lol at everyone calling TFM's ex Twatman. I am proud of myself (preens grinning)!
Cats - oh yes, our longhaired one got shut out all night not many months after we moved in here. (I have my suspicions that DP had something to do with it, as, at that time, he was treating the cats the way he treats DD now - locking them out any opportunity) Anyhoo, I had flu, but staggered up and down the road, calling her and crying. Not a sign, so I staggered back and then heard a tiny mew by the front door. I suspect she'd hidden in the shrubs in the front garden, all night! But oh, the anxiety, picturing her tiny squashed body on the North Circular!
Lush, your nasturtiums. Blackfly. They LOVE nasturtiums. I don't grow them anymore. Tho if you grow veg, the nasturtiums make a good companion plant as the blackfly will live on them and leave your veggies alone. You can try washing them off with soapy water, or blitz them with chemicals! TFM's the best gardener here though, any advice?
TFM, so glad to hear DD's opening up. I always think, if they're able to ask questions, they deserve fair answers. I'm with what the others have said. You can explain that Twatman was absolutely wrong in his behaviour, but he is still her father and - in his own way - loves her. Trouble is, 'his own way' is horribly destructive and I strongly suspect she'll think of him as a toxic parent as she gets older. His 'love' is all about control - he doesn't really see you or DD as individuals - merely as possessions and extensions of himself. Wow, he's Soames Forsyte!
No GP appointment today. They had only just got their schedule set up, and have some weird appointment system. They can't give me an appointment for the day I want until tomorrow. Well, I'll be on the phone first thing! It has to be a Wednesday (DP's day off) otherwise I know DP will say he can't go, as he'll have to take time off and lose pay. I'm not letting him have the chance to make ANY excuses.
Had an horrendous morning, getting DD and a friend off to their first Glasto (may be their last!) They were due to go by coach, friend's mother paid for it, so I offered to drive them to the pickup point near us at 7am. Only there were no clear instructions as to where the point was, except J2 bus stop, Brent Cross. Any of you know Brent Cross? It's a nightmare of roads and flyovers. We drove round and round, couldn't find the side road where the stop was (having googled it and thought we'd located it) finally spotted it on the other side of the N Circ, but by this time the coach must have gone. Contemplated driving them all the way to Somerset, saw sense, booked them a train, went to the underground station, down escalator not working, they then got cold feet about trekking down the stairs and on to Paddington with all the kit they had to carry, ummmd and ahhed about getting friend's brother to drive them down. Friend's mother stopped that (good, as she and I had already paid out over £150 between us just for transport), and I MADE them go to Paddington, even went with them to help carry their tent and make bloody sure they got on the train!!!! Got the tickets, the seat reservations were in different carriages! I said well, they could always ask whoever was sitting next to them to swap. Confusing announcements about where to find the train, staff telling us one thing, tannoy and display boards another, all aimed, I suspect, at preventing a mass rush of hippies when the train pulled in, so I stayed with them until the train came up and saw them through the barrier. Got to work three hours late, and am now here alone as all the office have pushed off to watch the match!
Well, alone, apart from a half of lager. Because I'm worth it. ...
Oh, what we mothers do, eh? I just hope she enjoys Glasto. She can be very 'glass half empty,' my lovely DD, and I think if I hadn't shoved them on the train myself, they would have said sod it, and gone home!
And I would have half killed her for the massive waste of money!