L.- Hope you feel better in the morning. You can alternate Very Strong Coffee with throat soothing hot drinks if the alcoholic haze hangs on.
fA
Becca, hope you're doing ok.
Warm thoughts,
fA
Oh yes, I was just somehow stoned enough that I posted a comment that was 5555555555.
Thanks for the concern though.
Hope your foot continues to improve - the purple cast sounds very flattering. How long do you have to wear it?
I wear it for another week, then get a new one for two weeks, then another one for two more weeks and then I'm done. Or at least I should be, for a total of six weeks in casts, then I move into a boot/camwalker. The reason I have to get so many different casts is that I have funky circulation and my swelling goes down very quickly, so pretty soon my casts become lose and then they don't do their job very well. Also, I'm really good at elevating my foot.
I usually get my casts all in different colors - Sherlock, do you have a preference for what color my next cast should be?
Good luck with your day gentlemen :-). I hope school is fun Sherlock
I'm glad you're doing well becca :-)
Hope all the recoveries in process continue! I'm just staring at your lovely blossoms. They're calling for another 3-7 inches tonight and more tomorrow. Just as my kids get off for (ha!) Spring Break.
Getting different colour casts sounds like a great idea Becca. What are the choices? Although if you tell us we may all provide our own suggestions ;)
Hope everyone feels better than yesterday.
I did wonder, Becca, if you'd fallen asleep on the keyboard, but one never knows. ;-)
I like the idea of sparkly cast adornment - stick on stars, or paint on stripes or something. It seems better than having everyone sign one's cast, which was more exciting when we were young than it seems to me now.
Onwards, hope the day is going/has gone well, depending on time zones.
(Captcha seems to mourn your impaired mobility, Becca, it gave me "rdanceR Sadl" I wanted to tell it you'll dance again!)
fA
John, would you like a bundle of germs? I think I could probably spin him around a few times, stuff him in the car and drop him off before he knew what was happening.
I, um, yes, fell asleep at the keyboard. I often refer to my time on narcotics as my narcoleptic periods.
Let's see if I can remember. I think there was red, blue, black, green and pink. Plus purple of course. There's also one that's sort of an explosion of colors, which is always fun. The best cast I ever got (aesthetically, of course) was white background with a red stripe, like a candy cane. I then made snowmen out of felt and glued them on. I may have a picture running around somewhere.
Yup!
Here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/59619641@N00/325619227/
Ha, fA, I don't think my surgeon would approve of me dancing. I'm a bit of a klutz.
Specially for Sherlock - I found pictures of an older surgery, hope these keep you occupied while I work on getting the new pictures uploaded.
http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2062/2366322447_e5e24fcf50.jpg
http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2059/2366322443_fb8fc8905a.jpg
That doesn't sound good Sally, I hope he doesn't infect you all with the lurgy ;-)
Sally, just what I always wanted... Shall I come and get him?
It is all sorts of not FAAAIRRR to be sick on one's days off. Hope this runs its course faster than it sounds like it will.
fA
No! I'm fine. And quarantined in my office, although I might go and breathe on Sal for that comment.
Mmhmm. Let me know if you want a ride home. Or anything else.
If you can inject me with energy and make me stop coughing I'd be most grateful.
I probably can't manage that, sorry love.
What am I paying my taxes for if I can't even get a doctor to fix me up ;)
I know, it's a travesty.
coughing -> needs gingerlemonhoney tea. sorry about that, it's no fun being sick.
Becca, wow. I took the liberty of admiring your needlework too.
S
I've been coughing the last several days, but mostly when I lie down. Which means I've not been sleeping much, alas.
Becca, that's awesome work on that snowman cast! (I vote for the explosion of colors, next--that would cheer me up! Although purple is always my favorite color. :))
Did you all see this picture of a parrot? I couldn't see what it really was no matter how hard I tried until I saw how it was done, here. (It's hard to see even knowing!) The frog video is pretty amazing, too...
How's the scarecrow creating going, Sherlock?
You working this week? Helping people with genuine need? Or will I get your personal attention nursing me better?
Thanks S. I've been doing it for years. I'm doing a really simple project while I'm stoned, I care about it too much to mess up my work, but hate to not be doing it.
I am working, yeah. Are you staying home tomorrow you think?
I'm off tomorrow and Thurs. was planning on hitting the art club...but I'll have to see how I'm feeling.
No you have to be better for art club John will make you better in time.
I definitely hope you're better in time for Art Club, Greg, you can't let the artistic genius down.
Hope your patient will do as he's told , John, though I don't hold out much hope if his refusal to leave work already is anything to go by. ;)
Excellent cast decorations, Becca, and gruesome stitches - is that the same thing that you've had done again this time. I vote black for the cast then you can add your own bits of colour and glitter maybe.
Amazing photo, RR, I didn't see what it was til I read it either.
Hope everyone is feeling better soon. :)
After nearly 50 years on this planet, many of them containing a cold or two, I feel like I'm fairly capable of making my own treatment decisions.
It's just a bonus that I have a lovely husband who'll try to make me feel better however he can. And a small boy who'll try to use me as a science experiment...
Sorry if I've upset you there, Greg, I have every faith in your decision making capacity of course, and the lovely bonuses which you have and enjoy too.
Who wouldn't want to be a science experiment? ;-)
Good luck with getting better as quick as you can Greg, time off should not be spent in bed or at least not in bed sick :-)
Anyone going to watch 'Cure Me - I'm Gay!' tonight? I think I'm too scared.
I've seen the trailer for it - looks like deeply uncomfortable viewing.
Joolz, the photos are from an earlier surgery that I had done four times, twice on each foot, after the first time on each foot failed. This surgery is one I haven't had done before, and will take about half as much time to recover from as the one those stitches were from. They are gruesome though, aren't they?
I like the glitter suggestion, and I suspect Sherlock would approve.
Nameless - yeah, I don't think I can, even though I want to know what happens. That's why I was wondering if any of you might be.
Becca - sorry, sometimes Sherlock isn't too good at saying thank you, but he did enjoy your foot photos. Although he definitely wants one where you have bits of dead people inside you (despite that obviously not being a thing you can see at all.)
Hi Sherlock, here's the picture from my surgery last week. You can the see incision, a line below where he thought he might have to do an incision but didn't, and the writing is actually his initials, which he does as part of the hospital's plan to prevent surgery on the wrong side of the body.
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-Ag2hF-xye-A/UyiqGFUzzsI/AAAAAAAAAYE/91wa55ipXbM/w532-h709-no/IMG_20140317_112041.jpg
Thank you! John says when people have surgery here they often write it on themselves like saying 'THIS ONE' and 'OTHER LEG!' and things to make sure it doesn't go wrong and I would definitely do that. I like your stitches and I hope your bruises go away soon and the swelling even though bruises are interesting.
You're welcome Sherlock!
The bruises and swelling will go away soon. They don't really hurt, and are mostly because I'm currently on blood thinners to prevent a clot in my leg or lungs.
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