Matthew James : George Cross?

In the aftermath of the despicable attack on holiday makers in Tunisia last Friday, here in the UK we are of course looking at both the serious implications of the attack; asking when and where one might be safe to let ones guard down; but we're also looking, desperately for a good news story out of the tragic events.

It's all part of the British Stiff Upper Lip, I believe, we're told the British Death toll is to rise above 30, and all we can do is hold those families in our minds eye and wish them as well as we can.

However, the stiff Upper lip, and saving grace story, seems to be that of Mr Matthew James, a seemingly ordinary 30 year old father on holiday with his fiancée and in the midst of the attack he used his own body as a human shield.

One can only suppose his girlfriend's blond hair would have attracted attention of the gun man, and this man stepped in and took those shots for her before allowing her to escape.

Reportedly today, safe and stable in a Cardiff hospital one has to ask should he receive an honour?

The George Cross perhaps "For acts of Heroism and courage in extreme danger"?...

Story Time - Pulling My Nutz Out the Fire (Work Place Meetings)

Last week in Story Time I talked about my best-worst day, related to that is my most embarassing moment at work... It happened at that actual company I got caned by....

And this story came to me after I'd read this post from DadHacker... 

The company was split into two custom made buildings, the down stairs of building 1 was admin and offices, most of the directors sat there with plush offices, there was also a single large meeting room - which was always the hottest room in the company, come rain, wind, shine or snow you could pop in there in and get warm.

This was important between the two buildings as if you were based in the more technology orientated building 2, then you had to cross the open car park frequently to meetings & presentations, and in the hills of Derbyshire this was COLD!

So a warm, communal and often empty warm room got you back up to speed, you could organise yourself and your notes and then pop into the meeting you had on hand.

But this warm, embrace, was also a deadly enemy.  I was once called over to a very boring meeting, three technology guys, the totally real director and then me on just a couple of hours sleep...

They presented their idea, the tech guys dissected it for the hardware, and I was to provide the software, but it was way beyond any of the machines they had in the building, I straight off asked for a few reference books and a nice graphics card... Spending money!...

And Spending money on something other than camel cigarettes was something this guy didn't like, so he shelved me and they four went off on their own conversation.

Now I don't know how long it took, or what noises I made, but I was startled awake a indeterminate amount of time later by the lit cigarette end of this guy waving up and down in my wave... He was holding my shoulders and looking very angry.

Panick, panick... What to say... "Oh help" I wimpered "my bloooo" I stumbled on purposed "blood sugar low"...

SAVED IT!

The anger melted from his face and ordered one of the techies out to find something to eat, they came up with a banana from the receptionist - I hate banana's, but I unzipped that one and ate half chewing slowly and then holding a piece under my tongue as if recovering...

With the secretary at the door looking concerned a flow of cool air came in from the glass fronted reception area, and it revived me more.... I could almost convince myself that I had had a hypo... Despite not being diabetic.

They clocked me later, as another time I munched down a four pack of mars bars for lunch, but on that day... I pulled my nutz out the fire.

My Wife the Diva Driver

Never would one hear this sort of comment in the news, nor in general really, but my wife is an excellent driver.

I don't mean she doesn't have me going for an imaginary brake, or cringing when she's whipping through gaps too small and you hear a layer of plastic atoms sizzle off the wing mirrors.

But she has today (Monday actually) achieved a feat of driving I could not, and I have to doff my cap to her.

Our small car, the 206, had lots of work on it the other week and all good, but I said at the time - something don't feel right - with the car... Turns out I was right, the transmission/gearbox area has given up the ghost, unable to get the car into gear or get it moving I was forced to abandon my first run to work, and wait for her to come tow me, in the end I was driving the tower and she took the 206 helm... She was deathly scared of running into me so used her brakes a lot, I could feel it... Unfortunately at an island she kept her brakes on as I went to pull off... the net result... the tow torpe safety hitch I'd put in snapped...

But she slammed the car into gear, by sheer force of will, and she godmatically made it drive out of that dangerous location... she drove it and drove it and the thing got home!

I could not move it, I could not get it into gear... and she drove it in third for like four miles to get it home.

I was impressed.... Meanwhile, lets see if I can get hold of my mechanic and get it under repair.