I remember in younger days and tougher times struggling to pay my various mortgages (yes, for the last thirty or so years there has been more than one), and how just when I thought I'd caught up, the mortgage company would let me know I still had a long way to go. It's a bit like writing a blog that's supposed to remind me of the things I've been doing...
..anyway, whilst I never condone death and destruction, I am faintly amused by the Turks having the temerity to shoot down one of Putin's aeroplanes. We would never have done that. So a bit like the bully in the playground who likes to tease and torment until someone bites back. It will have come as a shock. Putin has suffered a bloody nose (and sympathies to the family of the pilot, but I suspect that he knew what he was up to, just didn't know he had gone too far), not long after the Russian passenger aircraft was downed shortly after taking off. If you add that together with a bloody stalemate in Crimea, and harsh economic sanctions, I bet there are a few whispers that may be Putin is not the man for Russia. Of course, like all men of his type, he will aim to snuff those out pretty quickly,, but he can't avoid no longer being seen as invincible.
It has come as quite a shock to me that I have become a card-carrying member of the Labour Party. This, the person who for a while was the treasurer of the Western Region of Conservative students. I like Mr Corbyn, I like quite a lot of what he's got to say, and most of all idea I like the idea of a society that is based around the concept of fairness and equality and not one that is based around elitism and greed that puts money in the pockets of those who need it least.
We're off on Friday to see Bridge of Spies, spurred on by it being written by our 'friend' Matt Charman. He joined us at a gala dinner a few months back and was charm personified...he even said he'd like to join us for Christmas as it sounded such fun. He's probably forgotten us, but we haven't forgotten him.
Over the last month we've been to a 60th birthday, The Cat's Mother spent a few days in Dubai (leaving me in charge of an empty house...doesn't she realise how foolish that is), I cycled 73 miles round the Essex countryside for fun, we saw four Shakepeare plays in one night (shortened versions in a schools competition...yes it was mostly hell), went to see the musical Kinky Boots (great fun, won't stretch your brain cells), and saw at the cinema the Broadway version of 'Of Mice and Men' which made us appreciate just how great theatre is, even when seen in a cinema. We must also have seen Spectre, although it's not in my diary, though it is burned on my memory for ever. 16 people in the cinema, twelve of them slurping, crunching and munching their way through it, which was an achievement as they didn't stop talking either...even when they got up (several times) to go to the loo or get yet another hot dog. Dreadful experience.
The Boy and The Cat are back briefly this weekend. It won't be fun. They are here to bury a friend from school. He was a lovely lad who had severe health problems all his life...he had a heart transplant many years ago...but he never let it get on top of him. Indeed he did well at school and went on to University. He died just after his 21st. I feel for his family, and for his school friends for whom this will mostly be their first real brush with death. It's a harsh thing for the young.