In which Sam Tom is in Scotland now
The move to Glasgow has largely taken place. I am effectively living here now with Jack and the cats, with some of our belongings in storage. We still have to go back the weekend after next to clear out the house in Sheffield of any residual items and tidy up. Bringing the cats up was the worst bit although not as bad as I had feared. Mrs Lyle helped me a lot by driving while I placated them in the back of the car. They soon convinced me to let them out of their boxes, and after that they were fine and went to sleep in their little security waistcoats. It was the longest drive we'd ever done with them - about 5 hours - so most other trips in the future will hopefully seem like a doddle!
I have felt a bit strange and depressive since being here. I think part of it is to do with being in a ground floor flat again, which I loathed when I lived in London and still don't like, although this flat is better than the one we were in before. But it is a temporary measure. And just being somewhere new again. Plus any stressful situation like a move obviously highlights underlying problems and we sure got 'em. I felt better after completing the formalities to do with the clinic however - signing up with a GP, etc. I still have about 6 months left to wait before they can see me and hopefully give a diagnosis. I might travel a bit and also look into getting that elusive house.
The climate of antagonism surrounding the EU referendum is making me want to go and live in a hut in the Shetlands with no telecommunications or people to talk to! At least for a week either side of the 23rd of June. As it is I will probably just have some gin and try to think about nice things. Odd as it may seem given my ties to Europe, I don't have super-strong feelings about whether we should be in or out. I've been wavering a bit although the Remain camp's patronising, judgmental campaign has actually put me off them in recent days. Reporting your rival's poster to the police, I mean really?
There are practical advantages to staying in for me, since I would like to be able to live on the continent again one day, most likely in France. I am sure that would still be possible after a Brexit but there may be more administrative constraints, restrictions on healthcare and benefits maybe. In terms of principles though, the EU has become less appealing to me over the years. I find it to be an undemocratic bosses' club these days, interfering where it shouldn't (hoovers) and not intervening where it should (fracking). It's a shame that Germany has so much power in it, because Germany seems to have gone a bit wrong. Whatever the outcome, I won't be too upset about the actual result, although I think I am pretty much the only person I know who takes this position! What does displease me though is the tone of the debate, which seems to have boiled down to a simplistic rapists vs racists scenario. Sometimes the topic crops up in social situations when I'm trying to have a nice time, and I'm reminded of how different I feel from most people that surround me, even the nice ones. I don't let myself be drawn in to arguments cos I don't want to ruin Jack's chance of 'fitting in' with the people here, which is important to him. I'm not up for any virtue signalling or public displays of outrage. If people ask me what I think, I'll tell them. But no-one does. That's fine.
If I were betting on it, I would bet that the UK stays in because the British public usually do what they are told by their rulers. I think it may be quite close but ultimately a lot of people will be too scared to leave the EU. I'm guessing they will be put off by the threat of extra admin, costs and inconvenience in their daily lives, feeling that their lives are hard enough already. Que sera sera!
I have felt a bit strange and depressive since being here. I think part of it is to do with being in a ground floor flat again, which I loathed when I lived in London and still don't like, although this flat is better than the one we were in before. But it is a temporary measure. And just being somewhere new again. Plus any stressful situation like a move obviously highlights underlying problems and we sure got 'em. I felt better after completing the formalities to do with the clinic however - signing up with a GP, etc. I still have about 6 months left to wait before they can see me and hopefully give a diagnosis. I might travel a bit and also look into getting that elusive house.
The climate of antagonism surrounding the EU referendum is making me want to go and live in a hut in the Shetlands with no telecommunications or people to talk to! At least for a week either side of the 23rd of June. As it is I will probably just have some gin and try to think about nice things. Odd as it may seem given my ties to Europe, I don't have super-strong feelings about whether we should be in or out. I've been wavering a bit although the Remain camp's patronising, judgmental campaign has actually put me off them in recent days. Reporting your rival's poster to the police, I mean really?
There are practical advantages to staying in for me, since I would like to be able to live on the continent again one day, most likely in France. I am sure that would still be possible after a Brexit but there may be more administrative constraints, restrictions on healthcare and benefits maybe. In terms of principles though, the EU has become less appealing to me over the years. I find it to be an undemocratic bosses' club these days, interfering where it shouldn't (hoovers) and not intervening where it should (fracking). It's a shame that Germany has so much power in it, because Germany seems to have gone a bit wrong. Whatever the outcome, I won't be too upset about the actual result, although I think I am pretty much the only person I know who takes this position! What does displease me though is the tone of the debate, which seems to have boiled down to a simplistic rapists vs racists scenario. Sometimes the topic crops up in social situations when I'm trying to have a nice time, and I'm reminded of how different I feel from most people that surround me, even the nice ones. I don't let myself be drawn in to arguments cos I don't want to ruin Jack's chance of 'fitting in' with the people here, which is important to him. I'm not up for any virtue signalling or public displays of outrage. If people ask me what I think, I'll tell them. But no-one does. That's fine.
If I were betting on it, I would bet that the UK stays in because the British public usually do what they are told by their rulers. I think it may be quite close but ultimately a lot of people will be too scared to leave the EU. I'm guessing they will be put off by the threat of extra admin, costs and inconvenience in their daily lives, feeling that their lives are hard enough already. Que sera sera!