28 February 2013

But I hear him coughing all night long

My entire world smells of Olbas Oil. Which reminds me of being a kid.

Once again I'm reminded why giving up smoking was a good idea, too :)

My sinuses feel like they're about to explode. And as of this afternoon I've started coughing...brilliant. Still, being tended to by a lovely doctor, so it's not all bad ;) Had a few phonecalls from work, but no dramas. John has forced me to drink tea approximately once every five minutes. I'm fairly sure I now steam gently...

Onto folks in a far worse way than I am...

Or, actually, getting better. Mum's been allowed out and about. Only with Nicky, but still. Means she isn't stuck indoors. She's been back to her house, which I imagine must be odd. She only stays out for a few hours at a time, but she can move about a little, with help and care. Still no sign of her bloke. I mean, not that I'm sad about that, but what a git.

Means us kids have been talking options. I'm not sure Mum'll ever really be in a place where she can live alone again. So...well, that gives us a lot to think about.



And now Sherlock wants some snot to look at under a microscope...the fun never ends around here! I hope degus can't catch human colds. Although Degu-Flu has a pleasing ring to it.

26 February 2013

I'm cancelled out and rendered obsolete

Today John was forced to go and fetch a huge purple sparkly bone from a shop. As you do.

Obviously, I felt guilty about that... really! So as I happened to be passing, I thought I might give John and Sherlock a lift home with it. Rush hour on the tube is no place to have a huge purple bone, poking innocent travellers in the back...

I also just happened to be in a marked police car... Well, it would take someone with greater willpower than me to take advantage of this situation.

Picture the scene...a busy street, an excited Sherlock, and John hugging a huge bone - almost as big as he is.

24 February 2013

Oh take my heart and let it beat, To the sound of dancing feet

Yesterday was fabulous. Mycroft and Sherlock both looked very smart and behaved impeccably.

Sherlock managed to twist a lot of adults around his finger and get them sorting out confetti for him, like a chain gang. Mycroft talked politely to a lot of people, and danced with the little bridesmaids (and a few others!) and I'm sure most people thought he was rather old than 14 - he certainly looked very grown up in his suit.

I played okay. Few bits wrong, but I don't expect anyone noticed. John and I danced, which was lovely, and it was...yeah, nice to feel like we could just be ourselves. There was a good mix of couples, both same sex and not, as well as plenty of people there with friends and family. I did feel sorry for the boys - Mycroft especially, for having to field quite so many questions about if John and I were his Dads. And all the usual ones about school that grown up seem to feel obliged to ask :) but he handled it admirably!

Jo and Lisa are off on their honeymoon tomorrow, but they sent a little thank you note today, for playing for them, and included this picture. They said I could share it with you all, and to thank you for your good wishes.


22 February 2013

If I Could I Surely Would

Despite having days off, I feel like I've been busier than ever! It's been lovely spending time with John and the boys, though. Except it just makes me want to do it more often. I really can't imagine giving up the job...but sometimes I dream.

Anyway, yeah, busy. Avebury was great, and we all enjoyed it a lot. It's a shame we couldn't go out theree on the bikes, but next time I'm sure we will.

Today I've been trying to practice playing the songs I'm doing at the wedding tomorrow. I need to find somewhere once we're theree where I can warm up - mainly my voice. I sound like a tin can being dragged on a bad road if I don't warm up. Probably have a quick Scotch to help with that, and a bit of dutch courage ;)

Sherlock has very carefully hung up his outfit, which I think Mycroft told him to do. They're both going to look very smart young men. Sherlock is wildly excited about it all. I'm not sure he's ever been to a wedding before - especially not when he's busy planning ours, so wants to know everything about everything.

We are, as the poll results tell us, going to shake it all about ;)

As I said on John's blog, I'm strangely nervous about it all. Not just singing, but just about wanting it to go right. Weird, isn't it? How you sometimes want things to go right for other people more than you ever do for yourself.

Mrs Hudson and the security team have bravely offered to dog-sit. I hope we have a flat to come home to.

Last night John and I went on our belated Valentine's. John took me to a lovely Spanish-y hotel. Our room was an amazing blue colour, and the bathroo mwas a riot of tiles. The food was fantastic - we had tapas. And then there was a lovely lounge bar, where we probably drank too much rum :) but not, I hasten to add, so much that it dampened proceedings! As always, it was great to just spend time together, no early morning wake-up calls of small elbows hitting you in the face.

Although we did get an actual call, demanding to know our eta for returning for FUN. We still managed a lazy breakfast though, and then a leisurely ride home. It was...yeah, lovely. One of the things I love about John, is that we just...get along, all the time, and things like this, although we obviously both make the effort, it's not like...there's no pressure. You know, we just enjoy each other's company all the time. It makes it so much more enjoyable.

19 February 2013

I feel a love that's really real

THIS IS SHERLOCK and today we went on a walk and saw swans and DEER and geese and there were lots of floods and snowdrops and I wanted to see a body in the river like Lestrade finds but we didn't and then Lestrade said there were DOLPHINS but we didn't see any.

Here's a picture I did like a tapestry:

16 February 2013

Though I know I shouldnt oughta

Sherlock did indeed get his cast today. The doc said the swelling had gone down enough. I'm sort of glad - it's a lot more robust, and Sherlock can't try taking it off to look at his arm.

I think he's thought better of that anyway, now, after they removed his splint and gave him a bit of a clean, he realised it definitely does still hurt.

He was really good though, very brave, said thank you to the people in the plaster room. The cast is a really bright purple. I told him how lucky he was to get a coloured, fibreglass, cast. And somehow agreed I'd have a pink one if I ever needed one...

We went and got lunch after, and dropped in to get a coffee. I got a lovely syphon coffee - from Burundi. It was incredibly tasty. Sherlock wanted me to have another, just so the people had to make another one.

Here it is being made:

14 February 2013

'Cause I'm broken when I'm lonesome

Well today was...dramatic.

I mean, it didn't start that way. I was in meetings most of the day. Then I went to fetch Sherlock. It was a nice day, and I'd promised him we'd go to the park. Some other kids and parents were going to, so we all headed off.

It was all fine, kids running about, us old folk huddled up on the bench/by the fence.

Sherlock shouted at me to watch him, but I was right in the middle of talking to someone, so I told him to wait...and then there was a thud. I just saw him dropping off the frame out of the corner of my eye. And everything....I don't know, froze. Like, there was no sound at all, and then he screamed, and I don't know, I think my heart started beating again, because I really thought he might have fallen on his head - he'd been hanging upside off the frame, being a bat. And I ran.

He was already picking himself up, sort of, and when I knelt down he pretty much threw himself at me, and through the sobbing he said his arm hurt. It already looked like it was swelling, and he was...I've never seen him cry like that.

12 February 2013

Doctor Doctor

We were sort of going to save this for Valentine's (for 'we', read 'I'), but Sherlock insisted he's rehearsed enough, and wanted to perform to John tonight.

So this was our surprise for the good Doc - me playing the guitar and singing, Sherlock dancing and SHOUTING the chorus:


10 February 2013

Me, and my helmet such an un-conventional kid

Today we got up and had french toast and I had extra cinnamon and icing sugar and maple syrup on mine but Lestrade wouldn't let me have pancakes too even though I was REALLY hungry because he got up late.

Then we got the tube and a bus and went to Kew and had coffee and cake and then went to see palms and they're good and Lestrade took this photo which doesn't show much but he likes it and told me to put it in. It's not as good as the seed that looks like a bum.

7 February 2013

What makes this big ball turn?

Reg Presley died the other day. Couldn't really let that go without a quick video.

This song was...amazing. We'd never heard anything like it. So raw, so brilliant.


5 February 2013

Cause I'm happy just to dance with you.

I'm off work on Thursday and Sunday. Giving up one day in an attempt to salvage a few of my hours back for next week, when I'll be doing the school run. It's going to show me just how few hours pass between sending Sherlock off to school and getting him back!

Just read a 'fact' (I have no evidence) - 'Sarcastic people are more creative'... thoughts?

Anyway, yes, Thursday, was going to take John out to meet Ella - our dance teacher :) Have a chat about what sort of thing we want to do. Should be fun. Or mortifyingly embarrassing. Or both?

And then ideally I'd like to get to the pub and play some guitar.

I can't stop thinking about John being away. I'm kind of excited - I mean, it'll be a challenge, fitting in work and keeping Sherlock entertained. But in a good way. I'm not sure I'm prepared for how much I'll miss John, though. Even thinking about him not being around at time like right now... just gets me right in the chest. Which is horrifically soppy, right? Been on my own plenty. But... yeah.

Finally, can't really let this post go without mentioning that the Commons passed the bill on same-sex marriage today, meaning it will now move to the stage of discussion by committee. And this has been pushed through by the same party who brought in Section 28 (although it was a minority of their members who actually voted for it) - hard to believe how times change.

(If anyone's confused by the Commons, the Lords, divisions, lobbying, the whips - just ask. I can't promise to give any sort of understandable or even accurate answer, though.)