Crazy Cat Lady Chapter 4 - The Aftermath

crazy_cat_lady

Did I mistakenly say that I had plenty of time to get stuff done? Gawd I am a fool for mentioning that... I have been non-stop and am still not quite done work wise. The background prep is all being done and going well, but actually doing is tough.
Remembered to leave the key for the boiler man, and the boiler is now serviced for another year. So warranty intact and I don't need to worry about it. Only £50 (albeit another £50). Remembered to take the remaining helium balloons to work (one of the cats ran away from them so I suspect it is she with the extra squeaky voice :rotfl:), also remembered to get ds his free bacon roll from the golden arches on the way to school :j
Taught two lessons before break, then collected the cake at breaktime and hid it in the prep room. Taught lesson 3, then was free P4 just before lunch, so helped put the buffet out. Boss was surprised and seemed quite happy about it all (except for another member of staff repeatedly telling people he's 50 today and not 40) and we had lots of tasty yummy food, and I wrecked my diet for the day. Ah well. After dinner I didn't want to teach for the rest of the day because I felt tired but got through it. Then had to stay late, and I did work the whole 90 mins but I was still not finished - barely made it in time to pick ds up (mother of the year), came home via Mr A to buy yet more breaded chicken and finally made it in and sat down just after 6pm.
DD has her new boyfriend here but I'm not allowed to 'meet him' just yet, so they're upstairs (yes, I trust her) but I'm not allowed to go in and disturb. However, the cats seem to be coming and going without any bother.
I'm now trying to decide whether or not to investigate something that we were talking about at school today. It will probably involve me spending money though :o:o This year, our summer break runs a little later, and we start back quite late in September - most of the staff have booked extra hols as the prices have gone right down by then. Someone then mentioned it's much cheaper to fly from Scotland because the Scottish schools go back in August. It's made me wonder whether I may get a holiday abroad for the same price or less as I spend doing our traditional couple of days in London during the summer. As you know, it's why I do the exam marking - hawever I have debt to clear as you also know, but it is tempting. Trouble is if I investigate I might find something I want to do... :rotfl::rotfl: Trying to think what foxgloves would do. I would always take them to London for a few days anyway, first class train, nice hotel suite, decent restaurants, a show and shopping. Would they prefer a trip abroad? Hmmm :undecided:undecided:think:

beanielou

What would YOU Prefer?

foxgloves

Oh dear...... I can't really answer that, CCL. You see, the old pre-LBM Foxgloves would have gone ahead & booked a holiday, then spent the next two weeks justifying it. Post-reformation Foxgloves, however, would say that a holiday isn't a necessity, whatever we have all come to believe. It's a luxury & if we have a lot of debt, then we can't afford it. You work hard & I know you all enjoy heading off for hols together, so I think it's just something you'll need to decide on weighing up the fun & change of scenery you'll get from it against a decent payment you could have put to your debt. So that's probably 'what Foxgloves would do' but that isn't what she'd have done in the past & only you know what is right for you. If you look to be getting a bit nearer to a post-divorce settlement, that could put a new perspective on decisions, I guess?
Sorry I haven't been very helpful.
F xx

Baileys_Babe

Regarding the holiday if you are going to look decide first your budget for accommodation, flights, insurance, travel to and from the airport, entertainment, food whilst away and travelling, the cost of any new clothes etc. If you feel you can afford everything go ahead.

