Tea Room the Tenth: Tea and cake and rock and roll

[MadBadandDangerousToKnow]

Welcome back to the tea room.

In the search for the perfect venue, we have now decamped to a rambling country estate. The once-decaying castle, now restored, is a boutique hotel, popular with rock and roll gentry and visiting bishops, and the tea room (which never closes) is located in a tastefully converted barn. The charming garden contains a duck pond and ends in a haha. We need the haha, of course, to stop the bison trampling the herbaceous borders. Mellors the gardener is, as ever, in charge of the grounds.

Please come and join us for a celebratory drink.

Hi there Orangehaze. Good to see you. Tell us about your name - is it an hommage to Jimi Hendrix? (See, I can be a w@nker too ).

I'm really excited that we have so many new people here (just so long as you're not all stringers for the Dismal Mail).

I tried to post this afternoon to say that I nearly snorted Evian over the keyboard when I read Daisy's remarks about Amber leaving Mellors' dongle alone. Really. What sauce!

I too am very impressed by Mary's trestle table - it's a trestle table as William Morris might have made it. I have no TEFL qualification so will just hang around near it, hoping to pick up some wisdom. I am a member of two book groups, though.

Is there any Bolly left? And has Daisy eaten all the twiglets? Again?

I've just been looking at profiles - what beautiful children we all have!

I seldom look at profiles but you've made me go and look, gymbunny. Your dd is a poppet!

Aww thanks! She's obviously the most beautiful child ever -no bushels in the tea room! And bizarrely the only ginger strawberry blonde in her entire RC school .

Well, she's jointly the most beautiful child ever, with MadBadBaby, Wriggle, Kittenito, DaisyBoy, Milk, Boy, Jackbaby ...... the complete tea room roll call!

The colour on this screen is a bit orff, but I thought she was a redhead in best Pre-Raphaelite tradition.

oh noooooooooooooo - where is miniThumb in your roll call, MadBad?

Am not fit to be in tearoom....

And I have a TEFL qualification too....

welcome orangehaze btw

Zut! I knew I'd forgotten a few names, hence the .......

Awww thanks MadBad...

That's a really nice thing to say about mini-Thumb - I love that painting too.

Welcome newbies! It's just been "the regulars" for a while now... it's wonderful that you've jumped in and joined us.

And I want to say that I am completely real -- and so is the wine glass by my elbow.

I didn't get to post anything else earlier because Jackbaby was having a strop, but it's been a crap few days. Business is quite slow right now, which worries me as I'm going away for two weeks next weekend (taking JB to my mum's). I am so looking forward to it but I wish it didn't come with the financial worry of no income for two weeks. Ah, the joys of being self-employed.

And I think I have PMT - feeling awfully emotional and a bit fragile. JB woke up at 5 am today. Thank God I am married to the nicest man in the world - Jackspapa got up with him and entertained him so I could sleep for a bit longer. But he had to bring him back in at 6:30 am so he could get ready to go to work and Guess Who didn't go back to sleep at all... we went to StrongStart this morning (a free program run by several of the Langley elementary schools, it's like a preschool program but not as rigid, you can drop in as you like and it's free. I was mainlining coffee but it wasn't helping and couldn't face a morning of trying to entertain him myself, so I thought StrongStart would be good, and it was. We came home at noon and by 12:30 pm he was asleep... as was I shortly after and we woke up at 3:45 pm!

So the world is looking a bit less tired anyway... but I'm still not in a good mood. Re the competitive mummy thing - I'm friends with one of them. As it happens, she is not my closest friend, but she is the one we hang out with the most, and just lately I have found myself wanting to punch her a few times when she gets into "bragging mummy mode". I said that JB woke at 5 am today and she said smugly, "oh, DD slept until nine"!! FFS!!! Why rub that in when I've not just got bags but cabin trunks under my eyes and am clearly near the end of my string?? And she's always comparing her DD's accomplishments with JB's... and then smugly saying "of course boys speak/toilet train/do everything slower than girls" and adds comfortingly "but JB will get there". Fuck me (sorry for bad language ) but how did I keep from flooring her?? Probably because she's 30 weeks pg and hitting pregnant women is considered uncool... aaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!

So I'm feeling a bit depressed. And I don't know if any of you saw the thread about Dizzymare ... that's hit me hard, I haven't been able to stop thinking about her and I'm so sad.

Welcome orangehaze. It is very exciting to hhve all these new people here to bore chat to.

JM Sorry you are feeling lousy. I hope your hormones behave themselves tomorrow. In the meantime I have a lovely Spanish red wine if you would like a glass.

As for the nursery thing. I think I mentioned that Kittenito goes to a social security nursery. This is one of the perks of my job, along with a pension and free health care. I pay contributions through work ( a bit like national insurence). It's different than the UK in the sense that the social security is not universal, you only get it if your employer subscribes, and not all employers do.

