Holiday !!

In a mere two weeks time, Chloe and I are on holiday together. This is our annual time away, that we've been going on since she was about 6 years old. (The first few years we went to Butlins in Bognor).

Most recently we've been going to Waterside Caravan Park in Paignton, Devon. It's a lovely part of the world. Lots of beautiful scenery and lots of places to go and see, and things to do. Having been there now for three years we wanted to try somewhere else.

Devon is such a lovely part of the UK, I must admit that I'd not seriously considered us going to somewhere Eastwards. I don't know if it's the geography, or the greenery, or the general pace of life. Not sure. Something in my head feels a little 'lesser holiday' of an Eastward destination. Silly really. Very silly. I'm sure there are just a great places to the East of where we live. Maybe even North too. (The only things really South of here are the Isle Of Wight, or, well, water - unless we seriously consider going abroad...).

Anyway. I've been getting some emails from different holiday park companies. We stay at caravan parks. There's also something about staying in a caravan that makes it a holiday, as much as the train journey. The fact that you're spending time on a train etc, tells you that you're going away, and in a strange way literally allows you time to acclimatise to the change in pace and general relaxation and washing away of all the stresses.

Anyway. Some of these offers I got from Park Holidays were, to be honest, too silly to not look into.

We've booked today, for a nice seven day holiday at holiday park on the East Sussex coast. (Sorry stalkers, not telling you exactly where). Last year I spent well over £700 for the caravan alone. This I got for Under £400. With it being so cheap (was on offer at half price) I've upgraded the standard of caravan.

It'd begun to get worried that we wouldn't get somewhere for the dates that we wanted, or that it'd be somewhere not as nice as Waterside. By the looks of it, it's a really pretty town. Lots and lots of scenic walks for us.

We're not really into all the on-park entertainment, (except for the swimming pool), and walks in the countryside are just our thing. As long as there's 3g signal, we'll be ok.

Cat down

As I write this, I am beside myself. Not in the existential sense. I mean that I am worried about Twilight. My cat.

I am one cat down. Yes people. We are a cat down.

Twilight the little terror has gone off somewhere, and not come back at the end of the evening. I've left the front door open a long as I dare, but there's no sign of her. Which can only lead me to two possibilities. She is unable to return. She is unwilling to return.

Not sensing any dissatisfaction with the domestic arrangements before, I can only conclude that she is either shut in somewhere, or ... has come to some serious harm.

I hope it's the former rather than the latter.

Midnight does not seem to care in the slightest. As long as I put some more dry cat biscuits into his bowl he's perfectly happy.

I am very, very, very glad that it's the end of the week. I am not sad to see the back of it, that's for sure. I just don't feel like I'm getting any sense of achievement and joy out of it, and I should. Still feeling trapped behind that bloody computer at work.

I want to be freed. I want to escape. I want to run through open, sunny meadows. Well, okay, maybe not the second bit.

Not that much of a fan of nature.

Still haven't booked anything going away for Chloe and I. But the offers are coming in thick and fast on the emails. I just need to get the right one and I ponce, credit card in hand.

Up early tomorrow, shopping to do, to complete things for Chloe's birthday, and to celebrate my Mum's.

I could not get much sleep last night. I went to bed okay, after having a lovely evening at Colin and Derrek's. I'd gone round there for dinner. Very nice pasta and some wine. I woke up around half past midnight, and couldn't get back to sleep until about four am. This did, however mean that I made amazing progress reading the current book on my kindle. Extinction Point - by Paul Anthony Jones.

Anything can happen Tuesday.

Anything can happen ?

Well it could, just that the probability of some of the more interesting things is really, really, low.

Infinitesimal is the word that comes to mind.

Work is getting a bit drudgery at the moment. There's lots of success, but I'm just feeling that I am at the mercy of paperwork, and not actually getting to spend any time with my people. I want to spend more quality time with them. Away from my bloody computer. Never brings me good news does that machine. Never.

Well, okay I have to be fair quite often there's good news. Someone does really need though to stop writing endless briefs. There's only so much people can possibly read without wanting to kill themselves.

So much information in the information age. In the age of the internet. Most of it's a load of crap though.

Good news is that tomorrow, with any luck I'm going out with the team to go see a film. It's been a couple of months since we did it, and also means we'll get to meet up with Rob, who left the team when he went to work in another area of the company.

It'll also be the first time out with the two new girls that joined the team. They're a bit younger than the rest of the team so their expectations of what the night entails may be a little different. We'll have to see.

Went down with my Mum today, (and my Nephew) to go see the bike that Chloe has been referring to as the 'google' bike. Turns out it's not white, but the handlebars, pedals, saddle post etc are in the primary colours of Google. Don't worry guys, your intellectual property is safe. Leaving work a little bit earlier did mean missing the most of the murderous traffic queue to leave site. Considering that we're supposedly only meant to have cars on site that bring in more than two people there were an awful lot of people I've seen in the last few weeks that seem to be the only person in the car. Unless I guess for some reason the passengers were hidden from view somehow. Anyway, it was much easier and quicker to leave today.

When the need really hits, I am getting quite good at this 'down tools and leave' thing. This absolutely does not mean that I leave anything half done, (or completely not done for that matter). I make sure that I get things finished as I need to.

