Is it lucky?

On Wednesday evening I answered a knock at the door, it was a neighbour from the end of the road.

He asked if we had lost a young, black cat, as they had one that had wandered into their house, and didn’t seem inclined to leave.

I replied in the negative; with visits to Grandma Zilla, such pets aren’t really practical for us yet.

Then yesterday morning, it was bin day, so I was busy preparing the recycling stuff and pulling the bin to the kerb, when I spotted a small, black cat.

It made a beeline for our open front door and happily pushed it’s way inside. It took some tracking down, as it was content to explore nooks and crannies inside the house. To achorus of disapproval from the children I put it back outside, after letting them stroke it for a few minutes.

Last night as I opened the front door, returning from work, this same cat shot past me and back into the house.

Mrs Zilla persuaded me to let it stay inside for a while, appealing to my better nature, saying that it may well be hungry.

So it was given some tuna and settled itself down to a nap at the top of our stairs.

It showed remarkable patience with Godzooky 3, who was quite insistent on “stroking” it, with some ferocity and little aplomb.

Despite pleas to let it stay, I have told the kids that it is someone else’s cat, and that whilst I’m happy for it to visit occasionally, it cannot be ours.

So I’m not sure if this black cat crossing my path has been lucky….

A First

for me: seeing someone from the Blogosphere in the flesh, so to speak.

Actually there was only really one person I was ever likely to “bump into” on my blogroll. Most bloggers I read live thousands of miles away.

As alluded to in comments on another post below, I happened upon Delboy’s Daughter in my local supermarket earlier in the week.

Actually, in reality, she spotted me and I wasn’t 100% certain it was her at first.

It left both me (and her, apparently) in a bit of a quandry – to say hello or not?

I’ve still not really decided what this blog is for me: a place to vent frustrations? an opportunity to write down thoughts and feelings? a place where I just post random crap?

Possible all those things and more. 

I’ve been writing posts for over two and a half years now, when I thought it might not last more than a month or two

My wife is unaware of my blog, so saying hello to some “random stranger” in the supermarket would have raised awkward questions.

I could have told my wife about my blog, but I’m not sure that I want to. I don’t feel that I constantly moan about her, but she would probably suspect that I do, and undoubtedly want to read it. I regard it as a private space to say whatever I want, virtually anonymously.

She also probably wouldn’t be happy with the predominately female blogroll that I have.

There’s nothing in that: I’m not grooming strangers from thousands of miles away for any purpose. In fact if anything, I tend to try not to pry or intrude into things.

They’re just people who I find interesting and make me smile. I am a man of simple pleasures.

This is the crux of the problem for me. I’ve read Delboy’s Daughter’s (seem to be lot’s of apostrophes in there!) blogs for virtually the whole time I’ve been blogging.

I think I came across her via a comment on someone else’s blog, she struck me as a funny, warm person, and I’ve read her blog ever since.

I find her pretty inspiring – she’s been through the mill on several occasions, and yet she still finds time to do so much and achieve her dreams. She makes me feel slightly inadequate in fact.

It was her blog, her words and her pictures that prompted me to try and do Nanowrimo last year, and pick up a pen and doodle more often.

I failed miserably with the Nanowrimo thing, but I still enjoyed what I did. Without her blog I’m sure no such thing would ever have entered my mind.

I guess this is the power of blogs: they can make you see things differently and change your outlook completely.

Which leaves me with the dilemma of seeing her the other day. It would have been lovely to speak to her and tell her all that, but may well have come across as slighly disturbing for her!

So perhaps it’s best that we were ships that passed in the night, and I didn’t make an arse of myself in person.

I never normally shop at that time, it was only because we’d been away for the weekend and I was off on Monday – so don’t worry DD it should never happen again!

I hope this post has come across in the way I intended – basically to highlight how crap I am caught unawares, my lack of confidence and my concern to not upset anyone.

DD if we’d crossed paths at the European Markets, after a few Gluhwein DD, I’d probably bore you senseless with mindless chat!

A lot

of travelling and a lot of events to write about, but I feel terrible, cold, flu type thing.

 So this is it post wise!

Mixed results

well the football went completely tits up, such a poor display and more confirmation that we as a footballing nation are shocking.

I shouldn’t be surprised, and given my choice of club team to support, such disappointments are easily dealt with.

Speaking of which, I’m girding my loins for more disappoinment when I see my team play this weekend. A lot of travel is going to be involved, but it should be good to get away for a bit. So no work (and no posts) Friday and Monday.

The parents’ evening went considerably better. Both zookies are doing really well. Godzooky 2 has already outstripped all the targets for her first year in nursery, so she could be a little genius in the making.

 Godzooky 1 is doing really well too, in the top 1/3 of his class in all subjects, and apparently is a lovely boy to have around the classroom. Just need him to be like that at home now!

So

it appears that I may have a good case for appeal.

My boss agrees that there are some blatant omissions from the regarding exercise. He supports me fully in some areas, whilst in others he has reservations.

I think I can justify all my calls for upgrading, so I’m fairly hopeful of getting a raise. It now just depends on how many points they agree with me on, as to how much more I should get.

The good thing is that this is to be backdated, for at least 2 years and possibly as much as 5 years!

Today’s task is attending parents’ evening, with two different teachers to fit in tonight.

Then there is the nerve wracking task of watching the England football team attempting to qualify for next year’s European Football Championship.

Not sure which one I’m dreading more! 

Hope springs

I’m due to sit down with my boss to discuss a possible appeal against the pay and grading results.

I’ve obtained copies of the scoring system, and I reckon I should have a good case.

It’s now down to how much support I’m going to get inthe process….

The best things in life are free

Well, some of them are anyway.

I have to confess, as an only child, I feel as though I have missed out on the closeness of families.

My parents were loving and caring, but not really very tactile. I can’t really recall lots of hugs and cuddles as a child.

It’s one of the few parenting traits that I don’t use them as roles models for.

I want my kids to feel that closeness and the feeling of being secure and loved.

It was brought home to me on Saturday, when Godzooky 2 had a fall. She was tired and had simply fallen, grazing her knee.

She came to me, crying, and wanted a cuddle.

 I bathed her graze and cuddled her on the sofa, while she buried herself into my arms.

Within minutes she was dozing, still gripping me tightly.

It was a lovely way to spend almost an hour, knowing that she was warm, comfortable and feeling happier.

I know such moments are going to be rarer as the kids get older, but I hope they will be memories we can all cherish.

Interesting observation

I have made this week:

people are far more welcoming to a new, young, female employee than a male one.

My new starter has had lots of people introducing themselves.

I’m not totally shocked by this of course, as there is always going to be male interest in new female employees.

I guess women may well feel more comfortable chatting with a new woman than man.

The benefit/price* of being a young woman I guess.

* delete as applicable

What

do clouds and men have in common?

Eventually they fuck off and your day brightens up.

Some pictures

I’ve had kicking around for a while.

 Thought it would make a pleasant change from my whinging.

They’re from the Doctor Who exhibition that we went to see the other month.

 It was slighlty dull, but the kids enjoyed seeing the monsters from the tv show.

Then there’s a picture of me at the end…

A Cyberman

Queen of the Rachnoss

A Dalek

Me!