101/1001 *7(

The titles to these posts are dull; to liven this one up, I have gone with the symbols visible on my German keyboard instead of the English symbols skulking beneath the surface.  No need to thank me: it was an accident.

I am a day late in posting this week’s update: blame interesting visitors and not enough sleep.  I know I do.

So how’m I doing?

1/101 = 101/101

I have completed another task.  Before you break out the champagne I ought to mention that it was one of the easy tasks in which I have to do nothing at all: people from 102 countries have visited my blog.  One more than I needed to complete the task.  I have zero sense of accomplishment so I will have to think of a better task to replace it.  Maybe I should visit blogs from 101 different countries?  The only drawback that I can see is that I won’t speak the language of many of those countries.  I’ll have to think about that one.

4/30

I read another book.  I will blog about it separately.  It is one I have read at least eighteen times.  I picked it up in frustration: I am trying to get back into the reading habit and I have started four books this week and thought them dreadful.  I don’t waste time with books I don’t enjoy; not since I stopped studying.  And not always then, if I’m honest: Madame Bovary was accidentally ruined by a glass of Pepsi, and I have never been so happy to throw away a book.

20/64

A new task:

• Have a go on every item in the new children’s play area in Gorsey Bank Park.

I’ve already been on the swings and slide, but not the climbing wall, rocks, seats, stilts or spider web.  On a sunny day when Spud is free, I will go on everything and Spud will take pictures.

111/1111

The number of times I have posted on this blog since starting the challenge.  I only mention it because I love fun numbers. 

By coincidence, the exact number of comments on my blog to date is also a fun one: 7000.  I am more than halfway to my goal of 13,000.  Yay!

*

Don’t forget to visit Sarsm and Perfecting Motherhood to see how their tasks are coming along.  If you are interested in having a go, contact Our Great Leader, Sarsm (she’s the one with control of the widgets). 

She is a great leader, actually: not only was this her idea, she also had the idea of adding a 101/1001 linkblogroll to the right, and she can build Baby Bear cupboards (they are just right for the space they need to be in).

Think about joining us; it really is fun.

When Defeat Is Victory

Image via Wikipedia

I can think of two examples: Dunkirk, and Tory Boy’s first time on a ballot paper.

The two are not comparable, of course: I have nothing but admiration for the men at Dunkirk and those who spent days ferrying them to safety.  I once met a Dunkirk survivor.  He lived next door to my Nan, and took my teenage self in for a cup of tea because she was out when I arrived.  I spotted his certificate and he told me all about it.  I very much regret not keeping a notebook back then, because all I remember is the dim light in the flat and the certificate in the frame.

I admire my son, too.  He was asked to stand as a candidate where he lives, in Thursday’s council elections, knowing that he would not win.  He did stand; he didn’t win; he didn’t mind: it was his duty. 

He did rather better than might have been expected, though; of the three Conservative candidates, he polled the most votes:

Party	Votes	Elected
Liberal Democrat	202	Not Elected
Labour	1131	Elected
Conservative	467	Not Elected
Conservative	407	Not Elected
Green	731	Not Elected
Labour	931	Elected
Liberal Democrat	130	Not Elected
Liberal Democrat	98	Not Elected
Labour	1085	Elected
Green	522	Not Elected
Green	419	Not Elected
Conservative	303	Not Elected

He laughed when I congratulated him.  It was an alphabet accident: of the three, his name came first on the ballot paper. 

Makes you despair of the electorate, doesn’t it?

Anyway, well done, Tory Boy: I’m so proud that you were willing to fall on your sword for the party.

Joke 44

A teacher noticed a boy enter the classroom with dirty hands.

She stopped him and said, “John, please wash your hands. My goodness, what would you say if I came into the room with hands like that?”

The boy replied, “I think I’d be too polite to mention it.”