15 August 2013

I saw a lone rider

I admit, riding was fun, Even if I'm a bit sore today.

My horse was Dante, John's was Noddy (although it had big ears...), Mycroft's was Golly and Sherlock's was Flixy. They were all very well behaved and we had a gentle long walk around the woodland. Dmittedly Sherlock's did keep stopping to try and eat, but like Mycroft said, you'd think Sherlock would sympathise.

Generally we've had an amazing time, it's fun just being together and exploring places and spending our time relaxing. Few odd looks from other campsite residents, but who cares.

We're heading back home tomorrow. I've got two days of work before conference. Catching up and then ready to leave again.

Tonight and tomorrow is meant to be rain rain rain. The clouds are very dark grey.

I'm fighting a migraine... popping pills. I don't want to feel like shit in a tent!

120 comments:

John H. D. Watson said...

We can always leave early if it gets worse.

pandabob said...

It's migraine day Greg, I've been fighting one off all day although it seems to be clearing now that the heavens have opened and its tipping down not that that is a good solution when you're sleeping under canvas!

I'm so very glad you're all having a great time together, your lives always seem so busy so a few days out of routine must be good for everyone :-)

Greg Lestrade said...

I just won't want to get out of the tent. Rather be in here, cuddled up to you than fighting a wet tent in heavy rain ;)

REReader said...

I hope you can avert a full-blown migraine, L, that's never fun. (And I hope yours doesn't come bach, panda.)

Greg Lestrade said...

I'm...mm. Headache isn't too bad with painkillers. But I feel dead sick. And...a tent isn't the best place for that, either.

John H. D. Watson said...

I can rub your head if you like. Although that won't do much for your stomach.

Greg Lestrade said...

I'm never going to say no to you rubbing my hair.

pandabob said...

good luck with sleeping when you don't feel great Greg.

Greg Lestrade said...

ta. Might go and have a little walk.

Anonymous said...

Blurgh. Hope you feel better, L.

Ella

rsf said...

I hope you feel better soon!

I'm going to be flying out to a wedding tomorrow, and back on Sunday, so I'll wish you all well till I get home again. No point in taking a computer, it'd just slow me down.

Small Hobbit said...

How's the weather your way? I woke up to rain this morning, but then I live in the wetter half of the country.

Hope you're feeling better this morning L and that you manage to pack up in the dry.

Greg Lestrade said...

It's... Wet.

We're packing up and moving out, despite Sherlock's protests that we should stay forever.

Feeling...perhaps a little better. Drugged!

Martha Hudson said...

I've made a lovely cake for you boys when you get home. I know Sherlock will be hungry after the journey.

pandabob said...

cake sounds like a lovely treat to return home to :-) you really are very good to those boys Martha :-)

I hope you had a good trip guys :-)

REReader said...

I hope you feel better, L.

But it was a great trip, wasn't it, Sherlock?

Yay, cake! What a wonderful welcome home, Martha!

Greg Lestrade said...

Mrs H, youre an angel sent down to watch over us. And feed us.

I'm... Going to be a shit boyfriend and, having left John to do all the driving, now going to leave him to do the unpacking and child wrangling while I become closely aquainted with a toilet and a proper bed.

Greg Lestrade said...

...one of the dogs just got into bed with me. I think camping has confused them!

John H. D. Watson said...

They think slobbering on you is comforting.

pandabob said...

I'm sorry you're still struggling with feeling ill Greg.

Good luck with sorting everything John, always the worst bit I find!

Greg Lestrade said...

If slobber =comfort then the hound has comforted your pillow well. And left some bits of dog biscuit for you. Like in a posh hotel, when you get a chocolate on your pillow... Sort of.

Mazarin221b said...

Hey, biscuits aren't bad. Be happy the dogs weren't eating slugs. My pooch got into a pack of them (what's a group of slugs? A squish?) the other day and had a layer of slime on her muzzle that took 15 minutes of scrubbing and combing to get out. *shudder* Dog are gross sometimes, gah.

John H. D. Watson said...

I am extremely happy they weren't eating slugs!

A slime of slugs? A mucous? A stickiness?

Anonymous said...

A squelch, an ooze?

REReader said...

I used to have the book "An Exaltation of Larks" around here somewhere, but I can't find it now. (I don't recall if it mentioned slugs. But isn't exaltation for a group of larks wonderful?)

Kestrel337 said...

Closest I can find is that a group of snails is called a 'walk' of snails.

Exaltation of larks is marvelous.

When I'm ill, my greyhound gets on the bed with me.

