Life in Middle Girth

Mood: Peckish
Listening to: Kid in the kitchen

Wednesday, 10.41 pm

I have the munchies but I shouldn't be hungry; had a respectable dinner tonight - pork schnitzel and lots of veg. Mike is crashing round in the kitchen getting his sandwiches ready for lunch tomorrow and its making me hungry but I don't know what I want.

 

What do you munch on when  you're gastricly wanting?

 

I have several "binge" or crave foods. Top of the list would be plain potato chips (with extra salt of course). I HATE flavoured chips! Also close to the top is vinegar and salt with maybe chopped luncheon sausage or bread to dunk in it. Yes, I know it's not good for me. From time to time I'll open a tin of salmon and drown it in vinegar and salt, or sardines, or tuna if there's nothing better.... Bananas are always welcome, ditto a cold sausage. Freudian traits creeping in here? Ha!

Chocolate I can take or leave - if there is some in the house, I'll take it (yep, take it somewhere and put it out of its misery) but if there isn't I wouldn't go out and buy it especially.

 

Sigh, grocery day tomorrow. Filling the cupboard takes up an awful lot of time and money, but we can't get by without it! I can usually count on an hour to do my fortnightly grocery shop and half as long again putting it all away. Mind you I do tend to dither over things a bit so could probably halve the shopping time. I don't really mind it.

 

Bed time. Brent has just come home from squash and grumped off to bed because at 10.51 pm both big boys are still up and I'm on the computer. I'm tired and will head off to bed now but I guess there'll be mumble grumble when I get there. Ho hum.

Night,

Jaybee.

Mood: Neutral
Listening to: Silence

Tuesday, 10.31 pm

Have just spent quarter of an hour soothing Duncan who seems to have hatched a cold in about an hour flat. He was really miserable, snuffly, coughing and feverish...hate to think what sort of night we're in for. Have dosed him up on Panadol. That's the worst part about working - what to do if "small" gets sick. Because I only work part-time I'm loathe to ask for time off, but Brent is really busy at work and I know he wants Friday off to do finish Kenny's house in Mangaweka so won't want to do nurse duty tomorrow.... Lets just hope that Duncs is ok for school tomorrow.

 

Today was Greg's 15th birthday so we're back to a 10 year gap for 6 months. We gave him a cell phone, actually it was the least expensive present he's had for ages as I just upgraded my old phone to a new (free) one and got it changed to pre-pay. Got him some phone cards and a big block of choc and ordered the new Harry Potter book - those books have universal appeal, doesn't matter whether you're 5, 15 or 55! He scored book vouchers from various other rellies and a Feelers CD from Mike. Pip will get something in Australia, and I guess the next trip to town will involve some new clothes. 15! Time he started to grow then isn't it!! Nah, face it, he takes after Brent's Dad and will always be a shorty.

 

Went to the gym today for the first time in almost a fortnight, and boy, did it feel like I haven't been going!  Got the old dunger rowing machine (seat doesn't slide smoothly but at least it didn't fall to bits) and after 10 minutes I was sweating and gasping. Managed to do 2000 m though in that time. Then did a 20 minute spin on the bike with the comfy seat, then my weights such as they are, but didn't do any walking because my feet are still a bit tender and I didn't want to aggravate them. Work tomorrow and Thursday then Friday will be cooking and shopping and setting up the kitchen for the tournament at squash, not to mention buying all the prizes......Gosh it's going to be busy. Hope I can get some inspiration for prizes, get sick of the same old same olds. Note to self: get some prize cards to print as there are none left from last tourny.

 

Brent went to Wellington today - for those not familiar with our geography that's about 2 hours south of here and is our capital city.  It amuses me that we have the expertise in our wee town required to do a job in the big city! Actually the boys do quite a few jobs around the country, industrial stuff like PLC control and monitoring stuff, a lot of work in water treatment plants all to do with the automatic controls, probes etc. And to think when Brent became an electrician I thought he'd be putting in power points and changing lightbulbs!

 

Found lots of websites about Psoriasis in general and Pustular Psoriasis in particular, and my conclusion is that what I have isn't particularly nice and I'm stuck with it for life, but it could be a hell of a lot worse judging by what I've seen and read so I'd better not moan too much. (I'm turning into a hypochondriac though - have got a split on my finger tip OUCH - and am wondering if it's the disease spreading.....) It is so nice to be able to walk normally again though; it makes me realise how much we take our bodies for granted when they're working properly.

 

Right, bed methinks, before Duncan wakes again. Could be a long night!

