» 2006 » September

It’s certainly an art form worthy of watching. There was some absolute junk on the tables, but it was being snapped up. Anything reasonable was being left. It must therefore be true that one man’s junk is another man’s treasure.

I’ve also realised that people want to pay you next to nothing for what you are selling. There was a surge of interest as the doors opened and within an hour it was all over. Except for what I like to call the ‘deal breakers’.

These are the people who come round as you are clearing up and offer you a lot less than what you are asking for, as they think you will be grateful. Partly, yes I am, I don’t want to take stuff home and having some money is better than nothing. But I observed a lady who kept coming and looking at something at my stall, picking it up and putting it down, walking away and repeating this a couple of times.

She almost wanted me to give the item away and as we had already packed up most of the stuff (plus the said item) it wasn’t worth the hassle of getting it back out.

I don’t mind being knocked down in price by anyone and I did do this throughout the sale, but the way this lady acted really got up my nose for some reason. I’d already let her have items at way lower than I was looking for, so I had already been fairly accommodating.

Maybe it was because I wish I had the cheek to do it myself, so it could be a hidden but annoying admiration! Maybe it’s because it highlighted to me that I haven’t got the bottle to stand up for myself and it’s more what I learnt about me than what she wanted. I don’t know.

One thing is for sure though, although I only ‘made’ about £3, I came out a lot richer for doing it. My mom and I had a good time and I bumped into an old school pal that used to be my best friend. We ended up swapping numbers and talking about having a mini reunion with some of the people that we are still in touch with.

Now that would be great! Especially as it turned out my friend had only been called half an hour before the table top sale was due to start because she was on the waiting list and there had been a cancellation. Fate or what!

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6

Sunday, September 24th, 2006

The real art of conversation is not only to say the right thing at the right time,

but also to leave unsaid the wrong thing at the tempting moment.

Anon

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5

Saturday, September 23rd, 2006

"Don’t let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do."

John Wooden

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Daydream Believer

Friday, September 22nd, 2006

I admitted to a close friend recently that I sometimes live in a little fantasy world, all of my own. Half expecting my friend to laugh at me she replied that she too creates little worlds.

Now my conclusion could be that we’re both barking mad, but I don’t think so and when we say fantasy we’re not talking very naughty rude ones. Let me give you an example.

We’ve had a helicopter flying over our house every day for at least 5 days. The fact that we live near the country side and a motorway, and it’s a police helicopter and we’re obviously on the flight path has not stopped me believing that the helicopter pilot fancies me!!

We know how sophisticated their equipment can be and by chance he spotted me in the garden on one of the fly overs. That was it, he just had to keep flying over our house whenever he got the chance. I’ve probably put him off now anyway as on the weekend I was out in the garden in my pyjamas (not the most attractive look).

I mentioned this to my husband. I think my words were (with a little giggle attached) “in my delusional, romantic state of mind, I think that helicopter pilot fancies me”, to which my darling husband who always keeps me grounded replied “that’s right, delusional”.

He did give me a smile with it, but I’ve noticed these smiles are becoming the kind of “there, there keep taking the tablets” type of smile.

My friend, by the way, thinks that every man she talks to fancies her and wants to flirt with her. We both agreed that it wasn’t because we are craving a different life, we like the ones we’ve got and with the people that are in our life.

I think sometimes that a little daydreamy distraction can help you through the day and if it puts a smile on your own face, makes you treat people nicely and doesn’t harm anyone, does it matter?

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4

Friday, September 22nd, 2006

Families are like fudge – mostly sweet with just a few nuts

Anon

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Hormonal Me? - Sod Off!

Wednesday, September 20th, 2006

What is it with hormones? They can turn us from being completely sane, kind, loving women to irrational mad cows who need restraining orders. Do I need to explain this one? No, I didn’t think so, but let me give you an example.

Since having my daughter my hormones have been really out of balance. I’ve never really suffered from PMT until this last year. It tends to be that I feel really, really tired and of course with that comes the emotional side. Tiredness can equal cry baby to me. Top that up with sleepless nights which can then evoke the mad cow part that doesn’t think properly.

Being in this state has resulted in the following incidents.

1 Crying when Christopher Eccleston turned into David Tennant in Doctor Who at the end of series one!

2 Crying at the end of Doctor Who when Billie Piper left at the end of series 2!!

But the relationship between being rational and irrational showed itself when one of my children recently went on a 3 day school trip. There was a Birthday in the family and my son had wanted to phone and wish them Happy Birthday.

The school had a policy of children not ringing home during the trip and had said no to my request of allowing my child to phone home (even though it was for a special reason). I stewed on this and as it had been a deciding factor for my son as to whether he would go or not I wrote to the school insisting they allow the phone call and said I would provide him with an old mobile phone to do this.

Anyway, on the day in question my son duly phoned home and I answered the call. I asked if he wanted me to phone back (to save the credit) to which my child politely asked the teacher if this was okay and in the background I heard a stern "NO, we have to get to breakfast". We carried on the conversation, which was quite stilted and not at all natural, but the Happy Birthday wish was fulfilled.

Well, I had this vision of the teacher standing over my child in a separate room, making him nervous. I cried when I came off the phone at the way the teacher had said ‘No’ and the fact that my child had been rushed in this way and my thoughts were that the teacher had only been like that because I had made them let my child phone home.

The hormonal mad cow in me was ready to verbally attack the teacher as soon as they got off the coach. I had visions of me complaining to the Headteacher and refusing to allow that teacher to ever take my child for lessons. As I said that was the mad cow part of me.

The rational part of me (after a cup of tea and cry at my husband) came to the conclusion that it was good of them to allow my request. They were on a tight schedule so had to be conservative with the time. I totally understood that they couldn’t allow all the children to phone home at will and this was an exception.

When my child came home I thanked him for phoning home and asked him about the circumstances in which he had called. First of all the teacher had come in to the dormitory to make sure my son made the call (and before breakfast, which is when I had asked for). Secondly, the call had been made in the dormitory so my son was surrounded by his friends hence why he was reluctant to talk.

Lesson to be learned (apart from try not to be a mad cow)? I think so.

Don’t make assumptions, get the facts and make sure you cool down before you act on something. Oh yes and make sure if you do say something it’s not at ‘that time of the month’ or you may just get that restraining order . . . .

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