Which of course meant Mycroft and Sherlock went, too.
This meant I wasn't going to get M&S two-pack cotton easy-iron shirts.
Sherlock thought I should get this one:
(They didn't, thankfully.)
Work and riots are...well, work and riots. Don't want to dwell on that.
We're going camping soon! I have no idea how the summer holidays have gone from some sort of endless summer-sun-filled time when school became a distant memory and the weeks off stretched into infinity, to there not being enough time to do anything.
So it's rugby practice tomorrow night and Friday night...and the big game is on Sunday. There was another practice, which I (and therefore Danger) missed because I was working, and we're...not a well oiled machine. Yet.
Then camping next week, for a week (can't wait - except we haven't got any gear yet, so we'll need to do that at the weekend, when I'm on nights.), and then we've still got to fit in getting to see Nicky and her lot before everyone's back to school.
Oh, and there are a few police cases still open that I probably ought to solve... and a few bastards who need to stop looting and rioting, or my leave will be cancelled...as it currently is. (Not that I can complain - I'm not the one who's lost my home, or business. But it's....well, it's hard. One of my team just had to wave his missus and kids off to DisneyLand without him this morning.) BoJo did come out today and say he doesn't think Police numbers should be cut though, in light of the riots...give the man a bloody gold star. Don't listen to us when we say that, huh? Wait until it all goes tits up, there are over 100 police officers needing hospital treatment, and we've had to call in back up from every other force who can spare it, then realise there aren't enough of us left to go around.
And I said I wasn't going to dwell on it...
106 comments:
The other shirt he wanted had spiders on the insides of the cuffs.
If it was just inside the cuffs, I'd be fine with that. Don't mind flashing a bit of spider when I roll my sleeves up...
It was also about 100 pounds. Apparently his taste veers between appalling and appallingly expensive, though I suppose we already knew that after the Harrods fiasco at Christmas.
Ha, yeah, I definitely don't need anything that expensive. You lot have spent way too much on me recently.
his heart's in the right place...
To be fair, I do really like that jumper.
Are you taking your guitar when we go camping?
I really like removing that jumper from you...it's so soft.
I can take my acoustic...but it'll have to live in the car, under a dog or something. Not risking getting it nicked from the tent.
Why, you want to sing? Ging Gang Goolie around the campfire? that sort of thing?
I'd prefer Johnny Cash, but whatever you want...
I'll change the words to 'Frankie's Man Johnny' to 'Greggie's Man Johnny', if you want?
If my voice still sounds like this I'll be able to pull off a mean version of 'Hurt'.
Now...I'm going to have to drag you to bed. Or at least drag myself there. If I yawn like that again I might break my jaw.
Bed sounds wonderful.
I hope this all gets sorted for many reasons including your holiday. Look out for yourselves.
Sherlock might like this, http://www.liberty.co.uk/fcp/product/Liberty/SHIRTS/Pink-Christelle-Print-Shirt-Liberty-London/61820 but you'll probably balk at the price.
I like Sherlock's taste. Real men totally wear paisley and other awesome prints. Then again, a copper in paisley might get beaten up, more than you currently are beaten up. Of course, before Sherlock shouts at me, I should say that you would win the fight but your shirt might get blood on it.
I must say, Sherlock's taste is certainly... bright.
I hope things calm down over there for all of you and that you have no problem with your vacation. Keep you all in my thoughts!
"It's called Fuschia, John, like Greg the Florist's shop! We have to buy it for Lestrade!" Come ON, L, you know Greg the Florist would wear that just so his delightful John could rip it off him!
(Also - Sherlock reads those entries? o_O)
(Also also - I actually like that shirt. It looks like saris my mom used to wear.)
I just started a new job this week (after ten months of unemployment! Clearly I have all the momentum of a particularly slothful slug) and I walk by the big Harley-Davidson showroom twice a day now, and I always think of you.
