The Crepe Escape

[herbaceous]

New thread!

Title can refer either to our upcoming holidays, or our upcoming fleeing from the Bojo-led charabanc of doom.

Nipped into Next-door-neighbours-but-one's party for one drink at 3pm. Only just got back. Looks like those ikea wardrobes aren't going to get finished today!

Sad about Caroline Aherne. She was one of us.

Now must do some rough planning for job interview. Though a bit drunk.

Pretty glasses, MI. I bought some really nice cappuccino cups from BHF the other day, but I clearly wasn't wearing my specs, because they nowhere near fit under our expresso machine.

Anyhoo....just home from BIL's fab 50th. Lovely bash, marquee on their enormous lawn, great band, caught up with several of his and DSis's lovely friends who I have met on and off over the years. They had a total 'mare with the food, though - they had booked a local restaurant to provide a curry, but two days ago their chef did a bunk and they had to cancel. So BIL found a local caterer who, at short notice, could do a hog roast. Caterer turned up at midday today, set up on the lawn.....then at 5pm (one hour before the party) announced that whoops, he had burnt the hog (how??) and it was totally inedible. He disappeared off, reappearing finally at 9.30pm with some cooked joints of pork. So it was all good in the end and nobody really minded, but DSis, who is a control freak likes to have things planned was barely suppressing her fury. And most of us were absolutely plastered by the time the food showed up (which probably contributed to the convivial atmosphere).

This afternoon DS finally managed to pass his Bronze DofE, although the expedition wasn't totally without incident, as the sole fell off his boot on the first day, so he did most of the walk in his tiny mate's spare trainers.

I feel the adventurous life is not for him, CV.

Rudy We'll be here waiting when you come back.

Rudy {{ }}. Much strength and thinking of you.

Rudy

CV, I can't believe the catering woe! That's madness. At least, by the sound of it , the drink didn't run out. sounds a very grand birthday party btw.

MI, love the wee elephants.

BTM, you sound beside yourself with dmum anxiety. So sorry that she's struggling.

Mrs S, there was a thread about removal of teenage pong recently. Vanish gold seemed to be the way forward, thrown in with the offending item and , yes biological, flavoured powder. The kind that gives me hives. Either that or burn offending item in the back garden.

Dh has risen early this morning and is creating in the kitchen. There seems to be choux pastry going on, so I suspect either éclairs or a Paris -Brest. Who knows. I am banned from the kitchen and am dying for a pot of caffeine.

Rudy, we are always here.

Oh Rudy Will be waiting for your return.

CV, HTF does the sole of a hiking boot come off, FFS?!!! It sounds like your DS and MrsS's DD2 are ideally matched My DC were much more sensible and did not sign up for DOE in the first place

Thanks Cremo - I know she is well looked-after, I just wish there was a way for her to end it all as she really is not getting much out of life any more.
of your DH and choux pastry!

Hello all...half way through very full on weekend with far too much eating. Got up very late today. Very. Hairdresser at 12.30 for me and DD. Glad rags and photo call 5.30. Hope the silver Debut dress delivers. Was quite pleased with the Onjenu dress yesterday, worn with straw boater, and the Boden courts and got a few compliments.....a rare experience. The dress has now become known as the Agadoo dress....

Tilly So sorry about your DM. It's very hard to harden oneself to it all

Well done on getting the interview, Herbs

CV I'd have sued right left and centre, unless the caterer made a very generous allowance own account of the burnt hog. What a nightmare, but sounds like guests had a good time anyway. DS2's D of E experience was enough to make me refuse to allow DD to do it. 'Nuff said....

How is the migraine Auriga ? Glad you weren't alone when your sight got affected.

MI Understand those moments. xxx

Rudy Whatever you need. Remember that there is nothing that shocks the Crepeys if you ever want to share. There's a wealth of wisdom and experience here and lots of hugs.

Right I must now attend to the fact that amongst all the excitement of the last week or two, DS1 home for a couple of weeks and this weekend of celebration, (and corporates for Wimbledon tomorrow ...hurrah!!!!!) I picked up an all day teaching gig in Herfordshire on Tuesday and will have no time to prep if I don't do it today...yikes.

Well done Rose! That's another one in the eye for Annoying Trustee...

Rudy - Rose is right. Between us crepeys I'd imagine we've seen or been through just about every scenario possible, and are thus both unshockable and useful.

