One (strange) Direction

Thursday 15th August. 23:32

We've had a much quieter day today. We did in the end go for a short cycle ride in the evening, for about half an hour - just to find a post box really.

I do find it easier to go out, to get outside and enjoy the fresh air when I'm on holiday. I can no longer claim that this is because there are less distractions or reasons I can use to side track me into staying indoors. I've brought them all with me. Well, with the exception of the cleaning or doing my laundry I guess. I've brought my ipad, Chromebook, Blackberry and Kindle with me.

That's right folks, one mobile internet connection wasn't enough, so I brought another along, just to be on the safe side.

I uploaded some more photos today, from our marathon bike ride, and some new ones taken today from Rye Harbour, which we stopped off at on our little cycle out today.

We did find a post box. We did post the obligatory post cards. There's only one person that will receive one that hasn't been kept up to date with what we're doing by other means already. All the others will have had the chance to see the pictures, or seen the facebook updates.

Do we ever really get away ? Well, not if you take all your technology crap with you, no.

Chloe and I watched some TV this evening, after tucking in to a ready meal lasagne (Chloe's first Lasagne, and she deemed it 'lush' - so that's a success then. Something we will have to try and make when we get home). We watched a program on Channel 4 about the fans (or stalkers) of One Direction. They're this boy band that were formed out of one of the reality TV shows where people vote for which most popular, tuneless wannabe stars they'd like to thrust into the not entirely unforgiving glare of the worlds media and public eye.

The program focussed on the exploits of what have to be said are very determined and single minded fans. It has to be said that these fans all seem to be girls between the ages of 13 and 19. Fans with too much time and money to waste it would appear on chasing this poor group of boys around the country in the hope that they will meet, talk to, fall in love with and then marry (and live happily every after) one of the 'band'.

One man's determined and single minded is another man's stalker.

I can't understand where the parents of these girls are, why are they allowing or encouraging such utter mania. It's one thing to be a fan, and consumed by wanting to know about whatever your star is doing, when they are next releasing a single or whatever, but this ?

They seem to organise themselves on Twitter. Another thing for Twitter to be blamed for. My god there's a whole stadium full of crying, screaming teenage girls ready to be taken advantage of by some unscrupulous pop band manager, or anyone else for that matter. I find it quite scary that there seems to be no one in their lives imploring or enforcing restraint.

Some of them even have tattoos about the band. Sending messages via Twitter to the poor unfortunate boys in the band, threatening all sorts of emotional blackmail in order to illicit a response or 'follow' from them. It's sad and frightening.

I don't envy those boys one bit. How the hell can you possibly live anything like a normal life, meet friends, meet girl/boy friends when anyone you interact with is zeroed in by an army of demented teenage girls ? Anyone that is a 'threat' to their perceived ownership of the boys finds themselves the recipient of even nastier threats.

Thinking back, I am sure that fans have always been this... extreme, or at least some of them have been. It's just that with modern technology and social media, they get to share how they feel, and provide validation to their own fantasies.

It's a crazy situation, and it's a miracle someone hasn't been seriously hurt or had something bad happen to them.

Some of the fans have taken to writing fan fiction. Giving literary voice to their fantasies (I guess at least it's creative and constructive.... maybe). Some of these fantasies explore the idea that two members of the boy band are actually secretly in a gay relationship. The logic of this being that at least if the two guys concerned are in love with each other, then they at least aren't going out with any OTHER girls. (other than the fans).

Hang on.. erotic gay fiction, written by teenage girls ? That's not at all mixed up is it.

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 ?

Tyred.. but ready for another week

Tyred.. did you see what I did there ? Ho. Hum. Sorry.

Yes, amongst the things that I got whilst out on my exciting shopping trip yesterday was some replacement inner tubes for my bike. With the desire to save money (the weekly buss tickets cost me nearly £70 a month) and an urge to be more physically fit, AND get home from drama a bit quicker I have decided that I need to fix my bike and 'get back on the road'.

Although I've put to the back of the list of things to do this weekend the actual repairing phase of this grand plan, I am sure that by the end of the week I will have the old girl working again. I'm day off on Wednesday so I will have a chance to fix the tyres whilst I wait in all day for the man from UPS to come pick up my old busted kindle.

I am still over the moon to not be without one, thanks to those lovely folks at Amazon.

Moved the cat tree into the living room, as it gives them a much better view of what's going on. Managed to move it without disturbing Midnight, who was resting on it at the time. This does seem to be a hit with the cats as they do indeed like to laze on the top most part of the cat tree and watch whatever is going on around them.

Yes, that is Midnight on the left there, precariously balancing on the top perch, trying to share it with his sister. Looks damn uncomfortable if you ask me, not the Twilight seems to notice.

The other brilliant news this weekend was the revelation that my daughter wants to go on a school trip to France later in the year. Somehow having to find the money for that, on top of all the other things just makes me smile. It shouldn't really. I am glad though that she wants to go, sounds like it will be a great thing for her to do. I think they will be staying in Normandy for 4 days. She didn't seem to make the connection when I reminded her of our trip to Hastings a couple of years ago, where we did go the Battle (the place where the Battle of Hastings took place) and walked round the very field and looked round the abey.

Oh dear, history education just not what it used to be I guess. More than likely, it would be the case that like myself I didn't really take an interest in history until people stopped trying to tell me about it.