**TAMOXIFEN TEN***

[MaryAnnSingleton]

brand new shiny thread....our tenth !

Cake, did someone say?

Blimey, what an achey start to the day, but better than the last couple of days so I think I may be through the worst of the tax-truck effect. Now waiting nervously for ds to phone to say he's done two more of his A level exams without a) panicking b) running c) leaping about etc. Only one more to go after this, on Friday (hooray!). Then I need to help him sort out his kit for his trip round Europe with his (now) seven young ladies

Poor MAS - I'm glad I cant see the pictures, -they sound grim!

Smee - well done on the tickets, how exciting, and athletics too - that will be great

Topsy Ct scan is just lying there, you have to drink a jug of stuff they give you (usually some insipid flavour) over the course of an hour or so IIRC, so you'll be there a little while, but the actual scan doesn't take long, and is fine (The thing won't go over your head just in case have any claustrophobia issues )

Amber - good luck to your DS with his last exam, he'll be relieved they are finished. And well done to him for accumulating 7 young ladies to go to Europe with him

I had yoga this morning, and had a good boast to my friends about DD's result

And now a rant: We've changed banks after the Lloyds debacle. Now its HSBC. DH had an account, we've asked for it to be made into a joint account. I have received a pin number 2 weeks ago, but no card. So I ring them, I am on hold for 20 mins listening to Richard Clayderman's lounge bar arrangement of Chariots of Fire, over and over again. Eventually a woman from the right dept. comes on the line. I say

'I haven't been sent a card'

She says, 'Fine, I'll just have to ask some security questions'

first one - my DOB, - I get that right

next one 'Have you got a card on this account'
answer 'No that's what I'm phoning you about'

next one 'Can you tell me the details of the last transaction on your card'
answer 'No, Because I haven't got a card, so I haven't made any transactions'

Woman 'I'm sorry I have to terminate this call, you've failed the security questions. You have to go into the branch and set up a security package, [W.T.F?]
I said 'Why did you ask me impossible questions what was the point?'

'We have set questions we have to ask'

Jesus Wept!

Pass over some of that lemon cake quick before I lose my mind

at bank, Kurri. Kind of funny, but only kind of.. Have you celebrated DD's results yet?

Amber, glad you're feeling a bit better today. Cake's v.well deserved. Hope DS gets through okay. at no. of girls!!

Topsy, the CT's a cinch, but beware, as they put a dye into your system (not sure what - might be iodine). They do it as they do the scan, but it makes you feel like you've wet yourself. Seriously worth remembering. Nobody told me before hand and I was mortified. Huge relief when I got up to find no puddles.

Wonder how Pink's doing today?? Are you there Pink?

KK You have my sympathies. I am an ignoramus, but I am with HSBC and I fail the security questions every time. I end up doing every transaction out of my Nat West account and transferring funds over

Sorry that wasn't more encouraging....

smee - no one has informed me of this wetting myself business !
Eerrm , where do they insert the dye ???

And kk - I am sorry , but I laughed , lots , at your bank debacle . I have to say , I'm not very surprised at their attitude though .
Its all very "computer says no" isn't it ?

There's plenty of cake to go round , but I am now starting on the McCoys ridge cut crisps .

DS just got home from school with his school report . He has got a glowing report from his teacher , and top marks in everything (even his detested p.e !)
Might just not lock him in the cupboard this weekend as a reward

also at bank !! the Richard Clayderman Chariots of Fire made me snort
good luck amber's ds too

ooh,and well done junior topsy !

Oh KK, that's awful, but it's also funny . You couldn't make it up, eh?

TT, splendid re ds's school report!! No idea where they stick the dye, but I do hope it's nowhere too personal

Oh Kurri, the bank! am laughing, in danger of snorting my , but it is so typically frustrating, they are so C**P!

I think I had a ct scan and had an injection of dye in my arm, tiny little prick no bother......or was that the one where I drank some pretending to be "orange" flavoured drink....I forget, all hospital test merge into one

Well done topsy junior

Amber I hope these 7 young ladies are going to take good care of your ds, and not expect him to protect them all similtaneously in a very macho fashion, although I am sure he could pull that off.

I am laughing about it now, its taken a few cups of tea for me to regain my SOH

I have just picked a bowlful of salad leaves from the garden, and also some spinach to make a quiche, I do love it when I can start harvesting

Well done to Topsy Junior, is he looking forward to 'big' school?

Sparkle, I believe he is the Hired Bodyguard and Rucksack Carrier. Just as well he's a national prop forward for rugby, really...though I have vision of him staggering around Europe laden with 8 rucksacks and various bags of shopping...

Our veg harvest is still very naff. Need to go down the garden and stare at the veg until it behaves, I think.

at smee's 'wee' story

well done topsy junior

Woohoo - Dh has just won 2 tickets to Hard Rock Calling in Hyde park on Sunday, - Rod Stewart (DH's favourite), Adam Ant, Stevie Nicks, Rumer and many more. I'm excited

Adam Ant? Blimey I'd forgotten all about him. Takes me back to a Geography field trip and us all dancing in the aisle, singing 'I'm a dandy highway man..' on the coach.

