Little things...

It was my brithday recently. Allegedly a grown up, I can often be found sulking on my birthday because it's so close to Christmas and people forget or someone buys me something rubbish. This is despite the fact that I always say I hate fuss and don't want anything; you really can't win with me. My boy turned that on its head by excelling on the present front this year. He bought me the bendy guys pictured below. As you may gather, these things have been the source of much mirth and the tame shots below don't give a real flavour of the true flexibility of these guys (intentional pun). This success was tempered with his "joke" card which featured an Arsenal logo and inside had a song. What upset me was that this 2 or 3 quid may be the difference between Les Arses buying another player or something and, mostly, that i couldn't display it but had to tear it up into tiny pieces and then burn them (there's a limit to offspring related sentimentality, there really is).

I love the way each picture suggests a mini narrative. Nothing seems to wipe the smile of these guys faces though. Wish I was like that.

The new 20

A certain person I know turns 30 this weekend. What I'd give to be turning 30. Instead all I hear is all the 'I'm so old; I don't want to celebrate' nonsense. All this in front of people who are older by a lot or an incredible amount. Speaking as a crotchety old bastard I can, hand on heart, state that 30 is at least the new 20 if not the new 10 (judging by the way a lot of people that age behave). One thing though: she's not alone.

This question http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20061114080859AAGseI9
and many of the ensuing responses made me laugh, wince and sneer in equal measure. My response would have been ' act your age and get a life- there are a lot of things you should no doubt be grateful for and a lot of things we'd be better off being depressed about'. Since the question was posed 3 years ago, my response now would be 'Ha! you're 33'.
Of course I'd not say that to the certain person because value my life too. some 30 something stories

G B Shaw said "If at age 20 you are not a Communist then you have no heart. If at age 30 you are not a Capitalist then you have no brains." Depressing thought unless, like me, you're happy being brainless.

So, whether it's welcome or not, Happy Birthday Sweet Heart!