29 September 2012

Brains are in a rut

Yesterday John bravely left me and Sherlock to our own devices while he went off to talk to one of the FMEs I work with, Manas. He's a great bloke, been doing the job almost as long as I've been on the force. Seen it all, from deaths of tiny babies to the carnage of the terrorist attacks in the tube. Peaceful, planned suicides to the messiest murder you can imagine. Allegations of police brutality, and people so terrified after they've been assaulted they don't want to be near another living person. A good bloke to talk to about what it is to be an FME.

I think John would be incredibly good at it. But I also know there are things that you deal with that are very hard. And some of those things are ones I won't find it particularly easy to talk to him about.

Anyway, that meant that Sherlock and I had to occupy ourselves. High on Sherlock's list for the evening were crisp sandwiches and inventing a new explosive security dye device.

High on mine were keeping the flat in one piece and proper nutrition.

We both sort of got what we wanted.

27 September 2012

Beyond your tunnel vision reality fades, Like shadows into the night

It's not very often I feel a bit lost for words for a blog post. But I have been recently.

John was amazing today - in light of my current inability to get a decent amount of sleep, he went out and bought some truly amazing decaff coffee.

I know it's been a while, but every time he does something like that - goes out of his way to think of me, I'm just amazed. I don't expect it, I hadn't even really mentioned trying to cut back on coffee except for one comment, and there he is, already ahead of me.

We had a great weekend. The boys both enjoyed themselves, Sherlock is still being a different animal every night, and Mycroft really enjoyed the prison/fort/island. Especially when John mentioned the family history he had linked with it.

I'm working a few cases at the moment, none particularly nice. Although being a detective for homicide and serious crimes that's not exactly a surprise, is it?

I really do hope we can work out a way for John to be an FME. Mainly because I think he'd be very good at it. Although Im more than aware that it can be very difficult. I don't think any amount of training can prepare you for some things.

And also, it'd mean maybe I'd sometimes get a bit of time looking after the boys on my own. Which I think would be fairly fun. And I'm not sure I've done it since the famous Murder Scene John walked in on... yeah, I can see why I don't get left alone with them now. :)

24 September 2012

Park Life

Lestrade said I could update for him so I want to say all about our weekend. There's lots of pictures.

21 September 2012

It's so hard to be yourself when you feel like something's wrong

We're all together again :)

http://www.freesparkle.comhttp://www.freesparkle.comhttp://www.freesparkle.comhttp://www.freesparkle.comhttp://www.freesparkle.com
http://www.freesparkle.comhttp://www.freesparkle.comhttp://www.freesparkle.comhttp://www.freesparkle.comhttp://www.freesparkle.comhttp://www.freesparkle.comhttp://www.freesparkle.comhttp://www.freesparkle.com
http://www.freesparkle.comhttp://www.freesparkle.comhttp://www.freesparkle.comhttp://www.freesparkle.comhttp://www.freesparkle.comhttp://www.freesparkle.comhttp://www.freesparkle.comhttp://www.freesparkle.com

(It was the closest to glitter that the internet would provide)

Sherlock went to bed horribly late, but he doesn't have school tomorrow, so we didn't think it would do him any harm. And if it subdues him at all, then even better...

Obviously can't tell you where we're going for his Birthday, but you'll find out soon enough. It's just lovely having Mycroft home again, and spending time together.

Especially in light of what's going on.

I don't get it. None of us do. Unless the entire point of sending pictures of us...or me, this time, is just to make us uncomfortable. In which case well done, it's working.

When I spoke to John after Sherlock had opened the envelope I...I dunno. I almost knew, after he'd asked me if I'd sent anything. Don't have to be a genius to get from that to why he'd suddenly want to talk to me.

I wasn't expecting it to be pictures of me though. Us, maybe. Not just me.

I suppose I was just the easy one to find.

Been a bit difficult sleeping again recently. And now...yeah, probably worse. I mean, I have complete faith in the security team, and John, to keep everyone safe - not that there is any direct threat anyway. It's just...the thought of being watched. Waiting for the next thing to happen, constantly feeling like you've got to be on your guard. Honestly, it's like the last couple of years of my marriage. That feeling that you just can't relax. Always wondering if you're doing the right thing.

