Gosford Park

School has opened after a two week shut down due to the flood. Although I enjoy doing nothing, it was fairly fun to go and lark about with the kids. The nun, remember it's a catholic school, is oh so very serious with this latest dilemma, and the fact that a bunch of kids have left to go to a new international school that has opened in Hat Yai.  I don't have much sympathy. In fact, she seems damn right spoilt, and the school is constantly asking the parents for hand-outs to buy new stuff for the school. No one seems to know where the money from the fees goes to - to some central Christian fund, I am told, to maintain their campaign for global dominance, I suppose.

I have joined a super cool gym. It has great swimming pool, brilliant gym (with lots of space and machines) and a sauna. Patrick invited me to join, then dropped out himself. So, I have been swimming, back up to my 20 laps per session and spending alternate days on the bike and the machines for upper body. Feels good and I have slimmed down some too. In fact, due to being somewhat isolated in the country, the boys are less inclined to visit, and I have had to break down and confess that I almost, I state almost, find Thai beer so fucking crap, that there is very little pleasure gained from it, especially when drinking alone. And, as well as being crap, or due to being crap, it is easy to get a headache from the next day, which these days, is not a desired thing at all. So, I have been fairly sober of late.

I have been listening to Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness on an audiobook. It is pretty good. The opening is fantastic as four chaps sit on a boat in the River Thames relating old sea faring tales. Then one tells of the story of Krutz and the journey to reach him. I would like to read more of Conrad. He has a very dark, rich style which appeals to someone such as myself.

I have been hacking my way through Drakensang River of Time which has proved a hoot though I have been struck down with awful headaches and lower back pains from sitting in front of the computer for so long. Going back to school has allowed me time to lessen my addiction and stand in the sunlight. Strange, because the game is so gripping, yet the actual physical experience of playing it drains the body while the mind is living in some fantasy land.

We took Grace to the lake at the uni the other day. Her reaction upon arrival was of stupendous disbelief. She was gazing about her, open mouthed. She ran and ran and ran, until she started falling over and getting tired. We took her the next day too, but her enthusiasm had waned somewhat. We will go again soon, but perhaps not every day as I had originally envisaged.

I am watching Gosford Park on HD which is terrifyingly brilliant. Also, I greatly enjoyed some serial called, "Downton Abbey" with Maggie Smith and a host of others. All grand old houses, maids and footmen and rich people being tortured by some legacy or whatnot. Maggie Smith is such a hoot.

I bought a xylophone. A proper one. I have been playing the theme to In The Night Garden.

Grace woke us up at 1:30 the other night to watch it. OMG! Amazingly she went to bed after one episode.

That's enough for now.