Mission Crepe: no surrender

[Collymollypuff]

Here ya go...

Stropps - DD2 is also waiting for her PS to go through the school system - I think she's going to explode (or implode).

NU - alas I'm in North Yorkshire so probably too far for a coffee - must do it one day though.

Rudy - I've delayed removing my coil as I feel a whole number of horrible symptoms will commence. I'm doing OK at the moment - the gynae says it has to come out next visit though - in a year!

Same here Rudy - but for some reason the gynae thinks it should absolutely come out at 50 and given that I'm going to be 52 next year I think he'll want to remove it. I'm not sure what's supposed to happen if it stays in!! He says it's no longer got any hormones on it but I am feeling reasonably OK and haven't bled in years. I feel taking it out would restart the horrible heavy periods that people describe.

Tell me crepeys - would a turban be amusingly Margot Leadbetter, or rather too reminiscent of chemo?

I think a turban hat, propped rather cock eyed on your head would be excellent (but may give you hat hair later in the evening!)

Chemo. Particularly if partnered with a kaftan.

Stropps, I believe this applies to both our dds: if you have a trained and highly experienced proof reader living in your own house, WHY ON EARTH would you give that trained and highly experienced person your personal statement to read? Hmm?

No! You'd be much better sending off your PS with spelling mistakes in, wouldn't you?

Oh yes indeedy, Molly!

See also: application letters. Ho yes.

Oh yes!

Had a lovely, lovely time with our DFriends, although getting there was rather a challenge. They are upgrading the A1 for about 15 miles near Scotch Corner and our left hand turn to Moulton was no longer there! Lots of reminiscing (it was pointed out that our DC are now the age we were when we first met). New baby is getting on better after having the tongue tie sorted out. We left after making plans to have a grand MU of all the families next year: there will be 20 of us.

The journey home wasn't easy either, as in addition to the Scotch Corner roadworks, the Western Bypass in Newcastle is also being upgraded and it was closed - cue a tortuous journey at midnight trying to follow non existent (in some cases) diversion signs.

Hatty, have a great time with DPs; I now know that N Yorkshire can be as near as an hour away from me - just saying.

NUFC forgot to tell you, I misread your earlir post as 'DH put his back out after a fight'

Congratulations to those with attractive university offers.

Herbs, I'd be livid with that teacher.

I am horribly, disgustingly ill. Good for nothing but bed and funny cat videos

Auriga, you must be exhausted after all your parties

NU, glad you had a lovely time. Shame about the roadworks - they are everywhere

Herewith attempting to catch up....

Auriga shall I be Sister's understudy? Ok, I am an agency nurse and hereby order you to stay in bed with hot drinks and a lovely, cuddly duvet until significantly better. Also checking up on you, MI?

NU How lovely to plan such a huge MU...and pleased to hear that the baby's tongue tie has been addressed. The traffic is another matter....

Hatty and Molly...hang on in there... Rudy is your DS year 12 or 13?Stropps that feels like progress...I had the opposite problem. DS2 asked me to read the wretched PS so many times I was sick of the sight of it. It was like..."Mum, I've moved a couple of commas and an apostrophe...will you proof read it again...." Yawn, snore. He was so intense about it all but loads of his friends are still at various stages of the school's process which is tortuous and tedious. Having said all that, I do welcome this glimmer of good news...things have been somewhat dark in family life lately...certain things I don't want to post about, and at least we know that DS will go where we he wants to with the pressure off. For now, anyway. sure he'll find something else to belly ache about presently Thanks for all the lovely, good wishes, Crepeys.

Herbs I was disgusted about that teacher who called your DS's writing appalling. Some people should never be let loose near children. And also sorry to hear about your niece. Is there any news?

Tilly are you a bit less tired? How is OFSTED? What a chore... When OFSTED downgraded DS2's school from "Outstanding" to "A School Needing Improvement" their was a virtual riot by the students and the parents...in support of the school!!!!!

I have had a trying day. After taking DD to the orthodontist first thing, and then trying to get her back to school in time for period 2 for an English CA (I failed, we were late), I got a call from DM (I was driving, no hands free) who has a lousy sore throat and wanted me to sit with DDad so she could get to the GP and presumably rest at home. I couldn't...and she guilt tripped me by then refusing to go to the Drs. I said I'd come tomorrow (have to cancel something...) but she is very difficult. She wants someone to sit with Ddad in the home all the time. and I have just had my Feb/March course cancelled... Mucho fed up.

Dear me, Rose. Surely the point of your DDad being in a home is that there already IS someone sitting with him? Is she feeling her role is now redundant, hence her clinging on so hard? PA behaviour is the most enraging of the many delights of the parents.

