‘Simple Dice Tennis’

11 Years, 11 Months, 1 Week & 4 days into Daddyhood

I used to love making up and playing dice games with my Dad. Feeling quite nostalgic lately, I decided to make up the following dice tennis game…

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Simple Dice Tennis

<<<>>>

Serving

Toss a coin or roll a die or use some other random method to decide who serves first. Then serving alternates between GAMES.

As the server, you can choose whether to attempt a HARD or a SOFT serve.

HARD: 3d6
SOFT: 2d6

HARD:   [ only 8/16 (1/2) shots ‘in’… but better chance of powerful shot or ‘ace” ]
3-6 fault (net)
7-12 in (returnable)
13-14 in (ace!)
15-18 fault (out)

SOFT:   [ 7/11 (nearly 2/3) shots ‘in’… but less chance of powerful shot or ‘ace’ ]
2-3 fault (net)
4-9 in (returnable)
10 in (ace!)
11-12 fault (out)

If you get a fault on your first service attempt, then you can attempt a second serve. If you get another fault (so it is a ‘double fault’), then your opponent scores. Two more faults is another double fault… and so on… until you serve a SHOT that is ‘in’.

<<<>>>

Every Other Shot

For SERVICE RETURNS and every other SHOT, you firstly need to roll 2d6 to see if you manage to HIT your opponent’s SHOT. You need to score >= their SHOT. If you fail to do this, then your opponent scores, by the standard tennis format (if you don’t know the proper way to score, you may either ignore it or Google it). If you manage this, then the difference between your opponent’s score and yours is called your EFFECTIVENESS BONUS (EB). You can then choose, as per a SERVE, to attempt a HARD or SOFT SHOT, as below:

HARD (3d6):
3-6 net
7-14 in (returnable)
15-18 out

SOFT (2d6):
2-3 net
4-10 in (returnable)
11-12 out

In additional to your normal SHOT roll, you can choose to add anything up to your EB to your roll. It would, of course, not make sense to add your EB if this made your shot ‘out’!

If you don’t use your EB, it does not carry over to your next SHOT, so you use it or loose it.

Your opponent then attempts to return your SHOT, as above… and so on.

<<<>>>

Happy tennising! 🎾😉👍

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Now I just have to convince someone to play it with me!

Travels in Half Term – part two

10 Years, 10 Months, 3 Weeks & 3 days into Daddyhood

Tuesday 28.5.19

Whilst family slept on, I was up at 0620h: Breakfast peace 😌 (although less puzzle success (see yesterday morning))… hoping weather will be okay for day at Flambards.

0747h: Is it weird that I quite like washing up in a caravan? 🤔

0816h: Mummy said her hair was like a furry Brillo Pad.

Off to St Ives (not Flambards – probably tomorrow)…

In car…

0827h: Daddy said daughter could eat brioches till they were coming out of her ears… which led us to visualise such. I imagined whole brioches plopping out of daughter’s ears… which makes no sense! Although the whole concept makes no sense, so that’s fine.

0829h: Also thinking about how our ‘luxury’ caravan is nice and all, but I thought that when you pay for ‘luxury,’ you should get a few little extras that make you smile and feel like you are being treated… a washing up sponge, some shampoo, a few sweets… and so on.

0841h: Radio 1 did a thing about people’s nicknames…

‘Ham Jenkins’ – coz he “once ate a ham sandwich in front of us.”

‘Butter’ – coz his nan is called ‘Marge.’

Makes me think I should maybe think about other rubbish nicknames… 🤔

0856h: ‘Boots Midnight Pharmacy’: ran by a moody cowboy? Or vampires? 🤔

1000-1330h St Ives…

Good pasty, good beach sitting, good cheese, not so good fudge (see below).

1015h: Excited man: “Freedom! The Holy Ghost will set you free!” 😱

Chicken + bacon + chorizo pasty by the sea… 😌

The best cheese from ‘Cheese on Coast’! – we bought some smoked cheddar, which had (apparently) been smoked in an old red phone box.

Fudge (of various flavours) looked nice, but not so good… 😕

1424h: Just as I realised what the name of the shop, ‘Our Soles,’ which they were talking about on the radio, sounds like… we passed a signpost for a place called ‘Cocks’! 😱

1428h: Another bland, meaningless, annoying song: ‘Young, Dumb and Broke.’ 😩

1433h: A random pink elephant slide in a field!

