Crepeys in the Long Grass of Life

[CointreauVersial]

Thanks Beachy for the frisky title suggestion.

Well, here we all are!

Suck up the wasps with the hoover, then set fire to the lot?

I have an S&B question. My lovely new white, silver and grey brogues have arrived, but what do I wear them with? I'm imagining them with my maxi skirts, but what else?

Narrow trousers? Not wider ones, surely, as I'll look like a failed Katherine Hepburn. Knee-length skirts? But with black opaques in the winter?

tempting Herbs, but they are up a chimney..... I lit a fire last night

BTM, snap. I find it very hard going. I have tried Neglect and would have been delighted if it worked but it didn't - Chaos resulted and I had to sort that out too. It turns out we do need those few minutes in the mornings to sort comings and goings, keys, matches, kit, messages etc. Tried doing it the night before but they have Teflon brains for that sort of thing and we don't always overlap.

Rose, that must be scary. I have no useful ideas but sometimes I think my dh sits on the fence because he knows I won't.

Lovely swimsuit.

MI, how odd.

Oooh, teens in the morning... DD1 was like this in Paris. Something snapped one day, when she was refusing to go to school, and DH and I picked her up (no mean feat) put her in the lift, and when we got downstairs, asked her if we needed to carry her to the bus stop. Strangely not. We didn't have the problem again. I think it was the shock of us actually carrying out our threat that did it. I would add that it was very much a last resort.

Rose and MI - everyone thinks DH is a "lovely man" married to a witch. When we used to work in the same building, years ago, someone called him in and asked him to "do something about his aggressive wife". I was not being aggressive at all - I was carrying out an audit and needed some papers and figures from this man, which didn't exist he was refusing to supply.

Nice swimsuit, Beachy.

I have light at the end of the tunnel for escaping my horrible job.

I can't buy anything new - brogue accompanying garments must come from existing wardrobe. I am also handicapped by horrible thick ankles, which is unfortunate, as exposing them seems standard-issue with brogues.

Shoes are a prob with Viv dress. At the 'beard' party I wore an absurd pair of vertiginous New Look navy wedges.

Ooh, MrsS, do tell.

I am feeling tempted by these which would of course hoick up the price of my skirts but yield Numerous Outfits.

I am very at the thought of DS going into a war zone, Rose. I wish you strength to deal with it. And, no, I wouldn't want him to have experience of air raid sirens, etc.

Glad to hear that the birthday went well yesterday, Herbs; just the weekend to get through now.

At the parading, naked man. We actually have a naturist resort within a couple of miles of us. (We had been here for about ten years before I knew this). It is surrounded by very high fences.

I like the swimsuit, too.

After my visit to the dentist I now have toothache which I didn't have before). My regular dentist is not sure that a post and crown is the answer ....

I hope you're getting on ok, Rudy?

Light at the end of the tunnel, MrsS? HOORAY! Hope the tunnel is not very long.

Teens in the morning - no, neglect absolutely didn't work here, in fact much as chez Lalsy, the resulting chaos was something else I had to sort out. Dd is very, very stubborn and if she ain't doing it, she ain't doing it. I have just endured 2.5 years of her refusing to get out of bed in the mornings, aside from during in exams when she managed it, for the most part. As she is now 16 and must make her own decisions about a bunch of stuff, I shall henceforth not bother with the mix of bribery and threats to get her out of bed in the morning. Her line was that nobody else ever got in trouble for turning up late so she'd go in when she felt like it. No advice beyond keep on keeping on. Bloody wearing, though.

Love that swimsuit, beachy. Am tempted by the coral, but fear it is too glam for little old me. I think I have to stick with the faintly jokey these days, like this , although I doubt there is enough support in that to shore up my shrivelled dugs.

I should have been working but instead I've spent the morning on the phone trying to suss out my next career step. Still currently stuck between a rock and a hard place although I have just whizzed off an enquiry about a distance-learning course and reckon that the fact I'm volunteering in ds's school from Sept will help (well, he won't be there anymore by then. Which is good.)

Herbs, glad to hear the party went with a swing. No advice from here re: brogues, I'm afraid. Mine rarely see the light of day because they make me look too "sensible".

And Rose, I admire you for being able to contemplate sending your offspring on that trip. I would be far too much of a wuss. And yes, it would be me making the decision on that because dh would pretend it was nothing to do with him.

I've bought three (3, iii) T-shirts. I now have outfits.

