The Darling Crepes of May

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My turn......

DD1 came home from school yesterday, wheezing, but without her blue inhaler. Lovely local pharmacist told me to call SELDOC who would fax the prescription through to him. Called SELDOC, was on the phone for 10 minutes and they decided they couldn't help, and I needed to call NHS 111. Called NHS 111 (you can see where this is going, can't you?) who told me I needed to call SELDOC. Got mildly irritated at this point and was told doctor would call me back. Doctor called me back and told me prescription would be faxed immediately. An hour later, still no fax. Pharmacist called them, and fax arrived within seconds. I then spent hours in Bravissimo with DD1 (they had virtually no stock apart from their clothes) followed by hours in Debenhams buying bras.

I would really like a weekend doing what I want to do for once.

I texted DH from Debenhams and asked him if he would do a bit of shopping and cook dinner, and he texted back "No". I told him that if he didn't cook, we wouldn't eat, so he is now cooking...

BTM, that's what the little computer says, I must admit when I put in the mileage on MFP it came up with a higher calory count. The way I look at it, though, is that must be the minimum I have used. I was so pleased because I actually managed to climb some hills without getting off and pushing (hills I had never managed before).

MrsS, well done on putting our foot down re the cooking - sometimes the family seem to think that we like waiting on them hand and foot.

DH "cooked" dinner. Well, I bought the meat from the butchers and made salads, etc and he BBQd. It's the only meal he can do and even then is painfully slow!
Sorry that you had such a trying day. At least your DD will go for a bra fitting. I am pinning all my hopes on a trip with her god-sister and my BFF next weekend.

Waves back to laisy, originalpirate,auriga, and stropps. Thanks to NUFC and Hatty for cranberry advice. I'm sure the Ocean Spray we have just rots our teeth and does nothing for the cystitis. DD has improved so I relented and we took her with us to the theatre. Aisle seat helped. But she didn't need to go out in the middle of the show, fortunately. Am now paying the price for being out at work til 3. House is a pile of shite. Spent ages clearing up whilst the boys and the old git watched the footie and made the lounge smell. Now DS and DH are arguing over revision or the lack of it. I'm about to hit the G&T. Is there anything decent on the telly?

Hello. I hope you have all had a lovely day. Will catch up tomorrow or Monday. Am exhausted. DD recorded Casualty for me

We did the new curry house so with free cocktails I am well sloshed

MrsS I'd kill dp if he responded like that....

I didn't get interview for poison(ed) chalice number - which I suspect is a good thing. But have interview on Monday and think fron an email I received I will get interviewed for other post - so 2 out of 3 ain't bad.....

That first thread page 32 and I was quite articulate

Lovely day. The DCs all had friends round for the fair, but they amused themselves, leaving DH and I to quaff Pimms, eat cake and watch the May Queen being crowned. I ended up defrosting some bolognaise from the freezer to feed the few who were left by teatime.

And being a Gooner household we were all happy with the football result.

Doesn't life seem better with a bit of sunshine?

I was horribly miserable and sorry for myself today after two weeks of cough and a week of being lame, with a sick DH as well. In desperation I searched films etc then DH noticed that the local operatic society was doing Pirates of Penzance at our theatre.

I can't tell you how much we all enjoyed it. Everything you want musical theatre to be. DD adored it and, of course, now wants to join operatic society.

Only wish DM had come with us: when she was a rookie teacher she did Pirates with her kids and still tells funny stories. Her best wheeze was with the policemen. They were all different sizes (13 year-olds, from tinies to six-footers) and had uniforms and helmets that fitted. She made them all swop, so the tinies had helmets over their eyes and baggy trousers and the hulks were bursting out of their jackets.

Happy days. Those policemen will all be in their eighties now

Auriga, what a lovely story. I can remember when I was a child seeing some photos of one of my DM's brothers in PoP when he was in his teens (he died aged 16, so I never knew him - TB, I think). I was always fascinated by the pictures. I hope you're feeling better today?

Another nice day today - gardening and then a bike ride on the agenda for us, I think.

Lovely day here - presentation for tomorrow's interview, reference for a friend and a website to design. Then off to local family open day....

Love the the Pirates story Auriga. Beautiful day here too and I had a lovely meal with friends last night - DH had to stay home as he had a bad stomach and was very grumpy about it.

Will have to collect DD1 later - she texted me photos - she and her boyfriend looked fabulous . It's very strange to see them as young adults rather than children.

