Fitting it in

Being a Dad /Grandpa has its rewards but it don't 'arf make complicated sometimes.

Peter (son) fancies coming for a boating trip with us, but what to do with Bella his cat?  Peter doesn't drive and would need us to get him to the boat and back.

Claire (daughter) is going on holiday with Grace (grand daughter) soon and needs us to look after Ronnie and Rosie (dogs) while they are away.

Jacob (grand son) and Rosie (not the dog, but his girlfriend) fancy a break before Rosie starts her new job in a couple of weeks time- how about visiting Cambridge and staying at Peter's?

Solution

We drive to Cambridge to help get his (untidy) flat ready for J&R (Peter's hoover is broken so we need to take ours).  J&R come up after a couple of days and cat sit while we take Peter boating.  The window to get this done is short because of getting back to Cambridge to release Rosie so she can get home to Sussex to get ready for her job and we have to get back home to look after Ronnie and the other Rosie.

Phew.  Well that's the plan anyhow.  I think we'll have four days boating.  I fancy tootling up to Stretton stop and back maybe.  Easy run, only the Hillmorton locks to do.

I can't let this post pass without expressing my genuine sadness over the death of Peter Green yesterday.  As you know I like a bit of guitar playing and Peter was my all time favourite.  I saw him live, once with John Mayall after he replaced Eric Clapton and played every bit as well.  I stood at the front of the stage and watched at close range while his hands worked their delicate wonder.  I'll never forget it.  Music just flowed out of them.  Then I saw the very first public performance of Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac as it was called then and listened as he wrung the emotion out of the music.  Loads of guitarists are better technically (even I can play some of his stuff after a fashion) but few will ever match his musicality.  He was a bloody good singer too.  RIP Peter.