so very tired...

Looking after a baby is a pleasure and a joy all the way up until they do something unexpected at which point the stress levels go through the roof. Alfie the young know-it-all decided that sleep wasn't an option tonight at bed time. Instead, crying and generally being unplacatable was the order of the day. The worst thing is that, as a parent, you go through this mental checklist... Is he dry/clean... check. Is he tired? Hell yes. Is he warm and snuggly? Check Is he hungry? Nope. The checklist is short but pretty all encompassing. If none of the above works, as tonight, then you must simply sit there, watching the monitor wail, waiting for silence... And then you spend the next few hours on a knife-edge waiting for the miracle sleep to break and for damned reality to set in. Of course, relaxing on evenings like this is damn near impossible and so I have two online games to thank this evening. Chess and Poker. Here, for example, is the knot I have tied myself in against my good friend Simon. I am playing black. He is a very good chess player and will, no doubt, kick my ass. There are so many pieces blocking or counter threatening that I have lost track and now I have made my flippant knight move the end is surely nigh. hmmm.





In my other stress relief game, poker, I am not doing too bad. I am sitting on 36000 chips which is fair. Sitting 3rd out of my mates, just got to catch Q bar and Dave.

I can't believe it is only Monday. Bad times indeed!