Polly's Peice

Good Morning! Well, it was a good morning for me anyway! Looking at the clock on the computer I realise that half of the day is already gone. So, what am I going to do?

I managed to dig myself out of the bed at the uncharacteristically early time of 8.30am; and all because the laddie loves Milk Tray... Actually he does;but that last remark was totally beside the point. I was up early; because I had to collect suitable clothing for LB and collect him from his Grannie's house in order to deliver him to the railway station in town before 9.30am. Why? A trip to the zoo; with the Cub Scouts.

The trip itself is the bit that LB was really looking forward to; they were travelling by train, which is something of a novelty for a boy who lives in the country and has travelled by every other convenience available. Going to Dublin Zoo is for babies, and LB certainly is not one of those!

With a little persuasion he reluctantly changed his top for something more suitable, ie a nice warm fleece with a hood and a long sleeved T-shirt underneath. The necker-chief was removed almost as quickly as it was applied, despite being told that he would have to wear it when with the other cubs. I suppose he's a bit self conscious without the group for support; still, once on it will keep his neck warm and help the leader's to identify him as one of theirs at a glance.

LC, his little friend wasn't at the railway station when we arrived. I thought that this was going to be something of a disaster for LB; but he soon gelled with other members of the group, which I was pleased to see. In fact; he was gone in a flash and that was the last I saw of him for half an hour.

As usual, despite the fact that I wasn't going on the trip; I was appointed treasurer. This is a role I don't relish, considering my difficulty with arithmetic; I have a form of dyslexia when it comes to the manipulation of numbers! It's called Dyscalulia. Nevertheless, I collected the sum of €400.00 from the children and was pleased to hand the yellow bag over, having calculated things in a flash. Isn't it silly how the little things like that can bring a smile to your face?

Over the years I have developed short-cuts and short-hand that no-one but me would possibly understand; or so I thought. It turns out that this is the modern thinking regarding the subject of arithmetic and that the children are being taught many of these as a part of their curriculum; which is great. If only things had been so easy when I was LB's age; at a time when calculator's were not allowed...

The irony of it all is that despite my numeracy difficulties is that I am fascinated by the science of mathematics. I enjoyed algebra and trigonometry to such a degree that I am able to remember how to help BB with his homework; nearly thirty years on, which comes in handy as everyone else reads it as double dutch!

Returning to the scene at the station; LC did finally appear and the two boys found one another. They really are like twins, to see them interacting between themselves and the other members of the group is a true pleasure; although one does have to make allowances for the fact that they are boys.

Anyway, it's back to the home place for a peaceful afternoon in the company of my eldest; BB. Today it's just the two of us as DG is also off for the day. The usual statement of

"...I won't be too long; just a couple of hours, maybe..."

rings hollow: it translates as:

'I've got no idea of how long I'll be!'

He's off to Newbridge to collect a piece of farm equipment; with a tractor - he'll then make the return trip and come back again in the car.

It all seems like such a waste of time; to me! Like four hours; up and down, and back again!!! Still, it's better than having to invest an obscene amount of money in a piece of equipment which will only be used for two days of the year. The eight hours invested in borrowing it wouldn't even begin to pay for it; so I suppose it's worth it. If I'm honest, though, I do resent it...

I called into Tesco's on the way home; to buy some tea-bags. I'd run out of them during the week and totally forgotten to replace them on any of the many occasions I'd been near the shops; as usual I came away with items which were not on the shopping list. Today it was the second packet of tea, butter and a plastic bag worth of reduced price yogurt drinks. The only luxury was the second lot of tea; Assam, which is a little stronger in flavour than the usual blended varieties and has a slightly smokey flavour. I like a good flavour, without the sensation of liquid tar experience that my Mum prefers...

So, what does one do when half of their family has disappeared? I know, make brunch for two; using the gluten-free sausages and streaky rashers purchased at Grennan's Butcher's Shop on Thursday. That way I can lure BB away from the computer so that I can use it! Sneaky, or what...?

"Not really;" is my answer "...it's my computer and I've got work to do!"

I was checking out my stats for the website and was delighted to discover that someone had visited from the wedding registry that I'm associated with. Unfortunately, I hadn't set up my page properly so they had little to see, but at least they did go to the website and hopefully found what they were looking for. Needless to say I have rectified that now, but I still have a lot of work left; it's an on-going process.

I am not as experienced as I would like to be,yet; but I am getting there, if a little slowly! I welcome comments and constructive criticism or advice on all areas. So, don't be afraid to press those buttons and have a look at my site or shop; I'm all ears...

I'd best get off now and look as though I'm actually doing some work. BB's taken to watching Time Bandits on the portable DVD player; but it won't last forever and then he'll be nagging me to let him back onto the computer!!

Wish Me Luck;

PollyPeirce