Bob Geldof was being interviewed on our TV news last week, largely to mark this anniversary. It was summer 1985, my summer. It was the summer of my 21st (I know!!!), it was the summer I worked at the Rising Sun in Hurley (went for the interview as Ultravox were doing their set and got back in time for Madonna in Philadelphia!) and it was the summer that Nikki, Sally, Paul, and some other friends only half remembered enjoyed all the privileges of being grown up - with none of the responsibilities. It was before children, before long term boyfriends even, and before careers. Three months summer break between second and third year at Uni - and still clear as day! And what makes that particularly scary is that at almost 42 I find it increasingly difficult to recall on Monday morning what I did with the weekend just finished!!
Anyway, just as I was recovering from my mental wallowing in the the Summer of '85 including the Top of the World tour (bikes, cider, pubs - recipe for disaster!), the cute chef from Ye Olde Bell etc and a coleslaw splattered summer house, they started talking about Band Aid - and I was back in St Hilda's common room Christmas Decs up and hearing the Band Aid single for the first time.....
Anyway, you get the gist - burble burble! But if I knew you 21 years ago, I'd have been thinking of you a lot last week!
So apart from the world moving on, I also received the rather depressing news that time has also moved on for me and I have finally succumbed to the need for reading glasses!! Apparently there is a condition which means "Ha, you hit 40 and it's all down hill from now on" and I have it!! And if you are over 40, you will too soon, so don't laugh too hard!! First thing in the morning, things are very blurry - hopefully I look blurry too, but I doubt that - mind you the bathroom mirror isn't quite as scary as it used to be!
As usual I seem to have slipped into waffle mode very early and will try harder to keep on track!
Work is good. For a while there it looked like a restructure within my department was going to mean a really fab promotion and a fair amount more money (albeit along with the less riveting prospect of returning to full time work!) - but the lame duck director seems to have allowed the proposal, and the recommendations to fall into a vast black hole. I could push it, but in doing so would be stabbing my manager in the back fairly ferociously - and over the last 2 years she has given me a hell of a lot of lea way to adjust to my new life style and has become a very lovely friend - so, I am resigned to continuing in the job I started at Christmas, which is not great - but it pays the bills and I still get to pick the girls up 3 days a week - so, not all bad I guess.
Things with Mark are still going well. I'm still feeling very very happy, content, loved, looked after and a bit like the cat who got the cream. The girls also seem very happy with the way things are and still fight over who is going to sit next to him at the supper table! Meantimes, his house is on the market as of tomorrow - so watch this space!
I'm not sure that I have told you anything about Mark other than the fact that he wears bad sunglasses and is a damn fine snog! So figure that I ought to give you a bit of a sketch of him...
Age 44. Nearly divorced - separated 2 and a half years ago. No kids - never wanted them, doesn't fancy the baby thing, but is enjoying them at age 8 and 10! Mum is from Guernsey (what is it with me and the Channel Islands!?!), but now lives in Katikati, 2 hours out of Auckland. His Dad was from Wales but died a few years back. He has two brothers who both live in England (Chipstead, Kent -15 mins from Green St Green! - Twilight Zone stuff!) Avid Chelsea supporter, much to Dad's disgust - brothers are also into their football (Liverpool and West Ham). Previously worked in banking, but resigned a few months after his marriage split and has since been working as a laborer (I know!!!! it was supposed to be a lawyer this time, but you can't have everything!!) He did look at going back to the banking earlier in the year - but changed his mind cause he likes being outside! What else - enjoys Scrabble and games in general - but still hasn't taken up my Triv challenge! Gardens, builds benches, paints plates, brings me fire wood, has a cat (!!!arghhhhhh - actually getting used to it now! - Becca thinks that moving in with the cat is almost as exciting as moving with Mark!) and cooks very good sausage casserole!
There will be a quiz next time!
What else? I guess somewhat inevitably, Lou is starting along the path to adolescence. Shower time is now conducted with the door closed. Crop tops have become a necessity rather than a fashion item, and moods are not quite as predictable as they once were!