To be fair, he doesn't parade. Which makes it even odder. He clearly believes nobody can see him.

Sadly, he is right in my sightline through the office window. Sad for him, that is. I find it hilarious, if do find self wishing he was a bit buffer.

Reminds me of the 'ugly naked guy' storyline in Friends, MI!

MrsS LoL at carrying DD out - I could mansge DD just about but DS is bigger than both DH and I!
It feels better to know that others of you are Suffering/have suffered too though!

And job situation sounds better MrsS.

Well done Stropps for keeping on with the career stuff - volunteering in your DSs old school is a great idea. Swimmimg cozzie made me LOL though!

I am having a sorely trying day. First DS then the car started beeping loudly en route to a meeting because the fuel was dangerpusly low (very stress inducing) then went to collect missed delivery half an hours journey away and it had been put on the van again so will have to go back Sat and now noone else knew about the meeting Ive just rocked up for despite having set the date at the last one

Teens that won't get up...I shout and scream very very loud in the hope that they'll get up and go in order to escape the harpy that is their mother.

There is a pattern beginning to emerge here of strong feisty women finding themselves with passive aggressive partners. Wtf?

Trip is still on. Previous group went yesterday. We've got a week to hope that there's a cease fire. I am oscillating between resolve and wibble. DH is just going about as usual and now informs me that he will be away next week til the evening before DS's departure but has made sure that he has a flexible ticket and is booked on the penultimate flight back that night

MI yay re t shirts. Re neighbour shame it's not mellors... Salacious
herbs great about the little mans birthday!

Rose, check the Foreign Office travel advice for updates. They don't say "advise against travel" lightly. And if they are saying they advise against travel, this can also void your travel insurance.

Rose, DH went in at 7.30. I went in at 7.4, 8, 8.10. At 8.20 I started shouting like a harpy.. TF he has tomorrow off for strike day.

Rosebag - husbands always seem to do this sort of thing. Mine is gifted at sticking his head in the ground and ignoring situations until confronted by them and also for going away just before something important has to be organised thus leaving all the preparations to me!

I would be worried about the school trip for DS through, although I'm sure they've taken all reasonable steps security wise.

Stropps, well done on the interview, you put yourself out there, practised and got good feedback.

We had DD1's school graduation yesterday, very nice but a lot of standing around for parents in not very good weather which was a shame. I am exhausted and need a sunny weekend, where I don't need to think! Have sent DD2 off to sister-in-law for three weeks. She will be getting work experience in an accountancy office.

Oh yes, I know the head-in-the-sand act, leaving all worry and preparations to me very well
However, holding the line on not doing anything towards our holidays seems to have paid off - DH has just emailed me a 5 page spreadsheet on our holiday itinerary

And the builder is here, clearing up the kitchen - much needed as we have friends coming on Saturday for dinner! We will be having a BBQ in the garden whatever the weather, but at least we will be able to get through the kitchen into the garden!

I get head in the sand and then head emerging to ROAR and SHOUT and generally blow up at everyone.

You're right MrsS re Foreign Office advice. It's just that the contacts our groups have in the country are way ahead of them, fortunately and the advice that's on the foreign office web page about where to avoid, are places that the groups don't even go close to, even when there's no troubles to speak of. It's all consistent, is what I mean! The trip was cancelled a few years ago when there were particular red alerts, so I'm going to trust them. it's just that niggling voice…. And Stropps I am a total wuss! Look what I was like over DD's trip.

Liking all the shouting at lazy teens…it's so anti the condescending parent expert advice…ha ha. Time someone realised that reasoning with teens is a joke!

DH's/DP's heads in sand, passive aggressive,…all a bit rubbish, ain't it?

Hatty congrats on DD's graduation!!

Tilly good luck with the clean up operation in the kitchen. Hope the rest of the day has been less stressful.

"Have we done everything for DD2's trip to the US? Have we filled out all the forms, done her ESTA, sorted out travel insurance?"

"Have we booked tickets to see DD1's play?"

Snap MrsS!

Have we registered DD2 for primary school because this form says we should have done so three months ago?

The thing is, if I hand DP the whole project he will take it on and do it with great efficiency. He went to DD2's induction parents evening and emailed me comprehensive notes while it was happening (obviously the teachers thought he was playing on his phone). But see previous inarticulate-with-rage posts about being the Knowing About Things Like This Fairy.

OPM, have you survived?

Have we sorted out a date for visiting my family?