Anyway, I explain this as a way of explaining the mentality of the system. It's very much a "one size fits all" kind of set up. They have their rules and all must follow, regardless. If Kittenito desn't manage to potty train they won't kick him out or keep him in the 18mo-2 year room, they'll just keep pushing until he gets it. I don't think any of the children are traumatised by this generally. The staff are generally lovely and Kittenito absolutely loves it; to the point that pratically runs to the door when I tell him its time to go.

Still, I do wish sometimes I was in the UK where Parent Power counts for something and all are shocked to learn that such things can be imposed on you and your children.

Don't get me started on how they treat you once you are in labour. Think the 50s and go from there....

I mean, the NHS in the 50s... sorry.

Hello ladies,
went to bed after Peep show after 2 too many pinots, sorry. "Orange Haze" is indeed paying homage to Jimmi Hendrix, mixed with the lovely orangey glow you get from Autumn.

A bit about me, well I'm a 32 year old married Mum to one DD, who is 3 and just started pre-school, so it feels like I've come out of a long dark tunnel to the light on the other side! I'm an ex art teacher with no desire to go back to working in teaching.

I've followed MN a bit over the years but, to be honest always been too shy to introduce myself.

I'll get back to making a batch of bucks fizz for us all.

x

In the tradition of the tea room (I have noticed) I'll introduce DP rellaman and DD babyrella (aged 3 but indulge me, it has a ring of Barberella about it). Pls include us Madbad in future roll calls! Welcome Orangehaze! It's been the week for us newbies!

I went to bed v early last night so i'm afraid i missed my chardonnay gym! (any colour and any variety is good with me!). mmmm fresh coffee? yes please. I brought some freshly baked croissants too.

Catita, where are you based? I've been longing for a life overseas though take on board the pro's and con's!

Jacksmama, hope you're feeling better, tired/fragile/pmt - i can relate, hope you had a decent sleep. {hug} I'm not self employed but my sister is and well aware of the stresses that come with it.

Haven't had chance to look at profiles much less include anything on my own but will!

must dash

I think I might dodge any more roll calls, because of the perils of inadvertently missing anybody off. As part of my introduction I should have explained that I am Very Old Indeed and my memory is not what it was. Who was it who said that their Dad used to play Hotel California in the car? That was the soundtrack of my yoof.

I'm loving the family names,Linserella, but is this really suitable attire for a three year old?

Jacksmama - Oh dear about the smug friend. Although I remember I used to say that thing about "well boys do [whatever] later" to my friends who all had boys (weird statistical quirk) and who used to get anxious that MadBadBaby was doing things their sons weren't. I was trying to say (perhaps ineptly) that it was nothing to worry about. Would a shoulder rub from Mellors help? Somehow, I think it might.

Ah! An important question for our wonderful new customers in the tea room. The Tea Room: The Movie project seems to have stalled recently but, once we get going again, who will play you?

I know it's a bit greedy, but could I have 2 people play me, if so I'd like to be played by Felicity Kendal and Penelope Keith in a "Good Life" stylee.

I relate to both

Tee hee! I like that idea. A bit like I'm Not There where Bob Dylan is played by six (I think) actors including Cate Blanchett. This is going to be an Art House Movie.

Years ago, a colleague told me I was like Margot.

JM - with you on DM's thread - so sad. I can't read it without sobbing.

Sorry you're having a crapola time of things - our life has jsut got a tad harder here as Mr.Thumb's strange antisocial brother has turned up. He is Trouble, especially when he drinks. He's been here just over 24 hours and MrThumb is already desperate for him to leave again. On the good side, it has rather expedited our search for relevant equipment for the house so we can move in asap.

Afternoon, I feel terrible. Had 3 glasses of wine last night, not unusual for me on a friday night, and went ot bed at midnight, but I feel like I've been downing vodka shots till 5am. I've just eaten and am now feeling that I won't throw up. gymhubby took gymgirl to the shop to buy a new hoover (oh the glamour) and I tried and failed to have a lie in.

jacksmama - that friend sounds sooo annoying, you did well to not say anything.

Ah, the movie project. Who would play me? I shall poonder that while we go out to buy gymhubby a bike for his birthday....

Good morning all! Just got to work and am taking 6.2 seconds to myself before having to be all and for my patients - when really I could happily be curled up with a blanket on my adjusting table reading a book [fantasy emoticon].

You're all so very nice. Thank you for indulging my rant - I have been really down the last few days, and Jackbaby has been a normal toddler (or perhaps sensing my mood and feeling unsettled by it) and I have found myself really struggling to keep calm a few times this week. Unfortunately this is the usual PMT crap that hits me every month, some months are better than others and this one isn't so good. Oh well. I have to say that I can cope more easily with this than the physical symptoms I used to get before I had JB - my breasts used to blow up to impressive proportions but be so incredibly painful that they hurt when Jackspapa so much as looked at them. That was bad.