Speaking of which, I've been meaning to update on Lou's 'condition' - all looks good at the moment. For the last 7 years or so doctors have been trying to block Louisa's production of estrogen - obviously that is partly because it is not that desirable for a 4 year old to be going through adolescence, but also because the excess hormones age the bones, and the knock on effect is that left to herself she would have stopped growing early and been significantly shorter than one would hope. Anyway - at age 8 Booie's bone age was thought to be 11 - she started a new drug shortly after that and at age 9 her bone age was reassessed to be 10 - her most recent bone age was 3 months ago - age 10 her bone age was still 10! Which means that she will probably grow to the very normal age of 14 and the Doctor is confident she will reach 5' 4" or 5'5". Two years ago they we were told that her optimum height would probably be just under 5 foot! PLUS she grew 6cm in 3 months at the last check, so looking good. Anyway, they reckon that she is on the drugs for a maximum of only another 9 months or so, and then nature will do it's bit, and we will only have to see the doctor once every year. Confess I won't miss a monthly race across the bridge after school for her injection!
Other than that, Lou is good. We are off to have a look round the local intermediate school this week. She only has 2 terms left at Chelsea and another 2 years before "college" (roughly translated as "senior school") She is quite excited about the change, while I am quietly having kittens! The local school seems well thought of, but I shall go along armed with a gazillion questions and see what we think on Wednesday.
Girls both went back to school on Monday and seem pleased to be back - this term's project for both of the girls is 'Food'! So far I have been treated to an array of appallingly complicated food questions and a number of delightful songs including:
"Eat your vege-tables, eat your vege-tables,
They may be disgusting but . . . .
Eat your vege-tables!!"
Last week they could be heard discussing which was their favorite vegetable of the vegetables that they hated! Oh to be 8 again!
Becca is fine. Netball starts back on Saturday, can't remember what position she is this week but I am sure that I will be reminded! She has had her 8th birthday since I last blogged - we spent the morning with Soph and then went to the movies to see Over the Hedge (Hedge is called Steve!) and then she had a couple of hours with John in the afternoon. Since then she has taken to her rollerblades with great enthusiasm and is reading as if she has to get through the whole library before tea-time!
We had her party on Friday. She wanted a movie night at home - followed by a sleepover. So we rented Nanny McPhee and I bought in buckets of popcorn and ordered in Pizza for tea. Total disaster! Fortunately she thought it was great - but at 6.30 (party ended at 7!) I had 5 children in my kitchen telling me that they didn't eat Pizza unless it only had cheese and ham on it! This was very bad news as I hadn't done my normal shop, just the party shop and in the end had to feed them sandwiches / bread and butter because there was nothing else that they liked, including brown bread! Arghhh! Anyway, the sleepover bit was fine - although I went to bed before the last one went to sleep!
Cake was good - she had asked me to make a Swimming Pool cake like the one that Lou had for her 8th birthday. There were some adjustments though, she wanted a me!! - she wanted the two little girls to be her and Lou, and the legs of the boy diving in to be Mark's. BUT Mummy hadn't got enough icing to make a fair representation of her girth - and Mark's leg kept dropping off - so Mark was removed from the water (I ate his bum!) and he was replaced by a beach ball!
Next weekend we are having late midwinter Christmas here - not my fault - I bailed out of MWC, but I got volunteered when I was a tad less than sober and apparently I agreed! So on Saturday I will be laying a table for ten, cooking an oversize turkey, boiling puds, roasting spuds and generally running round like a headless chicken! I think Mark may have to be in charge of keeping the fire ablaze!
Sarah and Matthew good. Grace 8 months, very smiley, not quite crawling, but close to it and will doubtless be cruising the furniture soon - they are skiing on Mt Ruapehu this weekend and I am jealous and want to go and play - but am guessing it will be another couple of years before I get there!
I know I still haven't done the photos yet! Sorry - I will!! Really! And keep July next year free - think we might get over for a visit... not definite yet - need citizenship and house sale before we get the tickets, but looking probable!!
Got to go - is late and I tired - still freezing cold over here! Haven't seen any daffs yet - but evenings are getting longer! Look out you lot, it'll be winter there soon!!!
Hugs xx
PS - now Percy at work!! x
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