I'm not that good with words - not serious ones. Fine with being silly - fine making up rhymes. But serious is difficult. So I think simple is best.
I love you, John Watson. I feel so lucky to have you in my life. I want to grow old with you. I want to spend the rest of my days with you, and with Mycroft and Sherlock as they grow up.
To share life with the three of you is an honour. Thank you for making me feel like it's one I am worthy of.
Now...
133 comments:
That's... Everything you just said, yeah. I want that too. Thank you. I love you so much. Sherlock's going to accuse me of soppiness again when I pick him up. I can't stop smiling.
:)
Sherlock and I had a discussion this morning about procreation versus pleasure, following the poems...
I truly fear he may one day end up with a traumatised student doctor standing over him saying "But...why did you want to put that up there??".
For that, I am sorry...All I can say, is that I don't think he'll regret it, because everything is interesting, in one way or another. Apparently.
(I'm also sorry if Mrs T was questioned further on any topic I covered this morning. And am grateful you're picking him up, not me.)
Love you. How was work?
At least it wasn't me explaining it this time.
Work was astonishingly floral, as you well know.
I don't know anything.
Floral, eh? You must have a secret admirer, Doc.
Not owning up, hm? Think it was Roger Federer?
I wouldn't know...was there a terrible pun on the card about you being 40:love?
Probably Mrs Hudson...
Mrs T...had some things to say. Which I will pass on to you when you get home tonight.
No tennis puns, but there was a poem...
I don't suppose Mrs T's remarks were family blog safe? Oh, well, I'll just have to use my imagination... :D
Happy Valentine's Day. And thank you for sharing the love.
Poem? Very romantic. Probably that florist chap you're always talking about.
Or maybe a grateful patient.
...did you blame everything on me, when talking to Mrs T?
Ifbthe blames is yours, Lestrade, then it's also partly mine, since I wrote.just as many poems...
Not everything...
Hahahaha! Sherlock is awfully knowing for a child of 6, I'll say that, but I'm sure poor Mrs. T, with all her experience of gifted kids, has seen and heard it all before.
My poor kid is just now getting his mind around the differences in anatomy - and just where those babies come out when the doctor doesn't have to cut open mommy's tummy. (Yes, my sister's c-section just gave his little mind a whole new world to ask questions about. "How do you walk around with a hole in you all the time?" Oh GOD. I am so not qualified to parent, for real.)
Mazarin221b, I'm sorry, but I just had to laugh, and thank my lucky stars that I am not, and most likely never will be, a parent.
My favorite "telling the kid" story:
When my Max was six, I took the opportunity of a "teaching moment" (his aunt was pregnant) to tell him about the birds and bees. To start, I read him "How Babies Are Made", the book that both my husband's and ny parents used.
It takes you through flowers, then chickens and then dogs, which is when it mentions male genitalia (testicles). At which point, Max says, "I have those," and proceeds to haul them out to show me. (I assured him that I knew he had them.)
Hm. Have to mention that story tonight and see how red I cam make my 16-year-old.
Ah yes, the moment when you're driving along and daughter picks up two small toy frogs and says "look Mummy the frogs are having sex".
Sherlock may not enjoy it, but you two should enjoy the romance. You're lovely together.
Mazarin, that's just too funny. At least it wasn't in public.
Maz - Sherlock reads John's anatomy books enough that he knows all about which bits we all have.
The conversation, if my knackered brain remembers right, went something like "Snuggle doesn't even rhyme!" (yes, I'm not picking one of MY poems), and then I explain that it's funny because we all know what it would say, if it wasn't read by people of all ages. Which then led to me explaining a lot of them imply something sexual will happen, which leads Sherlock to announce that 'Sex is what happens to get the female pregnant, and neither of you is female, so you don't need to have sex.' So...well, I just started explaining the difference between wanting to and needing to... It was all very 6yr-old friendly and not smutty.
I have no idea what you're talking about. I clearly meant "snuggle". Nothing else fit, unless your mind's in the gutter. Which mine isn't. Never ever. It's as pure as driven snow.
DW - Sometime when you have the time, Sherlock wants to teach you about rhyme. He wasn't impressed, even though you did your best, (I'll save myself and end this with a mime.)