Curly fries + pork pies (+ salad) for tea… 😋

Cuddles with T + ‘Four in a Bed’ + ‘The Secret Life of the Zoo’ (featuring Pablo & Maria the Golden Poison Dart Frogs (& the sadness of El Loco, who slid down the glass in despair at being rejected by Maria, as he was used as a tool (a tool!) to encourage Pablo to ‘man up’ and seduce her 😢!)… Vila the lady chimp’s attempts at usurping Alice… and the porcupette Marion getting stuck in the meerkat tunnel, as the meerkats, who just wanted to play with her, ended up chasing her away).

Followed by…

The Night of the Evil Neighbours… 😱😩🤨😬😵

Wednesday 29.5.19

Whilst breakfasting, I wrote ‘Winter Came & Went’ – being my final (perhaps (although knowing me, probably not)) thoughts on the final episode of Game of Thrones… to be blogged on The Art of Tea.

In the car to Flambards…

0903h: Rhyme time!: “At this rate, we’re going to be late… I haven’t got time, to make a rhyme… We want to have fun, so give us some sun!”

0908h: “Don’t look back in anger… I heard you say.” – sounding good! 😎

Then arrived at Flambards…

The car park looked like a nuclear wasteland! This did not bode well. Although thankfully in this case the boding was not prescient of the day to be had. ‘Flambards in the Fog’ was pleasant 🙂. I was especially impressed by the Victorian Village. T enjoyed the gentle rides. The ‘balloon ride’ was wet! I took some pics of the Sinclair C5 in the museum-y bit…

Upon return to caravan, after having tea, the evil neighbours recommenced their evil ways. So we moved to another, virtually identical caravan. I was set along a train of thought along the lines of acceptance of suffering and things going wrong – potentially the path to peace… being the Buddhist way, & also this…

Thursday 30may19

0815h: It occurred to me, whilst partaking of ‘the art of tea,’ that there is no greater peace than morning peace… 🐦 ⛅️ ☕️ 

0817h: It also occurred to me that there is a synchronous parallel between the novel I am currently reading (‘Job’ by Robert A. Heinlein, in which the protagonist and his lover are frequently bounced between alternative universes) and the fact that we have moved, last night, into an almost, but not quite, identical caravan…

Same overall layout, but…

Half-height window behind the smaller sofa.
Cupboards rather than a shelf above the kitchen sink.
Wonky teapot lid.
Slightly off-kilter scissors.
Different sink in the en-suite bathroom.
Shelves replacing some cupboardage above the kettle area.
Different kettle.
Different microwave oven.
Different curtains (not noticed by me until pointed out by family).
Newer living room carpet (apparently (noticed by partner)).
Different type of DVD player controller and bedroom TV controller (I think).
Different arrangement of some things: chopping board, large utensils, glasses…?
Different type of mirror in the living room (again, not noticed by me until pointed out).
Different shelving arrangement in the master bedroom.
Second bedroom seems slightly narrower (or is it just that the bedside table is wider?).
Slightly different sofas with softer main cushions… and only two (not four) small cushions.
Slightly different arrangement of plug sockets.
And probably other things, that I haven’t noticed yet.

0827h: I love the sound of pouring tea… especially when it accentuates the peace of the morning… 😌

0830h: When using a teapot, you can get three (or more at a push!) good cups of tea out of one teabag… good to have the time and space to indulge in such observations… ☕️🙂

0833h: And then use up the remaining milk for a mouth-cooling drink… 🥛

0834h: Someone outside saying… “Gooooooood morning!”… 😬.

Sudoku and stuff.

Attempted poolside cider again… (see Monday 27may19)… sunny at first, then clouds arrived! Determinedly had cider nonetheless… then braved outdoor pool, then indoor pool.

Packed to go home tomorrow.

Friday 31may19

Off home…

Made this in the car (converted to a video + added music later)…

Travels in Half Term – part one

10 Years, 10 Months, 2 Weeks & 3 days into Daddyhood

Saturday 25.5.19

0846h: DJ Khaled is not “the best music”!

0906h: I thought a big fluffy dog was learning to drive! Sadly not… (it was an old lady’s hair).

0908h: A decent new song: ‘In Degrees’ by The Foals – New Order-ish.

