I now declare this topic.... THE NEW PUDDLE!!!!!!!!!

[EmpressOfTheSevenScreams]

With thanks to SPSFanjo for handing it over.

Everyone's invited to our Puddlewarming party!!!!!!!!!!

Evening all.

shaky I really hope you get your money back, I very nearly did that once, luckily someone chased after me, it was all that weeks rent/food/bill money. I get all anxious now at cash points making sure I don't even forget a receipt.

Sorry you still feel rough bonkey

I'm exhausted fireworks displays aren't much fun at 33wks pregnant! My uncle loved his cake though :)

Bonkey, is that a firework name or a toilet name? Hope you kick this bug soon.

Do you like my name?

We've been to a bonfire in the village tonight. There were stalls and fairground rides too, so of course we've spent a bloody fortune on the roundabout and helter-skelter, and a flashing lightsaber. Ds1 loved the fireworks (weeee bang!), and Ds2 slept through it all.

We came home and I cooked the largest sausages I've ever seen, from our local farmshop. They were incredibly delicious, but unbelievably huge!

Great name Dreamy , and I think mine has a double meaning .

Bit of all the fireworks, theres not many local ones round here that don't cost a arm and a leg. Longlete is meant to be good but by the time weve paid to get in its a small fortune!

Morning!

IT SNOWING!!!!!!!!!

Wow!!! Where are you, Bonkey?

Great name, Dreamy

Morning all

Its just wet and grey here bonkey

The fireworks we go to are just in a small village, and they just have collection buckets as you go in and out but in the past 10 years we've been its really built itself up and is a spectacular show. Pulls in a huge crowd and a lot of cash!

I feel crap today, just a bit low for no reason and had trouble staying asleep last night.

Iz in Sumerset

Ds' first holiday was to sumerset, it was bloody freeeeezing!

Ate too much Thanksgiving dinner. Send help...

I'd love to go to Somerset.

Tee I think the only sensible solution is to colapse on the sofa and feel stuffed.

My day ended horribly huge meltdown from dd --and me, I blame the hormones-- now feel stupidly sad and pathetic.

So I'm about to watch newmoon on film4.

We're going to a firework display tonight though I think we're more likely to end up in Costa with hot chocolates. DD always likes the idea but is never that keen on the reality.

How's your snow, Bonkey?

I'm with your DD empress 2 minutes in I'm cold and bored and wanting to smother the nearest twit loudly saying OOOh aaaaah, bang, etc! There's always one.

Dps Grandad passed away this morning, he's doing ok-ish, but says he doesn't know what to do, I remember feeling like that, but there isn't anything we can do is there.

I'm really sorry State. :(

I'm so sorry.

Thanks, I am ok, tbh I didn't really know him that well, possibly count on one hand the times we've met in 7yrs. I just hate dp being sad.

I'm so sorry State , hope you are all ok!

Snows gone! Lasted 2 hours!

Sorry to hear your news State {{{hugs}}}

* Miserable arse alert * Rant follows...

DD and I were in Lincolnshire this weekend visiting my cousin and her boyfriend. He is based there with the RAF and she moved there in August from this neck o'the woods.

Was really lovely, nice and relaxing and DD had such a fun time.

Then I got home and back to reality. Feel fed up in all honesty.

I claim housing benefit and council tax benefit. I am a stickler for updating them to any changes, I always send in the relevant information. Twice this year they have 'lost' information I have sent in to them, in relation to proof of childcare payments. I returned home to find a letter saying I owed HB of £94 and CTB of almost £200 because I had failed to provide proof of childcare costs.

I pay my CM £85 per month for holiday cover, I have provided proof - she has provided proof. I get most of this covered by tax credits. The council have decided that I have this money spare and frivolously spend it. I don't. I am furious.

I have no sense of entitlement. I work part time because I had a nervous breakdown, took 2 years to recover and couldn't go back to work full time for fear and anxiety. I wish I was working full time, I'd have a lot more money. My last full time job (the one that caused my breakdown) meant I didn't have to claim for anything, ever.

I had planned to go back full time next year....then fell pregnant. Best laid plans and all that jazz!

Anyway, spoke to council and they weren't arsed, didn't even question me when I told them I had sent this information in - so they must know they are unreliable. I have to send it in again, asap, and they will consider (fucking consider!!!) back dating it all.

