Hey, hey Monday...

From I Can Has Cheezburger of course!

Holidays At Home

Not home home as such but this year, instead of a solitary day on the Isle of Cumbrae where we go to remember my dad we spent an entire, delicious week.

Just like the holidays I had at my boys' age only colder, it being a Scottish Easter and much earlier this year than last.  So it ended up that as we were leaving the (very slightly) warmer weather was arriving.

Still, the boys managed the obligatory and much fun cycle round the island, I did my best before the CFS kicked in - I'm really feeling it now but glad I pushed through, sometimes consequences are worth it!  We spent the days roaming the town of Millport us and the dog, exploring everywhere, rockpools, beaches, ice cream at the Ritz Cafe.  Bliss.  And by evening, when tiredness washed over me at least, we played board games and did jigsaws because we're rock n' roll like that.

Millport, Isle of Cumbrae, the rocks are made for clambering

Three islands in one, taken from Cumbrae, looking over to the isle of Bute with Arran in the background.

On a clear day Arran makes a spectacular view.

The castle on Wee Cumbrae island, privately owned and for sale the island is which is not really a good thing.

The view from the bay where my dad rests, I always think he'd enjoying it greatly.

My Sons Think They're Mountain Goats

On a day out to Callander we decided to venture up to the Bracklinn Falls. 

Impressive stuff tucked away in the hills behind the town.  Huge boulders shaped by centuries of pounding, wild fresh water.  Of course rocks are meant to be clambered upon. 

Spot my two in this photo adding more grey hairs to mum's head. I can't really condemn them as I'd have done the same at their age.  I know lots of parents wouldn't let their precious ones anywhere near the water but you've got to stand back & let them do their own risk assessment at 11.  Otherwise how do they learn?

Happy Easter

Now about this Spring malarkey...

Hey There Mr Bird

Hey there Mr Buzzard what're you looking at?

Oh, hey, no, that's Happy Dog - hands off!

Champion of the World

Not quite, maybe someday though. Champion in this house (the very meaning of his name, coincidence?  I think not!) and champion of the school chess club.

He doesn't get enough opportunities for an esteem boost.  Bullying at school by the "well off" brats (ironically usually the worst behaved thanks to a grand sense of entitlement) left a dent in his self-confidence.

So here he is, rightly proud & so am I!

Sunny Days

But please don't let this be our "summer"!

This February

Has been actually jolly nice weather wise so come with me on a walk to nearby Bo'Ness which is a nicer town than some of the people in it make it to be.  Take of that what you will. (While enjoying a walk along the water front I overheard ned-speak which, if repeated here, would certainly raise a few eyebrows.  Let's put it this way, you wouldn't want to pick up any socks in this boys house, especially when he doesn't want to inconvenience his girlfriend the night before ifyougetwhatImean.)

Anyway...apologies for quality, these were taken from my mobile phone.  I plan on getting a new camera.  At some point...

A little bit of snow left on the hills behind Culross across the Forth.

Oh dear Mr Fox, not very fortunate, why did I take a pic of this?  Why did I share it?

The Forth is underused, we could make much more of our waterways - especially if we're basing our independence on being more Scandinavian.

Further on past the harbour wall (and it is just a wall) the Forth bridges can be made out in the distance.

And there were lots of these little birds paddling about in the shallows.  

Look very closely for this one! Finally this little chap decided to sunbathe in the mud, he jostled about for position for a while before swimming off, only to return when he realised the humans (and various dogs) were looking just at him.

A Balmy 7º In Scotland

Shirt sleeves weather for us & long may it continue says Happy Dog!

Sun worshipping Dafty Cat also approves.

An Expensive Hobby This

Actually are there any cheap hobbies?  On the back of my addiction to cross stitch I now have my art to deal with.   Much as I could spend hundreds of £ each week...erm I mean month...on watercolour tubes, quality paper, pastels and the like I just simply can't.

And the addiction has spread to the younger generation who have learned, as I have, you buy cheap then you buy (at least) twice!  I may have to start selling the finished article!  Someone might like them.

There is nothing quite as satisfying as seeing a fresh sheet of paper - unless it's completing a cross stitch project!

Don't Mind If I Do

Chocolate & Banana Loaf from the Primrose Bakety book - yes please thankyouverymuch.

How Mumma gets her groove back. Piece by piece.