Perhaps Sherlock learned from his DI
He is, after all, a smart guy
For rhyming at will
You sure show some skill
And can whip up a poem on the fly
Don't think he learnt it from me,
Although I've taught him about the bee and the...bee.
But for rhyming whilst working,
which some would consider shirking,
I'd have to enter a guilty plea
Flowers John? I am very much not surprised. As it turns out I will not be going out with my friend tonight because he called to say he is sick. Instead I am going to stop by his place this afternoon with some chicken soup. But of course I don't have anything in the house to just make chicken soup so I had to run out to the store. I am not exaggerating, every man in line to check out had a bunch of flowers. I didn't notice any women with flowers, but every single one of the men. It was practically surreal and I had to just laugh.
I NEED TO BUY THAT BOOK. It will make things so much easier. Thanks, Cranky Bookwyrm. Some of us don't have anatomy textbooks just lying around to let him read on his own!
I remember I knew was sex was when I was 6 or 7, but the idea of him knowing is just...gah. But I need to get my act together and teach him like a responsible adult, like really soon.
KHolly - Whoever sent John those flowers must feel startling unoriginal now :) ...they should have gone with the red heart-patterned silky boxers, huh? ;) (although what would his patients have thought about that? There'd have been heart attacks all over!)
There nearly were anyway, after Sarah's 70 year old receptionist read that poem aloud to the entire waiting room...
I just started explaining the difference between wanting to and needing to... It was all very 6yr-old friendly and not smutty.
I suspect this part was a lot harder for Sherlock to grasp than the bits he could get from anatomy textbook, as it is, for most if not all 6-year-olds. I'm so glad he has you (both of you) to explain what is really the important parts to him.
Whoever sent John those flowers must feel startling unoriginal now :)
There's a good reason why some gifts are classics... :)
Well if I'd been there I would certainly have tried a heart attack, if it meant a handsome doctor ripping my shirt off and giving me mouth to mouth.
As it was, I'll just sit here, surrounded by paperwork, wishing I'd thought of sending you something...
Your secret admirer clearly has a lot to answer for.
I envy your public-servant place
Helping people with every closed case.
Chained here to a desk,
I want to scream I confess
Just making plans how to build a new base.
(some gems from today: "titanium cylinder of excellence," "provide results-driven implementation of a distributed operations concept" and "continuing to track to make ready to proceed to begin planning for execution")
Watching the guilty sent down is great,
It's watching them walk free that I hate,
It plays on my mind,
And sometimes I find,
Keeps me wide awake far too late.
(That is some quite amazing...whatever it is. Shite? I've been stuck in a world of paperwork, running in ever decreasing circles today. Risk assessments...just...No. Plus catching up on ongoing cases and the new ones since I was away.)
What is a titanium cylinder of excellence? It sounds like something Superman would keep kryptonite in.
Oh DW I am so sorry. That's the kind of you just can't make up.
kind of ... apparently I couldn't come up with an appropriate word either. Shite probably fits though.
Sherlock wants to teach you about rhyme. ...
Then he can start in with a lesson on scansion for one and all. :)
(Okay, sorry. I am sorry, that's rude. It's so much easier to laugh, enjoy, and pickpickpick than to take part. Bad RR.)
DW - Oh my god! Are you reading over my shoulder? I am translating one company bulletin (comes every three months) from German to Czech and it's full of stuff like this!
L, John - have a nice time :)
KHolly - yup. Only I wasn't in a store, we were waiting for a tram and nearly all the men were running around with flowers...
Mazarin - My mom told me I had pretty much the same question when I was about four. She told me that it opens only when the baby needs to get out... :-)
RR - given I've no idea what a scansion is, he'd better start very simply.
Danger, seriously, would you rather go out, me to cook, or to order in? I really don't mind. But if it's the middle option, is there anything you'd particularly like?
Every time I look at the clock after what seems like an hour it's only about 2 minutes later.
I'll cook. There's a curry I want to try (mild, I promise) and it sounds like work is beating you over the head.
Scansion is analyzing/marking poetry for meter, if I remember correctly.
I TOLD you I was being mean. :(
I shall now make up for it by giving you an example of replacing the obvious, rhyming word with with another non-rhyming word or phrase, so that you understand that the first one was the word actually meant. This is from a 1910 song by Irving Berlin (from the chorus of "Call Me Up Some Rainy Afternoon"):
Call me up some rainy afternoon
I'll arrange for a quiet little spoon
Think of all the joy and bliss
We can hug and we can talk about the weather
Or you can hear it here. See, Sherlock, it's an old and venerable technique. (I suppose because it makes people giggle.)
