7 Quick Takes: 14th May 2010

1. This has been a fascinating week for British politics. After last week's inconclusive general election result, we have a new government - a coalition between the Conservative and the Liberal Democrats, the first time two political parties have governed Britain together since the Second World War. I thought it would take at least two elections with a hung parliament (no overall majority) before a coalition government became a realistic possibility, and that the most the Conservatives would get would be an agreement from the Lib-Dems not to bring down a minority Conservative government in the short term. I'm glad to be proved wrong, as the alternatives all looked pretty bleak. If it works, it just might be the beginning of a new more consensual era in British politics. If it doesn't, then it will be back to confrontational politics with a vengeance.

2. While all the political events have been playing out, I've been pretty much under house arrest as Cherub has chicken pox. Apart from a couple of itchy-scratchy interrupted nights, it hasn't been too bad. She has had it more mildly than the older girls did. Lots of spots on her body and upper legs, but not many on her arms and face. All being well, I think she will be over it and able to go back to playgroup on Monday

3. I've been putting current photos onto Flickr for the past year, and have taken advantage of the time stuck at home with a sick Cherub to start uploading old pictures. Fortunately I had backed up all my digital photos up to 2008 to my MacBook, so when the hard drive on the iMac died recently I didn't lose much, if anything. It was the prod I needed to start putting them online, though. So far I have done 2005, 2007 and most of 2006 (no logic to that!) and my Flickr picture count is up to 734.

4. I stumbled across this quote from G.K.Chesterton: "The only way of catching a train I have ever discovered is to miss the train before." Lightbulb moment! I now understand why in my commuting days I missed such an extraordinary number of trains. And why I find myself  saying "I'll aim for the 10.24, and then I should get the 10.34". Scarily, I'm married to someone who often gets to the station so early he ends up accidentally catching the train before. How on earth does he do that?

5. I have one seriously double jointed child. How freaky is this thumb-twisty thing she was doing this morning?

6. Cherub is now in a thoroughly contrary stage. Witness this conversation:

Me (to Star): Do you think it is worth hanging out the washing? Or will it just get rained on?
Star: The second option, I should think.
Cherub: I think the third option!

7. She is still very cute, though, and desperately looking forward to her fourth birthday next month. As she told me this morning: "I'm excited all the way to Africa and back!"

Read more quick takes at Conversion Diary