Every family has the crazy uncle, right? I had two. One related by inclination, the other by marriage. Growing up I saw one almost every weekend, the other much less often. I miss them both. One was witty and daft and completely off the wall; kind and generous and possibly quite brilliant; more like my… Continue reading The Crazy Uncle
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Conflicted
I want a fresh start. Isn’t that what the New Year is supposed to be all about? But it’s not. It’s half way through the school year. It’s a third of the way into a work commitment. It’s almost seven years into one son’s life, five for the other. It’s us on the way to… Continue reading Conflicted
Where’s My Vertiport?!
At the Helicopter Museum today, saw a diorama all about ‘vertiports’ and how, in The Future helicopters would ferry everyone from the city out to the airports or nearby cities. The skyline behind the artist’s rendering of the Heliport was New York pre-Twin-Towers. So where’s my vertiport? Where’s my hover car? And where the hell… Continue reading Where’s My Vertiport?!
Happy New Year At Last
So here we are on a cold and mercilessly bright New Year’s morning. I kind of hate New Year’s Eve, but as soon as midnight rolls around I have the happy, fresh-slate feeling that comes as a surprise every time. I’m always very pessimistic, fatalistic, on Hogmanay, which is not like me. But maybe I’m… Continue reading Happy New Year At Last
Mother Of The Year
Stop hitting people, stop touching them as you walk by, don’t barge between them, don’t swing your lunchbox. Sit still. Use your knife and fork. Put your fork in the proper hand. Use your napkin not your sleeve! Sit up, sit down, don’t talk with your mouth full. Stop saying “no” before I’ve even finished… Continue reading Mother Of The Year
“I Bin Sayin’ It. I Bin Sayin’ It All Along…”
I’ve been saying it all along. I watched a clip on YouTube pirated from a DVD I own. The uploader added music, turned it into something new and wonderful. And that’s a breach of copyright on two fronts (derivative work and stealing music). But it made me so happy that I immediately loaded up iTunes… Continue reading “I Bin Sayin’ It. I Bin Sayin’ It All Along…”
100 Words
One hundred words. One hundred ways to catch a day and frame it. I grab a moment, bruise its wings and pin it, still struggling, to the page. If I do my job well, an observer in one hundred years will still hear the echo of the moment, still see the smudge of colour; breathe… Continue reading 100 Words
“Can Someone Get Me Out Of Here?”
“Can someone get me out of hear?!” The voice was harsh for that of a four year old. It sounded like he had been shouting the words long enough to have lost patience but no for so long that he was getting upset. I followed his voice to the bathroom. The door was closed and… Continue reading “Can Someone Get Me Out Of Here?”
Beginning 100Words Anew
Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know I haven’t written anything here this month. I didn’t even sign up. So sue me. I’ll write my 100 words for today and I’ll write them for the next four days, and no-one will ever know. It’s all the same to me. When I first tried this, years ago, 100… Continue reading Beginning 100Words Anew
Building A Leaf Bin
I hate waste, so autumn drives me kind of crazy. All my neighbours sweep their leaves to the front kerb, where a big borough lorry comes along and sucks them up. Then, in the spring, everyone has a truck load of mulch delivered. I say: stop the insanity! Build a leaf bin! It doesn’t take… Continue reading Building A Leaf Bin