"titanium cylinder of excellence" is euphemism for "stovepipe" ie they can't look outside their own areas of expertise.
RR, I know all about meter and scansion from three years of Latin (go ahead, make fun). I knew a couple of mine didn't quite work, but couldn't be bothered to fix 'em. I'll try harder next time, just for you.
Some things are universal, CR. Love, math(s), and bureaucrat-ese.
I only know about metres, not meters. Unless we're talking gas meters...
Danger, okay, can I help though? Work isn't so bad. Just don't like paperwork - who does?
Why would I make fun of taking Latin? It sounds like something interesting to study.
I'm sorry, it's just that something about my brain registers off-rhythm poetry the same way it registers sour notes. And I should just shut up now.
Love, math(s), and bureaucrat-ese.
And flowers for Valentine's Day (or just for love). :)
I'm an Ugly American. Meter.
We could compromise on "metrical patterns"? :)
L - as long as you promise not to laugh when I start swearing at vegetables.
John, the lady who taught me how to cook and appreciate food talked to the things she prepared.
Cutting pieces of chicken was "ah-ha, you slimy little bugger!" and dipping strawberries in melted chocolate went "come here, sweet little baby", baking apple pies was "come on, hurry up, get done, gorgeous"...
I've picked up the habit as well :-)
DW - ah, lagelese and bureaucratese! I thought it's one of the parts of post-communistic culture ("our plans were done to 150%", "our great director Whatshisname", "we are actively promoting the welfare of our country and society") but apparently some things really ARE universal...
For RR I've written this poem
In the hopes that my writing is shown
To be funnier, neater
And stick to a meter
But no promises I won't make you groan
Because Doc got himself some nice flowers
As his stud muffin wanted him showered
In love beyond match
For dear John there's a catch
He gives grey-haired Greg-stallion his power.
You seem to be missing the point that I still have no clue what it is, however it's spelt!
(Danger's swearing at a piece of ginger. I'd say something, but then he might use it in anger... )
why does it have to be so stupidly hard to peel??
I don't know, blame nature.
And tell me what else I can do (or let me peel the ginger), before you choose to shove that where the sun don't shine... ;)
"For RR I've written this poem,
And hope that my writing has shown
It's funnier, neater
And stuck to a meter.
Can't promise it won't make you groan!"
Fixed!
L, I just meant that the rhythm of a lot of the poems--especially the limericks--were, well, unrhythmical. It and it really matters in limericks, since they are largely defined by their meter/metre. (There are, of course, allowable variations--but the rhythm has to match throughout each limerick.)
My only excuse for my snideness is that it really does feel to me like hearing sour notes.
The only place I'd shove this ginger is up its own... And it hasn't got one. So. You can grate it, and I'll go calmly chop carrots.
(And thank you, DW. :))
Grate!
Should I let you have sharp implements?? ;) Might have to give you a kiss, see if that calms you down...or maybe not!
But, RR, now it doesn't make sense. Shouldn't it be "It's funnier, neater, to stick to a meter"? Or...am I still not getting it?
I think my fledgling career as a poet has been shot down. What really mattered in my limericks was watching Danger roll his eyes and laugh, nothing else.
You just...grate that, mister.
watching Danger roll his eyes and laugh
You can still count on that! Especially the eye rolling bit. :)
"It's funnier, neater
To stick to a meter"
and
"It's funnier, neater
And stuck to a meter"
are metrically the same, and I KNOW I'm no good at writing poems!
"To be funnier, neater
And stick to a meter"
has an extra beat in the first line, so you have to smush the first two words into one beat to make it work. Which is something people do do, but then you really should do it for both lines... I think I really, really should shut up now.
I think my fledgling career as a poet has been shot down. What really mattered in my limericks was watching Danger roll his eyes and laugh, nothing else.
NOOOOOO! This is why you can write poems and have fun, and I can't--you keep your eyes on the important things!
So..if the first two are metrically the same, then isn't it just about making sense? The second one doesn't make sense to me. What's the 'and stuck to a meter' about. What does the 'and' refer to?
