Just wonder how, how did things ever get this far

Well. Been a while.

Firstly - my husband, John Watson, is amazing. He ran an entire marathon. And he really did run it - he said apart from the shuffle to get to the start line, when there are so many people you can barely move - he ran every step. Well, okay, he stopped for mere seconds to say hello to us and get a hug - but that was our fault. He wouldn't have stopped otherwise.

We managed to see him at a few places around the route, darting about on the tube to get ahead of him. He got slightly more pink and sweaty as he went, but never stopped having a slightly grim smile of determination on his face.

He's run 20 miles in training, and was fine. So now I know there's muscles in your legs which are only used in the final 6 miles of a marathon and to stand up from sitting down. Because the day after the marathon John would contort himself into a variety of awkward yoga poses going from sat position to vertical....a sort of crouch. Then bent at the waist, then slowly upward. I got things thrown at me for laughing - and this was during the day I'd taken off work to tend to his every need! Ungrateful creature.

I've always been a coward, And I don't know what's good for me

There was an article on the Beeb this week. It made me think.

There's this woman I know, Daisy. She's about sixty now. She likes her fashion, always dresses nicely, does her hair with clips. She's from the North, originally, around Liverpool, but she's lived in London since she was in her mid-twenties. When she was five or six she broke her leg, but got it all sorted. She's got kids, but I've never met them.

And there's Roger. He was in the Navy for years, before he came to London. He's nearly 80. He got tattoos, when he travelled the globe with the Navy. He was born in India, spent some of his childhood there, before moving to the UK. Then he was in the WestCountry - Bristol area - until he joined the Navy. Maybe that's why he joined, seeing the people working in the docks there. I don't know anything about his family.

Neither of them have ever met me. I don't know what either of them looked like. They're two of 'my' unidentified corpses.

Daisy had a hairclip with a daisy on it in her hair when we found her. Roger has a jolly roger tattoo. I don't know their real names, and I don't know where their families are. I don't know if someone is missing them, wondering about them.

I do know we'll never stop looking for their killers.


On a happier note, I've done my 2 day refresher, which was horrible as ever, but still, all done now, signed off for another year. It's so stressful doing it all when it's not real but in a way I think it would be easier when something was actually going on, because there are more people and more things going on.


And on a much much happier note, Mycroft has indeed been successful in his university application, but I've been forbidden on saying anything more. And he's also gone for this perfect summer job, which I really hope he'll get - his housemaster has written him a glowing recommendation.

And Sherlock has some VERY exciting news too - his school are taking part in a live talk to Major Tim on the space station! They have to think of some questions to ask him about Space, and then they get to talk to him on the radio.


I shall miss the team I've been working with on Child Protection - they're fantastic. You have to have the right sort of personality to work in that kind of environment. We had a lot of laughs, whilst doing a lot of very harrowing work. I'm glad I did it, but I'm also very glad to be back with the MITs.

And on a final note...humans think they're so great, don't they, with their thumbs and gadgets and jobs and motorbikes...yet Maf gets fed, watered, cuddled, stroked and still fits in a long sleep... I might cut my thumbs off...

A million shards of glass, That haunt me from my past

Well...so much to talk about.

Firstly, here's the place John took me away to:

It was lovely, so peaceful, lovely walks together, ending in cosy pubs. Wonderful views.


And here's part of Sherlock's birthday weekend - the climbing place we went to. It was great, they were so helpful. I think Mycroft is contemplating joining a club at University, so might go a few more times to get a feel for it.

And finally, the game!

It was great - lovely atmosphere. The crowds at Rugby are notoriously good natured. Even though about 90% of the crowd were All Black supporters, the biggest cheer of the night went up when Namibia scored a try.

The other day, when Japan beat the Boks, down in Brighton, the Bok supporters formed a guard of honour when the train arrived back to London, to allow the Blossom supporters to go through the barriers first - that shows how nice Rugby crowds are, compared to football crowds, where someone would probably have been stabbed and a huge fight would've broken out.