crazy_cat_lady

I haven't done it... yet. I'm just too tired and stressed at the moment to think about it clearly and rationally. I haven't slept properly in 10 days and I've been busier than I can remember at work this week so I just feel exhausted. I'm not exaggerating to say I was on the go today for 11 hours without any sort of break and I just want to cry at the moment because I feel so stressed out and tired. Not a good time for making holiday decisions - just thinking about how much I hate my ex for doing this to me and how much it's costing. :mad: and how I wasn't in debt but now I am because of him :mad: and how he owes me upwards of £3k before we even look at the court stuff :mad: and I'm never going to see it :mad: You get the picture.
However, debt or no debt, I would spend a certain amount of my exam money on something nice for me and the kids over the 6 weeks hols. I always have, and will continue to do so. The kids are growing up fast and they won't want to do stuff with me for too much longer... I appreciate that a holiday is a luxury but the whole reason I work the second job is for me to get money to do a bit of 'luxury' stuff. The kids barely see me for the 6 weeks running into the hols and I know I don't need a lot of money to compensate for the guilt of being such a bad mam for a few weeks, but it helps a little. Hmmm. Still thinking.
Anyway, ds woke me at ten to four this morning because he was anxious and couldn't sleep. In with me and fell back over to sleep almost straight away with a little cuddle and some reassurance. Unfortunately I didn't get back to sleep. Follow that with a 'death by 10000 paper cuts' type of day involving 9 out of 16 broken beakers in 1 practical lesson, someone being sick in my sink, not having the requested amount of photocopying done, the exit doors getting jammed shut so I couldn't get out of school at the end of my meeting, and you'll get the idea why my head isn't in the game at the moment. That, by the way, is just a small selection of the 'paper cuts' that have troubled my day.
Not a nsd as I've done an online shop with Mr A.£45. I'm sure I've paid something else as well today but I seriously cannot remember what it is.
I'm heading off to bed now - but I will try and catch up properly as soon as I'm feeling a bit less overwhelmed and exhausted...

foxgloves

What a massively busy & not very nice day, CCL. Hope you get a bit more sleep tonight. I was an insomniac for most of my working life & those stressful days are definitely worse after one very poor night, let alone ten days.
Hope tomorrow will just generally be a better day.
F x

f0xh0les

Only 21 more school mornings until half term! :j(If you break on 14th Feb like we do). Yesterday sounded rotten.

Just think, the whole divorcing finances thing could be over by the time of your summer holiday. Mind you, it kind of is relying on money you have not earned yet (which would scare the hell out of me), but as a proper grown up working person with an income (that would be you), I suppose that is just what working people do for holidays don't they? Sorry, I am no help whatsoever.

I do find it funny you say your kids will not want to go on holiday with you soon, nearly all the mums on playground still go on holiday with their parents, and the parents pick up the bill! Even the ones going for 2 weeks in Mexico, the parents pay the hotel and flights - for themselves, their 2 grown up daughters and their partners and their kids, and they (the grown up kids) pay spending money and take them out to dinner or on an excurstion. You might still be doing this in their 30s and 40s!:rotfl:.

crazy_cat_lady

Holy Moly f0xh0les - why has my mam never taken me and my kids on holiday? I must be doing something wrong - or she mustn't love me enough I wouldn't dream of expecting her to take us on holiday - she jets off to Cuba for 3 weeks at a time - and I would feel incredibly guilty if she paid for a holiday for us. I feel bad enough that she lent me the £ to pay for the new boiler last year... Mind you - she has booked to go to Bulgaria this year to check it out after my rave reviews from last year.
I do feel a bit better today - I woke up 4x during the night, but it was a vast improvement on previous days, plus I don't feel as though I've done 10 rounds with the hormone fairy like I did yesterday. Thursday is my busiest day at work, and I'm double busy at the moment, still sorting out mock exam papers and cover work for next week. I only have 2 hours left in the morning to get it sorted and there's very little that I can be doing at home so I will have to work very efficiently in the morning or stay late after school, which will be unacceptable to ds on a Friday night.
Have a bit of renewed vigour to tackle my debt in the feeble hope I might make enough progress to afford another holiday so I sent a little PAD to the card. It al adds up doesn't it? DS went completely off the rails because I ordered the shopping from Mr A this week instead of Mr S - because it came in £7 cheaper, but meant he couldn't have his usual brand of s0dding golden chicken. What a real first world problem. :rotfl: That's 2 days in a row and I will continue to do this knowing that it all adds up quite quickly even if it is a couple of pounds/pence here and there.
Filled in a form I've been ignoring for weeks and will get it in the post tomorrow.
Got home from work tonight to a letter from my solicitor. The next court date is through already. Durham court is clearly getting through its backlog a little bit because the previous delays have gone and it is actually very close to when the judge said it would be. Having read the letter I really feel as though this could be the last one, but I don't want to get to hopeful just to end up disappointed. I can't help myself though - the end may be in sight now... we shall see in just a few short weeks. Please people, keep everything crossed for a positive outcome because I am starting to feel a little desperate when I think about it.
Right. I'm heading off - determined to get into bed and relax, so hopefully I can bag another decent night.

[Deleted User]

Glad you are feeling a bit more positive CCL - hope you have a decent nights rest!

SpekySquarehead

Keeping everything crossed for you CCL. Hope you continue to feel a bit more like yourself.