Tuesday 11th June

Mrs P got up early this morning and at 6.30am I stuck my head between the curtains to see it was starting to spit with rain. Now incredibly my first thought was not, that’ll be nice for the garden. No, it was, the washing is out and it’ll be getting wet, it having been put out last night. It’s a good idea if the nights dry, I’d recommend it. So 6.31am finds me in my pyjamas in the garden taking in the washing! I fear this house husbandry is becoming ingrained in me.

Bacon is back on the menu for breakfast and jolly nice it is. I see the youngest off to school; he has a GCSE to sit this morning so fingers are crossed. Mrs P and the eldest depart and I tidy up before I’m off to invigilate. Maths is being examined today and once again there is a no-show, and plenty who turn up without the right equipment. As I stand thinking during the exam I get to wondering how kids who all seem to have iPhones or Blackberry’s, can’t provide rulers, protractors and compasses. It can’t be a cost issue given they can afford the price of those phones. One moment of light relief is provided by a student who asks me if a particular question is a trick question! Because of course you get plenty of those trick questions in GCSE’s.

After lunch and hanging the washing back out to finish drying, I get down to my weekly clean of the house. With Mrs P working on Mondays this month my schedule has been altered, but I manage to cope. I then get the well dried washing in and get the ironing done. In the words of the A Team, “I do love it when a plan comes together.” It’s pasta for tea and I follow the instructions I’ve been left by Mrs P to make an accompanying sauce. I feel it has all gone pretty well until the youngest asks if there is any bread and I realise I didn’t heat the baguettes that were meant to be eaten with the pasta. So all in all not a very successful effort, though the pasta seemed to be appreciated, at least people emptied their bowls.

As part of a driving test you can now be asked about oil and coolant levels in the car, as well as a couple of other things under the bonnet. As a result of this I have to lift up my cars bonnet to show the eldest where to look for these things. This involves me getting out the manual as I’m not altogether sure where they all are. Is this a further sign of emasculation? Or is it car manufacturers making cars only they can maintain to tie you in. On reflection it’s probably a bit of both. I take the eldest out to practice her manoeuvres, reversing around corners, three point turns and the pièce de résistance, bay parking between two parked cars. Previously we’ve gone for empty car parks to practice this manoeuvre but not tonight. To say my nerves are slightly shredded would be an understatement, but we did both survive.

Yours shaken but not stirred.

Jay