"Would you like a bag with that?"

I must confess I've been slacking off a bit over the past few days. This was actually posted on Saturday, I think Blogger has done some magic with it and sent it back in time. I guess most writers must find the biggest problem to deal with is inspiration. You feel massively inspired one day and wish you had more time to write. And then the next day you'll have loads of free time and no passion at all, and spend the day watching reruns of Friends.

Lauren and I went across the rolling hills of the shire to visit her family in Devizes the other day. That makes it sound really far away, it's only fifteen minutes along the road. Lauren's little sister absolutely loves me. She's four (I think) and she used to cry when I went into the same room as her. That was a great first-impression when I met Lauren's Dad and step-Mum. "Hi I'm Sam, Lauren's boyfriend. Your daughter appears to think I'm the anti-christ." But after having to sit next to me in the car on a journey down to Portsmouth she's realised I'm not pure evil and loves me to bits.

It is tiring though, being a four year-old's best friend. Everytime we go over there I have to play a myriad of games, the favourite often being 'hide something then make the other person find it.' This time is was 'shopping' which I had to join in with. The game consisted of me buying a pile of books with those little plastic toy coins we all used to have, then I would become the shop keeper and sell them back to her. So essentially I had to do what I do at work over and over again for the pleasure of a child. Wait till she has a part-time job. Then I'll come in over and over again and she how she likes it!

When we had to go, Lauren's sister burst into tears. I didn't know whether she was genuinely upset that we were leaving or if she wasn't finished shopping and protesting about her transaction being left half-calculated. Anyway, she used to cry when I turned up, now she cries when I leave. I think that's better really, although if she didn't cry at all it would be perfect.