Proportional Crepresentation

[Cremolafoam]

There you go lovelies

Excellent MI. We're going at the beginning of August - you can suss it all out for me pleeeease!

CV, good job, looking very sophisticated indeed. That colour works so well with your wood.
Noticed these towels in Asda earlier if you are after a budget option and they are not too matchy matchy.

Gorgeous, CV, gorgeous. How do you get it done so quickly?

Think our longest family holiday was about 10 days, though some years we did two separate weeks with a week or two back at work in the middle. I think I like them all. It gets so hard to find weeks everyone can do - am touched dd has turned down something with friends to be with us this year (she only told me afterwards, in very matter of fact way).

dd has been doing dog walking at uni this year. It was a bit of a faff to set up - requiring her 4th/5th DBS check in 12 months - but she has really enjoyed it, found it very flexible, good for stress, and liked knowing the dogs didn't have to be parted from their owners.

I think borrowing a dog/walking a Cinnamon Trust etc dog is a fab idea. I love, love your bathroom, CV. Sorry to hear of holiday trauma, MI - not a great time to be doing it with revision stress agogo in your house. Sympathy to all of you with exam stress being taken out on you.

Horrid news on Sky that Macron's lead over Le Pen in a Harris poll has fallen. He still does have a lead, though.

I've only once in my life (well, adult life) had a three-week holiday. It was so good that I forgot all about the existence of a particularly toxic ward sister. She was on her days off when I went back to work, so I didn't remember her until three days later, when I heard her voice (from the other end of the hospital)

MI, that's very true....you get flexibility at a cost.

Bargainous towels, Crem! I've just ordered some stripy ones from Debenhams, in the sale (well, that place has a perpetual sale), but if they're not right, I'm off to Asda.

DH left at 3.45 after waking me up at 3.00 am because he couldn't switch off his phone alarm. To use a lovely expression, I was stotting mad. And then he leaves lights on everywhere. I think a few days peace and quiet will be lovely.

Great colour in the bathroom, CV.

I love my three week holidays in the US, but we mostly use apartments, would be going mad in a hotel for three weeks. We are toying with the idea of doing a long cruise in January next year (part of a world cruise), but I think I might get fed up. I realise that this makes me sound spoilt.

I suppose I ought to try to get back to sleep.

Hope you got back to sleep, NU.
I was so tired yesterday that I went to bed at 8.30. Sadly, I am still tired this morning.

Even more hollow laugh at the idea of long hols for teachers and freelancers here. Seeing as the school where I work persists with the fiction that I am "self-employed", I am paid for the lessons I teach and that's it. No pay for meetings, sickness or holidays. Zero employee benefits. And dh is a freelance translator. So going on holiday is a particularly expensive undertaking for us.

Really must book a doc appmt. Being this tired is ridiculous. And I can't afford it. I have so much to do and not enough hours as it is.

I can see how 3 weeks in one place (especially if it's a hotel) could become tedious. That's why we travel around! Though we used to manage 10days/2weeks per campsite (2 per hol) when the DC were small, but that was with friends too.

Stropps get thee to the GP. It is probably mainly down to your punishing schedule, but it's definitely worth seeing if you need iron or something.

CV, I love the bathroom. Makes me feel like I should get organised and do some painting at half-term...

I have looked at the Cinnamon Trust - no urgent cases in London of course, but will fill in a volunteer form. Do you have to be DBS checked to walk dogs?

NU, hope you're asleep now.

Another day, another Ladyjog...

Nope, didn't get back to sleep, so it's going to be a long day.

Stropps, sorry you are so tired. I have a GP appointment at 4.20 to get the results of blood tests for exactly this thing, so sympathise. Just have to get through the day first as I have the almost 4 yo DGD from 9 am.

Good luck with the jog, MI.

Stropps, sorry you are so shattered. Could an under active thyroid be a cause?

Love the bathroom CV.

Am debuting my new hair at work. It's very short and shows off my jowls. Not sure I like it now. Eek. And my top is still damp. Hm.

Morning Crepeys. Been following but not adding much recently.
Hope you had a good weekend.

We had DNephew for 24 hours, who is 7 and a real sweetie. Really into cooking, so by the time we'd made bread and a cherry cake for when granny came to tea, the kitchen looked like a (flour) bomb had hit it.

We put the bread into these funky tins that I've had for years from Pampered Chef. Once you (finally) get them out, you have a loaf shaped in such a way as to produce flower or star shaped slices. It was a big hit, and only from a packet bread mix. I've been on the verge of chucking the bread tins out for years. DM so impressed by them, that she wants to borrow them for her Bridge teas.

Luckily Granny (DM) took charge for an hour while I cleared up. Felt exhausted by the time he left. I mean, it was only 11 years ago I had one of those to look after!

Bravo CV on your new look bathroom.

Sorry to hear of holiday woes. We tend to find a holiday that works, and stick to it. We are repeating it again this year, but no DS, so will see if it still does the trick. It's UK based, and a seaside location. It's close to where DH grew up, so we catch up with a few of his old friends, and do a lot of chillin' - based on what the tide is doing.

MrsW I am at the dress! It looked like a real stunner online. I have terrible times trying to get something that fits. I hardly have a small waist, but I do go in at that point (briefly) so like to find something that does the same.

I have to go to Ladies Day at Ascot, and have nothing to wear. Actually, I go every year, so I have plenty to rehash. It's just it's the same people who all wear a new frock each time, so feel duty bound to do the same.

