Footie Round-Up

23/08/08 Charlton 4 - 2 Reading

31/08/08 Reading 4 - 2 Crystal Palace

Puts Reading FC in 6th position in the Championship out of 24 teams.

What Can I Say?

I don't know where to begin, how to say what I feel: it's been a hell of a week. I had to break the news to Little Lad- what do you say to a four and a half year old? How do you tell him his Grandma couldn't get better and won't be around anymore?

The funeral was yesterday at my parent's church, followed by cremation. That's over, at least I might sleep now.

Brenda

3 May 1940 - 20 Aug 2008.

What am I gonna do without you Mum?

Weekend

Mum's condition deteriorated over the weekend. She can barely stay awake for more than a couple of minutes at a time now and is now having all her pain relief via a constant pump, instead of orally. She can no longer feed herself and struggles to communicate.

Yesterday the hospice requested that non-pain related drugs be withdrawn; she's now beyond the point where they can do any good.

Third Ain't Bad

Team GB are now third in the medal stakes in the Olympics. How on Earth did that happen? LOL

Rank	Country	Gold	Silver	Bronze	TOTAL
1	China	31	13	9	53
2	USA	19	19	24	62
3	Great Britain	11	6	7	24
4	Germany	9	5	6	20
5	Australia	8	10	11	29

Well done boys and girls.


Oh yeah yesterday Reading FC put in a strong performance, beating visitors Plymouth 2-0.

Pause

Apparently Warner Bros have put back the release of Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince by 8 months to July 09.

Noooooo!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7562557.stm

Teeth

Found out today that Little Lad needs two fillings. He's only four and a half, poor boy and it's not as if he eats many sweets. He's really good at brushing twice a day and you can't help but wonder why bother?

In fact apparently the enamel on milk teeth is really quite thin and prone to flaking off. Still can't help feeling sorry for him.

Mum

Despite coming home at the weekend, Mum is really struggling now. She's been moved out of the four-bed ward (where at least she had company) to a single room for more privacy.

All Hail The Moff

Steven Moffat, Executive Producer-elect of Doctor Who, has just won his third Hugo award in a row with his 2007 episode "Blink." The episode was awarded the Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form. Visit http://www.thehugoawards.org/?p=146



Steven on the set of the recent Children in Need mini-episode







Well done Steven, cast and crew: You deserve it, just remember DON'T BLINK!

New Season

Nottingham Forest 0-0 Reading.

Not a bad start to the new football season yesterday.

Domestic Goddess

Dad recently found this pic of Mum "domesticating" in their kitchen shortly after getting married, a long time before I was around. She looks incredibly young doesn't she? Made me smile so thought I would share it.

Nigella, you've got nothing on my Mum! LOL

Pikey!

My collegue P and I spent yesterday morning filling a shiny new recycle bin with used lead-acid batteries. We reckon about 200 or so. The intention being a company would take these away for us, dispose of legally and issue us with a certificate of conformance. Oh and we'd get paid a small fee per battery.











And to prove there is value in scrap metal, overnight we were visited by the local Pikey's....


They cut the chain and helped themselves, leaving just one battery behind and a single glove. Grrr.












Next time we intend just to pile them at the road side with a sign saying "Please help yourself."

Update (11/08): It occurs to me that some might not be familiar with the term "Pikey." Think of the traveller clan as depicted in the Eddie Izzard/Minnie Driver series The Riches but without any of the "lovable rogue" elements.

Oh and over the weekend it looks like they came back to collect their glove! LOL

Sometimes...

Mum has found a couple of new lumps. The hospice say this is a sign her cancer is spreading through her body and there's not a great deal they can do about it.

Sometimes life is a real bugger.