Warming Up

Even though there are still three gigs to go (which I am very much looking forward to) psychologically it feels like that the tour is over. No more overnights and a few days at home first. And we largely had another family day today, though it was still non-stop. 

I was up at 5.30 with Ernie, without any serious night time interruptions, which felt like a victory. Phoebe woke up at 6.15am. Another mini triumph. How my life has changed!

 I let Catie have another deserved lie-in and got one child dressed (the other wanted to wear her PJs downstairs) and made them breakfast. This can be a challenge, but both kids were in a fairly happy mood. I got them fed and tidied up the kitchen a bit and washed the baby’s bottles. I enjoy the multi-tasking. It’s like a quite boring video game. But I like boring video games. cf me playing Civ II long after the game is actually over to just see if I can create a world where everyone has everything they need and all is at peace.

We had friends coming over for lunch so I went out early to Hitchin to get a chicken and pay in the Scope coins. I had an hour to sit down and have a coffee and think of Emergency Questions. The barista asked me how I was and said I looked tired. I told her that this had actually been a pretty good morning in sleep turns. But it’s all relative.

Then home to make lunch. 

We had another bird down the chimney when I was away (my father-in-law trapped it with a net and the caught it with his bare hands and took it outside and is thus the bravest man I know) so we’re getting the roofers to block up the chimneys we don’t use and stop birds getting down the one we do. He didn’t know which pots were active so I lit fires in the two grates we use, so he could see. And then returned to finish off lunch.

With two more kids in the mix lunchtime was a boisterous affair, but everyone got on and Phoebe had fun playing with the two older boys, who were very patient with her. I ended up playing Mr MacGregor and Peter Rabbit with them (which Phoebe insists on called Mr Grega) in which I tried to catch the rabbits with a hoop. As you can imagine I am brilliant at doing the Scotch voice that (I assume) is required. It was a good game and I didn’t have to do quite as much chasing as usual as I could just reach over with the hoop. 

By evening time I could not quite believe that this was the same day that I’d been into Hitchin. I’d already been up for over 12 hours and not stopped. I thought I’d go straight to sleep after the kids’ baths, but typically got a second wind.

I ended up lying in bed when everyone was asleep, writing more Emergency Questions. I am meant to finish  this book by the end of the month and have maybe 100 or so questions to go. But I think I can do it in the next two days with a good wind behind me.

One of the conundrums I came up with was based on something that’s happened to me. When I was drunk a couple of weeks ago I ordered some product that is meant to stick things to the wall (or wherever) easily and without leaving marks, that I’d seen advertised on Facebook. It was just a casual purchase as I was as keen to see if this gel thing worked or not as anything. I was aware it probably wouldn’t and that I’d just put it in a drawer and forget about it. But I got a moment of adrenaline from the excitement of a drunken purchase. 

I’d kind of forgotten about it, but emails had arrived telling me it was now on the way and then one from paypal saying the money had been taken from my account, post-delivery. But it hasn’t been delivered. I am not sure if I can be arsed to look into it. I mean, I probably will. But I am busy and it was such an impulse purchase that actually owning the thing wasn’t all that important. 

But it did make me think about whether it was possible to create an online scam where you didn’t actually ever have to sell anything but still might make money. I’d be amazed if no one has attempted this. But here’s the question it inspired: