Though She Be Crepey, She Is FIERCE!

[QueenQueenie]

Ta Da!

MI

Oh God MI, I hate that heart sinking feeling when something like that happens - much sympathy. Do you really have to resign as first move - wouldn't hands up to the mistake and a fulsome apology do for starters? These things really can happen to anyone (as I told dh re our recent travel DISASTERS). Chin up. Good luck.

Agree, they might not let you, MI …and they won't, if they know what's good for them. Mistakes happen….it's not automatically the end of everything.

Lalsy you poor, poor love. I don't disagree with Auriga actually. You need oxytocin and contractions ..…but are you taking the strongest of over- the- counter pain killers?

I have passed a very pleasant couple of hours catching up with BFF in a nice hotel locally, having dumped the DC at the cinema with money for popcorn. And I insisted they took their Oyster cards with and they are now grumpily, and with very bad grace making their way back on buses. DH has phoned to say he's put his back out . DM thinks DDad has a deep vein thrombosis and is trying to get him to the hospital. Just an average jolly day at Rosebag Towers…..

Crepeys I Sam hopeful in London next weekend (21/22) anyone up for a cheeky drink?

MI - is this C.diff or someone else? Do you really have to resign? A man wouldn't, I think, he would put it down to experience or bluff it out. How serious are the errors? I mean, you're not suggesting camomile tea as a cure for terminal cancer, are you?

Lalsy. A lie down, a couple of Buscopan, a hot water bottle and a nice wank should sort you out.

Bugger MI - groveling not work?

Tomorrow meeting with HH to see if I can save team post - not hopeful. Response basically is yes you can suck up 24% of your current teams work AND help someone else..... (So clearly we sit on our hands all day....)

you lot have cheered me immensely. dd and her mates making dinner putting pizza in the oven and one of them has just brought me a cup of tea.

BD, just awful.

I feel the best thing is to say to the publisher 'right, if your best move is to say I'm off the project and keep the business, go ahead'.

It's a better tactical move than grovelling. As in showing that look I take this seriously and obviously therefore you should keep me. It's not CDiff - different new project through the same publisher. The errors slipped through quite a few people, so it's not just my responsibility, but I honestly feel it's not the end of the world if I lose it and Looking Noble is the best move.

Lalsy, wash the pizza down with gin.

MI, I completely agree. You will be claiming the moral high ground quickly and decisively. They will respect you for it and you may get to carry on with more power to your elbow, or if they have to let you fall on your sword to keep the project, may turn to you in future knowing you are A Good Egg as well as everything else? And one who doesn't mix metaphors. There is enough crap in freelance life without grovelling and being on the back foot long term.

If I do that, I have to cut the painkiller intake (have just been peering at tiny instructions). GBBO can be my gin.

Oh Lalsy, you poor thing. Hope the GBBO works some magic and the red tap turns on properly shortly. And you get a chance to take all the Crepey advice

MI, you sound as though you are dealing with a difficult situation with aplomb. Always better to Look Noble, as you say, as it is always for the best in the mid- to long-term.

Many thanks to you all for the good wishes - both for today and tomorrow. I am really glad that I rose above all the grot and took dd out shopping today, because we had a really nice time. We went to a "shopping village" in Shepton Mallet and scored a bunch of nice stuff in Jack Wills for dd at 70% off. So even she could not be in a bad mood. She practically fell over in surprise when I said that I would buy the stuff she tried on, so her expectations were clearly set fairly low. We had a lovely time browsing and then had a nice lunch. And the absolutely best bit was visiting the Mulberry factory shop.
Soz to those of you who have a Mulberry, but we had such fun going round looking at all the stuff and saying "How much??? Seriously, it looks like it's from Primark." And dd was all "How do these people live with themselves? It's just a bloody bag - and an ugly one at that." Ahhhh, she is my dd after all and I still loves her. Even though she will turn evil again tomorrow.

Seriously, the cheapest thing in the Mulberry shop was a key ring for £50. Reduced from £100. I find that there is quite a lot not right with that. Plus the clothes were uniquely vile. Some of them looked like costumes from a 1970s episode of Dr Who (particularly a rectangular dress that looked as though it was made of quilted loo paper. A snip at £500, down from £2000).

And just to say - I have taken on-board the advice (Lalsy's??) re: work experience. I will have a word with my friend re: work experience and see if I can get him to text/phone dd. As he apparently thinks the world of her, this should be OK. I hope.

Stropp,that sounds terrific.

BD, I'll be in Espana that day. God your work sitch is awful. Freelancing has its perils - and regular readers will recall that I've had a couple of real worries about not having any work - but stomping off cravenly nobly falling on one's sword is more feasible...

BD, sorry to hear work is so nightmareish. Sadly I won't be in London next weekend or would have loved to meet up for a drink or two... next time?

Stropps, I agree re Mulberry. I couldn't pay £1000+ for a bag any more than I could poke myself in the eye with a pair of scissors. My favourite bag is a Coach one, from ebay, which is leather and which cost £25. I do like it when expectations are low, and you say yes, and their little faces are full of wonder and surprise. I had a similar experience with DD2 in TK Maxx in Leeds, where she got a pair of leather ankle boots and a cashnere hoodie thing. She was also a lot more pleasant for the rest of the day.

I have had Champagne and have sent DH and the DDs to Tesco (it is always me who does the food shopping, so this will be a New Bonding Experience for them.

If Lalsy isn't having the gin I might. I was going to lay off the booze tonight but a g&t is now quite alluring.

Go for it, MI.

Stropps, that sounds utterly lovely. Bloody massive pat on the back for you.

dh and I took the dc to a garden centre with tea shop on holiday as we had an hour to kill. They looked at the wonderful cakes on offer, wide-eyed, and said in hushed tones, "What, can we just choose anything?". Expectation management is all.

I can't MU either! I'm going to be in Lyme Regis, where I believe the folk festival will be going down. Good or bad news, depending on the quality of the folk!

MI - my heart sank and then flipped at your news. Just ghastly. But I think you're handling it just right. Be noble, then whatever happens you look competent and in charge.

I too heartily disapprove of overpriced bags. My current one, admittedly, was about £200 (Peony and Moore, beloved of Mumsnet) but I've used it every day for three years and it's still pretty perfect. Usually I get them from H&M, Zara, etc, for £30 and they're perfectly adequate. At least, not 40 times less adequate than a Mulberry.

Some one please meet me - I need some support :(
And yes work situation is rubbish...

Not down playing MI's situ but as a colleague would say - did anyone die?

YY, Lalsy, to Expectation Management is all. And MrsS, re: little faces full of wonder and surprise. Ah, the parental relief, when you realise that despite previous appearances to the contrary, you have not actually bred a grasping ingrate. And the joy, when you manage to pass a whole day with them without harbouring any murderous thoughts. Dd even said, "Thank you for a really nice day." Please remind me of this when it is all kicking off next... (tomorrow?) When I said yesterday that I was taking dd out, dh said, "What, to drown her?" And looked vaguely hopeful. He was really happy when we both came back all chirpy today.

Bd, what a truly horrid work situation. One can only hope that the idiot responsible for it all eventually gets his just desserts. So sorry for the mess you had to come back to after your hols. It must feel quite surreal.

You're quite right, BD.

What is it with these management arses who simply think they can push a workload down the ladder???

BD, I can do Fri 21st! And will probably be in dire need of a drink as the GCSEs come out on Thurs 20th! Can meet any time!

Stropps, so glad you had a lovely day. Am crossing everything for today. Well, tomorrow for you!

Lalsy and at MrsS!

Another sunny day here - we are off to Mt Maunganui later for a beach/pool last few days.