I love autumn. In autumn one is allowed to team a flirty little dress with a woolly cardigan and thick tights and look boho. Also it can be sunny without one breaking out into a muck sweat every time one moves. Also, Hallowe'en crafts and Bonfire night and Hull Fair. fab, fab, fab

Plummie, am glad you have had such a great hollybobs, you so deserve the break!

Snowy - I am blind without my glasses! Hope you got sorted out OK

Batty - well done stepping away from the non-Sunday items, keep it up!

(((((((((((((((((((hugs)))))))))))))))))))))

We saw Kubo and the Two Strings today and it was AMAZING - superb stopmotion animation film by a studio called Laika who also made The Boxtrolls. Highly recommended.

Greetings all

Blimming hot here

Am relying on prescription sun glasses and readers
Have been prompted to book an eye test ,so will do that on my return

I love autumn too. Cardies and wellies, soup, carving pumpkins... I just hate what's around the corner, though - howling winds, horizontal rain and months of grey. Boo!

But today is forecast to be lovely, so the plan is to work until I've had enough then head out to make the most of it. My first task is a 9am phone call. Here goes!

Poor YoungPlum was back to school this morning - filled with woe and a vague notion that if she had Maths she would curl up and die as the other subjects she could bluster her way through til her brain starts functioning but Maths you can't. I told her to go with the spirit of times of conflict and in answer to any maths questions just give her name, rank and number ... or in her case, name, year level and home room number. The idea appealed to her so I have strong suspicion that if asked a question she'll get the giggles.

It's my last day off today and I'm torn between doing worthy stuff around the house or being a slob - I'm might go with a girlyswot/slob combo and see if that appeases both sides. Feels like it's going to be another hot one today so best to do the uniform ironing before it really warms up! My inner slob can fight it's way to the fore later!

Inner slob every time

Inner slob that says yes to lard!

Though I say that as a woman who's done about 25 miles on her bike today.

But I'm definitely slobbing for the rest of the afternoon.

Well Slobbo has returned to work yesterday in fact ... so i've now made it through 2 days and man it hurts! I thought my shoulders and arms would feel it but nope it's my legs, standing up and moving around all day near enough killed me yesterday! Not as bad today but then again, I'm technically only just over half way through my day as I have to go back for 4 hours later.

I need Grumpy positive vibes! As I feared but didn't dwell on, mischief was afoot while I was away. My line manager has decided to overhaul the rosters again and in line with a general company policy that we've dodged so far, is planning to move our filling over to nights/lates. My new roster that I'm not signing would mean that I barely see YP at all in the week - not getting home til 7.,30 pm or 8.30pm most nights and once a week I wouldn't see her at all from when i drop her at school one morning til the next day. I'd never be there to cook dinner! Anyway, in my view it's totally inappropriate for a single parent of an adolescent - my line manager said well you are being a good parent by doing what you have to, you're putting a roof over her head and food in her mouth ... but i pointed out that that is the most basic of needs and isn't actually "parenting" - what about her social/emotional/educational needs? It's an important time in her life when all sorts of things can go screwy without proper support. Apparently that doesn't matter and it's not the companies fault that I am in my position. End of. Yayyy for a caring supportive attitude!

Went in to see the store manager today, I don't know him at all as our manager left a couple of weeks ago and this guy has been drafted in from elsewhere to caretake for the time being. The downside was that I had to explain from scratch who I am and what my situation is .... the upside is that he appeared to listen to me - he says he will speak to my boss, and think about it and see what can be done. I've volutneered to change dept and/or stores if need be. Anyway, keep your fingers crossed for me as it's really stressing me out - I've been a bit of a wreck emotionally, it's feeling like that straw that's breaking the camels back - one push too far.

Batty, I sometimes think about getting a bike and I find that that is more than enough exercise for me ... it wears me out even thinking about it I might be more inclined if it weren't for all the hills ... I haven't ridden a bike since I was very young and even then it was friends' bikes and I never was able to maintain full control of the bloomin' thing, so for me, flat ground would be essential for the good of everyone!