I like the shirt, too. It wouldn't be appropriate for work, obviously, but it might be fun outside of work. :D
Who is BoJo? Home Secretary? New head of Scotland Yard? I hope things quiet down for everyone's sake and for the sake of your vacation.
I believe BoJo is Boris Johnson, the mayor of London.
There's a topical working paper making the rounds of the internet which examined riots and other civil unrest in Europe over the last 90 years. Essentially, it found that if expenditures drop by 2% of GDP, there's a large upswing in riots. Local councils in London got cuts as much as 8.9%, on average 4.4%.
It's in no way, shape or form an excuse, but damn. And we're looking to replicate that here in the US. I'm sure it'll work out fabulously.
Azure - i don't think I'd get beaten up more...but it would be wildly inappropriate for meeting victims/their families, court and...well, most situations.
Innie - he doesn't read Greg the Florist, no. But he knows the basics. And that "it's all about love. When will someone get murdered?" of course, he'd never heard of 'Back to the Future'...so the joke doesn't exactly work for him.
Well done on getting a job! Brilliant!
Lawless- as Becca said, BoJo is Boris Johnson. Or Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson, to give him his full name. And he is the Mayor of London. And quite a character. Probably worth finding some choice YouTube moments of him, actually.
Becca - yeah, hot weather and spending cuts seem to be the main triggers. Well, plus, generally, a flashpoint. It does all seem to be calming down here...fingers crossed.
I'm hugely annoyed that there doesn't seem to be any compensation paid (or any other form of recompense) to police officers who have their leave cancelled. And while it's undoubtedly true that we needed more police out on the streets, "cancel all police leave" is just too easy for politicians. It's designed to appease the public, without looking to see whether it's justified, or whether there's a better way to respond than a blanket leave cancellation.
Some of you overseas readers might be interested in this NYT blog (and "interesting") comments: http://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/08/09/unarmed-police-on-londons-front-lines/
The Guuardian has also mapped riots/events with relative wealth of the areas: http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/datablog/interactive/2011/aug/10/poverty-riots-mapped Please note that I am not suggesting at all that people living in poverty are inherently likely to riot, as is clear from the fact that the map shows far more impoverished areas in Greater London than riots. But it does show that most of London was untouched - the riots were relatively contained, and the same appears to be true in other cities affected (not sure whether that map was updated after Tuesday night's trouble).
Shame it didn't rain in the south east the last couple of nights, that might have helped.
(Oh, and sorry for spamming with links, but everyone should see the awesome dignity of Tariq Jahan, speaking out for calm in the wake of his son's death in Birmingham on Tuesday night - worth watching till the end http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZ1VjUSKevc).
Lestrade - interesting choice of shirt that Sherlock picked out for you :-p What are the shirts like that you did get? Oh, and good luck with the rugby practice tonight.
Innie - congrats on the new job :-)
Azure - didn't get a chance to mention it previously, but I'm very glad to hear you Aunt is OK :-)
Um.
Work and riots are...well, work and riots. Don't want to dwell on that.
And then I went and dwelt on that. Sorry :-(
When I first saw a clip of Boris I though he was a character from The Fast Show or something. I couldn't believe he was actually a politician.
Really hope everything calms down now.
No, it's fine - I did too, to an extent. Because...well, it's important. But I didn't want to be all doom and gloom. Good links you supplied to, to allow overseas readers to understand.
It is...well, unfair, that ee get nothing for having leave cancelled, even if you've booked a holiday abroad.
But then you look at people like Mr Jahan, and...well, cancelling a holiday hardly seems important compared to the murder of a son, does it? And most officers feel...well, we're all here to see justice done. Even if we feel the system is unfair.
The shirts were good - plain, with subtle stripes/checks etc. Nothing eye searing.
Kath - yeah, he does come across like that. But he's one of those people you can't dislike. i don't agree with a lot of his policies, but he's so comical that I'll miss the entertainment when he goes.