I thought I was past all that.

18 September 2012

Find, I want your name, On my tattoo

Unbelievable news from Manchester today. Senseless. Incomprehensible.

My thoughts are with their families, friends and colleagues.

"Step forward now, Officer, you've borne your burdens well.
Come walk a beat on Heaven's Streets. You've done your time in Hell."


In more cheerful news, Sherlock set some sort of glitter-paper trap for me to walk into. So I got home to be utterly doused in glitter and confetti. It's everywhere. And I mean everywhere.


And now, onto a message I promised for AnonyBob, for being the 24000th commenter on this blog. Which, no, doesn't contain nearly enough about my job and far too much about 'boring stuff', Sherlock says.


16 September 2012

You want to throw confetti fingerprints

So, clearly my last poll was a bit silly. You don't get to pick and choose what evidence you get when you're investigating a crime.

The person who chooses that, you could say, is the criminal. So perhaps the question should have been 'which of these would you rather leave behind at the scene of a crime, if you were a criminal...'

I'm happy to report that 53% of you would make rubbish criminals. Actually, to be fair, most criminals make rubbish criminals, so perhaps that's not so good!

Anyway, from my perspective, as a copper... Fingerprints, brilliant. Mainly because we have a LOT of them on record, we can take them easily, even out on the street, these days, get a match, make an arrest, fantastic.

Footprints...well, excellent if you leave them. And lots of people do. Because none of us can levitate yet, and very few criminals carry a mop and bucket with them... however, a bit prone to being ruined by others. And we have to catch you to get a match.

DNA...if you're a convicted criminal, we'll have it on record, otherwise, again, we need to get you and take it, and it does take time. But still, a good find at any scene.

However, in the eyes of the law, one of these results is less reliable than the others...


15 September 2012

Spinning around!

Lestrade says that's a song and he uses songs to do his titles and that's what we did today. This is Sherlock.

First Lestrade went to work but after he helped me get breakfast and it's lucky he can do eggs with one hand because that meant he could do breakfast and then he went to work and not for too long because he came back and John said he'd go and get Lestrade's bike and that made Lestrade smile lots.

Anyway then because John had to go on the Tube Lestrade said we should go and do something so we went to the river and there were lots of people. There was a big stall with old books on and lots of food and people just walking around and first we went on the giant chairs and then Lestrade said we could go on the BIG ride so we did and here's a picture we took after we went on it to show you and John:



It's really really really high up and you can see loads and you spin around and around even when you're going up and down but mainly when you're at the top. It was brilliant and I want to go again! And afterwards we got ice cream because Lestrade said I would be sick if I had it first but I wouldn't have been.

And then after a bit we went home because we thought John might be back and he was and he wants to go on it too he said and I said I'd take him but Lestrade wants to take him too.

Now Mrs Hudson is looking after me and she said she wouldn't want to go on it at all and John has taken Lestrade out to dinner I think because Lestrade is sad about his hand and his case that's just legs and I read in the news they belong to a really little baby so that's not very nice. And then Lestrade being sad makes John sad as well as he's probably lonely now we're all at school and work again. But I think dinner with John and pudding and having his bike back will make Lestrade happier and going on the ride again will too especially with John and my birthday will make everyone happy because I bet we'll go somewhere brilliant and I hope maybe camping and the animal park.

12 September 2012

See the times are changing, And I'm sure of nothing that I know

I've no idea what I look like. Sitting in a pub trying to type on my phone. Like some old bloke who can't use it right probably.

Haven't been to the pub in ages. And almost never on my own, but it's not the sort of night to go and sit by the river, which is my other default destination when I don't know what to do with myself.

Sorry, John. I'm not remotely angry with you, although I suppose it seems that way. Or maybe I am, a bit, and jealous. but I'm aware it's stupid and pointless. Which makes me far more angry at myself. I know you're completely capable of taking care of yourself. I am more than aware that right now I couldn't be any help even if you did want it. Which you won't. So that leaves me with a bad mood and the only person who deserves to deal with it is myself. Which I'm probably doing a monumentally bad job of.

I keep forgetting I have to put down my phone to pick up my drink though. In Sherlock's words, 'Stupid hand'. My bike's fixed though. So might have to persuade John into picking that up for me, if he's still talking to me once I roll home.

