The eye of the storm

I wrote a song once called "Katy the hurricane".  Bit of oversharing really; I wrote songs, I called it "Katy" because of a girl I was in awe of called Katy who I thought my boyfriend might prefer, but mostly because I had just been reading Cixous. I couldn't believe I had never noticed before that hurricanes and natural disasters tended to be named after women.

I won't share the whole song with you, I couldn't cope with the awkward silence and feet shuffling that usually results from one of my songs/poems/readings, but the gist was that she was "turning/turning the whole world upside down...buildings and institutions come tumbling down" I'm squirming a bit just writing that actually, a bit like reading my teenage diary. I really admire Caitlin Moran for writing "How to be a woman" (Read it now...right now, if you haven't already..
http://www.amazon.co.uk/How-Be-Woman-Caitlin-Moran-ebook/dp/B0052CK5PQ/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1407682461&sr=1-2&keywords=caitlin+moran+books). I couldn't possibly be so reflective or use my young life to provide any insight into the state of the world.

Anyway, back to the point - I will explain the reason for my disjointed train of thought shortly. I'm not sure what bothers me about the practice of using female names,and I don't think it's done any more, it could be the accusation of random destruction, the repeated association of femininity with nature as opposed to the more civilised masculine/culture link, or perhaps it's that the power granted femininity is only "natural" or innate. What's caused is caused by accident.

All of which brings me to my distracted mind. Bertha, or whatever the tropical storm is called has caused very strong winds and rain making the children bubble over like cherry Pepsi max and so I am here, a generic soft play warehouse,with the car packed full of a tent, sleeping bags and gas stove, seriously impeding my fuel efficiency.

I once made one of my friends come to one of these places, she doesn't have any children and I don't suppose she'd go to one again.  It was purely for my own sanity that I invited her.  Parenting law dictates that you can, if alone,strike up conversation with another lone parent, as long as you are in one of the more middle class areas. And not a father, fathers must remain unmolested by their own and other children and adults, this is signified by a broadsheet newspaper raised in front of the face, a tablet; held up rather than rested on the table, or in emergencies,a phone.  A new development I have only noticed today us headphones.  This obscures screams and the usual panicked reaction to a cry of "mummy!" Before you realise it's not for you and lapse back into concentration.

So instead of reading a book, as I used to, I am typing on my new Kindle for the first time.it's nor easy.  See?