Strutting & Fretting

Well gosh what an action-packed year it has been. Exactly one year ago today I went on my first date with a rather lovely lass from Ealing¹.

As some of you may remember from the time, me going on a date in June 2007 seemed a very odd thing to be doing given recent² events. But I was right wasn't I?

I remember being rather nervous. I went to get a haircut before this monumental event and was rather shocked at the cost. What I really should have done was go out and buy some decent clothes because I was a sartorial disaster of a date.

The title refers to this being the second version of this post. The first version was a bitter little ramble about gossips, compassion or the lack thereof from certain quarters and general whinging about the place I'm about to leave behind.

But really, given how great things are at the moment who gives a flying fig about such matters? I've finally found a flat and paid the rent and deposit on it today. Tomorrow the removal van is coming to take all our worldly goods westwards to our new parish. Brilliant, really brilliant.

There's this way people look at me in Shenfield, which I've coined the "poor Harry" look. They don't see a person, they see a tragedy – the poor widowed man left alone with twins. And they don't see much further than that.

I'm sure many do mean well, but they stop me in the street and talk to me like I'm a special needs child – rather than a grown man. To them I am incapable of functioning, cooking myself dinner or heaven forbid – smiling.

Okay, so you've read all the good news - but now it's time for our happy adventure to become a more private affair. So there won't be as much blogging about RJ and I in the near future as we just get on with life.

The blog will be returning to the usual nonsense of waffling about news stories, music, sport, technology, beer and other rubbish.

Just my luck, Firefox crashed after I'd written some 750 words on the subject of Jesus' healing of Jairus' daughter (which was Sunday's reading in church) and the role of fear in our lives. It was pretty good stuff and I'll no doubt try to remember it all later and post it again - but for the moment I may as well just skip on to the purpose of that discussion.

The general gist was this, sometimes the things we fear are a smaller cause of suffering than the fear itself. Fear can paralyse us. Fear is the opposite of faith, which is belief in the future. Fear attacks us at the centre of our belief - in ourselves, in others and in God.

How is this relevant to a phone call I made this morning? Well because sometimes we have to take big leaps in life and looking over the precipice can fill us with fear. It's not the leap that's scary, it's waiting for your turn to jump.

A few minutes ago I jumped.

Everybody knows about our engagement now. RJ's boss came back from his vacation on Saturday and told him the happy news.

So as we sat together in the church service on Sunday we were the final item in the parish notices. Vicar S announced we were engaged and the whole congregation burst into a cheer and spontaneous round of applause.

And of course after the service we were the centre of attention - everyone made me feel very welcome and the twins got lots of cuddles too.

Another rather brilliant day.

Yesterday I collected our new car, we've got a 2004 Ford Focus C-Max 1.8 Zetec, it's the newest car I've ever owned and I'm completely delighted with it. The car is big and comfy and it's very easy to get the twins in and out of it – especially as we can leave the car seats in it.

RJ was so pleased with the car that she suffered a total knowing where she was going failure on the way to Black Park where we were taking the twins to a pre-sleepytime walk. This is a park she knows very well, but I think we'll forgive this lapse given she was playing with our new toy. However I do feel rather smug given all the ribbing she's given me this week about buying a satnav system.

It's pretty obvious now isn't it, given the last post?

Last Saturday I asked RJ to marry me and she made me the happiest man in the world by saying yes.

But we kept things quiet for a week because we felt that we had to talk to her parents first. I met them for the first time on Thursday and it was a rather magical meeting.

And so since then we've gone pretty much public with family and friends.

Yes I know you're all waiting for some news, we'll be with you later and update properly.

But I just wanted to say that I met RJ's parents yesterday.

I was very nervous but I needn't have been, both D and W are absolutely lovely and we got on really well.

It was a wonderful afternoon meeting them with RJ for lunch and I was sad to head home, I could have spent a lot longer with them.

Some of you know how nervous I was about meeting them but I can't think of any way the meeting could have gone better.

And that's all I'm going to say for now, we'll have something more exciting to post here together later today.

Kitty has learned another new trick today. She managed to completely roll herself over without using anything else to push against. It's the first time I've seen her do this and coupled with her cot exploring antics it's clear that it is nearly time to put the twins in separate cots.

