Monthly Round Up (September '09)

And so to another monthly round up. I don't know about anyone else, but these seem to be coming round a lot more frequently than they used to. How and why does time speed up like this as we get older? I guess it's merely our perception and a consequence of how busy we are (or aren't) but I wish it'd slow down a bit: I'm having trouble keeping up!

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Now you all know I'm not one to gossip, but I have to comment here on the fact that I have discovered something about a fellow blogger. Something not many of you might know. Bet that's got you glued to the screen now, hasn't it? :-p

I have posted before about my growing addiction to the games one can access over at Facebook. These infernal games are responsible for my wasting hours ploughing, sowing and harvesting at Farm Town (Not that I'm telling tales, but Clare is a fellow blogging/farming addict - her farm is fab). I might also have a little place over at FarmVille (where more bloggers can be found cultivating crops). There is a game called Treasure Mania which is horribly addictive - one digs up archeological treats for the benefit of Sir Winston Adams and attempts challenges along the way. Gosh reading back I can see how sad that must seem to non-Facebookers.

But the most popular game at Facebook is Mafia Wars. Developed by Zynga, I have resisted it for months, but have now been well and truly sucked in. The main problem is I don't know what the hell I'm doing, how to make money properly or how to defend myself. I'm sort of finding my mobster way in the dark. I have been attacked and beaten up many many times, but one woman who picked on me and beat me up FIVE times in a row (that's not cricket is it?) has now been 'iced' by one of my mob. << insert cool smilie >> Do you know what I found at Mafia Wars though? I found that the mild mannered and quilting-skills-blessed Kate is, in another 'life', a fearsome ruthless and uber-successful Mafia boss :-O Whoever would have thought it?! (Thank you Kate - x - for the biggest bonus I've ever got when I helped you on one of your Mob jobs - you are solely responsible for me arming myself with a huge gun :-D)

Right ... now on to real life stuff.

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The kids are back at school, and for No.1 that means not being the youngest in the school anymore. She went back with a lot more confidence than last year and is having a ball (though of course would never admit it ;-) ). Her school has streamed the kids for all major subjects now, and whilst she was worried that she wouldn't like the teachers as much as last year, No.1 has discovered she likes the majority of this year's teachers more than last year's. Hooray and hurrah.

On the subject of No.1, I want to record something here, so that when it eventually gets turned into a blog book, she will have it to look back on. You know how adolescents are full of self-doubt and angst? Their peer group(s) and their various opinions are so very important to them aren't they?

Well one of her teachers got the whole class to write their name on the top of a piece of paper. Then that bit of paper was circulated amongst others, who were asked to write something positive about the person whose name was at the top. Such a simple exercise, but it gave No.1 a real boost, and I'm sure she's not the only one.

No.1's list contained the following comments. She is (apparently):-

• a cool friend
• ite *
• the provider of lots of Tic Tacs
• kind
• weird (in a fun way) **
• a good and fun person
• always sharing
• an amazing maths partner***
• really nice always
• really pretty and smart

* This is apparently one of those hip and trendy expressions. It means 'alright' in a positive way. Tsk, these young people and their groovy words.

** I fear she may have inherited this from yours truly, but am not admitting it to her face.

*** Pretty easy to know who wrote this comment since she only has one Maths partner!

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No.2 is back at school with the same teacher as last year, so no worries on that score. He has settled straight back in. He has also started back at football - this season they are playing in a 'real' league, so the games are more important. I took this picture the day before his footie season started:-

We had NINE footballs in our tiny back garden - that is the evidence of his obsession with this sport.

There are more 'doings' at his club involving the adults - petty politics which seem a bit of shame given that it's a kids' football team for goodness sake. The long and the short of it is that lady coach has now resigned and assistant coach has taken over. Lady coach's son was, quite frankly, the best player in the team and because of the bad feeling amongst the adults, he's left the club. Guess where he's gone? Yep - gone to play for their arch enemies, coached by the ex assistant to lady coach at No.2's team (the one who left last year). Are you keeping up?!

These two teams had to play one another last weekend and the result was a 0-0 draw (despite the fact that our lot scored a perfectly good goal but the ref decided it hadn't crossed the line!) Both teams played well and all the adults concerned behaved themselves, for which many of us were very grateful. The ground is in a very picturesque place, so of course I couldn't resist taking some shots. This is one of them:

So that's me stood on the touchline for lots of Saturday mornings between now and next summer. I don't mind at all when the weather is ok, but in the cold and wet, it can be pretty grim. Good job there are some fab parents with whom to chat.

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Without a doubt the 'biggest' thing to happen in our world this month, and the reason for this post not being as long or as animated as usual, was the death of one of my friends. She used to read this blog, and would sometimes leave little messages for me in the chatbox. We first 'met' (encountered one another) online, at the forums of Digital Spy. Then we met in person ... and she was as mad and funny in reality as she seemed online.

The expressions of grief over on the forum have been both touching and a comfort. It has also prompted phone calls and some of us being back in touch with people from whom we haven't heard for a while, which can only be a good thing.

When she was first diagnosed with breast cancer I was of course shocked and worried, but I was sure she would beat it. In fact I was sure she would beat it right up until I got the text message from her husband saying she'd gone. I was stood outside No.2's school at the time, waiting for him to come out: Friday 11th September. My eyes leaked profusely and I didn't care who saw me.

I cried so much No.2 asked if I wanted to go to hospital, bless him. My friend was 44 years old - isn't it utterly cr@p? She had fought the cancer with such courage, strength and positivity - I admired her enormously. My thoughts and prayers since she died have been with her husband Kenny, her daughter Emma and her parents (to whom she always referred as 'The Oldies'). The Wrinklets, who both met her and her husband, have also been upset; but we have talked about and remembered her, and we will continue to do so.

This song was played at her funeral - the lyrics (displayed in this video) are typical of her attitude

Rest in peace Tracy; it was a privilege to be your friend.

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I'll leave you with a picture I took on the day Tracy died. I'd gone up on The Ridgeway that morning, and this particular picture will always remind me of that day, and her.

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