Assorted Ramblings...

Gah. I'm away from LJ for 3 days and it's taken me about an hour to catch up! And even then, there are some posts I've skimmed and need to go back to read properly.

The absence was due to more visitors staying over the weekend - hence more tidying up, more cooking with the kids etc. Cazlet #2 baked a cake pretty much all by herself (under supervision of course), Cazlet #1 made apple crumble and we all had hands in various other things which emerged from the kitchen!

I also made a really awesome Citrus Pudding. It's simple to make and it tastes fantastic - the one drawback is the fact that it takes ages to zest the fruit :( But it's worth it in the end as you end up with a lovely crunchy sponge on top of a zingy sauce underneath. Yum.

I've had a massive, post-summer clothes-clearout today, too. I can actually close the drawers and shut the wardrobe, but I doubt that'll last long. So there is a trip to the charity shop and the clothes bank in my future.

I watched DW on Saturday but haven't had time to write anything about it yet and I'm too tired now, so maybe tomorrow.

As usual, half-term has flown by and it's back to the grind on Monday. I've started to make a list of all the stuff I need to do; I didn't get to finish all my assessments or input the data I do have because I was ill, so that's at the top of my list. It's going to be a long week though - it's the school show on Weds, Thurs and Fri and I said I'd play in the band, so that'll be three late nights. I live too far away to be able to come home after school and go back again which is a bit of a pain, but it does at least mean that I have a few hours each night to get stuff done.
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( telly )

Is it hereditary?

( cut because clearly, parents can be embarrasing at any age! )

My washing machine gave up the ghost on Sunday. I've had it for quite a while, so it wasn't unexpected - but what IS unexpected is the problem I'm having getting a new one. Most places I've found one I'd consider buying can't deliver for ten days or more. One I found on the Comet website says delivery is in twenty-one days!

WTF?

Do they want my money or not?

It appears the only way of getting one faster is to go to an actual shop, buy it and lug it home ourselves. But washing machines are fucking heavy, so there's no way I'm doing that. Also, when they deliver, they take the old one away, which I need doing as well.

Yes, we have a local launderette, and we can always take stuff round to my Mum's if we need to. But seriously - ten days to get a new washing machine??!

What is the world coming to?!

Well, I wouldn't put money on it, but today was gorgeous.



( pics under here! )

Talk about a contrast. Compared with a couple of weeks ago, today was sunny and fairly warm - I could almost have been fooled into thinking that Spring had arrived!

But yes, I made it out of the house! I'd anticipated having to trek around for a bit because I had a number of different things to get for Abigail's room, including a new duvet, curtains, lampshade, rug and other bits and pieces. Fortunately, though, I decided to make our first stop at the local Range and I managed to get everything I wanted (and other stuff, too!) there. Which was just as well, because I really hadn't been looking forward to lots of too-ing and fro-ing.

So the room is done and Abigail couldn't wait to go to bed tonight! I'll try to post a couple of pics tomorrow.

We spent the afternoon sorting and putting away - God, how exhausting. It's good because it gives you the opportunity for the clear-out you've been putting off, but on the other hand, it takes bloody ages! And invariably leads to other sort-outs and clear-outs when you realise that certain items of clothing are tatty and need throwing out, so it's time to get out the stuff you've put aside and go through that... it's self perpetuating. So there will be more tidying up tomorrow.

I'm still not feeling 100%, but then that's to be expected. What I hadn't counted on though was the fact that my backside is still bloody sore and that I still can't sit for long periods. I've been sitting here updating my CV and writing my letter of resignation, and doing a bit of general "pottering" - and I'm going to have to lie down after I've finished this because I'm so uncomfortable. I've not been taking painkillers because they tend to have a certain side-effect which could make me even more uncomfortable (!), but it looks like I might have to take some when I go back to work next week.

I still have to write my job application, but that will have to wait until tomorrow when I can think about more than how much my a**e hurts!

1. I updated Windows Mail yesterday to the new version and I don't like it. The colours are all wishy-washy and they've moved stuff, like the "send and receive" tab. And they've taken away the little icons on the toolbar :( Bastards.

2. I've had one of those days where I'm sure I have a hundred and one things to do, but I'm buggered if I can remember any of them. And I hate that feeling, because I'm sure I'm going to forget something important.

