For Dave

Something.

There you go.

Hilarious aren’t I?

Testing a blog editor

Just seeing if this works.

Pay Back Time

I mentioned last week that Tom and I were child-free for a few days.  It was quite pleasant.  Although I was working I still felt as though I was having a little holiday.  I had no-one to worry about but myself, I could get up in the morning, have my coffee and read my emails then wander off and have a leisurely shower, get ready for work, have another coffee and an uninterrupted chat with Tom before getting into the car and driving to work in silence.   In the evenings I’d arrive home, Tom would hand me a glass of wine and we’d discuss our day, then we’d eat dinner and on two nights we even had time to watch a DVD and STILL get to bed at reasonable time. 

However, (there’s always a ‘however’ isn’t there?) last night on my way home from work I stopped and picked up our nephews who will be staying with us for the weekend.  You may recall that this is an arrangement we have with Tom’s brother and his wife.  The difference is that this time I will be looking after the four children on my own.  It might feel a bit like this….

Tom is away all day today and all day tomorrow.  I don’t really mind, they’re good children and don’t give me any trouble.  The noise levels sometimes need to be controlled but apart from that it’s easy. 

So in the space of 24 hours I’ve made the transition from no kids to four kids.  I have to say, although I did enjoy a peaceful week there’s nothing nicer than seeing their sweet little faces.  Especially when they’re asleep. 

Memery

Owing to my current lack of blog material I have borrowed this meme from Dave.

1) My mother once: walked around for two days with every bone in her wrist broken. She didn’t go to the doctor because she thought she’d just sprained it.

2) Never in my life: will I believe a politician.

3) When I was five: I had my whole life ahead of me.

4) High school was: something I was glad to see the end of.

5) I will never forget: I have a terrible memory, best I don’t commit to anything here.

6) I once met: Keanu Reeves. Sigh.

7) There's this person I know who: makes me laugh. Always.

8) Once, at a bar: I got a bit drunk. Ok, more than once. And more than a bit.

9) By noon I'm usually: halfway through my working day.

10) Last night I: fell asleep in front of the TV.

11) If only I had: more confidence.

12) Next time I go to church/temple: the priest will be surprised.

13) Terri Schiavo: sounds like an Italian name.

14) I like: being happy.

15) When I turn my head left, I see: the movie the children are watching (‘Up’);

16) When I turn my head right, I see: 3 candles and a coffee cup.

17) You know I'm lying when: what I say is totally unbelievable.

18) In junior school: I had a genuine, burn your bra, feminist, lesbian teacher and she was the greatest teacher I ever had.

19) If I was a character written by Shakespeare: lots of people wouldn’t understand a word I said.

20) By this time next year I: want to be running my business from home again.

21) A better name for me would be: Mildred. No, not really.

22) I have a hard time understanding: the crap that goes on in the world.

23) If I ever go back to school, I'll: need a bigger uniform.

24) You know I like you if: I talk to you.

25) If I won an award, the first person I'd thank would be: the person handing it to me I guess.

26) I hope that: things get better soon.

27) Take my advice: follow your bliss. Well, it’s Joseph Campbell’s advice actually. I’m just passing it on.

28) My ideal breakfast is: crepes with lemon and sugar.

29) A song I love but do not have is: is probably one I haven’t heard yet.

30) If you visit my hometown, I suggest: you have a good look around. It’s a very historical place.

31) Tulips, character flaws, microchips and track stars: are very pretty, are not so pretty, are fantastic, I don’t care for.

32) Why won't anyone: take me to Paris this weekend?

33) If you spend the night at my house: don’t expect too much.

34) I'd stop my wedding: for lots of things, it’s only a wedding after all.

35) The world could do without: the global financial crisis.

36) I'd rather lick the belly of a roach than: the belly of a spider.

37) My favourite thing is: my iPhone (at the moment – that will change – I’m fickle).

38) Paper clips are more useful than: politicians.

39) And by the way: you’ve wasted a bit of time reading this, did you realise?

40) The last time I was (really) drunk: was 3 years ago. It was a mistake and I regret it because I was ill for days.

41) My grandmother always: loved me.

Move along people, nothing to see here…

I’m a bit concerned that keeping a blog will be a big challenge just now because I don’t have anything to write about. I mean I could give you daily reports on my job but it bores me senseless so I can only imagine how mind numbing it would be to hear it second hand.

You see, I’m just not doing much else. I work, I come home, I do the evening chores, I go to bed.

At the weekend I do the shopping, the cleaning, the washing, the ironing. Then I cook for a few hours, filling the freezer with meals for the next week. Then I make sandwiches and freeze them, sort out various snacks into containers and zip locks ready to pack into lunch boxes each evening during the week. By then it’s Sunday night, I collapse into a chair with a glass of wine and watch Midsomer (often dozing off halfway through). That’s pretty much my week.

No exactly riveting is it?

DINKS

Two posts in one day…not quite the same though is it? I forgot to say something.

Tom and I will be DINKS this week (Double Income No Kids). The girls are on school holidays and will be down at their Grandparents’ farm. Tom is also on holiday but he has exams this week so he’s staying home to study and then sit those exams. I’ll be working.

I’m not sure what it will be like to get up in the morning and only have to get myself ready and organised. Also coming home in the evening and not supervising homework, feeding children, bathing children, reading stories and putting them to bed. It will be strange. And a little less exhausting than usual I suspect. I will miss them though, when they go away I enjoy the peace for about 24 hours then I start to pine a little.

Jack will miss his litter mates (as I jokingly refer to them) but it also means he will get our full and undivided attention so I think he’ll enjoy that for a while.

So a strange week ahead.

Another week

Well another week passed and I didn’t get a post in.  I did do the one with Aislin’s missing teeth (more of a brief update than a post) but I accidentally saved it as a draft instead of a post (I’m using Windows Live Writer to write posts) so it didn’t arrive on the blog as it should have. 

Anyway, I’m here now and I will get better at this.

Early this week I was feeling very pleased with myself because I had more or less caught up on the unbelievable amounts of work I had to do.  Then on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday I had to attend some ‘induction’ training sessions with some managers from other areas and pretty much lost a day and a half’s work time. Consequently when I left work on Friday night I looked with dismay at what had been a fairly empty in tray, that was now overflowing. Not to mention the pile of lever arch folders on one desk and a pile of manila folders on another – all needing my attention. Sigh.  Busy week next week then, good job I’m efficient :-)

In other work news I had a meeting with my boss (the general manager) this week and he told me that he was very pleased with me and I was doing a good job and he hoped I was in it for the ‘long haul’.  I smiled and nodded politely.  I feel a bit bad about the fact that I will be leaving as soon as I get the opportunity.