Today I lost my temper with the children as we were leaving the house, because they were having a squabble and trading "stupid" insults back and forth. I told them I would not take them to school, which drew forth numerous apologies. I don't see why I have to drag myself out of bed to send them to school only to have to hear them abuse each other. It really gets me down. So I tried to talk to them about how they should settle issues between them, not resort to name calling but I'm not sure I got through. Maybe I did. They are pretty perceptive cookies but they definitely display signs of being children!!!

After I dropped them off I thought I shouldn't put off exercising any further. Was rewarded on my run by not one but two kingfishers, and the magnificent sight of a kite in full flight after a small bird (the would be prey got away).

While getting ready for work, I got an sms from Lee Yuen that Sharon's brain had started to swell again, so I stopped by the hospital. I was not able to get into the nicu as they were doing ward rounds. The curtain to her room was also drawn so I could not glimpse her either. The earlier decision had been to take her off the sedation and let nature take its course but later I learnt they had put her under sedation again with the result that the brain swelling went down.

The neuro ward is directly opposite the labour ward, which is not without irony. On one side you see young lives having just come into the world being wheeled out in their cots, safely wrapped up in blankets. On the other side lie -- mostly young -- lives fighting not to give in to the dark.

I left the gloom of the hospital and went into the sunshine back to News centre. Lunch was with a few young reporters spent discussing the sins of AJ. Unexpectedly I've become some kind of hero for sticking up for a reporter to him. Unexpected since the only reason I had to defend her was because of his pigheaded need to have the final word on all things, which makes him forget who he is talking to or about. I mean, she is one of the best reporters in the newsroom and he knows that so why imply she is lazy and unprofessional just to gain a point? Because of that he's now lost untold goodwill and respect from her and her peers. And from me, to be honest.

The discussion continued through to dinner at Kim's Place in Joo Chiat Place, where we had the most amazing Hokkien mee with oysters and lard chips, and chilli crab. The crab was beautiful: firm and sweet. We had a bottle of prosecco to wash it all down. Sweet.