The Naked Crepe

[MrsSchadenfreude]

Psst, over here!

Gosh Herbs, do you absolutely want/need it? Sounds an awful lot of work.Celeb-tastic though I guess.
Auriga, what fresh hell is this! ? I'd raise merry hell I think. Not good enough.

Have spent the afternoon with ddad who is regaling all and sundry with his story of being brought home by two burly ambulance people who 'lifted him as if he was an autumn leaf' ( ill spare you the drama)
Mum on the other hand is manic, hanging off the ceiling with lists of lists and some more lists of what needs to be done/happen/booked/cancelled/collected. Both dsis and I have made ourselves available to assist and look after dad, so she can go out and shop or whatever. But our help is not needed. Martyrdom is nigh. Apparently we are 'always too busy' 'always working' or 'always off somewhere exotic' Both of us have taken time off and I have offered to book and come to France and sort the apartment. I am in need of a beta-blocker after this afternoon with her.

Cremola - you have my full sympathy. I spent most of Saturday in tears, having kept it together all last week regarding a parental crisis. It's as if the day to day pragmatism gives way to how I really feel.

Nobody prepares you for this. I haven't had a drink for nearly a month, but the gin cupboard beckoned me on Saturday evening. I stayed strong. I didn't waver!

At least Dbro and I get on, and see eye to eye with each other on most stuff. Shame our spouses don't... but that's another story.

Oh Crem, your Pa sounds so sweet.

Cocoa, dsis and I get on well too, thank goodness, but she can be mildly hysterical, before getting on with things. ( She is very over committed with her own and dh's family tbh.) it's usually me who unravels things to simplify the situation. god they love a bit of complicated intrigue.CBA. Dad is indeed, a complete laugh WAF. If there is a yarn to be woven about anything from going to the loo to meeting Rory McIlroy in Caffè Nero, ddad will have it ready for the telling. I'm nothing like him, obviously.

Ouch Crem that is some homecoming. Look after yourself. And Cocoa, sounds as if the gin was needed. I am glad you have some support..

Flipping heck Herbs that is a lot of pages. Could that have something to do with high staff turnover? Mad in my area been very hard hit by crashing ad revenues.

Cremo, I love the sound of your dad. Well, if he's like you he must be a great craic

Herbs, can you do it? Yes you can! And you would have a willing free-lancer in MI!

I have just done the footy-run - having taken a wrong turn, I followed my nose and found a short-cut yay!

Thanks for sympathies and understanding and, Herbs, thanks for my first LTB

I managed to get to choir, where Bach got the better of my (inner) tantrum & I had a ball.

Crem, I had a martyred mother & I feel your pain. But late in the day, I learned to tell her to stop being a martyr because it wasn't fair. More surprisingly, she learned to listen. Wish I had spoken my mind sooner. I'd just assumed it was too late for her to change but it wasn't. Of course, there were ups and downs but once it was broached, I could talk to her about it.

Auriga how heartening that you developed and improved your rel with your Mum by calling her on her martyrdom.

Monty so sorry things are tough.

Auriga - I would love a good Bach choir - round here they tend to sing things like "The Rivers of Babylon". Mind you - my singing skills are probably not up to a really decent choir. Great news that you've worked it out with your DM.

I am exhausted after yesterday's shenanigans. Am going to slowly put the house in order and get organised for the weekend.

BTM - my DH is famous for non short-cuts - they always seem to go horribly wrong and involve climbing, wading or such like to the extent that nobody will follow him any more when he says the words "short-cut".

My choir starts again on Thursday. Yay!

I was choir-ing last night. Lovely to get back into it. Though there are so many new members, mostly sopranos, that I feel rather unnecessary. Though judging from some of the tuning 'issues' last night, maybe I should...

I am on the committee, as press and publicity person, and the chairman took me to one side saying he'd 'noticed I'm busy, and wondered if I needed help with the publicity side of things'. i.e., get your finger out. Fortunately, there's someone else keen to help. They're welcome to it.

I tend to find that sort of short cut Hatty - speciality: bog-wading!

Herbs, have you decide about the job?

I'm going to go for it, and see what happens! It seems largely down to personalities. I'm going to be myself, but a bit less self-deprecating, and if they like me then good. If they don't like me, it has made me realise that a full-time editorial position, or similar, is in fact not impossible and in fact rather energising to think about...

Go Herbs

Go Get It Herbs!

And yay for passing on the publicity crap

Herbs, one of the great joys of being headhunted is that it's so good for morale, even if the job is horrific. Begone, self-deprecation!

Go Herbs! You are an inspiration!
I am wallowing in self-pity over job. I really hate it. But seem to be unable to haul myself out of the situation and move on. I can't bear the idea of having to start all over again somewhere else ( wherever that might be?) . Have lost a much loved staff member yesterday. She is leaving on health grounds, poor thing. I will miss her desperately as she is a Crepey with a devilish streak and she and I shared a love of thriller and crime lit. Tis bolleaux and put me at the top of a downward spiral.