The sounds of some sort of nocturnal construction work have been resounding and bouncing across the estate the last couple of nights. I think there's some work being done on the motorway that passes by the end of the site. I guess they have to do it sometime, and any noise they make at this time of night is going to be noticeable. Can't see any evidence of the work though when we go past in the morning on the way to work.

planning the escape ? 

This morning I was presented with a light challenge. Waking up in my normal state of 'not really awake... give me coffee !!!!'  meant that it was not until I got to the kitchen, turned on the kettle, and set about feeding the cats that I realised there was only one there to feed. Twilight was there, as usual, communicating to me in her own sweet way that she wanted feeding. She had also been there waiting not so patiently by my bedside for me haul ass out of bed and feed her.

Midnight was nowhere to be seen. I looked round the flat for him. Called for him.

Then I heard the slightly distant cries of a cat, and traced these cries to the front door. Upon opening it, I discovered both the source of the cries and the location of Midnight. The little bastard had escaped out of one of the open windows. I cannot tell at what time he did this, he didn't appear to be distressed or injured in anyway. It may have been a planned escape. He may have fallen out, or been knocked off the window-ledge by the window blind blowing in the breeze. (There was actually some breeze last night. Thank fuck).

Upstairs he trotted, quite happy that he had been let back in and that his human had again, provided food as trained.
Little fucker.

I suspect that his break for freedom was out my daughter's bedroom window, although it could just have easily been out the window in my room (but I hope I would have noticed this more, and certainly heard the him meowing), or the windows in the front room, which although these do not have whole window openings, are still well within the abilities of the average feline to exit from.

The thing is that Midnight surprised me, had Twilight been the one that had gone out, I would have understood. She's much more the adventurous type. Midnight is normally happy to sit lazing around in or near the flat, and allow Twilight to do all the exploring / catching and 'socialising' with other local cats.

Maybe Twilight pushed him out of the window ? She did look rather pleased with herself when I fed her. Often I've noticed that he muscles in on her food. Revenge is a catfood dish best served cold (from a pouch) ?

Just another manic Monday

Hang on, haven't I used that title before ? Maybe. Maybe not. Don't care. It was Monday, and it was manic.

The weekend was very, very nice, despite being rather tired, I got to spend extra time with my daughter. Always a good thing.

Trying to sort out the bike that she wants for her birthday. She's found one that she really likes at shop near her. It's not a chain shop, but rather an independent that refurbishes and brings to life old bikes. Chloe's friend has one already and really loves it.

I still can't process the concept that my daughter will be 14. In a couple of years she'll be leaving school.

Finally finished the playing around with the Doorstops script that Steve needed. I wrote the thing about a year ago now, and he'd needed me to rework it a little. Wasn't happy with the terribly trifling little detail that it didn't contain a few things that were in the synopsis he'd written for the episode. Ooops. Still, it's a much better script now than it was.

Still no progress with rewriting / editing the NaNoWriMo novel, but I guess that's because I've been working so much last week that I've barely been home. Talking of which. Idiot ! I'd forgotten to submit my overtime form.

Off to visit the acclaimed bike shop tomorrow after work, and then off out with the guys from work to the pictures on Wednesday. Round Col(v)in and Derrek's Thursday... Friday ? Well, on Friday Steve's coming round with his hard drive so I can copy the files that I need in order to be able to edit the Stephen Brown story that I've volunteered to edit. Eeek. Why did I do that ?

Sunny Sunday - with a difference.

This weekend is not the weekend in which I would normally have my daughter to stay overnight. Normally at this time of the morning, I would probably just be waking up enough to get ready to go and meet her at the train station.

Normally.

This weekend has turned out a little differently.

It's my daughter's birthday soon, and she has had her eye on a bike made (or put together) at a small independent bike shop round the corner from where she lives. She refers to the design as 'the google bike'. Shouldn't really give them ideas, should we ? They'll come up with a bike made entirely of recycled plastic or something that has an inbuilt camera, GPS locator and bluetooth sync capability with your smartphone. The Google Re-Cycle ? Actually, dammit, I think I'm on to something there.

You heard it here first folks.

Anyways. Back to the point. She's been yearning for this bike for weeks, and is actually amazed that no one has bought it, considering she hasn't been able to reserve it. (Shop keeper has the sense to insist that kids must have an adult with them in order to reserve a bike).  From what I can gather, it's not a standard construction, but more an amalgam of parts for other bike types. I'm not entirely sure what image that conjures in my head. Really I'm not. I think of the bicycling equivalent of something from the Wacky Races.     

Her mum has had a look at it, and we decided that it was a good idea that I too go and have a look. In a moment of uncharacteristic endeavour, I opted to hop on a train and go down there yesterday afternoon / evening. 

Chloe's mum had joked (maybe not so joked) earlier in the conversation that maybe I should have Chloe today (IE Saturday). When I was enroute, by bus, I offered that if she wanted, and of course Chloe agreed, I could take Chloe back with me. I have to admit to being amazed when she said yes. Had I not been sitting on a really hot bus with a load of disgruntled looking chavs I may have whooped, or even hollared. I restrained myself. 

Anyway, after all that, the shop was shut. Bless teenagers for their myriad of communicative means, but lack of the ability to use one to call the guy in the shop and ask 'hey, dude, what time you shut today'. Hashtag - Just saying. 

Anyways. Looks like I'm going to have to try and find a way to go down there during the week, after work, before the shop shuts. Racing around is exactly what I want in these sweltering temperatures.