Page 27 | Crepes and Mulled Whine in your pants

MrsSchadenfreude · 05/12/2013 23:45

I took the bull by the horns today and emailed BB, telling her what I thought of my job, why I didn't think there was a job to do, and who could do it instead. I told her that I had been quite depressed by the whole experience. She, with her outstanding empathy and interpersonal skills told me I needed to "get a grip" and "snap out of it." However, she did listen and agree that I could move on to do something which is much better and more up my street after Christmas.

So, a result. She really is quite breathtakingly lacking in emotional intelligence. I told her I didn't have enough to do so was eking the work out over the days. She told me I should have done it quickly and "got it out of the way." And what should I do when I'd finished? E-learning or something...

MrsSchadenfreude · 05/12/2013 23:53

Love the dress, CV. Will really suit you.

My S & B news is that I bought a pair of fluffy fleecy pyjama bottoms from Primark this evening. They are red with Mickey Mouse heads all over them. I really should leave this thread now, shouldn't I? I tried on some jeans this evening and have come to the conclusion that I should wait until I have lost a bit more weight until investing in a new pair.

On the cat front (do we all have cats?) one of mine is very needy. He is sitting behind me on the sofa right now, breathing at me, and with a paw on my shoulder. When I go to bed he sleeps at my feet with one paw on my leg. If I roll over in the night, there is frantic patting until he locates my leg, then a big sigh and he goes back to sleep again. He is a cat of very little brain, and the brightest thing he has ever done in his life was to wave madly at us through the bars of his cage at the cat rescue place.

QueenQueenie · 06/12/2013 00:17

Evening all... Was freezing cold this morning and very miserable as a result. At lunchtime I found fleece lined tights in marks and sparks. My day improved immeasureably!

bigTillyMintspie · 06/12/2013 07:06

Well done, MrsS!

And well done QQ - I looked for the fleecy tights in Primarni and couldn't find them

Blackduck · 06/12/2013 07:18

Herbs how long are the sessions?
Ds did stagecoach for several years - whilst they are small it's an hour - and we paid about 10 I think. As he got older it was 2/3 hours and we paid more - can't recall exactly but you could google them.

Stropperella · 06/12/2013 09:58

Hope you had a good night, Crem.

Happy hols, BD.

Very well done on the VIP delivery, MrsS.

MI, hope you are still enjoying a warm glow. :)

I don't have a cat, merely a cat-hating dog. He absolutely loathes felines with a passion. However, when we tracked down his breeders (he's a rescue dog, but through a bit of a fluke we turned up the details of the original owners - rather than interim owners who dumped him at the rescue), they invited us to bring him over for a visit to meet his mum. And step-mum. The latter being an aged cat. I thought this would not go well, given his rabid hatred of all cats. We were in the kitchen when the aged cat walked in and dog just froze. After about a minute, he walked up to the cat very slowly and rubbed noses with it. And was completely calm. I thought "Hooray, he is now cured of chasing cats." When we got home, one of his most hated cat enemies ambled past the car as he was about to get out and all hell broke loose as usual. So he clearly only has room in his heart for one cat.

Ds goes to the local Youth Theatre group, which is extremely good and only costs £50 per term. Stagecoach was unaffordable for us. Especially as ds also does taekwando at £21 per month (plus sundry extras), swimming at £36 for 12 weeks, piano - £13 per lesson and Cubs (approx. £25 per term). Dd has done a wide variety of things over the years, such as trampolining, badminton, sailing, piano, ballet and swimming. She is just about to finish her lifesaving quals (I have to push her to go every week and take her to the swimming pool, despite only living a few mins walk away, but she is whisker away from passing her Gold) and then she can qualify as a Lifeguard when she is 16. Very good money to be earned in holiday jobs! It has been a great battle to get her this far, but I am convinced that she will eventually thank me for it. She is an extremely good swimmer.

I won't update on the latest tiresomeness here, as it will only make me cross and depress everyone else. But I have been extremely good about being positive and calm this week. For me, anyway. Am having some mum friends coming round tonight for a fondue and prosecco sesh. Dh is out playing a Christmas gig at a school fair. And I'm convincing myself that we will have a bit of respite from stress once the GCSE mocks are over at the end of next week. (Well, until the results come in, anyway)

And now to work.

herbaceous · 06/12/2013 10:31

I must get DS in swimming lessons. January seems such a bleak time to start, but I suppose it means that by the summer he'll be more confident in the water, ready to have some fun. He really doesn't want to do it, but it's an essential life skill.

There are stagecoach round here too, but it's three hours every Saturday. Which a) would be a bit much for him, and b) would tie us down at weekends [selfish].

I'd like him to do piano, too, but I might just teach him the basics myself, with the help of approved book, of course.

Off out tonight for a friend's 50th birthday. He is a now gay ex-boyfriend, who lives in New York in a Greenwich Village apartment with his partner. The party will be at mutual friends', with a hired barman and caterers. It is going to be FANTASTIC. But I'm already dreading the hangover. I know, I know, I needn't get wasted. But barman? Cocktails? Excitement at seeing old pals? It's a recipe for disaster.

Stropperella · 06/12/2013 10:38

Got a quiet Saturday planned, herbs?

Forgot to mention: ds passed his first piano exam, which he was very relieved about as he had majorly stuffed up one of his pieces due to nerves. It was the first time I have ever seen him really nervous about anything, so was probably a good life lesson for him. He has volunteered to enter a fairly large local music festival competition in the spring, so he must be a glutton for punishment.

