Mission Impossible IV

I am no Tom Cruise. My wife might think I am but I'm really not. The fact is, I'm tall and Tom is .. ahem... let's not go there. Otherwise he may jump on me instead of Oprah's couch.

Mission Impossible IV stars the leading man played by ... Me. And the leading lady played by ... Daphne and no, Q is not played by mother-in-law. Oops, I think I'm getting James Bond mixed up here. I'll just continue.

In this afable movie, the leading man and the leading lady receives one of those "this message will self-destruct in 10 seconds" message. A mission to save the world. Well, not quite the world but close enough.

The plan is simple. Get all the things we need in one bag and leave. The leading man and leading lady has talked about this before about the list of items to bring whenever they get this mission. A well laid plan.

Like all good movies, flash backs are always part of the mix. Except in this installment, we only see the history of the leading man. The movie flashes back to the time when the leading man is single and unattached (and friends, don't you go "when is he ever unattached?"). He receives a mission of a similar kind in one of those "this message will self-destruct in 10 seconds" message. It reads "Be in office by 0800hrs."

Delicate mission. Impossible almost for the leading man. His famous line in all installments "I don't believe in God before 10am". But a mission he receives, a mission he needs to complete. He sets his alarm for 0700hrs. He wakes up the next morning at 0730hrs. Leaves the house at 0740hrs and yes, the leading man had brushed his teeth, changed into his mission attire, ate breakfast and out of the house in 10mins. He arrives in the office at 0805hrs. 5mins behind.

Flash forward further, the leading man now married to the leading lady, receives another mission in again one of those "this message will self-destruct in 10 seconds" message. It reads "Be in church by 0800hrs."

The leading man sets his alarm for 0700hrs and he wakes up at 0715hrs not because of the alarm clock but because of the kung fu kick of the leading lady and leaves the house at 0745hrs, the leading man still brushed his teeth, changed into his mission attire, ate breakfast in 10mins but he forgot to calculate in the time the leading lady needs to find the right outfit for the mission. They arrive at the mission scene 0815hrs. 15mins behind.

Flash foward to present. The movie intensifies into it's climax where the leading couple receives their mission in again one of those "this message will self-destruct in 10 seconds" message and it reads "Be at the Gynae's clinic by o800hrs."

The leading man sets his alarm to 0700hrs and woke up at 0655 because the leading lady started breastfeeding. He brushes his teeth, changed into mission attire, ate breakfast and ready to go in 10mins but again, he failed to calculate the time needed for the leading lady to select mission outfit.

All is done and ready to go but this time round, the rules are different. They need to pack. They enter the armoury and found their gear. Diapers two, check! Changing mat one, check! Wet wipes, check! Diaper cloth one, check! Receiving blanket one, check! Change of clothes, check! And the list goes on.

The leading couple leaves the armoury armed to the teeth, ready for almost any situation. Reaching the door, the leading man remembered the most important item for this mission, the baby. He carries her into the car seat, whisked down the stairs into the batmobile, strapped (somewhat) the car seat in a safe mode and off the leading family went to their mission. The first for the family.

They arrive. 0830hrs. 30mins behind.

It's an impossible mission they say to leave the house when you have a baby. I'm starting to know why. Perhaps I should learn to prepare early as drilled previously by my bosses. I think I'll start earlier by packing the night before. Great idea they would say.

Hmmm.. where shall we start? I know, how about putting baby in the car first? Now that's perhaps only something Tom will do.