Vagueness and the Aftermath - A sporadic diary

[RED-DOG]

Firstly I love this thread..... got it all, family, poker, dilemma's and Reds painfully humorous slant on life.....
There are some questions that need asking.

Starting with what makes slightly older men want to prove to themselves that they can still run? Red at the science museum doing what most blokes I know would do. Proving we still have something that was probably lost at about the age of 25. I write this with my legs up due to aggravating my hip injury whilst on a rugby coaching course. My best mate Faff has done his Achilles proving that if only the breaks had been different he would have been Federer.....mid life injuries just going to prove the stupidity of the male of the species.

Secondly. Anybody missing the birth of their children for a game of cards needs to contact me to help them get their life balance back in order. When Anne Marie went into labour with the bump that later became Adam I would not have missed it for the world. Eight hours of labour, a crushed right hand that wouldn't work for two months when I didn't pass the gas and air quickly enough and my only funny moment in a hospital.

Anne Marie had to be taken in for an emergency Cesarean and they asked if I wanted to gown up. I thought  "do I have to?" on account of my dislike of all things medical....I replied like a shot "I would love to". They direct me to a cupboard with gowns. I pick up one that says XL. A quick observation. Why are XL sizes always in a position where you can throw your back out trying to pick the item up from the bottom shelf, whilst the small sizes are perched so high that the poor unfortunate little person has to climb up two shelves to be able to reach them.

Anyway I pick up one that says XL. Then I pick up another. The first one was too small. So was the second. Bugger it. I put one one each arm and tie them together.....job done. Walk into the theatre and suggest that they need some MAN sizes.
[ ]Got a round of laughter......

Great pictures....a child with a smile FTW everytime

Snat, tell me the truth. How long does it take you to pen something like this?

[RED-DOG]

Tom

BBC: Rivers with Griff Rhys Jones

Did you see it? If not worth a gander on IPlayer

Thank you.

I didn't see it, but will watch it and report back.

I always liked Griff Rhys Jones, but I saw a documentary about anger in which he featured prominently. (Did you see it?) He would rant and rave if things didn't go exactly the way he wanted, and he seemed unrepentant afterwards.

To tell the truth, it put me off him a bit.

[RED-DOG]

Fabulous pics and anecdotes Tom I can see you are so proud and rightly so. Gorgeous looking tribe you have there. On another forum I have a thread where I periodically post pics of my granddaughter Gracie. When I look back as I sometimes do it's frightening to see how quickly they change.

You can say that again. Bridie, my youngest, is still (In my mind) a tiny tot.

She had her first driving lesson yesterday. OMFG!!


As far as I can recall, this picture was taken just the other day. That's her on the left. The two on the right are now married with children and the one in the centre is holding down two jobs.

[AlexMartin]

oh and the birthing/million thing is so easy to solve. You just get a player you rate to takeover and give a % whilst you enjoy the moment with the missus. As the meerkat says "simples".

[RED-DOG]

oh and the birthing/million thing is so easy to solve. You just get a player you rate to takeover and give a % whilst you enjoy the moment with the missus. As the meerkat says "simples".

Laptop with mobile dongle FTW?

Midwife - 'Come on now, it's time to start pushing'

'Pushing? Are you crazy I've got 80BB here - oh you're talking to her'

Sorry. No easy option. you can't get your mate to play it and you can't take the lappy to the hospital.

Do keep up Alex.

[TheChipPrince]

Fabulous pics and anecdotes Tom I can see you are so proud and rightly so. Gorgeous looking tribe you have there. On another forum I have a thread where I periodically post pics of my granddaughter Gracie. When I look back as I sometimes do it's frightening to see how quickly they change.

You can say that again. Bridie, my youngest, is still (In my mind) a tiny tot.

She had her first driving lesson yesterday. OMFG!!


As far as I can recall, this picture was taken just the other day. That's her on the left. The two on the right are now married with children and the one in the centre is holding down two jobs.

Is the motorhome in the background still alive Tom?!

[tikay]

She probably won't even remember it, but it's moments like these that will seep into her subconcious, each one drawing the threads that bind her to this way of life a fraction tighter.

That's a rather beautiful turn of phrase to match a very evocative photo, wp sir !

i concur. are u drunk red? amazing photo btw, deffo frameworthy.

Thank you.

Kids are like sponges, they are absorbant and resilient, and that's the perfect combination for learning life's lessons.

Don't wrap them up in cotton wool, just let them get on with it. Everyone knows that kids are great at enjoying the good things in life, at seeing the wonder and beauty that we jaded adults take for granted, what people don't realise is that kids are also great at dealing with life's little knocks and bruises, both physical and mental.

Don't nurse them into adulthood so that pain and disappointment come as a shock revelation that they are not equipped to deal with. Allow them, (Within reason) to learn to take the bitter with the sweet.

Kids don't need you to solve all their problems and make life perfect, they just need you to love them and take an interest in the things that matter to them. (If you don't know what that is, go back to the sponge analogy) Give them a little squeeze, and whatever is inside will come flooding out.

 

May well be the greatest words on Parenthood, & understanding what's "best" for children, I've ever read.

Wrapping kids in cotton-wool - figuratively - is akin to child cruelty in my mind, simply making adulthood, & so life, much, much, harder.

I had THE hardest of childhoods - you cannot begin to imagine. As a result, I've lived the most wonderful adult life, & managed to absorb life's bumps & bruises with ease.

Great post Tom.

[tikay]

This is just a random snap. She probably won't even remember it, but it's moments like these that will seep into her subconcious, each one drawing the threads that bind her to this way of life a fraction tighter.

Click to see full-size image.

Frame that Tom - it's absolutely stunning. It says so much.

Lovely to see your Diary getting back into gear, especially with all those lovely 'photo's (& accompanying words) of the Kids. We get the message. Life goes on......

