The Square Dealers

I tend to listen to the footie, DAB is kind to me in that way, no hiss, crackle etc. How can I resist today's 'Back to Square One'. It works OK too. The hardest thing is to hear the square numbers called out, its in no way as obtrusive as I imagined it would be. No mock twenties Harry Enfield BBC accents and Bob Wilson is in the commentary box which is cool with me. Not certain about the presence of David Gray. Couldn't they find someone from the Mancs who wasn't working for Sky? (Yes, I know Primrose was there as a trainee, but that hardly counts). Manure start well which is not good. Don't appreciate it, but then I wouldn't. Luckily Arsenal warm up as I type and prepare to slice the veg for tonight's dinner.

Monst's back continues to be a concern, she's really hurt the thing, she's not in work quite sensibly this weekend. Most of the day seems to involve sleep, she ain't got a great appetite, I'm kinda worried.

Cal and I go swimming in the morning, not as big a success as it has been recently. Cal cops well with swimming lengths, sure he likes the reassurance of being close to the edge and the occasional grasp of the wall when he's swimming on his front but he copes and his confidence improves over time. It wasn't helped today when he was told by a lifeguard to swim in the shallow end only. Blew his confidence completely and consigned us to swimming in the congested end of the pool. Still he did the sort of distance he's been swimming recently and received full praise as was his due.

Books, Bicycle's and Pools

My capacity to read and enjoy crap never ceases to astound me. I hit Borders 3 for 2 not for a piece of good literature (indeed as soon as someone mentions the word prize with the exception of the Carnegie Medal - it's kids lit so has to be readable - I avoid it like the plague. Likewise I have a current aversion to anything mentioning the Knight's Templar). So not a great book prompting this but a Jack Higgins which I don't think I've read (you can never tell with Higgins and I often think it's all one story but at least it's one I enjoy!) 'The Valhalla Exchange', 'The Last King of Scotland' (because I vaguely recall the horror of Idi Amin - and therefore want to read the thing... go figure!) comes in at number two and 'Schools Out' that goes in as the third book because the blurb has the magic words 'Black Comedy' on it.

Morning begins with the Sunday ritual dip at Garston Pool, where once again I challenge Callum to swim two more lengths that last weekend so 14 is the target and he copes with it admirably. I actually suspect he's swum about 17 given the amount of jinking about that is required because the pool is busier than usual. This is good for the pair of us because I end up swimming the distance too. Why so busy? Seems to be linked to the bike sale that is happening at Garston today - too late for us then!

Home and we munch our way through the pizza purchased earlier, put up the latest picture in the shrine of Callum (actually I shouldn't mock because this is a sort of tissue paper collage affair on canvas that Hazel at Monst's work has done after a photo of the boy New Zealand and it really is quite good) and then back to the bicycle lessons. Apart from a complete lack of understanding that the brakes and not lamp posts were put on the planet to stop cyclists as required, the boy is really getting the hang of the thing. He even manges to start from a standing start without assistance, which is progress on yesterday. OK on the downside, he runs a couple with a pushchair off the path, investigates the underside of a couple of bushes and rides flat out at the odd lamp post, falls off sufficiently close to some dog shit to be concerned, but these are all necessary lessons. Thank nonexistent deities the little bugger ain't at an age where he can get behind the wheel of the car! And lest you want to know, the return of the bloody Queen song has happened.

Roast a chicken at Cal's request, complete a load of washing and the day's a good'un!

Decs Down

Many thanks to Julie for ensuring I got the decs down on time! Still some disbelief at the scoreline from yesterday, not that I'm knocking it! Much jubilation in the car once we'd dropped Monst at work.

Wake up knackered and grumpy, fall asleep having fetched Monst and surface around 11'ish. Take Cal swimming at Garston. Cal puts in more effort than I do and swims twelve lengths, we bump into some Albanian asylum seekers who encourage him which is both generous and kind of them. Nice fellas.

Return home via Sainsbury's where we fetch not enough food for the night's meal (have to dash to Somerfield's for spuds) and replace the bit of meat that the cat stole earlier in the day! Result is a fine hotpot. News, bottle of Newcy Brown and sleep have all been on today's agenda.

Bits and Pieces

Catch up with the news at last. Still haven't got the formatting right here. The podcast bit seems to be working OK. Problems getting it through NHS firewalls though.

The new tumble dryer arrived yesterday, it goes into action and promptly puts the nose of the washing machine out of joint. I think the pump has packed in, I now have clothes locked in the washing machine, no way of retrieving them at the moment and a machine that is increasingly full of water as we try to get a cycle to work to allow us to get the clothes out. The positive side is that the clothes when they are eventually retrieved they should be bloody clean! The machine itself was dragged down from Scotland three years ago having worked for Monst's mum for a while and has sounded increasingly alarmed recently. Monst has decided it is due its marching orders (it don't match the tumble dryer).

End up watching 'Mrs Henderson Presents'. Joe Willy used to visit the Windmill apparently if he was in London for a meeting, so there is a vague family reason.

Asleep in the Deep

Sunday and Monst calls and wakes me beyond the time I'd intended to sleep to which then meant it was a case of out of bed and straight to Faz. The boy is far from impressed at being woken from his slumbers too! Still we do our job and pic Monst up. Feed on porridge, wait for an hour and head for a swim at Garston. Cal don't muck about, straight up the slide they have. He gets a little bored after a while and joins me swimming. His swimming is getting stronger and he does two lengths, the first time I've seen him venture into the deep end of the pool. I'm impressed.

Lunch and chill for the afternoon having added some of the missing link pieces fetched from Morrisons to the marinade for the Moroccan Lamb I am cooking for tonights dinner. Monst wakes and drags Cal off to see Megan and I roast peppers and listen to 6 Music at a volume that I wouldn't if anyone else was in the house. The lamb works well as I slow down the grilling but the cous cous I mess up. Still you live and learn.....

Half an Hour from an Hour Ago

Sunday and it's boys day, Cal and I repair to the swimming pool at Garston where we splash about a bit. Good exercise. Home via B&Q purveyors of fans to the not so gentry. We've been ordered to fetch a fan in anticipation of hot weather. We do so then to Borders where the Charlie George autobiography is purchased somewhat predictably.

Home and scones are the priority as Cal finds himslef scone maker by appointment to Faz ICU. Translates as him doing the weighing and supervisng me cooking!

Run ins over homework. Fetch Monst to work, finish the news, listen to the Rain Parade and sweat. Beer in the fridge beckons.....

Technorati Tags: The Rain Parade, Garston Pool, Swimming, Fan, Heatwave, Scones

Prof. Pat Pending

Off to Garston we trot. Swimming is fun, although as ever the unworthy thought about the percentage of wee in the pool wanders through my head. Three quarters of an hours worth and Cal is getting along fine and even wanders into the large pool. So ends the fun part of the day.

Technorati Tags: Swimming; Fun; Garston