Friday, October 09, 2009

The Wire

I don't like bandwagons. I refused to vote for New Labour (and I was right). I refused to get into Oasis when all around me were losing their heads (and I was right). Everyone started going on about the Sopranos. I just couldn't be bothered. I don't like gangster films and as far as I was concerned this was just a cheap rip off for TV. Incidentally I saw Goodfellas for the first time a few weeks ago and I loved it even though it felt like a feature length special of the Sopranos set in the 1960s. Anyway I was wrong about the Sopranos. My wife and I spent nearly a year picking through it (there must be over a hundred episodes) and avoiding spoilers that would just spring up without warning in newspapers and magazines.

With spoiler avoidance in mind we decided to try out season one of the Wire. The weight of good reviews, starting off with Charlie Brooker on Screenwipe, broke the dam. From all of this positive press we knew to expect a realistic show that treats the viewers like adults with a brain and that there would be no good guys and bad guys. It was all this and more. More than any other TV show it moved me to another world. I just forgot who I was each time I watched it because I was totally immersed. I was standing next to the guys on the roof taking pictures. I was laughing as McNulty got his kids to do surveillance of drug dealers and egging Omar on as he robbed drug dealers (the best character in season 1 for me). I was nervously looking around and hoping no-one was going to get Wallace so he had a chance to go back to school and get his life together. Wallace deserved this because he looked after all the drug orphan kids in the neighbourhood and seeing that guy with the hole in his eye broke his brain. That was his only crime. Being too sensitive. And they still... Now I'm doing it. Spoiling it for anyone who hasn't seen it. I used the past the tense about Wallace there.

Spoilers are now my enemy and yours too if you're also catching up. Before I saw the end of The Wire series one I was looking at some box sets in Sainsburys and right there on the cover of season 4 was a picture that told me the outcome of season 1. I said 'bastard' out loud and a middle aged lady with a suit scowled at me but nuts to her because the season finale was ruined. What idiot put that image on the front of the box? The DVDs are silly too. To play an episode you have to go via a menu that tells you what happens in that episode. Duh. The synopsis is written in the same font as the 'play episode' text. Silly.

Why didn't I just start watching The Sopranos and The Wire and Battlestar Galactica when they first came out? Good telly, give it a go. First answer - Lost. Gave it a try and very quickly realised they were just making it up as they went along. Second answer - 24. Third answer - Heroes. I'm lying on that last one. I watched one episode and spotted the upcoming bullshit straight off. Some shows are worth the effort for at least a season or two. Like My Name is Earl which didn't jump the shark until season 3. The Big Bang Theory is still awesome and might even make it to my DVD collection. South Park is weird in that it gets better with age like wine unlike The Simpsons whose ass has turned to vinegar. Honestly that show is dead to me now. My latest experiment is East Bound and Down. Seen episode 1 and it was very funny. So I'll take the gamble and be ready to abandon ship if I see it starts to sink. I might be investing my time in a flop but this is a gamble worth taking because by being up to date I'll avoid those dreaded spoilers.

Thursday, October 08, 2009

My baby son

Hello blog. I've been neglecting you for a long time. The reason is that Nicola and I have been having a baby. Now he's born I have even less time to give to you. I'm a bit frazzled. There are jobs to do everywhere I look. Everything needs attention. Every time I remember a fire and put it out I spot two new ones; wash the dishes and notice that the basil plant on the window sill needs watering. Move the herb plant and notice that the kitchen window needs to be cleaned. Clean the kitchen windows and notice that the garden needs work. And on and on.

Of course none of this is getting done. I'm just enjoying spending time with my new little buddy. I should probably make a record of what I remember before it fades. You were born on tuesday at 4.08pm. On monday night we went into the hospital because mum was bleeding and we had you on the baby monitor just to be on the safe side. Mum had some practice contractions that we saw on the paper trace out. We got home after midnight (I'd been up at 7am for work in York and done two 1 hour commutes that day). We got home and had toast and hot chocolate and watched the Simpsons then fell asleep at around 1am. At 5am mums contractions started for real. By 8am they were uncomfortable. We contacted the hospital and they told us to put mum in a hot bath to see if the contractions went away. They didn't. They got worse. We got to the hospital at about 930am on a sunny day (very warm for September). Mum was still only 2cm dilated and it was early labour but we had to stay in because mum wasn't dealing well with the pain. She had a morphine injection and tried to relax. We were down on the ward and could hear other mums in early labour and families coming to visit their newborn babies. At lunchtime granny barbara called over (she works as a secretary at the hospital) and bought dad a sandwich and a coffee. We went up to see mum and granny B held her hand for a few contractions anc calmed her down. Granny B left at 1pm and we thought that the action wouldn't start until about 6pm. At 2pm mums waters broke. I took her into a bathroom and we cleaned her up and took off her wet clothes. She was now wearing some rather fetching paper undies. Mum then wanted to start pushing and we waited for a delivery room to become free.

We went upstairs in the lift. Mums morphine had worn off but she wasn't allowed any more because the was in the final stages of labour - she had to do the whole thing with only gas and air. Our delivery nurse was called Jo Brown and she was a nice lady with dreadlocks. It took 1hr40mins for you to be born. Mum went from being almost asleep with me wiping her with a cool towel and stroking her hair to being bolt upright and screaming and pushing. It was like someone flicked a switch every ten minutes. My job was to support her head and encourage her to push. After struggling with the pain earlier on she was now like a lioness. When they wanted three pushes per round of contractions she gave them four. When they said keep pushing she kept pushing and pushed harder. She was amazing and I was so proud of her.

When you were nearly out you started to get tired and so they assisted your delivery. A big fat lady doctor came in and they sucked you out. You were born with your eyes open and you went straight onto mums tummy. While they stitched up mum and passed the placenta I held you. I took off my t-shirt and we went skin to skin. I sat next to the window with you for about an hour. Then I made mum some tea and toast. Mum went in the bath and you went in your cot with your new clothes on and a little muslin bobble hat to cover up your head that was swollen from suction. Daddy told everyone the good news on his mobile phone. We all went down to the ward just in time for visitors and saw Granny B, Grandad John and Uncle Stewart. We had to leave you and mummy in overnight as a precaution and I went to your grandparents house for pork chops and chips. I got home about 10pm and fed poppy the cat and had a pint of bitter to celebrate.

That was 9 days ago. The day after we took you home when you'd had your health checks. We had visits from everyone who couldn't make it the night before. Granny Janny and Mick, Grandad Jimmy, your uncles james, george and charlie and aunty becky. So far you've been to baby club and the supermarket Granny B and Ganda Js and Grandad Jimmys. It's been a very tiring week. Difficult to get you feeding and changed and settled. But we are really enjoying it and we have both already fallen for your cheeky little face. We registered your birth on monday (it's thursday today, my 29th birthday).