Prepared for the weather ... Wednesday 30th Oct

For some reason I have yet to fathom, it has now become a daily ritual for me to watch the BBC weather at 7.45am each morning. I put the TV on whilst washing up the breakfast dishes, (sausage sandwiches for the teenagers today,) then go through when I’m done. I rewind the news programme and watch Carol, well it’s usually Carol on the BBC, with the forecast. My concern for the weather is mostly a mixture of, whether the kids need coats for school, whether there is any point in hanging out the washing to dry, and whether I’m going to get wet walking to the library, or delivering the papers. I know weather forecasting is not an exact science. It is a forecast after all, but its funny how as a house husband at this time of year I’m more concerned about it. In the summer, by and large the kids don’t need a coat, whereas in winter they do. But autumn and spring are the, your guess is as good as mine months, when it comes to the weather. At the moment I’m just relying on the fact that Carol’s guess is better than mine.

Today I manage to get the papers done ahead of the forecast rain, and even the washing got dried outside. So a big win for this morning’s forecast. I even get the ironing done late afternoon.  For tea we’d been invited to the outlaws and very nice it was too. Homemade steak pie followed by homemade apple pie, you really can taste the difference when someone has made the effort and done it themselves. It even got me out of tidying up afterwards. All in all, quite a successful day.

Yours riding the forecast.

Jay

Style over Substance ... Tuesday 29th Oct

You know how some days you get to the end of them and you wonder “what did I actually do today?” Well today was one of those for me. I hadn’t been bored, or looking for anything to pass the time, but at the same time nothing memorable had happened. A bit of ironing, made breakfast and tea, tidied up, the usual in other words. Well one thing did happen, now I come to think of it, but that was more the eldest than me.

I spent the morning down at the library, during which I popped out to the shops. Well actually to only one shop, the cobblers. To see the man who repairs our shoes. The eldest’s heel had fallen off her school shoe, but being flats she has no idea it had gone missing. Apparently, the replacements come in two’s, and as the other one looks to be on the way off as well, both needed replacing. That’s another £7.50 we weren’t expecting to spend. To be fair the shoes were from Clark’s, and so you would hope they’d last, but no. The cobblers comment was, “poorly manufactured.” This was disappointing as you would expect better, but the eldest’s footwear is a continuous drain on our resources. Being a teenage girl they have to look right first. Functionality is someway down the priority list. If it was up to me she’d wear Dr Marten shoes, at least I know they’d last a school year. The youngest on the other hand doesn’t really care what he wears on his feet, and he treats them that way as well!

The good thing that happened today was the eldest got her first university offer, with which she was very pleased. Someone wants her, which is always nice. We await the rest.

Yours lamenting teenage footwear.

Jay

 

 

Forward planning ... Monday 28th Oct

The teenagers are back to school today and being Monday it means Mrs P and I are off to the supermarket. Because we’re in early it means we get around quite quickly, we also pop into the cheaper supermarkets next door for a couple of staples. It seems to reflect the changing face of shopping. Where once we got everything in the same place which was convenient, now with the family budget being squeezed we shop around, and strategically the lower cost supermarkets have opened up next door to the traditional brands. It’s still convenient shopping, but it’s also slightly cheaper.

After helping Mrs P with the housework, we take the opportunity in the afternoon to go out for a coffee. We decide to try somewhere new and end up in a pub-cum-restaurant down by the side of the river. The drinks are good. Whilst the view where we can see the river is nice, unfortunately in this case our view is mostly of a derelict yard undergoing demolition. Coming out of the house gives Mrs P and me a chance to talk to each other without distractions. Today’s topics are the eldest’s 18^th birthday and Christmas, the two coming right next to each other. I am very much of the kick Christmas back into December frame of mind, but Mrs P likes to plan well in advance, and so that is what we do.

In the evening I have my weekly football run out. I know I should be getting better at it, but I’m not. Still at least I show willing, and it could be argued its exercise for me. Something that is probably useful at my age.

