Team GB

The greatest Team GB ever?

Please stand by...

Sorry not to have been blogging - in my defence, I do have a lot on! We're off on Friday and we're getting wed the following Saturday. Right now I'm up to my elbows in packing, laundry, sorting, paperwork etc. I'm also waiting for umpteen deliveries which we're hoping will arrive before Friday! But it's all good fun. I'm still glued to the Olympics and am delighted and proud we're already 28 medals to the good. (Go Team GB!) My partner is amazed at my capacity for watching the Olympics but it is only every four years and watching sports people at their very best is, in my opinion, a form of artistry...

Something which is nothing to do with weddings or holidays is that an interesting situation is developing with Pluto and Bess. We knew that once Bess was settled and less anxious, she would probably challenge for dominance. Older females will often dominate much younger and less mature male dogs. So in between sleeping and playing together and generally being inseparable, they are also having occasional physical face-offs. It's less subtle now and so we expect the transition soon. They jostle, bump, snarl and bark and now Bess has taken to standing over Pluto as well. We don't interfere - which is the worst thing you can do but what most people would do because they don't understand dogs. We only step in if it happens very near us because it could spill over to trying to dominate us, but otherwise, we let them sort out their own hierarchy. I personally have never had the chance to witness this - especially in my own dogs and it's fascinating. You hear the snarls and think the worst (you can't help it) but they never bite or attack. I'm glad it doesn't happen whilst we're out though; people would think we had fighting dogs!

A healthy well balanced pack needs to sort out its own hierarchy. If it doesn't you have anxious and quite possibly aggressive dogs trying to sort out who they are and what they do - and never quite finding out the answer to either. I'll keep you posted!

Sporting pride

I love the Olympics. I love sport. Sadly, it’s often the only time we can feel really proud in this country. I absolutely burst with pride when we do well. And I can’t tell you how I felt that our first two gold medals were won in spectacular style AND won by women. You may think it doesn’t matter whether it was men or women that won – and on some level you may be right, but when you consider how women struggle to gain recognition, support, media coverage and finance in even elite sports, it really does matter that two women have set the bar for team GB.

But it’s not just about the wealthier countries and the bigger sports teams, two Iraqi rowers have just been interviewed on the BBC. Team Iraq have only 4 athletes, and if I get to see them compete I think I would cheer just as hard for them as I would my own much loved country. To have them win would be an amazing achievement and a fantastic message about a country that isn’t just about war and hardship and occupation…

Yesterday we picked up my partner’s brother and took him to Brick Lane for his birthday. He had wanted to buy some vintage clothes and so we had all put in some money for him to go on a bit of a shopping spree. He managed to get loads! A jumper, a top, a shirt, shoes, trousers and shorts and he still has money left over. We had a fantastic day, lots of fun, but I was absolutely gutted to get back to the car to find a ticket. We were on a single yellow which we all thought was fine to park on on a Sunday. Apparently not. The semi-literate fuckwit mongrel who wrote the ticket, couldn’t even work out that my car was blue. And under colour had put ‘unknown’. I guess if there was an Olympics for parking attendants, he or she wouldn't make the cut...

Last night over tea and biscuits we did the seating plan for the wedding. Surprisingly difficult but very satisfying when done. After which, we watched Crimson Tide (fantastic film) and went to bed too late.