Lovely day yesterday. DS3 had a Short Breaks session at KIDS (local adventure playground for children with disabilities and SNs), so he was off my hands from 10 a.m. until 4 pm. The other two boys and I met my cousin and her DH for lunch - we sat outside a pub by the Lea, it was absolutely fab . I had half of bitter shandy and felt very mellow. Then went round to a friend's to watch the football. Am emphatically NOT a Gooner (I used to be season-ticket holder at White Hart Lane) but at least Hull made a game of it. Then takeaway curry and hanging out with all the DSs later on.

Yes, it's fab, Rudy! It means I can spend some time properly with the other two. They do often come out with DS3 and me at the weekend but then they end up being roped in as carers to a certain extent and there's a very limited range of things we can actually do. Two local playgrounds/parks - that's about it.

Pirates glad to hear you had a rest!
Here dp got up at 5.00 and walked the hound and started working and ds was bashing the ivories at 6.15!! I hardly thought I could complain considering we nag him about how little practise he does....

I am trying feebly to get us all out despite exhaustion, grumpiness and laziness...

I am slightly teetering on Not Being In A Good Way on account of various things. Some of those are the inevitable decay of the flesh, or rather its expansion - I cannot bear to look in the mirror alongside DD1 who is all the things I never was and now frankly I look like a deranged troll next to her, but also, in no particular order:
I am footling about with low-level work which keeps me busy (admittedly this is quite an achievement for a journalist ATM) but is neither well-paid nor madly fulfilling

I am beset with various aches and pains

I had a row with DP this morning who clearly feels my book is pile of self-indulgent pants (this made me cry quite a lot)

My hair looks like the love-child of Jenny Murray and Beaker from the Muppets

I continue, at nearly 51, to be utterly in the shadow of my beautiful high-achieving mother and the fact she started this career in her own 50s is ceasing to be a consolation to me

I feel stuck. I can't even book holiday tickets or India tickets. I feel constantly that I can't take decisions in case they are the wrong ones.

And so on and so forth.

Oh, MI, so sorry to hear your woes: I haven't met you of course, but I am pretty sure that you look fine and you're certainly an amusing and entertaining correspondent on here. My daughter, too, is everything I am not so I can empathise there (and it only gets worse, I am afraid ). I think that men don't understand our worries and anxieties. I hope you feel better soon.

MI you are so not a deranged troll. Yes I get the body is changing/failing thing. I too hate the look of myself at the moment, but suspect my size6/8 days are long behind me. I am trying to perfect Stropps approach that I need to be healthy and all that.

The work :( and slap dp round the head. What does he know?

Please keep talking and let us try to help you.

BTW also get the decision thing - I am terrible at it now (as you all know), I find my self paralysed with indecision. But what's the worse that can happen.

MI - can so relate to this - I get the feeling we shrivel up as our daughters become more and more fabulous. I can't make decisions either but I'm hoping cloudy judgement is part of the menopause and my faculties will return soon!

I'm sure your book is great - ignore DP - he's just jealous because he's never written a one.

"one" not "a one" - why can't I read before I hit send?

Yep. Horrible way to feel MI, and I don't know the backstory with your mother but get the sense that is underlying everything else? Work-wise, you said it, it is an achievement to have any journalism work at the moment (my own footling work has dried up a lot recently, and I am wondering where I go from here). I agree with BD about the keeping healthy approach.

I really, really, get the feeling stuck. I have that. How about saying sod it, I will book a holiday? Nail one thing in the chaos and shifting sands down? Yes, it may well not be perfect - as dc get older I think all these decisions have downsides and sometimes you just have to steam on or nothing happens - but it might help you over the hump and at least you'd have a holiday to look forward to [shallow, me?].

Please keep talking here.

Mother This sounds like me a lot lately. It's feels like it's the low self esteem monster. I never realised how much of a boost I got from being successful at work until I couldn't do it any more owing to family pressures. I turned down so much work and now there isn't any. Now I only do stuff very ad hoc and largely voluntary, and argue with DH about who's going to be there for the kids when I do work. You feel in the shadow of your mother. I am in the shadow of 3 very high achieving siblings. What helps me… lady magnet for the aches and pain (unproven, but I think it's amazing), spending an obscene amount of money getting hair and nails done (shallow but nice), and above all spending time with female friends. I fight the inertia of making decisions by being impulsive…don't know what's worse! Hugs to you.
ps can I read your book?…I bet I'd love it.

MI - you are a fabulous writer - what does Mr Inferior know about it anyway? Perhaps he is worried that you might become an overnight sensation when if gets published? I look like a fat old bag lady alongside DD1 and DD2, but that's OK (OK, I could lose quite a lot a bit of weight, and make more effort with my appearance), but that's OK - I have had my time of being young and gorgeous (or plain and fat if you were to speak to my mother), time to move on.

And yes, that is a lot going on, as Rosebag says.

I am tired of making decisions, but if I don't then nothing gets done, and we will have no holiday...