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Linda A | all galleries >> Galleries >> walking in my shoes - 2006 diary > 23rd June 2006 - go to sleep
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23-JUN-2006

23rd June 2006 - go to sleep

I think there is something like a lullaby feel to this shot. That’s kind of where I am tonight, having had a strange day.

I met Colin at Paddington early this morning and we travelled down to Cornwall together, arriving at lunchtime.

Since then, Colin has done some snoozing while I checked out progress on a number of things – size of tomatoes on tomato plants, new flowers on courgette and potato plants, broccoli with lots of leaves…..all sorts of stuff has happened while I’ve been away, including swapping the sheep I left behind yesterday on ‘our moor’ for comedy clown naked sheep – you know the ones. They’re standing there absolutely starkers, looking like they’re doing Kenny Everett’s best ‘oh Michael, all my clothes fell off’. Yep – I go away for one night and the sheep have all done the equivalent of a drunken stag-night and had all of their bodily hair removed. Somehow I doubt it was by choice.

We’ve both been nursing hangovers, that ALWAYS is an outcome of a night with Paul. Lots of water and fruit have been consumed on the train, along with lots of pulp fiction in the shape of a daily paper.

I get depressed so easily about the news. I suppose because most of it’s about politicians and ‘celebrities’ rather than real news. Today was no exception. I got treated to a thing about how Sven (Goran Erikson) isn’t in love with David Beckham…..you could’ve fooled me!!! There was loads of this sort of boring old tosh but somehow my addled brain couldn’t cope with my new book – which I’m led to believe is something rather wonderful, if frightening – see, I’m getting better, I wouldn’t have chosen this six months ago – I couldn’t have faced it.

We’ve been out on a jaunt tonight, to the theatre (open air) and for a meal. It was grand (in the Northern sense, not the Buck House sense).

We arrived home just in time to switch on that cheeky chappie of all cheeky chappies, Jonathan Woss. His guests (with one exception) were a bit spesh tonight – Bruce Willis, Martina Navratilova and David Cameron…..guess which one wasn’t spesh??!!

You see I can’t abide him. I think he’s even better at pulling the wool over our eyes than most….and let’s face it, we’ve been duped plenty of times already. He’s so ‘Tony Bliar’ it’s not true – a real master of the soundbite. What really infuriates me is the whole ‘family thing’. He’s so right to suppose he’s going to win votes by being ‘family friendly’ because let’s face it, us childless folks are in the (very small) minority. We’re the forgotten ones who are expected to keep on drudging away like worker bees or ants until we keel over when no-one will give a flying f*ck if we live or die. In fact, probably the tax payers of the day will be glad to be shot of us. After all what have we ever done for society? Nothing, of course, that’s right.

We’ve not had kids, not taken loads of time off work, not got good educations just to squander them by not working….nah – we should just be cast aside, the whip cracked and set going on another year of paying loads of dosh into the government’s pocket so they can give more tax breaks and more down time to parents. Yep – that sounds like the way to go, I’m in for that one.

I'm not saying I'm against families in any way, simply that every person has a choice about whether to become a parent and therefore I see no reason why I should have to fund that lifestyle. I see no reason why money out of my pocket should go towards giving every baby in the land born £250 (if that's still the right sum, it wouldn't surprise me to find it's gone up again) or to give longer maternity/paternity leave or whatever.

Sorry - rant over!

Go to sleep, go to sleep, you’re my very own baby……there's something rather HG Wells about all of this.

Last year my lensbaby was just peachy!

Canon EOS 10D
0.70s f/4.0 at 100.0mm iso400 hide exif
Full EXIF Info
Date/Time23-Jun-2006 22:39:10
MakeCanon
ModelEOS 10D
Flash UsedNo
Focal Length100 mm
Exposure Time0.70 sec
Aperturef/4
ISO Equivalent400
Exposure Bias
White Balance (-1)
Metering Modeaverage (1)
JPEG Quality (6)
Exposure Programaperture priority (3)
Focus Distance

other sizes: small medium original auto
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Gail Davison27-Jun-2006 22:43
here here!
Valerie Talbot 26-Jun-2006 18:27
I too understand what you mean, but when you say you don't see why you should fund that lifestyle, what about all over our contributions to health care, or state pensions (whatever pittance will be available at the point of retirement), or the police, councils, refuse collection, and so forth? There are lots of things we all have to pay for to help keep the country going whether we like it, or not. Don't forget that todays children are tomorrows providers in an ageing population. Investing in them could help you, or your loved ones in old age!
Valerie Talbot 24-Jun-2006 07:53
I disagree with your comments about how if you have a family you get more out of the Government. Actually I have a career and a family and as far as tax credits go, my partner and I fall into the grey area where we get a tiny proportion of what some get, because of our total combined income. If I did not go to work, I would get more tax credit, but I choose to go back because I like my job and I don't want to "scrounge". There are thousands of parents around the country in a similar position. I remember begrudging families when I was childless. It's not how it looks when you are on the other side of the fence!
Eric Hewis23-Jun-2006 23:37
Now you're on my wavelength, 'Dave' Cameron, family friendly politicians, two Jags Prescott, two jets Bliar, the silly old Lib Dem sod who can't get his own name right.
I have never missed voting in a General Election, but next time I might make an exception.