Class of '18 still nattering.

[OhYouBadBadKitten]

forgot the old link hang on a mo...

In my first year at university I lived in a very traditional women's hall of residence where we ate breakfast and dinner together in a large refectory. We were supplied with a small glass of orange juice every morning, presumably to keep up vitamin C levels in even the vegetable-avoiders.

If anyone has read "An Experiment in Love" by Hilary Mantel, it was the hall on which Tonbridge Hall is based. Even in the 1990s it was still run by wardens and the meals were like school dinners.

Ellen That is true, but knowing DS the way I do, I knew he'd make an effort in a smaller flat but would be totally daunted by 11-15 new people and would probably just hide It stuck with us all when we were talking to the students at the Warwick Open Day, when one of the girls said that a boy had appeared in the kitchen to make toast over half way through the year, and no-one knew who he was, although he'd apparently been there the whole time. I could totally see that being DS.

I can understand that, doistay. Sounds like he made the right choice for him.

I hope so Ellen. That's what it's all about really, hoping they make the right decisions for themselves...that's the learning curve for me as a parent, as I've always been overbearing quite involved with his decision making. Finding it harder than I thought to be out of the loop

Hello all,

Good to read up on how they are all doing. Some of your posts have made me laugh. Especially the ones involving cooking.

I have booked a quick trip to Nottingham to see ds in early November. He is not coming home for reading week so if I don’t go in November I won’t see him until Christmas!

I have also booked his Christmas flight home. Is lovely having dates to look forward to.

He is a long way from home (12+ hour drive) and so can not come home for a weekend.

Downey I agree, it is so good to have dates to look forward to.
DD won't be coming home at all during term time. I'm hoping to pop down to see her for the day during my school half term, otherwise it's going to feel like a very long time.
Glad to hear you're able to get over to visit your DS in November too.
I live not far from Nottingham so if you ever need ideas for things to do in the area, give me a shout! (Although I'm guessing your DS has got everything pretty sussed by now!)

Dd not going back until the morning. No lectures until 3pm so she decided to have another night at home.

DS2 was very happy with his Monkman and Seagull book: success! The QI book also went down well. Luckily I guessed at getting book 2 of General Ignorance as he already has book 1 at his dad's. Thanks for all the suggestions, thank goodness for his quiz obsession!

His dad, my exH, has dropped a bit of a bombshell this weekend. As DS2 (ASD) has turned 19 and left FE, ExH has decided he no longer needs to see him EOW. I 'shouldn't make any plans without consulting him.' I'm gutted for DS2, DS3 will still be going there and my 'free' weekends are finished. Apparently ExH's house 'is not DS2's home.'

DS2 is completely unfazed by this, thank goodness, but I'm upset on his behalf.

Sometimes I have doubted myself and my self-esteem took a real hit following his affair and subsequent divorce. Then he does something as shitty as this and I realise that he's the dick and I'm actually a decent person.

Sorry for the rant.

Rant away Ellen. How mean!

What an arsehole Ellen
for you

Ellen so sorry you have an Arsey ex. I have one too so can relate. So sad that he feels he can’t be bothered with your ds :(
My experience is that men who were selfish in marriages by having affairs are ofte also selfish fathers who don’t invest time in their kids. I work with divorcing women as part of my role and see this pattern again and again. Am sorry you are having to deal with this. We all hate our cubs being hurt. How dare he!!!!!!!!

ellen I've heard this happen to other people, and it is always to do with money, as for some reason the ex husband doesn't see the correlation between his relationship with the child, and the financial support he gives his first family. Causes so much hurt. On a more positive note, the mean fathers in this situation did manage to rebuild good relationships with their children over next ten years. Often pressure from second family to cut back money/ties caused an impasse.

Ds1 rang us up immediately after Last Night's Dr Who episode with new Doctor. to tell us that it was bad, boring and too political/moralising. We have a telepathic "family" connection over Dr Who, but clearly over little else...We have been watching it with the children for so long, that it did feel as if he was missing, but I am actually relieved he wasn't there physically denouncing it, as I enjoyed it..I love the new Doctor. It is after all for the whole family and it is not meant to be that sophisticated..

It was lovely that he rang though, and lovely to have a son who was bursting to tell us his thoughts/opinions and interested to hear what we thought too.