No news re niece. I offered to go and visit, but apparently she's very self-conscious of the bandages around her head. I wish there was something we could do. And I live in fear of another email diatribe, as I receive every couple of years from DSis, about what a useless aunt I am, how I don't care, how disappointed she is in all of us, etc...

Oh the fun of working for a hard-pressed council.

Fun fact 1. I thought it would make life easier to be able to log on to work emails at home. So, my line manager emailed the IT guy, who sent her a 39-PAGE (yes, 39-page) document for me to read and fill in. I have done this (well, apart from the reading bit), and line manager has to give that to IT guy, who has to 'raise' it with somebody else. FFS.

Fun fact 2. I have to fill in the register online. For this I need a password. The password was on my email. The email can only be accessed from some computers. I have to get a password for the computer from the IT guy. Who is never there.

Fun fact 3. The 'prep' room for teaching has two printers and four photocopiers. But you can only use one of the photocopiers unless you have a 'fob' on your security pass.

Fun fact 4. The computers in the prep room can't access emails. Only the computers in the main office can do that. But they can't read a memory stick, for security reasons. Only some of the computers are linked to the printers. It's a guessing game.

Fun fact 5. Some of the computers come under the resident IT guy's remit, some don't. If they don't, he just yells 'phone 7000'.

Sorting out this crap uses up all my paid non-contact time. so I'm planning and preparing for free. I dare say it will get easier...

Ah, the concept of protected and paid planning time is a fairly new one. In my last teaching job, even if you had a free lesson, some bugger would always track you down and ask you to cover Y10 PE or something equally awful. I used to routinely get to work 45 mins early to do my photocopying, until I realised that the person in charge of allocating cover had clocked my regular early arrival and was targeting me to do all the sick cover - I wouldn't have minded so much if it hadn't almost always meant Drama, and I have no interest or aptitude in that area and there would never be anything prepared. I then realised why most staff arrived 2 mins after briefing started every morning.
And this time around, as I will still be self-employed, I'll still be doing all my prep and planning for free, boo hiss. Many commiserations, Herbs, about having to deal with the hideous layers of bureaucracy. Their system - or lack of one - makes no sense at all. V. important to get access to their photocopiers and printers, otherwise the ink will end up costing you so much, you'll be paying them to work there.

Auriga, I hope you are taking your own advice and resting. Hope your dh is waiting on you hand and foot and generally being v. nice after the lovely party you threw for him.

Rose - such a tricky situation with your dm. Try not to feel guilty for saying no. There is no need for you to go to sit with df, no matter what your dm says.

As for uni offers, I am trying hard and failing at not being of the idea of not having to worry about anything more pertaining to HE next year. Sadly, I think it will be a bloody miracle if dd gets any offers of any kind, given the sort of places and the sort of courses she is aiming for and her track record last year, along with her habit of pissing teachers off by not turning up to their lessons. She is currently in a black mood, as this term's review has just been issued and the science dept has given her a roasting, which isn't looking good for her references/predicted grade. For the last couple of weeks she has been working quite hard. Well, by her standards. Which means she has actually done some work as opposed to none. However, she fails to recognise that this doesn't cancel out a year of doing cack-all. I continue to try to say as little as possible and keep the noise of tooth-grinding to a minimum.

BTM, sorry to hear about the O-word causing grief in your house. :(

Rose, that is SO out of order of your DM. [cross] I am quite a bit better but then met a friend for lunch and sat in twisted manner and it hurts again.

Herbs, your invoice is at least in for payment.

Today I have been able to focus on the novel. Including such knotty points as How Long Did It Take To Go From Oxford To Birminghham In 1840.

Oh and re own teaching: though I have negotiated getting emails at home NO BUGGER TOLD ME that we don’t get printed payslips and that there is an additional complex system to get them. Cue tears to the finance department, where I did get a very sweet and helpful bloke.

Thanks for the O sympathies - it's confidential, but it's over. Shame he has a Parents Evening tonight - 4 late nights on the trot.

Rose at your DM. As others have said, that's why he's in the home - so he has someone to sit with him. It's easy to say don't feel guilty, but you really shouldn't - it's only your DM that thinks you should go. No-one else would.

Herbs at all the red tape.

I am rather thinking that this would go nicely with my outfit...

Rose, your mother needs a good telling off. Might your DDad not like some time on his own?

Herbs, I sympathise re IT woes. I currently have three (3, iii) to check every day, two of which are in different rooms. I also need to get another phone number... don't ask. Still not entirely sure what I am doing.

Now that, is lovely.

At DS's school, I rather think the recent cracking down on discipline (to 'Stasi' level) and ridiculous focus on handwriting is because of forthcoming ousted inspection. It got 'good' at the last one, and they're determined to get an 'outstanding' this time, whatever the cost.