The world can’t end till we’ve been on holiday.

Some weeks it can be difficult to find topics of sufficient interest to document here.  You will no doubt have noticed such weeks!

This week  has been different for two reasons –

1.  This week has lasted about seventeen years

2.  It has been a week full of quite incredible world events including corruption, massacre and self-destruction.

To address point 1 first.  My God, last week at work dragged.  I discovered that it is indeed possible to be both busy and bored out of your skull at the same time.  Towards the end of a countdown to a much longed for break, the final throes can be wearisome, whatever you are doing I suppose.  The fact that I don’t like what I was doing made it much worse.

Rebecca finally finished school on Friday, and she too can be bored at home alongside Emily, who has been doing that more or less since May.  Speaking of Emily, this weekend saw the celebration of her imminent sixteeness with a gathering of friends who got together to make my living room look untidy for a while.

The chosen theme for the celebration was Laser Quest.  A little odd for your typical sixteen year old girl, but I suppose she isn’t really.  So Saturday afternoon saw two jam-packed cars make the journey to the Trafford Centre, where we deposited them for a couple of games whilst Louise and I wandered picking up those last-minute essentials.  For me, this meant underwear.  I apologise for those having eaten recently, or intending to do so ever again, but this needs covering (I mean the topic!!).

Now, when you are forty and flabby, and you need under garments where else would you go other than good old M&S?  Me too, but despite several trips around the mens department, I left empty-handed.  Not one pair of attractive briefs could I find.  So we wandered, a lot, to other fine establishments only to be denied by a total lack of undies, undies that were simply ridiculous thongs or those overly tight trunk things, or sheer expense.  Only two people alive see my underwear so anything costing more than roughly a pound a pair is simply a crazy extravagance.

We left the place sans briefs and Louise got me some from Asda later that day.

Whilst we sought underwear, and other bits and bobs, the girls shot at each other, and we met them at 5.30 to take them back home so they could take over our house.  Takeaways all round, and we left them to it whilst we went to the pictures with my brother, sister and law and niece to watch Horrible Bosses.  It is very much in the vain of Hangover and Bridesmaids so I was looking forward to it.  Plus, Louise fancies Jason Bateman, so it was a simple choice.  I enjoyed it, and it is entertaining enough for a Saturday evening.  And yes, Pick n Mix happened.

We returned around 11pm, did the birthday cake thing and then fell into bed, and listened to the girls make too much noise until the early hours.  This is a tradition on these birthday sleepovers.

Along side all this business, we have completed other pre-holiday essentials, such as cleaning the oven, mowing the back lawn (not a euphemism), and this evening I shall be cutting my toenails.  No stone is left unturned in our preparation and planning.  We have even had Louise’s mum round for tea tonight, so we’ve been busy.  This is a good thing, as time has moved along nicely.  I fear Monday and Tuesday at work may not.  In those two remaining work days for me, I have checked my diary, and it seems that out of two full days at work, I am not in meetings for just over 100 minutes.  So add-on a few minutes to neck a sandwich and I am in one big meeting until I finish for holibobs.  I can’t decide if this is a good or bad thing.  I guess I’ll find out tomorrow.

On to point 2 (remember?).  Wow, what a week.  It does seem that the world is quickly crumbling around us.  Everything and everybody is corrupt, and because of that papers like the News of the World are no longer around to report upon the absolutely atrocious events in Norway over the past few days.  However what is totally incomprehensible is that the death of a drug and drink addict, at her own hands, supersedes all these events on the news and in the newspapers!!  Have we really elevated so-called celebrities to such exalted heights that this is acceptable.

Some smacked up singer takes one shot too many, and finally fulfills her destiny, and over 90 kids getting massacred is relegated to the middle of the paper?  Really?  Are we happy with this?  My ghast is completely flabbered at this, and as this blog isn’t meant to deal with the heavy stuff, I’m not going to go into this any further.

Finally, in a week of head shaking, and wondering what the world is coming to, I was contacted by a fellow Dibber, Emma Smith, and asked if I could help spread the word about a special cause.  Whether it is a pitiful attempt by me to somehow try to compensate for the absolute and unending decay of civilisation, or just something any decent person would do, I’m not sure and I don’t care.  I could not say no, so I hope you don’t mind me pushing this here.

So, as this thread explains, Emma needs help to raise £2000 for treatment for her baby Max.  The fact that she is having to raise this cash for this treatment, rather just get it on the NHS is another ghast flabbering body blow.  Please, take a moment to read the thread, and if you can, donate at the just giving page.

As my ranting seems to have reached new levels both here and via other social media outlets, it prompted someone to say to me on Twitter, that it sounds like I really need a holiday.  I’ll second that.  So Tuesday is special in the week upcoming.  My eldest daughter turns 16, and we’ll have a small family gathering to mark the occasion.  Secondly, it marks me finishing work, and the start of our next adventure to the US.  A good day all round.  I would advise anyone to stay clear of the bright red Mondeo heading from Salford Quays to Bolton at around 6pm on Tuesday.  I will be taking no prisoners!!

So it is farewell for now.  We have a long journey ahead of us this week, and we should be stateside sometime on Thursday barring disasters and delays.  You are spared further rantage for the short-term!!  I hear you sigh collectively.  However, there may be a little Twittering so if you don’t already, you could follow me were you to be clinically insane and in need of vitriol and bile via your computer.

Till the next time…..