Birthday bits

Since it's my father's birthday today, I popped back to the house to drop over his present, staying for lunch and dinner. While I was there, I also grabbed a few more bits and bobs to bring back to the flat, crashed out on the sofabed for a couple of hours (I slept well last night, but I guess last week was pretty draining).

They'd had some excitement earlier in the week, when one of the houses at one end of the road seemed to be on fire. Police, as well as the Fire Brigade, were on the scene. Maternal Grandmother has been very weird - 'popping out' to get fruit or milk (whatever she believes she's lacking the moment you ask) when her shelves and fridge are fully stocked, and the friend who's meant to be keeping her out of trouble has broken her wrist. This can't end well...

My father seemed to like his new belt buckle, though initially thought the centrepiece could be removed simply to replace it with other mountings. He looked very pleased when I demonstrated the cigarette lighter, and he ended up putting it on after lunch, replacing the elaborate dragon buckle he had been wearing. I know it's not a useful gift, as such, and that it could be seen to be 'encouraging' him to smoke, but I long ago gave up on the idea of getting him to quit because, frankly, it hasn't affected his health that badly, and he becomes quite intolerable if he goes without smoking for any length of time.

While I was rummaging around upstairs, I heard the TV go on... and my folks were watching the BBC's ill-advised rehash of Robin Hood. Morbid curiosity got the better of me, and I popped down to have a look. It really hasn't improved since I last saw it... the actor playing Prince John is obviously taking his pantomime villain cues from Tim Curry (not necessarily a bad thing, but Tim Curry always does it well), and the fight between Gisbourne and the Sheriff seemed to be trying to say something important, but it didn't quite work.

Primeval, meanwhile, is just becoming screwy. They seem to have killed off the lead of the first couple of series, and replaced him with several more action-oriented heroes... who, this week, were being pursued by giant carnivorous turkeys. Um. Yeah. Oh, and there's an 'artifact', which may be a map of the anomalies. Or something. Most of the cast is so annoying, I long for them to be killed off... and next week they face a 'dragon' and a knight who's out to slay it... Good grief.

I'm still feeling pretty grim, all told, but I've had a headache all day, which may explain some of it. If only I could stop coughing for any length of time...

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