A day off. I am roused from horny slumber by my elder daughter, demanding to be transported across Wycombe as she is off to London with her mate. The fact that she is late (she got up at 9:10 for a 9:20 rendezvous) is apparently entirely to be laid at my door.
I drop her, and pop into the bike shop in Wycombe. I am considering buying a scooter to zip around on. God knows why, but the idea of being able to get on a ferry to France for about £8 return appeals immensely. The salesman there pounces on me and is already talking about leaving a deposit for a bike neither of us has even seen before all the porridge has come unstuck from between my teeth.
When I get home there is a letter from the DSA on the mat. Curiously I have been expecting this. It is the dreaded invitation to my "check test", basically at this stage of the game, an appraisal to decide if I am considered competent to continue in my chosen line of work. I am not too phased, it's not until late June, and really I'd quite like someone to cast a critical eye over what I am doing.
On a whim I suggest to Emsy we visit the zoo. To my surprise she responds positively. Needless to say Dan's reaction is at the other end of the scale. We are out and on the road in quick time, but as we drive to wards Amersham the skies darken ominously, and there are huge, booming claps of thunder seemingly following us as we travel. Arriving at the station the hail stones start to cascade from the heavens like discarded golf balls, and we start to wonder if the zoo is such a good idea.
The rain hammers on the train roof the journey's length, and another colossal crash on the celestial timpani greets our arrival in Marylebone.
We decide the aquarium might be a compromise. This involves a 20 minute queue in the mean, raw Thameside wind, with the rain threatening all the time to fall in a deluge to soak us. We just escape this fate.
The aquarium has long attracted me, and I am very glad we went. Emma was fascinated, not showing the least sign of boredom at any time, and unusually we went round at an even pace, neither of us hurrying the other along.
On the tube she was thrilled to find that she could now reach the overhead handrails, albeit on tiptoe. A triumph for her, but for me another sign of her precious childhood ebbing away. Today she was still the baby daughter, hugging, kissing and holding hands. I do so wish it could last a little longer, and I really regret that there have been so few of these wonderful days in their growing up. It was always tomorrow or next week or next month, and now we are running out of tomorrows.
In fact, the actual tomorrow we head off for a week in a caravan at Blackpool, and for the first time Sophie won't be coming with us, citing need to revise and work. So sad.
My laptop has gone back to meet it's maker. Very irritating this, as all that is wrong is the electrical supply unit, and all that needs doing is for this to be replaced. I do have some qualms about the PC world morality squad and some of the stuff that's on there. I'm no Gary Glitter, but some of the femdom stuff, meat and drink to the perves of my acquaintance, might well be viewed differently by others.
So I am stuck to continue this blog for the next few days. I'll probably buy a notepad and jot down anything that needs reporting, and bring it all up to date when the lappy is hopefully returned to me without the door being kicked in by the vice squad!!
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