Diana Watch (update)

Hello to you all loyal readers and some of you really are loyal, I’ve looked at the counter, although you never say hello when I ask you things.
The reason I haven’t been here properly for the last couple weeks is that my Father-in-law died. Significant other has been staying with her mother since the sad event and only came home yesterday. I have been backwards and forwards to Kent for the last fortnight because of the very caring NHS which gave me absolutely no days compassionate leave. Not even one day for the funeral. He was my Father-in-law, the woman I love’s dad, and my employer, who didn’t care for him that well when he was in one of our establishments, gave me no time at all to attend his funeral. I had to take unpaid leave. If you work for the NHS and your wife, one of your parents or your child dies that most compassionate leave you can have is 6 days. Your child dies and we give you 6 days off. Just over a week to get over the death of a child and come back to work. It’s nice to work for a caring employer.
Hopefully all will be back to normal now, on the blog writing front obviously, although I promise nothing. Will try and get out of the habit of only doing the letters thing in the week and try and write something proper.
This post only really exists to tell you what has been happening and why there has been a lack of witty and insightful blogs recently, what the excuse is for the rest of the year I don’t know. To be honest, my most over used phrase, I have been avoiding the news for the last couple of days because, even on the paradise for idiocy that is the Today program on Radio4, Jade Goody is everywhere. I know it’s sad for her children and I know it’s sad for her husband, who has been charged with another assault (he really is a nice man), but I really don’t care that much. I know that that is harsh but I don’t. A 27 year old woman dying is sad, I get that but why all the coverage? The phrase I dreaded hearing was “we recognised something of ourselves in her” and sure enough it popped up. What was the thing we recognised? Being poorly educated? The desire to be famous above everything else? Mild racism? I said to significant other, “it’s like the Princess Diana over-reaction all over again,” to which she replied, “She was the People’s Idiot.” It made me laugh. I am sorry for her children though, I really am.

A fun game to play in the days before a significant family funeral is the inappropriate use of the phrase “It’s what he would have wanted.” You can attach it to any sentence and it will cheer you up, I guarantee it. “Would you like a Beer?” “Yes please, it’s what he would have wanted.” See, its fun.

Hope you have a good week, I’m thinking about buying a Netbook but not sure which one, ah well.



Stewart Benham RIP.