Is it Friday yet?

The weekend was over before it had started, which is quite commen at the moment. 4 year olds Dad has been working away from home for months, but until recently he always managed to work from home at least one day a week, but we should have known that would be too good to last.

We get up at 4.30am Monday mornings to take Dad to the airport and then go home and have breakfast and play with LEGO till it is time to go to nursery and work. Come lunchtime I am still half asleep.

Today I must have been particularly tired, because my collegue went out and got me a Boost energy chocolate bar to brighten my day. Boost was a whole new experience. Not quite sure if I actually liked the taste, but then it might have been better if it had been stored chilled, rather than on a shelf in a luke warm cafe.

Did it give me a boost though? Who knows what I would have been like if I hadn't had it!

Boost; Red Bull in a bar!

Are we there yet?

A maths professor has worked out an equation to calculate how long into a car journey it takes a child to ask: "Are we nearly there yet?"

I am guessing he doesn’t have kids, as we all know that kids are totally unpredictable. They can spend hours puzzling over an elastic band, but a colouring book can go out of fashion before it has even been opened.

Food and drink on the other hand can keep kids quiet for hours, provided you have enough of it. A new packet of ricecakes can keep our 4 year old entertained for hours, though a Hoover is required afterwards.

Does that mean we never get the “are we there yet?” question? No, but it is not so much dredded because of the nature of the actual question, but because of what follows.

“Are we there yet?”. Silence. “Are we there yet, are we ther yet, are we there yet, NOOO!!!! That’s what Donkey says in Shrek (2)”, followed by another replay of the whole scene with narratives about the onion they ride in, and on, and on, and on…

Whatever you do, don’t let your kids watch Shrek 2!

V-22 Osprey

There is something to be said for the sleak style of the B-1B Lancer, though the F16 is much more interesting to watch with all it's stunts. However, I would never have thought that I would know what a V-22 Osprey was.

Working next to Farnborough Airport becomes an event for about 2 weeks a year every two years when the Farnborough Airshow arrives.

Last week we where watching fighter planes and helicopters practising stunts every day, and this week they have all been showing off, but non as much as the Red Arrows when they escorted the new Airbus 380 past the viewing building.

But what is the airshow really about? Is it about fancy stunts or is it all about trade?

If you work next to the airport it is about timing your going to and from work to avoid the queuing. The other day I queued 20 minutes just to get out of the car park!

Style

The Chap Olympics - “The annual event is hosted by Chaps Magazine - the bible for traditional gentlemen who are against the vulgarity of modern culture. The opening ceremony includes the lighting of the Olympic pipe.”












"Why not make an effort?" they ask.

Surely making an effort for this kind of event would not just include dressing appropriately, but making an effort with the picnic?
Cigarettes should surely be in a silver cigarette case?
Drinks out of glasses, and not plastic cups?

And don’t get me started on the supermarket plastic food containers!

George killed the Dragon

The Royal Pavilion in Brighton is a masterpiece in architecture. ....

You can get a guided tour, and last time we went we came across a few school classes on guided tours. We, being just the ordinary tourists settled for the audio tours. Having visited the Royal Pavilion several times I mainly just carried my audiostick. But bringing 4 year old (previously 3 year old) added great value.

4 year old insisted on having his own audiostick. Every room had a number displayed, which he would carefully enter into the audiostick and he would then walk around listening with a serious face, and the occasional nod.

We walked into the first room and got, "George killed the Dragon", with a straigh face while he continued listening. "This is another yellow room", followed by, "This room is blue, I'm not listening anymore". Half way through, "It's not George anymore, it's John".

I'm not sure who John is though.

Air conditioning

Air conditioning is great. We loved the air conditioning in our car when we drove back from France a few weeks back. It was 35 Celcius (95 Fahrenheit) outside.

In my office we have an all year around temperature of 18 degrees, which , when it is 30 outside feels like winter. When you walk out of the office and into the heat of the summer, it is like stepping of the airplane when you go from Europe to Asia Pacific in February.

Yesterday we took my parents to Gatwick airport after spending a last day of their visit in Brighton, walking along the beach. A light sea breeze is just what you want when the weather is hot and the sun shines from a blue sky. What you don't want is spending any time in an airport without airconditioning! Remind me not to fly from Gatwick in the summer.