Not just me then !

Though I'l be glad to be rid of the boxes of "stuff" I keep tripping over

dreading it when my ghostie boy goes......we are looking at Warwick uni this weekend

Taking it all into consideration, I vote for not handling anything well from now on. I quite fancy bursting into snotty sobs when the mood takes me instead of putting on a brave face.

Who's with me?

Where do all the years go? It seems like yesterday it was first day at school and Mums all over the land were holding back the tears and before we know it - our babies are all grown up and leaving home. Snuggles and a wrap in the shawl to everyone who needs them.

Bathroom update. Himself has just put a screw through a central heating pipe.

This is why DIY isn't the pleasant hobby the TV programmes tell us it is. Things go wrong. I once put a hole through the waste pipe from the toilet while putting up a row of hooks for spoons and stuff. Be nice to PK.

Me.

Pixie,your other half is a true master of" Destroy it yourself "

Me too! (can I collapse in abject terror as well?)

PQ - you're having a right saga.
And I'm carefully not mentioning any screwing jokes...

Speaking of DIY - wonder where Iggy is, and how that there kitchen's coming along?

At the moment I could quite happily strangle the dog, the cat and the puppy....... yes it's that bad, even the puppy with her puppy dog's eyes can't win me over

They are all being a monumental pain in the bum, they're like a tornado whirling round the house which I'm trying to keep quiet as OH isn't up for work yet and if he wakes up grumpy then dark clouds set in for the day. LittlePlum is being worse than useless while she eats her brekkie very slowly "but muuuuuuum, I can't help, I'm eatingggggggggg!" Actually, I might add her to the hit list!

It's not that I'm grumpy, oh no.... I just like a little peace in the morning. Anyway, back into the fray!

Kitchen saga continues - long story which I'll update after the weekend.

Hope juniors leaving home enjoy freshers and all else as they step out into the brave new world.

Have bought shares in Kleenex and PG on the assumption that sales will rocket as bereft mums dry their eyes and drown their sorrows.

wowee its Friday

(((((handy)))))

I *knew* she'd crack in the end, welcome to Grumpsville Plum

Iggy - fingers crossed for your kitchen.

This week, as I said, I did some gardening for the first time in ages (we didn't have a garden oop norf where I was born in a back-to-back so agriculture has all been a bit of a mystery to me) - but since I'm on gardening leave it had to be done. I have scars.

I took the resurrected bike (from the garden) for a spin; KJ careers toward main road to find that rear brakes have rusted up.

Anyroad, Palace at Donny tomorrow, I shall be there (trains permitting) and fully intend to be happily s***faced later on given that I don't have to keep up appearances for you lot (unless certain nearby people decide to turn up, in which case, I shall be a genkleman.

KJ were you born in a genuine back to back? I'd heard this expression but always thought it applied to terrace houses with a back entry (or jigger) between them; until I visited uni friends in Leeds when I discovered real back to back houses i.e. three of the four walls were shared - back and side walls. The back to backs of my knowledge must have seemed palatial; they had a back yard, outside lavatory and coal hole!

Gardening is therapeutic, particularly when shooting the gun at those damnable weeds. In time past a friend who was fighting cancer and given less than a year to live found the horse tail weed in his garden. Significantly perhaps his oncologist had likened his cancer to a weed dropping deadly seedlings as it spread. Most gardeners know horse tail is one swine of a weed to eradicate so friend combined his fights with cancer and the weed. He convinced himself that if he could conquer the horsetail he would also defeat the cancer. He did just that.

Good luck Palace.

One of those. In Leeds. 3 shared walls, outside toilet for every four houses, so (ahem) buckets had a certain practical appeal in the winter. We got a bath and inside toilet when I was about 10 IIRC.

I lived in a back to back in Leeds when I was a student. Them were the days luv...

Dammit, you weren't supposed to notice Took me a few years though to get there! It might just be an aberattion and normal service resumed..... or it could be the start of the slippery slope

Good luck at the footie tomorrow! LittlePlum says if we ever get back to UK she wants to go and see Chelsea - I have done a fine job at brain-washing the poor unsuspecting soul! One of the great joys of parenting, filling your child's head with nonsense!

I lived in a student back to back, too - but mine was in Huddersfield while I was doing my PGCE at the back end of the 80s. It had no central heating, just a gas fire in the living room, and while Mr M was working away (in Jan and Feb!!!) I resorted to sleeping with my clothes in the bed to keep them warm and got expert at the following morning routine:
Wake up, leap out of bed, sprint to bathroom, turn on taps of bath, run back to bed, warm up under covers while bath runs, run back to bathroom, have super-fast wee, turn off taps, dive into warm bath, get out and dry at lightening speed, zoom into bedroom, retrieve clothes from under duvet, dress while residual warmth from bath and duvet still exists, run downstairs, light gas fire, boil kettle!

Some of the houses in the street had had both loft and cellar conversions, so they had kitchen at the bottom, living room at ground level, bedroom 1 and bathroom on the second floor and bedroom 2 in the roof. I always thought it'd keep you really fit living in one of those!

(((((((((((Hugs))))))))))))))) for newly-fledged Oz-migrant grumps, dodgy home improvement sagas and imminent university departures.

Tomorrow we have long-overdue eye tests to attend and the bathroom to dredge out from under the summer's layer of limescale, dust, soap and dead insects as well as the shopping to do and a load of stuff to take to the tip. Frankly, I'd rather go to Doncaster and watch Palace.... but there's no chance. Have a beer or five for us, KJ....

I am feeling somewhat bereft but just wanted to do this ((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((GOW))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))

And KJ - if I could, I would. Sorry x

Love you lot.

Poor Sad!

Wuvoo tooo... (((((((((((((((((hugs)))))))))))))))))

Blimey, it doesn't seem that long ago that the Grumpy offspring were being kitted out for "big skool"

In keeping with the domestic appliance growling, is it so bloody hard for the letting agents to contact a plumber to fix our new, leaking washing machine? Two weeks we've had of this, and as for the saga pre new washing machine, well...

I has a thirst for Beck's...

Watching X-Factor.

Oh and I had a bath!

The bath is in full working order, the toilet is in working order. The basin hasn't arrived, The tiles look fantastic and the floor is lovely.

The shower pumps will be done on Monday with any luck and I can then report on the shower.

Cheers!

(((Sad)))

It's my turn tomorrow and it's the weirdest thing - of course I want him to go but I really want him to stay home too. There's no logic and no explaining it. And I know I'm a daft old moo (and that I'm not alone in that )...

we went for a look at Warwick uni to day..very nice

Don't do it snOwy! It starts off with looking...