Boysitting

The blog has been seriously neglected of late. I didn't take my computer to Bulgaruia, which meant I had that backlog, and then there was dublin. I have a huge deadline at work, so I've basically been working every hour that I'm not asleep. It's been a long while since I've done that, and at first it feels good. A real comraderia and team work, but by Saturday(Today) I'm quite glad when the Bulgarian Newly wed asks me to baby sit. It avoids me going out for a drink with some other mates, as I know that this tired, stressed and over worked, it will be a very suick trip to drunken oblivion, and a less than fresh head for work on sunday.

I take a quick trip to the public library roudn the corner from my work and pick up a few DVD's for entertainment.

One time a while ago I was baby sitting Obi Wan Kenobov when he was a little younger. Somemone phoned me and I said I was baby sitting. He was very angry when I got off the phone:

"I no baby. You tell people you boy sitting. Okay??"

Anyway. Now he's pretty chuffed when I come round as it usually means he gets to play Lord of The Rings on my powerbook:



I'm not much one for computer games. I don't think I;ve been past level 1 of Mario Bros, because the first tiem I get killed, I decide I've lost interest. Lord of the Rings however is a differrent kettle of taters.(Boil em, mash em, put em in a pot.) Not only has it always been a fantasy of mine to pretend I'm aragorn, Legolas, gandalf or one of the boys, it's on my beloved apple, so It's even more fun. I bought the game to get through a round of boring conerences ages back and I completed it not long after. Obi Wan, however, still loves playing it, so I usually take it round when I'm visiting. But we keep that till later when I go round.

I decided that I could just veg in front of some DVD's. I always like to take round good kids DVD's. I remember vividly enjoying certain films when I was a kid, so I'm pretty good at picking out DVD's that a Star wars, and Lord of the Rings loving 7 yr old will appreciatte. He loved the Goonies, and once he's a wee bit older I hope he'll appreciatte the lost boys. So today from the Library, I have the Princess Bride:



In the library I wanted to get willow, but I couldn't find it. I had phoned Nine Inch Nina as an escape from work and she had been over the moon at the prospect of watching willow and I thought it would be a good option, but it'll have to wait till next time.

I remember watching the Princess Bride when I was a kid. Me and my sister were getting Babysat, and the man babysitting us brought round this video. We'd never heard of it, and basically thoought "What's this crap??(In 7 yr old thoughts of course).

The film starts with the boy from the wonder years(Fred Savage) moaning cos he's sick and his Grandpa has decided that he's going to read a book. The koid, being a thouroughly modern boy prefers to play his nintendo entertainment system and thinks that books don't have the same excitment. He interupts all the way through the introduction about how it's a love story and he doesn't want to hear about kissing. Then of course by the ene he's compeltely won over and thinks that love is an important part of the tale provoiding you have major elements of Jim Henson style monsters and swashbuckling and fights and stuff.

It's a great movie for kids and the script has enough adult and clever humour in it to keep things alive. That and the cameo of Peter Cook as a priest with a speech impedement makes it a cracking film. Obi Wan agrrees and by the end is shouting:

"I am Inio Montoya. You killed my father prepare to die!!!"

So another success in the DVD choice.

After DVD, it's dinner. His mum has made some good Bulgarian soup and her attempt at a scottish dish called "Mince and Tatties"It tastes magnificant, but this may be cos it's my first real meal since I was in Ireland.

After dinner, it´s the inevitable 2 hours of Lord of the Rings playing, where Obi Wan´s eyes get so wide he looks like he´s on something. I have to admit, that I quite enjoy it to. Eventually it´s time for his bed, and I instantly crash out on the couch until his mum gets home.

She´s had a good night at a party and we sit down to watch the Commitments:



I´ve loved the Commitments, sonce I first saw it. I love any film that shows the rise and fall of a band. But this one has the added value that it´s funny too.

It´s about 2am and we last 30 minutes into the film til I decide it would be better left for another night. I head off and enjoy the long cycle home in the refreshing chill of the almost autumn night.