Food On The Mind

Watching any form of the Masterchef programmes when your repertoire has evaporated into nothingness (yet another joyful side-effect of CFS) is not a good idea sometimes.  Usually I can't be bothered with food, I just don't have an appetite any more and perversely this is not reflected in my waistline.

Today, however, I'm as ravenous as a werewolf.  Seeing the delicious things being made, I possibly could try but I'd rather someone made it for me.

One more thing I miss.  Bad timing means that while the boys are going through constant growth spurts and eat like gannets I'm not doing as much as I want to.  If I could I'd make a huge banana loaf, yum.  Ah see how annoying it is!

This is one I prepared earlier, a few years earlier, but they always look the same, and never last long.  Grubs up.

In readiness for getting back to normal I have a Pinterest board full of ideas I'd like to try.  Won't someone send me a taster before I lose the hunger!

So, it's still January then...

This month seems never ending but at last, Friday introduces February.  As it goes this hasn't been a particularly depressing endless grey month.  Instead we had quite a few sunny if cold days, no snow - much to the chagrin of Eldest - so instead we had to import snow from the nearby town of Falkirk.

We went in to the cinema to see Les Miserable (sob sob poor Gavroche!) and came out to see our little car with a cosy, snow blanket.  Much joy was had with an impromptu snow fight which caused a lot of bewilderment amongst passing drivers in the car park as old ladies such as I am are not meant to be firing well aimed snowballs at their sons.  Yah boo sucks to that!

I realise this mundane post focusses too much on the British obsession of weather and I do not wear a British mantle easily so we'll just say Scottish are as obsessed too.  And with better reason as, unlike this year, we usually get a boot in the rear from it during winter.  I miss the snow.  Plus the boys major disappointment at *no* *snow* *days*!

As well as cinema day, last Friday was Burns night when the kind of people Robert Burns himself parodied heavily in his work hold feasts of haggis to celebrate the great man, no sense of irony at all.  This is one of my favourites and perfectly encapsulates everything I think of politicians although it was originally (I believe) aimed at those Scottish Lords who handed Scotland to an arranged marriage with England.

Such A Parcel Of Rogues In A Nation

Fareweel to a' our Scottish fame, 
Fareweel our ancient glory; 
Fareweel ev'n to the Scottish name, 
Sae fam'd in martial story. 
Now Sark rins over Solway sands, 
An' Tweed rins to the ocean, 
To mark where England's province stands- 
Such a parcel of rogues in a nation! 

What force or guile could not subdue, 
Thro' many warlike ages, 
Is wrought now by a coward few, 
For hireling traitor's wages. 
The English stell we could disdain, 
Secure in valour's station; 
But English gold has been our bane- 
Such a parcel of rogues in a nation! 

O would, or I had seen the day 
That Treason thus could sell us, 
My auld grey head had lien in clay, 
Wi' Bruce and loyal Wallace! 
But pith and power, till my last hour, 
I'll mak this declaration; 
We're bought and sold for English gold- 
Such a parcel of rogues in a nation!

Red Sky In Morning

Shepherd's warning.

No sooner had I imparted these words of wisdom but eldest piped up:

Does that mean SNOW?

Ah, bless he's been waiting since November for the promised white stuff.  Most of the UK is coated in it.  Alas we have mere frost and, as every child knows schools don't close for ice.

Still the view from our back door was awfully pretty. Dusting of icing sugar frost tinted bubblegum pink.

OMG It's Fulla Stars

A jolly good purchase with 3 (very) amateur astronomers in the house,  yes I include myself in thst although my interest lies primarily in gazing awe inspired by the brilliance of what lies above.

I am terrible at remembering the name of anything beyond Orion but after reading up on the boys' books I was desperate to be able to spot more.

So here is the handy answer.  Plus it swivels to show what can be seen at different times and seasons.

Tonight the sky is sharp with frost that bites and the sky is clear of cloud and full of stars. 

And We're Off...

...2013 has begun, we're already running to catch up!

Crikey!

Enough with the exclamation marks before I use up my quota for the year.  Two days in, it hasn't been an auspicious start but then again this is January, not the best of months for happy thoughts.

Wish it would bloody snow though.  Poor Eldest has been holding out for snow over the past few weeks and apart from a brief dalliance there has been nothing but rain.  2012 was the wettest year ever - 2013, who knows!

