Crepes and Mulled Whine in your pants

[Auriga]

Somebody had to do it

OH herbs

Cats do come and go in our lives but they are so...loveable. As well as being monumental pains in the arse.

He's 15, and I've had him since he was six weeks old. He's like a dog, follows me about everywhere, yowling, and as soon as my legs are one degree from the vertical tries to sit on my lap. He shits in my ornamental gravel. And now I feel so guilty for ever finding him totally irritating.

Oh dear Herbs.

{{herbs}}

Herbs

Being Irritating is what cats do, remember. It gives them quality of life. Seriously.

Lovely furry buggers

Oh Herbs :(

I am dreading the dog moment (which, despite being deaf as a post and covered in lumps, is a while off yet), because we had him months before ds was born and ds has grwon up with the smelly mutt.......

Oh Herbs, how sad. I guess it will be a life lesson for DS, but you will miss him.

Regarding pets; I have caved, and bought a Hamster cage on an Amazon Black Friday deal. The DDs will have to be content with a photo of a hamster until after New Year, as we are away immediately after Christmas.

And we have the class hamster coming to stay for the weekend. Until I read this thread, my biggest fear was the blasted thing escaping. Now I'm worried it is going to shuffle off while it's on our watch.

BTM - that cycle helmet thing is a nightmare. Fortunately at our secondary school, helmets are, if not trendy, at least regarded as acceptable, and we pass several helmeted youngsters cycling furiously down the A25 into town at 8.30am. I would go for zero tolerance and carpet-bombing with scary videos. Do his friends cycle? Can you go for a joint crackdown with other parents?

Gearing up for my Christmas shopping day at Bluewater tomorrow!

Ooh, ooh, I've got it! Get ds one of these. Dh has one which he uses sometimes - lots of cyclists, couriers esp, have them in case they have an accident so they can establish fault. You can insist ds uses it every day and you can therefore check he has his helmet on all the way to school by watching the footage. Plus, it's a gadget, which must be an Acceptable Compromise.

Herbs about cat. It is very hard - my childhood cat lived to be 19, but I still missed him desparately. Lovely furry memories though.

CV, rather you than me re hamster

The thing is, his route is pretty safe - all back streets with not many cars. Just the blasted Chelsea tractors doing the Dulwich College/Prep and Jags/Alleyns runs

Have fun at Bluewater

Bluewater...ahhh hell on earth.....

No, no, no, BD! It is great and shouldn't be too bad on a weekday

Oooh wilbur, just seen your post and link - I will suggest it to him - thanks!

DH is going to have another go at him tonight. And so am I.

I am thinking maybe we get him a new helmet as well as a new (second hand) road bike for Christmas. If that would encourage him to wear it.

BTM, Can you tell him you have loads of people you met on the internet along his route spying on him? And that we will run after him yelling about Mumsnet if we see him without a helmet?

Wilbur, I love that quote about the field too. And I got varifocals (or possibly multi or bi a while back, and they are fab, you don't have to faff around taking them on and off, which was making me feel old. It takes a few days to crack walking with them - or did for me).

lalsy He knows all about my MN addiction!

My focals are vari. Frankly, they're the least of my ageing worries...

Oh yes to varifocals : they have changed my life, although I now wear a serious look all the time as result.
Herbs I'm sorry bout your old kitty. We lost our wee cat a couple of years ago at the ripe old age of 23. She had lived with me in five different houses and died of fright the night out chimney caught fire . It was all too much for the wee thing.( nice firemen though)
It's terribly sad when you loose your faithful follower. I felt quite bereaved.
hoping for a good outcome .

I am done with the Xmas shopping. Just awaiting 2 packages now.quite relieved. All done from sofa although feel quite bad about Amazon after watching the panorama programme.

I've done no Christmas shopping at all, apart from a playmobil advent calender for DS. Each day has a different character to create a woodland scene. Awwww.

Just back from visiting the cat. He seemed in good spirits, wanting some loving, but his face is very swollen and he still can't see. He seemed to know where I was, though, perhaps via smell. Didn't see a vet, so no chance of talking prognosis. He's having a heart scan tonight.

££££££££££. Thank Christ for PetPlan.

DS also had his first ever after-school drama class. I was sitting outside, and heard a child crying, then his name shouted. I found out at the end that it was him, crying for me. Though by the end he was having a great time. It was a free taster, now not sure whether to sign him up or not!

BTM - my friend's son used to always remove his helmet round the corner from the house and various mothers from school would spot him and text his father. Spies along the route quite effective as described by lalsy.

Herb's - hope your Kitty pulls through - you make him sound like Bagpuss . I'd go for the drama class - sounds like he loved it once he got used to the idea.

Lalsy or threaten him that we'll shout after him about sex. Though the helmet cam may be the best wheeze.

Herbs, v sorry about dcat. Can't bear the thought of anything happening to ours and I speak as a former cat-hater, only reluctantly converted by dd. My DM was worse than I was. Just can't believe how much we love her now. We drink up all the affection and even quite enjoy being bossed about. Hope yours will recover soon.

Stropps, hope you are managing to work and that you get some sleep tonight.

Crem, good to hear your recovery is progressing and well done on Christmas. I haven't even managed sisters' b'day presents yet...

Herbs, what did he say about doing it again? And hope your kitty is OK.

Stropps, did the HoY do anything today?

Gah, HoY still didn't speak to dd. Truly, what is the bloody point, eh? Have rung Camhs and left a message asking about a referral for family therapy.

I have at least got some work done. And I have more coming in from a new customer. Also my area, so dh definitely can't do it and I don't want to turn it down, esp. as it's the first job from a client that first contacted me about a year ago. I can do this. I can. No, really, I can.

Head of Year is clearly a useless tit, Stropps. Can you go over his head, to the head (so to speak?). Yes, you can do the new work, Stropps. You know you can. And will do it well.

Herbs, poor pussy. I hope he has perked up in the morning. Love my pussies, their dear little furrinesses, their habit of fighting and leaving clumps of hair on the curtains and all over the sitting room floor, and dear Big Pussy who cannot sleep unless his paw is resting on my foot. Cats are wonderful.

I am going back to the dentist tomorrow and think he will take my tooth out. Am a bit fed up with this, and dull job.

Stropps YES you can

Ruby - I know..... Head explodes with pressure. I am so scared of making the wrong decision which is all tied up with a period when I didn't work (had made wrong job move and HAD to leave) and got majorly depressed...