31 December 2013

And there’s a hand my trusty friend! And give me a hand o’ thine!

Right. I have napped. I am ready.

I think.

I'm 'running a pro-active team to respond to street-incidents' or something like that.

Basically means I get a van-full of officers, and we're plain clothes (apart from the big 'police' flashes across our stab vests), and we'll turn up at certain places and check all is well, or be sent to 'hotspots', or generally mop up the idiots who can't just enjoy themselves without hitting anyone or generally causing trouble. But I think, until it really kicks off, we'll just call in other units to take away most of our arrests, so some understaffed custody suite can take the strain.

My forecast for the night is...a bit wet, fairly miserable, with moments of excitement. Might even get near to wherever this tasty snow/foam/mist is going to be...

To be honest, I quite like getting back to the streets. I will have a sergeant on my team, too, so if I get called away to a murder scene, there's little disruption to us. This will doubtless happen just before refs, because that's life. Meanwhile, my team will operate on skeleton without me, Sal or any of my other sergeants.


Sherlock wanted me to show you this - he made it at his Mum's. He has now informed her he wants the Meccano delivered to him. I can't lie...I want it delivered to him too! And by the look on John's face, he does too.

It was hers, I think. Or possibly their father's, but I get the impression it was probably Mrs Holmes', doubt she let stereotypical boy/girl toys stand in her way as a kid!

27 December 2013

Now I've found a real love, you'll never fool me again.

Today's been nice. If a bit busy. All kicked off by pancakes, which Sherlock somehow managed to have chocolate on. I'm fairly sure there's some sort of minimum-sleep-quantity that one should have before being allowed to care for children.

Still, won't kill him.

My Christmas shift had highs and lows...

Lows: finding out I'd have to work New Years too.
Having to talk to a family who'd been woken up Christmas morning to be told their son was dead.

Highs: One of my officers being proposed to, via an elaborate ruse involving a cell, a custody sergeant and her boyfriend (also an officer, but who should have been off-duty and far away with his family). She said yes. The radio was a-buzz for the rest of the day with congratulatory messages.

John coming to visit me at the Yard. He said he was tempted to take the long way back home, the roads were so quiet, and biking was so nice! I didn't ask if he did or not...I suspect he might have, if just to keep away from the card games which were becoming very high-stakes!

And this story.

Anyway, here's a (small part) of our Christmas tree, becuase...well, because you have to see it to believe any tree could support the sheer amount of tinsel.


22 December 2013

She won't let you fly, but she might let you sing

So, home, dried off, gear now dripping dry over the bath. I'm snuggled up with my husband, who I've missed a lot today.


Went to see Mum today. Although I suppose I mainly went to see Nicky.

We met up at Mum's old house. The little garden is really overgrown, and now all dead for winter. Needs a lot of tlc. But it wasn't the weather for that today. And anyway, whoever gets it won't care. It's theirs to do as they like with, they'll undoubtedly just be happy to have somewhere to live.

The house does seem empty, without her, and her few things she's taken. They let you sort of, do out your room, if you want, with your own furniture. So she took the table out of her room, and one of the armchairs, and a bookcase and TV. And there wasn't loads else. Beds, the rest of the three-piece suite, a horrible kitchen table and chairs.

Nicky said she'd asked if any of the others wanted anything, but Sam and Rach didn't. Danny didn't answer.

We went through the few books she'd left - there were barely any anyway. Just recipe books, a few things people have bought her over the years. Mostly untouched, spines still uncreased.

And then there's photos. As Nicky said, none from when we were small, unless other people had given them to her. But some from later in our childhood, when the others where still quite young.

Very few, though. Cost money, didn't it, to buy your film, get it developed. So it only happened on special occasions. There's a few holiday pictures. Mostly with the men of her life in them. I don't know if she'll want them.

18 December 2013

The ripple effect is too good not to mention.

Well...we're mainly sorted for Christmas now. Few bits of food still to get, but basically...

Sherlock cannot wait to finish school. He is absolutely bursting for Christmas to arrive. And snow. But Christmas is a certainty, and snow very much isn't. Rain is though. Lots of it.

Mycroft is carefully planning food on Christmas Day, along with Mrs Hudson. Trying to balance everything, and resist Sherlock's more bizarre desires.


Last post I talked a bit about Mum's stuff, and Nicky. I'm going to get down to see them...probably Monday. Maybe Sunday into Monday.