0914h: Motorway sign: ‘Tall ships use J11’… eh?!

0915h: “Imagine looking for love by rummaging around in a room” (a Radio 3 thing).

0918h: The joy of discovering new things! If I swipe down a tiny bit from the top right corner of my iPad screen, while in an app where I can’t normally see it (like ‘Candy Crush: Soda Saga’), it shows the battery percentage! 93%! Totes amaze balls. 😎

0950h: I always feel like I should respond to a rhetorical question.

0956h: Childish Gambino: ‘This is America’ – good song; & later discovered, poignant video…

0959h: The Slad… followed by an old man by the side of the road with his mouth open.

1002h: “Tonight I’m-a get a little crazy” (what’s the appropriate way to write “I’m-a”?).

1008h: Itchington.

1010h: “I don’t know if that person realises they’ve got something hanging out of their car.”

1029h: The bland, derivative rhythms of pop… 😕

1036h: ‘Happy’ (clap along)… 🙂🙂🙂 👏👏👏.

1041h: I’m not sure if ‘Florence’ from Florence and the Machine is cool and soulful or a bit much… 😕 (song = ‘You Got the Love’).

1045h: ‘Sex on Fire’… 😎

1048h: The pleasure in overemphasising ‘Mumford’ in Mumford and Sons… 🙂

Then…

‘Romeo’ (Basement Jaxx)… also 😎

1058h: I hate it when rock songs that start strong, then get weaker! (normally at the chorus).

1101h: “I can’t believe how good that ‘Greatest Hits’ sounded…” – proves older music is better!

1103h: Nasal singing! 🤨 – eg. this song…

1144h: “Avocados welcome careful drivers” (sayeth Tesco).

1152h: Random pic of me + T in the car…

Museum of Somerset: Doris Hatt & lots of old stuff. I mean really old stuff. Like fossils and stuff.

Doris Hatt ‘Sennen Cove’

Then on…

To Travelodge (Wellington, Somerset): including very chilled on bed, semi-snoozing while T FaceTimed in bathroom… and this…

Sunday 26.5.19

0706h: Ruggin.

0755h: Finished, with T’s help, summary of ‘Twilight Saga’ parody… ‘Early Evening Saga’?

0810h: I don’t like French Montana!

0821h: But I quite like Camelphat.

0835h: I hate this song… so I’ll sing along! (“You can’t stop the tears from falling”!)

0839h: Killiworgie (Riding Stables).

0840h: The (Mighty!) Amazons… 🙂 (‘Doubt It’).

0844h: “I don’t like knowing things I maybe shouldn’t” (said the lady DJ).

1007h: My favourite part of checking into a new caravan: seeing what’s in the cupboards and finding places for our things! 🙂

1100h: Aldi shop… then…

“Everything you expect and more.” – on a B&B sign… but if you then come to expect ‘more’ from this B&B, you will only ever get what you expect. 🤔

‘Playland Amusements’ – being the ‘land’ where you ‘play.’

Then back to caravan…

‘Luxury’ caravan 1

‘Luxury’ caravan 2

T on ‘luxury’ sofa

T’s magnificent snack arrangement!

 

1342h: From seeing a trailer on TV, I am tentatively hopeful about ‘Terminator: Dark Fate’  – we’ve yet to have a ‘Terminator’ that reaches the high watermark of the first.

A bit of arcade + free WiFi, ‘Les Mis’ on the TV, caravan chilling.

Monday 27.5.19

First thing in the morning…

Perfect peace + puzzles + proper coffee… 😌

– in which I completed, without cheating and on my own, two of the crossword puzzles in ‘Puzzles for Mindfulness: Crosswords’! The joy and pride of simple pleasures. 🙂

0801h: It occurred to me that the chopping board was a bit sinister… 😳

0803h: An accidental arty pic:

Then in the car on the way to Trelissick…

0953h: The endless (although not quite) humour potential of queries relating to ‘Shell’ petrol stations leading to comments about beaches… and shells… and stuff… 🤭

Approx 1000h-1330h

At the lovely Trelissick…

Coffee and cake at the café, then walk around the gardens, including…

View from house over Fal Estuary…

Then sharing afternoon tea with the birds…

…

Back in caravan… snoozed on sofa 😴 – woken by my own snoring! 😳

Found this in my bag…

Then, on the promise of cider-by-the-pool, attempted twice to go to the outdoor pool… precluded by rain (#1) then cloudy-windy-ness (#2). Daughter bravely insisted on going in a bit, & demanded we the parents at leat put our feet in. Then returned to caravan for pizza + wine.