Greg Lestrade said...

I am feeling a lot better.

It was the way the dog heaved itself up, looked at me, then flopped down with a massive sigh to chew on...whatever it was eating. Like it was disappointed in me for choosing to suddenly sleep on this ridiculous bit of furniture, instead of the floor, like we have for the last week.

REReader said...

And just when he though he had you all trained, too! :D

Greg Lestrade said...

exactly.

It was like having a bigger, hairier, smellier John in bed with me.

(Although during camping...the dog was just bigger ;) )

REReader said...

(And how big a glare did that rate? ;))

John H. D. Watson said...

To be fair, the dogs bathed more often than any of us did while we were camping...

Greg Lestrade said...

This is true.

God, I should shave. I hate shaving in the morning.

If I just lie here and don't move, you want to shave me, Danger? :)

John H. D. Watson said...

It would certainly be a new experience...

Greg Lestrade said...

I'm just being silly. you must be knackere.

John H. D. Watson said...

I know. I'd give it a shot if you really wanted me to though. Definitely wouldn't promise to be good at it. Weird angle. You might end up all patchy. A checkerboard of facial hair.

Greg Lestrade said...

I'll save that experience up for when I really need it.

I shall drag myself off to tidy up before work now. You wait, when I step out the bathroom, I'll be a DI again, not some sort of ...I was going to say camp survivalist... but that doesn't sound right. I'm hardly ever camp...

John H. D. Watson said...

Sasquatchesque.

Greg Lestrade said...

bless you.

John H. D. Watson said...

ha

Greg Lestrade said...

i know you're marrying me for my sparkling wit.

John H. D. Watson said...

and your sasquatchesque countenance. Better hurry or I'm going to be asleep before you're done.

Greg Lestrade said...

i can't hurry with a razor! I'm in no fit state!

Hey, you know Bruce Willis...I don't think he'll ever stop making cop-action movies...

Greg Lestrade said...

(it's all about timing, right?...) heh...

John H. D. Watson said...

Mmhm...

Greg Lestrade said...

Ah! Thought you'd fallen asleep as I perform my miracle transformation...

Anyway, yes, reckon he'll never stop because...you know what they say about old habits!

(...it probably wasn't worth the wait. But the look on your face of fond pity for my jokes will be.)

John H. D. Watson said...

i love you

Greg Lestrade said...

I love you too.

Come and have coffee tomorrow afternoon? I can't face work all day going cold turkey from you lot :(

John H. D. Watson said...

yeah, definitely. but now sleeeeep.

pandabob said...

I hope you got enough sleep to make work sort of tolerable Greg and that the boys are helping you get sorted out from your trip John :-)

Greg Lestrade said...

I thought I answered this earlier... Obviously not!

Yeah, okay, just about enough sleep! Trying to catch up with everyone and clear my inbox and write my presentation!

pandabob said...

I'm glad you got some sleep :-) good luck getting through everything.

Greg Lestrade said...

Thanks! More and more stuff piling up, I swear! Time to go back on holiday I think. :)

Just got a message I have to go and see internal security. Hoping that by some miracle of forward planning they're changing the swipe security when I'm gone and want to change my card early... but that would be ridiculous, when I could be stood outside in the rain trying to get in with a duff card when I get back ;) so probably something ridiculous, like 'suspicious evidence container'...lots of evidence is, in fact, suspicious...hence it being evidence...

Desert Wanderer said...

Don't worry, Lestrade. If you get lost in the mountain of paperwork, I'm sure Doc would send the dogs to rescue you. Like St Bernards, but with coffee in the barrels, not brandy.

Greg Lestrade said...

I wouldn't mind handing certain people dog-slobber-covered paperwork.

They can chew my computer wires too, if they want :)

John H. D. Watson said...

Coffee with brandy in it, I think. Speaking of which, do You want to get some soon? Probably without Brandy. But maybe with a sandwich.

Desert Wanderer said...

The 21st century version of "My dog ate my homework"? Might work, but is it worth the price of annoying your IT guys? There are lots of ways for them to get revenge.

Greg Lestrade said...

Yeah, be great, Danger. Even without the brandy :)

You nearby? Has the allotment survived?

John H. D. Watson said...

To be honest, it looks better than when we left. I think Reg and Mrs Hudson must've spent a fair amount time there.

Greg Lestrade said...

Ha! Wouldn't surprise me...

you...haven't sent me a package, to the Yard, have you?

John H. D. Watson said...

No...

Greg Lestrade said...

security said it's a suspicious package. Just on way to see them. They'll open it for me, check it hasn't got anthrax in it or anything :)

John H. D. Watson said...