Yours not forward planning.

Jay

Loving those leaves ... Friday 25th Oct

A quiet day at home today as the teenagers seem happy to be in. To be fair the weather isn’t great, and they both get on with some homework which is to be encouraged. In an effort to be useful I decide to clear the garden. Whilst I enjoyed walking through the leaves in the woods yesterday, I’m not quite as keen when the leaves are all around the house and on the lawn.

After sweeping the leaves up from around the house I rake the rest off the lawn. The problem is as soon as I get finished the wind blows and the next lot come down. At this time of year it’s a vicious circle. I finish outside by completing weeding the flower beds, and I hope that is the garden put to bed until the spring. Apart that is, from sweeping leaves of course.

I take a walk with the eldest in the evening to blow out some more cobwebs. There are no school holidays in November, and so the teenagers will be in school now until Christmas. I think this school year that November and March may be the only two months that there are no holidays. So its eight dark weeks of school to look forward to, with the clocks going back this weekend.

Yours needing some sun.

Jay

A happy dad ... Thursday 24th Oct

Mrs P has gone back to work today which leaves me and the teenagers at home together. We have a slow start to the day - them not me that is - given it’s difficult to get a teenager out of bed in the morning unless they have to be up. To be honest it’s as hard to get them out of bed in the morning as it is to get them to go to bed at night. What Mrs P and I have found for most of this holiday week, is that our light goes out before theirs do every night.

Late morning the weather is brighter and they agree to go out for some fresh air with me. We park down by the river and walk through the local woods down there. Being autumn it’s a riot of colour, though mostly shades of brown and red, as the leaves turn and fall. The crunch and sound of leaves beneath our feet is invigorating as we walk this way and that. Our game of I-Spy is a bit limited, given all we can see are trees and leaves, but we try our best. I’m glad the teenagers are happy and willing to be out with me and that we can enjoy each other’s company.

Yours still a very proud dad.

Jay

Failing to declutter ... Wednesday 23rd Oct

The eldest goes out with a friend for the day, and the youngest goes out with his friends to play football. This leaves Mrs P and me at home. Fortunately Mrs P has a plan, which is that we empty the cupboard under the stairs.

Now to be fair to Mrs P it does need doing, and probably gets done every six months. However, what usually happens is we take everything out. Give the cupboard a dust and a vacuum, and then put everything back. Today I decide we need to be a bit more ruthless, and actually get rid of some of the things that have been in there for years, and have never been used. We have three Thermos Flasks, and so I get rid of one. We have three torches, we keep them all. We have a cocktail shaker - never used in nearly ten years – we keep it. A bag of old wallpaper, off-cuts, we keep them. Kids craft kit, we keep it, and so on.

Eventually I find a cut glass dish/bowl we have never used in nearly twenty years. I think “this we can give to a charity shop”, only to be told be Mrs P that it’s a family heirloom! I never knew we had any, and if we have why are they in the cupboard under the stairs. I give up and put nearly everything back in the cupboard, thinking I can try again in six months time.

Yours just moving dust around.

Jay

Family day out ... Tuesday 22nd Oct

Today has been designated as family day-out day in the Perry household. The teenagers have been told/requested to keep it free from social engagements. The weather is pretty awful at the moment, with wind and rain dominating, but the forecast is for an improvement this afternoon.

So after an early lunch we climb into the car and head off to Tatton Park (Cheshire) for some fresh air and culture. Due I suspect to the earlier weather conditions it is not too busy when we get there, and happily for us it is actually quite warm this afternoon. Tatton Park is run by the National Trust, and we decide look to around the house first. The lack of crowds makes it a lovely experience for us, as we can chat and wander at our own pace. From original paintings to rare books, and exotica collected from around the world it is very impressive. The National Trust volunteers are very knowledgeable and friendly, and one even kindly shows us a hall that is closed today. The last Baron Egerton of Tatton was a fascinating man and we can’t help but be impressed by how widely travelled he was for his time (early to mid 1900’s), and how well respected and liked he was by his estate workers and the community. We even have time to do a family quiz as we go around, taking turns to find the clues.