 

“It’s Illogical, Captain!”

10 Years, 9 Months, 1 Week & 6 days into Daddyhood

One thing I’ve always found it hard to accept is the skewed logic of kids. I somehow imagined that when I had my own, I would be able to reason with them more. Occasionally I can. Okay, rarely. Generally not so much.

Although…

There is a logic to repeatedly saying, “Please! Please! Please!,” when you want more chocolate, sweets, cake, etc… Parents can only say, “No,” so many times – and at the very least, you might get a compromise (just to shut you up).

There is a logic to refusing to clean your teeth, put PJs on, brush hair, etc… More TV/phone/PlayStation. Or if those things are forbidden, parents are likely to bribe or help in some way, just so you get the thing done they want you to get done.

There is a logic to claiming you’re hungry every five minutes, even if you’re not… There’s only so many times parents can give you a healthy snack (which generally takes more effort to prepare than a bag of crisps, some chocolate, cake, sweets, etc).

There is a logic to complaining noisily and intensely indignantly that, “You expect me to do EVERYTHING!” (eg. get yourself a drink/snack, turn the TV/PlayStation on/off yourself, take your own boots off because you’re too tired from walking back from school/the shops/the arcade, etc)… “If you want the noise to stop, parents, then HELP ME!”

Okay I take it back, human children are highly logical creatures.

Devon Cliffs Diary 22-26 Apr 2019

10 Years, 9 Months, 1 Week & 5 days into Daddyhood

MONDAY 22.4.19

CAR

0723h
At least the music’s better on the radio at this time in the morning. 😎
“Freak in the morning, freak in the evening.”
U.K. Garage Greatist Hits (apparently) with Matt & Mollie.

0740h
First argument:
T: “Where’s my postcard?! Where’s my postcard?! Where’s my postcard?! Where’s my postcard?!”
Multiple times, leaving no room for answer!
So I shouted, J told me off for shouting, and that was that.

From about 0800h
Played Eye-Spy.

0810h
J: “When are they going to play some new music?”
T kind of agreed, but I said it was nice to hear some older stuff, mix it up a bit, coz new music is rubbish – well a lot of it. Although I conceded T’s point that Billy Eilish’s Bad Guy is quite good.

0816h
Turbines.

0823h
“Eat. Sleep. Rave. Repeat.”

0826h
Confirmation on spelling of ‘Billy Eilish’ – not ‘Eyelish’!

0833h
T was surprised to notice there was only 69 miles left of the journey.
J: “I’ve been flying!”

0838h
T showed me the face on her cookie.

0844h
Morrisons and the weird metal man with the oddly pointy buttocks.
(Story potential?)

0846h
Daft Punk (Around the World)

0847h
Mollie: “Loads coming your way, including Basement Jaxx!”
Me: “A-hwoiee!”

0849h
Basement Jaxx: Bingo Bango 😎😎😎 – but only about a minute! 😠

0850h
Duck Sauce: Barbra Streisand:
Ooh-wer-ooh-werr-oo-ooh-werr-wer-ooh-werr-wer-ooh (or something)

0853h
Bop-boddle-ey-down
(Maybe…???)

0904h
While J was paying for fuel, T & I were discussing which finger it is hardest to move independently of all the others.

About 0900-0930h
Swift Vs Perry.

0917h
“We are never ever ever… getting back together.”

0929h
Public feedback of Taylor Vs Katy:
Text: “What a day to be alive!”
Wouldn’t go that far…

0936h
“Some days just pass me by.
You know I feel, I feel much better… at night.”
What is the song?! I had the band/CD we had in my head the other day…

DEVON CLIFFS

SOUTH BEACH CAFÉ

The view from our table.

1155h
Big changes to menu at South Beach Café… but cream tea lives up to expectations 😌 Forgot to photograph for social media sharing, so here’s a random pic of a cream tea:

1203h
T said J’s chicken isn’t hard. And of course she would know, having just eaten ice cream and half a scone. 🤨

1204h
The VR ‘Raving Rabbids’ game in the arcade looks well cool!