[RED-DOG]

Fabulous pics and anecdotes Tom I can see you are so proud and rightly so. Gorgeous looking tribe you have there. On another forum I have a thread where I periodically post pics of my granddaughter Gracie. When I look back as I sometimes do it's frightening to see how quickly they change.

You can say that again. Bridie, my youngest, is still (In my mind) a tiny tot.

She had her first driving lesson yesterday. OMFG!!


As far as I can recall, this picture was taken just the other day. That's her on the left. The two on the right are now married with children and the one in the centre is holding down two jobs.

Is the motorhome in the background still alive Tom?!

It's not a motorhome, it's a caravan.

It was about 4 years old when I bought it in 1988. We raised our family in it. It was a good home and we loved it.

When my two eldest got married in 1998, I swapped it away. I don't know what happened to it after that, but it was built to last a lifetime, and could well be sitting in some field somewhere.

I bet if you found it and sat quietly inside, you would still be able to hear the faint babble of children's voices and the sound of distant laughter.

[Snatiramas]

Firstly I love this thread..... got it all, family, poker, dilemma's and Reds painfully humorous slant on life.....
There are some questions that need asking.

Starting with what makes slightly older men want to prove to themselves that they can still run? Red at the science museum doing what most blokes I know would do. Proving we still have something that was probably lost at about the age of 25. I write this with my legs up due to aggravating my hip injury whilst on a rugby coaching course. My best mate Faff has done his Achilles proving that if only the breaks had been different he would have been Federer.....mid life injuries just going to prove the stupidity of the male of the species.

Secondly. Anybody missing the birth of their children for a game of cards needs to contact me to help them get their life balance back in order. When Anne Marie went into labour with the bump that later became Adam I would not have missed it for the world. Eight hours of labour, a crushed right hand that wouldn't work for two months when I didn't pass the gas and air quickly enough and my only funny moment in a hospital.

Anne Marie had to be taken in for an emergency Cesarean and they asked if I wanted to gown up. I thought  "do I have to?" on account of my dislike of all things medical....I replied like a shot "I would love to". They direct me to a cupboard with gowns. I pick up one that says XL. A quick observation. Why are XL sizes always in a position where you can throw your back out trying to pick the item up from the bottom shelf, whilst the small sizes are perched so high that the poor unfortunate little person has to climb up two shelves to be able to reach them.

Anyway I pick up one that says XL. Then I pick up another. The first one was too small. So was the second. Bugger it. I put one one each arm and tie them together.....job done. Walk into the theatre and suggest that they need some MAN sizes.
[ ]Got a round of laughter......

Great pictures....a child with a smile FTW everytime

Snat, tell me the truth. How long does it take you to pen something like this?

Just falls out my head. Five minutes tops......Anne Marie is the writer. it takes a writer much longer as they think about it.

[RED-DOG]

Firstly I love this thread..... got it all, family, poker, dilemma's and Reds painfully humorous slant on life.....
There are some questions that need asking.

Starting with what makes slightly older men want to prove to themselves that they can still run? Red at the science museum doing what most blokes I know would do. Proving we still have something that was probably lost at about the age of 25. I write this with my legs up due to aggravating my hip injury whilst on a rugby coaching course. My best mate Faff has done his Achilles proving that if only the breaks had been different he would have been Federer.....mid life injuries just going to prove the stupidity of the male of the species.

Secondly. Anybody missing the birth of their children for a game of cards needs to contact me to help them get their life balance back in order. When Anne Marie went into labour with the bump that later became Adam I would not have missed it for the world. Eight hours of labour, a crushed right hand that wouldn't work for two months when I didn't pass the gas and air quickly enough and my only funny moment in a hospital.

Anne Marie had to be taken in for an emergency Cesarean and they asked if I wanted to gown up. I thought  "do I have to?" on account of my dislike of all things medical....I replied like a shot "I would love to". They direct me to a cupboard with gowns. I pick up one that says XL. A quick observation. Why are XL sizes always in a position where you can throw your back out trying to pick the item up from the bottom shelf, whilst the small sizes are perched so high that the poor unfortunate little person has to climb up two shelves to be able to reach them.

Anyway I pick up one that says XL. Then I pick up another. The first one was too small. So was the second. Bugger it. I put one one each arm and tie them together.....job done. Walk into the theatre and suggest that they need some MAN sizes.
[ ]Got a round of laughter......

Great pictures....a child with a smile FTW everytime

Snat, tell me the truth. How long does it take you to pen something like this?

Just falls out my head. Five minutes tops......

I knew it 

[Redsgirl]

Alisha, (pictured right) is one of the life's carers. she worries about snails falling to their death from cabbage leaves and she feels sorry for grass when it gets trodden on. My favorite quote from her is "If you lick the telly, will you die?"

Click to see full-size image.

Click to see full-size image.

Hello dad! this is Kelly. Nice pics of the kids, especially Lisa-marie. thats Lisa-MARIE, LISA-MARIE!!!!!!! Have you got it now! Thanks xxx
 

[boldie]

lol...You too lazy to use the girl's full name, Mr Red?

[RED-DOG]

Alisha, (pictured right) is one of the life's carers. she worries about snails falling to their death from cabbage leaves and she feels sorry for grass when it gets trodden on. My favorite quote from her is "If you lick the telly, will you die?"

Click to see full-size image.

Click to see full-size image.

Hello dad! this is Kelly. Nice pics of the kids, especially Lisa-marie. thats Lisa-MARIE, LISA-MARIE!!!!!!! Have you got it now! Thanks xxx
 

Oops. Sorry Kelly Marie.

[RED-DOG]

lol...You too lazy to use the girl's full name, Mr Red?

That's Mr RED-DOG to you.