Laura has a breakfast meeting with a networking group this morning. Early start so she’s out the door and it’s my job to get the boys up, ready for school.

At 8am I call, “Okay, guys, time to get up and get some clothes on.” Jack leaps from the top bunk screaming, “Cowabunga!” Sam pulls the covers back over his head until Jack opens a drawer. He reaches in for a pair of pants (trousers). Sam sleepily realises he’s about to miss out on something so he reaches out for exactly the same pants. “I want those!” he says. Too late. Sam spends the next 15 minutes screaming, crying and refusing to get up while Jack has breakfast and I make packed lunches.

At 8.15, Jack–sated by an extra fifteen minutes computer time and a round of Nutella bread–relents and swaps trousers. Sam gets up and sulks in the living room, playing Nintendo. “Do you want breakfast?” I ask. “Yeah,” he says sullenly. “Well, come and get it.” Mom reappears at 8.30 to take them to school. It’s a close thing as Sam is still moving slowly and doesn’t have socks on, let alone shoes or a coat by the time Laura pulls up. Somehow it happens and they all pile out the door, complete with lunches.

I take up where I left off on my Photoshop training from yesterday. I want to finish this whole 600 page book (and CD) as soon as possible so that I can move on to After Effects, which relies on some of the same things. I’m learning fast, sucking up information. Good job, really, as these skills are all on my resume and I need to start cutting some sharp showreels. Still no sign of my social security number, though, which means I can’t work yet. Or open a US bank account.

The exchange rate is bouncing rate at around $1.70 to the pound. With the amount I raised selling a flat in over-priced St Albans, every one cent change in that rate is worth more than a thousand dollars. But without a bank account, I can’t take advantage of it. Pesky social security number frassin’ rassin’ sassin’ bureaucritters. I content myself with learning to use the paths and masking tools properly. Gonna animate me some vidi-yo soon, yup.