Handy Manny et al

We are safe home. Another 12 hour journey from door to door, brings us in through the doors at 18:30. We could better these times, but we were slowed by the blizzards on the way out, and by traffic jams on the approaches to Dartford Bridge on the way back. Other than that it was a good run, and we have visited yet more Motorway services for "comfort stops"

It is pure joy to be back indoors, where it is quiet. We love the human kids madly, but we are used to our quiet house and it is lovely to be able to "give them back". Especially now , in our random sample of "houses with children", all of Ireland seems to have bought a 40" plus plasma, or wide screen TV, plus satellite TV, and paid their subs to Disney's Playhouse Channel. Worse, they have taught their kids to use the remote control and to expect, nay demand, that the TV is on from the moment they get up, till bedtime.

We are totally OD'd at this stage on serial, music-bound, cutesy, moral-message-laden cartoon TV, from "Handy Manny" (Hispanic handy man plus talking tools helping all his neighbours), to Bunnytown (muppet-style rabbits), Pooh-bear (including spin offs like "My Friends Pooh and Tigger" which seems to have gone beyond any Christopher Robin involvement), "5 minutes more" (bedtime stories), "Imagination movers" and something we think was called Higgsytown Heroes, but might not have been.

We know more stupid theme tunes and catch phrases ("Heh Toooodles!") after a week of saturation exposure, than it is healthy for any puppy to know. Conversations in houses-with-kids all involve a nervous-twitch glancing at the TV.

Never mind. It's all over, and we're home, where the TV only goes on for must-see TV. Having said that, Mum, who is a dedicated follower of politics, is about to embark on an all night stay-up watching the American election results roll in, so we have the red wine, glasses, desk-top, internet links and our own wide screen TV set up downstairs and eagerly anticipating midnight (GMT) when the first results will start to appear from the East Coast. Dad will be dead to the world by then, but Mum has nabbed a day off tomorrow to recover.

Obama or McCain?
Deefer