Thread 12 - TalkLair: “I say we take off and nuke the entire site from orbit. It's the only way to be sure.”

[Kucinghitam]

(Previous thread 11).

The days are gradually growing longer, but the worst of the winter weather is not yet behind us. In the TalkLair, we remain hunkered down keeping cosy and warm. The hearth is glowing, the walls covered in dubious artwork, books by non-approved authors line the shelves, rugs are down on the floors (and assorted pets curled up on them).

We just won’t mention the gnawed bones of our prey over there in the corner of the cave…

I did think about that @artant. I didn’t get a fever with it (although did feel pretty hot and cold at times) but then it’s so variable. Whatever it is it can fuck the fuck off out of my cells now thank you very much.

Urgh! Hope it passes rapidly @VictorianBigot. Proper bad colds always make you feel much more ill than seems reasonable.

I have both decor and cat envy, @Kucinghitam.

No snow here so far. It's about half a degree too warm for the rain to freeze.

It’s about 7°C too warm for the rain to freeze here

Yep, it's just rain here and greyness and meh. My chemo brain had completely forgotten that Monday is 12th February which is when my radiotherapy starts. It's a tad, I guess annoying is the word, because if things had gone according to plan I'd have been feedling rough this week and in better form next week so fully able to get myself into Brighton - where the radiotherapy takes place - off my own back, but now I'll almost certainly be a bit feeble and rely on lifts. Monday and Tuesday will be especially shitty because I'll need two lifts on each day - I guess I'd always have needed those lifts this week anyway because when I'm feeble I can't manage the walk to the hospital even though it's only ten minutes away.

Anyway, moan! I know that friends will rally around and sort out a rota for me but I wish the timing had worked out making it possible for me to not be so overly reliant for a whole week. That said, five weeks of radiotherapy and then we find out how the treatment has gone. I feel hopeful and I guess if the news isn't great then it just means more treatment and I know I can deal with that for a bit longer. I was watching the new Hairy Bikers this week and Dave has had 30 rounds of chemo which makes my measly 2 look very easy to deal with! The portable chemo is really not that bothersome in terms of side effects at all so I can't really count that as "major" chemo, just top ups. Or something.

I know it's a shitty feeling to be so reliant on friends to help you out when you need it, Mouse, but I'm pretty sure that if you were the one to be in a position to offer help to one of your friends, you would.

@MouseMinge Monday is 12th February which is when my radiotherapy starts

12th February was my lovely dad's birthday and he would be have been 101 (a prime number) this year, so I would take that combination as a good omen. Yes, this is utterly mad "magical thinking", which is all the more reason to enjoy it. I shall add you into the annual toast, if I may?

That would be lovely, @Gonners thank you!

It would have been my lovely dad's the day before, 11th. He would have been 92 this year which seems utterly impossible to comprehend given that he died at 43. I shall think of your dear dad on Monday and take strength from the prime number. I'm all about magical thinking. It's like I don't really believe but I also don't not believe because who knows and if something is comforting then why close any doors when there's no need.

I bought some cheapo Morrison's own strawberry jelly with custard on top yesterday. I was looking for a decent trifle but the only small ones they had were fruit cocktail ones which I didn't fancy. Then I noticed these which seemed close to trifle. Good grief, it's good. So simple, so tasty, so getting two packs of three tomorrow so I can eat more than one a day.

I had one last night, I'm thinking I'll eat the last one in a bit if I'm getting more tomorrow anyway.

I can't decide if the OP is weird for doing this, or weird for making it up. But seriously bizarre, either way: https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/_chat/5003996-would-you-really-qualify-this-as-rude?

The weirdest thing about that is the number of "What! Who has curry for breakfast?" responses. Well, anyone who has leftovers, surely, as I did this morning.

I think the OP is rude and weird for taking food off the plate of somebody who hadn't actually finished eating, and giving it to her precious (grown-up, FFS) son.

Curry for breakfast is not weird, though.

No. It's bloody well not!