I think my favourite Boris moment was when he was being London's representative at the closing ceremony of the Chinese Olympics and they were handing over the flag and he kept putting his hands in his suit pockets. It was hilarious. I was shouting at my telly, "Bro, suit pockets are not for hands! Please try to emulate an adult."
Ha, that was pretty excruciating.
Danger, given the rain this morning the pitch will be like a swamp. Be prepared.
And can you bring me some jeans, shirt, shoes and boxers? I'm going to have to work tonight, everyone else is dead on their feet, and I'm off tomorrow day because I'm already doing tomorrow nights... thanks.
All right. Do you care which shoes?
Congrats on the new job, Innie!
And wow, Sherlock's choice in shirts truly is remarkable. And bright. And oddly logical. Five-year-old logic is always the most interesting, though.
Something I can run in. My brown ones? The sort of...trainers that aren't trainers, you know?
Thanks. Sorry to make you lug it all the way across town.
Thanks, L, Nameless, and mazarin!
I'm reading now that Cameron is saying the police handled the rioters incorrectly and getting angry all over again.
L - No worries, it's not that much, and I'll have helpers anyway. Sometimes I think we ought to fit the dogs of war out with saddle bags...or whatever you call them without the saddle. We could lead an expedition through the Alps with what they could carry.
Innie - congratulations on the new job, that's wonderful. Are you enjoying it so far?
Mules of war?
And I'm more sorry that I won't be spending any time with you lot.
Feel like I've hardly seen you all this week.
You'll get all you can stand of us when we're stuffed into tents together, all alone (with other campers) in the (relative) wilderness.
Never.
And Corset is hardly wilderness.
If you can get here early I can skyve off half an hour early for a coffee or something? Say just after 4. I'll take a car to practice.
I agree, corsets are not generally found in the wilderness. Would you like me to just turn off the autocorrect on your phone altogether?
Yeah, all right, sounds good.
Dorset!
If you turned off the auto correct you would never understand anything I said. This phone even knows what I'm trying to say when I don't hit a single letter of the word right. Most of the time.
And when it doesn't know what you want to say, it just inserts the funniest option of which it can think. Though, you are aware that the phone favors substituting words you use regularly. If it finds a word that could be "doubt", "dough", "daughter" or "d'oh", and you use "d'oh" most regularly, that's the one to which it will correct.
All this to say: what conversations are you having in which you regularly use the word corset?
Tinkerty,
Bronwyn
That is an excellent question, Bronwyn.
I thought so. After all, while you might look darling in one, you don't strike me as the foundation garment type, John. Which leaves only one option. And Greg seems more inclined toward leather pants than sprung steel boning. Though, I did go to a heavy metal festival yesterday and I have photographic proof that combining the two can be done.
Tinkerty,
Bronwyn
John, what you want are dog packs! (Sometimes calleddog panniers.) I have seen them in use before: it's quite common, if you take your dog backpacking, to make the dog carry its food.
Here's one site that makes them: http://wolfpacks.com/ and here's another: http://www.ruffwear.com/dog_packs
Good luck turning the Dogs of War into drayage beasts. ;)
Well.
Sometimes I think Sherlock just sits and plans how he can look his most innocent whilst causing maximum embarrassment to us.
Picture the scene - 20 odd cops, practising rugby...
Sherlock swinging around, holding hands with Sal, wearing shorts, t shirt...and his wings. And in a quiet moment he chooses to shout 'when are you all going to KISS, like John and Lestrade do when they play with each other in the park??'
See? He couldn't have planned that better, right?
At least after the long silence everyone laughed...and I no longer feel like I should keep up any pretence about not being with John...
That is so cute.
And what shade of beetroot did you both go?
I think I was too covered in mud for anyone to tell if I was turning red or green.
It was hilarious though, I have to admit. Of course, easy for me to say - I'm not the one Sally's going to be reminding about it for the next ten years or so!
Don't bet on that, John.
