Super Gran

For the past few years my parents have gone away on holiday with my grandma and grandpa. Grandpa was always a bit of a traditionalist (for example he carried on calling countries the names the Brits had given them) and so they would go to places like France and Switzerland. Grandpa died in February, but my parents decided to ask if grandma would like to go away somewhere anyway. So, after thinking about it for a while, she decided that a trip to the USA was what she'd really like to do, and so my parents and grandma have been doing a road trip from San Francisco to LA over the last two weeks.

I was talking to my parents last night after they got back, and I'd like to share with you one highlight that I consider worthy of special mention:
They went to Universal Studios and my grandma, who is 82, went on a rollercoaster for the first time in her life. What's more, she enjoyed it enough to go on several others as well. I really hope they took pictures. This is why I nominate her as Super Gran.


In Liverpool life is quiet. Today I've been feeling particularly infectious (stupid kids and their stupid germs), so I ended up getting a chance to finish reading 1984 by George Orwell. I have to say I didn't enjoy it as much as the first time I read it, but it's still a cracking book. A most scary picture of life as it might have been, the idea that history is whatever people believe it to be, and if you can control the written records and peoples minds then that is absolute power. It's amazing how the concept has been trivialised into Big Brother, although interesting that not only does Big Brother have control over the housemates, he also has control over what we know about their world through choosing what to show us.

And on that note I'm off to check the house for hidden microphones (does anyone else think they're living in the Truman Show?)