Hectic life

(Offstage voice, whispering): Tom...Tooom...wake uuup.

Tom: Wha? Whassup? Whas occurred? How long have I been asleep?

Hello dear readers, apologies for my extended absence from the blog, I have been very busy and veryer tired.

To recap on the past fortnight, then:

New Zealand was great, the kids coped well with everything and enjoyed all the attention that they received from the other wedding guests. Pecky was a star and drove all night to get us from Christchurch to Dunedin. Kat and Eddie's wedding was great and we saw a few folk we haven't seen for years, which is always a pleasure. A particular treat was spending a couple of hours late on Sunday night sharing a Scotch with the bride and groom themselves - I've been to so many weddings where the people you have come to support are the very people you see least of, so an impromptu whisky-drinking session was a real bonus.

Up to Avoca for Easter, with all my usual equivocation on the subject; loved relaxing at the house and playing canasta, hated getting covered in sand at the beach. The kids love it down there, though, the treasonous whelps.

Saw some movies, including instant classic There Will Be Blood. ("I drink your milkshake! I drink it up!")

Read some books, including certified classic The Moonstone.

Work has been terrible, which made me a bit gloomy for a few days, but spending some time with the Bs yesterday had a therapeutic effect. They are both so adorable right now.

Overambition

We have a preposterously ambitious weekend ahead.

Our friends Kat and Eddie are getting married tomorrow in Dunedin, New Zealand, so we are flying down on an evening flight that lands in Christchurch around midnight. We then have to pick up the hire car, drive 3 or 4 hours to Dunedin, grab a couple of hours kip, then be bright-eyed and bushy-tailed for a noon wedding and an afternoon/evening of revelry commensurate to the event being celebrated. I won't be able to rest on Sunday night either, cos it's Wigan v Arsenal in the middle of the night.

And, yes, we are taking both children. I'm exhausted just thinking about it.

Meanwhile, my last ABC article has triggered the debate that matters. Nerd or geek: which one are you?

I'm sure he's fine

I was left in charge of putting the two kids to bed yesterday and I finished up even more in awe of M's parental competency. The trouble is that when you're keeping an eye on one, the other could be doing anything. Consequently:

1) Whilst I was feeding B2, B1 was busily pouring water into the stereo, and
2) Whilst I was trying to dry out the stereo and berating B1, B2 was determinedly manoeuvring himself off of the bed I had placed him on, until he dropped off the side and onto the floor.

No harm done, to the stereo at least. As for B2, it's too early to tell.

Meanwhile, I have had another ABC piece published - In Defence of Dungeons and Dragons. Go leave a comment!

Patron Saint of Libraries

Looks like the St Jeromes Lnaeway Festival is set to become an annual fixture, almost regardless of the bands playing. It's a very dignified affair, with proper beer and toilets and stuff, although this year the tables come sans chairs - gah! The line-up wasn't quite as good this year either, but we enjoyed Broken Social Scene and their various affiliates.

Who are Broken Social Scene? Why this is Broken Social Scene: