Moving at the speed of life

Mostly mine Just could not get dd to have any sense of urgency about getting packed, and I was torn between doing it myself (in the middle of everything else I was trying to do), and letting her turn up at camp with sfa. Bob promised to work a have an early finish, and came home at 5pm, which IS early for him, but not what I had in mind, so I was fuming from 2pm onwards. I’m going to bed now and leaving them to it. Up and away about 3am, I think.

Although not sure about flood situation.  We are going to Wiltshire and Somerset, and I can’t find anything on line to say they are flooded, though of course involve the M5. To be honest, I have no urge to go away at all atm, and if it were not for DD going to camp down there, we’d just head northwards I think. I suppose I’ll enjoy it when I’m away, at the moment, it all just feels like too much hassle.

Had a lovely day yesterday visiting a friend who is staying in a static van nearby. It was a scorching day, and it just rushed by. No photos, though never saw the kids from the moment we arrived anyway.

Washing machine man came again today – the saga continues – and spent three hours doing something inside it, and said I couldn’t use it yet for another 48 hours. Which given I’ve had no machine for three weeks, and am meant to be going on holiday in three days is a bit of a bummer. He didn’t even sound convinced he’d actually fixed it, and Bob’s theory is that he is probably going on ohliday himself in a couple of days, and didn’t want me to find out it wasn’t working till he was safely on a beach in Tenerife. TV also came home this morning, and seems to be taking up a vast amount of room after getting used to the little portable sitting there.

DD has decided she’d like to have a go at Standard Grade chemistry this year – no exams or anything, just to work through the programme, so we spent a couple of hours this morning looking at the periodic table, and I learned more about it than I ever did at school. Rather embarrassing to discover how much larger it’s got since then as well! Then she suddenly complained of a headache, and I realised she had a bit of a fever, so she’s been lying on the sofa since, reading HP. We’ve eaten party food from the freezer for lunch, as no bread, and I’m just about ready to doze off as well.

<center><a href=”http://www.testriffic.com/iq/”><img src=”http://www.testriffic.com/iq/12.gif” border=”0″ alt=”IQ Test Score”></a></center>

 edited to add: I may have an IQ of 142, and be a universal genius, but I appear to lack the wit to make the thing appear in the post. ROFL. Story of my life, really

Early start yesterday, as Jo the music teacher was coming. She says DD is doing really well on the keyboard, and has started her on fingered chords (I think I was meant to understand the significance of this, but I didn’t). Last lesson for a few weeks though, as we are off on holiday next week. So glad I wasn’t travelling on the M5 yesterday, as that had been our original plan.

Posted some parcels, than dd nearly fainted in Boots. I remember at about 13 I went through a spell on being very faint-y, so I hope it was just a one off. I half-carried her into Waterstones and she had hot chocolate and a cheese toastie, and that seemed to help.

We had been planning to see Much Ado about Nothing in the evening, though we hadn’t bought tickets in case the rain started. However it was still fair at 6pm, so we set off to Stirling. I have to be honest, and say I found it interminably boring. I assumed that DD would be as well, so had consoled myself with the thought of leaving in the interval. That plan was scuppered when she turned to me and said “isn’t this the most fantastic thing you’ve seen? It’s brilliant!” Ah well, glad she enjoyed it, and it’s showing all over the country over the summer, so you can decide which of us to believe  -she’s still raving about it today, so it certainly made an impression. I got chatting to one of the cast in the interval, and he was saying that the audiences were about half the size this year, with pre-bookings away down because of the weather, so they were finding it a struggle financially. The setting was perfect – the stage was set up in front of a small lake, with a vast oak tree to the side. Unfortunately, that made it a perfect setting for midgies as well, and I’m covered in bites today.

Were back  just before midnight, so went into town to see if there was anything happening HP-wise. All three book shops had queues, but there was nothing going on at all. Obviously spoiled in our expectation, as we were in Brighton when the last book was released, and Borders had a party all evening. Basically here though, the shops were closed, and just re-opened for a couple of hours at midnight. So we abandoned that, and picked a copy up for £5 in the 24 hour ASDA on the way home. Not sure if she’s started to read it or not, as she has locked herself in her room while Bob and I struggle with hanging the wall paper down the long drop on the stairs.  Better go back and help, I suppose.

So much for guide camp provising socialising opportunities. out of 20 kids expected, dd was the only one to turn up. I must say the guiders deserved a medal – I’d have been very tempted in their situation to phone us and tell us to bring her home, but they decided to persevere. Apparently it was quite late before the finally gave up hope of anyone else appearing, so they decided to stay one night, having checked that DD was happy to sleep be herself in a tent for 10 (apparently she couldn’t sleep in the guider’s tents for child safety reasons ) and she was, so they stayed the one night. By morning she had charmed them all so much with her eagerness to do all things camp-like before she was returned home, they decided what the hell, they would just concentrate on giving her a really good camp experience, and stay the three nights. So she has dug latrines, made camp showers, built fires, rubbed sticks together for flames, and generally had an excellent time. But ffs, how rude is it possible to be – I just think it’s awful that people are so careless of the time and effort volunteers put into things sometimes. It was Bob who picked her up and heard the story, so I phoned the guider when I got it to thank her, and she was really livid. Although apparently, dd is a total paragon of virtue , and as she was the only person to turn up, they are putting her name forward to go to the international camp next year. The places are limited, and dd has been desperate to go, and I’ve been trying to manage her expectations, so she is now apparently top of the list for our region.

I did feel quite desperate myself though, no matter what she does, it’s like she can’t meet other kids. No HE-ers,  no kids round the doors, and now no kids going to the kid’s events either. Sigh.

Anyway, must go to work.