Sleep tight,

Jaybee

Mood: Happy enough
Listening to: Daughter moaning

Sunday, 6.50 pm

 

Have to hurry up and get this done before the blokes arrive home, due in shortly after 7. Brent has been in Mangaweka working on a "perky" job all day, and the boys, and the rest of the Venturers, have gone to squash tonight. Don't know if I like this 5 - 7 pm Sunday night spot for their meetings, mucks tea up a bit.

 

Pip's been home all weekend - and has moaned and groaned constantly since arriving. She came because we had stocktaking at Farmlands on Saturday morning but it turned out we were only needed from 7.45 am to 11.15 so the dollars won't be huge. Every little helps though, especially for the poor students amongst us! Today she worked at Speirs Foods doing salads etc.  Made her cushions for her this afternoon, they look really good. 2 big striped floor cushions for the flat. Also dug out a bag and suitcase for her Australia trip - she leaves next Friday.

 

Feet have been absolute crap this week. Finally got to the doctor on Thursday and was diagnosed as having Pustular Psoriasis (or Palmoplantar Pustular Psoriasis if my internet research is correct) which is now in my system for life and can be expected to flare up randomly. Triggers, however are not very well known but alcohol, stress, trauma and overuse can all contribute. Lovely. :-( At least I can walk ok now without being in agony.

 

I haven't done a tad of exercise all week, goodness knows what the scales will be saying. Groaning probably. Tuesday I'm not working this week so will try to get there then, then Friday is my next day off. Couldn't go this week cos Thursday my feet were still too tender and on Friday I went along on Duncan's school trip.  I guess I could have gone over the weekend..... my enthusiasm needs a bit of a kick start.

 

Have just eaten 3 bowls of pumpkin soup. Twas yum.

 

Time to go, have got pizzas in the oven that need checking.

Laterz,

Jaybee

Mood: Tired
Listening to: Computer hum

Middle of Monday night, 12.12 am

 

Yep I know, I should be in bed. Should have been there hours ago as Aunty Em was wont to say.

 

We had Business House squash tonight, Brent was there for both sessions but I didn't have to go till the 8pm one. OHHHHH my poor old feet are sore. They are weeping and oozing from several places and the fiery red is creeping up from the soles towards the ankles which are swollen and fat. Thank goodness for Panadeine - I'm very impressed at the way it really does kill the pain, or at least dull it to a manageable level.

I have to go to the Doctor on Thursday, so I'll take my feet with me then. Actually I have to go and have blood tests - cholesterol levels I think - tomorrow so that the results will be back for Thursday's appt. And why am I going when I'm perfectly healthy?? Because the sodding nurse wouldn't give me a repeat of my blood pressure pills and happy pills without  my seeing the Dr as I haven't seen him since last October. (That's a problem??? Guess they have to get their fees out of me somehow.) Mumble grumble.

 

And the bloody cat bit me tonight as I was sitting on the loo and quite defenceless, so now I have a pair of fang marks just below my knee on the fleshy bit on the inside. He must have hit a vein because it bled and bled and bled - dribbled down me leg and looked dreadful! Then, because I hopped straight into the shower it didn't congeal for a while, so hopefully all that bleeding will have flushed out any possible infection. He's a little bugger sometimes, gets this faraway look on his face with his eyes just two pools of black and you KNOW he's going to attack, there's nothing you can do to stop it. Scarey really. He never, ever scratches us humans, saves that for the furniture, but he is naughty at biting. (Needs a bullet, says the husband.)

 

Work today, and tomorrow, and tomorrow. Wonder if this is why my feet are flaring up? I expected achy legs from standing all day but that hasn't happened.  It's been all go today, we've had the builders in putting a new shop front in. They took all the frontage out and installed lovely automatic sliding doors and floor to ceiling plate glass - so it's really light and bright. Still have to install a money machine/ATM thing but I don't think that's going in until Thursday. You should see the dust all over the place - we spent a couple of hours there dusting and cleaning yesterday (yes, SUNDAY) but might as well not have bothered as it's nearly as bad again now. I was gobsmacked that the boss's wife didn't throw sheets over anything, not even the Lotto terminals. It would have been so easy......

 

Righto, off to bed, hopefully my electric blanket will be sizzling almost. I love sinking into a hot bed!! Maybe I'll just have one game of Mahjong....

Jaybee

Mood: Neutral
Listening to: Duncan's Nick channel on TV

Sunday afternoon, 2.10 pm

 

I think I should classify myself as a clogger not a blogger - not because I'm clogging anything up but I've just been looking up Wikipedia about blogging and  there are heaps of "blog" words made up from blog + another word e.g. blogorhoea, well my word means "closet blogger"! Why am I clogging? Well, the husband has gone all unreasonable about computer usage, so now I tend not to go near it unless he's out of the house. Blogging in secret - or in the closet!! This annoys me (a lot of things annoy me at the moment, watch out) because I should be able to do what I want to do  when I want to do it now that I am a fully fledged adult.