We sit down for a drink outside in a lovely enclosed courtyard cafe and chat happily together, without the teenagers being on their mobile devices. Then its boots on, and off for a walk through the woods which are stunning in the autumn light. The only danger is the risk of chestnuts falling on your head. The deer in the park are sitting quietly with the stags standing looking imperious with their antlers on show. Despite it being rutting season all is quiet in this idyllic spot today.

On the way home we stop off at a pub for something to eat, not somewhere we’ve been before. It’s busy which is usually a good sign, but the service is prompt, and the food good value, especially with the discount voucher I printed off earlier. They even have a decent pint of bitter on for me. It is dark by the time we get home, which is unusual for the Perry family as our track record at staying out for a long time is not great. But today we have had a good family outing, and all enjoyed ourselves together. Happy days, happy memories.

Yours enjoying family time.

Jay

Bonding over TV ... Monday 21st Oct

This week is school half-term for both of the teenagers, and Mrs P is off work until Thursday, having taken some holidays. So it is that normal house-husband activities are slightly suspended.

Whilst Monday morning finds me giving some help to Mrs P with the housework, it finds me spending more time with the eldest watching TV. One of the nice things about everyone being off is having lunch together, and because we had people for dinner yesterday there are various leftovers from that meal. So for lunch today I can make a few sandwiches and fill the table with lots of bits and pieces we can all tuck into, whilst we chat.

After lunch Mrs P and the eldest go off to town together and the youngest and I sit down to watch a documentary film called Undefeated. It follows an American Football season at a high school in North Memphis, Tennessee. It was a salutary lesson watching these kids (all coloured) from deprived backgrounds and broken homes trying to do the best they could – sometimes succeeding, but frequently failing – and their coaches (nearly all white) giving so much of their time to help these kids, who no one else would have bothered with. It made me even more grateful for what I have in my life, and hopefully it struck a chord with the youngest. At least it was good to sit through it with him.

In the evening I go out to play football, which I enjoy. Though I come home wondering if I overstretched, at one point. Or maybe it’s just old age, catching up with me.

Yours counting my blessings.

Jay

Loving that rain ... Friday 18th Oct

Today Mrs P has taken a day’s holiday, and the youngest has an Inset (teacher training) day, and so his school is closed. Only the eldest has to go into school today, something she is not thrilled about. So it is that mid-morning, Mrs P, the youngest and I climb into the car and set out for Chester. We have a few things we need to pick-up, and have promised the youngest lunch at Nandos if he comes along. He is not at all keen on shopping and so needs bribing to accompany us. His view is you go to one shop, buy what you need, and then go home. Mrs P likes a bit more of a look around, and I’m somewhere in-between.

I park a 10 minute walk outside the city centre on a side street, as I object to the extortionate cost of car parking in towns in general. We’re all capable of walking into town from there, so there shouldn’t be a problem. As is usual for Mrs P and me we split up and agree a time to meet up again. So whilst Mrs P visits M&S, etc ... the youngest and I take a look at laptops and mobiles, with a view to what possibly to get him for Christmas. Once back together we head to Nandos, and it’s the first time we’ve been into this particular location. To be fair we are pretty au-fait with Nandos and what it offers, which is basically chicken and chips, which we like. To the point that, none of us really needs to look at the menu, we know what we want to order. The food is good and being a lunch time the clientele is mixed though mostly young, and I suspect most are students. If students these days can afford to eat out at lunch time, they must be a lot better off than I ever was.  

When we come out we have one final stop to make, which just happens to be the farthest we’ve been from the car, and it has started to rain! So there is the problem that it’s raining, Mrs P doesn’t have an umbrella and I’ve parked too far away. To be honest our mood is lightened by the fact that with the rain my shoes have become very slippery, on the various surfaces of Chester’s old streets. This means Mrs P has to cling onto me to stop me falling, or doing some geriatric impersonation of a Moon-Walk. In fact the laughter quite takes her mind off how wet she is getting.