Plum am sending loads of positive vibes
Hoping forca good out come x

I'm sending loads of positive vibes Plum. Loads.

You'd like my bike ride - flat pretty much all the way, through fields and woods, brilliant for watching the seasons rolling by and for bird and animal spotting. I had a youngish deer cross my path not so long ago, there are buzzards and kites, and loads of finches that travel in rowdy gangs... Absolutely fantastic, especially when I've been at my laptop for too long and need to de-stress.

Like right now!!

Oh, Plummie, that utterly sucks!
Shedloads of vibes, sweetie, really hope they can get something sorted for you.

I currently have no bike but am planning to purchase one in the Spring, when M should be tall enough to ride a decent sized one so we can go out together.

Oh Plums that's pants. Sending vibes and will be bringing some soon too when we pop down under. You are so right about the parenting and we can all tell what a fab job you're making of it. X

Morning grumpies.

Nothing much to report from the batcave. We're having a quiet weekend, very outdoorsy but I'm making up for all the exercise by having regular hot chocolate (as Batman looks on enviously, trying to drop a few pounds before Christmas).

The only thing that's making me grumpy is my extended family. If it's not one thing it's another and I don't know who elected me head girl with the expectation that I'll sort out everything for everyone but I do wish they'd just **** off.

Evening all
Am back from my hols
Rearranged my flight and came home a day early because of Greek Air Traffic Control

Nice to be home
Knackerd though

Welcome back snOwy!

Ta
Got my glasses fixed today

Excellent.

Morning!

I got up too early...

Morning all

Wet here

My Aussie pal should be in the air by now.....I came home a day early cos of the strike ,but she was not so lucky

Very quiet here. All the Emmets have gone home now and Cornwall is going into hibernation for the winter, as it does at about this time every year.

Mrs Piskie has been a real brick lately. She's spent a lot of time looking after the mini wrecking ball while I've been getting called up for the netball team while one of the girls is off with an ankle injury.

I can't play netty regularly nowadays because of family commitments, but I said I would fill in when the team is short. Becky will be back in a couple of weeks, but for now Amanda is being really lovely and telling me "Go on, go and play." She's such a love.

She sounds great CP.

Pretty quiet here too. Peeing down outside... I really hope we get some more half decent weather before the winter - I started painting exterior woodwork in the summer but didn't quite finish when other stuff got in the way, thinking I had loads of time, and now I've two windows covered in masking tape looking at me, asking for attention... But it's cold and wet out!!!

I had the strangest dream.

My hairdresser morphed into Sharon Osbourne then announced I'd won a free colouring session. Why don't we do something different, she said. Okay, I said!

She coloured my hair bright red and I hated it (though once I woke up I thought it was very funky).

Put it back to how it was, I said. But no, that wasn't possible. The only treatment for reversing this colour, she said, was badger's piss and UNICEF (???) had put a stop to that because badgers were becoming endangered.

Oh Batty
What an amazing dream

Look it up on dreammoods

Okay, so:

badger: To see a badger in your dream, signifies your persistence and final victory over your opponents. The dream may also be a pun on how you are badgering others or vice versa. Perhaps someone, especially someone of power is bothering you and giving you a difficult time.

hairdresser: To dream that you are at the hairdresser implies that you are looking to change your attitude. You are ready for change and move in a different direction.

pee: To see urine in your dream represents the feelings you have rejected. Alternatively, the dream may be a pun on your "pissy" attitude.

red hair: To dream that you are a redhead suggests that you need more spontaneity and vitality in your life. It is time to make some dramatic changes.

There was nothing for Sharon Osbourne...

Batty, that should be the opening scene of a surrealist novel!

We're going to Hull Fair today to see if we can make Melony throw up on a ride...