Perform for me my MP?

Tip off from ex support worker that my MP was having a coffee evening from 6 to 8 last night. School nights I don't do these things but felt I should really. Who knows you know?

Her website said it was an informal event to talk about local or national issues but "not designed as opportunities to talk about personal cases such as immigration or housing issues." Well bugger that, this was urgent.

It did cross my mind not to bother. MP's, from my experience, can't help with such matters, but then this MP knows me. She knew of me before she met me, remembered me last year, so would remember me when I turned up with my son.

I was pleased to meet her in this informal enviroment. In surgeries you only hear yourself bleating about your own problems as you ask them to intervene for you.

Here the issues were broad; euthanasia asked the medical journalist, the waiting times for public nurseries and the cost of private ones said the mother of the nearly new born, crime said the woman from an estate. I was impressed; she had an answer for all of these.

Unfortunately, owing to my situation, I can't remember anything. My mind is focused solely on what I am going through, I have a great deal of trouble focussing on anything else right now. It has its disadvantages. I really wanted to hear what she had to say about euthanasia but my brain could only hang on for a few moments.

Eventually I stuck up my hand. "I'll give you the micro, then you can answer the macro," was how I started and she said to come and see her about my son. Her surgery's next Friday. I managed to speak to her briefly afterwards and noted down for her who I was dealing with in the council, who I've dealt with.

Her response about the macro issue was interesting, but flip, can't remember it right now. Possibly she said the Government releasing the cash it owes the borough wouldn't solve the housing problem but don't quote me on that.

She said "housing crisis" though and had I been operating on macro rather than micro cylinders I'd have said "catastrophe not crisis."But hell, what can you do ey, I'm under pressure (David Bowie)

What I'm very pleased about is that she told my son she liked the pictures he'd drawn, was impressed by how well behaved he was, and thanked him for passing round the biscuits.

Yep, the boy's growing up. For him we have to change the record. I'll see her Friday for an update.