Forever Autumn Forever Crepey

[cremolafoam]

The summer sun is fading as the year grows old,
and darker days are drawing near,
the winter winds will be much colder,
now you're not here.
I watch the birds fly south across the autumn sky
and one by one they disappear
I wish that I was flying with them,
now you're not here

Herbs, fantastic news . Sounds like a much better fit for you all and an exciting and nurturing place to be.

Love those shoes MI.

I am feeling the shoe love. You do realise this is probably the only MN thread, S&B or no S&B, where they would be applauded?

Herbs, that's fantastic - get in there

Beauty question alert!!!

Is the Roche Posay anti-redness stuff worth getting? (just spotted it in local chemists) and if not, what is?

It has a good reputation, I think...

I have tried out the anti-redness serum and the moisturiser in the same range (it's a bit green). OK, but not entirely convinced. Except the moisturiser does smell lovely. Not sure that is enough to justify its purchase, though. YMMV.

Gawd, I have just managed to leave my debit card in the machine at Tesco AGAIN. Luckily, I was dawdling on the way out of the store and some kind person ran after me with it. This is the umpteenth time I have done this over the last couple of years. I get so absent-minded when I am stressed. When I was getting divorced, I came home from dropping dd at school and forgot I had left the dog there. And that happened several times.

I went to the first parents' evening for Y12 at dd's school last night. First time I've really been impressed by anything at that school. Woah, it's a totally different world in the 6th form there. They are pushing the "AQA Baccalaureate" and were blathering about doing AS Critical Thinking or Gen Studies and the Extended Project Qualification, as well as work experience and voluntary work. As dd is currently of the opinion that she wants to do 4 As rather 3As and an AS, I don't know when she will have time to breathe. That said, she couldn't be arsed to accompany me to the meeting and was instead lying on the sofa watching some bizarre dating show and was mucho grumbly when I gave her the paperwork about the Bacc.

Thanks Stropps, that's useful to know! And yes to getting more absent-minded when stressed (or just crepey!) I left my phone at the mechanics yesterday. Luckily he called me. And I can't really blame it on stress ATM!

Good the school seem onto it, less so DD, but I think they are all in denial!

I am editing some copy down for my crumblies mag. This involves taking out all the stuff that makes for lively prose - sentences starting with And or But, any commas at all before And or But, dashes, hyphens and anything else you can think of - and I'll still have my knuckles rapped for 'mistakes'.

Minor complications of school place: a) the place available is in the same class as daughter of mad friend who was cross her third (currently in utero) child wasn't a boy b) I seem to have jumped the queue, ahead of another friend who'd been on the waiting list for ages. I'm hoping she doesn't kick up a stink that they give her the place instead.

In other news, I'll be doing a bit of teaching of an ESOL class next week! < soils self>

Herbs fantastic news for DS. They offered you the place so there must be a reason - I remember knowing somebody who got queue jumped but the mother was mad and I'm sure her reputation preceded her.

Herbs, school sounds just the thing. Go for it! You mustn't give a thought to waiting lists etc. That's the school's problem not yours. Grab it.

Nice shiny shoes MI!

How are you all getting on in Glasgow Crem?

Happy weekends to all.

Herbs just stick your fingers in your ears and la, la, la, la.... It will be worth it

Yes, how are you getting on Cremo?

You have been given a place for a reason - if you have 'queue jumped' it's because you meet entrance criteria.....
Schools problem, not yours....

Yep, what BD says.

Herbs great news. Feels like it's meant to be. Sounds like a really lovely school. I bet there'll be another mini IT boffin for your DS to be friends with, too.
stropps My 'not concentrating due to stuff on my mind' trick is to get cash back from a supermarket self check out machine and then walk off, leaving it in the slot. Done it several times.
MI fab fab fabby shoes. Feeling . I can't wear shoes like that with my large feet. I'd look like coco the clown. I've never had a pair of DMs.

Quite a nice day today. Various meetings and lunch. Then, good if somewhat scary meeting with ConScript who then invited a director to join us. They want us to produce a 10 minute snippet of the play, cast it and run it in October to get feedback. Lord alone knows how we'll get it done in time but we did find the bit of the script that might work and emailed it to her. Now we need 10 actors to play the parts......wibble.

Herbs, what a relief about the school - it sounds perfect. Was it on your original list? You must have gone ahead of your friend on the waiting list because you probably live nearer. Presumably DS will be delighted to be moving away from all those mean boys, and I'm sure he'll settle in quickly - they are amazingly adaptable at that age.

Well, a week and a half of term is already under our belts, and DS has seemingly knuckled down to Y10, is churning out homework without any intervention, and is generally being a charming, friendly, funny, engaging human being. I know it is very early days but I am holding my breath that it lasts; he is just lovely at the moment. I just wish he'd stop ripping his trousers (all that stitching I did last night was for nought).

A quiet weekend beckons, although DH is a bit that he has to be up at 7am for DS's football match which is miles away in deepest Sussex. Hope he brings me a cuppa in bed on the way out......

I am so pleased to hear about DS, Herbs, that is fantastic news.

We're off to Arizona tomorrow - calling in at Death Valley on the way.

Things I have learned in Lake Tahoe:

A fed bear is a dead bear (this is on all the garbage disposal containers).
You are not allowed to take firearms into Costco.
American roadwork contractors employ a lot of women - you see them at every lot of roadworks - but they are only "flaggers", ie they control the traffic.

I hope everyone is still ok? See you in Arizona.

I know the conversation has moved on but needed to comment. Love this time. Love Jeff Wayne's war of the world's think as I'm possess I might put it on and sing ooooh laaah ver loudly.

Evening, Custy!

Yo Custy, nice to see you. Stick around if you feel like it!

Greetings from Glasgow. Well we've had a couple of hot emotionally charged days. Very warm here which didn't help with the carrying up of stuff to dds new room in halls. Lots of other unloading parents there too- and , thankfully teams of 2nd year volunteers to assist in carrying.needless to say dds room is on the highest floor and the furthest away. Dh nearly had a panic attack.
I just felt watery and choked tbh. It came over me very quickly.
We took dd out for dinner last night, but she spent the whole meal organising to go to Freshers things last night afterwards. And She's Off
. The wings are spread ...
Had a little pathetic weep in the car last night.
Doing a grocery shop today and then off home. Trying to be brave.
Still enormous fears of dd suddenly all finding herself overwhelmed and alone. < scared>
She'll be ok won't she ?
Wibble

Awww, hug here too.

Crem - if she's looking at Fresher's stuff sounds like it'll be OK. Big hug to you. Not sure how how this is going to hit me in two weeks time.

Custy - welcome to fellow adolescent War of the Worlds addict .

Crem, big hugs, and more hugs to everyone else with dcs spreading their wings this w/e.

You're both doing well, Crem Great your DD is in to Freshers. Just stay in contact and keep encouraging her to reach out when she needs to. Treat yourself to all your favourite rings when you get back. Hugs.

NU still sounds a wonderful trip. There were lots of female "Flaggers" in Canada too….