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this post is made of random
1. Every Monday, without fail, when I go out for lunch and wander past the museum (which is across the road) I see groups of baffled people milling around wondering why the doors are locked.
People: if you tried looking at the sign, you would see that the museum does not open on a Monday. In fact, it has never opened on a Monday. It is written right there on the sign in plain English. And in plain Welsh, for that matter, for the linguistically blessed among us.
The lesson we learn from this is that it is always useful to keep one's eyes open and that it is usually a good idea to read the signs that someone has thoughtfully constructed for our elucidation.
2. Yesterday afternoon my mother phoned me. The conversation went thus:
Mum: So, there are riot police outside our house. A line of them just charged at a seething mass of hooligans and forced them back down the road and away.
Me: Why am I never there when there is drama to watch?!?!?!
Cardiff City were playing Swansea. 'Nuff said. Those two teams haven't been in the same league for a really long time, and you know what? This is why that was a good thing.
Evidently Small and the friend she had around for the day had to be summoned in, because they were out there merrily having a water fight with this actual riot going on all of 50 yards from them. Kids! So oblivious. Having been called back indoors, they went and stood in an upstairs window and watched, just like the rest of us used to when we were growing up. It's nice that Small got to see a football riot before she moves to the new house - there hasn't been trouble like this for years now, so clearly she has been missing out.
3. It was a really nice weekend, no? Because the football match, the timing thereof and uncomfortable proximity of the stadium to our chapel (plus road closures) had forced the cancellation of the Sunday School I usually teach at, I had Sunday all to myself for once. I went for a long walk through the parks and around the lake, had my first ice cream of the year, was overcome with the beauty of spring...and promptly went home and had a massive and very uncharacteristic spring cleaning frenzy.
This kind of behaviour is not like me at all. On the bright side, however, my flat now looks lovely!
4. While walking around the lake reflecting on how lovely nature is in the spring, I was intrigued to spot a pair of swans randomly performing pirouettes alongside one another. Round and round and round in circles they went, on and on and on for a really long time. It was a very pretty dance, I'm sure, and also a fun game, but it made me wonder - what exactly is the point of a mating ritual that involves getting really, really dizzy?
5. The black swan pair were in excellent voice - far more vocal than usual. They make such an odd sound. As usual, they did not stray far from one another's side. How they come to live on the lake I have no idea, since the species is native to Australia, but they have been there for years now. However, since they are both male, they aren't likely to start founding a new Welsh colony of black swans any time soon!
6. The coots remain my favourite wildfowl on the lake. For one thing, the word' coot' amuses me immensely. Plus, they are nesting at the moment and I am always fascinated by the way their nests appear to be floating randomly in the water and yet are somehow rooted to the spot. Plus, their babies are the most adorable little punks ever, with the random tuft of bright orange feathers they have sticking up on top of their heads. So, yeah - coots FTW!
7. I am really going to miss living near the lake when I move. Which should (touch wood) be in a couple of months now. If I am lucky.
8. Mum also phoned yesterday to vent a little stress at me because the girl who lives down the road had been hitting Small while she was out playing with her friend. This girl and her family have been nothing but trouble since they moved in about 4 years ago - she is a couple of years older than Small and huge. Mum went and read her the riot act, pointing out that she is old enough to be prosecuted and that our family has been in touch with the police about her and her brother's behaviour toward Small in the past - we've got photos of the damage he did to her ankle that time. The girl was suitably cowed, but is unlikely to mend her ways. That whole family is vile - they had to move from their last house because there were so many ASBOs out on them. But they are also Asian and use this as a shield to hide behind.
Us: "Please stop your children from hitting our child."
Them: "How racist of you to suggest that our children misbehave!"
Vile.
9. Well, that was a bit of a sombre note to end on, but I seem to have run out of random things to say! Maybe I should get back to work...
People: if you tried looking at the sign, you would see that the museum does not open on a Monday. In fact, it has never opened on a Monday. It is written right there on the sign in plain English. And in plain Welsh, for that matter, for the linguistically blessed among us.
The lesson we learn from this is that it is always useful to keep one's eyes open and that it is usually a good idea to read the signs that someone has thoughtfully constructed for our elucidation.
2. Yesterday afternoon my mother phoned me. The conversation went thus:
Mum: So, there are riot police outside our house. A line of them just charged at a seething mass of hooligans and forced them back down the road and away.
Me: Why am I never there when there is drama to watch?!?!?!
Cardiff City were playing Swansea. 'Nuff said. Those two teams haven't been in the same league for a really long time, and you know what? This is why that was a good thing.
Evidently Small and the friend she had around for the day had to be summoned in, because they were out there merrily having a water fight with this actual riot going on all of 50 yards from them. Kids! So oblivious. Having been called back indoors, they went and stood in an upstairs window and watched, just like the rest of us used to when we were growing up. It's nice that Small got to see a football riot before she moves to the new house - there hasn't been trouble like this for years now, so clearly she has been missing out.
3. It was a really nice weekend, no? Because the football match, the timing thereof and uncomfortable proximity of the stadium to our chapel (plus road closures) had forced the cancellation of the Sunday School I usually teach at, I had Sunday all to myself for once. I went for a long walk through the parks and around the lake, had my first ice cream of the year, was overcome with the beauty of spring...and promptly went home and had a massive and very uncharacteristic spring cleaning frenzy.
This kind of behaviour is not like me at all. On the bright side, however, my flat now looks lovely!
4. While walking around the lake reflecting on how lovely nature is in the spring, I was intrigued to spot a pair of swans randomly performing pirouettes alongside one another. Round and round and round in circles they went, on and on and on for a really long time. It was a very pretty dance, I'm sure, and also a fun game, but it made me wonder - what exactly is the point of a mating ritual that involves getting really, really dizzy?
5. The black swan pair were in excellent voice - far more vocal than usual. They make such an odd sound. As usual, they did not stray far from one another's side. How they come to live on the lake I have no idea, since the species is native to Australia, but they have been there for years now. However, since they are both male, they aren't likely to start founding a new Welsh colony of black swans any time soon!
6. The coots remain my favourite wildfowl on the lake. For one thing, the word' coot' amuses me immensely. Plus, they are nesting at the moment and I am always fascinated by the way their nests appear to be floating randomly in the water and yet are somehow rooted to the spot. Plus, their babies are the most adorable little punks ever, with the random tuft of bright orange feathers they have sticking up on top of their heads. So, yeah - coots FTW!
7. I am really going to miss living near the lake when I move. Which should (touch wood) be in a couple of months now. If I am lucky.
8. Mum also phoned yesterday to vent a little stress at me because the girl who lives down the road had been hitting Small while she was out playing with her friend. This girl and her family have been nothing but trouble since they moved in about 4 years ago - she is a couple of years older than Small and huge. Mum went and read her the riot act, pointing out that she is old enough to be prosecuted and that our family has been in touch with the police about her and her brother's behaviour toward Small in the past - we've got photos of the damage he did to her ankle that time. The girl was suitably cowed, but is unlikely to mend her ways. That whole family is vile - they had to move from their last house because there were so many ASBOs out on them. But they are also Asian and use this as a shield to hide behind.
Us: "Please stop your children from hitting our child."
Them: "How racist of you to suggest that our children misbehave!"
Vile.
9. Well, that was a bit of a sombre note to end on, but I seem to have run out of random things to say! Maybe I should get back to work...
Re: Horse of a diferent colour when you move in!
Enjoy the day yourself!