John offered to come with me, but...I have no idea if it's a good idea or not. We're literally clearing stuff out, as in...if it's very special, it might be kept, but otherwise... I don't have any space here, the flat is packed with just us in it. Nicky doesn't really have any room, and the council want the flat back as fast as possible.

Also...well, what's the point of keeping things? Mum doesn't even want to look at anything, she says she's got everything she needs. (Nicky...has kept some things for her anyway. Things she thinks Mum would miss in the long run. We all know how stubborn Mum can be, and don't actually want her to suffer for it.)

As for me...I don't think there's anything of my family history that she has that I want. That's part of why it's so hard sorting it all out. There's all sorts of things that none of us particularly want reminding of. It's also why Nicks shouldn't do it all on her own, though.


Anyway, last night we went out and bought baubles.

Here's mine.


It's like a drop shape, and the 'holes' all sort of meet in the middle. It's a bit odd, but I like it. And it's another tradition ticked off the list.


Other notable news is that Danger can breathe easy - the law against 'Being an incorrigible rogue' was repealed this year. He is no longer at risk of me arresting him ;)

I also found out the other day that for some time, in the mid 1900s, all policemen had to be trained to catch swans. I have no idea why, but apparently the best could catch two swans at once!

Yesterday was 30 years since the Harrods bombing. Six people were killed, three of them police officers. I think it showed, during the more recent terrorist actions, who had lived through past campaigns. A sort of world weariness. Compared to people who had never been through anything like it.

Anyway, I'm out tonight, on the lash with the team, and whoever else we mop up from around the yard. I apologise in advance for anything I may say in comments...

14 December 2013

Little things I should've said and done, I never took the time

Today's been good.

Sherlock was up bright and early, demanding breakfast and wanting to go out right then and start having fun.

He was persuaded to sit down and eat his breakfast on the end of our bed. Then, once he'd settled down a little, he was persuaded to re-enact his parts of the play yesterday.

It was slightly hard to tell what was going on, given that he thought I'd somehow be able to work out exactly what all the missing characters were also doing... but anyway, he was a nasty storm, and very angry, with lots of lightning bolts, at first...but then, through some sort of...well, I'm not really sure why, but eventually he ended up showing that the earth needed his rain to grow things, and...he stopped being so nasty? Turned into gentle rain? I'm unsure... there was singing, and violin playing, and it all seemed to end well, which was the main thing, I suppose? It would have been nice seeing all the other kids. But from John's photos I think there were farmers/gardeners, plants, some animals...and assorted other things. A rainbow, there was definitely a rainbow.

He might be able to explain more, if he chooses to. You know what kids are like, once his attention is elsewhere, this will seem so unimportant it's as if he can't even remember it.

Anyway, Mycroft took us all ice skating at the Natural History Museum this morning, once we'd congregated. I do wish there was a way we could get the dogs on the ice - they'd be hilarious. But we can't. And luckily they aren't allowed in the museum, or they'd be on their toes with half a diplodocus before you could say 'sit!'.

Whilst John, Mark and the kids all dived into the museum (well...John may have been dragged... entry is not made faster by Sherlock quizzing the security guards, I believe. "Are you looking for bombs? Have you ever found a bomb? What would you do if you found a bomb? Why would people want to blow up a museum?" etc...) Nicky and went and found coffee and had a chat about Mum. Well, Mum and her house, all her stuff. She can only take a certain amount with her, into her new place. She's being very unhelpful about it, and Nicky's got the hard task of going through everything. Dragging up a lot of memories. I feel bad for not being there, but...well, I'll go down as soon as I can. Sam's been back and forth, helping. Danny hasn't, but I feel sure he'll turn up at some point, see what he can get.


Anyway, then Mycroft cooked us all a lovely dinner, with only a bit of help, from me and Carla, and Sherlock helped make mince pies, and took some down to Mrs Hudson (and probably ate most of them while he told her about our day...we'll take her some more.)

And finally...peace.

Tomorrow Nicky etc. have to go home, so in the afternoon there is a rumour we may buy a tree....

10 December 2013

I fell in love at the seaside.

Soo...I did say I might put a picture of John up. But I don't have loads, really. I mean, I don't take a lot of pictures of John, or of anyone, really. I usually take pictures of things. And I refuse to put up the one of him looking gorgeous in bed the other morning, gazing out of the window. It's not risqué or anything, but it's...well, not for sharing.