Yours believing laughter really is the best medicine.

Jay

CTRL P and the rise of the cash till ... Thursday 17th Oct

Is summer back? I wish. Although as I walk down to the library this morning with the sun on my back, I can dream. All my IT queries in the library at the moment seem to relate to printing. Mrs P suggested I do an FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) sheet. But as I said, it is only one question 90% of the time, and the answer is usually, “Press CTRL P.” That or turn it off and turn it on again.

I spend the afternoon doing the housework. So being a House Husband in other words. Then getting the eldest’s tea ready early, as she was off out to do her dance show. Then getting tea ready for Mrs P the youngest and me. Followed by cleaning up afterwards. So what you might imagine a House Husband should be doing.

In the evening Mrs P and I take an evening perambulation, needing to pass the cash till at the local HSBC. We are somewhat surprised to see the front of the bank is boarded up. That is until we remember seeing in the local paper that there was an unsuccessful attempt to liberate the ATM last weekend. Bit of a pain though as it’s the cash till we prefer to use. Not that there aren’t options. Within 100m there are four other cash tills, in either mini/super-markets, or post offices, or petrol stations. Somebody must be making money from them. Funny thing about cash, if I have it I spend it, but if I don’t have any I can get by fine. I can't help wondering though where all these cash tills are coming from.

Yours counting the cash tills.

Jay

Its raining dance shows ... Wednesday 16th Oct

With the anticipated deluge today, I decide that rather than trying to impersonate Noah, I’ll get an early start on the paper round and try to beat the rain. To that end I’m loaded up early and out of the house hot on the heels of Mrs P and the teenagers. In an effort to ensure swift progress I decide to forgo the likable distractions of my radio, and just get on with delivering papers. Quicker than normal I’m finished and home before the rain, and to make matters better the washing is drying well on the line outside. As a small celebration I sit down with a mug of coffee, only to look out of the window and see that the heavens have well and truly opened. Dashing out to rescue the washing off the line, I inevitably get slightly soaked. Typical! However 30 minutes in the dryer and the washing is sorted and I’ve got a nice pile of ironing to do.

Mrs P and I spend the evening at a local theatre, where the eldest is appearing in a dance show. She has been doing these type of shows in various guises for 12 years now, and tonight and tomorrow will be her last. The show is excellent, and despite being ever so slightly biased, I think the eldest is wonderful. Mrs P and I are both surprised to see her cartwheeling across the stage at one point, something of a first. As ever with these shows the very young ones provide the laughs albeit unintentionally, and we can remember when the eldest was one of the young ones. It only seems like yesterday.

Yours with happy memories.

Jay

Technical confusion and football joy ... Tuesday 15th Oct

The sun is out, albeit weakly. However, this fires me with enough of a positive attitude that I find myself sorting out things early this morning. Things that have been waiting to be attended to for a while now. Included in these activities is learning what Google + is, and how to use it, to its full potential. After a while I decide it might possibly be a step too far in its entirety, at the moment.

Putting Google + aside I go round to see the old fellow, who is having some difficulty with his Kobo eReader. Every time he puts more than one book on it, the oldest ones stop opening! I’ve tried a couple of things and went for a different reset this morning which disabled all the books! I think it must be a problem between the Kobo eReader and Adobe Digital Editions software. However as every time I try a different solution it goes wrong, at the moment I’m loath to uninstall and reinstall the software in case everything gets lost. The folks are off on hols (again!) next week. If the old fellow can get a few books on to the eReader for then, I’ll just leave it alone until they get back. I am not having a great day with technology today.

