The Naked Crepe

[MrsSchadenfreude]

Psst, over here!

I just mentioned Sober October to DH. He said "you've got no chance."

It's a 3 CD compilation - nearly 60 tracks. So, edited highlights: Pop Muzik, Video Killed the Radio Star, The Boys are Back in Town, Wuthering Heights, Uptown Top Ranking, I Will Survive, The Eton Rifles, I Don't Like Mondays, Heaven Must be Missing An Angel, Don't Cry For Me Argentina, Cool For Cats, Heart of Glass ...

£5 - Sainsburys.

I feel that I ought to try Sober October, but I'm not sure these "cut it out completely" things work for me. If I managed 31 days of abstinence, I would probably have eleventy billion drinks on Nov 1st. Or something like that. I might try "more sober than usual October" and definitely only have a drink on Friday and Saturday. Mostly.

I need chastising, for I have wasted the whole of Saturday morning and depressed myself unnecessarily. I stupidly spent a long time on the internet looking up successful rich people that I briefly went to school with. (this was caused by hearing one of them on the radio this morning - although I did get up pretty fast to turn the radio off) And then spent far too much time having negative thoughts about how I am clearly a bitter and twisted old loser and no wonder I didn't get on with any of them when I was at school, as my plainness and loser-ish aura must have been v off-putting. I do have to spend quite a bit of time fighting these thoughts whilst at my current place of work, for various reasons.

Having an entirely self-indulgent "wah, I don't fit in anywhere and don't understand anything" moment.

I am going to now give myself a massive kick up the arse and drag my snottery, croaky self out for a bracing dog walk and will then do lots of cleaning and look at tackling admin that dh was supposed to have done. And will think thoughts such as "well, it could all be a lot worse, and there's more fulfilling things in life than running a company selling people hand-crafted tweed and unicorn hair underpants for £600 and cave-aged cheese wrapped in gossamer knitted by Tasmanian fairies." Although am not sure that particular thought is really very useful either.

MTFU, Princess Stropperella! Chances are that these people are still unpleasant wankers. I have a couple of friends who are super successful. I think occasionally, fleetingly, "that could have been me", but frankly, I couldn't be arsed with the effort. And I am probably not bright enough or dedicated enough. And their lives are no longer their own.

I can only do karaoke when I am very, very drunk. As you all know. Ahem...

Mrs S. That can be arranged!

Stropps - they'll still be horrible, while you are great. Also, 'there are no pockets in a shroud', and other such platitudes.

You fit in just fine, Stropps

Sober October?? Shame I've just had a glass of sherry and a sip of Fabulosa with my lunch... Ohope well.

Ohope well sounds like a cross between oh well and hic. Appropriate!

I don't think that any of the people I went to school or uni with are rich and famous.

That is probably because the primary was not at all MC, the grammar school was distinctly low-brow and the uni was a poly when I was there

This means that I have noone to compare myself unfavourably with, and one of my best and oldest friends feels the most successful of all as she is an important academic, well-known in her field

Sober October? WTF? I thought it was January when we had to abstain for a month? I'm with

You Stropps

Sober October? What fresh hell is this?

Have realised that my interpretation of "smart casual" for wedding is not the same as that of the Deep South. Which seems to involve sequins and layers of chiffon. Think my dress is perfectly fine and will just have to do.

I went to a Macmillan coffee morning which had echoes of CV and Stropps' competitive edging. I had agonised discussions with dh about whether to even go. I think I managed convos fairly adroitly, but it was tiring. The competitiveness is beyond stupid, because of course I bigged myself up a tiny bit, too, just to keep up, and then felt sick about it. FGS. Still, two of us bonded over the unexpected pleasures of our wayward pfbs having gfs, so that was a reward for going along.

Meet at the same gate as usual, BTM? Where we met on bikes once, with Lalsy?

I appear to be even incapable of booking theatre tickets. And ground words out today and am having Third Act Panic and in any case nobody will publish a book written by a middle-aged no-hoper. And none of the bras in Bravissimo fit me and she suggested an H cup in one of them.

