16 December 2012

If you should go skating, On the thin ice of modern life

Well, Nicky and hers have headed off home, after a lovely weekend. Certain instances not being mentioned. It was great to see them, though, and we sort of had a bit of Christmas lunch today - crackers and everything :) Carla and Mycroft made it all - kept them out of trouble this morning, being supervised by me. Which did mean John was the one to brave the shops again...sort of feel that may have been the wrong way around, as she's my sister! But nobody thought he should be left supervising the chefs - particularly him!

And then this afternoon we all went ice skating - Mycroft, as usual, making the rest of look like flailing messes as he slid about gracefully. Well, okay, we made ourselves look that way... Then we took refuge in coffee for a while, and then bid Nicky, Mark, Carla and Paul goodbye. I think Nicky probably needed a bit of a break from Mum, too. Who apparently wasn't exactly happy about it, but Rach and Sam stepped up for visiting her, so she's not been abandoned.

Now...now John and I are escaping into a night of debau...er..luxury.


One thing I saw the other day, on the memos list at work, was an Op run by Sussex Police. Operation Cranberry - They're raising awareness of domestic abuse. So they tweeted about every instance of domestic abuse reported to them in a 24 hour period. This is a tiny snapshot of the types of domestic abuse, and the number of people suffering it. You can read the tweets here.

It shows that domestic abuse can take many forms, and isn't just between couples, but parents and children, brothers and sisters, families, it can be men abusing women, women abusing men, same-sex abuse... there's no typical story behind it. I think it's a great way to get the message out there and educate people. Some people honestly don't know that what they're living with is abuse. Others are too scared or embarrassed to come forward. I hope anyone suffering who saw that at least feels like there's somewhere they can now turn (the police or a helpline/charity/friend or relation who could help.)


Anyway, on a significantly brighter note, I need to go and pack...let's see...um...pyjamas...nope. Clothes - just what I'm wearing now ;) . Other...accessories, yup, let's pack!




81 comments:

John H. D. Watson said...

That tail had better not be anywhere near your bag.

Greg Lestrade said...

And what are you going to do if it is?? :)

John H. D. Watson said...

It might end up being conveniently forgotten at the hotel tomorrow.

Greg Lestrade said...

It's booked in your name, right? So I'm sure they'd track you down and return it to you... good hotels do that sort of thing :)

John H. D. Watson said...

I could have them deliver it to you at work...but given that you got it from work, that's probably not much of a threat.

Greg Lestrade said...

I would tell everyone how incredibly grateful you'd be that I managed to get it back, and how devastated you were that you'd left it there.

So no, not much of a threat ;)

John H. D. Watson said...

...Yeah, I'm never going to win this game, am I?

Anonymous said...

Don't you two have something better to do than argue about who's getting any tail tonight?

Anon Without A Name said...

Have a lovely time, gents :-)

Sherlock, Mycroft, I hope you have a nice quiet evening and morning with Mrs Hudson.

Mrs H - I hope you have a nice quiet evening/morning too :-)

Greg Lestrade said...

This place is actually posher than it looks online... not sure they usually get a couple of bikers walking through that lobby :)

pandabob said...

you'll be turning heads but then I think you would anyway :-)

enjoy.

REReader said...

You two certainly deserve a break--have a good one! ;)

Greg Lestrade said...

Cureently having a break ;) and arguing about who should get up to open the door for the room service (John, clearly. He's closest to the door.)

John H. D. Watson said...

By two feet at most! And you're properly dressed.

Greg Lestrade said...

I'm certain they're used to seeing people improperly dressed.

John H. D. Watson said...

Not the pointtt.

Greg Lestrade said...

Anyway, dressing gown isn't actually 'properly dressed'. You know, technically. Just 'more dressed than you'. Which is rare.

If I go, you get none of the coffee crumb that goes with the venison. I shall eat it all before it reaches you.

Anon Without A Name said...

Just how improperly dressed?

*ahem*

Rider said...

Personally I feel that for two healthy men off on a dirty weekend, to be dressed is improper.

John H. D. Watson said...

It is rare, so you should take advantage of it and show off your dressing gown to whatever poor soul they send up with our dinner.

Greg Lestrade said...

Nameless - as improperly as can be. He's got a shoe on his head, sock on his ear, trouserleg on one arm, t-shirt as underpants. All over the place, he is... ;)

John H. D. Watson said...

After a brief struggle, I'm now wearing his dressing gown.

Greg Lestrade said...

(he still has a sock on his ear.)

John H. D. Watson said...

Lies. I think there's a sock on the lamp though.

Greg Lestrade said...

wouldn't have put the dressing gown on, except Danger jumped me before we shut the blinds. Didn't want to give any neighbours a shock when I got up to go to the loo.

John H. D. Watson said...

And since he kindly gave up custody of the dressing gown, I got up when room service knocked.

Anon Without A Name said...

Oh, go on, give the neighbours a cheap thrill :-p

Greg Lestrade said...

And I called Sherlock to say goodnight, and promised him we were having absolutely no fun at all.

...he told me Mrs H let them put Christmas garlands up. And a wreath on the door. Apparently it's got bats and snowflakes and glitter and frogs and dragonflies and icicles and stars on it...

I'm slightly scared of going home now. Might stay here in our cage.

John H. D. Watson said...

...Where did the champagne come from? We didn't order this, did we?

Greg Lestrade said...

...not exactly.

John H. D. Watson said...

Did you smuggle it into the hotel?

Greg Lestrade said...

It arrived with me, with my other belongings, yes. The ice bucket I had to ask for...

John H. D. Watson said...

Ha. Excellent.

Greg Lestrade said...

...just told them I had such a scorchingly hot doc in here with me I needed a lot of ice to stop their hotel catching fire... they understood completely.