I manage to get through the ironing, make tea and clean up after it. Thereby displaying some, house husbandry skills, today. England are playing what will hopefully be their final World Cup qualifying game tonight, and whilst I am somewhat out of love with the national team, I certainly want them to be at the World Cup next summer. So it is I’m anticipating a nervous evening sat behind the newspaper, hoping they don’t blow it against Poland. The spectre of 1973 still lurks in the national football fans psyche.

Well that was an exciting ninety minutes of play, and the good news is England are going to Brazil. 2-0 winners on the night, though with the second only two minutes from time, it made for a tense game.

Yours working on my samba beat.

Jay

Heating, cakes and imagination ... Monday 14th Oct

Another Monday. Another week. I don’t know about you but as the temperatures fall, it can be harder for me to find that get up and go in the morning. Today is definitely one of those days, when my get up and go, has got up and gone. In the Perry household we have not yet succumbed to putting on the heating for the winter. Just an hour or two in the evening, if instructed by Mrs P. I have seen it written that it is more cost effective to have your heating on permanently at a low heat, than for large bursts at higher heats in the morning and evenings. It sounds counter-intuitive to me that having the heating on longer will cost less, but perhaps it’s something I need to try to see if it works. The danger is if it doesn’t work my heating bills go sky high, but on the flip-side if it does they go down. An interesting conundrum for me to mull over.

Mrs P and I have our weekly race around the supermarkets this morning. The earlier we get there the quieter it is. Though I have also noticed the free cakes for tasting on the deli tend to come out later in the day. I guess that’s when the crowds sre in. Fortunately today they had some chocolate brownies out early, so that snack kept me going. Well it kept me going back anyway, as I seemed to pass the deli counter at every given opportunity. “Free cakes”. It sounds like a good slogan for a political party to me. Though maybe the overtone of Marie Antoinette’s alleged comment, “Let them eat cake”, would strike the wrong note.

Having finished the book I was reading, and enjoying, last week, and as a consequence reading the weekends papers this weekend (as opposed to through the week as normal), I’ve dipped into the series of Inspector Morse books Mrs P bought me a couple of years ago. Every time I find myself wondering what to read next I pull out the next one in the Morse series and away I go. Even though I’ve probably seen the book dramatised on TV, and so may have an idea what is going to happen. The book gives you so much more. To me 99% of the time the book is better than the film. I think it’s the ability to create pictures in your mind. Where TV shows you what it looks like, books let you use your imagination. I think it goes hand in hand with my day dreaming.

Yours warming up for winter.

Jay

The art of no conversation ... Friday 11th Oct

After waving off Mrs P and the teenagers this morning I pop round to the outlaws to pick up some hedge cutters. It’s time to put the garden to bed for the winter. I have a cup of tea and a chat with the outlaws, then its back home and out into the garden.

I usually do the front and back hedges twice a year. May and October, is enough to keep them tidy and under control. Though I did have to take the top off mid-summer this year, as they were growing so well. I do the front and bag it up, as well as sweeping up the leaves that have fallen recently. The council tip is only five minutes away and so two journeys today, one for the front and one for the back should suffice. As we refused to pay £35 to the council to empty the garden bin, I reckon even with half-a-dozen trips a year to the tip we’re well in credit. At the tip I say only two words to the guy pointing you to the right skip, and they are “garden rubbish.” After lunch I do the back hedge plus various shrubs. Using the electric hedge cutters is a bit over the top on the shrubs, but very quick and satisfying. I take the view if they survive great, if not we’ll plant something else. Then it’s back to the tip, where I don’t speak to anyone this time.

When the teenagers come in from school, I estimate that from my cup of tea with the outlaws this morning, in the following six hours I’ve only spoken two words to another person, and they were “garden rubbish,” and so hardly count as a conversation. It makes me think about people who live alone and don’t get out much, especially the elderly, and how difficult it must sometimes be for them. Here’s to growing old with someone. Mrs P had better watch out, she’s stuck with me for the foreseeable future.

Yours practising the art of conversation.

