Day 290: Falling down

On our walk last Saturday, we were impressed to find these pink leaves - not one of the classic autumnal colours, but very attractive just the same and Exile #3 liked the fact that they matched her top (sort-of).

This evening, after all three children were in bed (hooray!), Exile #2 remembered that we'd forgotten to give Exile #3 her antibiotics this evening. Since it wasn't the first time, we decided she really should have a dose and so I said I would go and disturb her. She was deeply asleep, but I sat her up explaining that she needed her medicine. She turned over and lay back down. I tried again. The same response. I sat her up on the edge of her bed. She seemed vertical, until I tried to pour the medicine, when she lay back down again. Finally I stood her up, but even then when I let go to pour the medicine she immediately took a step back towards the bed. I was in stitches but she was really completely unaware of what was going on. Finally I managed to get her to take the dose and by the time I had stood up she was lying down fast asleep again.

I spent the latter part of the evening playing Portal. It is mind-blowing in both quality and nature. However, it messes with your head. The central conceit is that you have a 'portal generator' that can open a portal between any two appropriate flat surfaces. Having done this you can walk into one and come out of the other. When it really starts to get confusing is when one of the ends is in a floor and the other in a wall - you fall down into one and end up 'falling' sideways out of the other. If that isn't enough, open one in the floor near your feet and the other in the floor somewhere you can jump down to - do so and end up falling up from the one at your feet (until gravity takes hold again that is). Aaargh. The witty commentary, clever problem-based game-play and weird but self-consistent physics make it a new favourite.