Last night the twins woke up and were crying at 9pm, entering the room I discovering Kitty trying to climb on top of her brother. That's because they were sleeping in blankets last night because their bags were in the laundry - and it gave Kitty just too much scope to explore. Thankfully the bags are dry and ready for bedtime this evening.

...many reason to adore RJ. But one of the ones that'll no doubt appeal to many of you blokes is that I've just phoned her and she said, "can you phone back in five minutes when I've finished watching Top Gear?"

I know.

And you thought the concept of a "perfect" woman was logically impossible.

Yesterday was a rather exciting day, to the say the least, because Patpat, Kitty and I visited RJ's parish for the first time. This was also the longest trip out we've taken the twins on.

Just our luck then that a journey that should take just under an hour too nearly two thanks to some slow traffic on the M25, but we got there eventually.

RJ seemed to think that the twins didn't like her place very much but really neither Kitty no Patpat have actually given me much impression of an interest in interior design.

I'm nervous. Those of you who know me rather well know that I'm usually rather confident about meeting new people. But I have to admit that there's definitely a sense of trepidation bubbling under the surface in me today.

Why?

Well on Friday I'll be meeting RJ's brother, the first member of her family I'd have met. Obviously I want to make a good impression, not for the sake of my own big head, but because I want RJ's family to be happy for her.

Do you ever stop yourself in the middle of your life and realise that what you're experiencing is a perfect, joyous moment – the kind of moment that you've always want to be part of who you are.

My weekend, despite also featuring something of a dramatic emergency – which I may relate at some point later – though perhaps it's not my tale to tell, featured many of these perfect moments.

When there are good things ahead it is often all too easy to gaze forward and wish your current minutes, hours, days, weeks and months away. We all do it, looking at milestones in the year ahead and wanting to draw them closer.

It's been a ****** ********** week so far. RJ and I have ***** a *** of **** ********, our **** has ******** and we've been ******* about *** ****** ********. We **** to get *******. But of course ********* would say that us ******* ******* is ******* into ******. **** is a ******** ***** though and we'd *** ******* ******** if we *****.

We've ********* our ********, ***** *******, *******, ****** ********, our *********, the ****** and many more ******. It's given us an even ****** ***** of how **** we are ***** for **** ****** and how ***** we make **** ******.

More than ******* seriously about *** ****** though the **** important thing ** how **** *** and ******* we've *** ****** the last few days. She ****** ** ***** and ***** so much, she ** so ********* ****** and ******* and ****** with *** makes ** ***** ****** in the very **** way.

Oh and Southend was very breezy but fun, well for most of us, Katie wasn't so keen but Patrick had a great time on his first trip to the seaside.

Poor dinosaurs. Do you think they'd be less likely to rush into a relationship if they had longer arms?

That's something of a debate we had when RJ sent me the the card. Though she's right that we don't know what dinosaurs get up to in private anyway.

One would have though if they'd developed a sufficiently sophisticated society to invent the handbag that other naughtier aspects of the modern world might not be beyond them.

Actually even with longer arms that tubby dinosaur might struggle. Looks like he ate all the stegosaurus pies.

Anyway, perhaps you get the point of that Sesame Street clip I posted yesterday now!

I am just sodding well happy. Jumping up and down, shouting out loud, running around, gleefully, totally ecstatically happy.

The twins think it's the funniest thing since Patpat pooped out of the side of his nappy an hour ago¹.

Hoooooooooraaaaaaaaay life is good!!!

¹_{Which admittedly was pretty funny and made all of us laugh. I had to clean it up though.}

No I've not disappeared off the face of the earth. I've just had a busy week living life rather than writing about it.

Got lots of posts in the works for the next few days but I just wanted to check in and say hello.

Today Patrick and Katie return home, very exciting. Am pretty much ready. I bought a really cute play-mat/baby gym type thing yesterday. Be prepared for a cute overload on the site later.

Meanwhile RJ continues to make me believe I must be growing a whole blanket of four-leaf clovers in the yard outside.

Life is good. And I'll tell you about some the sillier aspects of it over the next few days,

I can't really be bothered writing a proper review of the movie. Yes, telling readers I don't care is always a good way of starting a blog post isn't it?

Shrek 3 had some great moments and gets a thumbs-up for including a Led Zeppelin track (Immigrant Song) which was hastily followed by Heart's Barracuda.

You ever go and see movies and think that it's been made specifically for you, to send you a message? It's like not going to church for two months then turning up to hear a sermon that could have been written by your psyche.