This can be a boring post to start with as I'm sure something will get me going before too long.

Eleven Plus

This was the state of things eleven years ago.

A total of 10.4 lbs of baby, four weeks early (thank you pre-eclampsia for sticking me in hospital during the busiest of times!)  Actually, if we're going to be particularly specific this photo was taken the day after so I should be writing this tomorrow but as the boys' birthday is today...oh shush you idiot!

At this point they were fresh out of SCBU hence the odd skin tone and funny lip colour.  They were the biggest babies in there and that is saying something.  I wasn't happy until I had them in the goldfish bowl cot beside me and here they were.

Hindsight is a great thing.  Had I known then I'd probably have decided to become a single parent rather than continue with a marriage to someone who was still at that point pulling the wool over my bleary eyes.  These two tiny babies showed up and my life felt worth something.

Now they are all limbs and big feet, awkward in their growing bodies and expanding minds.  There is so much to learn I can only hope I have done a good enough job.

Good Yule!

Hamster style.

Holy Crap!

Like a re-enactment from Lord of The Rings this eagle mistook a Montreal baby for a Hobbit - which all things considering is not a difficult mistake to make.

Lucky for baby he was either too heavy or the eagle didn't much fancy unwrapping his next meal.

I think I have truly seen everything now!

This Is 41

...and it doesn't feel that bad at all.

(Note:  Next year I get the Answer to the Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe and Everything.  Yippee!)

Linlithgow Today

Has a carpet of frost and a loch made of icing sugar.

Hugs Make It Better

Snuggled up on couch, cuddles from the pooch who decides to also hug my feet.  See, the cats *never* do this!

This Is The Sucky Thing About T'internet

Many moons ago (in real terms about 10/11 years) I came up with what I thought was a witty take on an internet nickname.  It incorporated both my nationality in the form of ripping off and changing the name of a famous film that had come out a few years earlier.  I had made a joke at the time that if the protagonist had been female they could have called the film this.

No, I'm not saying it out loud because if anyone does read this and then Google it - well I don't want to involve myself in an online spat...look let me explain further.

So I signed up for Twitter several years ago (2009) and did nothing with it but I had used this nickname and not the moniker I had adopted in the intervening years.  TwoIfBySea; taken from my time living north of Boston and the fact that I now had twins.  Quite clever I thought in a smug yet woolly brained way (like I said, I'd had twins, recently, well you try and think straight!)

You may, or probably may not, have noticed the change in my Twitter name recently.

Turns out someone else thought of this witty take too and they look much more professional and polished that scruffy old me.  I feel strangely and ridiculously sad that I have to kind of give up on the old nickname, the new "old nickname" person doesn't look the type to take kindly to who used it first.

Ach there is more to life to worry about but it does feel sucky.

And yes, today, 1212121212121212 ya ya.

Yeah, so this happened

http://m.cbsnews.com/storysynopsis.rbml?pageType=scitech&url=http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-205_162-57558567/asteroid-passes-inside-moons-orbit-buzzes-earth/&catid=57558567

While enjoying the Geminid meteor showers this big bugger nearly made the Mayans think they'd got their dates wrong.

And was it discovered only on Sunday?  Truthfully that is a wee bit close!

The Most Tenacious Thing In This World...

Is the little cold that simply won't go away.

This Town Was A Little Bit Famous This Week

Except they keep saying the Chanel Metiers d'Art show took place in Edinburgh.

http://www.vogue.co.uk/news/2012/12/05/chanel-scotland-show-at-linlithgow-palace---vogue-verdict

Hmmn, not quite.  After a couple of weeks of driving locals crazy with curiosity this Tuesday evening saw the show take place within Palace walls.  Indeed the Palace has been verboten for the past few weeks as preparations were made.

"There is going to be a huge glass dome built to fend off the weather."

"Brangelina and George Clooney and the Beckhams are coming!"

"They can't stop us taking dogs for a walk on the Peel!"

Just a few things to be heard around town many times.

The boys were convinced this "Chanel" person was missing out by not getting them to give a personal tour of the Palace.  They being Palace Guides and all, dressing up in 16th century garb and learning three pages of script has to pay off at some time.  As I picked them up from chess club, in the freezing air, clumps of well-wrapped, excited girls were heading towards the Palace desperate to catch a glimpse of someone famous *in their own town*.

