I woke late this morning with a pounding headache, and started counting back through the alcohol I had consumed the night before. Three bottles of Budweiser - surely they couldn’t have accounted for feeling quite soawful?
After taking painkillers, drinking orange juice, and making countless cups of sweet tea throughout the day, the headache has not gone. I can only reason that some bug or other delivered to the house via the children has afflicted me. Stiffness in my shoulder and chest muscles also points towards the same conclusion. I’m no doctor, and I’m not about to look it up, but I don’t feel very well at all.
While I stayed at home, did chores, and picked away at a freelance web project today, the children went to the park in town with W to participate in “Hope in the Park” - a concert where various local schools send choirs to sing each year. I’ll freely admit that I wouldn’t have gone anyway because I’m not religious, and it seems a bit hypocritical to pretend to enjoy listening to songs promoting a world view you don’t share.
Later this evening our eldest returned home from Guide camp - her first night away with the Guides, and somewhat problematic one too - she ended up sharing a tent with the girl who has been targeting her at school. She also came home with stories of her friends having mobile phones - but didn’t push it when we stonewalled any idea of her having one. They are eleven years old…
The mobile phone argument is the tip of an iceberg really - several of her friends have now got Facebook accounts. I’ll admit to being shocked that their parents would allow it - they know damn wellwhat the rules are (you have to be 13), and appear to have helped their children fake various profile details to open the accounts. I’ve been sorely tempted to report them all, but then that makes me the villain…
I can’t believe so many parents willingly expose their children to such huge risks (mobile phones, social networks, email accounts, etc). In some ways I feel it should be me - the IT professional - taking a stand - speaking out - but no doubt that would just cause arguments and recriminations.