Reports of Zombie's demise...

[IamtheZombie]

have been greatly exaggerated. She may be a wee bit battered and bruised, but she bends and doesn't break.

Most of you probably know her back story but, for those who don't, here's a very brief recap:

The last 2 1/2 years have been absolutely horrendous: family crises, a breast cancer diagnosis and 20 months of treatment for that, bereavements and sorting out her late MIL's estate. As you can imagine, she found it a struggle at times.

Just under a year ago, DZOH began an "inappropriate" on-line relationship with a woman he "met" playing scrabble on Facebook. At the time he was spending most of his time at his mum's house in Nottingham sorting things out and putting it on the market. The on-line relationship fairly quickly progressed to a full blown physical affair. The woman lives in Wales and he would pay her train fare to come to Nottingham to see him. Zombie was fully aware of everything that was going on and tried to do everything she could to save her marriage. He left Zombie in mid-February, first staying in Nottingham before moving in with her in mid-March. He continued to come back to DDS to take Zombie to her hospital treatments. In mid-May he started making reference to coming back to her. He finally did so in mid-August. Two weeks after he came back they went to Kos for a fortnight. Halfway through the holiday he told her that he was leaving as soon as they returned to the UK. Which he duly did on Friday, 13th September.

Zombie went through all the trauma, drama and devastation between October and August. That is behind her. She's relieved that that it is finally over. A few nights ago she realised that she was sitting here completely relaxed and smiling for no reason. It's as though an enormous weight has been lifted from her.

She's currently packing up his belongings, deciding what she needs to replace, etc. He will come with a man and a van in a few weeks time to remove everything. There are obviously other pracicalities to be sorted out but they are doing so in as amicable a manner as possible.

Can Zombie please ask those of you who are Facebook friends with her NOT to say anything publicly on there about any of this.

Onwards and upwards.

Can you make do with this until Zombie gets the chance to get to the market, soleil?

www.brownscheese.com/files/the-perfect-cheese-platter.jpg

I am in cheese heavenZombie Praise the cheese Lord!

sansoleil - my mum and dad were playing bridge so they say with me in bed when JFK died. But it was in South Africa.

I was just two years old pretty there is only an hour difference I think? no reason to disbelieve them as my mum was winning!

I'd have been 2 too - just over two and a half to be precise.

mumsnet Irishtwins pretty!

I was not alive when JFK was assassinated; but I do vividly remember what I was doing when President Sadat of Egypt was assassinated! I think I was just coming into some level of understanding of the Middle East etc. problem, and politics etc, and he seemed like a good bloke who might help things, and then he was killed.

The only other major event I remember is the planes going into the Twin Towers; I was at work and my boss called me to come and see the news. :(

Did someone say cheese? One thing that has made my life in Australia more acceptable is persuading my local supermarket to stock Boursin - there is nothing that comes close to it in its garlicky splendour.

Zombie that cheese link is divinely, droolingly delicious

Oh no, is Zombie posting about cheese again?

Even posts about cheese are bad for Doctrine's waistline.

Evening all.

Zombie is glad that you are all enjoying the cheese. For dinner tonight she is having a selection of cheese, mushroom pate, grapes and crusty sourdough bread that she will heat in the oven for a few minutes.

She's also going to have a fire tonight as she is chilly despite 4 layers and having the heating on.

Zombie had her new Sky+HD box installed on Thursday. She had managed to lose the card (at least she assumes she lost it as an unopened envelope from Sky had gone missing) so the engineer ordered her a new one.

It arrived yesterday. She duly inserted it and rang Sky to activate it. An hour later it still wasn't working. She pulled it out and realised she'd put it in wrong side up. She put it in the right way and went online to activate it herself. Still didn't work and eventually the error message said it was the wrong card.

Bugger, she thought. The missing envelope must have been something else and this was the original card (which would have been cancelled as soon as the engineer ordered the new one). So she resigns herself to waiting for the replacement card to arrive. She could still get BBC1 HD so Dr. Who was safe.

This evening she idly selected on the channels that needed the card to work and hey PRESTO it's working!!

Evening All
First Newsflash that enthralled me was The Seige of The Iranian Embassy-I had an Iranian boyfriend and was learning Farsi at the time.
Black pepper Boursin is the dog's cojones for me-really lipstingingly good!
Hope Zombie enjoying Who-fest and will make a good recovery
I am pretty bored with the tv so may listen to my new Pink Martini album

Hope Zombie enjoyed Doctor Who. Does Zombie also enjoy bitching about Strictly?

pretty I have bitched all night about strictly and am watching the spoiler threads from half-ten onwards
I love Craig's consistent judging and hope he kneecapped Darcey under the table with his crutch!
HopeZombie is warm and enjoying hot toddy

I will be watching the Dr Who show tonight at 7:30. I was not aware, and wouldn't have got up for it if I had been, that it was on at 6:50am, in the simultaneous worldwide transmission event (HOW good is Dr Who that they managed to get that sorted? 75 countries, apparently, across the world, all transmitting it at the same time ). I look forward to seeing it tonight :)

sansoleil - if you're on Facebook, you can PM me and join in the BitchPod Strictly sessions. We're currently sidetracking into a WhoPod session.

Now that might just tempt me onto facebook pretty

Zombie was very much enjoying Dr. Who. Then one of her stepdaughters rang. Good thing Zombie was recording it as well as watching it. She'll rewatch the entire programme tomorrow.

Strictly has lost most of its appeal for Zombie, prettybird. She now only tends to watch the semi-final and final.

Zombie is now nice and toasty soleil. The fire has been roaring for a few hours. She's on the straight whisky tonight and will probably try to have an early night. For Zombie that means before midnight!

Oh, yes, FB. Zombie has accepted your friend request, prettybird.

I love my stepdaughters dearly but they do tend to phone all manner of weird,random and time-zone incongruent times.Bless them

Not sue which I enjoy more now Zombie - the BitchPod or Strictly.

Actually, I do know: the BitchPod. The bitching constructive commentary is great fun

I have become so deluded that I think I am a way way better judge than yah yah Darcey! does this make me a good fit for Bitchpod?

And don't get me on Sophie's inappropriate hair spoiling her'line' !!

Nah sorry Zombie, I think you just want an excuse to keep glugging the whisky, I would suffer horribly the next day if I did that.

Cheese isn't the best thing for a cold, but I wouldn't take my own advice on that one

Really chilly night here too but watched To Rome With Love and really liked it, very funny, Woody Allen usually leaves me cold, haha. And Rome is just fabulous.

Zombie is being very careful to maintain a good relationship with her step-daughter. Oddly enough, this is the one she thought would be delighted to kick her into touch and the one she thought would keep in touch hasn't said a peep. Ah, well.

Zombie will have a read of the BitchPod, prettybird. She'll join in when she has something witty to say appropriate.

Bewitched, you know Zombie too well. You're right about the cheese, dairy increases mucus production, but she really fancied it. She's got an Olbas inhaler and Benylin Mucus cough stuff so hopes she'll get away with it.

I watch Roma over and over again also Roma una Citta Aperta so will def try to watch the Woody Allen
You are right dairy is really bad for colds and whisky quite sickley

Steam Steam Steam

Buona Notte a Tutti

Ciao Sole!

Oh well, the olbas will cancel out the cheese and will whisky will mean you don't care anyway

I've heard Benylin and vodka is nice!?

One of the things that continues to amaze me is how surprising people can be, good and disappointing in equal measure.