 

I think we're heading for a crisis on the domestic front. A lot of it has to do with constraints as mentioned above, I am feeling more and more that I can't be free to be me and it bothers me. Mind you it has taken 45-46 years to get here, but only in the last 12 months or so have I started really putting me first and acting upon it. And the others in the family do not like it.

 

The biggie, of course, is sex.... Do we have time for this now? Here's the Reader's Digest condensed version: I'm not "into" sex and the husband, being a normal male, is. I've stopped doing it and he ain't happy. There, I've said it aloud. Anyway, it is beginning to have an effect on every aspect of life, and I feel absolutely cornered. Every conversation gets a snarky comment, and I find myself waiting for the touch and cringing when it comes. Now I'm trapped - I don't want to give in because I will hate myself for doing it "for the sake of peace" and I don't feel that I can even do the normal affectionate contact because it gets read the wrong way (YES!!! She wants a bit!!). Grrr.

 

I know I am probably completely abnormal but I have never had much of a sex drive anyway; it certainly is no fault of the husband because he is very tender and patient and accommodating and wants to please me - and whether it is my hormones doing their middle-aged thing or the effects of the anti-depression medication (which I probably don't need any more, must ask the dr) or my slightly traumatic past coming back to bite me I don't know but I'm in a bit of a fix here, capiche?

 

The only time we discuss this is the wrong time, either at bedtime when it ends up huffy with backs to each other and half a mile of mattress in between us, or after a few drinks - never good circumstances for meaningful discussion - or in the presence of friends who think we're probably just joking. We're not.

 

God, what am I going to do? If we could spend the rest of our lives living together platonically, it would be sweet. But it isn't going to happen is it? Either way one or both of us is going to become even more miserable, then bitterness  will creep in, then what?

Oh I didn't mean to get into all this now. I'd better go and do something useful.

Jaybee

Mood: Weary but content
Listening to: Printer printing last night's blog

Thursday, 9.52 pm

 

My computer screen has a funny greeny black faint splodge on the right hand side, and a peculiar reddy black faint splodge on the left side - I hope that doesn't mean that it's about to have a melt down.

Fourth day in a row at work today, and 5.15 finish again. My body is standing up to standing up all day remarkably well I reckon, although left foot is a bit sore in the  heel dept but manageable. Ha, this is funny, the other foot was in the wars today; I was politely holding the shop doors open for a dear old lady on one of those granny-mobile mobility scooters and she ran over my foot!! Ouch!! Those things are darned heavy, and she wasn't exactly a little old lady, more of an XOS. Trying to keep the conversation we were having going, as well as keeping a straight face and not yelling was quite a challenge, but I stoically rose to the occasion. The others nearly wet themselves at my expense, such things keep the monotony at bay.

 

Cousin Barbara rang to see if she could stay tomorrow night, and she can, but I won't be here. Brent is not thrilled at being left to entertain her but she doesn't need entertaining, just fits in and copes with our family very well. She is a maiden lady just turned 60, a zoo-keeper and more at home with animals than people. Her mum, my aunt, is in a rest home here so Barb comes up to visit her every few weeks. We used to have a lot to do with each other when I lived in Wellington so its nice to be spending time together again. We both have a similar warped sense of humour (Monty Python, Goons etc) and each understands where the other one is coming from and what bearing our past has on our present.

 

The other new phone arrived today, the one that Greg is going to get for his birthday. As it didn't cost anything for the upgrade I will be able to get him some phone cards to start him off. Its a Nokia, and I would probably be better with that than my Samsung. Maybe I'll consider that. Nah, can't, don't think I can change the Samsung to a pre-pay. Bother. Will look into doing all that stuff tomorrow although the day is looking pretty full - a trip to the gym to counteract all the chocolate I've been gutsing, but first I've got to be at school in the morning as Duncan - and the rest of the school - gets his meningococcal vaccination and he would like me to be there. I've got a bribe for him, well, a reward really, I told him that after school we would go to the supermarket and he can choose one thing - any thing - from the deli section for his afternoon tea. Wonder what he'll pick? Maybe lolly cake or an iced donut. Then it's the lingerie party......

 

Update on the polyhedron from Pip - "Everybody else used cardboard but I used paper because it's cheaper and it's gone all mushy with the glue I put on and it's full of holes and I can't get it to stick together properly and staples don't work and I'm not going to start again now......." Might look up the web and see if I can find out what she's doing. 120 bits of mushy holey paper doesn't sound like a good project.

