Childen are a pain in the arse. Seriously, they piss me right off.

We have been playing host for 2 nights to one of Heather's friends. Heather's friend seems a nice girl (if a trifle strange, but then she IS Heather's friend), not particularly clued up on aspects involving contributing to household chores, but in herself she has not been a major problem.

Nor has Heather. Ditto Adam.

However, put the three together and I could swear that we were hosting the Annual General Meeting of the local chapter of the Spawn of Satan Society (SSS for short) being held on the top of a large keg of gunpowder whilst some lunatic idly plays with the matches. All they have done since we picked J up is fight and abuse each other, whine and bitch and cry and moan and give me a fucking hard time.

Tonight has been the final straw - after running around after three untidy small people, cooking real meals involving standing at the bench longer than I'm able (including a huge roast pork dinner tonight, AND doing all the cleaning up afterwards), playing Judge, Jury and Executioner (hehe, I like that last one fer sure) Heather packed a hissy because I didn't feel I was able to drive into town and get a DVD to watch like I had suggested we do just yesterday.

I spat the dummy and went to bed, while H (under threat of burning) cleaned up all the clothes that the girls had thrown all over her room (the one I spent days cleaning just a few weeks ago) and then went to bed early, under her own steam, and Adam and J sat down and amicably watched TV together.

When I woke up, Ads was snoring in his sleeping bag in front of the TV, J was watching TV with the dogs and, after I put Adam to bed, we sat drinking Milo and watched the "The Haunting" and had a splendid time together.

I think there is hope for this kid; I might have to see if I can swap her for a pair of utter shits (can you tell it's school holidays, can ya, can ya, huh??).

Oh, and the movie? 10/10 for interior detailing and awesome exterior locations (Harlaxton College); 9/10 for excellent interior sets (mostly somewhere in the US of A); 7/10 for special effects (the bloody footsteps looked like Adam carrying the tomato sauce); 5/10 for interest (yawn, I wonder if I have email...); 1/10 for Catherine Zeta Jones attempting to act.

Sorry CZJ, you better stay married to Michael Douglas; one of you had to have some talent. Shame, you know cos when she was in "Darling Buds of May" she was very good, but IMO she ain't so good now. Mind you, if I was a bloke I'd probably be too busy drooling over her legs (and wishing I could clean it off) to even notice she was/wasn't acting so it really doesn't matter anyway, just as long as she stays away from doing chick flicks.

She ain't no Geena Davis OR Susan Sarandon.

This is Harlaxton College, the location used for the exterior shots (and one of the interior locations) construction of which began in 1834 (the building, not the sets).



Just one of several fabulous, intriguing, buildings used as a backdrop for a movie or TV show, like the Winchester House in California, used for Stephen King's "Rose Red" and Castle Howard in Yorkshire, used for "Brideshead Revisted".

Castle Howard.



The Winchester House




My castle is rather modest, in comparison...innit.