I really like those Hotter sandals. Don't get on well with the fit flop kinds, but those strappy numbers in silver are going to be on their way to me very soon. Better get my toe nails seen to.

Monty pics of new hair do? Or should I check on FB?

Morning all - Am going to be waiting all day I reckon for sodding DHL parcel. Have phoned as got off to ominous start as there is usually a text on my phone saying "on route for delivery". They assure me it is in the van!!!

Herbs - you made me laugh with All Carp magazine. Bastille did indeed get quite nasty with mindless violence on a ridiculous scale. I usually slow up meal service after I've started drinking, was going to suggest that as an excuse - before you said they were none drinkers.

NU - I hate that feeling after a wretched night - I slept really badly due to no exercise and lots of eating yesterday. I get restess legs - I'm going to have to do yoga stretches before bed every night I think -but am too lazy- .

CV - that bathroom is really cool. Has a sort of 70's feel to it but in a chic way.

Here, the more I here about Marine Le Pen the scarier she becomes. The polls put them 20 points apart though so hopefully it won't come to pass. I just wish they'd stop giving her airtime though. She is too clever and consequently dangerous.

I would love a noble hound to stamp through the forest with. I must investigate whether such a scheme exists here.

That looks fantastic, CV. Well done on choice and execution!

Finally all quiet at home, heaven....manic day here yesterday with 16 for lunch and it was wet, so we all squished around the table, perched on stools, benches and garden chairs....really lovely catch up with forrin' cousins who we haven't seen for ten years.

Ds still very up and down and two weeks to go until his first exam

I was going to say the ddog love is Really Important to ds at the moment.... I have been known to deposit the hound into his bedroom with him on bad days.

Oh Beachy.....

NU, that is a superb expression which I shall try to use! Can you squeeze a nap in?

Stropps, doc. And if your esteemed non-employer doesn't regularise your situation, I would be tempted to start leafletting them anonymously with a printout of the HMRC tests for self-employment....my clients are paranoid about being even investigated as it is so time-consuming and expensive....

Cloud, that's our pattern too. It has become so embedded the dc just want to come as the year doesn't feel complete without - hope that continues.

BTM - I assume the (enhanced) DBS was as some of the dog owners may be vulnerable?

Still no UCAS decision here. It feels like he might as well stick pins in a map.

Sorry, Hatty, meant to say she is scary......there were vox pops on this morning with people who are switching from whathisface (the lefty one) to her.

BD, seriously, might you be up for Tartfest?

I am going to whinge about DP later but am going to write first.

LOL at new hair showing off your jowls, Monty. I am sure it doesn't.

Stropps - go and see the doctor (as opposed to Aunt Nancy - sorry, DD2 rediscovered the recorder over the weekend). Your work contract is nuts and they should be ashamed of themselves.

Here, the cat is still constipated. DD1 starts her exams tomorrow and had huge, massive meltdown about them last night. Please God let her get it out of her system now and not melt down again when the exams actually start, and end up with nothing. She could do brilliantly, or she could crash and burn. I feel there is no middle ground.

Mrs S , sorry to hear about dd. And Beachy , am sorry ds is still struggling. I have my fingers crossed for all the exam takers and hope The a Crepey parents can keep going too.
16 for lunch Beachy? Don't know how you do it.

In the days when we still had the family house en France, we often went for 3 weeks when dd was small. But it was s easy to just fall into a routine there as it was essentially 'home' but not home. I miss it already. But yes 3 weeks is long, but I would love it. Dh will barely take 14 days. Like you Stropps , he is on a stupid contract with no hols or sick pay -only ssp. So no worky, no payey. I can't think about it or I get The Rage Huge sympathy for you Stropps.

NU hope you got a few hours kip after dh clomped off. Dh regularly gets up , leaves phone in the bed,and he lets it ring ring ring while he is in the shower. Infuriation.

I am dodging work today as eye looks red and want to see the nurse for advice. and I know it will be manic

Good call to dodge work, Crem. I only managed it as everyone else bought salads and puds- I just provided meat and buns. It was more of an indoor picnic rather than anything formal!

We are doing just over 2 weeks this year, but three places..... I've organised everything, but I would love for there to be a bit of responsibility sharing so I can chill with a book or eight!

Good luck to Mrs S's DD today, hope she slept well and is renewed. Hope Beachy's DS rallies as well. Fingers crossed for all the DC's doing exams.

May I whinge for a moment? Bear with me - I'm sure anniversary stuff is making me even more grumpy than usual....

Oh, it's just that I've remembered that last summer I also only got one week of holiday on account of t'ai effing chi. And then DP wanted a week away in this half-term and made out it was somehow unreasonable that I objected.

And while I am quite hands-off, most of the time he doesn't even notice that they have exams (which frankly judging by his own O'level performance is a little unwise, I might point out).

I really do not mind having a holiday separately from him. I do not mind to a degree that is perhaps not a very good thing.

I do wonder, when the kids have left home, quite where we will find ourselves. His enticing suggestion I come on t'ai Chi breaks with him does not make this any better.

It certainly seems most unfair MI, all the more so because of your DM's anniversary. But I do think that is a separate (although extenuating) issue. He should of course be more sensitive about that. I think he feels guilty about the tai chi and is projecting that on to you. Just because he doesn't like what you say,doesn't give him the right to overrule it. awfully sorry about all the hols plans being binned.

I am having elevenses with Elizabeth David's Summer Cooking. Seeking inspiration and bathing in her sunlit descriptions.☀️😊