3. I need to make a list. :)

Sunday. No kids home. Bit of a lie in, followed by some pottering about doing stuff- ironing, marzipanning (a new verb!) the Christmas Cake, nice bath before heading around to mum's for lunch.

That was the plan at 9.30

It was pretty much shot by 9.45.

Mr Caz had to pop to the shops to pick up a few things for the kids' lunches tomorrow. He took my car - I got it back from the repairers last week. Oh, it's not actually been repaired yet. I mean the incident was only about ten days ago, and clearly, the replacement wing-mirror that I need is on a slow boat from China. Or rather, seeing as the car's a Mitsubishi, Japan. But it's driveable and we need the second car, so rather than leave it at the garage while we wait, we thought we'd swap cars so that Mr Caz can use mine for local trips while I use his for work and back.

Anyway, he took my car and about five minutes later, he calls me to say that the car has broken down. The brakes locked up and he stopped bang in the middle of the main road. Luckily, on the weekend, that's not a very busy main road, but he was lucky the car behind him didn't smack into the back of him. Someone helped him to get the car around the corner, where it's currently parked on a double yellow. But that involved towing the car without the back wheels moving, so that's probably a couple of new tyres I'm going to need as well, on top of everything else.

I have breakdown cover, so I called them. They sent someone fairly promptly, but they need a different lorry (!) - despite the fact that I'd told the people on the phone that we thought the back brakes had locked. That message didn't get through to the guys at their local garage, because they were under the impression that the car had konked out and wouldn't start.

So now Mr Caz is waiting for the breakdown truck to arrive to bring the car back here. Luckily, there's a guy down the road who's a mechanic and who does the MOT and servicing etc. and he'll be a damn sight cheaper than a garage, but it's yet more expense AND inconvenience that I just don't need right now.

I'm not in the mood to do anything, now. The place is a tip, my hair looks like something the cat dragged in and the last thing I feel like doing is being out of the house for the afternoon because I have a lot to do. That I don't want to do, but which needs doing. Don't get me wrong - I have no problems at all with my parents, and I know that my mum will be happy for me to do whatever I need to do, but I would far rather sit indoors with a sandwich, a large bag of crisps and a load of chocolate.

:-(

The end of another... well, I was going to say long week, but to be honest, none of them seem that long, these days.

And it's two weeks until the end of term - thank God.

It's funny, but every teacher I've spoken to, either in person at school, or via various fora and blogs has said the same thing - that for the last week or so, the kids have been 'orrible. I can only attribute this to the fact that we're all tired. It's been a long term; staff will have done 15 weeks (of actual teaching) and the kids will have been in school for marginally less time, and we're all knackered.

This is always the case in the autumn term though - it's the longest term of the year and the one with the least holidays. Well, other than half-term, NO holidays.

But although it's December, and the kids - my own and those at school - are starting to talk about Christmas, it just hasn't sunk in that it's only about 3 weeks away now. I'm probably so focussed in just making it to the end of term in one piece that it's all passing me by. I haven't bought a single card or piece of wrapping paper. I've bought a couple of presents for the kids, but otherwise, Mr Caz is going to have to take care of it all. I'm just too tired.

But... when I do get around to getting cards, if you'd like to receive one, please drop me an email with your address (and your name!) and I'll do my best to oblige :)

Just back from a short break in and around London and I thought I'd post some pics. We've not been away for a "proper" holiday this year - instead we've had odd days out here and there, which have probably cost us just as much, but what the hell! So we did a fair bit of walking and sightseeing - took the kids to The Sound of Music one evening, which Elinor and I have seen, but the others hadn't. It was the first time Abigail had been to a show so she was very excited and behaved herself beautifully - she asked "Daddy, what time does the film start?" - awwwww!

I enjoyed it, but I have the same reservations as before - the kids are good, the woman singing the part of the Abbess is fantastic but the Maria is pretty average vocally - she had a very nasal tone, which started to get on my nerves about half way through! But then, I'm picky about things like that.

Anyway, on with the photos!

( Maybe it's because... )
So we're home and, apart from Elinor's birthday on Wednesday, hoping to have a fairly quiet week before I go back to work next Monday (ick).