April 2009 - Episode 13 - 'I've been looking for the exit for months!'

[Schulte]

Fanjo Warriors, here we are

Blimey, what happened last night???
It was like threads of 2 yrs ago, when we were all fat and fraught and posting like mad. Took me right back.

Shame I missed the fun.

Doughnut, let us know how the date drink(s) go.

re the meet-up, please do not arrange the date for me, as I now have an appt with a knee surgeon on Oct 18th, and if he is very scalpel happy I may not even be walking anywhere in December, let alone jetting off on low-cost weekends to London.

I can do fat and fraught. Well, I'm certainly not slim, and there's a wizzleping terrorising me and I've only got one cushion left to throw, so I'm definitely quite fraught.

OMG, I actually cross-posted with Zulu!!!! How long is it since anyone x-posted?

Have we all been lurking? Crawl out of that woodwork now, you lot!!

All too convoluted to sum up my life in a few natty lines, but here goes.

A is fun, very energetic & full-on. Words include "ciao!", "mumumum", "papa", DS1's name, "oh, no!" (said very emphatically when food has deliberately been splatted across the room/floor/my clothes), "brrmm brrmm", "caca" and "poo", "tea" (which confusingly means "water", "c'est ça", and a range of odd animal sounds. The word "duck" was once uttered with great precision, but has never been heard again.

DH has set up his own practice, and is working non-stop (in at 11pm, 12pm, 3am this week, and not home at all tonight as on call) to try and make a go of it.

Work is depressing as ever, even more so as the results of Sarko's grim reforms become apparent.

DS1 is v jealous of A, and I am starting to dread the post-school, post-work shift which I do alone each night, where he annoys and teases A to breaking point, and I flip my lid due to exhaustion.

I am bored, lonely and not looking forward to potential knee surgery as cannot see how it fits in with my single mum act.

Bet you wish you hadn't asked, eh? Oh, that's right, you didn't...

Blardy hell, what got into you lot last night?

Auld - sorry about knee appt, what's all that about then?

Right. So it's the 18th December for Christmas meet up somewhere near King's Cross.

So far the definites are:
Boff
Puzzle
Schulte
Bicnod
Doughnut

The maybes are:
Wriggly
Surprise
WFH
Gui
Gingersarah
Zulu
Auld
Kali (old habits die hard)
HarrietHoo
BabyBolat

(see what I did there? have I forgotten anyone? Probably, I'm useless, if so no offence meant etc, add yourself on)

So come on you maybes - say YES

Get your arses into gear then I can book somewhere early and we can all get excited and talk about what we're going to wear, how drunk we're going to get and make sure we book the babysitters...

haha - and i x-posted with you

Oh Auld, sounds like you're having a rotten time of it :( how are things between you and DH? Are you getting any support at all? What's your plan because clearly things can't go on like this if you're so unhappy. Sending you enormous un-MN like hugs.

But I've nothing to wear!!!!

Typical - trying to get work done and the FWs go mental.

Bicnod, I can't make your lovely Christmas do. But very jealous. Want to make it oop north next year?

Auld, nice to be crossing with you! Sounds like things aren't getting any better at home though. It's a difficult situation when your DH is just starting out in his business but you're bearing the brunt of stuff at home. Is there any prospect of his hours calming down?

Bollox Gui - you'd look good in a paperbag (I've seen you on FB remember). Come on, say yes, it would be so lovely to finally meet you...

Zulu :( I suppose that living in Scotland is sort of a valid excuse.

It's not really a valid excuse seeing as Auld was willing to come from the south of France . But while I'm enforcing a booze during the week ban and cheapo groceries I don't think I can justify a trip to London. Not fair!!! .

Perhaps I could get one of those nice stripy paper bags you get from old sweetshops? I have to see if I can blag transportation with Kaz.

I'll start planning for Edinburgh next year though

Ah yes, Kaz - must add her to the next list. Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeease come Gui pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeease

Ha! You are all lurking in ze woodwork

I have no plan, beyond hanging on for grim death in the hope that things settle down in a while and DH works more family-friendly hours. I daren't quantify "a while", though, as it's like staring down an endless tunnel of years during which I lead this dull existence.

Things between DH and me are just a little distant, really, as we never see one another and when we do we are both exhausted. I did ask him after he got in at 3am whether he had a mistress, but he looked so stunned at the question that I was clearly barking up the wrong tree.

Part of the problem is of course that he has to commute, which adds over an hour to his working day. I keep looking at flats in Marseille, and then trying to imagine us living there, the boys going to CM/school there, me commuting to work from there, and I just can't face the prospect of it. It's a horrible place. And if he's getting home at 10 or 11pm, then eliminating his commute makes no real difference to my childcare burden, while making my commute infintely worse does, IYSWIM.

