Crepey wattle and daub

[herbaceous]

At last! I get to use my thread title.

Over here, my hags.

Stropps, you are but human. And surrounded by people who are being More Than A Bit Hopeless.

Stropps, that's fab that she enjoyed the trip. A girl I went to school with did Marine Biology there and really enjoyed it. Commiserations on the lateness because of make-up.
Is there anyone who went who you can get the information from?

As for dragon slaying, BD, I just read about it!

Still riveted by school cliques. Further quizzing of DD1 suggests that she and her friends are in a sort of geeky-arty group who do music and drama and suchlike. It actually sounds quite a good place to be. DD1 does also waft around in a cloud of dippy-hippy love for all, like a pre-Raphaelite version of Fotherington-Thomas.

Have cranked out 500 words. There may be brothels. Though Madras wasn’t a great one for brothels. Bombay had brothels which employed white women as well as Indian ones, plus a speciality line in Japanese prostitutes. This is the sort of thing that not enough people know, I feel.

MI - at your brothel knowledge. I don't dare ask ds1 and dd about school cliques - ds1 is particularly aware of how the pecking order works, and his (lowly but not rock bottom) place within it. He did come second in the chucking an egg off the roof of the science building without it breaking competition yesterday, so came home feeling victorious. I'm hoping a clique for the quirky but nice starts up soon, so that he can join as a founder member. DD is simply overwhelmed by the blossoming girlhood around her (there are bras and ear piercings and sanitary towels left right and centre - none of which currently have any place in her own life) and has quietly reverted to primary school enthusiasms. Life is safer there. I hope, in time, she will find her way to the drama/art clique like MI's dd1, it sounds nice there.

Wilbur, my DD2 continues to look like a particularly small and scrawny 10 year old...but she's In A Band .

Oh the cliques are both riveting and horrific unless your teen has a safe place in one.

DD opted to not be in one in Y9, preferring just a couple of close friends and is now hoping that once in sixth form (which still seems like a huge hurdle) they will be less set and powerful.

DS, OTOH, seems currently to have a strong group of friends, of which I have only met the boys

I have far too much knowledge of the workings of SE Asian brothels as when we lived on Borneo, H1 would insist on taking travel tips about cheap "hotels" from his extremely dodgy associates. No, I have no idea how I stayed married to him for 10 years, either. Mind you, he always appeared completely surprised by the fact that the ridiculously cheap hotel turned out to be a knocking shop. It took at least 3 times before the penny finally dropped that it wasn't a good idea to take advice about where to stay from the dubious bloke at work who spent far too many weekends in the Philippines.

In y12, dd is still spending a lot of time hanging about with some people she went to preschool with. They have admitted new people into their friendship group, though, and it all seems relatively relaxed these days (at least since she has been keeping ex-bff at arm's length since the unfortunate incidents in the autumn term).

My dc have always been in the lowly but not rock bottom clique too. DD is pretty cross that there are what seem to her really unfriendly cliques at university.

Stropps, dont worry about ucas. Ask the school for the PowerPoint or whatever and ucas has an excellent little booklet. The main thing I decided was not to listen to the nonsense and myths that raise anxiety levels and get the darn thing in on time. Glad fd enjoyed her trip so much. Ypu are absolutely right about getting put of the bubble sometimes.

That sounds good Stropps. If DD gets into the sixth form she would most like to go to, she would be back with her BFF from nursery and primary school!

Just out of lectures, today taken in part by bald (yet with other hair) professor. Oddly I once again found myself at the front, answering lots of questions, and looking attractively quizzical, with the arm of my glasses in my mouth.

Naturally, there was. Very important question that needed asking at the end of the lecture, and he touched my arm.

Fluster ensued.

Herbs, did he linger??

Herbs - at attractively quizzical.

I am rather fancy a pre Raphaelite clique. I suspect I am not bohemian enough.

Lalsy - My DD1 is the reverse - she finds the uni girls much nicer than at school.

I have spent the whole day trying to source glasses for the eclipse which are sold out everywhere. Did DS think of reminding me when we were in town yesterday - no!

Stropps - so glad the trip went well. Oceanography sounds so glamourous - gives me visions of Jacques Cousteau.

No lingering, MI. He was sitting down, and I was standing, so any lingering would have had to be done by me. Are you after inspiration for your book? I can confirm that his office is satisfactorily book-lined.

In other news, someone is being horrid to me on my 'bright trainers' thread. I want to tell them to eff off, but fear this could escalate

Oooh Herbs!
Off to look for your bright trainers thread...

Hatty, you can do the pinhole camera thing without needing glasses.

BTM - it's a late message from the Physics teacher - hope he does the pinhole thing as I think the majority of the class won't have the glasses. Mind you, if the weather is like today we'll be unable to see the eclipse.

Herbs - where is bright trainers thread?

Another thread says you can watch the eclipse using a colander and bit of paper. I really hope it is sunny tomorrow and the streets fill with ingenious people with cardboard tubes, colanders and index cards . Ds, bizarrely, is cross that his school has got glasses and is making everyone go out to watch because he will miss English.

Bright trainers thread I think is still on the front page... I'm now in Sports Direct, and am thoroughly confused.

www.jdsports.co.uk/product/nike-flex-4-trainers/011515/

Have been following bright trainers thread with interest herbs and think you're handling the person making unkind comments perfectly. That is by answering totally normally. Honestly, some people just can't keep a civil tongue in their head. My front runner is above...I too want trainers I can wear with normal clothes. Difficult when you have big feet,though.

Hide the trainers please - I am trying to hold out till I go to NY in October. Sadly I don't think my walking trainers will last that long.

Lalsy He may be in luck - the forecast is for very overcast and cold.

Thanks rose! It always surprises me when people just barge on to a thread, say something rude, then get all 'get a life' when someone objects. If one were having a similar lighthearted conversation in real life, and someone just barged in, and was as rude as her, she'd get a mouthful. Or at least some 'tsk's.

I just tried on these [http://www.sportsdirect.com/nike-core-motion-mesh-ladies-trainers-273268?colcode=27326818 bright blue numbers]], but am not convinced.

I saw the ideal ones on Sports Direct's website yesterday, and now they're gone.

These!

Or these are rather racy.

I like all those Herbs [helpful].

I have made the depressing discovery that I have more energy if I wear trainers all the time. Likewise not drinking in the week. Pah.

BTM, I know, another once in a decade event .