I think I'm just destined not to understand.
Feel like I'm back at school, and we all know how well that relationship ended...
I say don't try to understand, and just have fun. What's the point of being technically correct if it doesn't make sense?
Pip- to be fair, I don't often get poetic. And when it comes to other things, I think my timing's pretty good.
Like when to put my freezing hands up John's jumper. In 3...2...1...
gahhhh, they were wet too!
(I keep offering to shut up, and no one takes me up on it. Masochists, all.)
Yes, it is just about making sense once you get rid of the extra syllable. I read the original as meaning: "I've written this poem to show that a poem is funnier when the poem is written more neatly and stays precisely on meter, even if there is a pun in it", and that's the meaning I tried to stay with. If you put a comma after "neater" then it means "I've written this poem and I hope this time my writing is funnier, neater, and stays on meter" and your version is correct.
Who says the Oxford comma is useless?
And PIP IS RIGHT.
You're forgetting about irony, RR. As in not sticking to meter in a poem about sticking to meter.
Sorry, DW, my bad. I'm afraid the more tired I am, the more literal-minded I become. it's not so good. (It's also sometimes been very embarrassing.)
I think what I've learned about poetry,
Is it's not a good artistic release f'r me,
I'd write 'nother ditty 'bout John,
but the moment seems to have gone,
And both those last lines are far too long so I'll give up there and return to the day job.
I think that's your best one yet, Lestrade! Brilliant!
I enjoyed the pomes and thought they enlightened Valentine's Day no end.
How's the curry doing?
Curry smells amazing. and probably would be done already if I didn't keep distracting Danger :)
Lestrade, you soppy old sod. And you worried about being able to respond properly to the wonderful dirty weekend that John arranged for you both. Honestly, the pair of you are so adorable it hurts :-)
I'm just impressed by all the poems, metrically sound or not - I can't poetry for toffee. Oh, and I'm still waiting for the flower poem :-) *hopeful*
(captcha says "ovation" - clearly captcha is also impressed by the poems)
The curry is...cooking. We'll see. Should be done quite soon. And I won't even dump hot sauce all over mine so L can kiss me without fear after dinner.
For kisses from you, I would brave hot sauce. Because you're worth it ;)
Nameless - Obviously, I don't know what the poem says, but even if I did, I'd be scared to post it on here. It'd probably come back with red pen on it '4/10 - See me after class'. And I'm...busy, tonight ;)
Eeer...not that it would be me needing to be seen. Um, clearly. Yes.
(There's a reason I was caught so often at school, wasn't there? Hah!)
It'd probably come back with red pen on it
Not from me, it wouldn't, I'm retiring permanently. (I was just wanting to make one snarky joke.) *creeps away and hides*
(the curry's actually not bad.)
('not bad' meaning 'bloody lovely', in Danger-speak.)
So, if "not bad" means "bloody lovely," what does it mean when he calls you things like "wonderful"? :)
Enjoy your night. I'm off to clean my house and try to figure out dinner, since my father's decided (as of 1400 today) he's spending the week with me. I'll be living vicariously through y'all.
Greg, John - It's wonderful that you had the night together with lots of laughter and kitchen antics that I'm sure we can just guess at. ;) Happy Valentine's Day!
As for the poetry discussion, I'm a prose pereson, so I am staying far away from the metre/meter question.
DW - *hugs* I think all I can say is "hang in there" and send some sanity your way...
~A from NW
Good luck with that, DW.
(And before any of you imply I'm on the internet instead of lavishing my love and attention on John, I should remind you that Mrs H's babysitting services only stretch so far - and we're both back being responsible child-rearing adults again now. So internet is allowed.)
A - Proses are read,
Limericks are blue,
There're rhymes in my head,
And odes to each of you.
DW - how...surprising of him. Good luck.
And my one contribution to the spate of poetry (not by me, by Neil Gaiman):
Roses are red,
Violets are purple,
Which is a very hard word to rhyme
And makes me happy that on February the 14th we don't traditionally have to give each other oranges.
That's brilliant, Danger! Ha.
Now...would it in any way help you survive tomorrow's physio if I were to give you a very thorough massage (quietly) right now? Seriously. I don't know if a completely inexpert untrained bloke pawing at you would do more harm than good. But I thought maybe it'd sort of...loosen you up, or something? Anyway...if you want.
