What The Dickens?

Or What The Devil?
Apparently, according to Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable, the title phrase has nothing to do with Mister Charles Dickens, and the "Dickens" is actually an euphemism for the "Devil".
     Which is a shame, because your humble scribe is going to carry on as if the above paragraph never happened.  Don't worry if you're new and a bit confused, we do this all the time.

BOOJUM - all the logic of one of these

     So, Charles Dickens.  Famed British author of classics such as "Great Expectations", "A Christmas Carol" and "A Tale of Two Cities", which last your modest artisan has been reading and completed today.  One of the better things about CD is his use of language, the refined and formal language of mid-Victorian times, and long words not in common use*.  Your humble scribe is no stranger to long worded language, yet even he has to look up some terms CD uses.
     "Please, show us some examples of language that confounds you, Conrad, o thou master wordsmith!" I hear you call.
     Hmmm.  Leaving aside either your cutting sarcasm or profound appreciation, here's some examples.
     "Subornation": In American and Scottish law, this means encouraging perjury, and is not to be confused with "Subordination", which means being of a lesser station.
     "Tergiversation": to avoid giving a clear and straightforward explanation, which is pretty much how BOOJUM! operates.
     "Perturbation": meaning either uneasy of mind or, of an astronomical body, being altered in it's orbit.

Perturbation pictures are boring.  Have this monster-make up instead.

     "Postilion": Actually I knew this one already, it's an attendant horserider upon one of a team of coach-horses, I was just excited to see it in use.  Prior to ATOTC the only time I'd seen it was in the title of Dirk Bogarde's well-regarded autobiography, "A Postillion Struck By Lightning".

The postillion in position

     I'm sure you've noticed that all these words end in "-ion" which is merely a coincidence, I assure you.
     Right, that's the Intro, let's move on the rest of our manic medly of <thinks> mellifluous malaise.

The More Things Change -
The more they remain the same.  King of like the beginning of ATOTC - "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times".  So, back to a refrain that is a regular event here at BOOJUM! ...
     Ah, good old First Bus, you can always rely on those incompetent bumbletucks to generate blog content.
     As they did today.  This concerns my Bus Wait Rate theory; which is that if you are stood at a bus stop waiting for a bus**, multiple others will pass by on the other side. 
     True!  
     Waiting to go into Royton, not one but three 409s pass by on the other side.
     Waiting in Royton to go home, not one but two 409s pass by on the other side.  And then two turn up at my stop the same time.
     Now, the question is, how can I make money from this***?
     
Cross About Words
If you are a regular reader of the blog then you know Cross is Conrad's default setting.  I'm Conrad, by the way, in case you were unsure; I write what you see, with the assistance of Steve, who is my memory; Art, the sub-human wretch responsible for pictures; Oscar, who is my imagination; not forgetting Mister Hand, my treacherous right member with a mind all of his own.
     Where were we?  Oh, yes, me being cross.  Just look at this:

Conrad is seething

     Do you see that?  Do you?  Are you as cross as I am^?  "A march for the Devil (7)" I mean, what the Dickens!  
     You see, a "Lucifer" is another name for a match.  A MATCH, not a MARCH.  Plainly these crossword compilers have been hired by First Bus.

Good For Something
Today Conrad had a day off work, which meant Edna could resort to him whilst Wonder Wifey sorted through a literal mountain of curtains.  Edna, you see, is firmly convinced that she is the centre of the universe that is The Mansion, and will pine, sulk and whimper or all three at once if she's not getting the level of attention she thinks she deserves.  So your modest artisan came in useful as a human-shaped cushion.

Finally
Today is Darling Daughter's birthday and she is 22 years old.  It's kind of hard to stand back and realise she is a grown woman but hey-ho, that's something all parents have to adapt to.  Art?

The charmer herself.  Chiseled good looks inherited from Dad (obviously)

*  And here he predates Ol' Tom.  Thomas Pynchon.  I can use the abbreviation as we're such terrific chums.
**  I clarify the point because there are some oddities out there who enjoy merely standing at bus stops.
*** Lazy and greedy, my charms have no end!
^ I doubt any human could manage this feat