The knee: I foolishly decided to show DS1 what the long jump was, as he didn't know. He now thinks the long jump involves taking off, screaming loudly, crumpling to the ground and being lame for months. I tore my meniscus and didn't get round to seeing my GP and getting an MRI for 3mths. Things seemed quite a lot better over the summer, perhaps because I didn't climb so many stairs every day when I was in Réunion. They are now not so good again, though not as bad as in the weeks after the ignominious cock-up accident. Hence the appt with the surgeon.

DH thinks the current pain is psychosomatic, due to me being a bit down after returning from The Holiday.

Ooh, yes, yes, yes!!!!
Meet-up in Edinburgh next year.
Poor, benighted Boff thinks it is a horrible place, and must be shown The Error of Her Ways.

Oh Auld poor you :( DH had a knee op a few years ago - do you have family/friends who can come and stay for a bit while you're recovering? you'll need time to recuperate without lugging small children around.

Is your DH happy with his current job situation? Do you think once he is working more family-friendly hours you'll definitely be happier? What did your long-term plan look like when you first got together? Sorry, I am the Spanish inquisition

Haha!! If Boff thinks Edinburgh is awful, bring her to Dundee!!

Bicnod, when we got together a long time ago, he did a very family-friendly job, so the question didn't really arise. When he began to take steps to change profession, which was when I was pregnant with DS1, he was hoping to get a job that was also fairly family-friendly. Except that plan failed. This was his default choice and the ramifications were unforeseeable.

He actually loves the job and is far, far happier in this profession than his previous one, which is great to see. The working hours tire him out and he is frustrated that he doesn't see us more. They are, however, part of the job culture and also necessary while he creates a client base and a name for himself.

I think that if he works less insane hours, we could be happy together again. There is also a degree of adjustment required on my part, as changing profession has also changed him - more than I would have expected. So I am getting used to the new DH, and it's weird and a bit hard after so long.

Re the knee, there would definitely be a long recuperation period after the op. My MIL would probably jump at the chance to come and stay for a week or so, but there is always the risk that I might just have to stab her or poison her coffee after a few hours days. My Mum would also offer. And my health cover may even include something like an "auxiliaire de vie" coming in and helping out with the morning and evening tasks. So it is perhaps do-able.

Zulu - a marathon? I can't run for a bus.

Oooh, you think it's a date too, Auld? Of course I'll let you all know. We'll need a post-date drinks analysis!

Auld, I love that A can say Ciao. So very continental.

I've never been to Edinburgh, but it's definitely on my to do list. But I can only imagine it'll be too cold for us English roses in December, surely?!

Auld, I'd forgotten about your MIL. Oh do invite her to stay - your posts are so entertaining when you're trying not to kill

English roses???
You've been reading too many threads about budlike labia, young lady!

It'd take more than a haar or a wee breeze off the Firth of Forth to trouble the Fanjo Warriors.

Hahaha, I had to identify more with AF's 'explosion in an abattoir', unfortunately. & I'm not as hardy as the FW title would lead you to believe. I'm a delicate waif!

I am still damp from Edinburgh 2008, I will have you know, so I am not ready for Dundee yet.

Although I get excited when I see pictures of James VI as I remember I do in fact regularly shag a royal (throwback, it has to be said).

Auld, you staying at mine for that weekend, or what? Can you get your knee done over here at the same time as my fanjo repair and then convalesce at mine so we can watch DVDs together and bitch about academe for a month??

BTW ladeez, remember not to name actual venue for meetup on here but instead on FB site if necessary.

Boff, that is a great plan.

I need to sleep on it, though. It is laaaaaaaate here.

Hand Made Gone Wrong Joy of joys, another mad website.

Beard Gallery

I think we've discussed this one, but it is a personal favourite

Only seven dollars for a 100% polyester nursing jacket with an Amazing Technicolour Cat motif? Now that's value for money!

wow busy busy

we have a house
a big house (well for us it is) so if anyone fancies a holiday in rural (its in the middle of bloody nowhere) then just shout. You're always welcome even if its just to stop me going mad

I'm liking the beards site. I like a good beard

Don't think I'll be able to make the meetup, too skint, too far and too many children

Bronze - I can't believe I left you off the list :( there's too many of us, I knew I'd forget somebody, so so sorry my lovely - are you sure there's no way you could come along? Very exciting about the new house - can you post some pics please?

Auld I'm liking Boff's plan - go on go go on