It's the little things...

I was chatting to a colleague at work this afternoon about how small things you don't expect can have big consequences and might sometimes lead to death. For example, I guarantee that when I'm moving cables or trying to plug something in, at least one cable gets snagged around something meaning what should be easy becomes a lot of effort to try and reach and un-snag. Or when carrying a heavy box, my foot might hit something I didn't expect like the roll of a floor mat kicked up at the corner. Or perhaps I'm trying to move a box between rooms and it's just too big to fit through the door because one of the flaps is out and I haven't got a hand free to hold it in. I bet there are hundreds, if not thousands, of deaths each day due to small snags like that but in more extreme circumstances. Or perhaps not even extreme circumstances, I think there is some crazy statistic that suggests a number of people each year are killed by their own clothes. Imagine being killed by your own trousers! My own bastard trousers! I'm sure there must be some comedy value in that notion. I wonder if anyone has been killed by their own bra?

Where is summer?

Here are some thoughts I blogged earlier today...

I thought we were supposed to have fine weather this week, if the sky doesn't clear I don't see it getting any warmer.
I'm in a waiting room at the train station. A lady opposite me keeps yawning really deeply. On my journey home yesterday I sat opposite a lady who fell asleep with her head back and her mouth wide open. I had the mischievous thought that she looked like an inflatable doll as might be found in a adult catalogue. She wouldn't have thanked me for that thought, I'm sure.
The train announcer has told us that the train is delayed. That's a pain. I bought a fruit salad from a new stall just before the ticket barriers. I've eaten it but the fruit was very bland to be frank. I think that's the trouble with fruit salad, the flavours don't sit well together if you leave it too long. I don't think I'll buy the same thing again from the stall, even though the seller was pleasant enough.

Monday commute

Here's me posting something what I wrote on the train this morning...

I woke this morning, realising it was Monday and the weekend was over. A bit disappointing considering the weather is so nice. We're on holiday next week and I bet the weather is going to be unusually great here, meaning we could just as well as had the hot weather and not have to have spent a fortune on going away. I keep telling myself we're going to have experiences we couldn't have in this country. We're going to experience a different way of life for a week: you can't get that staying at home. That's certainly true.
I'm on the train at the moment. This is only my second journey from my new local station. It's a busier station, there are more places to catch a train to. I am lucky to get a seat. I didn't last week. I think a lot of people are on holiday for the next few weeks. I'm starting to think I should have taken more leave and had two weeks this summer. Never mind, at least I can take it at the next half term.
My journey is approaching it's end, I'll soon be walking in the sprawling metropolis that is the capital city. Another week begins....

Summer 2011

Hello all, what can I say but it's good to be back. I've been extremely busy in my work and home life since March but finally I feel like I can start to come back to the process of living life instead of worrying about where my family and I are going to live. We moved house 5 days into July and we're still in the process of trying to sort out boxes and boxes of possessions. The good thing is that we're very happy to be where we are and the house is really great. It does feel odd living somewhere where we all have enough space but it's nice at the same time knowing that it's a place we can grow into.

We were without the Internet for about a week and that really made a difference. It's hard to imagine life without the web. Fancy saying that 30 years ago, you'd get some strange looks. We're all connected up now, so I hope to be able to keep this blog up-to-date again.

My final thoughts for tonight are about looking forward to the holidays. My children break from school in two days and at the end of next week we fly to Spain for our holiday. I'm a bit excited and a bit fearful. I'm excited because it is somewhere different and will be a new experience for us as a family to be abroad. The last time we flew my son was just two years old. And I'm fearful because I feel the pressure of being the one who books the holiday, so if it doesn't meet expectations I'm the one who gets the blame. There are four people to please, including myself, and that's not an easy balance to get right. What happened last year was that I booked somewhere and it didn't meet expectations: I thought my wife would just return home after the first night but she stuck it out and by the end we were alright and even enjoyed ourselves: I know that sounds crazy but believe me it can be difficult when you don't get a lot of time off work - I think it takes a few days to unwind your springs and get into that holiday mood. My wife and I aren't lazy beach bums, so it will be out of character for us to do nothing. But really, that's my intention. Buy a nice reading book and just relax as much as possible, letting life go on around me while I chill. The only issue might be what to do with the children. I hope they are able to do the same. I suspect not though, they are like us in that respect! Ah well, at least it will be interesting no matter what.