I am heartened by your words Auriga. I have, and dsis also has asked mum, not to be a martyr, because of how it affects us. But this caused dmum and ddad to go into 'deep undercover' mode wherein we were excluded completely from their lives and decisions. They do this if there is any 'disapproval ' from outside (cf not driving when you've had a few/ getting hearing tested/ having a major operation/ going to India for 3 weeks.) all of which they did without mentioning. Mum can get mercurial at the drop of a hat. She is convinced we want her money and we are greedy money-grabbers above all

Oh ignore me . I am having a crappy day.

Oh Crem, so sorry your day is crappy. And about your colleague deserting leaving you.

My eye is faintly concerning but mostly because I look as if someone has punched me.

Ouch MI what have you done? Herbs well done on deciding to go for the job, you won't know unless you try. Crem it sounds as though you're entitled to have a bit of a wallow.

I am also a Crepey choir person - I love the escapsim of getting stuck into a challenging work. My yoga class has finally resumed after the summer as well, for which my body is very grateful today, but might not be tomorrow. But I have resolved that tomorrow I will be rejoining the leisure centre so I can swim regularly.

I know lots of you do swim in the mornings, can I ask you how you stop yourself getting bored? I used to have no problem doing at least half a mile to a mile, but now I just get bored after 10 lengths and get out and sit in the sauna instead. Which isn't really the point, nice as it is!

Crem - you just described my parents with the "deep undercover mode" - there is no point whatsoever telling home truths - all four of us just keep our heads down and roll with it. I'm so sorry about your work situation - especially difficult to lose lovely colleague.

MI - should you see a doctor? Otherwise - saline rinces (a solution to pretty much everything eye and nose orientated in France).

Here, I have been applying to far flung places like Singapore for official copies of my parent's birth certificates. Both my British parents were born overseas making my journey to French nationality all the more complicated. I am a little in love with Stewart from the Scottish Registrars office though - he not only had a lovely accent but sent my parents' marriage certificate within three days.

I think it's just a bit of an infection. It doesn't seem to be getting worse - I suspect the increased puffiness is just it draining (repulsively).

Oh you poor thing MI. Sounds hurty and unpleasant. Can you see enough to work?

My eyes are closing ;I am so wrecked. Only another five hours to go.

Hattie, that must be quite challenging, having to gather all the info.im glad that Stuart was naice.

Sorry about your eye, MI. And about your job, Crem. Hatty, how long will it all take?

We are at Sky Harbour in Phoenix, a couple of hours early of course. I am mortified as, inadvertently, using a picnic bag given to us by our friends from Santa Rosa, I appear to have tried to bring a knife and bottle opener (with blade) on board. Thank goodness the security guy was nice.

Excellent decision Herbs!! Go for it!!

I still don't know what I want to do when I grow up - I fell into Corporate life quite early on.

However, as the years went on I realised it wasn't so much the job that was important but more what the job did for me. So, I started to look for jobs where there was a lot of variety and no set daily routine that gave me a degree a lot of autonomy because I don't like being told what to do and even better if there was an element of designing my own job because I love starting with a blank sheet of paper I love building the train, but I would be crap at driving it on tracks Eventually, that meant that home based jobs suited me best because I can nip out to have a coffee/haircut when it suits me because I don't need to answer to anyone day-to-day as long as the output gets delivered.

I'm now freelance and love the freedom (and money!). I think for me it was realising I should play to my strengths and not try and slog away in a job that would dull my brain.

In S&B news: London Fashion WeekEnd was great fun - DH and I in the photographers pit, courtesy of Canon, filming a couple of fashion shows on the runway (the very 1st time I'd used DHs camera!) - we took over 1000 shots between us - hopefully a handful will be good! And I bought THE perfect pair of pony skin loafers - result!

Pony loafers sound v nice, Just me. Very envious of your weekend.

MI, can you bathe it in camomile tea to soothe it? I used to use this on the kids when they got sore eyes as babies. Sounds woo but really works.

Hatty, will you have dual citizenship or do you have to become French only?

Sorry about the job, Crem. Any chance of a disco nap? I find even 15 m can perk me up a little.

Safe journey home, NU.

Everyone in my party is rather scratchy and cross today. Piano lessons are perhaps a bridge too far on a damp Tuesday. Only 3.5 weeks til half term

In s and b news, am bidding on things on eBay to bolster spirits. So far am winning on lk Bennett handbag for 7 quid. Also buying a lot of cheap scent. Can recommend Sarah Jessica Parker "lovely", which is quite subtle and cabotine des gres, which is anything but, although quite nice in a 1987 kind of way. Retro, innit.

Hope your labours are over, Mrs S, and you are now able to get holiday ready.