Jay

Time moves on ... Thursday 10th Oct

The wind was up this morning and so I put on a coat to walk down to the library. This added to Mrs P putting the heating on for the odd  in the evening, makes me think winter is on the way. But let’s enjoy autumn first I say. I manage to read most of the weekend papers I haven’t read yet in the morning, and am actually called on to help a couple of people with IT queries as well. Not quite working for a living, but then again I don’t.

 I spend the afternoon doing the housework. Dusting, vacuuming and ironing; before the teenagers come in from school. We then sit down with cups of tea and juice, and we watch a bit of TV together. On Demand TV is great for re-watching the series you enjoy, or missed. In this case we’re watching old series of Doctor Who.

After getting tea ready handy, Mrs P, the eldest and myself are off to her parents evening. Her last ever parents evening. Something of a landmark. Being sixth form we have only five teachers to see, but you still get the queuing and waiting, because the teachers seem to spend longer talking when they have fewer pupils to see. Mrs P and I leave pleased with the teachers’ reports, but slightly melancholy as it feels like something has gone. Time has moved on.

Yours not wanting the teenagers to grow up too fast.

Jay

A good book and autumn leaves ... Wednesday 9th Oct

 

I decide to get an early start with delivering the weekly papers today, and apart from a quick rain shower it’s a pleasant, if breezy, early autumn morning. I get home in time to grab the washing in off the line just as another rain shower hits. Five minutes later it’s stopped, and I wonder whether to hang the washing back out. This becomes a running theme throughout the day, and I find myself putting the same washing in and out all afternoon. The additional problem is the wind that is now blowing is dropping not only the leaves off the trees, but also small seeds that find their way through the back door every time I open it. This means I spend a lot of time sweeping up.

I sit down with a nice cup of coffee or two, and finish the book I’ve been reading. The sun is coming in the window and it’s a pleasant hour. I’ve enjoyed the book and it’s been left open at the end for a follow-up which is something to look forward to.

I spend the rest of the afternoon sorting out old paperwork, stuff that really can be disposed of, doing the ironing (eventually the washing got dried) and getting tea on the table. As my leg has recovered I join Mrs P for an evening stroll. The leaves are coming down and make a satisfying crunch under our feet, autumn has arrived.

Yours reading for pleasure.

Jay

Strange thoughts and a good deed ... Tuesday 8th Oct

It was fairly busy in the library this morning. At least one chap needed a lot of help. He was trying to get some business cards designed and ordered online, and didn’t really know how to go about it. You would have thought the government Jobseekers group could have helped him. But, no. They provided a poorly designed introductory letter to prospective clients only. Surely some basic understanding of marketing would be of use to those seeking employment. Maybe it’s a step too far for the advisors.

Having read my book through lunch, I find I’m now into the last 100 pages. The end is in sight. Strangely this makes me slow up. Having taken every opportunity recently to read this book, now with the end in sight I’m easing back. One of two reasons springs to mind. One I don’t want to finish it too soon now, I want to prolong the enjoyment. The other is I have no idea what I’m going to read next. It reminds me of when I ride up a steep hill on my bike. I’m all huff and puff at the bottom, but as I near the top and I know I can make it the challenge fades. I’m sure a psychiatrist would have a field day with that explanation.

The eldest is out at work (driving herself), and the youngest is on his xbox, and so I spend some time watching TV with Mrs P in the evening. I feel I may have been neglecting her a bit lately with my reading, and so I sit with her to watch The Great British Bake Off. Halfway through it Mrs P is sound asleep, and I’m watching people make cakes shaped like toadstools and lumps of cheese. It must be my riveting company. Sometimes you do wonder why you bother.

Yours awake.

Jay

Aches and a good book ... Monday 7th Oct

It could be a sign of age, but I seem to go from one ache or pain to another at the moment. The latest is my leg, caused by a combination of being kicked at football last week, and pounding the streets delivering Electoral Register letters. Mrs P and I did a chunk of the deliveries on Saturday, and I could hardly walk afterwards. I had yesterday off, and today I have about two hours of deliveries left to do. I take to the streets gingerly and get through with a modicum of discomfort. Football is definitely off the agenda tonight.