Anyway, all that just goes to show what an amazingly fortunate man I am, to have such wonderful people around me to share so much fun and love with every day. Which is something I'm not going to see so much of in the coming weeks...once I've handed over to Sal and Dimmo I'll be off to CP, with all the misery that involves. However, much like any serious crimes, the victory of getting a conviction and getting someone off the streets and where they can't harm anyone will be very very welcome. The team there are amazing. Dedicated officers who work their arses off doing a very very difficult job, day in day out, because they care so much.

Now, Sherlock wants bacon and avocado for lunch, and the degus need their weekly health check up and bath and to stop trying to burrow up my sleeve.

(And what does everyone think of the new Bond theme....I'm not a fan, I've got to say.)

Hvala, Croatia!

So...we have returned.

London is far too far from a warm sea.

It was beautiful. I mean, I don't really have words for how beautiful. Stunning. Like nowhere I've ever been.

So, because worlds fail me, have some pics.

Seems like you, Chase the clouds away

So, today is the anniversary of the birth of one John Hamish Danger Watson. Husband, child rearer, companion, doctor, soldier, carer, organiser and the best friend I've ever had.

I'd told him I was going to work and would make it up to him on our little holiday we have planned. But actually, we switched off his alarm, and made some ridiculous heart-shaped french toast and bacon, and Sherlock arranged our cards and gifts, and then we went and woke him up with tea :)

Mycroft even took Sherlock to school for us so I could tidy up and get ready for the day... OF FUN.

We were really lucky, it was sunny this morning, so we went for a walk, then got lunch in a little cafe before I decided we should do something different and we rented a rowing boat on the Serpentine. We were pursued by swans. Stealthy silent ninja swans.

Afterward it rained...torrentially... so we had to run into one of the little folly things and hide. And have a sneaky snog.

Once it was time to pick Sherlock up we dragged John off for tea and cake...and now I'm stuffed and I'd promised Sherlock we could make birthday pizza.



Anyway, here's a pic from when Tadhg came for his visit - isn't he gorgeous? They showed us a picture of his Dad, too - and...well, he's the spitting image at the moment, and if he grows up to be too then he'll be beating off suitors with a stick!

In other news, you can now play pac-man on Google maps, in case you had some time that needed wasting...

Just because you don't believe that I wanna dance

So...I'm home. Early. And with more of the NHS's supplies attached to my head.

We went to arrest someone who was known to be violent (I mean, to be fair, we mainly arrest people who've tried to kill someone...so it's not like any of them are going to welcome us with baked goods and a cuppa.) Anyway, we went with lots of help. Four of us, four uniform officers, all for one man.

But he didn't disappoint. Went absolutely postal, shaking us off like rag dolls.

He tried to run into the back garden, but, amazingly, we'd thought of that...so I burst out of the back door to find four officers clinging to him like ants on an elephant... and joined in, naturally. And ended up making close friends with a very badly made greenhouse.

So, by the time the CS gas and tasers were flying, I was mainly out of it, really.

We ended with one arrest, one fractured wrist (uniform), one frankenstein's-monster-ish head (me), one black eye and fat nose (Sal), plenty of bruises and scrapes and lots of streaming eyes from the CS...

Anyway, paramedics and even more officers showed up, took us all off to our various destinations...John showed up, because Sal called him - we weren't that far from home, so he arrived while the paramedics were busy mummifying my head. Followed us to the hospital, then followed the panda which dropped me home. Staples in the scalp mean putting on a bike helmet isn't happening for a while.

And eventually, after a lot of staples in A&E I was sent off home with him to care for me. Got to pretend I was a doctor though, in a fetching set of scrubs, as my suit is a. ruined and b. forensic evidence.

Mrs H fetched Sherlock, who has announced that staples are 'better than stitches'. I'm not 100% sure on how the hierarchy of medical fastenings runs...probably...sticky tape, glue, stitches, staples? He hasn't seen mine, as they are currently under a ridiculous sticky dressing which I'm sure nurses only put on my head for a laugh. But John thoughtfully took pictures at the hospital, so he was somewhat mollified.

He also showed me this - which is rather cool.

