Bit of an essay, but this deserves to be shared properly so you enjoy it as much as I am... 
It's Sunday lunchtime and I'm standing in the rugby club having a pint after the U12 side I run finished a game, and one of my coaches asks me if I am going to the match on the 4th Feb. Strange, as we've discussed this before and the answer's no, so i am expecting some banter - I have to 'enjoy' the game in the gauntlet that is my local English rugby club... Though the lager's not bad - it's Dutch
Next he says, "one of the lads has two tic...", at which point I demand to know how much. £100. Not even a micro-second hesitation - they're sold. So fast that, even though I'm standing right next to her, SWMBO had to mentally rewind the movie and play it back in extreme slo-mo. I bought two tickets via this chap for the match at Twickenham last year, took Wee Bing (11, now almost 12), and loved it. But it wasn't right, and he and I have been talking about going to Murrayfield for years. Mrs Bing approves, so we're on - best bit is Wee Bing is 3m away eating a burger and hasn't a clue what just happened. I LOVE being a Dad - he's going to be SO stoked. I am also stoked as last time I was there I was about 19. But I can't wait to see his face when he literally feels the Murrayfield roar as he's singing 'Flower of Scotland', which he learned word-perfect for last year's match :yeah:
Wind forward 3 hours and we have a problem. It's less than two weeks to the match, and Sleazy Jet says I need more than £600 to get us there and back ; Opodo says £359, but still - £400 plus when you add fuel to Stansted and parking. And the earliest flight back on Sunday gets in at 9.15pm, so home at maybe 10.30pm if we're lucky... Not great after a long weekend and with school the next day. Train is not much better - about £200, and 7hrs total travelling, and only if I can get him out of school early on Friday. And I hate trains. It's not looking good
However, as you all know, there is a Way - if I can get him out of school early we could be in Dalgety Bay by about 11pm if we drive, midnight latest. And if I can't, well the roads are lovely through the borders and central Scotland late at night. Unless it's pi$$ing down, but then it will still be home, a place I have not been for over a year. Cool. Worked out the fuel, about £220 ; can stay at my Dad's for free ; train to and from Haymarket, early start on Sunday ; home by dinner time latest. Sorted.
Which car though ? The Honda ? Mrs Bing's a fan - got cruise control, very comfy, lots of room for all the 'stuff' she'll insist we take. My response ? You have GOT to be joking, right ? Apart from what we're wearing, we need two pairs of boxers and socks each, a spare shirt & jersey each, 2 jackets, our toothbrushes, Wee Bing's giant Scotland flag, our replica shirts, and some prudent winter bits and pieces in the boot. Oh, and some munchies, an iPod touch, 2 tickets and my wallet. Nothing more.
So, as a result of my impulsiveness and subsequent (possibly slightly biased) logic, plus what I believe is a prudent approach to both parenting and money management, my boy and I will be undertaking an epic road trip over 3 days (970 miles or so), so we can visit Murrayfield together for the first time to watch Scotland reclaim the Calcutta Cup. And we're taking my Z :trampoline:
It would be fair to say that I am quite looking forward to the 3rd of February :wink:
It's Sunday lunchtime and I'm standing in the rugby club having a pint after the U12 side I run finished a game, and one of my coaches asks me if I am going to the match on the 4th Feb. Strange, as we've discussed this before and the answer's no, so i am expecting some banter - I have to 'enjoy' the game in the gauntlet that is my local English rugby club... Though the lager's not bad - it's Dutch
Next he says, "one of the lads has two tic...", at which point I demand to know how much. £100. Not even a micro-second hesitation - they're sold. So fast that, even though I'm standing right next to her, SWMBO had to mentally rewind the movie and play it back in extreme slo-mo. I bought two tickets via this chap for the match at Twickenham last year, took Wee Bing (11, now almost 12), and loved it. But it wasn't right, and he and I have been talking about going to Murrayfield for years. Mrs Bing approves, so we're on - best bit is Wee Bing is 3m away eating a burger and hasn't a clue what just happened. I LOVE being a Dad - he's going to be SO stoked. I am also stoked as last time I was there I was about 19. But I can't wait to see his face when he literally feels the Murrayfield roar as he's singing 'Flower of Scotland', which he learned word-perfect for last year's match :yeah:
Wind forward 3 hours and we have a problem. It's less than two weeks to the match, and Sleazy Jet says I need more than £600 to get us there and back ; Opodo says £359, but still - £400 plus when you add fuel to Stansted and parking. And the earliest flight back on Sunday gets in at 9.15pm, so home at maybe 10.30pm if we're lucky... Not great after a long weekend and with school the next day. Train is not much better - about £200, and 7hrs total travelling, and only if I can get him out of school early on Friday. And I hate trains. It's not looking good
However, as you all know, there is a Way - if I can get him out of school early we could be in Dalgety Bay by about 11pm if we drive, midnight latest. And if I can't, well the roads are lovely through the borders and central Scotland late at night. Unless it's pi$$ing down, but then it will still be home, a place I have not been for over a year. Cool. Worked out the fuel, about £220 ; can stay at my Dad's for free ; train to and from Haymarket, early start on Sunday ; home by dinner time latest. Sorted.
Which car though ? The Honda ? Mrs Bing's a fan - got cruise control, very comfy, lots of room for all the 'stuff' she'll insist we take. My response ? You have GOT to be joking, right ? Apart from what we're wearing, we need two pairs of boxers and socks each, a spare shirt & jersey each, 2 jackets, our toothbrushes, Wee Bing's giant Scotland flag, our replica shirts, and some prudent winter bits and pieces in the boot. Oh, and some munchies, an iPod touch, 2 tickets and my wallet. Nothing more.
So, as a result of my impulsiveness and subsequent (possibly slightly biased) logic, plus what I believe is a prudent approach to both parenting and money management, my boy and I will be undertaking an epic road trip over 3 days (970 miles or so), so we can visit Murrayfield together for the first time to watch Scotland reclaim the Calcutta Cup. And we're taking my Z :trampoline:
It would be fair to say that I am quite looking forward to the 3rd of February :wink:
liked the bit about Mrs Bing rewinding nanosecond events!