I was wandering round the blog ring, and read Deb’s post about family size. And the oddest realisation dawned. I’m glad suddenly that fertility (which was actually not that impressive in the first place) is over for me. I probably spent 15 years longing for a baby, and then another 10 longing for the sibling that didn’t appear. Proably about 18 months ago I accepted that it was over, and got on with planning My Life: Phase 2 Nevertheless, it was an acceptance of a sadness, rather than an embracing of change. Tonight for the first time ever, I suddenly feel glad that it’s over. For the first time in probably about 24 years I can say with all honesty that I don’t want a baby. Which is rather pleasant to discover, as it would just be a total bitch to be menopausal AND broody simultaneously. So I won’t be making any headlines as the oldest woman in Britain having an assisted pregnancy after all. Damn, will need to think of another PR hook

New suite arrive yesterday, slightly anxious till Bob came home, as he hadn’t actually seen it before it was delivered. He says it’s “OK”, which given how bonded he was with the old one, is positive Today I bought some cushions for it (decided to get rid of the old ones), so it’s nice and comfy now.

DD at guide camp, so Bob and I had a rare evening out last night. Ate too much Chinese food, and spent the night feeling restless and agitated with MSG. Worked today as had an important (to them!) presentation to make to the Board, came home and fell out with the washing machine man (will be at least another week till it’s fixed), and the TV man (ditto).

Eventually had a cool bath, a glass of wine and a bit of a cuddle, and feeling much better

…. we stripped wallpaper. (Slight theme emerging here). I didn’t think we watched a lot of TV, and I’m amazed at what we get done without one. Did watch this on the laptop last night, and we all enjoyed it. DD has even done some writing today afterwards.

Had our 25 year old wedding present three piece suite picked up. I evn forgot to take a photo of it for posterity – must look on Nic’s, I’m sure she has one. Even gave him some of my cushions! New one arrives tomorrow.

Bob painted hall and landing ceilings, while DD and I chose carpets. Sorted out all the dvds and videos that were threatening to take over the house. Still have two boxes, but it feels more manageable. Don’t mention the books, obviously.

I cleared the four feet high pile on ironing (there *were* three pairs of floor length curtains in the pile as well, not a total slut). While I was doing that, noticed a flash of white passing the end of our drive, and realised that Rose the GP was making a bid for freedom. It took nearly an hour to catch her, she really moved fast. We’ve been letting them have the run of the back garden during the day if we are at home, and we thought it was GP-proof. Clearly not, so I think we are going to have to re-think our free-range approach, which is a bit upsetting. Had I not been at the window today, she’d have been gone forever.

DD has been reading a lot, and being helpful when she’s in the mood for company. She’s off to guide camp tomorrow, so is beside herself with excitment tonight. The camp list was eventually run to ground, and we realised that it had been downloaded for the international guide assoc, and was for girls going camping in the wilds of Canada, so nothing very helpful for here anyway.

Off to have a roast dinner, and settle down on camp chairs for the evening – just how we started off   – how romantic

Loud buzzing in the loft turns out to be a wasp’s nest. (£80 and a mass of lethal chemicals required to eradicate, but can’t be done for a week as apparently wasp’s nests are everywhere. Which may be the fault of global warming. Or the new government in Scotland. Or possibly Tony Blair did it as a last act of defiance. Or maybe it’s down to El Nino. Whatever – they won’t come for a week.)

Interview with journalist about Charis NLP . DD’s quote “yes, she tries to NLP me quite a lot, I always know it’s coming as she has a special voice for it. I think she *is* quite good at it actually, but Dad and I just tell her to go and NLP someone else. She tried to NLP the wasp man this morning, and then she just got narked when he wouldn’t come”. Thanks, kiddo.

More wallpaper stripping

Trip to laundrette (as washing machine out of commision for at least another week)

No TV (just a big dusty space where it sat before it exploded)

Row about missing Madagascar Gameboy game, which she insists she loaned to someone and can’t remember who.

Rather unpleasant episode of blocked toilet turned out to be a rubber glove (in a colour I can’t even remember ever possessing, so not sure how that got there). However, toilet flush now more effective than it’s been for months, so I suspect it’s been there for a while.

DD told my mum she was fed up of her bloody hormones. Thereby proving that despite a lack of social intercourse with large numbers of her peer group in an educational setting, it is still feasible to learn to swear.

Father has lost camp list for guide camp on Monday, and remains unconcerned about the fact it is bound to have one item on it, which will be vital for total peer acceptance and integration, and which I will not think of off top of head.

I decided once the hall is re-decorated next week, that everything else would look tatty, so decided that dd and I would do the bathrooms today, without telling Bob what we were doing. So the instant he left for work, we both lept out of bed. I am totally knackered now – the decorating always used to be a shared task (Bob refuses point blank to pay anyone for doing something he can do himself – argh!), and since we’ve had dd, my task has been to keep her out of his hair (slight poetic license here!), so it must be 10 years since I did any. The top bathroom has floor to ceiling tiles, so it only needed the woodwork and the ceiling done, and the downstairs one had the walls, ceiling and woodwork done. I was worried dd would be liability, but actually she was really helpful, and cut in the paint from all the edges, so I could slap on the big areas. There must be an easier way to do a ceiling though, than with a brush, halfway up a step ladder. My neck will never be the same again.

She made a pasta/tuna/sweetcorn thingy for lunch, as we were both starving, and we are now about to leap into the bath before the carpet-measurer comes.  DD slightly mortified that I did the decorating in an old pair of pyjamas, partly for comfort, and partly as it wouldn’t matter if i got paint on them.

And shit, bugger damn – she’s just been up to tell me the kitchen is flooded with that damn washing machine again.