Februhaha

Nuts, I missed January.

Well, F has learned to whistle, and does so all the time when she isn't being Pikachu. She is Pikachu most of the time, however, so I'm not quite sure how I have the impression she's whistling non-stop. Maybe it's because it's such a, what's the word, memorable noise? Lodges in the brain, you know, like a candiru fish in a unexpecting urethra.

C still won't sleep through the night. Her current excuse is teething (last week it was a cold, next week it'll be stress linked to world affairs). She's just so angry in the night! Angry that we won't pick her up, angry that she's uncomfortable, angry that we keep trying to soothe her instead of leaving her in peace like she's clearly telling us to.

A long time ago, as a junior doctor, I mastered the monotone delivery required to answer a post-midnight request for new drug charts to be written up, or a new drip authorized, or one of the many non-crucial but still urgent tasks experienced nurses were inexplicably required to ask newly-qualified junior doctors permission to do at 0330.

In fairness, it usually just mean I or one of my colleagues had forgotten to write up a new drug chart during the day, so we only had ourselves to blame. I have flashbacks to those conversations as I pat C on the back and tell her that yes, it is the middle of the night, and yes, it's all okay, and no, she doesn't need the iPad just now and yes, Rara is right there next to her. Tired reassurance unhindered by empathy, that's the thing. You need someone to vomit on too? Okay, get on with it. I won't stop you because I'm exhausted, but jeez, you're going to want to skip the speeches at your wedding.

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Trump.

Nothing to do with my kids or my life in Sweden. In fact, we're delightfully removed from it all in many ways. Scandinavian ivory makes for good towers. Yet I can't help but be scared and livid at his actions and his behaviour. More so when I hear UK politicians (pillockticians? is that a thing?) sort of not quite defending him because they can't, but trying quite hard to for the sake of Atlantic trade.

You fucking morons. Okay, perhaps he isn't Hitler, perhaps 'monster' is a bit too much to stick. Are we going to wait until he is very clearly a monster before condemning him? Or is more slack, enough to hang us all, really the best way to deal with him?

He's not a Nazi. That was a political movement in German last century. Let's for heaven sake's not call him that, like he did to the intelligence chiefs the other week. He is definitely a fascist, promoting authoritarian nationalism with all its anti-liberal and anti-minority trappings. He said he would build a wall. He said he'd shut America's borders to Muslims. Why is anyone surprised that he's doing it?

His bark and his bite are the same fucking thing, Boris Johnson, he does actually say what he means, something your generation of Tories have utterly forgotten about. If you don't agree or approve with someone's actions, but let them do them unchallenged anyway, why work in politics at all? You clearly don't want to make a difference to anyone.

I'd like to say 'rant over' and forget all this, move back to genial ramblings about children and acting. It's actually more tempting to go and make a placard and try and stop traffic somewhere until something gets done. At least I have a peg to hang my middle-aged fury on, which is nice.