Hot town, Crepes in the city

[bigTillyMint]

I think Jamie Bells ears are bigger! And DSs hair is lighter (though he is sporting a 1980s barnet!), and his jaw a teeny bit widea, but he looks a bit like him in the pics of JB aged about 18 which I am incapable of linking to

Scuppered on sundowner front as it is raining Though still hot However no we get to try the huge complimentary umbrellas! Not sure how we'll fit them down the street with the mad traffic/pedestrians

Stropps, you are amazing and should give yourself a huge pat on the back for sorting things out so speedily. Sorry there are health issues but well done for striking the uni problem off the list

Congratulations to all other crepey children. I hope you are celebrating appropriately

Wow to house Beachy! Clearly the light and white Scandinavian aesthetic memo didn't reach them.

Love the yellow house! But the inside could be toned down a little .

I have engaged my inner rottweiler at work. No-one is interrupting me in meetings without me snarling at them and/or stopping them - "PLEASE HAVE THE COURTESY TO WAIT UNTIL I/OTHER PERSON HAS FINISHED SPEAKING BEFORE YOU INTERVENE." I am wondering how long it will be before someone takes me to task for being aggressive. It is working beautifully at the moment. Thanks to all who gave advice, particularly Beachy.

Have decided to let boss crash and burn on her own as she won't listen to me or anyone else. Had cathartic bitchfest last night with friend who used to work with her, who said she always wings it, and postures aggressively if she doesn't know what she is doing. Yup. Unfortunately she has a meeting coming up with two people who are the experts in their field and will see right through this.

Huge Congrats to all the Crepey offspring on results / meeting offers etc.
Its a huge step if it means they're actually off to University. That was me last year with ds1 - a strange bittersweet sort of feeling in lots of ways...

A special mention to Stropps and her dd. You are amazing Stropps and deserve a whole special category of recognition. Given all that has been going on you know it's a real achievement for her to have completed the course, actually sat the exams etc. A real achievement. It's amazing that you have found something that might be a really good option for next year, it's always good to have options! I hope that really helps her put it all in perspective over the next few weeks while she decides what she wants to do / thinks she can do / what is best for her as a next step. Big hugs Stropps.

I'm on the sofa with a large damson vodka (homemade by me and divine), soda, lime and lots of ice.... ds2 upstairs watching It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia 'writing his personal statement'. Dh and ds1 bonding at a classical concert. Happy Days. Have swum in the sea every day since we got here and feel good.

Love to all. X

I rather like that house Beachy!

Mrs S. Your boss is a cunt.

Well it's very colourful, Beachy! The house I moved into had yellow, brown and orange tartan wallpaper in the lounge

Go you MrsS!

Remember the hand, Mrs S. Palm facing them, don't look at them, just hand meaning 'cease your whittering' and carry on talking. They'll get the message eventually.... I'm the passive aggressive queen of meeting management, me

Just in case anyone gets the wrong end of the yellow house stick, we are not buying a house in Brighton for our pfb to reside in.... I was just sussing areas....

Beachy, talk to the hand coz the face ain't listening

Oh Beachy I need lessons....

Addle, glad to hear the news is good from you too!

Thank you everyone for your kind words. For the record, dd did, in fact, pass all the A levels. Just not very well. Although one was slightly better than the other two. On the basis of approx 20% attendance for the whole of Y13 and probably about 30-40% during Y12. Tomorrow, she is off to her first-ever festival with some friends. This morning, she wasn't going to go, but now she feels she can. Who knows what she will actually choose to do, come September, but it's all about having options. Particularly when you live in a small town in a rural area where it's not easy to find work. She went to her (tricky) medical appointment this evening and things are in hand there as well, for the moment.

I've enjoyed a couple of glasses of wine, and am now helping with the festival packing. Would prefer to just go to bed. Zzzzzzzzz

Hooray for foundation courses, second chances, and modern medicine.

MrsS, am liking this new FIERCE approach. Hope your boss falls flat on her face very soon.

Beachy, sorry to hear about dd1's accommodation troubles. Hope she finds something soon.

I have just retired to bed with a migraine.... Congratulations to Crepey DC who have achieved what they were hoping for, and super congrats to Stropps who is truly amazing. You are a fantastic mum, and DD is lucky to have you rooting for her. And well done to DD who seems to recognise this now. My DFriend's GS unfortunately flopped with his results and she and he are devastated.

Herbs, welcome to Northumbria - I hope you have a great holiday, although I fear the weather isn't going to be kind for the next two/three days. Be aware that mobile reception can be patchy up in the wilds of Bamburgh (last year I had to go almost to Alnwick before I could get a signal).

I have seen the consultant and I am to have my knee replaced in about five months' time, so probably the end of January. I now have a DVD to watch explaining the operation.

NU, glad you have some certainty. at the DVD - something to add to the collection?

