Friday 27 September 2013

un-friday feeling


I’m having the last cider in the fridge and watching the Big Bang Theory – feels like a Friday night even though it’s Thursday. Oh no, I’m not, telly’s going all funny. Bummer, no signal. Nooo, does that mean I have to watch Trevor McDonald visiting US women’s prisons instead? Oh, it doesn’t feel at all fun and weekendy now at all.
You see, tomorrow is Son’s school INSET day, so he’s off,  and the Twins have a dress-up day, too, so even though they are going to school, it feels like a Friday night and even though I should probably be doing some yoga/lesson planning or something I really, really want to watch some funny telly and drink cider. Is that so very wrong?
(Channel surfing and just seen the ad for the new ‘Werther’s original’ sweets – with a creamy filling, eww! Someone seriously needs to rebrand there…)
Righty-ho, I should probably give up on my planned evening of TV slobbing and do something useful instead. Might do a bit of scene planning for my romance sub-plot…oh, I’ll just finish off the cider first though ;)



Tuesday 24 September 2013

Hiya, my husband has accused me of being yet another one of those closet middle-class alcoholics because of the atrocious spelling in the last post. I want to make it clear that I had nothing stronger than a soda water with lemon juice because I was on a fasting day. However, I was writing in bed, on my phone, using the handwriting function. That's my excuse and I'm sticking to it (hic) ;)
Anyway, I have suddenly found myself with splat of spare time due to Twin 2 not wanting to do her physiotherapy in front of 'Tracey Beaker Returns', and my not having the energy to argue (she did physio at school today anyway, and she ran all the way home after school - so that'll just have to do).
Today I have been mostly planning my romance sub-plot. No, not the George Clooney one, sadly, the one in my novel. Oh, there are so many things getting in the way of them finally getting together and finding happiness, not least the small matter of our heroine's identity theft, and her man's life-threatening job in bomber command. I'm sure it will all end well...or will it? I have a plan for them now, at least.
I was wondering why it's taking me quite so long to finish writing this book, and it's not just down to rogue INSET days, teachers' strikes, an absent husband, housework and my three micro-jobs. No, it's because  the book is three-in-one. It's a love story, a tragedy and a coming-of-age novel all bound together in a pacey historical package. When I finally get the damn thing how I want it, whoever buys it will be getting a right bargain, a BOGOF plotline, if you will.
Tracey Beaker is getting all spooky and there is a whole sofa full of riveted kids over there. I'm going to take the opportunity of children frozen to the spot in fright to make a nice cuppa, without fear of being interrupted by someone asking for a biscuit/roll of sellotape/IT support for confusing homework website.
Hope you had a productive day too xx
It is eleven o' clock. Already? How did that happen?

Could it be that l was having so much fun printing out pics of Sunderland for Wednesday's class on regional accents, or finally washing the breakfast plates, or making jam from the last of the blackberries, or perhaps finding the CD of Twin 2s MRI to take in for her school topic on brains, or even because l was putting washing in the machine or taking washing out of the dryer or making Son a packed Iunch for his school trip, or feeding the rat, or putting homework up on my class facebook page, or writing out the dinner money cheque or ensuring that the tooth fairy remembered to visit Twin 1,  that the evening just flitted past without so much as a backward glance?

Or could it be that I've just lost myself in hours of passion with George Clooney
who turned up out of the blue with a bottle of champagne and a note from my husband to say that he was prepared to overlook a marital transgession in this particular instance?

Nope, it was the first one.

Wednesday 18 September 2013

Hello my lovely! What have you been up to today? Mine started with Twin 1 having a huff - can't remember why but l am fairly sure it was something to do with my being mean and evil and not nice like other peoples' mums. Anyway l lacked the energy for a confrontation, instead choosing to tell her l loved her and blow kisses all the way to school. Hah! l win, and l didn't even shout. yay me. My halo slipped a bit after school though when she started Huff number two (a bit like mambo number five, but not as tuneful, and with lyrics about evil mothers instead of Latino girls - oh alright, not at all like Mambo number five), which largely dealt with my heinous crime in allowing her to buy a Turkish Delight bar from Tesco after school, which turned out to be yukky. Maybe l should have warned her? l suppose it's common knowledge that Turkish Delight is, well, a bit of a poor relation in the confectionary aisle. To my mind, Turkish Delight is to a nice bar of Galaxy what Jordan is to Scarlett Johanson, or something. But l beleive that my children should learn their own life lessons, and l did not share my cocoa-based confectionery wisdom with her. Perhaps l should have. She was bitterly disappointed, as you can imagine.
Apart from huffs 1 & 2 it has been a good day. l have been mostly beefing up the romance. No, not in my marriage, in the novel - the most romantic thing that happens in our marriage is if one of us suggests going to bed before the 10 o'clock news, and that will hardly fill a chapter, will it?
Sorry, l'm rambling. Better get some sleep in readiness for tomorrow's huff xx