And I liked his style, Sir. Although if I ever catch you playing with one another in the park it'll be a charge of outraging public decency, right?
Cheers Sal. Knew I could count on you for sympathy.
I agree with Danger, we were far too covered in mud to be seen blushing. Although our eyes may have widened.
And I'm sure a few of them decided not to get quite so hands on with us... in case we start playing with them in the park?
Need to tell the other team then - the less hands on they are with us the better.
We could have a nice long kiss before kick off, middle of the pitch...
Never know though, might encourage others to be more hands on...
At least neither of us will be in the scrum.
By the way, on the corset subject, you're welcome to try one on, but I'm not sure it'll do much for me.
No thanks. Sounds incredibly uncomfortable - the corset, that is, not the kiss.
Sounds like it would take far too long to get off you , too. Can't have that.
What are you lot doing for dinner? Need me to talk you through anythi
Mycroft is making a lemony linguine thing. I'm probably assisting. What about you? Don't say you're not having dinner or I will be forced to bring you linguine.
I'll probably grab a sandwich or something on the way to our spot for the obs tonight. Don't know yet. It's that or a greasy take away from one of the local shops.
I'm sure between you you'll do a great job.
(Mycroft, make sure Danger doesn't burn the water...)
He didn't really burn the water that time. Just the bottom of the pot.
And he said if you're rude you won't get another birthday dinner ever again.
Can I have yours?
No, you can't!
My birthday dinner was lovely. And John knows I'm just taking the piss.
So, which Tea Ceremony are we going to? The 1400 one or 1500? It looks very interesting. Are you looking forward to it? And what else do you want to do tomorrow?
Are you going to stay awake all day and do things with us?
Not all day. I'll need to sleep at some point, if that's okay with you? I will have been at work for 24 hours. But once I've slept a bit, we can do things.
You're a grown up! You don't have to ask my permission to sleep. I think we should go to the the 1500 one and then go and have real tea and Hungarian pastries because I don't think they let you drink the tea at the ceremony, just watch.
And we should look at mummies!
It's not exactly permission...I just know you're usually excited to see me, and being quiet isn't one of your strong points, either. So...yeah. A few hours of quiet in the morning would be nice.
Then we can indeed have tea and see mummies and all of that.
Have you had your dinner? Was it nice?
It was kind of lemony. John didn't burn anything though. And I squeezed the lemons and also there was asparagus.
I can be quiet.
None of them kissed when I asked when they were going to. Don't they do that at all?
Well done. Sounds lovely.
And that's good to know.
As far as I know, none of them kiss each other at all. They quite possibly kiss their wives or girlfriends, at home. But I don't think any of them kiss other blokes. And definitely not on the rugby pitch.
Why not?
Are you coming home early in the morning? Will you wake me up and say hello before you go to sleep if I'm asleep? If you're at work all night are you going to sleep there at all because if you are you should take Spider.
John says I have to go to bed soon BUT I'M NOT TIRED.
Sherlock in shorts and wings sounds adorable. Sherlock shouting at a bunch of rugby-playing coppers asking when they're going to start kissing sounds hilarious :-)
Why not? Because they don't want to. Everyone can choose who they'd like to kiss. And then, if that person would also like to kiss...then you can kiss. There's no guarantee you'll both want to, though. And there's no knowing until you're older what sort of person you might end up liking to kiss.
I should be ahome a bit after seven, so I expect you'll be up. But if you're not, I'll wake you to say good morning. Deal?
And I shouldn't be sleeping at work, but there is a chance I will, because surveillance is quite boring. I hope Spider will keep John from getting lonely and stay with him. I've got company in the car with me - one of my DSs
Last year I was trying to avoid waking up with enormous spiders, this year I'm going to sleep with them...
Spider isn't like those spiders though! (And didn't Mycroft say they aren't even spiders??) Anyway, Alice-the-Spider doesn't want to hide in your boots, just wrap all her legs around you and give you a big cuddle.