John H. D. Watson said...

...Uh huh.

You know, if you keep this up, eventually nothing will embarrass me and then what will you do?

Small Hobbit said...

Doc, is that a challenge you really want to make?

Greg Lestrade said...

I think you underestimate how much I will strive to up my game on this front, Danger.

Greg Lestrade said...

(Can I just say, if anyone ever tells you you can eat Calvados pannacotta, blackberries, caramelized apples, and salted caramel ice cream, then bite their arm off to get it. this is heavenly.)

John H. D. Watson said...

It is amazing.

And so are you.

Greg Lestrade said...

(just in case you doubted it, was just showing J I think he's rather amazing too.)

pandabob said...

right you two stop making us all feel jealous of your evening and make good use of your adult time. I'd say sleep well except you bloody well better not waste too much private time on sleep ;-)

Greg Lestrade said...

Mm, we promise not to! Night all.

REReader said...

..he told me Mrs H let them put Christmas garlands up. And a wreath on the door. Apparently it's got bats and snowflakes and glitter and frogs and dragonflies and icicles and stars on it...

*blinks* Either that's a very big wreath, or those are adorably small bats, snowflakes, frogs, dragonflies, icicles, and stars...

I'd wish you two a good night but it seems redundant...oh, well, I might as well. Have a good night!

Greg Lestrade said...

Now THAT was a good lie in.

Morning all :)

Rider said...

So I take it your tail is wagging then?

Greg Lestrade said...

Hah, the tail, sadly, did not come with us.

Greg Lestrade said...

Sorry to go on about it (not sorry enough to stop, though, obviously) But today is turning out to be one of those days that's pretty perfect in every way.

Breakfast in bed, after our...lie in. Got up late, mooched about, rang Mycroft, for him to tell us we should stay out and enjoy ourselves, and he's already prepped dinner for tonight, so not to worry about that - had lunch out, the suis shining, the sky is blue, it's cold enough to definitely need lots of coffee and hugs and soon we'll all be back together off to buy the Christmas tree.

Brilliant.

Small Hobbit said...

Glad to hear you're having such a good day. Enjoy yourselves

REReader said...

Practically perfect in every way, in fact! Definitely a day to be made the most of. :)

Anonymous said...

Wonderful!

rsf

pandabob said...

I'm glad you're having the kind of day you two deserve more of :-)

enjoy it and enjoy tree shopping later.

Greg Lestrade said...

We are breaking a record for how long it can take to choose a tree

REReader said...

And I was just in the middle of asking how the selection process was going... :D

pandabob said...

the perfect tree is the first step to a perfect Christmas :-)

John H. D. Watson said...

Sherlock has a check list that the tree must conform to...

REReader said...

Very sensible--that way he won't forget anything.

(It is going to be mostly covered, right?)

pandabob said...

I find myself hoping he found the right one before time ran out!

Have fun with the decorating John ;-)

Greg Lestrade said...

I am only just gping to get to work on time. And with hair full of pine needles.

pandabob said...

you'll smell all Christmasy ;-)

Good luck with work.

REReader said...

Excellent point, Anony!

The Hopefully Intelligent Person said...

My family literally cut down a tree this year. From our house in New Hampshire. Then drove it to our house tied to the roof.

Good luck with work. Currently attempting not to visualize your night to much (I've scared my brain enough as it is, reading some of the stuff I do)

Piplover said...

My boss cut down her own tree one year, but it wasn't from a tree farm. After they had it in the house for a few days, all the baby spiders came out from the warmth. She said never, ever, ever again. *Shudder*

REReader said...

Somehow, pip, I don't think everyone would see that as a deterrent ... :D

Anonymous said...

Pip, that sounds awful. My family cuts down their tree every year, but only from farms. I didn't realize that would make such a difference.

pandabob said...

was it a big tree The Hopefully Intelligent Person? I have the image in my head of a tiny car surrounded by tree ;-)


Hows work Greg?

Hows the tree going John? are you enjoying yourself Mycroft, Sherlock?

John H. D. Watson said...

I am pleased to report no spiders. And quite a lot of tinsel.

REReader said...

While I quite like spiders, I can't help but think that's a Good Thing. :) (I KNOW tinsel is a Good Thing!)

Greg Lestrade said...

I'm tired. John's fault.

John H. D. Watson said...

That I'll happily take the blame for.

pandabob said...

Lots of tinsel is very important John, apparently :-)

coffee and memories will see you through Greg ;-)

Small Hobbit said...

Was the wreath as impressive as it sounded?

The Hopefully Intelligent Person said...

To Pandabob
It was huge. And the car we were using was station wagon. And it nearly fell off.

To J and L
Uhhh...

REReader said...

Was the wreath as impressive as it sounded?

I want to know this, too!

pandabob said...

That just added to my comedy image The Hopefully Intelligent Person thanks ;-)

Anonymous said...

What sort of tree did Sherlock decide on, then? I tend to like firs better than pines, myself.

rsf

John H. D. Watson said...

It's a blue spruce. Although a better description might be: enormous.

Greg Lestrade said...

ANonyBob - You have no idea how much coffee.

Hopefully - mind if I call you HIP? My night is...yeah, you don't want to imagin my night. Cold and bloody might so far descrbe it.

pandabob said...

Be careful with yourself Greg and enjoy being put to bed by your doc in the morning ;-)

Greg Lestrade said...

don't even talk about bed. I'm so tempted to find a dark corner and curl up in it.

Anonymous said...

Blue spruce are lovely. Sherlock has great taste in trees.

I hope all the extra coffee helps keep you warm tonight, L! It seems like a long time till morning.

rsf

REReader said...

"Bloody" literally or figuratively? :)

Whichever it is, I hope you get something interesting enough to keep you awake, but not so interesting as to be further exhausting.

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