1210h-ish
When I offered to eat T’s leaf from her salad, she said, “You can get those in bushes too, you know.”

1225h
“How can you put on a necklace if you’re neckless?” (say I) 🤯

BEACH 1250-1400h

THEN…

1420h
I do feel somewhat reluctant to fill my bottles outside the toilet. 😕

1428h
Grammar alert!
“This holiday home and pitch maybe for sale.”
If you can’t spot the error, you’re not my friend anymore. 😒

1435-58h
I chilled, bag-watched & did online stuff in the bar by the arcade, whilst fam gambled. 💼 😌 💰

1630h-ish
Wine chilling in fridge! 🍷🤪

1730h
Pizza & beans! 🍕🥴

1844h
🍷 + 🦖🦕 📺…🙂
(Wine + some of Jurassic Park: The Lost World on TV)

TUESDAY 23.4.19

Last night I dreamt daughter and I were at some kind of ‘animal man’ event. He had brought along a small (3-4cm) brown worm for us to look at – a sea worm? He said this one was special because it could curl it’s ‘tail’ or something. Woo-hoo. I didn’t want to touch the slimy fella, nor particularly did T at first. But then… the worm transformed! It grew… and grew… into a much longer (about 80cm) worm with squarish segments, each one a different bright colour. I still didn’t want to touch it at first, but T did, so I then did. It felt like a gummy! And it was cute.

0724h
T’s mind blown by me telling her Hollyoaks is British. 🤯

0735h
“Give it up for Tuesday… oh-woah-oh-woah-oh… the second day of the week!” 😆

0740-0804h
Cuddles with T on caravan sofa, with CBeebies. 😌

0748h
T questioned the size of the rabbits on Peter Rabbit, compared to trees etc. 🐇 🌲

0751h
T+I note ‘escape chutes’ of some sort featured on both the current (Peter Rabbit) and previous (Bitz and Bob) prog – what could it mean…? Well I have been thinking about agoraphobia and ‘escaping’ lately…

0752h
Seeing Big Brown the owl on Peter Rabbit, I just remembered that I also dreamt last night of a very big owl flying around, like in falconry displays at Warwick Castle. 🦉 🏰

0758h
Can’t beat a bit of cuddling and burping with your daughter.

BEACH WALK 0940-1020h

Then J + T + friends off to Tesco, while…

1045-1115h
I got some chilling & WiFi time at South Beach Café. 😌
Then it got too noisy, so I returned to the caravan…

1123h
Back at caravan coz of noisy dogs & families. 🐶 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Shouldn’t be allowed! 😡
I did, however, then chill at the caravan, which was nice. 😌

1238h
Cheese + tomato + coleslaw + sausage in a wholewheat wrap… nom nom… 😋
… & as above, I discovered that typing ‘nom nom’ suggests this emoji!: 😋

1520h
Potatoes in the oven. 🥔 🔥 🥔 🔥 🥔

1635h
Wine o’clock… 🍷😌

2025h
Arcade overstimulation. 🥺

WEDNESDAY 24.4.19

0200h
T threw up. 🤮☹️

0843h
The obligatory British holiday rainy day.

No donkey sanctuary today then – not that T wanted to, as she’s feeling sick.

0845h-0945h
Cuddles & a bit of a catch up snooze.

1139h
Still raining! 🌧

Lazy morning, followed by some gambling etc, tea, then back to entertainment complex for…

1845-1905h
Kids’ Disney songs bingo! Good fun, until J realised we’d spent £3 on 3 cards, to possibly win a 50cm plush toy. Okay, I did enjoy singing along to the Disney songs… & could’ve done more! Guinness helped lubricate the vocal chords.

1915-1945h
Quiz! Did quite well (11/15), but generally much better value, as free & could’ve won a bottle of wine. Didn’t, however, & still wouldn’t have done if I had agreed with J (who almost pushed me off the chair) on boxing rounds being 1m instead of 3m.

1945-2015h
A bit more gambling, then I walked T back to caravan, for a slightly earlier night, in the effort to preclude further vomming.

THURSDAY 25.4.19

1517h
On ‘Tenable’ (quiz show with Warwick Davies on ITV)… top ten Monty Python sketches! 😁 Stupidly they kept thinking of songs and scenes from the movies… 😞 so they (the ‘Sonic Screwdrivers’) only got three. Sure I would’ve done better!

