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Sunday, June 19, 2011

It's the biggest day of the year...


Amazingly, she did that without any priming whatsoever. Well, not from me. Lisa might have run through the script with her a few times, but I'm sure it was mostly spontaneous.

Obviously, as both a Daddy and a Son, Father's Day puts me in a difficult position. Do I ignore my own father all day in order to spend some quality time eating chocolate with my daughter, or... oh, what the heck, the answer's yes. I haven't even texted my Dad today. But I have eaten a whole box of Thornton's finest with Am. She also gave me Adele's first album on CD. I'd have preferred her second, but Am can only count to twenty, so she couldn't ask for it in the shop.

Anyhoo, not only was today Father's Day, but it was also the 2011 London to Brighton Bike Ride, which means our good friend Marie was in town...


She didn't cycle, obviously. She got the train down, and then bought us ice creams.

To be fair, Marie was entered into the race at one point, but tragically she was struck down by a crippling knee injury just moments after looking at the route on Google and realising it featured a lot of hills, so she was forced to pull out at the last minute, and instead take up cheerleading duties for her ten hardier colleagues.

She texted me at lunchtime with the offer of an ice cream, and five minutes later we were out the door and heading for the pier. Here we are enjoying the mid-summer sunshine on the sweltering south coast...


It's not everyone who can carry off the front-of-the-head ponytail, but I think Marie's one who can. Not only does it look good, but it's practical too. It kept the ice-cold sea-spray out of her eyes every time the bitterly cold wind reached gale force. As Amelie said, as she looked out to sea at what could have been icebergs, "I don't want to go for a swim".

In the end we opted to stay on dry (well, rain-sodden) land, eat our cornets, and dodge the world's biggest seagulls, which were threatening to carry off Amelie, ice cream and all, in one fell swoop. We then decided to make the day truly memorable by going on a boat ride...


Or we would have done if it hadn't cost a pound a go. I told Amelie I couldn't afford it, so she made me pay by throwing a massive tantrum. Frankly losing a quid would have been less painful. I need to remember that in future.

Having talked turkey with a man dressed as a cock, and been given a 'Chicken Cheque' for some free food at Nando's, the three of us then parted company - Marie heading off to meet her colleagues, me going home, and Amelie trying to run back to Igglepiggle with the money I'd given her for the charity bucket. She and I eventually got the bus, on the grounds that walking is for wimps and there's only so far I can hop, which led to one of those delightful moments you treasure as a parent. It was the moment Amelie stood up on her seat, pointed at the people three rows in front, and announced to the whole bus in a very loud voice:

"Someone's dressed as a puppy!"

It was a woman in a Dalmatian-style fur coat. Father's Day or no Father's Day, I had to promptly disown my own daughter.

5 comments:

Phil's Dad said...

I don't wish to make you feel any more guilty than you obviously are, but while you were busy not sending text messages or phone calls to St. Leonards, we had a wireless router connected to our computer ESPECIALLY FOR YOU.     ....and your niece.     .....and your big bro'.    .....and big sis.    ....and anyone else that I might sell the log-on details to!

Phil's Mum said...

We had sunshine here.  I knew you should have been visiting your father!  But he says thank you very much for the card.

Lisa said...

Well I hope you had a good Father Day, Phil's Dad. I also hope I can get the log-on details.

Phil said...

Who do you think you are, Darth Vader?

Phil said...

In that case, HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!

Can you have Amelie next weekend?