In the end there seemed to be a lot of tents pop up in the Peel (park) area and no dome, instead a rather lovely walkway that seemed completely in keeping of the era and atmosphere of the place.  I don't know if any of the supposed A-list guests bothered to make their way to this part of the world.

Yes, our town isn't as glamorous as Paris or London but we have a certain something that cannot be denied!

Ok, so new phone and new capabilities...hopefully! If (and it's a big if) I''ve done this right then I should be able to blog on the go. At the moment I'm just trying to get my sausage fingers to type what I actually want!

Oh damn, it all came out wrong!  Righto, back to the stupid class!

This Hamster is Smarter Than Most People I Know

He disappears causing much anguish to eldest boy for about five minutes.  Then he remembers to sit Dragonborn's home on the floor with the door open.

Smart animals (four legged and two) always come home if you provide a home that is safe and comfortable and happy.  And filled with sawdust, peanuts and toilet roll tunnels.  Apart from the last part I think there is a message in there for all of us.

There is room in my pouch for just one more, ok maybe five.

WANT!!!!

Dear God but there is only so much cute a human can handle.  No wait...

Just got cuter!

Want To Rescue A Dog and Gain A Best Friend?

Filipe, just the sweetest heart

Am in love with this boy, spotted after a link on a forum.  Really shouldn't have looked as the inevitable happened.


Now, I love my dog.  He is a big dopey family member and our life would be missing something if he weren't here.  But as much as he loves us and it is reciprocated, I sometimes think he needs a canine buddy.

When we're out and about on our walks, especially when he is off lead, he wants to be friendly.  Some people act as though their dog must remain untouched by the big clumsy oaf, little dogs argue with him, occasionally he finds a soulmate and they run around happily.  I have been considering for some time that maybe the answer would be another dog.

I realise I'm going to end up as one of those people with a house full of animals.  Our current roster is; one dog, three cats and a hamster.  Youngest wants to add a gecko to that and that is fine, he has researched and knows what is up.  

To be honest I'd rather be around animals than humans most times sometimes.

Unfortunately for us this little guy is at a rescue in Southern Spain and although they rehome in the UK it is mainly in Southern England.  It has introduced us to a new breed though - Podenco.

I realise no one really looks at this blog.  But if there is anyone out there and they want a best friend in time for Christmas...

http://www.dogwatchuk.com/felipe-a-rescue-dog-who-is-loving-and-affectionate/

The List

Hallowe'en  - done
Bonfire Night - done
First illness of winter (tummy bug) - done x2

Next up - the big one - Christmas!  And for the first time in ages I'm actually looking forward to it.  I've bought the boys' big presents already, most of their little presents (which makes it sound like a lot is coming their way but little presents mean books and other inexpensive things.)

I've also agreed to sell some things at a craft sale at the Scout hall.  Now I just have to make the damn things I'm going to sell - Christmas ornaments I think.

Trivia keeps me too busy sometimes.

I add this for no other reason than I want to remind myself what we need to do more of.

We're the Witches of Hallowe'en, The Scariest You've Ever Seen

That's what we used to sing as we went round the neighbour's doors in the dark, distant past (according to Hobbits, *very* distant!)

So the glut of sweeties is done, the jars are filled and I won't need to buy another sugary snack until Christmas.  All well and good.

There are a lot of sour pusses around here though, lots of people who ignore the advice to turn your hall light off if you don't want disturbed. ("Hey, it's my house, I do what I want" - then don't grump when you get a score of kids knocking!)  Never the less I am always impressed at the begging standard of my two.

And the pumpkin.  I remember (adopts old voice) my mother carving a turnip.  Have you ever tried to carve a turnip?  Yes, well, not advised unless you like impossibly frustrating tasks.

This year I wanted to do something different.  I wanted to do a cat, shadow in front of the carved out moon.  Instead I did this.

Which is meant to be one of these.

Yes I know it looks like mine has wonky eyebrows, I meant it - honest!  I'm sure in the game, when you lose, the piggies wiggle their eyebrows and laugh.  They do don't they?

Anyway, now that is over, roll on bonfire night.

Just A Quick Thought

The people who go down to the shore to see the tidal surges coming in - surely this could be seen as God's way of eliminating the stupid?

Hurricane Sandy, this will not be the last time I mention you.

Hurrah for you!