She's the only girl I'll allow in the bed, so make the most of it!
At least this one can't fit in your shoe!
One of our erudite commenters said they aren't really spiders. I still think whoever said they were the face-huggers from Alien has got it right.
You're right, Alice is much nicer. She'll have to do until I get my primary bed warmer back.
Well, I'll be back in the morning...but you staying in bed with me may well bring about the end of civilisation as we know it - depending how long the boys are unsupervised.
At least tonight you won't wonder if it's a leg in your back, or I'm just pleased to see you...it's a leg. (or it better bloody well be! :D )
speaking of...is your leg okay? You looked like you were favouring it a bit at the end of practice? Rugby related injury, or your leg being...your leg? Anyway, you okay? Sorry, I meant to ask sooner.
Seven...I'll probably have been up for a while, sadly. Maybe you can have breakfast with us before you crash.
A spider leg. Made out of a sock. Although if Alice cuddles up behind me on her own like you do, it's going to be a bit worrying.
It's being my leg, but it's not that bad. I didn't really feel it till after practice, and even then it wasn't that bad.
She'll flutter all eight of her eyelids at you... (do spiders blink? I don't imagine they do...boys?)
And they're not just sock-legs, they're very nice, soft, sock-legs.
Hmm. Wish I was with you. I'd give you a massage.
Has Sherlock gone to bed? Or is he still insisting he's not tired?
Asleep nearly before I turned out the light. Would Sally like to babysit ever? She seems to have a knack for wearing him out.
Maybe we can trade massages tomorrow, after our exciting day with the mummies.
You'd really have to ask her...I don't know. She has a knack for wearing me out.
That sounds dodgier than it should have...
Trade massages...hmm. If we're going out in the afternoon I can't imagine we'll get much time after Sherlock's had his fill of mummies. I've got to be back in for 7. Sorry.
That sounds dodgier than it should have...
Heh. It's okay, I know you feel about two-legged girls in your bed.
Point. Well, dinner at least.
Do you actually have some sort of feeding fetish?
(Not that I'm complaining. It's...sort of nice, to feel cared for.)
...Is that a real fetish? I'm not going to google it.
What do you expect when you're constantly coming home and telling me you haven't eaten a thing all day!
...Yes. Now you don't have to Google it.
Not constantly! And I don't mean to not eat. I just get caught up in the day, and the coffee is quick and easy and takes the edge off feeling hungry and...yeah.
So what would you do if something happened to me that prevented me from cooking, but I still turned up hungry every day?
I know you don't mean to!
Well, we'd eat a lot of peas, obviously... I suppose if I could do that dinner, I could eventually learn to cook without swearing and wanting to throw things. Possibly. Maybe.
You don't need to learn to cook without swearing and wanting to throw things.
You just need to remember not to throw things. Wanting to is fine.
I still swear and want to throw things!
I had a sandwich this evening. And an apple. And we've got a pack of biscuits in the car. And some water. And coffee. Just so you can picture it, y'know, as you're missing seeing me actually eat.
Lestrade, it sounds like Sherlock has a knack for saying things just when he needs to. I'm glad he managed to keep things relaxed at the practice for you, and now you don't have to worry about people wondering about your relationship with John!
John, I'm the one who suggest they look like the face huggers from Alien. *Shudder* Nasty, nasty beasties.
Hope you all get a chance to rest and relax soon! Take care.
Not sure anyone was relaxed in practice apart from Sherlock...
And I'm fairly sure no one was wondering about it. But they definitely are now! (Well, not wondering...just...I don't know, trying not to imagine, probably!)
L - I'm losing track of the number of odd fetishes you've accused me of having. Very glad you're eating like a normal adult human being though.
You never swear when Sherlock's helping you though. That's the trick.
Pip - Ah, right. I knew it had to be someone who'd experienced them personally.
Just trying to get to know you, Pericolo.
I swear in Italian and tell him it's words for the cooking processes and/or ingredients. Although now I've said that here I'll have to change tactics.