Stropps, so good. I have consumed several glasses tonight, in your and your dd's honour . Who knows, indeed, but she has options and can face the future head held high, once she has let off steam at the festival. It is the best news .

Beachy, that is tough. Hope it can be sorted quickly.

C word has caused a bit of a kerfuffle this year in my family - but we usually have it all done and dusted by the end of August - we do have a slightly complicated set up but I was astonished to discover that other families didn't routinely raise it on summer holidays. And envious.

Oh, what a day you've all been having! Congrats to all offspring who achieved what they wanted after all their hard work. Strops, I can feel the relief from here - really hoping DD can face the future and keep doing what she's doing. You have done an amazing job at keeping things on course.

Here, it's our last "proper" night of holiday. Tomorrow we're back at the LAX Airport hotel; I'm hoping they found my (barely opened) California guide book I left behind on the first day, so I can check up on all the things we failed to visit because we didn't have a bloody guide book. Yosemite was uh-mazing! We didn't get there until yesterday lunchtime, so we hiked around Hetch Hetchy lake up in the northern part of the park, which was completely deserted (maybe eight cars at the trailhead?). It was stunning but super-sweaty in the heat of the day. We were treated to a huge teen tantrum from DD1 ("I didn't come here to walk - why can't we just drive round?"), although she eventually pulled herself together and apologised. Man, it was HOT; I was bitterly regretting wearing my sturdy strapless bra, which was like a big sweaty corset. Today we made the effort to get up early and beat the heat, hitting the trails in the main part of the park by 9am; it was DD2's turn to have a melt-down ("I can see all this on Google Earth, what's the point of hiking?"). You'll be pleased to hear I made a better bra choice; shame my knickers were up my bum all the way round. But by the end we all agreed it was a fabulous hike, we saw some awe-inspiring waterfalls and made it up and down some pretty challenging (for us softies) slopes, and we all felt very proud of our exertions.

CV I am living the meltdowns! Perhaps a book of teenage sayings is needed?!

Sounds like a lovely holiday. Here I have a sealed patio roof so one step closer to the decking and despite my mega meltdown (without clever witticisms) dp is still speaking to me - the rather nice gin cocktail I bought him might have helped.

At work a friend told me the head honcho has requested an extension (5 year contract) which has elicited looks of horror all round. Apparently they have stalled request as we have a new VC coming - I think the hope is said new VC will veto this... (Please, if there is a god.....)

Hope everyone has a lovely Friday after all the high drama of yesterday!

Your holiday sounds amazing, CV. I must get the itinerary from you and stick it in my To Do folder.

Dd1 is working as a waitress in a vair naice country house tearoom today, bit of a change from yesterday when she was working at the races, where there was much shouting and swearing and downing copious amounts of Pinot and Prosecco....

Ds turns 17 today! Dd posted v sweet pic of him on Fb aged abt 3, all eyes and smile but didn't tag him so he wasn't aware until I showed him. Took it well.

Happy Birthday to your DS, Addle. And well done him on his AS's.

Have just hugged addle's ds. He submitted with grace. Many happy returns to him.

Home tomorrow. Hurrah. Even though work starts again with a vengeance on Monday. At least I'll be sleeping in a decent bed. I'm knackered.

I do feel quite pissed off, though. The girls are going back to more time off and their friends. Even DP has had a week of bloody t'ai chi. I've just had one week in a dark damp house near a motorway, with a few niceish outings and then back here. I can't go away at half term because my nephew will be visiting from India. So back to the grindstone when I really could have done with a proper break.

MI, I thought he already had a week of his hobby Better get your India trip planned and booked ASAP

Feeling a bit energyless and jetlagged so have had a quiet day making brownies and Millionaires. Got a friend arriving shortly (for a sleepover) then we are out for the evening and then BFF and family arrive tomorrow lunchtime. Woo Hoo!

DD's bf is overjoyed to have got into his first choice uni - so very pleased for him - he deserves it

That's what I mean - he had his week of t'ai chi and then I met them...

MI, is work stacked up a long time ahead or can you squeeze in a quick dart somewhere just for you, funds permitting, even if just for 24 hours (am thinking of a certain spa hotel where I think lovely crepeys can sometimes be found having coffee)? It might recharge your batteries enough to make work seem more appealing and you feel productive and energised, pending lovely India trip?

BTM, that's lovely, good lad.

Happy birthday Addle's DS .

Congratulations to everyone who got the grades they wanted & needed & to Stropps and Stropps's DD who so swiftly snatched victory from the jaws of defeat

DD got three As and a C . The C was a bit of a surprise but she's delighted and doesn't mind re-sitting if she needs to. It's in her best subject and her enthusiasm is undented. I'm impressed that she's done so well, despite the illness, disruption, death, upheaval and grief that dominated her revision and exam period.

My temporary job is over. I managed to do everything on my loose ends list & even fit in my appraisal early, so the holiday will be a real one. Just got to pack now.

Welcome back BTM and MI