Thursday 6th May 2010

Voting day, or at least it is here in Britain. I found myself standing there looking at the list of candidates and wondering even with over half a dozen choices, there was not one worth voting for. We have not followed the election closely; we have listened to the occasional news broadcast, but avoided the debates, if debates is what they were. On the way to work the next day, i heard the arguments for and against each leader. I know that i would vote for policies rather than the ability to perform with glib answers and sound bites on tv three times.
And this is what democracy has become in our country; a choice of no real choices; parties so similar that they could all change rosettes and we wouldn't know the difference.
On the way back from voting, we called in one of the village's four pubs for a drink and to people watch. Always fun. and then back home to get ready for bed and be ready for another day at the coalface.
At least out the back windows, the setting sun lit up the blooming rapeseed field so it looked like a sea of lemon. Half the country looks the same bright yellow, not a bad sight, as long as you don't suffer from hay fever of course.

Work carries on the same way, one step forward and two back. I feel I'm drowning most of the time, with the occasional period where I just think i have a handle on things.

After work yesterday, we had to go to Canterbury to drop our car into the garage as an injector went. Again. And so after fighting our ways through traffic from opposite directions, we meet at the dealer and hand the keys before driving near one of the city gates and going into a cafe for dinner. Cafe Belge is great, nice food and great Trappist beers.
I had seafood chowder, which was fine until I fished out a baby octopus with my spoon. Maybe it was an elaborately cut spring onion i thought and ate it. Didn't taste like an onion. A second and third revealed tiny suckers on tiny tentacles. I lost my appetite.
We drove back home in bright spring sunshine along a near empty road to be welcomed by two happy cats.

bless.