The last day of this week long blogathon and a non-skating day, but one with plenty of autism influence and Long Push relevance.
I had arranged to meet a journalist at 11.30 at sponsors, Big Woody's Skateboard Shop in Blackpool, but seeing as it was also the first day of the school holidays we thought we would try and tie in taking the kids up there too. Rachael wrote a full schedule for the Friday morning on the whiteboard and we went through the times on it the night before, so that everyone knew what was going to happen and so that everyone was ready on time. Despite this, Friday morning came and Steven was still not dressed 10 minutes before we were due to leave, but then he suddenly...was! So we didn't really lose any time. Steven doesn't like us doing anything that we want to do when we go out, so as we didn't know how long I was going to be, and rather than initiate a meltdown, we decided that I would drop Rachael and the kids off in St. Annes, while I went to Woody's to wait for the journo and photographer.
Rachael was exhausted again, just from the constant running, shouting and general boistrousnous that is Steven in the mornings, especially when we have any kind of deadline to work towards. The drive to St. Annes was...loud, with Steven complaining loudly everytime Ailsa tried to sing along to Lady gaga or whoever else came on the CD that was playing. (Her choice, not mine!) Stopped briefly at Macdonalds Riversway for me to deliver Long Push posters etc.
With them dropped off I was off to Woody's. Had to wait a while for the photographer from the Blackpool Gazette to arrive and it started pouring down with rain while we were waiting. So that prevented us from doing the outside shots that we would have liked to have done. We did a couple outside in the rain then the rest were done in the store, with me looking really wooden and ungainly probably! Bit of a false setting to ride in, but still, Jacquie the journalist was very nice and seemed genuinley interested in the whole project, the store and skateboarding in general, so we have to be hopeful for a good piece in the paper soon.
Back to St. Annes again and I met Rachael and the kids on the promenade. Took them for hot chocolates with marshmallows in a local cafe and then for a last visit to the amusement arcade on the pier. Ailsa loved St. Annes, said she wants to live there. Macdonalds on the way home wasn't the most successful plan. I delivered another Long Push poster and sponsorship letter but then we had a meltdown over 'afters' and Steven's insistance that he had to have a McFlurry after the pancakes he had in the morning, the hot chocolate earlier on, and the Rolo milkshake he had with his meal! He has the mother of all sweet tooth's, which is saying something coming from me! Steven's inflexibiltiy of thought is part of his condition. We know that, but dealing with it isn't any easier, and truth be told, this spoilt the day for all of us.
Later on Friday evening I was going to a late showing of The Dark Knight Rises. I'm a total geek, and couldn't wait until Sunday when Rachael and myself were going to go together. Of course, now we know that some people in Aurora Colorado did the same thing, but lost their lives in a tragedy at the hands of a madman. So with this, the last entry in my '8 Days a Week' blogathon, I'd like to pay tribute to those people, and send my thoughts and best wishes to the familes of all those killed or injured in that terrible and mindless tragedy. Incidents like this put life in perspective for all of us. Live each day to the maximum, because none of us ever know if it will be our last. R.I.P.
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