What an adventure this could be travelling down to London for Lincoln’s birthday that we booked a few weeks ago when he said that he didn’t want   a party. Mommy was due to speak at a conference and had declined but being the best Mommy in the world and resourceful suggested going to the West End to see a show which he jumped at when the Lion King was mentioned and that meant she could do the talk (which would make her look great in front the bigwigs) and take her family to London for the day.

So, we’re sat on the 18:33 to Euston with 22 minutes to go before it leaves and little miss “can’t survive without my phone” panics because she has left her life support system in the car…? I was nominated to run back to the car to retrieve it and everyone crossed their fingers I made it back in time, which I did obvs?

The trip was extended because the train drivers had decided to strike on the 17th so Mommy booked the hotel she normally uses for work for two nights to avoid needing trains on the Saturday. The strike was then called off and tens of trains added, when Her Majesty the Queen sadly past away, and the demand to travel to the capital to pay respects increased tenfold and the bad PR ASLEF would have suffered had they gone head with it.

We decided to stick with the plan to stay in London for two nights anyway and me Reagan and Lincoln intend to go and see Tower Bridge and the Tower of London while Mommy goes to work but as I sit here writing this I can’t help feeling glass half emptyish because I think everywhere is going to be packed and we won’t be able to get near anything which is just my pessimistic side but I am really trying not to stress about it but it’s difficult.

We are on a “slow” train because it was the only one available at the time we booked which is only annoying because we didn’t think to bring UNO which would have been brilliant but heyho we’ll buy one at Euston for the home journey Sunday.

This morning  we surprised Lincoln, because we couldn’t take his presents with us down to the big smoke, with his birthday morning so that he could open them before we left. His face was brilliant when he realised, because Mommy had been telling him for days that the trip was his present so he wasn’t going to get anything else, he lit up I’m not sure I’ve seen him more surprised and happy!

Sometimes it’s not as enjoyable as it should be to go out on a Wednesday night to play pool because the pool can get in the way of spending time with me mates but I have been doing it for nigh on 40 years and they are a great bunch so why stop now?

That said, tonight was one of those nights that you hope for, although at 2 nil down I wasn’t so sure so I went on as captain, to stop the rot and get us a frame. I broke off and really should have cleared the lot but inexplicably missed an easy pot to the corner bag…? That affected my next couple of shots but still got down to the black, which my opponent snookered me on. It was over the pocket so with thinking I decided to execute a three cushion escape not only hitting the black but potting it to win the frame.

If you miss they’ll all say you should have done something different but if you pull it off everyone cheers, claps and slaps you on the back and talk about the shot for the rest of the night which is exactly what happened. Once the congratulations subsided the football card was drawn and low and behold I won £10 on that too!

That made the scoreline 1 – 2 and we never looked back after that winning all the remaining frames to take the match 6 – 2 a really great team effort and great banter during and after the match!

Laid here in bed already before 8pm listening to Bill Burr podcast basically calming down to hopefully get some sleep before 01:15am when the Broncos kick off in Seattle for their 2022 season opener. As always filled with hope that Denver have put together at least a playoff capable roster with a HOF quarterback Russell Wilson under centre and a completely new coaching staff behind HC Nathaniel Hackett

Well we will start to get some answers starting tonight at 01:15?

Lincoln asked “Is it hard to make a door?” when he saw what I was doing, my immediate thought was to say ‘yes’ because at the time he walked into my shed, I had completed cutting the lap joints on all parts of the frame and laid it out, clamped it up and was trying to work out how to bring it square as it was 9mm out across corners.

My answer to his question was “It is, but I love it Linc, it is great to work out how it all fits together and how I am going to fix the joints so that they are square!” he sort of glazed over and didn’t hang around happy that the question had been asked and he had my answer.

Anyway I spent this afternoon laying out the 1839×782 door made from 69x32mm timber using lap joint which I intend to screw and glue but I struggled just to work out how to hold all the joints in place while the glue dries while maintaining square. I am not sure I have quite worked that out yet but one of my favourite things to do is to sit, with a brew in my shed listening to TMS pondering these quandries.