I picked up a book at the library last week. It’s the new Jo Nesbo thriller. I’ve read his others and have got straight into this one. A nice 500 pages in length. It’s strange but when I’ve got a good book on the go I forget about the television. My time is spent working out, how I can grab time, to get on with my book. Time I might have spent doing anything else, gets diverted to the book. The way I know I’m enjoying a book is when, just before putting my light out at night, I skip forward to see what is going to happen next. It is a really annoying habit, as it means I spend the first twenty minutes the next time I read, covering what I’ve already skimmed through. But for some reason it’s a habit I really struggle to break. The other downside of reading a great book is the sense of loss when you have finished it. Suddenly you have all this spare time. Back to the house husbandry I guess.

Yours reading.

Jay

 

 

70's nostalgia ... Friday 4th Oct

I went to a business networking event today. I know what you’re thinking. Since when was being a house husband a business. Well it isn’t, but I am considering re-launching a health and nutrition sideline from a couple of years ago. Now the people at this event are perfectly nice and friendly, and the free lunch - to be honest a key attraction for me - was good, but I really don’t like networking. I can do it but I’d rather not, though it does seem to make the business world go around. The guests were allowed to get their lunch first, which seemed polite. However there was a fixed amount of food there, and so being at the front I was conscious of not wanting to take too much and have others miss out. As it turned out, the people at the back of the line were able to take a lot more as there was plenty left for them. So what seemed like, and was good manners, in letting the guests go first, meant I actually got less to eat than I would have liked. Some reverse psychology at play possibly.

In the afternoon I was back delivering Electoral Register letters, and singing along to 70’s music on the radio, which prompted some strange looks on the street. Who knew there were so many great songs in that decade? After I’ve been out for a couple of hours my shin starts to hurt. I’m not sure if it’s the constant banging up and down on pavements or because i got kicked there on Monday at football. Suffice to say I get zero sympathy at home.

In the evening we pop round to see the folks as it is the old fellow’s birthday, and given the events of earlier this year it’s a milestone we’re glad that he made. A cup of tea and a large lump of gooey chocolate cake, are followed by photos of me and my brother as children. This draws much hilarity from the teenagers and Mrs P, for whilst the 70’s produced great music, it really was the decade that fashion forgot.

Yours glam rocking.

Jay

Average day for a house husband ... Thursday 3rd Oct

I decide to trust the weather forecast and hang the washing out this morning before I go out. Such are the big decisions I have to make as a house husband. The library is quiet this morning, but they do have in a book I’d reserved and so I now have something to read for the next week. One of the few perks of volunteering at the library is seeing what they’ve got coming in, and reserving the ones I’d like. On a bright note the chap who used to regularly come in to use the computers, but whom I hadn’t seen for a couple of months was back. Apparently he’d been on a couple of holidays, the Lake District and a trans Atlantic cruise, which is nice if you can do it.

I get home in time to rescue the washing before the rain comes, which saves me having to turn on the tumble dryer. Well done the weather forecasters. The afternoon consists of dusting, vacuuming, ironing, and then making tea, so basically housework. Then playing with the youngest who was let out early from school again today. A bit of family bonding.

In the evening the eldest was out. She drove herself, which is becoming quite common for us. She started to learn to drive in December in the dark, which has turned out to be a bonus for us, as she is very comfortable with it. In retrospect it has been an unexpected bonus for the Perry household. As it is quiet at home I get the chance to start my book, with a cup of tea to hand. A rare luxury.

Yours taking it easy.

