Crepeys Not Crêpes

[Cremolafoam]

Oi over here hags

Oh, I am just 48 and got my call up! I had one years ago for some reason and yes, it was very painful.

Oh ruby, you HAVE to come to the crepey pre-meet so we can raise a glass to our fellow crepey on her 50th!

Mintyy, how's your DD getting on at big school?!

For those who have not experienced it, they lay your bosom on a metal plate, then lower a clear plastic plate down on top of it and slowly crank them together until the boob is almost flat. Then it takes about 10 seconds for the x-ray. I remarked to the very nice lady who was doing my mammogram that this must be more painful for those with a small and firm bosom and she did agree with me. But still a walk in the park compared to the average smear I'd say.

Mintyy, that'll be why mine was so sore - small (and firmer back in the day!)

Yeah ruby, just leave them to it and of course your crepey friend would be very welcome

Wotcher Mintissima - how's your DD - is she with DD1 (or indeed with BTM's DS, who is at the school I believe you were after)?

Well, I personally am on for tomorrow - but where and when? Tell me and I shall turn up. Should it be just MrsS and moi, I'm quite sure we can drink for all of you .

DP is being vile grumpy at the moment. I think it's probably because of the end of his sabbatical. Frankly, I do not care. I would have quite liked 8 weeks off work on full pay, especially if I earned what he does. I am passiveagressively deflecting his attempts to pick a fight with me, not least because this annoys the hell out of him.

Today's work saga highlights involved patronising youngish HR dame explaining to me that freelance work is different from in-house and in-house gets more benefits. You don't say. I've only been freelancing for 11 years, after all, and am clearly as thick as her pigshit I pointed out icily that yes I do understand the way the ostensibly 'pro rata' freelance rate has been worked out (dividing the full salary by the number of working days in the year and paying me that) I just don't agree with it, as IMO 'pro-rata' means genuinely pro-rata, ie dividing the full salary sum by the number of days a contracted employee would be working in a year (25 days fewer, and thus over a tenner more a day). I am fully cognisant of the term 'benefits' and that freelancers don't get this; the fact remains that this rate has been worked out on the basis of someone working flat out without any breaks ever.

Came back to my desk and nearly cried.

Oh and she also pointed out that the market is 'saturated with skilled people'. Again, I'm clearly just lucky to have been picked out of the hat and obviously any semi-trained ape could do what I do.

MI, it must be difficult being freelance. And crepey

NDN has now asked DD (knowing I'm next door, as she is only 13) to watch her two while they pop to the school for a parents meeting tomorrow night - I am doomed, I fear Make plans with MrsS to suit you both as it is now very unlikely that I will be able to join you before I need to get to bed in order to manage the rest of the week!

Mintyy's DD is with your DD AFAIK MI!

Just had a lovely evening with DS telling me all about his new school/classes/friends, etc and then watching some random Steve Martin film with his running commentary. Must make the most of the good moments

She is a child and she works in HR... I know who I would rather be .....

Yes, she is with your dd MI. In form Y , and quietly getting on with it so far. The only beef I have with the school is that they will not accept ds in 3 years time.

My dh (freelance journalist) has just had a pay rise from one of his jobs for the first time in 5 years. He was quite shocked!

MI - we can discuss a plan of attack tomorrow night. I have a good track record of taking on the administration and winning - my union said that if they gave awards for this, I would get several. But my organisation is quite clueless at times.

I am hugely stressed at the moment and struggled to get into work today. (I mean physically through the door.) I thought I was going to burst into tears and couldn't breathe properly. I am so tired after my weekend shifts - I can take TOIL but my diary is so choc full with stuff that I can't really see when this is going to happen.

I may need alcohol tomorrow night, MI. Quite a lot of it.

DD1 is in form E.

I am a freelance journalist and rather wondering who invented writing anyway.

MrsS, it sounds like you are very stressed. Don't feel like you should keep soldiering on, see your GP and get signed off if it is affecting you this badly.

In retrospect I realised that I was massively stressed in a previous job (because of an AB, surprise, surprise) but kept soldiering on and it was AWFUL. It wasn't till I had started in my current job that I realised how much stress that AB had caused

MI and Mintyy, E-Y - how many forms are there in the yeargroup?!

BTM, there is one for each letter of the school's name. So 8.

OK, MrsS, where shall we go and when? We'll be spotted as the two dames, one tall one shortarse not so tall of Mature Years, dancing on tables as the night wears on.

Right, my meetings which are at Trafalgar Square should finish around 5. I then need to check in to hotel, which is where the muffin man is from (and coincidentally where my family lived aeons ago when they first came to UK), and am yours from then on. Shall I collect you around 5 on the way from the office, you come with me to Cheap Hotel to check in, and then we go and paint the town red? Or do you want me to check in first and then meet you somewhere? What think?

I have English O level too, Ruby.

Come and meet me after you've checked in, and we'll go on from there. Will ponder (cheap) options.

Gaby's?

Or Wahaca which is not quite as cheap but does mojitos

And do you think AB would appreciate a review copy of this as he doesn't have one himself?

at MI's reading recommendation for AB. Oh yes, MrsS, you should buy him a hardback copy of that and drop it on him from a great height on the day you leave for that exciting promotion that you are going to get. Have you applied to take that exam yet? (or did I miss some info, having some trouble keeping up, what with being v. busy with my red pen an' all).

I want to come out on Wednesday. I am tempted just to jump on a train without telling anyone and come back some time next week, having drunk London dry and spent several nights sleeping under art installations on the South Bank. However, dh has an appointment with the oncologist tomorrow and there will be Tests and Important Information and there will probably be Stress, so my presence is required.

I did another feeble little computer exam today and got 92% (yay). Just one more exam and then I will be officially qualified to do feeble little things on a computer - as opposed to unofficially qualified, which I have been for about 13 years. This is back-up in case all the freelance work I do normally disappears.

Re: mammograms - I will clearly have nothing to worry about in terms of discomfort - my bosoms are long and flat anyway. I shall just drape them over the plate and they will barely need compressing, frankly.

Mojitos.... you know me too well, MI. I will call you when booked in and done.