 

Ohhhh I hope the computer isn't going to throw a hissy fit, the patches on the screen remind me of when the TV blew a tube and from memory that turned out to be very expensive. Just got the black ink cartridge refilled today, $29.99 instead of $59.99 for a new one. Why don't prices come up when I save my blog and print it out? 

Gotta go now, have got a Trade Me auction closing and I've put a bid in on a textbook for Pip.

 

See you later,

Jaybee

Mood: Cruisy
Listening to: TV babble - How Normal Are You?

Wednesday, 9.43 pm

 

Hump day for those of you who are wondering, has nothing grubby about it. It merely refers to the fact that it's an uphill slog from Monday, but by the time you get this far the hard part of the week has passed and it's all downhill coasting from here. (L.O'F. had a totally different definition but for her every day was hump day and we don't want to go there!)

 

Had a pretty good weekend away in Masterton with the girls, even though there were only 4 of the original 6 in the end. Lucky to have that many, Jo and Sandy coughed and barked all weekend and Di got sick on Saturday night and was early to bed! We still managed a bit of fun, had a session in the hotel gym, swimming pool and spa pool before drinks and nibbles then dinner in the restaurant, and the following day (with Di making a wonderful recovery) enjoyed a big brunch before tiki-touring around Carterton and Greytown, poking round antique shops and seeing what we could find. Didn't abuse the credit cards, although they had a workout on the way down with two of the ladies buying new wallets and handbags, then on the homeward trip we called in to Ezibuy in Palmerston North and I think all emerged with at least one parcel each. My effort was a pair of jeans (jeans!! Me!! and flares at that!!!!), a black crew-necked angora jersey and a short black woollen coat so that I don't have to wear my long one to work. I got a size 16 and it's a snug fit but as Di and I reminded each other, we are both losing weight and in a month or so it will be roomier. Well, that's the plan!

 

When I got home, Brent had a roast pork cooking and the smell was wonderful. Pip had been at work over here so she was lining up for dinner too so it was a full muster.

 

Got my new cellphone! It's a snazzy looking little Samsung, much smaller than my old Nokia but I'm slow at driving it. I guess I'll get faster with practice but the menu and navigation is quite different. Haven't disconnected the old one yet, Greg is going to take it over but we will change it to a pre-pay scheme so that he can buy time as he is able to afford it rather than being landed with a monthly bill, after all his only income is mowing lawns and they don't grow very fast in the winter time. The lady at Telecom suggested I update it with a new one (free) so we're waiting for that to arrive. I think I've mentioned all this before, sorry, it's my CRAFT disease kicking in. (Can't Remember A Flipping Thing.) Wait till I'm really old, I'll be diabolical then.

 

Uh-oh, I think my feet are falling to bits again. One in particular is a bit fiery tonight, and its really annoying because I have been bathing and pumicing them very carefully since they got sore a couple of weeks ago. Smeared some hydrocortisone ointment over them and put socks on to help it stay put.

 

Tomorrow should be interesting at work because the carpenters are coming to take the great big plate glass windows out - and it's been as cold as charity all week! We are having new automatic doors installed so the whole shop front is getting a revamp. Don't know how long we'll be open to the elements - I should imagine they'll board it up fairly quickly because the new bits aren't going in until Sunday (the one day we're closed)  - but even so if the wind gets up I can see magazines and cards all over the show. Interesting if it rains too, especially if there's an easterly breeze! I've been at work every day this week and will be there tomorrow too. Friday is my  only day off this week - I'm really feeling like a useful being again. Missing the gym though - didn't think I'd ever hear myself say that!!

 

Got the munchies tonight. Fortunately it's the day before payday and there's not much sinful food in the house.  What to have for tea tomorrow night? Thursdays are often chili con carne because it's quick to cook before the boys go off to Scouts, but we had spaghetti and meatballs last night and that was the last bag of mince from the freezer. (They were scrummy though, first time I've done that and it's a definite to repeat.)

 

Pip is still waiting to hear whether she will get paid for the damage to her car. There is a hiccup in that the girl who hit her was on her restricted licence and had a passenger in the car who wasn't a full licence holder. On the bright side, she received her course related costs from Teachers College today, so she will have some money to take to Australia in a couple of weeks. Yes, I know that's not what course related costs are for but.....

 

Brent found his missing insulin pen - had I mentioned he'd lost it last week on his course? He wasn't too worried but I was....However, it had fallen out of his drugs bag in the garage and he found it over the weekend. Just as well he had some spares to use.

