West London (rest of) Sept 2007 thread

[mellow2]

For when the August thread runs out.

another vote for Kew here too - great idea Paddle. We can check with her whether she already has membership but I vaguely recall that she doesn't.

sfx/pc - I'll blame you for this cold I'm coming down with then!!

The memory of 2cute's utter devastation will live with me forever. But his legacy with certainly live on - he had a full life in such a short time and I'm going to make sure I make the most of my life and stop worrying about silly little things. So my house is a mess but what do I care??

I think the Kew membership would be a good idea - would 2Cute be able to get there easily?

KC - meant to say, yes the paypal address is the same as the email address that you have for me. Thanks

not overnight surely! tend to agree with CoV it's prob the weather.

2cute drives and I'm the same as QC, I vaguely recall she doesn't have membership.

I'm going to call her tomorrow and arrange a time to visit either over the weekend or on tuesday next week. will mention it when i see her.

If you agree Sunday, I could come too if you don't mind me muscling in (sometimes more is better). Alternatively invite her to Kew Saturday morning if she's prefer to come out.

I'll transfer money tonight MrsR.

okay, dilemma and i need opinions:

work is crazy at the mo. my role has been re-defined and it's a struggle getting up to speed.

i have been offered a course and i want to do it so that i can start feeling like i know what i'm doing!

it's 5 days and the final day is dd's 2nd birthday.

if i refuse the course it won't look good at work.

if i miss dd's birthday i will be gutted. also i think i've already told my mother i won't need her that day.

i can't miss the final day so it's either do it or not do it. there's another course in november but as i said, i'm lucky to have got the october one and it won't go down well if i knock it back.

lose/lose scenario eh.

what would you do?

what time does the course start and finish?

by the way Kew fab idea for 2cute . I'm dounut deprived here!

paddle - I don't think kids know which day is their birthday and you can make a fuss of her and have a party the following day, just do the course and don't feel guilty.

kew I agree 2 is probably good as you can take turns at practical stuff such keeping kids busy, wash coffee cups etc.

I knew this would happen but dh has gone all down and despairy puts me in mind of fave Ustinov saying

"I am an optimist, unrepentant and militant. After all, in order not to be a fool an optimist must know how sad a place the world can be.
It is only the pessimist who finds this out anew every day"

ahem! i think it was my idea

it's in Farnborough so am thinking I can commute even if others are staying over. prob 9 - 5pm.

i know she won't know it's her birthday, i will tho!

there's a big family party on the sunday as my sister is coming over etc so she'll get some presents and a cake then.

had intended to have a small tea at my place on the friday so perhaps i'll shift that to the Tuesday which will be my day off.

ooh the guilt of the working mother eh!

ps: quokka, do you dream about KrispyCremes? when's your birthday? i wonder if they do S'pore deliveries!

sfx, i like that Ustinov quote. I think it quite suits me!

ah, i just re-read your post quokka and realise that you weren't crediting KewCumber

sorry!

i'll shut up and do some work now then eh!

fgs! The nearest Krispy is Hong Kong - yes I have researched!

Just about to book this course (I think), this will be the first me time I've had for 5yrs!

you shouldn't feel guilty pc you can still have b'day cake when you get home and huge celebrations over the weekend. And yes I'm feeling the guilts going away to do this course but I know I shouldn't!

Hiya

Paddle brilliant idea about the Kew membership - we can all put in a couple of squid extra if she'd like to be a member. Its easy to drive to Kew from Twicks and she can park anywhere apart from 10am-12 noon so she could have some really lovely times with her DS there if she's up for it.

Thanks for saying you will call her too - try and find out if there is anything she needs which we can provide/help out with.

Regarding your work, I would go on the course as you are clearly feeling under pressure at work. DD won't know which day her birthday is - she will think it is on the Sunday when she has her party. If it were me, I would use her birthday as an excuse for an extra special tea with sone cake so she gets to blow the candles out twice - once when you get home from work on her birthday and again at her party!!

Hi everyone else - hope you are all well. Time to get the winter tights and gloves out I think!!

check this out makankings.blogspot.com/2005/10/krispy-kreme-doughnuts-harrods.html

maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but some day Krispy Kreme will come to S'pore!

and it might already have come to KL by the google searches i just did!

pc - I missed dd2's 4th birthday for a date with Will Young !! I booked tickets for his concert and forgot it was her birthday. I went with dd1 (a big fan as well) and dd2 really wanted to come but was just to young. She didn't mind - she had a lovely party at the weekend and she hasn't remembered it (she's 6 now!). Go for the course.

such a tease!

thanks ladies. i've accepted the course. i made a "light" comment about missing dd's birthday so they know i'm prioritising work.

will make sure i get 2 days off the following week as well

now i really ought to actually DO some work LOL.

foxie & QC will keep in mind when i speak to 2cute.

Q, well i know Harrods was your local "dealer" so i thought you'd like it

jeezuz i just had a £300 council tax demand.

after applying for single person discount in august they wrote and said they would backdate this and repay the overpayment.

new account, old account closed etc. only they never asked for a new dd mandate!

so haven't paid anything since end july

just had a points scoring excercise with the woman on the help line on how she's a single working parent of 3 but still manages to check her bank statements.

FFS! clearly it's all MY fault because they never switched the DD over correctly - which she has admitted!

AND there's quite a substantial amount owing to me from the overpayment. it took 6 weeks to get H to meet and sign the instruction and then I stupidly forgot to sign it myself!

they didn't mention that I could just ask for the overpayment to be credited to my new CT account. so my letter said to repay into my bank account.

if i want it changed then i have to get H to sign another letter to that effect.

fat feckin chance of seeing him again for months and months.

at least she has agreed to return my letter so i can sign it and send it back. then when i get the overpayment refunded i can use some of it clear the arrears.

i feel like i live in the middle of Jeremy Kyle meets Eastenders meets Coronation Street sometimes.

thank feck Brookside isn't on anymore!

Oh Paddle you have had a run of bad luck.

But I agree about the course (which is just as well as you've already agreed ), just keep reminding yourself that she won't know any different. And just think that I missed out on DS's actual birth day (I was on a directors awayday in a different continent). In 10 yrs time when you are director of IT in a global bank it will seem worth the sacrifice

kew membership is a great idea

lol, kew, it's the marathon of bad luck me-thinks!

i've given 'em some dosh to keep 'em quiet whilst it gets sorted.

honestly i think this is how people end up on the streets, you just get so hammered trying to sort everything out that you miss things and it ends up costing a fortune.

i am just desperate to move and get my affairs in order so i know where i stand. then i can sort out my working tax credits and possibly get some help with childcare costs etc. if H fails to pay me this month then that all might have to happen sooner.

i suppose i can get HB whilst i'm renting but doubt i'd get any mortgage assistance. altho, i wouldn't need it if i could get childcare assistance.....

scary vision of the future eh! can't i be an earth mother living in NZ or, failing that, Cornwall knitting surfboards and teaching dd to commune with slugs?

Paddle, you did the right thing re the course. And of course your career advancement has benefits for her too. So remember that you are going on this course for her benefit and not in spite of her.