Until this is sorted I will be in arrears with landlord, I don't need this stress!

I text Childminder this morning to arrange for her to sign letter so I could take it this afternoon and physically give it to the council. Turned up at the agreed time, she wasn't in. I don't have a car, I had done a 20 minute walk out of my way (not much, but in the freezing cold and being pissed off...) and she wasn't bloody in. I hope she signs it by tomorrow, so I can drop it in the council tomorrow.

Then I get a text from Ex asking if we can have a chat about 'practical stuff' regarding the baby. I imagine he means money/contact etc, but now I am sat here upset and worrying.

On top of which, DD is busy writing her Christmas list and there really isn't that much on it, but I have such little spare cash and I am fretting about her birthday party (23rd DEC) and Xmas. I have spent all day putting stuff on ebay in the hope of making a bit of cash!

Apologies, we all have problems and I am here ranting about mine. I don't want advice, just needed to get it out before I explode. Even McDreamy on Grey's Anatomy isn't helping - I must be bad!

brian I feel your pain, I'd be out on my arse if it wasn't for the fact my LL is a very lovely man. Numerous times in a mere 15mnths they have messed up our HB top ups leaving him struggling to pay the mortgage, its paid directly to him so he knows its not us playing silly beggars but bloody hell is it stressful. Also since dp has been signed off every damn time he sends of his latest sick note from the GP they loose it, every fucking one! And its monthly! So now we scan it into my mums laptop so when they inevitably loose it we can email the scan of it and post a duplicate as they need a hard copy, they never loose the 2nd one strangely.

Anyway they're wankers yes, I hope its sorted for you soon. Oh and I'd be just as frustrated at walking somewhere in the cold when pregnant.

Wrt exs text I've no advice just relax stressing won't help or change anything xx

Thanks State, it is so infuriating isn't it - the attitude you get just makes it worse.

I had a massive issue with sick notes and ESA (job centre lost/didn't process 2 sick notes and my claim resulting in no ESA from the June to the following January - at which point they backdated everything thank god!) thankfully my LL (local housing association) were brilliant and patient, as were council tax actually (damn....can't slate them too much then....!) The fact I had just £67 tax credits plus child benefit to live off each week wasn't their problem apparently because it would all be backdated. That helped last Christmas...not! Thank the lord for understanding parents who constantly had to lend me money to live on.

Just spoke to ex and he is lovely, he was just worried about maintenance payments and I told him the little that I knew, that I didn't plan to go to the CSA as he is willing to pay and I know he will, so there is no need for a 3rd party. He's injured himself at work but they are being arsey with him (Royal Mail.....utter gobshites) and he is worried about taking time off, but as I said, if he needs to go off and get better then he has until March to do so - he has time (hopefully) so not to worry.

That's one less thing to worry about then!

Gah, sometimes it helps to just do a brain dump doesn't it!

xx

Brian i too feel your pain!

Renewed ours a few weeks ago, sent everything I needed to, got a letter back saying 'Could you please send in wage slips for the 9th of Sep?' . Guess what! I already bloody had and they had sent them back. So I sent them back with a note saying ' I have sent the relevent forms back to you, it seems that you didn't check my forms properly last time' .

They sent them back and then wanted something else that i had previously sent. . I sent them every bloody thing I could find, plus a shitty note asking telling them to look properly this time because if I have to send anything else back then i would expect them to pay for postage! I got a apology and a refund of £1.85 ?!? for postage!

Councils are arses!

Anyone want a 4yo boy?

If he is not either asleep or taken away from me soon, I fear I may ahve to lock him in a box!

We've learnt now whenever we make calls if we get one with a shitty attitude, say thank you hang up and redial. The next person is usually far more helpful. One arse kept saying and? To everything dp said.
He also got a vile advisor when he went in for a review a few weeks ago, told him since he could get in for a meeting she was putting him on the task force scheme, 30 hours per week shelf stacking in £land. Starting the day before his knee operation, no he couldn't have time off for the operation she'd stop all money, she was just spiteful, luckily it was dealt with by someone else and he's not seen her there since. --hope she got the sack--

Cake anyone? I sure could use some.

A huge group of local idiots, have a huge bonfire on the green behind our house, throwing fireworks into it. I've rang 999. Its less than 15ft from my house, my trampoline and kids toys are in between that. Normally I ignore but they are not setting them off wonky dp just saw one fly off into the woods.