I've rarely had curry for breakfast but that's because I'm not a big fan of curry. Well, unless it's Massaman curry and then I'm in heaven. I'm just not good on heat and my spices have to be just so. Anyway! Curry for breakfast was not the issue there and let's face it we've (nearly) all had leftover breakfast from (probably) takeaway the night before because that's part of the joy of takeaway. Cold pizza and Chinese something or other is what I'd usually have although it's so long since I've had a takeaway I do feel that I'm missing out on leftover breakfast.

Sorry, waffling on there. It is just rude to take food off someone else's plate to give to another person. Just because the other person hadn't finished their omelette didn't mean they didn't want to! I often save my favourite bits of any meal to near the end so I can finish on something I love. If someone tried to take my bit of omelette I'd be minded to stab them with a fork, the cheeky fucker.

If it was me who'd had the omelette taken off my plate, it would have happened as I eagerly anticipated the combination of omelette and chickpea curry, only to have it ripped away. Beyond rude.

Radiotherapy update. It won't be starting next week now. They spoke to my oncologist who wants it put back because of the delays in chemo cycles. I have to say I am grateful because I'd rather not be feeling like death warmed up when I start. It's now all going to happen from 26th February. This does of course mean that I no longer coordinate with your dear father's birthday, @Gonners but if you'd still like to include me in the annual toast I'd absolutely love it.

Anway, I can now just spend next week recouperating and not worrying about getting to and from Brighton every day which is a relief. I had three friends over earlier as well to rearrange my bedroom. Basically it's small but not midget like but the way the bed had been positioned was making really bad use of the floor space and I was climbing over the bed to get to clothes and blah. We moved the bed and now it's all a lot better. I need to do some serious sorting, getting some storage boxes and filling up some bags for charity shops but the great thing is that when I'm spending more time in bed next week feeling feeble I'll be in a room that is better laid out, I'll be able to see out of the window - reader the view is not great but it is outside - and be more than able to reach everything I need without climbing over my bed, kneeling on the tube for my chemo jar/PICC line and worrying that I'm going to rip it out and blah. It will be more tranquil and just better. So, I'm a happy mouse.

Sending you all the love and good wishes @MouseMinge

In cat news, it's Mrs Pike's birthday tomorrow and she has chosen for her birthday treat, a visit to this place. https://www.mogonthetyne.com/category/our-cats/

My own two cats are mighty pissed that they can't come with us, as after all it's a cat café!

I shall report back to the thread on how it went.

would be have been 101 (a prime number)

Are you Young Sheldon, Gonners ?

And good luck, Mouse!

Hurrah for happy Mouse news. If a brief postponement means easier travel and a better recuperation space, that's good.

I spent far too long trying to read the mogonthetyne part of the URL in Greek.

I love that mouse!

I also love the name Mog On The Tyne! The cats are so lovely, I bet you have the best time there. Bonus points if you sit on the pink cushion and get shoved off and a point for every bit of food that gets stolen by one of the gang. And, of course, a very happy birthday to Mrs Pike!

Dotellhimpike

Pudding Chare is the best street name - EVAH. I may have to take the Hooliganette, she loves cats and we can't have one.

@MouseMinge This does of course mean that I no longer coordinate with your dear father's birthday, @Gonners but if you'd still like to include me in the annual toast I'd absolutely love it.
Too late to cancel now, as I've already asked my sister in NZ to add you in (for luck) and this is quite peculiar enough without confusing matters further. So you'll be toasted twice, at around 7am and 8pm, as there's a 13 hour time difference and we both go for the evening of 12th February, local time.

@SinnerBoy Are you Young Sheldon, Gonners?
Ha! For some reason I love prime number birthdays - mine is one this year - and also took great delight in pointing out to The Ancient MrG last year that he had achieved 3^4. He just looked at me as if I were mad.

Mine was prime last year. This year, my daughters is. Mine will be a full deck and both Jokers.

Make of it what you will.

My age is currently a prime number, but after the end of this month it will not be. I will be the number of guns on a third-rate warship, or the minimum sustained wind speed of a hurricane in mph.

The cat cafe looks ace although I suspect I’d need industrial quantities of antihistamines to go in.

And I love that Mouse will be toasted on the other side of the world!