 

I'm pretty sure we've got the nits beaten. Pip was busy using the nit comb on Duncan on Sunday night and I haven't seen it since, dammit all, but careful peering hasn't located any in the last few days. Things disappear in this house, but I'd like the nit comb to reappear, $14 is $14 after all. Yes, I've looked down the back of the sofa. Friday I will be domestic and fold the great piles of washing that Tinkerbell has forgotten, and vacuum, and make beds and love the cat who is sulking because he's had 3 days on his own. Little shit put a bird in my shoe yesterday.......

 

OK, bedtime. Might even do some journalling the oldfashioned way, with a pen! I have this compulsion to buy empty books - journals, notebooks, exercise books, just about any sort of book, even sketch books and I don't sketch - to go with the pens that I'm drawn to (no pun intended), and I think I could write for an hour a day every day and still not use them all up! Now with blogging I'm getting pretty lax and not writing regularly, instead I print my blogs out and put them in a clearfile.

 

Just had a text from Pip, she's making a polyhedron with 120 bits to assemble. Cor! Sounds like a mission. She has exams coming up next week so I hope she spends some time studying. That was her excuse for not coming with me to my niece Tania's lingerie party on Friday night. It's a long way to go when I don't intend to purchase anything but I'm really going to make up numbers for her...hope it's not one of those sex toy parties, I'd die of embarrassment.  Must get the rest of Vi's birthday pressie because she's going to be there too, and I'm over a month late with it and may get the growl.

 

Righto, that's it from me,

Jaybee

Mood: Happy
Listening to: Classic hits radio

Friday, 12.58 daytime

 

Here I am sitting in the middle of a bombsite, 3 clotheshorses full of washing waiting to be folded and a basket full of wet stuff to hang up. Can't see the table for letters, magazines, bags, books and general clutter, you have to pick your way across the lounge floor because it hasn't had anything tidied since the weekend, and what am I doing? Blogging. There is no hope for me I'm afraid.

 

Went to the gym yesterday and today, first time for almost two weeks. Erica got the tapemeasure out and glory be I'd lost an inch off my arms, and one off my waist (I have a waist???? Yeah, right) and also a couple of kilos. Wahooooo!!!! Never mind that the time I've been away from exercising I've also been pigging out on chocolate and chips.... I think I have a slow metabolism that has a built in time delay, meaning that the loss recorded this week is actually the results of my slog about a month ago, and the gluttonous sins committed over the last fortnight will come home to roost in about 3 weeks time. Grr. Never mind, I'm sort of back on track. Couldn't walk (as in go for a long walk) while my feet were bad last week so it's good to be doing something again. Even started on the rowing machine!! Will probably be a bit slack next week though because I'm working M/T/W/Th so no gym in the morning. Not enough hours in the day to do it after work. At least when I'm at work I don't graze all through the day like I do at home!

 

Going away tomorrow, girls weekend. This has been planned for ages but we're going down like flies - originally 6 of us, then Norma pulled out because she's broke after Roly (her 12 yr old) got not one, but two tickets for not wearing his bicycle helmet - most kids would learn after the first one but Roly seems to think he's above all that. At $120 a pop it soon adds up. Then Kaye decided she'd better stay home as they only have a couple of weeks to go before they move to Australia, fair enough, but nobody told me and as I'm the one organising bookings and putting my credit card on the line it would have been polite.... Jo told me last night. Now Jo has gone down with the stomach bug her kids had earlier in the week so I hope she makes a speedy recovery. I am going to go regardless, don't care if I go on my own!!!

 

We are going over to Masterton to a swanky hotel that has everything on site from squash courts to sauna to spa pool, indoor heated swimming pool, golf range - not that we'll be golfing - restaurant and bottle store.... Depending on how brave/busy/drunk we get, there could be a chance of .  .  . you'd better sit down before I say this . . . . a couple of us getting a tattoo!!!!!!! And then, of course there's shopping - with money or eyes, it doesn't matter, its just nice to potter around the sorts of shops you don't go into when the husband or kids are around - craft shops, antique shops, book shops...

 

I think I've got the nits well beaten. Only Duncs got them and I couldn't find a single one this morning after repeating the shampoo routine last night with new stuff then using the little nit comb thing. I has a quiet word with the teacher to let her know and her response was funny - "thank goodness it was Duncan" which surprised me till she continued, "because I know that you will get straight on to it and deal with it properly"! I guess that's a sort of compliment? Lol. Will have another lather up on Sunday just to make sure.

 

OK, can't ignore the mess any longer, thank goodness Brent didn't come home for lunch today or he would have muttered. Also I have been distracted with a new cellphone which I am learning to drive - the user manual is about a zillion pages long! I tuttied with it so long last night that the battery went flat, and that was only sorting out phone book and ring tones. Wait till I get into games!  Unfortunately I have to have a new number so that is something else for me to do, learn it and let everybody know. Greg is going to inherit my old phone, sort of, the number anyway; I'm getting a free upgrade to a newer whizz bang one (FREE!! WOW!!) which I will get changed from a plan to pre-pay then he can be responsible for earning enough to keep it loaded.

