Crepes, Cats and Calamari

[MrsSchadenfreude]

Here you go.

NU, what madness is this? Ironing a shower curtain?

Maybe it's a good thing that you've gone into work, Crem, as it has reinforced that it is a BAD PLACE and you need to escape.

As could have been predicted, the kittens were Totes Adorbs, and while I wanted to take all four, we've picked two. The litter was of four - two short-haired black boys, and two long-haired tortie girls. So we've chosen one boy and one girl. Jerry and Margot. Or Northern and Bakerloo, as someone on FB suggested. I'd forgotten just how wonderful kittens are. All that tumbling around, climbing your jeans, etc. The boy kitten is especially adventurous.

I think we're going to need one of those mad cat lady cat trees for climbing purposes.

The idea is to pick them up tomorrow! Unless they fail their weight check at the vet this afternoon.

I did say it was the outer curtain, Herbs: it's made of cotton and looks nice, as opposed to the inner polyester type thing.

The kittens sound lovely, I am so jealous. It's bringing back memories of one of my kittens who used to jump up and grab my bottom with his claws whilst I was trying to sort out their food. Ouch!

DH is happy, the special (i.e. expensive) bike computer which he wanted has arrived and he is sitting playing with it. He has just told me, gleefully, that if he is doing a special event I will be able to follow him on my iPad. Yeah, can see that happening.

NU sorry to hear it is taking time to recover from your op plus other stuff I have never heard of having an inner and outer shower curtain. And definitely not of ironing any
Surely following your DH on his bike rides will be your #1 new hobby?!

Cremo I hope you are now safely out of the building with your paperwork. And poor you with yet another diagnosis.Hopefully all the medical stuff will come together soon and you will start to feel better.

Herbs, the kittens sound lovely - looking forward to lots of cute photos.

I am making the most of an afternoon off (DH and DS have gone to a match with friends) and am taking the scenic route to the mini-MU

I still maintain ironing any kind of shower curtain is madness. It'll be pants next.

Forgot to say, mrs s, that your pussy is very handsome. But I sympathise re clinginess - HerbCat drove me mad with his insistence on loving me, and me alone.

Rescue foster 'mum' reckons the kittens mum was a Korat, so I may get my crossbreed pedigree after all.

I can do D & S for half an hour. Can get there early...

Herbs, as I said, our cat climbing thing is available.

I am slowly trundling down from the BL on a bus.

I am there now...

Sorry Auriga - I had somehow missed your kind cat tree offer. They're coming tomorrow! So I probably need something local and quick!

It's all very sudden. I do hope it will be OK...

I am available to help . I am good at cleaning up pet vom and other messes.

Managed to prise dh out of the house to see Moonlight. I fell asleep for some of the first and much of the middle third - so found it unexpectedly confusing for a film with only about three characters and almost no plot . The last third was extremely touching.

Am now bouncing of the walls obviously.

Hope the DnS hit the spot.

I am zonked. Have been asleep, had phone conversation with my dad and will soon be asleep again. Suspect am not full ticket but doubtless sleep will knit up my ravell'd sleeve of care.

of Margot and Jerry. Why can't we have the other two and we could have matching pairs. Pussy in laws as it were. Right we are going on a kitten hunt tomorrow.

Yes, you are all right about work. I noticed the rosters I had spent hours sweating about, were poking out of the shredder.

NU, i am sorry to hear you also have the hypothyroid condition.I do so hope you are right about feeling better in a week after taking tablets. Hope so

Hope the D&S Squad did us proud.

Well, the other two are still available! Though you'd have to get to north London to collect. They could be Tom and Barbara!

Herbs - will expect to see many photos of new kitten cuteness.

Am back from excellent mini-break in Winchester. Last night kicked off with pre-dinner drinkies at a random pub suggested by hotel receptionist - imagine my delight on discovering it had a Gin Bar, with all sorts of delights on offer (rhubarb gin and ginger ale, if you don't mind ). Dinner was at a place called Chesil Rectory. Proper grown-up dining - the sort of place you never go to when you have DCs because a) they wouldn't appreciate the food and b) you couldn't afford to take them all. After the meal we retired upstairs to their gorgeous bar (slopey floors and beams) and the staff left us to our own devices as we steadily worked our way down the pudding wine menu. I can't remember too much about the rest of the evening, however four-poster beds are quite squeaky, we discovered.

Today started with a gargantuan breakfast (as if I didn't eat enough yesterday), followed by a long walk through the water meadows and along the river, a wander round the shops/market, then back down the M3 to rejoin reality. Lovely, lovely weekend.

CV sounds lovely!
MrsS, MI and BTM partook of D'n'S, I unfortunately didn't as had had a mini migraine attack earlier and like MI think I'm not the full ticket at the mention. But lovely to catch up and thanks for propping me up!