BTW, happy birthday to gymhubby!

how lovely JM!
I met Mr.Thumb when he answered an ad in the paper for a Room to Let. That was in Jan 03. He came round, liked the look of the place, moved in 2 days later. We hit it off as friends and did things like going to the pub and going shopping together, and then started involving each other more in social activities - I wouldn't say it was sparks, but it was a very deep bond growing - then we and his cousin got Verrrrry drunk on his birthday and we ended up snogging (how beyootifully teenage that sounds!) while his cousin was out the room.
But - he was due to go back to Australia 3 weeks later, so we had a couple of days of humming and hawing over the worthwhileness of it all... and then decided what the heck.

So, for the next 3 years, he went back and forth between Australia and the UK; I went there for visits twice; and we got married and had mini-Thumb in 2007.

gymbunny - either you are now officially a lightweight or your wine was off! Happy b'day to gymhubby as well.

-----

Happy birthday bunting for gymhubby! Is it today? Or do I need to roll up the bunting and bring it out again in a few days' time?

I met MadBadBloke when we worked in the same place and I bounced (his word, not mine, I never bounce) into his office. Yep, an office romance. Except it took us years to start any romance - until then he was my best but definitely platonic buddy. Think When Harry Met Sally and you've pretty much got it.

Gymbunny - I too have lost my capacity for booze. Except, of course, in the tea room, where I drink like a fish and never feel the effects.

So, it's Saturday night. Strictly Come Dancing starts in a moment, so I've set out a buffet of fresh crusty rolls (straight from the aga), rather good ham, a selection of cheeses, olives, the last few tomatoes from the greenhouse, cracked black pepper crisps and (tea room favourites) twiglets. And grapes in all forms - fruit, juice and the products of fermentation!

The glitter balls are spinning and Mellors is on the dance floor. Enjoy!

Linserella You might have gathered from Jacksmama that I live in Mexico. In the northern Atlantic side near the border with Texas.

JM For entertainment value, I like to say that I met Mr. Hatita in prison, which is true in a sense, but also a bit fat lie in another.
What really happenned is that I went to study in Mexico City in 1999. As the subject of my studies was, as ever, history, this involved much visiting of archives. I hung around the national general archive like a bad smell for months. This archive used to be the most famous prison in Mexico, built by the dictator Porfirio Diaz at the end of the nineteenth century and used for politcal prisoners until the 70s. I met him in the colonial archives when I was trying unsuccessfully to pull a chair from under a desk (they were jamed in). He gave me hand (or rather a foot). Apparently he'd seen me around (I tend to stand out being white). We got chatting, I decided he was rather nice so on the next chance I got I convinced him to go for coffee. We got together a few days later and decided to marry about a month later after having named our future children. Sickening really. We married for visa reasons, strictly speaking, but in the end I think it was a wise decision given the disances involved. It convinced both our families that We Were Serious and not just being silly.

My mother's only comment was to ask if there weren't enough men in Britain to choose from. My dad grumbled and said he always knew I was a wierd 'un and this was the kind of thing he'd been expecting all along.

Awww Catita - how sweet.

Tea Room seems rather quiet today.

It's a brilliantly sunny gorgeous autumn day today and I thought we might take Jackbaby to a pumpkin patch later. We'll see if it actually happens or if we'll just mooch around the house all day (which seems a huge waste of sunshine).

Took JB for a haircut yesterday. With judicious bribery a lollipop he sat wonderfully still and has a beautiful little boy's cut - short sides and back, a bit longer on top. His hair is blond and with his big chocolate brown eyes he looks completely adorable [besotted emoticon].
He had a play date at Grandma's so that DH and I could go to dinner at some friends' who've been pressing us to see their new condo in North Vancouver (about 45 mins drive from us, towards the mountains). We'd put it off and put it off because, although they are very very nice, they're also very very heavy drinkers and don't know how to take "no thank you, I've had enough" or "no thank you, I'm driving" for an answer. So we'd been rather dreading it - we've been to dinner with them twice before and both times we left with DH one of us quite fuddled with drink, which was nothing to the condition we left them in - absolutely blotto. Last night actually turned out not to be too bad - for a change I was only given exactly as much wine as I asked for (half a glass, I'd volunteered to drive). But the female half of the couple was already completely soused when we got there . To the point of slurring words . There was another couple there who I believe are close friends of theirs, and we sat on their penthouse deck which was gobsmackingly gorgeous. It's a 700 square foot deck with a south east view over Vancouver and Coal Harbour and a slight view of the North Shore mountains. Wow. We watched the sunset and moonrise and just stared and stared. Later we were kidding around saying "so this is how they other half lives" . Just to put things in perspective - the actual living space of the condo is the same as the rooftop deck, 700 sq ft. So with the deck, it's 1400 sq ft. And it cost her $900,000 CDN to buy. . When we left we just shook our heads - where we live, housing prices are quite inflated, but nowhere near to that point. Essentially, we could probably afford to buy the attic over someone's garage in North Van, LOL.