 

1528h
& top ten U2 singles to reach U.K. top ten…

1600h-ish
J + T + friends returned from donkey sanctuary. They said they had a lovely time, hundreds of donkeys, café, play area, lots to do – could’ve spent longer there.

Then beach + bubbles.

Cheesy fries etc for tea.

1830-1930h
Last bit of arcade: got up to exactly 2000 tickets! Which was fab, as T got a pink & purple cuddly unicorn, an emoji nightlight & sweets… to add to the millions of key rings + 2 ‘Deal or No Deal’ boxes!

FRIDAY 26.4.19

CAR

0555h
Set off.

0632h
In car, returning home, while T on phone & I was on iPad writing this diary, T gave me a dirty look & said, “What are you doing?!” – & said she could hear it over the music. I presume I was breathing loudly or something!

Then some more shouting etc… & breathe… 😑

0700-0715h
Read some of The Closest Thing to Flying (by Gill Lewis) to T… & J!

0758h
Decided Billy Eilish’s Bad Guy should be in a Batman film.

0803h
Meduza:
“Down down down…”

0900h
Home. 🏠

Brian, the Queen of England, a Bishop, a Journalist, Tim Rice and Two Pythons

10 Years, 1 Month & 5 Days into Daddyhood

When Life of Brian came out in 1979, I was only 7. A little too young to appreciate its complexities – or be parentally permitted to experience its rudery. I have trouble remembering the details of my childhood, particularly the early years, but I think I first saw the film a couple of years later, when it came out on video. It wasn’t my favourite bit of Python at the time – that accolade was given to Monty Python and the Holy Grail. Around that time, I enjoyed this, Brian and other Pythony stuff, largely for its silliness – I didn’t then see Brian again for many years… until…

I have just watched it with my 10 year old daughter for the first time! Twice! So far! I can’t remember what incited us to explore such things, but we watched a few Flying Circus clips together on YouTube, then my partner bought me the DVD of Life of Brian for my 46th birthday (which hasn’t, at the time of writing, actually happened yet, but like the Queen of England (although not really), I decided to celebrate this particular ‘milestone’ two weeks early)… And my daughter has been greatly enjoying all things Pythony henceforth! Including, I must mention, an actual documentary – the likes of which, I have to say, you can only properly enjoy if you are an actual proper fan. I have been most pleased with my daughter’s newfound status as ‘Monty Python Fan’ – but just to check the veracity of this, I recently tested her commitment to the cause by asking if Life of Brian (in particular) and Monty Python (generally) are funnier than a ‘comedy’ programme she had been watching on Disney channel. She replied that yes, Python was funnier, and said program wasn’t really a comedy. Hooray!

Anyway…

The documentary I referred to above is the following…

Monty Python: Almost The Truth – The Lawyer’s Cut (2009)

… which I have downloaded from Sky Arts, and which my daughter and I are currently five out of six episodes through. In the fifth episode, which is primarily about Life of Brian, reference is made to the televised debate between Cleese, Palin, Malcolm Muggeridge and Mervyn Stockwood (the then Bishop of Southwark), presented by Tim Rice on an edition of Friday Night, Saturday Morning in 1979 – thus:

Pt1: https://youtu.be/1ni559bHXDg

Pt2: https://youtu.be/Ku3GcPrW9xg 

Pt3: https://youtu.be/SGI9UevrzGc 

Pt4: https://youtu.be/NXmJHlqMvvE 

I have, at time of writing, just finished watching the entirety of this debate, which I would highly recommend to any Python fans and fans of free speech and intelligent debate – the ‘free speech and intelligence debate’ part being provided, incidentally, almost entirely by Cleese and Palin, and occasionally Tim Rice, when any of the above could get a word in.

All of the above serves to demonstrate, in my most humblest of opinions, the lasting relevance of a film like Life of Brian, and its ability to get across the message that we should not follow anyone blindly and we should question any and all ‘received wisdom’ that comes our way.

It’s bloody funny, too!

Now to indoctrinate my daughter into more Pythoniness…

 

Holiday Tweets (Un-Twittered) 6th-12th April 2018

9 Years, 8 Months, 4 Weeks & 1 Day into Daddyhood

 

6.4.18

Songs…

N.E.R.D: “Lapdance”

Arctic Monkeys: “I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor.”