Anyway, John's now having great fun looking after me....honest...perfect patient, me. I'm apparently playing a game of 'the floor is lava' that I didn't sign up to, because every time I try to get off the sofa he's there, stopping me. Although, thus far, he hasn't catheterised me...so I must stop writing this and go and wee out some of the 20 cups of tea he's made me drink so far ;) Later on I might even let him pick some scabs out of my hair..

I can't do what ten people tell me to do, So I guess I'll remain the same.

Sherlock has texted me to inform me he really NEEDS a pet owl, and even if we won't let him have one, he'll get one when he's older.

So...there we go. I wasn't even sure how to respond. Except obviously he actually texts me using John's phone, so when my message 'Right. Do what you like once you move out.' appeared on the screen I think John thought he'd missed half an argument or something! I got a very questioning text back...



...just realised I started writing this many hours ago, and never continued. Stuff came up.

One of my officers fell down the stairs while searching a house this morning...Bruised ego luckily seems to be the worst of his injuries.

I feel like I've been in meetings forever recently. Not why I became a police officer!!

Mycroft's back with us this weekend. He is currently being regaled with tales of guinea pigs. Lucky that was last weekend - I'm not sure we could have coped with the dogs in the mix as well! The pigs would have made a nice mouthful for them...

Not sure what we're going to do with ourselves.

I heard a good quote which makes me think of Mycroft the other day - "The night hides the world, but reveals the universe."

And have you heard they're going to move Dippy in the National History Museum?? Unbelievable! Going to replace him with a blue whale. Which I'm sure will be spectacular, but... Dippy... (Mycroft has shaken his head and said he can't believe people have given it a nickname.)


They re-created Winston Churchill's Funeral today, on the river. Would've been interesting to see. I think the river police led the boats out - they get all the best jobs! Maybe I should apply for a transfer.

It was Christmas Eve babe, In the drunk tank

Well, I'm still alive, if not functioning correctly. And obviously at work, so this is quick. I'm going to get back to it at home and put a few nice songs on it, to give you all a festive kick up the arse. I refuse to be drawn as to whether I sun any of the songs last night...

Speaking of, it was a nice night last night. Always good when teams get along and can have a nice time socially. And obviously I'm a very generous boss ;) (and won't let them forget it).

Sherlock glowered at me a bit this morning. Probably because I was home so late last night (I don't actually know what time I got home, to be honest. Just that John was still awake.) Or possibly because I completely messed up his breakfast. Probably both.

We've picked up another stray for Christmas Day - DI Dimmock - Dimmo, he's working the nightshift on Christmas Eve, so I've invited him around to partake in some eating in the afternoon. Otherwise it's a bit of a miserable day!

I'm off tomorrow, then it's the long run in until I'm off on the day itself :)

The tree is remarkably intact (more than can be said for my thought process), and Maf doesn't seem too interested in it, although she is when the baubles are knocked by a passing hound, or when tinsel is dangled for her. When you tie tinsel to a dog's collar, as we discovered the other day, a huge fight ensues... so we won't be doing that again. Dog's clearly don't differentiate between having their festive collars attacked and being under attack themselves.

I'm going to have to stop there as this screen is far too bright. But I really will come back and put some music on here asap.

Mycroft has just had to remind me to return and put up promised music...

Three songs I enjoy at this time of year, for quite different reasons:

Their faces gaunt, their eyes were blurred, Their shirts all soaked with sweat

Well...horse riding. I guess it's like riding a bike - once you're used to it, it's fine! The first time though...ffffffffffffff...well. I can't even say what it feels like, in polite company ;) (or in front of you lot.)

Anyway, it was lovely. I mean, the countryside, the sun, the horses were all well behaved - we even had a little trot. Which was, frankly, terrifying, and a I'm sure sacks of spuds would have been more graceful than...well, me.

But yeah, lovely. Sherlock loved it, and rewarded his horse afterwards with carrots and apples. And then insisted he'd also feed our horses. And that he should have a horse to get around London.


