Mental rambles

My Brother has a built-in SatNav in his head. He can navigate through towns, cities even continents without any worry or doubt.
His memory, sense of direction and knowledge of landmarks is phenomenal.
My Father’s the same.
Me?
I get lost turning around.

I took my six-year-old daughter to yet another child’s birthday party on Sunday.
Usually these events are an opportunity for the wealthier families to flaunt their wealth and try to outdo each other.
This party was at the other end of the scale.
The family were Japanese and perfectly nice people, but they had hired a hall that was having building works carried out.
The car park was a mess of mud and broken paving stones.
The hall itself was cold with two permanently open exits. Neither of them watched.
They had hired an entertainer, and she was OK, but it was just her and about thirty children.
They were all given large foam balls and plastic hula-hoops to play with and encouraged to run around.
On walking into the shrieking chaos, my daughter turned and begged me not to leave her.
I didn’t.
I wouldn’t of even if she hadn’t asked me.
I watched a dozen children hurt themselves and there were lots of tears and arguments.
How many other parents stayed?
Two.
I wonder what the others were doing that was more important?

No, not what you’re thinking.
I sat down on the train on the way home and somehow the armrest slotted into my front pocket.
Annoyingly the distance between the seat, my bottom and the armrest was about an inch too far.
Riiiiip!
Embarrassing but worse, the material ripped rather than just the seam.
One pair of suit trousers ruined and one suit jacket now redundant.

I’m trying to watch less television nowadays.
Just films and programs that catch my interest on the TV pages of the newspaper.
I watched a program on the BBC last night about two young soldiers recovering from horrendous injuries.
Tom and Andy.
Both had lost their legs. One of them had also lost his left arm; the other had been partially blinded.
Their heroism left me sad but amazed.
I truly hope they both live fulfilling lives.

I was surprised to find a flock of about thirty geese wandering around a school car-park on Saturday. They were in a closed off section, but people could still wander through.
I was lucky as I was on my way to a children's party with my boy and we happened to have some bread with us.
The geese were quite bold and gratefully took the small pieces of bread from our hands. My boy did shriek a bit when the birds got a little too aggressive, but overall he was pretty brave.
We spent about a quarter of an hour feeding them.
Would it be weird to say that it was my favourite part of my weekend?

My children travel to three different schools every morning.
My eldest walks herself to her coach stop.
My youngest gets driven by my wife.
My middle child gets the bus with me.
Initially we considered getting a second car but I was against it.
It would just necessitate me driving back home after dropping her off and I'd be even later for work than I currently am.
The added bonus is that we get to chat and play while waiting for and riding on the bus.
The small walk at either end isn't problem as she gets to run and walk along walls.
Most parents seem to forget how precious this time is.

I walked my daughter to school today.
We met up with one of her friends, her Mum and her dog.
The laughed together and whizzed along on their scooters.
Everything was fine until about two minutes from the school.
The other little girl tripped and fell off onto her hands and knees.
She picked herself up, wobbled and then collapsed.
I ran and gathered her up before giving her to her Mum.
‘Stay with me.’ She commanded her six-year-old daughter.
I stood uselessly holding both scooters, my daughter and their dog.
After about three minutes the little girl recovered with no sign of confusion or injury.
Her Mum told me that it happened whenever she injured herself and sent her through the school gates.
If it had been any one of my children, I would have taken them straight to the hospital!

I was arguing with a friend the other day about who had the worst memory.
I contested that mine was worse due to all the blows to the head I’d received in my life.
He insisted his was poorer due to all the alcohol and drugs he’d consumed.
We argued for ages.
I can’t remember who won though.

Diabetes is a problem in my family.
I recently found myself talking about my health and diet in that regard.
It’s not too bad.
I used to have a sweet tooth when I was younger, but I suspect that it was one of the ones I lost in idiot fights or accidents.
Before that though, my Mum used to treat me with Sugar sandwiches.
Yes they were exactly what they sound like:
Soft white bread, loads of margarine and about half and inch thick with white sugar.
The sugar used to pour out if you didn't keep it level as you ate.
My teeth are aching at the memory.

About two months ago I visited my local GP because the inside of my cheek had been bleeding.
The bleeding had stopped but an obvious lump had formed.
I suppose everyone thinks the same thing when lumps appear.
The Doctor referred me to the Maxillofacial dept. in the nearest hospital.
I went this morning, after dropping my daughter at school and got there just in time for my 9.20am appointment.
I was seen quite quickly and sent down to the x-ray dept.
The girl doing the x-rays asked me to remove all metal from around my head and neck area. I told her about the metal posts in four of my teeth but she said that they’d be fine.
After the x-ray I was sent back to the Maxillofacial dept. for a physical examination.
It’s very weird to have someone feeling around the inside of your mouth.
Weirder when the Dr called in his supervisor and she did the same thing.
They were pleased to announce that I’d simply developed a calcium stone in one of my salivary glands.
The bleeding was caused when the stone had torn through the saliva duct and the lump was simply the subsequent scarring.
They couldn't cut it away without damaging the still functioning saliva duct and gland.
It’s not very noticeable and I’m sure I’ll stop feeling it over time.

My fifteen-year-old daughter’s got a boyfriend.
Not one of her ‘I really like him, he’s so dreamy’ boyfriends but a real one.
They’ve been seeing each other for several months now and they are obviously serious about each other.
A year ago I would have hated it.
Now… Not so much.
I’m just grateful that he seems like a nice boy.

My eldest is nearly 16 and as you’d expect a teenage girl to be nowadays.
There were tears and I hate you’s.
In her defence, she had to have a total of four injections: Two in one arm, one in her other arm and one in her bottom.
She stormed out of the nurse’s office and went home without the rest of us.
She greeted us at the door when we got home and had managed to calm herself down.
I wasn’t angry.
Injections are horrible.

My six-year-old girl came in to the nurse’s office after her little brother.
My wife took the boy and my little girl sat on my still warm lap.
“Will it hurt?” she asked me.
“A little.” I replied honestly.
She buried her face in my chest as the first needle went in.
Tears welled up but she didn’t make a noise.
The second injection didn’t seem so bad and she even managed a small smile.
She’s a much braver soul than me.

I took my youngest in to the nurse’s office first, while my wife waited outside with the girls.
I let him see me have two injections while he sat on my lap and we laughed and joked as I told him I didn’t feel a thing.
When his turn came, he continued to sit on my lap. He was brave and smiling and took the first injection bravely.
It did hurt.
I’d lied to him.
He cried.
I felt awful.
Still, he needed a second injection and although tearful, he took it.
I was proud of him.

Another penalty of foreign holidays is the dreaded inoculations.
For some ridiculous reason the various injections had to be carried out over several days.
I didn’t organise it very well as I was nervous about the children seeing each other’s reactions.

I took my wife out for a meal on Saturday night.
There was no particular reason; I just thought we deserved it.
My parents looked after our youngest two children and my teenage daughter was allowed a few hours alone in the house with her boyfriend.
Regardless of her teenage tantrums, I do love and trust her.
It was really nice evening and a much needed treat for my wife.