20th June 2010

Much to my great relief, Sarah has finally completed her AS Level exams. Over the past month, she’s been diligently sifting through notes, revision guides, and colour-coded cue cards, and firmly insisted I take up a permanent seat in the study to test her. I’ve lost count of how many hours we spent doing this, though my long-dormant brain cells have had quite the wake-up call. Concepts I once deliberately avoided in my youth have now come back to haunt me.

Still, the hours paid off; Sarah went into each exam with growing confidence, and we even managed to predict a good number of the actual questions. Not bad for a pair of amateurs.

Unfortunately, not all went smoothly; Lee’s father suffered a stroke during the exam period. Understandably, Lee was upset and wanted to be at the hospital, which made focusing on exams especially hard for him. Sarah managed to gently talk him round, and each evening after revising with me, she’d spend time on the phone going through Sociology and Psychology with Lee, too. They were a proper little study partnership. Now, all that remains is to see how I did, I mean, how Sarah did! The latest update on Lee’s dad (only 51) isn’t great, but I’ve experienced the NHS’s magic before, so fingers crossed.

Since exams ended, Sarah’s been up to Nottingham a few times to see Lee. And with her books closed (for now), my services were swiftly transferred to another daughter in need…

Charlotte had a bee in her bonnet, convinced the baby would arrive early, and so naturally decided this was the perfect time to transform the attic study into a master bedroom, complete with built-in wardrobes. Jamie was working 12-hour shifts (plus Saturdays) and unavailable, and their other (professional) carpenter option had inconveniently fallen through. So, of course, the call came through to Dad HQ.

After three days. Thirty thousand steps up a staircase that could rival Everest. Not a single hammer whack to the thumb, I completed the job. A record I’ll smugly cling to. They kindly made me up a bed in the attic so I could roll from workbench to workplace without venturing far. Unfortunately, Murphy the cat took a fancy to sleeping on my feet, keeping me awake most nights. Still, I could lie in bed and plan the next day’s work (after plotting the cat’s demise).

As thanks, Charlotte and Suraj treated me to a very nice meal at a new local pub before I headed off to Yorkshire for my next job, Nan’s birthday fence.

Yes, for Nan’s birthday, I gave her the best present she’s had in years (according to her): a brand-new fence separating her from next door. It was a relatively simple job, made easier by my newly acquired ‘carpenter’s mindset’. There was a moment of panic when I realised I’d left all my screws and nails in Charlotte’s attic, but a quick rummage in my toolbox unearthed enough spares to see it through (see, I am tidy).

One afternoon, I took Nan to visit Aunt Edna in Sheffield, and we ended up strolling through a charming park full of fellow pensioners, before indulging in coffee and scones with jam (yes, even me). We rounded the day off with dinner at a Thai restaurant… that wasn’t serving Thai food. Due to a carvery night, we had roast beef, Yorkshire pudding, and all the trimmings. Not remotely Thai, but delicious nonetheless. We promised to go back, presumably on a non-carvery night, for an actual pad thai.

The following day, I stopped at my favourite butcher’s in Thurcroft to collect BBQ supplies, the best sausages and minty burgers in the known universe, and headed home.

Meanwhile, Sue returned from Buckfastleigh, looking recharged and raring to go. She’s accepted several school bookings and is now back to working around three days a week. I even managed three days myself one week, though I was considerably more tired, especially after one memorable day with a Year 6 class featuring a couple of autistic children and a handful of traveller’s kids, and no additional support staff. Fun, but exhausting.

Sue went to Zizzi’s for lunch with a friend to catch up on the latest gossip (none of which was passed on to me). We also had two BBQs in the garden, with rugby friends to coincide with the England matches. The BBQs were excellent. The football? Let’s move on…

Jamie remains busy with work, Harley, and late-night socialising. Sue and I, on the other hand, are usually tucked up in bed by 10 pm, well before he returns home. He’s up at 5:30 am and frequently receives postal deliveries, usually car parts, though last night we were treated to a makeshift fashion show of clothes he’d bought after a shopping trip to Leicester. Always full of surprises, that one.

I did help him set up a Stocks and Shares ISA with Virgin, his latest venture into the world of investment. At £20 a month, the economy is in no immediate danger.

Today is Father’s Day, and I’ve done rather well:

• From Sarah: a lovely selection box of beers (a daughter who knows her father).
• From Charlotte and Suraj: a shiny new Belkin ADSL2+ Modem Router (equally impressive, they must’ve noticed my internet-related mutterings).
• From Jamie: a few bottles of Old Peculier. A thoughtful gift… or a thinly veiled dig? I suspect the latter.

I much prefer Father’s Day to Mother’s Day; it’s far more profitable.

The sun is shining, and my plan for the day is simple: do absolutely nothing. Lucas is off to the cinema for the very first time to see Toy Story. Spookily, the first film we ever took Jamie to was also Toy Story; we even made a day of it and went to London. Life really does go full circle sometimes.

Oh, and I had an email from David in Bulgaria this morning, he’s sanding floors, cleaning the pool, riding quad bikes, and trying to stay cool in 30+ degrees. Sounds terribly stressful. I think I ought to visit soon, if only to help him “cope”.