Our little lodge-thing is lovely, small but perfectly formed. And very peaceful. Well, it was until we arrived. Sherlock stalked a hedgehog last night (didn't actually see it, just heard it in the hedge.) Then discovered that some places you can have pet hedgehogs... that was a good conversation. Anyway, I don't think the degus would like it, even it was legal here.

He and Mycroft are in the hot tub at the moment. Mycroft is stretched out, relaxed, eyes closed. Sherlock is busy making his shorts inflate massively by sitting over bubble jets....

Here is our hot tub/view/deck/bovine neighbours. It's great for stargazing too, we saw all sorts last night, including shooting stars.

Very shortly John and I will be in that hot tub. Although right now it feels like even getting my leg over to get in might be a struggle!


Tomorrow we're going to go to a near by aquarium, I think. Or to the beach or something, we are people of leisure!

Here's a view from today:

Nice, eh? Very peaceful.

Let your soul guide you, He'll guide you well

Running is going well. I think we're a bit more confident after our long run, both know we CAN do it, so now we're just trying to improve time/technique etc.

Sherlock is getting excited about his double birthday celebrations. The actual birthday non-celebrations are becoming more celebratory. There is definitely cake. And he wants an outing, of some sort. We might go to a museum or gallery or something. And he wants dinner or lunch out. And then he wants all that again, but moreso, when Mycroft is here.

Why not, eh?

Work is busy. Some of you may be following some of our bigger cases. Not that it's exactly my team, but big investigations - especially multi-national ones, often need to take officers from other teams to help. And rightly so.

There's a severe amount of demoralisation in the force at the moment. I've heard a few officers - quite senior, some of them, talking about leaving. Good people. The sort you need to keep. It's a worry, I'll be honest, and it leads other people to think about it all, too.

Anyway, have a happier picture. This is us training for our run. Okay, I lie. It's just John training.

Come on everybody Let your spirits be free

Yesterday I got home, had a large moustache drawn upon me, went and got dressed in my leather jacket, jeans, boots, uniform cap and aviators, then came down and snuck up on John and sang this at him:



He only just survived being danced around the kitchen. He looked as if he was about to choke to death as he snorted with laughter and tried to tell me to sod off so he could finish making the tea.

Anyway, today...

We'll dance until we die, Wanna go out every night

I'm writing this, lying on the bed, with a glass of champagne on one side of me, and my husband on the other, in Paris.

Yup. Paris.

A short bike ride, a short train ride, a short bike ride....and we've gone from London to Paris!

On the way down from Calais we stopped at some war graves. Had some quiet time to think.

Also stopped near a little village and ate our lunch on a bench overlooking a stream - idyllic! Got bothered by some French ducks (they seem to speak the same language as English ducks. But prefer a better quality of bread.)

We did some of the journey on main roads, some on smaller roads that run parallel. It was great - and there was no rush. Then managed to get lost a few times in Paris itself, but it's quite nice getting lost - you find some lovely parts of the city! And you can generally see enough of a landmark to re-orientate yourselves, anyway.

We called home - Mrs Holmes was there with the boys. Mycroft commented that Paris had a very interesting sewage/water system. Sherlock then asked what was interesting about it... we suggested they could talk to each other instead of using us as intermediateries! So sorry, Mrs Holmes, if your dinner conversation was entirely about foreign sewer systems.

So...we've got so much we could do and see! We've both agreed that we have to go up the Eiffel Tower. Probably late one afternoon, and stay up until it's dark. Or we'll just go up twice, as it's open until Midnight... but tomorrow there might be lightning, apparently...so maybe not then ;)

I'd also like to take John up the Pompidou :) (there's a bar at the top!). And there's other things, but you'll hear about them, no doubt, as we go. Anyone has any very particular recommendations, don't keep them to yourselves.

Here's a picture of our room, and one from the top of the hotel, n the little roof terrace.

Our very Parisian view from our room.

Our very Parisian view from our roof.

Merci, John. J'adore tu!

Bonne Nuit tout le monde!*

*there is no guarantee anything written in Franglais for the next few days is vaguely correct, or even what I intended to say.