Single Handed
Two days down. Three days to go. My other half is at the other end of the country until Saturday. In the meantime I am doing the job she usually does when I go away with work. It's not really difficultit just means little or no time to yourself until late in the evening.
I had an attack of “feeling crap about yourself” earlier. I went to go and pick our youngest up from football training, and had yet another reminder that in the town we live, we are very nearly at the bottom of the heap. Two Dads of other players in the team turned upone in a Jaguar, the other in an Aston Martin. We will never be able to afford anything like that. One of the Dad's I vaguely know turned up and struck up conversationtelling me stories about their house move (to a house that cost twice as much as ours).
A few days ago my other half told me about two Mums sat behind her at the Judo tournament last weekendabout their ridiculous conversation. One of them had built a second house in their garden, and had moved a Polish couple into the housethe guy as a gardener, the girl as an au-pair.
In any other part of the country, people would laugharound here it's rapidly becoming the norm. It doesn't help that all the schools around here are “Outstanding” on the various government league tableswhich means the house prices in their catchment areas are double what they should be. Which means many people are either directors of famous companies, or have “family funds”.
It annoys me. I know a few people whowhen you take noticedon't actually put much effort into their life, and yet they can afford sports cars, and flash houses, and can go out regularly. It just doesn't add up.
Anyway I'll stop being on such a downer. I have three kids that think the world of me, who are happy most of the time, and who we are (hopefully) teaching the value of things to. Our youngest is happy with nothingwe really are quite blessed. Armed with pocket money, she invariably spends a fraction of it, and keeps the rest for another day. Our middle girl will spend everything she has on chocolate if given a chance, and our eldest never spends anythingshe's like Smaug the Dragon. Until recently she had more in her bank account than we had (she has since discovered Amazon).
I'll just keep plodding along, being a good Dad, a good husband, a good friend, and a good whatever else. It's all I know how to do. I'll keep writing here, keep dumping by thoughts, and keep taking idiot pictures on my phone. I'll also try to keep in touch with a few of you when time permits.
You guys are kind of my escape. I don't know what I would do without you.