Looking Good, Feeling Crepe.

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New thread, anyone?

She says she's feeling sick. I am a bit pissed off tbh.

Oh Strops - what a day! I can just picture you lying dispairingly in the mud surrounded by crockery; hope your back forgives you for the jolt eventually. It sounds as though DD has a "Plan" at least (though not sure how far down the alphabet you are by now - well past Plan B, I guess).

MrsS - urgh - hate that passive-agressive behaviour. What an irritating way to do business.

BTM - sorry things are still up and down with DS, but hold onto the fact that he's turned a corner. He'll get there.

Bats - love 'em! XBF came home from work once with a tiny bat in his breast pocket - he'd collided with it while cycling, and carried it home to recover. So cute! It did eventually perk up. Rats too - love 'em! You can keep your spiders and creepy crawlies, though.

Sorry you have holiday tummy, Crem. Hope it sorts itself out. Coincidentally, DM reports from Cambodia that DSDad is similarly afflicted. I'm mildly worried about him - he is 82, and DM treats him as if he's 20 years younger, frogmarching him across continents and up mountains in her wake. Last year in India he stopped drinking water in an effort to avoid train toilets, became dehydrated, fainted, and fell down a stone staircase.

Stropps, you poor woman. I think you win the cup for Most 💩 in One Day Ever. I'm so sorry your back was hurt too. I think dd's plan isn't a bad one Stropps. Let's hope she can stick to it. I just want to wrap you in fleece and tuck you up in bed. I am so amazed of your stamina Let's hope no there is no hijacking of YOUR DAY, tomorrow. Xx

stropps there are no words....you poor woman. I hope DDs plan comes together

hows the holiday tummy Crem?

I have collapsed into bed after a 6 hour study day followed by the usual joy of the tube home, and then teaching til 9.30. I am done in. What a week. Having read Herbs post i have decided that teachers are so under the cosh these days. They can't do right for doing wrong. It's as though supervisors and assessors just have to find a criticism under every heading. Gah. I shall is try to look forward to the weekend...DS2 has decided to pop home.

Forgot to say - good for you, Crem, re: job. Find something that you want to get out of bed for in the morning.

Stropps, you're amazing.

Crem, sounds like the right decision. did it just come to you?

Rose, hope for a wonderful weekend for you and all of us

Mrs S, what a git he is. is there nothing more direct you can do?

Just back from playing recorder in an ad-hoc ceilidh band at dcs old primary school. chaotic but good fun. so tired.

Stropps, you are Wonderwoman. With mud. And wine. I hope DD sorts herself out.

Strops wishing you a peaceful day (DD free!). Mine will mainly be application form full...... Although I have no idea what I say about 'elf and safety.....

MrsS I think I would have resorted to being P-A in return, ie ' the paper was where it should have been, so perhaps you need further training on how to use the systems?'.

Was the John question any of his business? Again, if not, I'd have subtly pointed that out and cc'd John on the reply because if he is using other people to get at you they need to know!

However I am sure Beachy would have ways to deal with all this!!

BD - only inasmuch as John had mentioned it to him when they were discussing something else - like you might in person or on the phone - ooh, while you're on the phone, do you think you could ask MrsS if she's managed to track down the person to answer my question? We have been through the Where To Look For Documents now - "Oh why on earth were you looking for it there? You should have known it would be on the other system!" (tinkly little laugh).

Crem, hope the innards are calm. Stropps, hope the day is equally calm. MrsS, hope your colleagues are less arsey today.

Poor old DD1 is off skool today so cake refusal is in context. Suspect we have all been fighting yet another exhausting bug. Have hopes the period is in abeyance too...

Stropps a laugh and a tear from me at your muddy lie down. What a shitfest. Kobo with loving crepey...love.

BTM many corners....but lots of wall... Thinking of you. Hope dd's situation gets sorted.

Lalsy - tights AND towels? You really have got it sorted!

Crem - honked on the train at 'norks and all'. Had that in Turkey. From a male. Waves of shame and anger after. Would gave been fine from a woman.

I am in Soho waiting to do a morning of X. Thinking of upbeat ways to say 'No idea how to approach this from a tech point of view'. Thought 'Please prompt me with whatever we both need to know'. So excited, and prepared too, after 3 hours of script reading last night.

Aw MI - she is forgiven then.

Gonna book the KX place at 12.30 for 8 next week - if there are a couple more or less, I'm sure they'll be able to work something out.

Crem - hope you are feeling a little better.

Stropps - you are an incredible parent - I do ask myself if my children had been even half as troublesome, would I have hung in there as you have? You are brilliant.

I'm listening to David Beckham on Desert Island Discs - he seems quite a nice chap actually, although not conviced his musical choice is going to see him through several years on a desert island.

Now have to get moving.

Mrs S - your colleague sounds like a odious berk. Could you lace one of your office cakes with something? Just his piece, obvs. Laxative, LSD, etc?

Stropps - I am in awe of your fortitude. How you haven't strangled DD before now I just don't know.

Phobia wise, I'm all about the enclosed spaces. Lifts, tube trains, cable cars - AAAAGGGHHHH. Give me the rising panic and feeling of imminent insanity. Especially if they're crowded. On my own I can just about cope.

Have unsatisfactory visiting day tomorrow. Friends have moved out of London to Surrey, and have been all 'oh you must come and visit'. So, tomorrow's the day. The idea had been to go there for lunch, but now two more people are coming, so we're going out instead. Then 5yo DD of hosts got invited to a party, so we're not going to each lunch until 4.30 (!!), after a 'lovely walk'.

So what has started out as a nice lunch and chance to nose around a new house has turned into a four-hour round train journey to muddily and hungrily yomp in the pouring rain, eating really late, and getting home about 9. Yay.

Mmm, Herbs. No fun. Do you get to go to the busiest station tho?

WAF, and tights and towels. I am a slow learner. Good luck today.

Stropps, wonderwoman in mud indeed. You are quite something. I think it is great dd has a plan. So hoping you have a bit of calm to focus on your work today.

FOUR THIRTY IS NOT LUNCH!!!!!!

I know! Effectively, six adults and three children are having to fit in with a 6yo and her party, which seems DUMB ASS. Especially as she won't be hungry at 4.30 as will be full of party rings and hula hoops.

DP has sent friend a screen shot of the weather forecast for tomorrow in an attempt to change the plan.

We do get to depart via Waterloo, so DS will have a great time looking at the departure board. < clutching at straws >

Think of it as tea. This is absurd. MAD.

I have rebadged it in my head as 'tea'. Maybe I should just unclench and go with the flow. But when one's time is valuable, it's irritating to spend it in an inefficient and unsatisfactory manner, is it not. If it was the other way round, friend would have cried off by now. But would get all affronted if we did that. Sigh.

Gah, can't bear it Herbs. Completely maddening. We visited friends for 'Sunday lunch' when dd was 7 or so, and the 'meal' was produced at 10pm.dd had passed out on the sofa and the hosts children were a ragbag of screaming dervishes. Haven't actually seen her since. Oh yes, her husband had also already decided to go to bed about 9pm. Which was nice.

Your time is valuable Herbs. Unthinking tw*ts.

Tummy settled nicely. Must have been the posh dinner we had for dh's birthday. My system probably didn't know what to make of the steak, given we mostly eat vegetarian as it's just easier to make food we both eat, rather than two dinners.
BD, health and safety is a bugger, and naturally a bit 'nothing to do with me' I always think. Fire checks, egress, access and emergency numbers?
MI sorry you've all had a bug. Hope dd is up to today.

We are off to see palaces today. I am coughing from all the pollution this morning. The air is thick with moped fumes and paraffin heaters and BBQ smoke. Between that and motorbikes zooming past you in the narrow souk lanes, followed by a man with a donkey cart, a wizard on a bike swerving alarmingly , the smell of Jasmin oil and gas lamps, the hub bub of the call to prayer and dozens of languages, my head is alive with it all.

Leaving the job has been on the cards too long. I was sent something about setting up the rotas for April -June and I just thought: I can't do this any more. I am happy to have much less money and be well than give this one more second of my life. And dh agreed. So ner!
Just have to work out an extraction plan, and look at reality of money impact.

Crem I am SO happy you are ditching the work from hell. If I could make that work here I'd be out like a shot. As it is job apps here I come. Working on the principle of learning/doing something new will at least engage my brain.......

I am tired of being bullied - luckily I have a boss who sticks up for me and gets it or it would be ten times worse....

Herbs I am afraid that even if friend did get offended I'd be saying those timings really don't work for us. It's Sunday - we need to get ds home at a reasonable time as he has school in the morning.

I think BD is right. Ring and say look, you realise they've had to juggle everything around but really you have to get DS home and everyone has work on Monday. And if possible point out it isn't lunch any more, dammit, at 4.30!!!!!!

It's Saturday, not Sunday, so not quite as bad - if it were Sunday, I'd have refused by now.

Sadly, friend is not mine but DP's. One of his oldest friends, who he's known since school. They have a slightly scratchy relationship, when he always feels he's being taken advantage of, or overlooked, or whatever - as rather demonstrated by tomorrow's arrangement - so I don't want to start wading in.

She is also very kind and generous in many other ways, came to his mum's funeral, etc, so it's slightly 'swings and roundabouts'.

Right. I MUST do my work. I do wish I wasn't such a dreadful procrastinator.

DON'T. DO. IT. Herbs. Madness and maddening. Who cares if they are affronted?? If you don't want your guests to cry of course don't arrange inconvenient and unenjoyable things for them to do. That would give me the eager and I wouldn't go. If pushed I'd go for the train journey for ds, a poke round the new house and a cup of coffee and leave and have lunch somewhere nice nearby AT LUNCHTIME.