I am off out with ds today for some kulture and then meeting college friends tomorrow before home.

CV, the break sounds fab!

Lovely to catch up with BD (and MI and MrsS!) last night - came home feeling quite relaxed

Off shopping with DS later...

CV sounds like all boxes ticked - to stumble across a gin bar - what delight.

I hope you feel bette today BD and glad you got some squad support.

Off to gym class and may then gird loins and investigate contents of side passage if I cant think of an excuse. I suspect some are.....slimy.

Ooh, side passage. I know ours is full of gravel and cat shit. A friend of mine has just moved into a new house, and she was saying it's all lovely apart from the 'appalling neighbour' whose dog poos in the side return and she sometimes doesn't clear it up 'for days'. She looked horrified when I confessed my slovenliness in this regard.

Went round to a chum's house - in my first self-booked uber! - for a lovely home cooked curry and chat. And rum punch. And wine. Feeling a bit delicate all over this morn. But the kittens are coming! We're clearing the kitchen, where they'll live for a while, of anything breakable, dangling, etc. There's a lot.

Glad the Dark and Stormy Squad had a good one, but bummer about your migraine BD. That's not good timing!

And CV's dirty weekend seems to have been a major success. How lovely.

What a great weekend away, CV. I know all about squeaky fourposters as we once stayed in a castle in Scotland.

So excited about the kittens, Herbs, can't wait to see some photos.

We are ridiculously excited this morning having just walked into the sitting room and glanced out of the window, to see our visiting red squirrel raiding the feeder which DH installed on a pine tree in the front garden. I have taken photos (which aren't very good as I had to take them from inside and blow up). It was so funny to see him removing hazel nuts and then burying them in the lawn.

CV - arf at squeaky bed. That sounds like a great weekend. I haven't had any birthday bed squeaks yet this decade. Maybe we need pudding wine.

NU - I can't see the squirrel. I don't DOUBT the squirrel, I just can't see it

Crem/Herbs - I too was thinking Tom and Barbara, Tom and Barbara!

I meant to say, Auriga and Herbs - so sorry for passing of good pusses.

I spoke to no-one yesterday (fam at IL's) except lovely friend who popped round for five mins in evening. Odd. Fam back today.

Crepies I'm exercising discipline on the posting/reading front. As dh will have no paid work next month, I'm following the money and maximising my time pitching for work. I'm trying also to think how to offer my specific directing services based on only one full day and two half days of it.... not easy, although have 6 years experience of reputable related directing 20 years ago I also haven't been around cos last weekend was so utterly dripping in socialising and ballyhoo and I'm such an introvert at heart I had to do a major retreat/overstimmed baby looking at white wall.

Crem - I have my fingers crossed for your imminent resurrection to health on thyroxine. It could happen, it really might and we all hope so, so very much.

BD- how rubbish to have a migraine, at any time, but to miss a DnS is a shame.

NU, I'll see your red squirrel and raise you one Gin Bar. How's this for a thrilling photo?

Loving the pics of both squirrels and gin. Looking forward to seeing pics of the Herbcats later.

Dirty weekend sounds ace. It's been so long since I've had one of those.

Waf, well done for trying to maximise the moolah. A weekend in your own sounds just what many of us need.

Sorry to hear you were unwell, BD, and unable to take full advantage of the D and S. Having been vague about plans, Dh went out last minute with Ds leaving me with girls so was unable to join.

Dd1 being a monumental pain in arse at moment and very tricky about school. Wants to leave and go to poorly performing school round corner where her mates go. Crying all the time and being stroppy and shouting. Atmosphere awful. Am at wits' end with her. Thought we had got past this a bit. Will have to see head of year to try and sort. Feel like weeping myself tbh. It is v unfortunate that her adolescence is coinciding with my menopause. Both of us hormonal and a bit crap.

Right, must stir myself. Have a good Sunday.

WAF, I feel your pain re pitching. Good luck. You know where I am if you need just to down tools and come round. I may rise to a frugal glass of Lidl proscecco.

DP and I are on non-speaks. He is feeling domestically oppressed (has done all the washing and helped DD2 clear our her room) . I just wish he was a bit more interested in stuff I find interesting. It would be nice to live with someone who occasionally suggested e.g. a trip to the cinema to see the sort of film that doesn't involve animatronics or superheroes. Or fancied staying up after 10.30 on a Saturday. And didn't believe that salt and butter are deeply immoral and hufff if I add them something he has cooked.

I know I'm being unfair about him in that he has a very demanding job that involves a lot of travelling up and down the country and seems to mean a fair amount of weekend work too. But we are very different people and sometimes it really gets me down. Quite a lot of the time he doesn't seem to like me very much.

Monty, I am so sorry (and feel vaguely guilty as it is own girls' school...)