Jay

Thinking of the 70's ... Wednesday 2nd Oct

For someone who has never believed in exercise, for its own sake, I do seem to be getting rather a lot of it at the moment. After a slow start to my day, I get out to do the paper round a bit later than usual this morning. Sometimes I listen to the radio while I’m going around, at the moment its Smooth 70s of preference. But today I decide to go without thinking that maybe I’ll get some thinking done. No chance, as it turns out, because I spend the time day dreaming. It’s amazing how time passes when you’re in a world of your own. I’m not sure Mrs P approves to be honest.

In the afternoon I do a couple more hours delivering electoral canvas letters. For this I do listen to the radio, and the time passes just as easily as it did this morning. I suspect the easy listening nature of Smooth 70s helps. The records also evoke pleasant memories of what seemed like sunny happy days gone by. The world can be a serious place, but there should always be room to daydream and reminisce.

The youngest is out at 2pm as the school has an open evening today. So he is in when I get back which is unusual, and getting on with his homework, which is good to see. I get the ironing done and tea ready for when the eldest and Mrs P get in. Then I’m off to the school open evening myself. I take the opportunity to look around the school and chat with some of the teachers. I am struck by how good the facilities are these days, and how wide the opportunities for the children today are. Maybe not everything used to be better.

Yours reminiscing.

Jay

Impersonating Postman Pat ... Tuesday 1st Oct

Autumn is well and truly with us as the leaves fall from the trees and in the Perry house we put on the heating. If only for an hour, in the evening. Given the price of fuel I expect we might be wearing more to keep warm this winter.

Last year I delivered Electoral Registration letters for the local council, and on Monday I collected this year’s first batch. I then take them home, and lay them out on the front room floor as a map so I can easily pick up the ones I want when I go out. I start with two hours delivering this afternoon. It’s easier to deliver in the daylight. I decide to start with the least salubrious area I have. At least that way I get it out of the way, not that it is really that bad. To be honest it is an easy section to do because a lot of the front doors are only two steps off the pavement, and so I get around it quite quickly. Where you have supposedly better class areas, the drives are longer and the houses are more spread out, and so it takes a lot longer to do. That theory is fine until you come to the third round of deliveries, where after two nil responses you have to knock on doors, and confirm who lives there. Then you might prefer a better area.

Yours Postman Pat.

Jay

American Football road trip ... Monday 30th Sept

Today was spent helping Mrs P with the shopping, visiting the council tip with the weekend’s garden rubbish, and collecting, then sorting electoral register canvas cards from the local town hall (but more of them tomorrow.)  To be honest I spent most of the day feeling pretty jaded. This was as a direct result of the road trip the youngest and I took to Wembley at the weekend, to watch the American Football match they had on.

The game itself was a great spectacle, our views were good and the seats were comfortable. The problem was the game didn’t kick-off until 6pm, and so didn’t finish until after 9pm on a Sunday. Meaning we couldn’t have gotten a train home as they don’t run north out of Euston for us after 9.21pm. This meant we had to drive down, and back. To be fair we had a decent trip down, parked just outside the M25 and got a train in to Wembley and back which worked very well. The London train system was geared up for the match, and it all worked for us. In fact, including a 20 minute train journey back, we were in the car and heading home by 10pm. As a throwback we stopped on the way down for lunch at a Little Chef. I had to be tempted by the Olympic Breakfast, and having been allowed to swap my tomato for another sausage it certainly was Olympic. Added to a pot of tea it was a perfect filler for me. The youngest enjoyed his chicken burger and chips, the service was quick and friendly. You do get what you pay for, and we thoroughly enjoyed what we got.

At Wembley they were selling team merchandise. £70 for an American football shirt, £50 for a hoodie, £20 for a cap, etc ... Not cheap as you can see. I have to say the price of merchandise was the only disappointing thing about our day out. We eventually got home at 1am on Monday morning, having had a good run back up the motorway. They youngest slept a bit and looked slightly more refreshed than me when we woke up this morning. Though that may just be a benefit of his youth. Having said that I did manage to go and play football this evening. Though where I got the energy from, I’ve no idea.

Yours needing sleep.

Jay