Well...good. And I hope it's not. Either anthrax or suspicious.

Greg Lestrade said...

could be anything - possibly some sort of thank you from families or...well, anything.

They're used to dealing with every sort of random item that could be sent to a police station.

Greg Lestrade said...

fat brown envelope...addressed to 'policeman Gregory Lestrade, Scotland Yard, London'....I can see why they were suspicious!!

John H. D. Watson said...

Hmm...

Greg Lestrade said...

its...money. 2000 euros. and a note.

You near?

John H. D. Watson said...

Yeah. You want me to come?

Greg Lestrade said...

yeah, please. the boys with you?

John H. D. Watson said...

Yes. Is this something about them?

Greg Lestrade said...

No...it's from my Dad.

John H. D. Watson said...

We'll be there soon, about five minutes. Are you...all right? That's probably a stupid question.

Greg Lestrade said...

I...don't know what I am.

John H. D. Watson said...

That's completely understandable.

Greg Lestrade said...

a thousand euros richer...i guess.

John H. D. Watson said...

We're outside. Come and let me hug you.

Anon Without A Name said...

Bloody hell.

Greg Lestrade said...

on way.

Greg Lestrade said...

right. i should go and do some work. or, you know, just stare at my computer.

Sherlock said...

No you should come and have ice cream with us.

Greg Lestrade said...

ha, well, depends who you ask , I guess. Pretty sure the Met and the taxpayers think I should work for my wage.

Anon Without A Name said...

You OK, Lestrade?

Greg Lestrade said...

well..not exactly being very productive.

I don't know. I don't know what to think. Or do. I mean, not that I can do much.

This isn't a situation I'd ever imagined.

pandabob said...

Hell Greg that's whatever the word is!

Hope time passes as quick as possible until you can go home.

Greg Lestrade said...

Thanks. Seems to be going incredibly slowly.

Feel like my thoughts have short circuited a bit. like I'm having so many I'm not having any.

Works out at about 38p pocket money a week.

Sherlock said...

I could come and help you do your work and decide if some of it was too boring and you just should come home instead.

John is frowning lots. We're going to make you biscuits.

pandabob said...

Thought fog is just the worst thing :-(

Biscuits sound like a lovely idea Sherlock :-)

Greg Lestrade said...

You'd probably think quite a lot was boring. But it still has to be done.

Give John a hug. Tell him I'm ok. And thanks for the biscuits.

John H. D. Watson said...

They're going to be purple. Hope you don't mind. Love you.

Greg Lestrade said...

Purple will be lovely.

Sorry for..dumping that on you. I don't know what I'm thinking, so I've no idea what you are.

John H. D. Watson said...

Just...mostly hoping you're all right, suppose. Wishing there was something I could do. Trying to work out if I need to be angry with your father or not. Not that it'll do any good either way.

They also have glitter.

Piplover said...

Damn, that's a bit of a shock. I hope you're doing all right, L, and you and the boys can have a good evening together.


Greg Lestrade said...

you can be angry with him if you want. but...I'm not sure where you'll direct that.

glittery purple biscuits sound amazing.

Has Sherlock already spent the money many many times over? I don't know what to do with it. I imagine it'll sit in me desk drawer for a long time.

John H. D. Watson said...

He wants a lab. And a giant rabbit. And s trip to Brazil...

Greg Lestrade said...

i can't say I'm surprised.

should I...spend it? On you lot? Or..I dunno.

John H. D. Watson said...

I think maybe you should wait until you know more how you feel about it?

Greg Lestrade said...

yeah.

I'm n the way home.

Can do courgette fritters and sausages and veg?

John H. D. Watson said...

Sounds perfect. Mycroft says he'll help.

Sherlock said...

I'll help too I'll grate a courgette and Mycroft is making the mixture.

pandabob said...

I'm glad you're on your way home Greg :-) have as good an evening with your boys as you can :-)

Desert Wanderer said...

Home sounds like the perfect thing for you, Lestrade. Though I'm a bit iffy on zucchini, er... "courgette" fritters.

Sherlock said...

They're really nice you should come and try some.

Desert Wanderer said...

Thanks for the invitation, Sherlock. If you'd only asked me a couple of weeks ago when I was still in London. How many different kinds of fritters have you had, and which are your favorite/least favorite? What kind of biscuits did you make?

Sherlock said...

I like sweetcorn and courgette and banana and pineapple.

Greg Lestrade said...

Thanks Anony, DW. I'm...I don't know. Currently prone to nervous laugher and staring into space.