Sober October can stick its sobriety up its sober bottom (clutches G&T bought at Charing X).

Was just thinking about checking that with you Molly! Yes

I am keeping out of DDs way as she is working on the PC downstairs - her laptop is still not mended and will cost £££ but it's all my fault
Counting the days to uni

Haha, yes, uni has much to recommend it. Sorry to have implied in my last post that CV's primary mums get-together was competitive - I got the wrong crepey, as sometimes happens with this fast-moving thread...

BTM - if you want to feel inadequate in comparison to people you were at university with, try going to Oxford.

I've had a productive couple of hours, shifting the pile of admin that has been stacking up over the last few weeks. Bills, school trip stuff and other such delights. Also composed a ranty email to "Yolanda" at Advantage Car Rental - I've been chasing them for weeks for return of a deposit payment; last week they finally refunded....then two days later took the payment back again.

Ain't that the Oxfordian truth, CV.

CV, that's why my friend decided to not even apply there - she wanted to be a big fish in a small pond!

DD has gone out swimming. But not before she shouted at me for not buying applicator tampons

I tend to avoid all old school/uni reunions for those reasons. Dh used to but in the last few years has regained an interest - coinciding with the dds going to his old school I think. I think it may be a mid life thing but he has caught up with a few old friends that way. As long as it does not involve me it's fine but I do have an abiding horror of events where my only credentials are as "wife of" - the idea I could have any value in my own right is a novelty some people don't seem to have caught up with yet.

Similar to many of you it's been an admin day here. Large parcels taken to the post office for uni dds who despite loading the car to the top seem incapable of remembering basics - the parcel included trainers and a bath towel. I suspect it might have been cheaper to buy new than pay the Royal Mail but that would be their expense not mine so obviously not a sensible suggestion. Looking forward to Strictly with dd3, it's felt like a long week and an evening of unchallenging telly is appealing.

And the other place.....loads of IBS, divorce and alcohol problems too though, I dunno. I no longer care about competitive types, most of the time, and was really stressed and grumpy when I had a long hours stressful job that also managed to be badly paid.. at your alternative career, Stropps. Give yourself a break, woman, and enjoy a bit of calm after many storms. You are awesome. All of you are. MI, I have achieved almost nothing today apart from making a stew and having a lovely chat with addle. And now feel more like a nice sit down than going out.

Monty, I am terrible at that bit of being a freelance. My largest client now was the results of a hilarious convo in which I assured him I was not what was wanted and he said I sounded perfect.

I hope you Oxfordians can bear it in mind though - that it's an unfair stick to beat yourselves with. MI - re the novel - I think that's the problem with writing fiction - you just can't know if it'll go massive, or not at all, that's why it's so brave to have a go at it. But you've had great feedback, so we are looking forward to your launch parties.

Cat on lap.
Curry en route with DH.
Concerning Things have been occurring with 2 of my nearest and dearest but cat and curry is where its at tonight.

MI - re the novel. I'm currently reading a book my brother gave me written by a friend he made at Oxford. I am instructed to give it a good review on Amazon and anywhere else I can think of so you might not want to dismiss your Oxford connections too completely.

What a little ray of sunshine, BTM.

Monty, sorry to hear you've had a crap week and are feeling low.

Heh, MrsS, looking forward to seeing pics of all the chiffon and sequins.

I am trying to move on from this morning's gloom by doing epic tidying. I have taken 3 black bags of my clothes and ds's books to the charity shop. I am about a third of the way through cleansing dd's room of extraneous gubbins. Have found 2 book tokens so far. Have had one helpful g&t, but think a second would tip me back into maudlin thoughts.

But MrsWobble, is the book any good?

I'm drinking gin too, while the sausages cook. I am hooked on Silent Pool gin, which is unfortunately about a tenner more per bottle than anything else.

Enjoy the curry, WAF. And the cat.

DS has brought GF home - he is loved up, pretty much a year to the day since he ended it with ex (she of the crazy mother). New GF is someone he was at primary with, until she departed for private school. She seems nice.