Oh, Mein Papa

A new Pope, eh? Francis I – the first pontiff from Latin America, and one that looks like the lovechild of Jim Bowen and Heinrich Himmler.

I for one am glad they’ve found someone quickly. Considering he is just another foreign head of state, the media had gone heavily into Pope Idol mode and it was getting tedious. China has a new head of state, too. Barely a mention, and they are, if not yet a superpower, certainly not far off being one.

Of course, my main interest is entirely down to the humour that can be squeezed from the situation and it occurs to me that with a new Pope Francis and a retired Pope Benedict (The Pope Mother?), we have a new Frankie and Benny’s franchise in the Vatican City…

Of course, the running of Italian American pizza parlours is not the usual connection between elderly Germans and almost as elderly Argentinians.

Yes. A SECOND update!

Having run out of spare annual leave, I have to come in for the half day on Maundy Thursday – a fortnight today. That will be the first time I’ve done that in many, many years. Furtle, of course, with her superior planning and flexitime, will take the morning off, so I shall have to brave the pre-Easter elements on my own that day.

Just to add insult to injury, I have just realised that that is the very day that I – for want of a better word – celebrate thirty years as a Civil Servant.

My plan is to head to the West End at lunchtime, possibly invest in some comicy literature and then retire to the pub for the afternoon – like I did atime back in the day, when I were but a nipper, and reflect upon a wasted career.

Then, of course, I have all of Easter week off – and I see that the bookies are offering odds on a white Easter this year, such is the continued visitation of chill air. I am torn over this possibility. A late and impressive sprinkling of snow would be fun, but there are also chores we need to do in the garden and a week off is the time to do them. Mind you, if I can’t get outside because of the weather, there’s always Warcraft on the computer. After we’ve sorted out the sealant etc around the bath and fixed the grouting on the wall tiles and re-done the cement around the floor tiles and…

Oh well, you get the picture.

Still. Nearly Easter and that means a resumption of Doctor Who, so there is at least a couple of hours in which to avoid chores!