Gearing up mildly for DS's birthday. Next Friday he's having a few friends after school for bubbles in the garden, cake, etc. Then on Saturday him, his BFF and three other school friends are going to Margate for a day on the beach, fish and chips, etc. THEN on Sunday a friend of his is having a birthday party. THEN on Monday his BFF is staying the night. THEN on Tuesday I shall be lying in a darkened room.

Birthdaycakeonabike Herbs! He has it well sussed, turning his birthday into a Festival!

Herbs, that sounds fab - will they be going to Dreamland?

DH and I are off to see Carole King in Hyde Park later - where is the sun?!

An old boyfriend of mine from school is going to that. We're catching up for lunch tomorrow - he's heading down to my neck of the woods: he's a family support worker these days so I shall pick his brains for the charity mag I'm pitching for, having ruthlessly exploited everyone else I know for it (ah yes, I remembered, vv old mate with whom I cowrote a textbook is expert in this area...)

Rudy, yes, we are utterly unshockable!

Rudy, take care and we are here xx

Auriga, I hope you feel better. And MI glad you got some rest - when a big wave comes, ride it in and lie on the sand [looking forward to holiday metaphor].

Marching was most upcheering. Very cheerful, polite atmosphere, people making way for each other and giving each other spaceas the rent a mob are not pro-EU and funny attempts to think of rhyming chants.

I don't even know how you can burn a hog roast - can't you just cut the burnt bits off?

I was thinking that too Lalsy. But perhaps chef was on the sauce, as it were.

ANNOUNCEMENT
would everyone who would like to come to my birthday party, 10th September, be so good as to pm me their email addresses please.
This is so I can send you an invite, and also a menu from which to choose your dinner in advance.( this will not be for a while yet.) I also need food intolerances and preferences flagged up please.
If you prefer not to do so, that's cool, but it will make it easier for moi.
I already have emails for Molly, GGG and BD I think.
Will be meddling with Excel once I have you all.
Xxx and thanks in advance

Woo hoo, Cremo! Very much looking forward to it

Today has been a day of booking. DD said she would infact like me to go with her to my old uni city open day, so I have booked the train for a week on Sat and am very excited
After spending an hour filling in online visa applications with DH last night, he has decided that it would be much cheaper to do it on arrival We have now just spent an hour booking hotels for the first 3 places we are visiting. Well, I say we, it was me who found decent places and booked them... Still, I guess he has booked all the flights and train.

DD is most excited by the thought that there is no legal drinking age in Vietnam. She is currently at her gym club BBQ drinking vodka and coke apparently

I don't know how you burn a hog roast ether, but apparently it involves leaving someone junior to "oversee" the cooking, then coming back a few hours later to find the whole thing in flames. The caterer is having to make an insurance claim for the £3,000 machine destroyed in the process, not to mention waving goodbye to the several hundred pounds BIL was going to pay him, but now won't be.

Rudy - I know you prefer to keep things to yourself....but we're here for you when you return.

Rose - your weekend sounds excellent; enjoy Wimbledon, you lucky thing.

Herbs - don't worry - in about, oooh, ten years birthdays won't be such a big thing anymore. Parties seem to be a thing of the past for my lot. DD2 will be hitting her teens somewhere over the mid-Atlantic as we return from LA.

Crem - I'm on it!!

Wooohoo tooooo! Will do, Crem.

BTM, how very excellent (uni open day).

Jeez CV, that's some cock-up on the hog front. Although at least it wasn't a Cameron-stylie cock-up

And at parties being a thing of the past - they are just a different kind of party. With alcohol!

Well, I don't mean parties are a thing of the past - I just mean birthday parties that I have to organise/host etc. Neither DS nor DD1 had any sort of celebration for their last two birthdays, despite me offering. But there are parties galore elsewhere, it would seem, mostly unconnected with any sort of anniversary. And involving alcohol, of course...

DD1 told me that a party she went to the other week ended suddenly because the parents found two of the party girl's friends having sex in the cupboard under the stairs. And heavy inroads had been made into their vodka (what did they expect?). I was quite relieved that this still goes on, as I thought that DD1 and her friends were too squeaky clean for this to happen.

Yes, we haven't had any proper parties for the DC here in years though we have had them for DH and I - I wonder if I will have to bite the bullet when DD turns 18 next year?

Perusing Amazon and looking at something to tighten up my pelvic floor (I know, TMI), I was amused to see "People who bought this also bought..." and there was a large range of gin! I wonder if the two are related?