Saturday 14 September 2013

So that's done then. I'll now only be teaching one full day a week after half term, instead of two. My boss didn't look overjoyed at my decision, but she has a good five weeks to find my replacement. Which means I'll have more time to work on my other two jobs (workshop leader and literacy project co-ordinator) and also edit my manuscript. So it's all good, really. Oh, and I've already lost all the weight I put on in the summer hols, hurrah.
Today, whilst the cleaner was doing her amazing job, I went to a cafe and re-read my manuscript and did lots of scribbling in red pen, whilst drinking lattes. When I got home the house was spanking clean and I felt like I'd got a plan for my revisions. It was great, almost like being back in Nepal - almost (minus the sunshine and the lovely people to cook my supper and mow my lawn and do my ironing, obviously).
My husband has come back home this week more tired than a big slice of tired pie and has beaten the kids to bed. They're all watching a re-run of Doctor Who and I'm drinking a spare can of Magner's I just discovered in the fridge.
I was supposed to be doing a sailing course this weekend, but the weather is looking a trifle glum, so I have accidentally-on-purpose forgotten all about it. We have an exciting tax return to do, and a visit from my sister-in-law, in any case, so bobbing about in a small boat on the river Trent in the rain will just have to wait.
Twin 2 has decided to go to bed now, so I'd better go (can't say I blame her, Dr Who is getting a little scary).
Have a fab weekend x

Thursday 12 September 2013

Right, this is the third time l have started this post and this time l am determined not to be interrupted by phone/kids. Hello! How the devil are you today? l had a Meeting with my boss and a dental appointment earlier on. There was a link: the dentist said l am getting fractured molars due to grinding my teeth, probably due to stress. Afterwards l met my boss and told her l need to cut down the amount of classes l teach. l know it sounds a bit wussy, especially as l have a cleaner now, but hopefully it will stall my decline into a stressy toothless harridan.
At the moment l have half the street in the house, playing some complicated Vers ion of "Narnia", involving purple eyeshadow and quite a bit of screaming.
Which reminds me...
A man opened up his wardrobe one morning and discovered an enormous lion inside. "What are you doing in my wardrobe?" he said. To which the lion replied: "Narnia business!"
geddit? x
hi, how are you today? I'm waiting for the dentist and planning how to tell my boss l want to drop half...
hiya, how was your day? Mine started mellow but is turning a tad manic - not sure why de-lousing the Twins' hair has turned them into whirling dervishes. Maybe the nit lotion is made from blue smarties?...

Monday 9 September 2013

New term and new ESOL students: Maria from Bulgaria and Sana from lraq. l was a tiny bit nervous about going back, but armed with a nice new notepad and hairstyle (one should always begin the academic year with a new hairstyle and notebook, don't you think?), it all went quite well, really. As well as being back to school, I'm back to fasting. l have one apple left to eat...It's the legacy of a three week holiday in the South West. Cream teas, fish and chips, ice cream - not to mention the odd pint of cider. Talking of which, l went to the village pub with my husband, what a treat! Looking forward to turning into a right old lush when the kids eventually disappear.
So, the hols are properly over now, which is a little bit sad (yes, l did blub the morning Son started 'big school'). However, now l can get back to the novel. This week I'm entering a competition with Mslexia, a magazine for women writers (mylast novel got longlisted so fingers crossed this time round) and I'm going to try my first agent. No expectations at this stage really, but given that l can expect, oh, about a billion rejections before someone finally recognises my talent, l guess l should get off my arse and get on with it.
Right, need to do Twin 2s physio and take Son to karate and ...Oh no l don't have to do the downstairs bathroom because l have finally got a cleaner (who has OCD, which in my opinion is quite a useful attribute for a professional domestic) Got to go xx

Woo hoo

Woo hoo! l have finally figured out how to write this on my phone. A good thing, because hopefully l will get back into the habit of blogging, instead of eating biscuits and watching repeats of "Not Going Out" on Dave. But now l really have to finish doing a hairy thing (oh, it's a cross between straightening and tonging, not scary at all) or l shall start the new term looking like Hagrid's angry little sister. TTFN

Tuesday 3 September 2013

I'm back...ish

Oh, I'm sorry. Yes, I'm still here, sort of. Well, I've been away for a bit. If Devon and Dorset count as 'away' ('away with the fairies' maybe, especially Totnes-twinned-with-Narnia). I'm just wondering whether to carry on with this blog or embrace the future and start tweeting instead? What do you think? I just always seem to forget to blog, and then it's ages with nothing and all I can remember about the intervening weeks is that I've done a lot of washing and ironing and that the only reason my children look happy in photos is because they are laughing in my face at the utterly ridiculous concept of tidying their respective rooms. Right. It's 11.30 now, so I must go to bed and have happy dreams. In the meantime, let me know if you'd rather this blog changed to a tweet xxx