Janelle Monáe: “Make Me Feel” – very like Prince: “Kiss.”

What was the song before Friendly Fires: “Love Like Waves” at 1140ish on Radio 1? Tweeted 13.4.18_1730h!

And at 1535h… Puddletown!

 

7.4.18

“LogCheese,” said T.

Stuck on 37! (in the four 4s challenge)

Also…

“Nose cloths” (said T)… etc.

Mummy said (randomly), “Stop the horses!” – then two horse transportation vehicles appeared! It’s a sign! Also… “Hay Straw” or “Straw Hay” – it’s a sign!

(PS. What is the difference between straw & hay…?)

Songs…

Franz Ferdinand: “Take Me Out.”

Adamski/Seal: “Killer.”

Then…

1155h… Affpuddle!

 

8.4.18

I don’t like using dishwashers.

Four 4s challenge: got 37 + 38 last night… now stuck on 39!

For some reason this song came into my head: Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five: “White Lines.”

Playing air hockey with Uncle Colin is lethal!

 

9.4.18

On the junction heading to Puddletown… there was a big puddle!

Clara Amfo plays girly songs.

1053h… Eype!

I can’t decide who’s “music” I dislike more: Sean Paul or Drake.

 

10.4.18

Four 4s challenge: 39 + 40! 41 pending… (My dad got 71!)

Thinking about negative powers:

2^-1 = 1/2

2^-2 = 1/4

2^-3 = 1/8

2^-4 = 1/16

… etc.

Mid-pm: watching 80s Family Fortunes on ‘Challenge’ – the hair, the jumpers, the moustaches! And Les Dennis…

The beginning of ‘Larry and Mick go to Puddletown.’

‘Mr and Mrs Nose’ by T.

‘Oscar the Obvious Octopus’ – a family collaboration!

 

11.4.18

A proper sunny beach day! 😃

On way to Devon Cliffs entertainment: text… nails… banana… hand cream.

 

12.4.18

Need CDs of lively music for car journeys!: Chemical Brothers, Arctic Monkeys, Franz Ferdinand, The Killers…

(1D: “Drag Me Down.”)

… Dandy Warhols, Muse, SL2, The Streets…

… etc.

Shawn Mendes’ “In My Blood” is an anthem for anxiety etc… (https://genius.com/Shawn-mendes-in-my-blood-lyrics)

Other songs…

Isaac Gracie: “Last Words.”

Alice Merton: “No Roots.”

George Ezra: “Paradise.”

Wolf Alice: “Bros.”

And finally…

‘Vicars in knickers with stickers’

“How’s Parenthood?” – “Horrible.”

9 Years, 8 Months, 2 Weeks & 5 Days into Daddyhood

– so sayeth my daughter, in relation to playing The Sims 3! Which, is turns out, is a pretty good way of teaching her about, in the case of her particular sim, the joys and trials of single motherhood. She (her sim) is always tired, always smelly, always hungry, never gets time for herself and you can forget about friends and hobbies. She (my daughter and her sim) does, however, experience little moments of joy (engaging her cute little toddler sim daughter in games of run-and-catch, etc), which make it all worthwhile… 😌

On the Impracticalities of Doing Things That Are in Songs

9 Years, 6 Months, 2 Weeks & 5 Days into Daddyhood

I sometimes find myself thinking (overthinking) about the meaning and practicalities of things that are sung about. For example, in this song that my daughter has been listening to/singing quite a bit recently…

Bruno Mars: Count on Me

… there is a lyric that goes like…

“If you ever find yourself stuck in the middle of the sea,
I’ll sail the world to find you.”

– which is all very lovely, but would you really? I mean, it wouldn’t be very practical, would it, to actually get in a boat and start sailing? Call the appropriate emergency service(s), yes, and assist them all you could, but actually “sailing the world” just doesn’t make sense.

As I said, overthinking… 😳

Metablogging

9 Years, 6 Months, 1 Week & 2 Days into Daddyhood

Every so often I think about writing a blog post about how I don’t contribute to this blog so much these days. And then I think…

What’s the point in writing if all you have to write about is your lack of writing?

And then I thought…

Maybe I need to just write about lack of writing and get it out of the way, in a cathartic kind of way.

So here it is.

And I suppose what it is these days, is I focus more on living parenting rather than writing about it.

That’s pretty much it.