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Cover the mirrors.....
I'm having a poor, body-image day today. The sort of day where I avoid looking in mirrors, I look at the pavement when walking past plate-glass windows, definitely would not go clothes shopping and would just be a blur of anyone produced a camera. I've always thought I had a poor body-image generally, my self-image is quite strong in that I'm quite confident, assertive, enjoy being around people, but I spend the majority of my life strongly disliking my body, then I just did this quiz and found out that I have a healthy attitude towards my body image. How do you do in it?
Inane chat
Strange topics pop up in conversations, especially when they involve my family. There we were on Sunday having a family barbecue when the subject turned to cows, no idea why but there we were discussing cows. One of the SIL's step-dad used to have three cows, in the garden, to keep the grass down. I would have thought that they would do more than organically mow the lawn but each to their own. Son, who has just moved and is now the proud possessor of a garden, complete with grass, thought that he could fit a cow in his garden, I commented that it would be a tight squeeze, and added 'have you thought how big a cow is'? He assured me that he knew how large these ruminants were, some of his friends used to go 'cow-tipping'. What the hell is cow-tipping? Amy's Mummy piped up with 'Is it the same as cow-pushing?' It turned out that at night these hooligans would creep up on cows, and push them over. I was horrified, why would they do that? They informed me that cows sleep, standing up, with locked knees, and that if you push them over they can't get up. I sat there dumbstruck. Who are these people sitting here, impersonating my children, and telling me these awful things? Meanwhile the conversation continued along the lines of how much a cow would cost, how would they get it in the garden etc. Son decided that keeping a cow would be impractical, they have a dog, and cows don't like dogs. Shame really, the manure would have been handy.
This revelation about 'cow tipping' has been preying on my mind so I did a search, secretly I believed the offspring were winding me up, but no, here it is. Amazing, I thought they could no longer shock me, how wrong am I.
Another urban myth?
After 'cow tipping' yesterday, our friend told us about 'noodling' last night. What surprised me was not that some strange Americans might indulge in this sport, but how large the objects of their attention are.
On the personal front, I have treated myself to a pair of varifocal, anti-glare, specially coated, transition lens, glasses. I ordered them on Saturday, much to the disapproval of my off-spring who informed me I would look like a porn-star, they are so lovely my family, the glasses arrived today. I, for one, am really pleased with them, they are comfy, enable me to see, and protect my eyes from the sun. As yet I haven't received any offers from curly-haired men called Ron so I can only assume that I still look as demure as ever.
Following on from strange pastimes, I have invented a new one - toddler dipping. All you require is one paddling pool filled with luke, warm water, one hot, grouchy toddler and a towel. Strip off toddler, place firmly in paddling pool, encourage to recline so entire torso is submerged, ignore the gasps it will all be worth it, lift out, wrap in towel, lie toddler on bed, put on nappy and transfer to cot. Worked like a dream, had an almost hypnotic effect and irascible infant has slept for an hour and a half. Bliss.
The heat is on
....and I don't just mean the outrageous temperatures we are currently enduring.
Jack's Daddy saw the consultant on Thursday who advised him that they would be doing a bowel resection within the next couple of months. Twenty four hours later and he collapses, is readmitted, has emergency CAT scan, is on 2 hourly morphine, nil by mouth, and an IV with fluids and antibiotics. I zoomed over to grab Jack, and since I was next to my office thought I would just pop in and pick up anything that needed sorting. Why, why did I do that? Hubby and I had been planning on going to Dublin for 3 days next week, can't do that because I have compulsory IT training on Tuesday, the whole day. Looked at the new off-duty, some cretin has altered my usual days and not only put me to work on my 30th wedding anniversary, Monday, which should have been a scheduled day off, but also put me 1st on-call that night. Its official, the NHS obviously do own me, how stupid am I that I didn't realise this.