Small Hobbit said...

I'm not surprised. It must have been a complete shock. Did the note give any indication of why your father had sent the money, or just identify him as the sender?

Sherlock said...

You made really bad fritters too not like usual. They tasted nice but normally they're neat and these were really messy.

Greg Lestrade said...

Yeah, sorry Sherlock, they were a bit of a disaster.

SH - it said...he knew I was getting married. He knew I had two kids. The money was half for me, half for Nicky. To spend on our families.

pandabob said...

I think nervous laughter is about the only appropriate response to that Greg!

I guess it means you don't have to make the decision to make first contact which saves one lot of thinking but its only replaced by another lot of stuff to think about isn't it? :-(

Whether Fitters can illustrate the state of someone's mind might be an interesting experiment for you Sherlock :-)

Greg Lestrade said...

AnonyBob - well...sort of. There's no return address. I assume he doesn't...you know, want anything to do with us, still.

pandabob said...

or maybe he was scared you wouldn't want to hear from him and he didn't want you to be able to send it back? there are lots of possibilities for what he was thinking I guess and that doesn't help you I know.

Desert Wanderer said...

Wow, Lestrade. That's...quite the firehose you've got there. Have you talked to Nicky yet?

Anon Without A Name said...

I can understand why you're feeling bemused, Lestrade. On the one hand, it's a good sum of money to spend on your family, and it is, on the face of it, a lovely gesture with your wedding coming up.

OTOH, well, without wishing to be harsh (although god knows why not, given his history), that's what it is, isn't it? A gesture? Not any kind of real, meaningful contact. Not an apology. Not an explanation.

Sorry, I'm being intrusive and judgemental. At the very least, it's unexpected money, and I think unexpected money should be spent on treats whenever it's possible/practical.

How are the purple glittery biscuits?

Greg Lestrade said...

DW - sorry, I don't think I understand the firehose? And yes. She told me to send the money back.

Nameless - in my more charitable moments it's a nice gesture. In my angry ones it's him trying to buy himself a clearer conscience.

Desert Wanderer said...

From the expression "drinking from a firehose," meaning trying to take in a lot of information at once.

I hope you get decent sleep tonight--things usually look different in the morning.

Greg Lestrade said...

Ah, sorry, I thought you meant I was being a bit gloomy about it all or something. I understand now.

And it was lucky you didn't come round for fritters. You'd have left thinking John and the boys were deranged, telling people I can cook!


I hope you enjoyed London.

Piplover said...

Lestrade, my dad lives in Florida, and I live in Washington state. He chose to live about as far away from his kids as was possible and still remain in the same country. Whenever I see him, he buys me things. He even gave me the money to buy my car.

In the end, I look at it this way: he made his decision, and he's no longer a big part of my life. I accept his gifts, because I know they make him feel like he's atoning, and I feel more sorry for him then anything else. I love him, and I always will, but it's my choice to do so. My brother has chosen to not have anything to do with him, and that's his choice.

I guess I'm just saying, there's no right or wrong way to feel about it. I choose pity, because in the end, that's what makes me feel better. I hope that you can come to some peace over his package.

Sorry if this wasn't wanted, I just wanted to let you know you aren't alone.

Desert Wanderer said...

Not being able to see you (but knowing what I know from what you and Doc share), I imagine you're taking it as well as anyone could be expected. If you feel gloomy, then gloomy is what you feel, and no one should get to have anything say about that. Same with angry, bitter, disappointed, pleased, ill, disgusted, or anything else your heart and your gut decide to do with it.

Greg Lestrade said...

Pip - Thanks. I think...I hate that i Had no choice in it all. And I want to know where the money's come from.

DW - think I've been through all those, yeah :)

Anonymous said...

Yikes. Yeah, I'd be feeling allll those feelings too.

If sleeping on it will help, I hope you get plenty of sleep. And if just letting it be for a while until it feels less raw will help, hope you can do that. I don't always manage to leave things like this alone, but sometimes a good distraction and then some sleep helps me. I'm sure John can provide good distractions if called upon?

Those fritters sound really good, but I like courgettes to begin with.

AftSO

REReader said...

First, something easy...DW!!! Good to see you! And also happy birthday--it's still your birthday here, for another few hours, so it's not belated yet. :) I hope you were able to celebrate properly!

L...that's a lot to have dumped on you out of the blue. There's this--since he sent a gift, instead of showing up himself, you can take whatever time you need to feel what you feel and decide what to decide. And money is impersonal enough that you have options other than "keep" or "discard."

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