 

Yeah, yeah, I'm folding.  And tidying. And making a cup of tea.

Crikey, its assembly this afternoon, that means going to school at 2.30 instead of 3pm, I'd better get cracking.

Have a good weekend!

Jaybee

Mood: Cruisy
Listening to: The silence

Wednesday, 11.04 pm

Feels like Tuesday because yesterday felt like Monday because Monday was a holiday....

 

 

Grrr have just written a BRILLIANT blog and pushed the wrong key and lost the lot so this lot will be cruddy and crappy no doubt. Difficult to recreate genius. (Ahem, so modest!)

 

Those of you who are squeamish had better leave here and now because I warn you, the subject matter tonight is even worse than last night. It is not pretty. Gross, even.

For those hardy souls prepared to endure, are you ready??

 

 

 

Duncan has got nits

 

 

Did you get that?

 

 

 

Duncan has got nits!!!!

Oh my God, how gross is that?? I've managed to get through 14 years of having children at school, including a daughter with long hair, and only encountered nits once before. Nits, cooties, headlice, pediculus humanus, there's just no way of making it less horrible. I'd noticed him scratching his head so half-heartedly got him under the lamp and had a bit of a chimpanzee grooming session and holy heck, there they were, looking like little grains of sand. Except they weren't little grains of sand.

Horrified I was, appalled, disgusted, icky icky yuk shudder. But, being a wonderful mother, I kept my voice steady and didn't throw the poor child across the room, shave his head or douse him with kerosene as would have been done in the days of old. No, we just did a normal haircut, then into the bath for a splash around while Mum dug round in the bottom of the bathroom cupboard, eventually unearthing the bottle of nit shampoo that had been there since last time and is probably well past its use-by date. Never mind, it was mentally soothing if nothing else, and I will be first in line at the chemist tomorrow for some new stuff!

I have been itching ever since - have you started yet?? Sorry!

When nits came to visit last time, I penned a wee poem to alleviate the awfulness so I thought I'd stick it in here for the same reasons. Those of you who have had close encounters of a similar kind may recognise yourselves in parts......

 

Nits

Tiny nits - quite microscopic,

Huge reaction - catastrophic.

After hours, chemist closed,

Itchiness that grows and grows.

Father worried; bald on head,

Chest and back well-furred instead.

Then, of course, there's hairy armpits -

Could prove a haven for those darned nits.

Horrified - hand to mouth,

Would they travel further south?

From then on it took great strength

Not to hold family at arm's length.

And every thought of lousy thatching

Set us off scratch scratch scratching!

Next morning we went straight to town

(Avoiding people, looking down)

Into the jam-packed pharmacy.

Were all those customers watching me?

"Good morning, lovey, speak up dear,

What's the problem? Can't quite hear...

You've got head lice? All of you?

You need some special nit shampoo!"

Acting cool sure wasn't easy,

Embarrassment made me feel queasy.

Quickly then we scuttled home

To lather up with smelly foam.

After that the task was mine

To nit-pick with a comb so fine.

Then I had an extra curse

Which mad me feel a little worse -

I spent the best part of a day

Confessing to those who'd been to play.

Believe you me, it's just the pits

When you discover you've got nits!

 

Cheers,

Jaybee

Mood: Silly
Listening to: Wind - meterological not intestinal

Tuesday, 11.03 pm

 

Just thought I'd burble about my bowels for a bit - you may wish to skip this episode.

Whenever we go away on holiday, me bowels go all irregular. I seize up, can't go, get constipated - call it what you will, it all boils down to the same thing. Doesn't matter how much water I drink, or fruit and veg and high fibre breakfast cereal I eat, or what exercise I do, nothing. Well, usually not for a few days anyway, I think 7 is the record - and then its not even very satisfying. To add insult to injury, Brent trots off to whatever amenities we are blessed with as regular as clockwork every morning - and sometimes twice a day - it just isn't fair. Mind you, his bowels suffer when we don't get a morning newspaper delivered at home - he just can't seem to, er, manage so well without the paper to read! And working has it's pitfalls too. Usually I manage to, you know, just before I do the school delivery run in the morning but when I have work that day, I'm busy getting lunches ready and clearing the kitchen, making the bed etc and often miss out. This leads to problems about mid afternoon with a build up of gas under pressure, and sometimes I have to be very careful not to make any sudden moves lest there be an explosion.

