Aberdeen 1, Leeds Bradford Airport 0

In my capacity as a high-flying City slicker, I am sometimes called upon to travel the globe and dispense justice in my own inimitable fashion. It was in this capacity I spent three days last week holed up in various travel lodges in Newcastle, Aberdeen, topped off by a meaty 12 hours or so kicking my heels round Leeds-Bradford Airport. Never go to Leeds-Bradford Airport. That's all I'll say on that one. Aberdeen is quite nice though. I can see why Donald Trump is sinking a billion into a golf complex up there. As some of you may know, I am not a big fan of flying though, so four flights in three days (in planes with propellers in three cases) was not the most fun I have had. Still, by the fourth flight I was starting to get used to it again.

So what else is new this week? Had my bad day at work, which was followed by the discovery that I had contracted a pox virus whilst I was away in Warsaw (no spots but tingly fingers and a throat ulcer..mmmm...). Was advised to rest but justice doesn't wait for pox viruses you know. Anyway, pretty much back to normal now. Well, you know what I mean.

Still, one ray of light in my otherwise crappy week: the taxman has condescended not to enforce the penalty he imposed on me for not filing a tax return. The fact that this arose from a letter sent to me by the taxman which told me I didn't need to file a tax return is of course irrelevant..

Anyway, time for my bath. My enthusiasm for diatribes on DVD boxsets and snow in April has now left me, and frankly if oyu logged on for that you need to get out more. Might be a Monday post next week due to my hectic social diary, but I am sure you can stand the suspense.

Going to have a bad day at work tomorrow

For the first time in a while I am not looking forward to going to work tomorrow. Something has gone wrong and needs fixing. Not the best way to start your week. I know Monday is only one day, but at the moment it feels like a mountain that needs climbing whilst wearing a giant furry banana outfit. Grrr.

Annoying really because this put a crimp on my trip to Warsaw for a couple of days last week (photo attached). Warsaw is a strange place. It is one half soviet architecture and one half traditional Polish refurb/rebuild. There is also a liberal sprinkling of rather sad memorials and statues of various historical figures. I didn't know for example Copernicus and Chopin were so closely connected with Poland.

Was also T2's second birthday this weekend, which was fun. She's not quite old enough to get the idea yet, but she and T1 very much get the "sand and water table". The back garden now looks like a demilitarised zone in Iraq. Also, as is the drill with two kids, if it is one's birthday, the other should get a little something at the same time. T1 has therefore acquired a sonic screwdriver. Ahem. It's good though..:)

State primary education

So, having started the week hoping it went slightly better than the one before, what a delight to discover that your local education bureaucrats have decided that our child lives 0.0something km too far from the local decent primary school to get a place there. Instead, they have decided that T1 should go to the WORST school in the entire world which is about as far away but which makes Play School look like MIT.

The situation then descends into a bizarre cross between the last 15 minutes of "Aliens" and "633 Squadron" (myself as Wing Cmdr. Roy Grant, MeWife as Ellen Ripley). One late night battle plan, a number of telephone calls and a complete rewrite of the household budget later, and T1 is now going to a private school. Never planned it this way, but it's true what they say in that Sunscreen Song: don't worry, because the real troubles in your life are those that blindside you some idle Tuesday. We have been lucky though. I suspect there are other people out there who have not been so lucky. What a dumb system.

Deferred until next week: the new series of Doctor Who, heavy snow in April and the annoying size of DVD boxsets. Never let it be said that this blog doesn't address the important issues of the day..