I don't know if it would help, but I'd certainly enjoy it. :)
Excellent.
Now sssshhhhhh, or you'll wake up Sherlock.
Or the whole street, the way you groan...
And before any of you imply I'm on the internet instead of lavishing my love and attention on John
I think that's one thing you're never guilty of--missing an opportunity to lavish love and attention on John. :)
DW - Agreed. :)
Greg - Your little poem has me grinning like a schoolgirl. I hope you and John have a lovely, peaceful sleep.
John - I hope your appointment is...useful (?) tomorrow. I can't say painless because it doesn't work that way...? Um, *offers you a heating pad and an ice pack* Probably not for use at the same time...
~ A from NW
Cheers A.
John is at least asleep and...relaxed. For now. I'll make sure we have heat pads and ice on hand for tomorrow.
Glad you like the poem - and after I'd sworn off writing them, too! ;)
Limericks are blue,
HA! Yeah, mostly. :D
Sweet dreams!
Cheers, RR.
Absent dreams right now. But I live in hope.
I hear you. Last night was the first time in almost two weeks I fell asleep straight off--intensive t'ai chi class, wore me right out.
But just resting is good, too. You could try the counting breath thing, if you want to try very basic relaxation techniques.
Mm. Done all the usual tricks. Should never have told you all my breathing secret - worked until then!
Wondering what point I give up for a bit and do something else before I get really annoyed.
I have a whole bunch of tricks, but if they worked reliably, I wouldn't have trouble sleeping.
Maybe borrow one of Sherlock's books? I don't suppose he's reading about mummies just at the moment. (But don't read it if it's really interesting to you--at least, not now!)
Limericks are blue,
HA! Yeah, mostly. :D
I am so dumb. I only just got it. Definitely the best of the lot, Lestrade.
Really not dumb.
Right, giving up for a bit. Going to make packed lunches for tomorrow for Sherlock and John and maybe me.
Well, if you're making packed lunches OF COURSE one for you.
(Travel shows on TV sometimes put me to sleep, so long as it's a place I might conceivably want to go.)
Normally only make one for Sherlock, but as John needs to get from work to physio I think he should have the option of packed lunch, in case he doesn't have time for anything else. Surgery sometimes runs late.
Surely anything you make for yourself would be tastier--and better for you--than anything you grab at work?
Three packed lunches in the fridge...one DI asleep on the sofa hugging his guitar. Now safely installed back in bed and asleep again. I'm not sure he even woke up properly for the walk.
Thanks for letting us know, John--I hope you don't have any trouble dropping off again.
(And thanks for the very sweet image of the guitar-hugging DI, too. :))
I used to be a professor, and my field was Victorian poetry. If you're actually interested in learning about poetic meter, rhyme, scansion, and other fun stuff, I recommend Paul Fussell's Poetic Meter and Poetic Form - it's what I used to teach from, and it's a quick, light, and clear overview on the important stuff. (Sherlock, if your eyes haven't glazed over by this point, the bit in the Cabin Pressure episode "Rotterdam" where Martin complains about the sound of his name is a poetic meter joke.)
Also, L, I'm an insomniac myself and I just read about this technique, which I will try out tonight - picture yourself walking down a hallway, each step forward making you twice as heavy as the one before. Apparently, it knocks you right out. We'll see.
(John, snap the waistband of L's undies for me, please. Just to see if his cheeks will match his pants.)
Here you go John. For future ease and less frustration.
http://www.5min.com/Video/How-to-Peel-Ginger-246959365
Spoons are your friend.
Happy ginger,
Bronwyn
Woke up just enough not to go face-first into anything.
Thanks for rescuing me.
Anytime.
I'm glad you managed to get some sleep on the end, even on the sofa--but it's definitely better that John got you back to bed.
And now you'll have a decent lunch, too!
I've never bothered peeling it. Doesn't turn out any tougher once it's grated anyway. Too much fiddly for no real gain.
But then I don't peel most things.
Right, today's excitement is the road between the two sites where I work is shut by police tape. We've made the news!
SH
Ooooooh, Sh. What'd you do? :P
I've had quite a few instructors who would disagree with you. :)
Who are you going to believe? Them, or a random bloke off the internet?