 

Farting is another variation on the theme isn't it. I seem to embarrass myself in that direction quite often. My first awful experience that I can remember was at the tender age of 11 when I was bridesmaid for my brother and his wife. I was farmed out to her family the night before the nuptials so that I would be with the bride and other bridesmaids for the hairdresser etc. I didn't know them very well, and was absolutely mortified to let one rip in front of everybody. The next time was on meeting a good friend's husband for the very first time - he probably remembers it even now; I know my memory of it has endured 20 years or more, long beyond their marriage! I still blush thinking about it. And the most recent shocker was getting out of my cousin's car a month or so ago after we'd been out to dinner celebrating another cousin's 60th birthday. I was getting out of the back seat loaded up with the remains of the birthday cake when the wind caught the door and I had to lunge for it whilst trying not to drop the cake - well, unexpected pressure on relaxed muscles ain't good and, away I went. Horrified, I began to laugh ( as you do in those situations ) and the more I laughed, the more I farted, o god it was awful, a solo performance in the key of F. Thank goodness I was outside the car at that stage - I don't know what they could hear over the roaring wind but they must have heard plenty! None of us acknowledged it, but I had tears rolling down my cheeks and had a helluva job keeping a straight face as I got back in.

 

Gosh I'll bet you're glad I shared all that - NOT!!!!

May your bowels be ever regular and all your wind controlled.

Jaybee

 

Mood: Efficient!!!!
Listening to: The fire crackling

Sunday, 11.11 pm

 

That's a funny time. The time that I strike frequently is 12.34 in the morning - it always makes me smile.

 

I'm in a hurry to get to bed because it's got late again and I've got work in the morning. I've been sitting doing the bills, finally got the account book up to date and guess what? There's nothing in kitty to pay any bills with. The pile has steadily grown since about Christmas, and if you look back on previous blogs you'll see that non payment does indeed have an effect eventually :( So, for all my good intentions of getting things up to date all I've done is paid off one electrical supplier bill and the (overdue) rates instalment. Wonder if they will hit me with a 10% penalty as threatened if not paid in full by 27 May? Sheesh.

 

The road to hell is paved with good intentions. Guess I'm halfway there. I might look good with horns and a tail, who knows?

 

The cat has developed a lump on his little ear, poor love. It's on the outside but I think corresponds to a claw mark on the inside. Doesn't seem to have anywhere I can bathe, soak or squeeze to get  greeblies out and I don't fancy sticking a needle in. It doesn't seem to be bothering him but I know how much better my pus-filled bits on my feet felt after being drained. Yuk, sounds dreadful but they weren't gangrenous or anything, and certainly feel like I can walk and stand on them tomorrow all day at work.

 

Me, me, me, how self centred I sound. But isn't that the whole idea of a blog? Well, is it? It's funny, maybe I'm talking to myself, but it isn't threatening to spill it all out here even if the whole world can read it if they so desire, I suppose it's sort of anonymous - but do I really want my family reading all this? Not at the moment, though I'm not quite sure why as it's hardly earth shattering stuff, but it's MY space, MY thoughts, MY moans.

 

Brent, Mike, Duncs and I went for a tiki-tour down to the beach this afternoon, in convoy with Julie and Alan in their truck. We went for miles and miles and miles, sometimes just above the water - it was low tide - and later on, cross country and round by the river, then out through the forest. I only shrieked a couple of times when I thought we were slip sliding away but we got home unscathed. I forget why we went; I think Brent and Al were doing a reccy of access thru the forest to the creeks before whitebait season starts. There's still an awful mess left after last year's flood but the progress made is awesome, especially down at Scott's Ferry where most of the houses have been rebuilt or repaired, and some have even been raised a level in case it ever happened again. Amazing, the power of water. 

 

OK, bed said Fred. I can't believe it's now 11.30! Time has done funny things all day, mostly my fault because I did the brunch thing this morning and the whole family was sitting around the table at 10.30 tucking in to hotcakes, stewed apple & maple or golden syrup, bacon and scrambled eggs - then we were out of kilter at lunchtime cos nobody was hungry, then tea came and went in bitty fashion as Mike and Brent were at squash and I let the other two have free choice - packet pasta for me and Duncs, and Greg had an egg on toast. Not sure what Mike had when he got home, Friday's chips reheated I think followed by ? Nachos? I'd sent a meal of nachos down with Brent cos I knew he'd be there all night - meals on wheels as it were.

 

OK, I'm really going this time.

No I'm not.

 

 I finished "Rachel's Holiday", it was really good. I reccommend Marion Keyes to those of you who haven't read any of her works, they're funny but they make you think, and her characters are oh so believeable. I think "Watermelon" is the next one of hers on the must read list, will keep you posted.

