The week in summary

It's Sunday so I'll sum up my week. It'll be a short post.

1. I dressed and undressed children in and out of their flaming snowclothing once too often. I particularly disliked doing this while they hopped about on one leg in a rammed sopping wet corridor. Just like every other parent who ever dropped a school child off in winter. Roll on Spring.

2. I dragged two children in a sledge with an unforgiving rope and inadequate shoulder muscles rather a lot. They are remarkably heavier than last year. Or I am weaker. Or both.

3. The snow stopped me from seeing our friends not once, but twice, in one week. This is more than a little annoying. It's been far too long between hugs now. More rescheduling called for.

(I should point out that it's not that I dislike snow. It's just that the impact of snow can sometimes be extremely irritating. I must be getting old).

4. I started my writing for children course. The group are eclectic and seemingly quite happy to negatively criticise each other's work which is ominous.

I have developed already though. I now know what a sestina is (although I was happier before) and am confident that the word 'hubris' should not appear in young children's fiction. I also learnt I shouldn't use the word 'shard' if I ever want to win a poetry competition.

So far I am particularly fond of Don who is a very proud Grandad and makes a mean cup of instant coffee.

I have homework to do, and have to take 12 copies of it with me next Friday so everyone can read it. Shudder. I'm much more comfortable with sending my writing out into the ether to be read by internet peeps than I am watching people grimace at it over a table. Maybe they won't grimace. They might just nod politely. It'll be fine.

5. I tried to do the RSPB garden bird watch this weekend. Twice. I admit it I tried to cheat the system. But when in the first hour I only saw 2 blackbirds, 2 wood pigeons and a great tit I didn't think it was a fair reflection. In the second hour I saw 2 blackbirds, 2 wood pigeons, a magpie and 2 great tits. So that was worth the extra hour of my life then. I like to think the robin who is in our garden all the flaming time usually was on holiday somewhere in Nether Edge. Either that or he was laughing at me and my binoculars from behind the holly bush.

6. I saw two lovely friends and felt more human. I didn't, however, go out at night socially at all which was an error. To make up for it I am going to the pictures on Monday, staying in with lots of inebriated school mums on Tuesday, singing on Wednesday and seeing Attilla the Stockbroker next Friday. In retrospect this seems a little like overkill.

So that's last week.

The good news is that just like Rimmer's revision plan in Red Dwarf I have now drawn myself a coloured coded timetable to stick on the fridge. So next week's summary is bound to be much more interesting. For now though it's time to watch a terrible film about superheroes and drink wine.