Well, I like you better than most of them. We may have had some...personality conflicts. But my philosophy is if you don't understand the material the second or third time you're taught it, you're just not meant to get it.
Ha, well, when I was young, my philosophy was something along the lines of 'If you don't understand it the first time it's probably stupid and you may as well bunk off rather than stick with it' - but now that I have to teach people things, I think it's 'If you don't understand the second or third time you're taught it then there's something wrong with the teaching'.
But yeah, personality clashes don't help. Had plenty of them in my time :)
Deppends on the material, I think. Definitely had some teachers give me the "we'll just concentrate on passing, shall we?" speech, usually in engineering and maths classes. Sometimes, the minimum is your best effort.
Mazarin, sadly the book no longer appears to be in print, but if you can find a used copy, I'd think it's worth it.
John, how'd PT go?
About like you'd expect. Not too bad.
I agree. What I'm teaching it's usually fairly important they retain - but then I'm lucky enough to only teach people more to do with their chosen career, and they've usually opted to come to my seminars, not been forced to.
Sometimes though, you do just need the tick in the box that you've 'passed' to move on to other things.
You're okay? Is Sherlock being good? Let me know if there's anything you need - food, anything - we've got one of those gel-things, that I put in the freezer last night if you want it. And a hot water bottle. Tell me if there's anything else?
I will, thanks. I'm fine.
Okay. Just...let me know. Sorry, I don't mean to fuss, I just want to help.
Yeah, I know. And you are helping, thanks.
Hope you are getting/will get lots of cuddles tonight, Doc.
DW - Murder at the Vicarage.
Seconding what DW says, Doc, especially as you've said you're fine, and we all know what that means.
You're very cute when you're earnest Lestrade.
Think you're mistaking 'earnest' and 'flapping about uselessly out of my depth', but thanks.
I would call it "caring," and it's Good.
In my experience the later is is a manifestation of the former, but I think you get what I mean. And I'm certain that John gets what you mean and that's all that's important.
Yeah, he seems pretty patient putting up with me.
I'm just really not very good at not being able to help with things. And this is something I can't help with - short of inventing a time machine and throwing myself in the path of the bullet. Which y'know, I'm trying, but I didn't really pay attention in class enough to do all the science bits...so it might have to wait until Mycroft's home for half term. :)
No time machines in the flat, Mycroft.
Spoilsport. Maybe Mrs H'll let us build it in her flat... or Anthea, in the basement.
DW, not this reminds me of that old joke:
"You know, honey, I feel that it is a sign of an intelligent person to be able to explain themselves so that others get them. Do you understand?"
"No, my love..."
Mathematics... And all related subjects that use formula for calculating (physics, chemistry)... These are my bane. Seriously. I can do the simple calculating. I can understand the theory behind the formulae. I can explain the theory. And then I utterly fail in connecting the theory to the formula and using it to get a result.
PS: Captcha says "booes". It clearly agrees with me...
SH - "Murder at the Vicarage."- ooh, that was near you? Blimey.
John, Lestrade -sounds like you both could do with a bit of a hug tonight :-)
Nameless, yes, where I work. The place I was working in today was at one end of the taped off road. I was working at the other site yesterday, which is just past the other end of the taped area. Very strange feeling.
I've only just caught that on the news, SH. Someone has been arrested for it. Hope it's all cleared up soon. Such a tragedy.
Most of the talk around the office today was about the young girl who was murdered up in Yorkshire. The sort of case that gets everyone, however many murders you've dealt with.
I didn't know the vicar, but a number of my colleagues did, so it's a real shock for them.
The death of the young girl is truly awful. It must be practically impossible to deal with.
SH - yeah. From similar cases I've dealt with, it is. When someone is so young, and also knowing the circumstances of the death, that she died alone, those can really affect both the family and the wider community.
I hope your colleagues are okay. Sometimes it's easy to forget friends in such situations, when the focus is, obviously, on the family. Remember that Victim Support is there for anyone - friends and family who've been affected by crime as well as the direct victims. And hopefully, even if your friends aren't religious, the church will be trying to help all those who knew him. It can sometimes really help people to feel part of a group at times like these, and share experiences with other people who knew the vicar.
Aw, SH. I'm really sorry to hear that. :(
If you need anything, you know where to find us, yeah? <3
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