Mardy Crepeys

[SheherazadeSchadenfreude]

Done it...

DP is off to Brussels. What should I request from duty-free?

Do they still have duty free in Europe? It all seemed really expensive to me last time I went anywhere.

I have an eye test every year and it's free - because my dad had glaucoma. He ended up with valves in his eyes. Better than being blind, but still bleargh. I once translated a whole book about eye diseases in dogs. Know a lot about dogs' eyes, I do. My dog needs glasses. I can tell.

MrsS, glad to hear your MIL is better, but it is most odd that they haven't found a reason. Is she still waiting on some test results?

MI - chocolate. Send him to Mary's on the rue Royale. Settle for nothing less.

Stropps - I think they must be.

Giant Toblerone, MI.

My dad vomited blood once, and it turned out he had a perforated ulcer. But I guess they'd have thought of that...

Having a massive attack of inertia. Work is boring me to tears, but I feel utterly lacking in motivation/talent to look for anything else. Applying for the PGCE is an exercise in frustration, involving an online form that doesn't allow mention of work experience more than five years ago, and that times out after about 10 seconds so I keep losing stuff.

And DP's being a bit weird about finances. I'd probably get a bursary (another frustration - no-one yet knows), but would have to pay my own living expenses. When he did his masters a couple of years ago, it meant I did a lot of 'support', and he said I owed him one. Well, this is it. Quite apart from the fact that my career has taken a nosedive while I've enabled his to go stratospheric. And doing the PGCE will enable me to work in term times, saving childcare, blah blah.

But I can't talk to him about it, as as soon as I mention it he just ignores me.

Thanks all - friend is ok (Auriga, I think you are right about hormones - she is a little cushioned) although obviously viewing it all through the prism of her own parental longing and is angry that he could choose to leave his children. Her dh is very low and willing but anxious about the support he can offer his parents. He has other siblings, but he is the closest geographically to both mother and father (they are divorced). I am making flapjacks and Chinese beef for them tomorrow - not much else I can do.

MrsS - could it be an ulcer with your MIL? Grim for it to be bleeding, but manageable.

My varifocals are waiting for me to summon up the energy to choose frames. My eyes are also not great so I am stumping up for good lenses which add £185 to the cost of the frames. There goes my Primark budget for spring. Which is a shame as I am totally fed up with my wardrobe having bought very little for the past 18 months apart from my bargainacious New Look jeans. I'd like a nice new top or 2, and some plain t-shirts that don't look like they've been used to wash the car.

Crossed posts, Herbs. Ulcerous minds think alike.

Stropps I suspect mine could do with glasses too - along with a hearing aid:)

Deaf dog....(minus the sunglasses)

Herbs - serious I will talk you will listen moment?

I have painted a wall and am about to attack the garden......

Herbs, just plough on with the application. I have found that chipping away, bit by bit is often more successful than a head-on collision!

Addle, yes, all booked. Have downloaded the report too - eeek! DD is a little worried that we want to see all her teachers, and it looks like we will be there for hours

I am ploughing on with the application, reckoning if it all goes tits up - DP resigns from his job, or whatever - that I can defer it.

My general attitude to when he ignores me is give him three chances to answer me, then just do what I want.

Good plan Herbs!

Herbs I think I might adopt that tactic....

Which reminds me someone (can't recall who) put up a 'this will keep your bedroom tidy' list - can someone PM me it? Pretty please....

A bit late to the glasses conversation. My optician advised against lasers at my age because I'd soon need reading glasses. I would love to do this but may wait a few years. I don't wear my glasses all the time as they look daft and annoy me but it would be nice to stop cutting people dead in the street.

I like your style re DP's selective deafness, Herbs - well done on deciding what you want to do with your life. Don't get put off, just go for it.

DH is outside attempting to start the lawn mower for the first cut of the year. I am inside with my feet up as the sciatica is back and I am in a lot of pain when I walk. I never had sciatica until I was pregnant - you'd think after 37 years it would have cleared up!

Inspired by both a(nother) grumpy convo with dh this morning about our work prospects and Herbs getting on with her PGCE application, I have just got my act together and made some phone calls to find out about teaching at post-16 level. The good news is: I am more qualified than I thought. . I don't need to do another PGCE because I've already done one and I don't need any more subject quals. But it would be a good idea to a short "teaching literacy to adults" course. Now I just have to hope there is a provider for such a thing in my area. And go and do a bit of research with the local FE providers.

Fab Stropps - I think you would be great at that

I am feeling rather drained and a bit that DH has forgotten that he was supposed to be picking up some cycling shorts for DS on the way home, whereas I have to remember a million and one jobs and appointments every day.

Good luck with it, Stropps.

BTM, I am quite convinced that men's memory is only selective in that they never remember what they don't want to; it's nothing to do with women being good at multi-tasking, it's all about men just not wanting to be bothered. Amazon is quite good for cycling shorts, by the way. DH is very happy with the undershorts I got him for Christmas.

Go, Stropps and Herbs!

I agree about memory - but it is such a luxury to have the choice not to have your head filled with the detritus of others.

Agree re the selective memory and the more you take on the less they will. Hence my stance on family birthdays - I do mine dp (mostly doesn't) do his...

Oh, I don't do his family birthdays

I have just made him pack all the Tesco delivery away, but I know I will be cursing tomorrow when I can't find anything!

Have an "earliest possible" referral to the skin cancer clinic. Shit. And unfortunately it's not for two weeks.

I am supposed to call my cousin tonight to see how he got on with his cancer consultant, but I just can't do it. I can call him tomorrow, right?

And it is the 15th anniversary of my father's death today.

I have no candle...

Mrs S, try not to worry, it is good you are being seen fast if there is the slightest chance of anything nasty.