Long Ago and Far Away

It felt as though we were there for months and now it feels like we weren't there at all.  *sigh*

I do love crisp autumn days, I quite like the cold as long as it isn't damp, manky cold that seeps into the bones.  Crunching through the leaves with dog at my side.  

Oh for the means to go on holidays several times a year.  Really they should have them on the NHS, save an absolute fortune on anti-depressants.  A week in the sun.  Bliss.

Forget that you have to come back to the grinding reality.

I Know It Has Been A While

But just look at where we've been.  

There was real, live sun and warmth and everything - vitamin D get in my bones.  We climbed into volcanoes like some weird tribute to Torville and Dean.

Hmmn, ok just take my word for it - it was a proper volcano, Google "Montana Roja" if you are a doubting Thomas, ner ner see!

The Hobbits (as was) grew fins.

We found (semi) precious stones - not emerald but very sweet Olivina - like little mining gnomes and we didn't have to go into a mine, they're on the beach!

We lived in a yellow submarine (if only for an hour) 100'/31m underneath the Atlantic.

All in all for one entire week the world was all right again.

And then to home.

*sigh*

Truthfully the government could do everyone a favour and give them one whole week away somewhere sunny and hot (it was 80 degrees and after a while our weedy Scottish bodies got used to the oven feeling).  It really did pick up and get rid of the grind of life in a grey climate.  I mean, I managed to climb a flippin' volcano - all 400+m of it.  I have CFS, I shouldn't be able to do that.  Ok so I spent the rest of the day (and every afternoon) slumped by the pool but I was up in the morning and not zombie at all.  We were able to do such fun things and although I'm still recovering it was worth it.  Please but if I can scrabble enough money together to go away again next year.

It's Getting Like Old MacDonald Around Here

Only with pets rather than farmyard friends.  Right enough I did like the idea of chickens but with cats and our friendly neighbourhood Mr Fox that is not such a good idea.

The cats pretty much rule themselves, that's just how cats roll really.  I sometimes feel I am tolerated in my own house simply for the talent of being able to open a tin.  I would never go this far though.

As much as Anakin cat loves his boxes (see evidence below), I'd go to the effort only to be thwarted by cat apathy at the end.

What?  I'm busy, call back later.

Of course I've mentioned happy dog many times and he is just...happy.  

The Hobbits had asked for their own pets, something small they could look after.  We are in the age of small furries.  Hamster Dragonborn (aka The Escape Artist) is another blondie with a lovely temperament.  

I had tried to push the idea of guinea pigs.  My own Gwynnie pig was a sweetheart.  I would come home from school, she'd be waiting at the gate to her cage.  I'd tuck her into my cardi and she would burrow in, talking to me the entire time.  My mother hated her but she was truly the best.  

Youngest is set on getting a gecko.  Well, it'll be different that is for sure.

So, if all goes to plan, at the end of the year, the humans will be outnumbered by three cats, one dog, a hamster and a gecko.  Sometimes I worry that it sounds like we're going down the hoarder route but then I think, stuff it, they're part of the family!

I Love Dogs

There was a viral clip a few years ago, a kid being asked a question who replied with the completely unrelated quote "I like turtles."  ** Rummages in internet handbag, oh here it is **

Anyway, as I've been communicatively silent for a month - wish I could say it has been because I have found my inner zen and have been peacefully tranquil, nope, not a chance - I decided to kick myself up the pants with the utterly trivial fact stated in the post title.

There, I'm like the kid, someone asks me something and I'm thinking "oh, yeah, um, so, ooh look out the window, pretty doggy!"  I'm not being glib, I should probably be embarrassed that it is true of someone racing headlong towards year 41 on this Earth.

One of our neighbours has two Newfies and a St Bernard (or the bears as we like to call them) lovely dogs but oh my god the drool. It's like slimy shoelaces sticking out their mouths. Bleurgh! 

Lovely Newfie

Our boy, big dopey Labrador Retriever, enjoys playing with said dogs who are that big they don't bounce around much, rather they watch him and the other dogs run around and that is as much exercise as they want.  Every time he goes up to them I think "please don't get any of that gunk on you because I know who is cleaning it off."

(Note: neighbours live in the same size house as I do which isn't huge, I believe the dogs have their own bedroom, and I bet it's the biggest one!)