Our food shopping conversations have become more genial too. He actually listened when I told him where the cheaper supermarket was, and said he was going to buy a bag of potatoes to make baked potatoes for supper with toppings so he could last the week on 30 pounds, with 20 emergency left for getting home etc.

ellen I am sorry. Your ex has proved who he is time and again but this is a new low.

nettles that is lovely. We hadn't watched Dr Who when dd rang so she was most upset that we couldn't discuss it. She wouldn't tell what she thought at all. That is a discussion for tonight.
She has been feeling a bit unwell over the weekend which I think is probably a reaction to the flu jab. She still has a hot, red, swollen lump on her arm but I have told her to take paracetamol and it should go away soon.

Doctor Who managed to cheer me up. Tim Shaw! Hilarious, we all loved it.

ooh, I am so literal, I didn't get that joke about Tim Shaw. I understood she was ridiculing him, but not quite how..
Looking back, the teeth were ultra silly weren't they, he looked revolting...
and ds was very cross about the dyspraxia references (he cannot ride a bike and he is dyspraxic and hated it being used as a "thing" in the plot)
Haudin It is nice to hear someone else's child likes discussing Dr Who!

I'm sorry Ellen, that's so pants.

I dont get Tim Shaw at all.

Me neither. I've google him and he appears to be an engineer and tv presenter from Sheffield. A bit niche.

DD has finally gone back today. Bit of an odd weekend as she is really quite ill in an understated way. She is still not sleeping properly, has a dry cough, and looks dreadful. She was going to get the train last night, after Dr Who, but hadn't packed so uhmmed and aahhed and then said she would go back this morning. Booked a train ticket, twice as she seemed to forget she had already booked it, then failed to get her arse into gear this morning then asked if she could be taken all the way to University rather than the train station. DH was waiting to take her before going on to collect paperwork for the business so we were hanging around in the way you do when you can't settle to anything as you don't know what is happening. She then blamed us for the fact that she hadn't gone back last night and couldn't understand why we kept asking if she was all right. .

They have finally set off and she has promised me that she will make an appointment with the doctor. Is Fresher's Flu an actual thing then?

Just after they had left the postman arrived with a parcel addressed to me and the dog containing a used mealworm bird feeder that smells a bit ripe. No note...

DD's best friend and her flatmates had it, another friend had it, and so did her boyfriend and all of his flatmates. Not eating properly, drinking in excess and not getting enough sleep doesn't help.

DD developed a nasty cold and went to visit her bf this weekend. He had just got over feeling ill, but now feels rubbish again.

So I would say that fresher's "flu" is a thing.

I hope your DD feels better soon Ursula

I've thought about the "Tim Shaw" thing and I think it is a sophisticated artsy London to engineering Sheffield TV luvvie joke

Ds1 said he had Fresher's flu last week as did most of his acquaintances (didn't really contact us during) and he is better now. I think he saved money whilst ill.

Ursula at least you know her flatmates will look out for her, and she is contacting you regularily anyway, but it is a worry isn't it.

now that we are past the smearing ketchup stage I am trying to buy some 4 new dining chairs that look good in a kitchen but are comfortable and not too clattery. We had 9 people to supper on Saturday and it was pitiful the collection of mismatched bedroom and study chairs we rustled up to seat everyone. I want to buy buttoned blue velvet but I am going to end up with something serviceable I know it. Anyone recommend a comfortable family kitchen chair that can look smart on occasion?

Ooo go for the button blue velvet and enjoy!!

We had missed a few seasons of Doctor Who as we are obviously a bit thick and couldn't work out what was happening. DD2 and I enjoyed last night though and could actually follow it.

Re Tim Shaw, my take was he was being all impressive and intimidating with his, 'I AM TZIM-SHAR' and the Doctor kept deliberately mishearing it and making it sound much more mundane, Tim Shaw, just an everyday, if slightly boring, name.

DEEP BOOMING VOICE 'TZIM-SHAR'
'Tim Shaw?'
'NO! TZIM-SHAR'
Zim Shaw?
Getting angrier, 'TZIM_SHAR!'
'Okay, Tim Shaw, don't get your knickers in a twist.'

Made me laugh, anyway.