Crepe Oddity

[MrsSchadenfreude]

Sorry.

On a completely different and extraordinarily dull note, has anyone, especially London crepeys, found someone to recycle/dispose of old computers securely. We have a growing stable and the people that say they do never reply. So if anyone has actually used a charity or other organisation that would be great.

You have a diary Rudy? I just use my phone!

BD, hooray for the champoo! My lovely friend from school has booked for us to eat out tonight and is picking me up

Cremo, let the wafting commence. And the cocktails!

Now got to try to get hold of a GP appointment for DM...

I just use my phone, too, BTM.

So sorry to hear that the health issues with DMs do not get any better, MI, BD, Auriga and BTM. We do know what you are going through, and can only sympathise. BD, I hesitate to ask, but has DM just decided that she doesn't want to go on? If so, you probably won't be able to change her mind. Voice of bitter experience here.

The lack of linen in French gites has reminded me of poor DD's experience when she did a French exchange in her teens. There were no doors on any of the rooms (although a sheet or something hung over the bathroom doorway). She had a lousy time and didn't ring home because she was afraid she would break down and cry.

Bon voyage, Crem; I am

I rely on my work diary!

I am going to go mad at the next Helpful Suggestion/Idiotic Question someone makes –-yes DP I’m looking at you---.

I am tearful when I read here about Crepeys poor dear parents and the incredible job we women are doing. Mi what was it that precipitated DMs admission? And of course you need to turn your attention to essential work deadlines in the mean time. BD it's so distressing when they start to refuse food. DDad even forgot how to eat. auriga you are juggling so much and it's so hard to fight the guilt but work and these small things yourself like singing are essential. tilly I remember DDads phase of constantly asking when things were going to happen and immediately forgetting. He was still relatively active at that point and it drove DM to distraction. Is there anything I can do for any of you?

Lovely nosh and natter with herbs yesterday in the morning. What a clever, accomplished crepey she is.

Now Crepeys, the good news is that my course which is due to run from middle Feb is saved. It has eight clients booked on and two places reserved. Maybe my somewhat cutting email had some effect.

The theatre has finally paid me...it's not a huge amount but I've earned sweet FA since the middle of December....

BUT ( there's always a big but, isn't there) I am in a godawful mess with another organisation I teach for....complicated, but I do a lot of unpaid working party and development stuff for them, quite happily. I am due, however to co teach a training day ( sadly March 12th ) which is to a small tutorial group and the trustee I deal with has asked me if I'd accept a lower hourly rate, to which I agreed. However, the projected surplus only allows me two hours payment at the moment at that rate. The day will last from 9.30-4 with 3-3 and a half hours travel, and I'll be teaching for at least half of it and expected to be present for the rest. I have said that my position in these circumstances is that I will teach and be present for two hours. Said trustee has misrepresented me to the other trustees in writing offering us both to teach the day for this fraction of the real fee due.

She and I are now entered into Serious Correspondence about who said what. AIBU to stick to my guns? DH and have discussed it and we both feel that to be monopolised for the whole of a weekend day from about 7 in the morning until I get home which will be closer to 12 hours later for two hours reduced pay isnt it worth it. Even though this is a training which I have set up, arranged, planned, done the bookings for and generally done my head in over. They're taking the piss aren't they?

They are taking the piss and she sounds like a mupprt. Stick to your guns, Rose!

Made it to the train and got a GP appointment (though not with her GP) - can relax for a bit!

They are DEFINITELY taking the piss. And I bet they wouldn’t do this with a bloke.

Re DM: she mentioned – almost casually – in the meeting with the GP that she’d had a bit of bleeding etc (this is a Bad Sign)…no news from them yet.

Gross extraction of urine - without a doubt.

BT - pleased you got an appointment.

MI - hope you get some news soon - nothing worse than waiting & wondering.

All of you with parent problems, please remember to take care of yourselves. Try to get a breath of air every day & don't forget to eat & drink (and I mean rehydrating water, not too much ).

NU I think she probably has had enough. Had long chat with ddad and dbro this morning. Impressing on ddad that if she comes out she has to go into a home - he can't have her back in the family home.

Rosebag that is a monumental piss take - hold your ground! And thank you for the offer of help - having you lot on this thread is a help in itself. If/when I come back down to London I may need some support in the shape of a couple of 'dark and stormys' in Waterstones.

MI keeping fingers tightly crossed.

BD, I'm more than happy to help on the Dark and Stormy front! And I will probably need a few myself. Almost there - solicitors first stop.

And I agree, all the support on this thread is fab - great to have others to hold hands with.

Well, it’s not a bowel perforation. They’re doing tests of a nasty and invasive nature to find out what it actually is….

I hope you hear soon, MI. Glad it isn't that anyway.

I have just switched to online diary - that and an online to do list. They talk to each other and together have been immensely stress busting. I have given up middle-of-the-night worrying about trivia because my phone will remind me, calmly, at the right time. My brain preferred reminding me 500 times at 3 am.

Also I am feeling – probably v unreasonably – annoyed with DP. He is v much under the cosh at work. He came in last night and cleared the living room for painting – though quite why he felt all the books had to come off the wall, when painting blokes said no, is beyond me; but I am carrying stuff at home. I went into school early to talk to DD2’s HOY about her anxiety issues. I have pulled some supper together. I am trying to work out DD1’s birthday supper next week, including a cake which has to be nut free. I’ve reviewed the supermarket order. If I don’t do all this DP will of course handle it, but we’ll be eating disgusting food out of the freezer because he’s too hassled to cook, we’ll have lots of duplicate food and not food we want to eat, and I’m not sure about the cake. I just want someone to take all this off me, but take it off me in a way that doesn’t mean oven chips. I’m tired and run-down and I want proper food.