Just having one of those days where nothing specific goes wrong, but nothing goes remotely right either. My team are virtually mutinying. Them and the rest of the force. Service, I mean. Not a force anymore, and isn't that the truth. More of a whimper than a bang these days, even with some of the genuinely good ideas and ops we do.

So I've got a team of officers who are being asked too much and can't do enough. And now we've been told that all our plans for retirement, the one light at the end of the tunnel, is being switched off.

Overheard some of them today making wild assumptions about my life, my future. I am, apparently, minted. And this won't effect me. Well, maybe they're right. Obviously I'm much better off now than I ever have been. But if there's one thing life's taught me it's not to sit back and expect everything to work out how you think. I've got a plan B now. Hell, I've got plans for most of the alphabet these days.

And now I'm going to hit post and every single paragraph I've put in this sodding update will disappear like always. Sorry. I'll go and put them back in once I'm at home. And I had a drag on a cigarette earlier, before deciding the amount of self hate that would bring later wasn't worth the very temporary pleasure. Now feeling like I may as well have hung myself for a sheep as a lamb. Can hear my mum now 'I don't know why you do these things to yourself, Greg.' Neither do I, mum. Neither do I.

Edited to add paragrahs back again.

And to say I'm happy that although it's taken far too long, the families of the Hillsborough victims have finally been apologised to, and I hope they can take some comfort in the truth coming out, although obviously it will never be enough. What a shameful episode for the police.

8 September 2012

Fences, we put up our defences.

Well. This will be a slow enty and probably not very long because typing with one hand is slow.

John pretty much said what happened. heading to ~Richmond, bloke swerved and cut us up and headed off. I don't know if it was planned or what. could have just been bad riding, really. No idea.

Anyway, I don't know what i did I think I sort of rtied to reach and grab John, but just ended up landing on my hand on the kerb and  bending my fingers up or something. And John's now massaging my bruises with ice cubes


My bike's in the garage, getting fixed and checked. I've got my spare helmet...and actually need to ask John if his is all right (I'd suggest not, actually.) I know I cracked mine on the same kerb.

we werent going very fast, but even not fast is fast enough when you hit the road.

Last night was nice. Mrs N seems like she'll cope with Sherlock, and he's warmed to her a bit.

And it's about a year since I moved in with John and the boys. So we should celebrate and have a date...when I don't need John to cut up my food for me... and after he's let me buy him a new suit..

Nice shirt, Danger? To go with a lovely suit?

4 September 2012

"You! Yes, you behind the bikesheds, stand still laddy!"

We're finally off to take Mycroft back to school. Everything is packed. Well...everything he absolutely needs right now. I'm sure we'll deliver some things in the future, and take away others...

Sherlock is a bit quiet. Think he'll miss his big bro really. Although he's excited about this thing on Friday that Mrs N has suggested - a sort of food+drinks thing in the school grounds, with the added bonus of frog spotting.

It'll be good for parents to get to talk to her, as I'm sure all the kids there have odd little quirks and things that she's probably best warned of. Sherlock very grumpily said that Mrs T has passed on 'Sherlock's Big Book of Things Not To Do'.

So...it'll be odd, the flat being rather a lot emptier, without one fairly small (but tall) boy, and two very large dogs.

Mycroft, I saw this and thought of you:






I've printed you out a copy, so you can put it up in your room ;)

(and yes, you can have one too, dear reader, if you know what the song lyrics is from today without cheating. You will have to print it yourself, though...)

2 September 2012

If You're Fond Of Sand Dunes And Salty Air

As John said, we went for a walk along the beach yesterday.

I think Mycroft thoroughly enjoyed time to laze by the pool, in the pool, in the sea, and not be under constant surprise attacks, or attention-seeking from anyone. When we got back he was floating on an inflatable in the pool, reading. No fear of being tipped in...

Here's where we ended up - it was a big sand dune. John floated somewhere at the bottom, letting the sea soothe him into a state of restful peace... until he was rudely interrupted by certain people.


As you can see by the right corner of the picture, the dune got a lot steeper, so was perfect for running down to launch our attack...

I think we're having another lazy day today, although apparently there are some roman ruins nearby, so we might go and visit those. Then think about going home...