Had to stop

A pity really, work is going well. My hiatus is because of my FIL. Sometimes he is capable of saying something so stupid, I honestly wonder if what he needs is one, just one, smack in the mouth to get his nose out of the air and teach him, if not manners - beyond him apparently - then self-preservation, for which he may develop an aptitude, being so risk-averse he makes Mary Berry look like Beowulf. As it is, he's blessed to meet rolled up eyes rather than rolled up sleeves whenever he pulls one of these moments out of his derriere. If there is one man who relies on everyone else's patience not to get his arse thoroughly kicked, it's this guy.

It happened again today. For a man who is said to be clever, he has a remarkable talent for saying a thing that's half wrong in a way that's very wrong. I vent now and hopefully will be back to work in a couple of hours, feeling lighter. After all, he is really a pleasant chap at heart, with an occasionally unfortunate way of speaking.

Forgetting his most imbecilic comments and letting one half story drift into another,
I found myself listening to his tale of the family's purported descent from someone who came over with William of Normandy. God, William of Normandy! Looks like we came over with William of Normandy too, honestly I think everybody did. Seems we could be descended from Hugh De Port, Domesday Lord of Basing. Interesting, considering that someone along the line appears to have tried to murder King Henry III - I'll admit, that sounds like us, we're not natural monarchists - said offender, having forfeited his barony, went into exile, and ended up with King William of Scotland's forces. That might explain why, with a line which is very predominantly Scottish and Irish, we suddenly have this supposed connection from Hugh De Port of Basing to Samuel Porter of Dorset to Jesse Judson Porter of Texas. It would be intriguing if it was the case; I'm amused by the idea of family temper getting us into gyp throughout the centuries; Adam De Port threatening Henry, Joseph Puttnam carrying loaded guns around Salem... Knights I am not sure I believe, trouble-makers, oh yes, every time.

Thing is, I don't believe it. With no lack of respect to my ancestors, whoever they were, it doesn't feel right. But then, who would believe we were of puritan stock? I wouldn't talk up the Porters and ignore the Du Ports just because the latter were not necessarily pleasant. Having said that, I'm seeing nothing more solid than DNA hints and the online paper trail, spurious and unreliable. It would take real work to verify this, checking out parish records in places like Lower bleeding Ettington, or spending massive amounts on the Big-Y to confirm/ deny. I have real work to do, when I'm not letting off steam here! Still, I record it just in case, and never lose sight of what I'm about. William the Conqueror's allies, like the man himself, were not good men, but they are good stories.

And thinking of good stories, now I lose my irritation with my FIL. After all, my own father was far more outrageous, downright racist in fact. And my FIL is not stupid, he's just not a particularly self aware man. I do respect him, like him even. He just has his ways, as do we all.

I can't quite focus yet, but perhaps a cup of tea will help.