So, yes, had a lovely night away. The staff were lovely, the food was brilliant, the spa was amazing (and empty, most of the time! Why wasn't everyone in there??)

There was a hot tub outside. We walked serenely out to it. We ran back, steaming, before important parts of us crawled back from whence they came...

We went for a walk on Sunday morning, out to the coast.

6 December 2013

A day or two ago, I thought I'd take a ride...

We have Mycroft back :) And a flat full of hounds, because having been away for days they must now rush around and sniff and lick everything, just to check it's the same as last time they sniffed and licked it.

There was harbour porpoises in the Thames today - the water police spotted some.

Sherlock wants our Christmas Tree to look like this.

We do need to purchase one. I'm not 100% sure it should happen tomorrow, though, given Saturdays are Hell this time of year. Or maybe I'd rather not leave Mycroft and Mrs Hudson trying to extract a degu from a tree at midnight on Sunday night...

On Sunday, I am removing John from London, and taking him...elsewhere. There will be a bed. And a few other things ;) it should be fun! And a last few moments of peace, before Christmas really hits.


Today we baked (or...created? Given some of it was no-bake-cake). And then headed off to school. John took one of my guitars, nervously, on his back on his bike. I took the other.

Children sang. They did know quite a few songs, most of which I knew well enough to get by, given Mrs T was on the piano too.

John was forced into 'helping' the singers. Making sure kids had the right words in front of them, pointing out where we'd got to if they were lost, and a bit of gentle conducting (Marking where the singing should start and stop, mainly!). It was...well, pretty much as hellish as it sounds. Still, hopefully parents will join in tomorrow, and it'll all be fairly jolly.

John accused me of 'looking at him' when singing lines such as 'don we now our gay apparel', 'The playing of the merry organ'. He's lucky we didn't sing about Miss Fanny Bright in Jingle Bells....

John has volunteered to sell cakes tomorrow. Can't imagine why he doesn't want to run the singing...

Sherlock didn't like it when a little girl took a shine to John and wanted him to hold her hand and sing with her all the time. She got glared at.

I think I have a migraine hangover today. Took more drugs this morning, and am now vaguely stuck between feeling fine and odd waves of feeling rough. I'm worried I've only postponed it. And I don't have time to deal with it!


And here's a fascinating article I read at work.

2 December 2013

Oblivious to all of us, The child that grows inside

If anyone's missing any tinsel, we've got it. Yeah, and the entire tinsel supply for every shop in the UK. And abroad.

John caught me having a sniff earlier. There's tinsel that smells, and tinsel that doesn't...obviously the stuff that does is best! (We have some of each.)

I have spent this afternoon teaching Sherlock to plait with tinsel. Nicky, all those hours plaiting your hair for school weren't wasted!

I think it has something to do with our wreath-to-be for our door. But who knows. Maybe we just need to be combining three into one or we'll never use it all.


I am removing John from these mean streets next weekend. Bit of a bike ride, some champagne, some relaxing, some...never you mind, and, eventually, sadly, I'll have to bring him back to finally ramp up to Christmas!

I'm always beset by worries that places won't be good enough. But with John, I'm...well, just the fact we're there together is what matters. Which still amazes me. I mean, that...anything can feel like that. Taken me a long time to realise that I've always judged myself very harshly because I wanted to get there first, before someone else did. Didn't...well, I didn't even know people like him existed, or I'd've tried to find one sooner ;)


Mycroft has asked if I'd like to escape the Christmas chaos at some point and go floating again. We've both been given half price floats, so...I probably will. They say it's more relaxing the second time, so, well, we'll see. I'd probably pay double to lock myself in a room alone by the end of Christmas, so half price is definitely a bargain!


Nights were...well, nights. First one was fairly boring. Following someone around. We learnt things about him. But...well, not as useful as it could have been. We'll see. It's given us things to think about.

Last night started with paperwork, ended with a dead body. (Not because of the paperwork.)


Received a text from Sal earlier. "See on the news your love-child hasn't fallen far from the tree." This is because they have this crazy idea in the office that Tom Daley looks like me, and is my love child (I must have missed the act that led to that). Anyway, he's far better looking than I am!


John bought me a lovely shirt today. Not for work, just casual. Makes me look almost presentable.