Forgot to say, but Hooray for your smart boy, Topsy. He sounds fab.

• amber your boy sounds rather splendid too.

KK's dh has the magic touch when it comes to competitions !!
Celeste brought in a tiny sparrow -managed to retrieve the poor love from under grandfather clock- it looks as though I'm the only one in my family that is prepared to touch animals - he was ok and fluttered off outside...my cat Wilfrid never did things like this

I caught the neighbours cat coming home with a baby bunny in it's mouth the other day MAS .
The perils of living in the semi countryside I'm afraid !

On another thread, sarahstratton caught her neighbour's cat mauling what turns out to be a baby raven!!! He is quite hurt and is now becoming very accustomed to a cushy life with toys and everything. You have both been warned!! Prepare for houseguests!

Tickets sound fun, KK. And I think the weather is meant to be good

amber...hope your feeling better today.your ds is going to love his trip sounds so much fun.

smee...wow lucky you.

kurri...hope you got the bank problem sorted,what a nightmare.

topsy...well done to your little boy.they put the dye into your arm feels a little strange but its not to bad,i never had the wetting sensation just remember feeling a little dizzy but it didnt last very long.

mas..sounds like you have a little hunter.my cats passion in her younger days was mice had me running round the house screaming like a crazy woman locking the catflap a few times waiting for her to abandon the mouse in the garden cured her.shes 11 now and would rather snooze under her favourate bush.

off to get bloods done this morning ready for the onc tomorrow,cant see them going ahead with chemo monday as my right hand looks worse than ever all cream coloured bubbled and flakey.imagine a snake shreading it skin thats what my hand looks like.

oh pink,that's a bugger.
Am fretting about wildlife being mauled by Miss C - she doesn't seem to hurt them (so far) just proudly bringing them in for me to see.

pink - hoping your bloods go ok and that your hand sorts itself out soon .

mas - miss c is bringing gifts to you , her mistress ! You should be very grateful and praise her lots

Was up late last night as ds had his leavers mass at school . Ds is an altar boy , and was serving with the priest last night . Had a sticky moment when Father Brian asked everyone to pray for the family of a 42 year old man who had just died that evening from cancer .
Ds looked stricken . His first realisation , I think , that cancer can kill .
He was up on the altar , and I couldn't go to him .
I asked him afterwards if he was ok , but he just shrugged it off . I am sure we will be revisiting that subject soon

Its his last day at school today , and he has gone off with a carrier bag full of sweets for his class party and for the younger class that he prefects . He has his autograph book and a school shirt to be signed .
His class are all doing a trip to the cinema when they get out at 12pm today .
I think there will be a lot of emotional children , they are a close bunch .

oh my,poor ds -am sure it's something that will come up again and again.
Are you also a practising Catholic topsy ? I was brought up as one and went to Catholic schools- have fond memories of weekly Mass and Benediction at primary school. Am now very lapsed and my spiritual self is a combination of the Catholic bits I like and Buddhism- I have on top of my wardrobe a buddha with a small statue of Jesus and a large Virgin Mary

MAS, that's very ecumenical of you
Feeling much much better today, hurrah! though apparently my brain still isn't working very well, judging from the right old mess I've made of diary arrangements today. Oh well. No doubt people will cope!
Topsy, yes, leaver's barbecue at ds's school tomorrow and I think it'll be a really emotional time for a lot of them too.

Poor ds topsy. am also sure it will come up at some point soon.

Leavers' day excitement should help to push it to the back for mow: I hope juniors tospy and amber both have lovely days.

Dd loves her iPod and dock, and has gone into school happily with birthday chocolate for the class. We had a very sweet moment last night - i think I mentioned before that the lifeguards at the local pool all make a bit of a pet of her: she went for her swimming lesson last night and they had bought her a pair of flashing bunny ears for her birthday. Bless!

mas - not a Catholic myself , but dh very much is a practicing one . So as long as dh was willing to make sure the dcs practiced their faith properly , it was ok with me that they go to Catholic schools .

Ds is very into his church , they go every weekend and he serves as an altar boy and loves it .
Dd is much more ambiguous about it all . Goes because "she has to" . Rather than any deep seated religious reasons

I am more of a believer in some kind of Supreme Being .
I too take the things I like from different places .
There are too many things within the Catholic church that I disagree with for me to whole heartedly join in !

In general I'm a bit of an old hippy . Let everyone do/believe what they want as long as no one is harmed !
Live and let live I say !

Just been up to the school and retrieved a large bag of crap off ds . He relieved me of a pile of money and has disappeared off to Subway and the cinema with his mates .
Lots of 11 year old girls crying (and 1 or 2 boys !) . My hard hearted son just said "see ya" and off he trotted !