I am writing this on my laptop, sitting in the garden of our self catering cottage. I am on holiday. [Well actually, I will post this when I get back from being on holiday, it seems a bit pointless announcing to the world that you are not at home.]
Behind me is an apple tree, a venerable old thing with hundreds of apples, there is another tree to my right, it looks like another apple tree, but I've not yet spotted any apples on it, so I cannot be too sure.
The church bells are ringing, rather mechanically calling the faithfull to worship. The sun is out, there is a cock crowing, alternating with a dog barking, perhaps they are in conversation. I am sitting in a rather nice garden, all the nicer for not requiring my attentions, now or at any time in the future.
We are staying in Wales, Newbridge on Wye, not far from my uncle, also taking the opportunity to catch up with other relatives while we are here. We actually had a stay-cation last year, and were down at the same cottage the year before. We were down by Talgarth a couple of years before, so this is our third holiday hereabouts. Accordingly we have done most of the big ticket things to do down here. This year we are rather purposely not doing much.
My everyday life is very much part of the rat-race. Schlepping into work, trains, buses and grumpy folk, then ninja style trying to get through work that I don't have time to do properly.
I have just come back from buying the Observor, do they still print that, I remember that it was the paper with Peanuts and Charlie Brown when I was young, and the Independent on Sunday. Normally I would get the Sunday Times, but it seems pointless to boycott the News of the World, which I don't normally get, it is only really a boycott if it hurts, so I will boycott News International in total and buy something/anything other than the Sunday Times.
We got down here yesterday. Set off on Friday, drove as far as Warrington, stayed at a Premier Inn there overnight on the Friday, then drove the remainder to Llanndridnod Wells on Saturday morning. Like a fine wine, I do not travel well. After a few hours in a car, I start to go green, well probably not much a fine wine then. Hence a rather leisurely trip down.
Driving down there was the usual battle over the music, I am constantly trying to expand the musical consciousness of other family members, they are constantly complaining that my music is dreadful, or a new complaint, that it sounds like there is something wrong with the car whenever I play something.
We ended up compromising with REM which currently seems to be the sole common ground that we can all accept.
I suppose I like something that is a bit out there, unfamiliar and a bit difficult, whereas most other people want something that is familiar and not challenging. Maybe something that can be expanded beyond just musical tastes. Most people do like the safe and familiar, but if everyone did, nothing would ever change.
Daughter number two laughing at our conversations on the drive down. We were talking about how sometimes a boy racer will crash into someone's house while they are asleep. Generally without anyone coming to any harm. I was explaining how the conversation would go if this ever happened to me,
Me - are you okay?
Boy Racer - I think so, nothing broken,
Me - thank goodness for that,
Boy Racer - uhh
Me - let me help you out of the car, thank goodness that you are not hurt, that means that it will hurt all the more, when I kick the living daylights out of you you little scumbag, think you can trash my house, .....
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