Original poster

Auriga · 06/12/2013 10:41

Herbs I don't think Stagecoach is three hours for the littlies. There's something called Early Stages, which eases them in. Sorry can't recall details.

Stropps, well done on inviting friends round, I keep meaning to do it but things get in the way (horrible cold atm). Have you finished Very Big Job?

OP posts:

bigTillyMintspie · 06/12/2013 10:48

Stropps - prosecco and fondue, yum!
And Herbs, bet the party will be amaaazing!

We are also going to a 50th this weekend - friend text about bringing a fish and I was a bit till I realised it was a typo and I have to bring a dish!

Well done to miniStropps on piano

motherinferior · 06/12/2013 10:57

I have a couple of mates coming round for prosecco and er crisps

herbaceous · 06/12/2013 10:58

DS's reception pal does three hours, I think. It does seem a bit much.

I have nothing planned for Saturday. One of aforementioned old pals is staying overnight, so we'll probably just lie around groaning on the sofas trying to watch Saturday Kitchen while DS makes us watch him do his Christmas show for the 93rd time.

bigTillyMintspie · 06/12/2013 11:04

Posh crisps I hope, MI!

Herbs

motherinferior · 06/12/2013 11:21

Crisps from Ocado, yet.

Am surprisingly teary at Mandela's death, even though he was ill and had reached a great age.

motherinferior · 06/12/2013 11:24

DD2's brass band plays Nkosi Sikelele Africa - have just emailed music teacher at school suggesting she rope them in to play it at tomorrow's Christmas fair.

Stropperella · 06/12/2013 11:27

The cheese fondue has just turned up . I have found a nice French supermarket on line that delivers packets of ready-to-melt fondue which is actually cheaper than making it myself. Have also bought large box of Suchard Rocher noir, which are possibly my favourite chocs ever. I have hidden these in my wardrobe so that dh cannot find them and scoff them in an irresponsible manner.

Btw, tensions have been somewhat eased this week by taking the fuse out of the tv aerial plug and turning off the wifi. There will be a grand ceremony for the re-insertion of the fuse tonight, but it will disappear again during the day tomorrow. Dd has a terrible junk viewing habit and ds has been discovered streaming things with "inappropriate language".

Auriga, no I haven't finished the Big Job yet. It's for delivery on the 17th and despite my best efforts is going at snail's pace due to the ridiculous amount of stipulations and reference material. It is for a continental Academic Institution of Some Standing and everything will be gone through about 50 times with a fine toothcomb. Still, it will be worth it in the end. I am having to fit in sundry other jobs around it, and dh keeps landing me with proofreading. Which is causing a little bit of, er, friction.

Stropperella · 06/12/2013 11:29

Sorry x-posts, MI. Sounds like a very good suggestion for the Christmas fair.

motherinferior · 06/12/2013 11:32

Teacher has gone for it. There won't be a dry eye in the house.

herbaceous · 06/12/2013 11:34

MI - I was very teary this morning at the end of Breakfast News, when they played Nkosi Sikelele behind a montage of Nelson's life. What an extraordinary man he was.

In other news, Strops, you have set off my inner pedant/sub. It's 'fine-tooth comb'. One doesn't comb one's teeth!

Stropperella · 06/12/2013 12:01

Thanks, herbs, I did wonder and was too lazy to Google. As I am busy glaring at my work text, trying to reconcile a whacko "This is our variety of English and it's how we like it" continental styleguide with my shaky grasp of hyphens, I need all the help I can get.

bigTillyMintspie · 06/12/2013 12:05

Oooh Stropps, you big hairy cheat! I love it when we go to see our French friends in the Alps - J-F makes proper fondue with the right wine and cheese and everything and we overeat every time!

Glad to hear taking the fuse out of the TV has worked! I have bought the laptop for DD and taken it to lovely computer man who is extending our PC anti-virus thing to it for £10 and putting on the free Office disc I got years ago with the PC, thus saving me £s! But best of all, he couldn't believe what I paid for it - said it was v good value!

MI, what a good idea for the Christmas fair. I was teary last night when I turned on the TV at the same time that it was announced.

motherinferior · 06/12/2013 12:09

Mind you I've just realised she was supposed to be taking her trumpet anyway

Blackduck · 06/12/2013 12:11

Hi all just dropping by to say I am still alive (just) and wading through last working day of the year (hooray!)

Hope everyone is okay - Stropps good to see you around, was starting to wonder if you were okay!

Try to catch up at the weekend......

bigTillyMintspie · 06/12/2013 12:15

BD

But I can't really grumble as I only have 2 in today!

CointreauVersial · 06/12/2013 13:22

Last working day, BD?? I shall be here until the 23rd.

BTM - if you can't find fleece-lined tights in Primark the ones with sewn-on socks are pretty good (boot tights, I think they're called). I've heard the fleecy ones are tight around the waist, so perhaps not a good idea for Christmas, eh?

Herbs - DD1's drama/musical theatre/dance class is £200 a term, and that's for two hours a week, plus a few extra rehearsals before the shows. Like you, I stayed away from Saturday classes, as I prefer to lounge in my PJs until midday every Saturday keep activities to the weekdays.

Strops - fondue-fest sounds brilliant (I love a bit of cheese).

Cats - no, none of the little bastards here. I'm hugely allergic, as is DD1.