The Hobbits are enjoying a camping sleepover with the Scouts.  I am enjoying doing what I usually do, which isn't much, while thinking of all the things I should be doing, which is a lot.  I am accepting of what the doctor has now decided is Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (I'm apparently moderate which is better than severe but not as good as mild), that doesn't mean I like it but it does mean I'm not fighting against it now.  That was completely counter-productive.  There will be a way around it, I just have to find it.  I need to move on and get started with working from home, with my writing,  and get to a place where I can work and also manage this.

Don't Know What To Make Of This

So, watched this, nearly turned it off after the first few minutes but kept on and saw the whole movie.

Melancholia.

I have no idea what to say about it.

Truthfully.

For a film I hated turns out I think of it often, certain scenes.  Confused.  I may have to watch it again just to try and unravel it.

We Can Be Heroes

I should really let my once omnipresent optimistic side out more often.  She has been much diluted but is still there so this is what I once would have sounded like.

We have watched as gold medals roll in and confused at the apologies from those for winning mere silver medals (you won a freaking silver, silver in a highly competitive field of finely tuned athletes is nothing to be ashamed of.)  

The only grumble was when the widely excellent BBC coverage cut away from the track athletics where Team GB were winning an embarrassing amount, to show a penalty shoot-out between Team GB and whoever.  Naturally Team GB lost but the change in mindset was interesting.

Perhaps the lack of sporting interest has much to do with the prevalence of football over everything.  Seeing the prima donna footballers, earning stupid amounts for not doing much (considering there are 11 of them, sometimes not even playing during the 90 minute game, and one ball - which is lucky to see the back of the net more than once or twice) their very messy private lives all over the gossip pages. 

Then there are the other group idolised by the general public - the reality shows.  The hard work, perseverance and determined dedication shown by the Olympians makes a refreshing change from the faux tension of someone not singing in tune but their granny just died so that's ok.

Wait, I'm not putting it right...here, let Bradley do it.

There is much talk about how if Yorkshire were competing as a separate country they'd be 8th on the medal table.  No mention of how far up Scotland would be but, as we only have 5 million of a population I think we'd be proud!

(Note:  Scotland will never become independent of Britain.  Britain is the island, no escape from there unless we start digging a jolly big trench, we will (hopefully) become independent of the United Kingdom government.  This is not due to hating England but a wish to see what would happen on our own again.  It was a parcel of rogues who bankrupted Scotland, leading to the need for a union.  Anyway, that's a whole other subject.)

Ok so this is really something wonderful...

I admit, the thought of the London Olympics had me cold - we're 423.8 miles/682 km (yes, I Googled that!) and a whole other country away.  It would have little impact and mean absolutely nothing to anyone north of the M25 let alone we dubious, problematic Scots.  This was costing a fortune, was yet another London-centric thing we'd heard about forever more.


And then the Opening Ceremony happened.  No one had any thoughts other than remembering the utter, toe-curling, bum-clenching awfulness that occurred at the end of the Beijing games, when a big red bus full of UK shame horrified more than this nation.


Whoever it was that decided to give Danny Boyle the reigns must be now sipping champagne on a sun-drenched island of gratitude because they made an entire nation sit up and take note.


Apart from the ending (how to clear a stadium, Macca) it is an event that is hard to describe properly - you had to be there and yes, tv counts.  The hill in a sports stadium; the Industrial age towers; the dancing Isambard Kingdom Brunels; the music (actually ear-pleasing!); the cyclists with wings; Mary Poppins killing Voldemort; the beautifully amazing flower-fire-cauldron with copper petals; the everything!


Written down it sounds like someone was tapping the alcoholic beverages when coming up with ideas, or putting down stuff as a bet (oh they'll never go for this..shall we...oh go on...teehee.)  Boyle managed, in the however many hours it took, to make people who scoffed in horror at the ticketing disasters, the transport disasters, the umpteen other disasters leading up to these games actually change their minds.


The Hobbits fell asleep at 11 pm but up until then had been transfixed, even if a little confused at the slightly eccentric goings on.  We've gone from not wanting to watch a minute to oohing and aahing at the tense archery finals, cheering at the cycling, trying to figure out who is who in the swimming.  And all this from complete apathy.


Amazing what a fantastic event can do to lift the spirits.

I imagine the organisers of the Rio games watched in open-mouthed horror.  "Ah hell, let's just do the carnival again."