Ha. You'll be sorry when he tries them out on your family in Italy.
Nah, they'll just believe that someone really has trusted me (at least partly) with a child.
First words I ever learnt were swearing, off my Dad. Not that I knew that's what they were. I just knew it meant it was time to clear off and hide in my room.
What about ones that weren't swearing?
My first word, perhaps unsurprisingly, was cheese.
I wonder what Sherlock and Mycroft's were...
first words? Or first words in Italian?
Although I don't know either, really. Just that I got a clip around the ear the first time I said them back to him. You'll have to ask Mum, when we go down there.
Shouldn't you be in bed? Or are you already?
I will then.
Yeah, I am. Alice says hi.
No guarantee she'll remember, mind.
I should let you get some rest then. You'll need it.
And I think my suspect for tonight isn't the one I'm after...but is fencing stolen goods. Probably looted stuff. So I might arrest him anyway. At least the night won't be a total waste.
All right, if I must.
Good luck.
Cheers. Sleep well. And you, Alice. If he snores, just give a him a kick. 8 kicks, if you want.
And keep your pedipalps to yourself.
Both of you.
...I'm not even asking. You can tell me when you get home.
Goodnight, love.
Goodnight. Love you.
(don't get webbed up as you sleep. Only I get to suck your juices.)
Given what male spiders use them for... John has pedipalps plural? No wonder you keep dragging him off to bed.
I think Alice needs a friend. Maybe one of these http://www.amazon.com/Toy-Vault-12-Cthulhu-Plush/dp/B0006IEX7C ?
I think they're awesome. And while I know that Sherlock is yet too young, Mycroft at least should absolutely read Lovecraft.
Tinkerty,
Bronwyn
Sherlock swinging around, holding hands with Sal, wearing shorts, t shirt...and his wings. And in a quiet moment he chooses to shout 'when are you all going to KISS, like John and Lestrade do when they play with each other in the park??'
Sherlock, you naughty thing! Weren't you the one who was just complaining that kissing isn't part of proper rugby? You know quite well that there's no designated kissing time in the sport! Though you might just have a future as a comedian, if you keep going in this vein.
John, the image of baby-you, all round-cheeked and big-eyed, asking sweetly for cheese is just irresistible. And thanks for asking - the job so far is fine, if nebulous. My boss happens to be out this week, so I'm sitting in my office (separated by 25 floors from the rest of my team because of space limitations) and reading file after file by way of "training." So I haven't done any actual work yet.
(Rider - heeee!)
Work where you don't have to work? Not bad. Well...suppose it depends on how boring the files are, but still.
They're no Greg-the-Florist chapters, I'll tell you that much.
(Also, were you saying cheese as a plea or because you were posing for a photograph? My older nephew, when he was just a wee one, would look blankly at me whenever I took his picture, but as soon as the flash went off, he'd smile and say "CHEESE!")
Ha, cute. Pretty sure it was a request. There are barely any photos of me that young, so I doubt I'd have the CHEESE response so ingrained. And who wouldn't rather eat cheese than have their picture taken?
Oi, go to sleep, you! :)
i ammmmm. go catch a criminal or something :P
I haaaaaaave.
Lestrade - yay for middle-of-the-night criminal catching \o/
Hooray! Was it the one you wanted?
Innie you all said kissing sounded like a good rule! So I thought they would do it. But they didn't.
I think we said it was a good rule for John and Lestrade, particularly on birthdays and other special occasions.
It sounds like you've got a great day planned - enjoy it!
I will if Lestrade ever stops sleeping. John still won't let me wake him up even though he said I could at 12 and now it's ages past that.
And they can't play to different rules to everyone else when they're on the team, and I don't see why the others won't kiss, because they all hug all the time.
I'm awake, I'm awake.
And no, not the one I wanted. One we thought might be the one we wanted. But ee just got him for handling, in the end. Still, glad about that.
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