 

Nighty night,

Jaybee

Mood: Grumpy
Listening to: French tennis open (I think) on TV

Sunday night, 11.13 pm

 

I am really angry at the moment, having just had a spat with the husband. He's got all poopy because I haven't gone off to bed with him, I've chosen the computer instead. He takes it as a personal insult. And I can't be bothered with that. He's also grumpy because I bought something off Trade Me tonight and he doesn't approve of me doing that either.

 

I'VE SPENT THE FIRST 46 YEARS OF MY LIFE PLEASING EVERYBODY ELSE AND NOW I WANT TO PLEASE MYSELF.

 

 How selfish is that? Too selfish? Probably too selfish to be practicable.

 

I'm annoyed that he's packed one tonight because we've had such a lovely evening - had my neice and her husband to dinner and it was great catching up with them. I did a big roast of pork with all the trimmings: apple sauce and crackling, cauliflower cheese, spuds, cabbage and silverbeet, roast pumpkin, parsnip and kumara, and Nicky brought pudding - apple and boysenberry crumble with custard and yoghurt topping. YUM. All the kids are home this weekend too, so the noise level was a bit high at times, but it was a good family night.

 

And I've had a bit of a bummer weekend, I have got sore feet.... that sounds trivial, let me expand on it a bit. For years and years I have had heels that build up thick skin and crack and flake - from time to time I give them soaks and rubs and creams and such and they improve, then they fall apart again - nothing serious you understand, but can be painful at times. Well, on Friday night they got really sore, couldn't keep still in bed sore (let alone sleep) and on Saturday morning I discovered red fiery bits going up my ankles and little pus filled bits scattered around the heels, so off I went to the doctor and somehow they've got infected. He lanced the icky bits and gave me a course of anti-biotics to take, but I think the poison has gone through my system because I've done an awful lot of sleeping and feeling wretched this weekend. I think I'm on the mend now, I hope so anyway. Doesn't bode well for my walk to Wellington! Just as well my Community Services Card hasn't expired - the Dr 'only' cost $35 instead of the $55 it would have cost if I hadn't had one, and I got my prescription for $6 for 2 items. (Community Services Card is granted to lower income families or those with a corresponding number of children - I think we are well above the $ threshold but it has something to do with Brent being diabetic I think.)

 

Then I came home and slept for another 3 hours!

 

Then Brent and I took Greg (one of ours), Shaun (Greg's mate from down the road) and Kate (Shaun's dog) down to Waitarere Beach where Shaun's parents have a caravan that they stay in some weekends. Shaun hadn't gone with them on Friday night as he works in the deli at the local supermarket on a Saturday.

After dropping them off we went over to Pip's flat in Palmerston North to inspect the damage to her car where somebody rear ended her on Thursday - not too bad, but bad enough to make us wonder if the insurance company will fix it or write it off - after all her car is only worth $1000 and they won't want to fork out too much in repairs. Wait and see, wait and see. Brent also got hauled off to one of Pip's mate's flats to fix a fuse - an electrician in the family, or even a handyman type bloke - is so convenient! And then we went out for dinner, just me and Brent. This is just about a first! We had a really nice meal at a place called the Bath-house (no, I don't know why) before coming home and watching Jonah Lomu's team play somebody else's on TV.

 

Pip happened to stay the night with friends at the same camp, and she brought Greg home tonight as he wasn't feeling too well (but still managed to put a very respectable helping of dinner away).

 

How dare he nut off at me because I'm not going to bed at the same time as him? How DARE he? It's not going to encourage me is it? I will NOT be told what to do.

 

I have changed, I have become cooler towards him - well, physically anyway, and stopped the old nooky - I freely admit that. It's not something I enjoy overly, never have and I'm probably missing out on a part of life that I know he longs for but at the moment I don't feel like doing it for him, I feel like not doing it for me - is that too dreadful of me? I also wonder how much my medication is killing what little libido I have (but I'm not about to ask the doctor about THAT), whether this could be partly hormonal and maybe pre-menopausal, and whether the dim dark past is having more of an effect on me than I have previously given credence to.  Maybe I should go back to my counsellor, but she is also a qualified sex therapist (! whatever that means !) and is bound to be biassed.

 

Whoops, got a bit off the rails there didn't I. Sorry.

 

Right, I might consider going to bed now, because I am knackered. I don't deliberately wait till he's gone to sleep, that was an unfair accusation, but I don't expect him to wait up for me either. If he chooses to go off well, good on him, he's entitled to. As I am entitled surely to go to bed when I please after doing whatever I please beforehand, whether it's blogging or reading or journalling or whatever.

 

I can't see resolution here.

Jaybee