Eric and Doris are now Lily and Ginger. Which just goes to show who carries the influence in the house. Trish decided that Doris was going to be called Lily after seeing her for the first time. Eric was shouted down by the kids, and I tried Brian, and then Gus, both good names for a cat. But no. Ellie called him Ginger, and that would appear to be that.

Ginge was at the vets today having his ‘bits’ sorted out. Poor feller. He has that ‘what did I do to deserve that’ look on his face at the moment.

It’s the 13th tomorrow, and I am at the dentist. I hope that is not a bad omen.

I love the weekend. A time to relax with the family, and break from work. Why oh why does it have to evaporate so quickly.  Friday evening was rehearsal. The local group I perform with have a production lined up for March 16 / 17, so it had to be done. That was Friday evening gone.

Saturday evening I was scheduled to be doing a fund raising quiz for my godson. His name is Matthew, and is the same age as my son Robbie. I went to school with his parents, Carlos and Deb. Carlos I met at a school I went to between the ages of 11 and 16, and Deb I met at a sixth form I attended. They are lovely people, and I introduced them to each other back in 1977. Sometimes I get thanked for this, other times I get blamed.

I spent most of Saturday finishing questions and getting everything ready. Then we had to drive across to a place called Market Harborough where they live. The quiz started at 7:30 and ended at 10:30, and we raised ?00. So it was back to Carlos and Deb’s for the night… talking and drinking till the early hours.

Up this morning, and after breakfast and more talk it was back in the car and the drive home. This afternoon it was another rehearsal, and all of a sudden it is Sunday evening…. I have a busy week ahead which includes travelling to glamour locations such as Hull and Birmingham

 We don’t get much snow, so when we get a good downfall everybody seems to make the most of it in every way. All the schools locally were closed today, and I had to give up half way up ‘Oving Hill’ on the way to work, and reverse back down before deciding to work from home. So, the end result was the 8ft snowman being hugged by my eldest, Nikki. Also, a picture of Ellie after her brownie enrollment, and a picture of one of the new family pets. It seems now the queen is going to be called Lilly, but the Tom is still unnamed.

One of my failings is that I can pre judge something, and make my mind up about it, whether I dislike it or not, without taking the time to understand it. That all probably sounds a bit vague, but a good example is the tv comedy series Friends. When it first came to prominence, I dismissed it out of hand as something that wouldn’t interest me.

Last year the gym I go to had a set of televisions installed that you could watch and listen to whilst exercising (which is an excellent way of taking your mind off of the aching limbs). I tuned in one morning to an episode of Friends because there was nothing else of interest, and found myself laughing at times. And so, I have become something of a very late Friends fan, and recently purchased the first series on DVD.

The comedic timing and acting in the various situations is brilliant.

In the background of one of the sets on an episode of Friends I was watching last night was a poster of Laurel & Hardy. I don’t know if this was coincidence – but to me L&H really were the frontrunners of this type of comedy. They may have had more slapstick as part of their routines, but the basic premise of situation comedy was there, and I thought L&H were brilliant. As a kid I loved them, and still enjoy them now. I have some pictures of them up in my study. Unfortunately because some of what they did appears dated now, I feel they don’t get the credit they deserve. The Music Box (the one with the piano they were trying to deliver) was a gem, and in fact won an Oscar for short film. Stan Laurel was a complex and driven character, who spent hours working on routines. A comedic genius.

There, that’s my reflection for the day.

Home news. The cats arrive Thursday evening. We are having internal feuding over their names at the moment. It’s worse than naming a new born child. At least then its only two of you arguing. We have five people arguing over cat names at the moment.

I was never a cub, or a scout, it never appealed to me. I was always more interested in playing football. When not in school I wanted to be doing a sport, which was mainly football.

However, Tricia (wife), is a Brown Owl, and has been running the same Brownie pack since I have known her. She has put many hours in over the years planning Brownie evenings, events, trips etc, and got quite involved with all of the extra activities running a district at one time. To such an extent that I used to call myself a ‘brownie widower’.

Anyhow, I suppose it was only natural that her daughters went into Brownies. Nikki was a rainbow, a brownie, then a guide, and she is now a young leader, helping Tricia run her pack on Monday evenings.