And I sorted ALL DD1’s birthday presents because he was ‘so busy’.

Love to all doing daughterly things and strength too.....

MI, ask the mum of the child concerned which cake is ok. We always has the very chocolately cake from Tesco as the mum said it was fine, year after year.....

MI - for supper tonight I am doing my healthy & EASY fish dish.

For 2 people.

2 fillets of white fish cut into chunks (I defrost whatever I've got)

Slices of chorizo

1 onion chopped & 1/2 cloves of garlic chopped

Olive oil

1/2 tablespoons tom puree

1 can canelli beans drained & rinsed.

1 mug of water

Squeze of lemon juice.

Fry chorizo gently in little olive oil & add onion & garlic & gently saute until onion translucent. Add beans, tom puree & water & let it all simmer for about 10 mins. When you want to eat add the fish - it takes about 2 mins to cook. Season if you want & squeeze of lemon juice.

Posh & faffy = add some chopped parsley.

Lovely with some crispy bread, but bread not essential.

It's taken me longer to type than to do.

And it tastes really good. Much more than you would think from so little.

Beachy, you are brilliant. Friend's mum says anything that doesn't actually have a nut ingredient is fine. I just can't face making one...

That sounds divine. Sadly, DD1 is semi-veg and doesn’t eat chorizo. BUT I peeled and cut parsnips into chunks, shoved those into a hot oven with olive oil, cumin, coriander and a bit of chopped chili, and then blended everything into stock and it is DIVINE too. Really nice. And creamy yet vegan.

Oh, MI, you are SO not making one

Making cakes for birthdays wasn't on my list of motherly duties (somehow made it onto my sisters list though!)

Dd1 home for a surprise weekend tonight, so we are having steak as a treat, pesce boy having fish, fussy dd2 having burger! Chips all round.

I've just had my hair cut short by a new hairdresser who reminded me of Herbs

Yay Beach!

I have had my escalotorphobic aunt on the phone, explaining at length why she can’t visit her dying sister till mid/late Feb. She has to sort out a ticket (this can be done for her by my uncle, he keeps offering), sort out payment (so difficult, I find) etc etc. “I don’t even have a cellphone.” She kept wanting me, clearly, to give her some kind of reason why this was absolutely fine. I just kept repeating what the GP says about doing stuff NOW, and that I’d asked the GP about her visit. Then she got huffy with me as I was hassling her (I wasn’t, I just kept repeating this). And THEN she told me all about how she’s sure mum will feel better once she’s off the chemo (I pointed out she’s off the chemo because it doesn’t work) and that her brother had Fought To The End, and THEN she lectured me on the importance of filling mum’s last months with joy.

I did rather well in not telling her to sod off.

Oh Lordy MI. What a bizness. So, so, so sorry for all the mum stuff, BD, BTM, Auriga.

Love and thoughts to all.

Rose, re course: No. Absobloodylutely not.

MI, much sympathy. People behave so oddly in the end game. Think all you can do is pass on what the professionals say, just as you did, and leave them to it. You cannot, cannot, spare the time and emotional energy to assuage the sense of guilt or loss in others or compensate for bonkersness. Or make any sodding cakes.

MI so sorry your dotty aunt is blethering at you. Ignore her. She is OLD!
Ehat is actually wrong with food from packets/the freezer? My DC eat mainly paata and chips cooked hy themselves/me and only occasionally top-qiality homemade meals. My sliwcooker is my friend! And buy Beachy's cake. I love baking but I know most people don't.

Well I have been to the solicitors, taken DM to the GP (who was rather convened about her, not least because she hasn't had any meds foe a month due to communication breakdown) and pharmacy and been to pick up a new microwave. DM seems more confused and quite beleaguered - I am pushing the fact that she has to accept help from the carers and go shopping with them/help with doing washing/maybe help getting meals. I don't think she is eating or drinking much. I am going to get the carers to draw up a rota of what to do each day I think.

We took time out today to go back to our old home and sing at the memorial service for a beloved friend who has died of breast cancer. Poignant reunion with others from the choir we sang in together. I wore the jacket of my wedding suit, in tribute to all the support and understanding she gave me over MIL problems when I was not long married. I used to look out Les Dawson MIL jokes for her and she'd roar with laughter

DSis2 had OP appt today & was told she is being referred to oncology and probably needs chemo, radio and hormone therapy. Tumour was much bigger than expected, there was another that hadn't been detected on CT and 8/9 lymph nodes were involved. And there's a questionable area in one lung. She is remarkably calm, DSis1 has fallen apart but I think she is doing it for both of them.

MI, sorry about bonkers auntie and you deserve a Mars Bar ice cream at least (or a Crackerjack pencil) for not giving her a piece of your mind. In fact, Mars Bar ice creams (MBICs) all round, we deserve them, I'm sure I could get Sister to write us up for them

I like baking too but this time am going to slosh fudge icing on bought loaf cake

I think it's about comfort, for me, BTM. Just at the moment I really want Proper Food like my mum used to make. It makes me feel someone bothered. Even if that person was me.

Oh hell, Auriga.

This really is the Thread of Doom, innit.