Today is another of Hubby's golf days when his little chums all come back here and stay the night. I'm really not sure how this is going to work 'cos we also have Jack and his Mummy staying, so the chums can't be their usual noisy selves until 4am. Plus, I'm bushed. These hot nights mean that my restless legs are even worse so I am averaging 3 hours sleep. I need to be able to wander around, it is impossible to stay in bed when your legs are behaving as if they have Tourettes, but I will feel awkward rambling about with a house full of drunken golfers. We have put the tent up in the garden, perhaps I shall sleep out there.
Consumer Seratonins
Hectic day yesterday so by the time I was wheeling Jack up to our local Indian Restaurant I was more ready to snooze than eat, its amzing what a plate of poppadums will do for energy levels though. Hubby was out with golfing chums so I met another deserted wife and Amy and her Mummy there, it stayed dry so we were able to sit outside and savour the cuisine, plus we didn't have to worry that the children would disturb the other diners. At around midnight the golfers arrived back so we continued with the libations in the garden until about 2am. I was sober, I can't answer for the men though.
Today was one of those nothing days. After all the rushing about of the last few days I found myself feeling really restless, so I hit upon visiting the shops. Hubby (he has man-flu) declined my invitation, prefering to sit at home and watch the last day of something called 'The Open'. All I wanted from the shops were a couple of long, baggy tops, what I ended up with were a pair of trousers, pair of cut-offs (both baggy), two cotton, boho tops, and one, not particularly baggy or long, white T-Shirt. I hadn't realised the sales were on, honest gov, but once there I couldn't ignore them. Psychologists would say that this minor shopping spree would cheer me up, well it did, sort of. I think the happiness factor outweighs the guilt feeling of failing to control the urge to spend. I was happier when I got home and tried them on, and they fitted. I don't try clothes on in the shop, it ruins my shopping experience. Having to face the reality of how I really look usually sends me home minus any purchases but with a huge dark cloud darkening my day.
Back to work tomorrow. Think I'm miserable now, you ain't seen nothing yet.
Us bloggers are being talked about.
Reflections
SIL is out of hospital, they operated and removed.....his appendix. Having scanned him to see if the abcess was back, it wasn't, but with him still being in pain, and not responding to the antibiotics they took him off to theatre to do a laparoscopy (camera through his abdominal wall) with consent to proceed with anything that might be necessary, and it turned out that he had a large, inflammed appendix. Thank heavens they had him on IV antibiotics for the 5 days, could have been nasty if the offending vestigial organ had ruptured.
I have returned to work, and received a mighty kick up the proverbial, one of my women had written a reflection on her care, by me, which has bought me down to earth with a mighty thump. I havn't read the feedback form yet but enough has been relayed to me to make me feel bad. I have asked for a photocopy of it though. The comments were anonymous, but there was enough detail given to allow me to work out who it was. It's not a complaint but really that makes no difference, I still feel really bad about the whole thing. Apparently she didn't see me as much as she thought she would, it was difficult getting an appointment and when she did I didn't give her enough time and acted as if she was one of hundreds, and I didn't make her feel special. There's loads I could say in my defence but that won't alter the fact that she is obviously disappointed with the care she received, and I hate that. However much I grumble about my job I do love the 'nitty gritty' and pride myself on forming good relationships with all my women, but I've failed this woman and there are no second chances. I'll know more when I've actually read the feedback, I'm just not sure how I can change things given how the system is nowadays.
Massive storm yesterday evening. We were going out for our usual Wednesday curry, only a couple of miles away, but we had to make three detours just to get there, one at the top of our road where two houses were flooded out and the road blocked. On the way I phoned Amy's Mummy to make sure they wern't flooded out, they were, but not from flood waters but from a waterfall coming down through the roof, which had never before shown any signs of leaking . Whilst we were in the restaurant it was like something from a farce, every 15 minutes ,or so, a fire engine would race down the road in one direction, and then 15 minutes later race back again, lights and siren going. Much cooler now, thank heavens, perhaps I'll get a good nights sleep tonight.
New day
After my moan yesterday I shall brighten things up
My buddleia, butterfly bush, is really living up to its name this year.