However tonight is the big night for Ellie. After her dancing exam yesterday she is a being enrolled as a brownie tonight, so I get to be proud Dad again. I am not to sure what all the excitement about being a brownie is, but it seems to be a big thing for her…. part of the little steps of growing up I suppose.

Ellie is my youngest daughter. At 7, she is 7 years younger than her brother Robbie, and 11 than her bigger sister Nikki. Nikki over the years has competed at national level for athletics, in shot putt, hurdles and heptathlon. As a parent, you get involved with the emotional rollercoaster of success and failure, winning and losing. Robbie has been doing archery for a few years now, and had some success, winning a club competition, and shooting for the county, and shooting in national competitions.

You can’t help but be proud of them. Today was the first day I have had to go along with Ellie to an event. Only this time it is slightly different, not competing but doing her first dancing exam. She did well, but was nervous beforehand, and relieved afterwards. She is too young really to appreciate that there are many times in her life she will feel like this. Anyway, today I was yet again Mr Proud Parent.

A quiet weekend by usual standards. I tasked Robbie yesterday with cutting the Xmas tree which had been languishing in the garden since Xmas. It was an 8ft tree, so not small. He cut it up, and then decided to burn some of it. What more could a teenage boy want, the opportunity to cut something up and then burn it.

I now have to write an essay, about Rousseau and the social contract. Deep joy. That will be the rest of Sunday gone.

I was never a great cat lover. However, marrying Trish meant that a cat came into the bargain. We had three cats for a long period of time. Muttley was one, but we lost him to cat cancer about 7 years ago. Then last year we lost both of the other two. Tyson who is pictured below, was a wonderful, wonderful companion. He changed my mind about cats. Unfortunately the old feller (19) had to be put down last spring. Then we lost Tigger (who was 18) in November. He had to have an op, and never properly recovered. So we had to do the right thing by him and let him go as well.

A tearful time then for the family. The kids had loved the cats. We were catless, and have been so for a couple of months. However, through the RSPCA we have identified two new horrors (kittens) who will be joining us next week.

The present thought is that they will be called Eric and Doris. Not usual cat names. In the last few years, whenever my eldest daughter has become attached to some hairy grunt (boyfriend) or whenever they have phoned or been at the door I have referred to them all as ‘Eric’. This saved me remembering their real names. I could just shout out ‘there’s an Eric on the phone’ or ‘there’s an Eric at the door’. Nikki hasn’t always appreciated this. But, I figured I was in a no win situation (as whatever I did or said was going to be wrong), so suited myself. My son Robbie (14) thought this to be quite funny, until I informed him one day that I would treat him just the same, and any girls that phoned, or came to the door for him (if he is so fortunate), would be called Doris. He wasn’t quite so amused.

And so, it seems Eric and Doris are to be adopted as the names for the new cats. Ellie, our 7 year old, is offering some resistance, believing they should be called flopsy and twinkle, or some other such nonsense. We will see who wins.

Tyson. Was the world’s greatest cat.

It doesn’t quite sound like a Tory election manifesto item, but that is my take on David Camerons announcement yesterday that he would consider having standing only terrace areas at football grounds if he were elected. Clearly he knows nothing about the mentality of some English football fans. Since the introduction of all seater stadia, the mob element has been largely removed. You can go and enjoy football now without having one eye on the football, and one eye on the crowd around you, trying to keep away from spontaneous fights. The grounds are safer. We don’t get crushes anymore where people get killed. As a result more families, children, women go to games. Great for everybody surely.

But no. David Cameron comes out with something a minority want to hear on the basis that they may vote for him. It’s cheap and shallow. No doubt he might consider ducking for witches as well if it gets a few votes. I would rather hear what he is going to be doing for schools, hospitals, pensioners etc, not how he wants to re-introduce football hooliganism.

Off soap box, and onto a lighter note. Nikki was really pleased with how her final exam went yesterday. She is feeling better and went weight training with Tricia last night. However, before they got into the weights, Trish and Nikki played a game of badminton. Mother vs Daughter. Mother won 2-0. Daughter not happy.

I managed a very light session in the gym this morning, which included walking on a treadmill to loosen up and then onto the cross trainer – which as a low/non impact exercise was quite good. However, back has stiffened up again. But, I have lost 8lbs so far this year. Not sure where from though….