Thursday 16 December 2010

Blake Edwards

I didn't know the man but enjoyed some of the films he directedand/or wrote which were fluffy fun. Here is a list of my faves. RIP Mr Blake.

Breakfast at Tiffany's
Operation Petticoat
Blind Date
Pink Panther series of films
The Great Race
10

The Fates are Conspiring

In a typical -"It's all about me" moment, I had a bit of a paranoid meltdown this week. I'm a fan of online shopping as it means minimum amount of human contact and ease of price comparisons. However, thanks to the snow some companies refusing to deliver (H&S cowards) or are saying that deliveries are all backed up until at least this time next year. Even if I could get a delivery the Anonymous arses attack on credit card companies meant me and a lot of other XMas shoppers were unable to pay for purchases. This latter really got me. I'm not a fan of the Lone Gunman type vigilante who decides they are doing something on my behalf. I didn't ask them to do so. Maybe what Wikileaks are doing is good, maybe we will all be better off knowing the truth. But my imminent truth is that I need to shop and to do that I need to pay (unless they succeed in causing widespread anarchy and the lootists have their way).

Sooo anyway it means I've had to get off my couch and try to tackle shopping myself. Disaster as I'm not good on a one-2-shopstaff level.
Last weekend - Bexley Mall. I was expecting hell but strangely the shops were quite empty and we were able to browse freely. Shame I spent most of the time in TK Maxx (otherwise known as Aladdin's cave!!) and Mothercare faffing about so that the other shops all shut.
Wed - we make our way to the Peninsula shopping centre. I made it as far as John Wilson street. There was traffic everywhere. It took us an hour to turn around and make it back. Gadzooks to anyone trying to make a hospital appointment.
Today - Blackheath. Got there and it bucketed with rain. Got tot shoes but nowt else. I am afraid, I'm not a village shopper. I spent an inordinate amount of time in the car swearing which is naughty as the tot reminded me.
I hate shopping. I hate buying gifts though I love to give them. I'm getting into a tizzy and there are still 9 days to go. Then another few as Mr P.M. has a birthday between Xmas and New Year.

The current Xmas present booty is pathetically small. The question is do I attempt Bluewater tomorrow, or Oxford St, or stay home and make pressies (awwww sweet if you are 3, not so much when you are clears throat considerably more than 3). And even if I do venture out, will Anonymous foil me again the dastards (it's a word, learn a new thing everyday).

P.S. The Anonymous lot have moved on from being Lone Gunmen to a Vendetta scenario where they are going to plaster the city with posters of Wikileak leaks. I can't wait for them to all turn out with Julian Assange facemasks.

Thursday 2 December 2010

It's easier, you only have one

It's not uncommon for me to be told that I have it easy as I have only one child. Most of the time, I don't disagree:

  • I have an easygoing, intelligent child. Yes, there are days when the little angel tests my patience, but it's also rewarded
  • Financially, it's cheaper. One child = only one set of things to buy, childcare cost, holiday prices, blah, blah, blah.
  • I have only one child to entertain on snowy, rainy days.
  • I can devote all my attention to raising just the one
BUT, there are times, teeny times when I have to grind my teeth. There are so many reasons:
  • It's bloody insensitive. I may have wanted more and have not yet, or cannot ever.
  • I may not have an easy child. My one child might be a sodding nightmare compared to your multiple children. I could for e.g. have an autistic child and then one is not easy (If I had more than one autistic child, then yes, one would be, relatively speaking, easier).
  • You CHOSE to have multiple kids and whoopee your fertility, luck, cosmic configuration, genes, jeans etc made it possible for you to have more so don't complain when it's hard to manage the multiple.
  • I have to entertain my one child as she has no siblings and on snowy days, it's hard to get to friends.
  • She has to learn to play on her own. Sometimes seeing her do so is just too sad to bear. Our child doesn't have any siblings to share birthdays with, holidays, Xmas, TV shows and lots of other stuff. Yes, your tots might not share now but I'm assuming at some point in the future the bond will build and they will be best buddies.
  • You don't have insensitive bods asking when you are going to have another.
Luckily, I know that having one is better than not having any. Or much better than having one and then losing that one. It's all relative see?

BT Infinity

Question to all you love Plumsteadians (Plummies, Plummers, Greenies (inclusive one that), Commoners, oooh I digress), have any of you tried BT Infinity and what do you think of it? Is the service reliable (unlike my shite Virgin bb which went doolally yesterday and interrupted my xmas shopping).