Crazy Cat Lady Chapter 4 - The Aftermath

f0xh0les

Well done, the  mental pressure of the GCSE results and how the kids feel and will react is probably ticking away in the back of your mind.

Painting has no time limit.  The door just sits there and works fine, even if it needs another coat. It is quite good that way. So if you don't feel like it, give yourself a break, it will patiently sit and wait for when you do feel like it.  Doors are good like that.

Sorry DS is being a twit.  There is a lot of it about at this time of year.

crazy_cat_lady

Hello!
Well. What a few days. The s0dding doors did need another coat after all, which literally made me weep. I really, really hate them. My mood had taken a real dip by Friday morning. I'd gotten up early with the intention of finally getting the better of the doors once and for all but was sitting with my third cup of tea in front of the telly when my stepdad turned up just before 10am. He was coming off to finish all the little jobs he was helping me with - namely sealant in the outhouse, putting up my wall lights and my outside light for me. That kicked my backside so I started painting while he was doing that. Third coat on the downstairs doors and second coat on the upstairs doors I'd just finished that, and stepdad showed me how to use his electric sander, which I'm borrowing to sand the other two kitchen doors down before I consider attempting to paint them, and to sand down the external painting on the house so I can freshen it up (sounds like a lot but it's literally the doorstep into the house and a couple of bits under the downstairs windows - and I have masonry paint in the outhouse). It is a toy I am looking forward to using Then, my dad turned up wanting some help with his new tv and broadband stuff. After an hour and a bit on the phone I managed to get his tv and broadband upgraded, and include his phone and mobile all for £62 a month, which is saving him just over £70 a month. Bless him - I've written stuff in my diary to make sure I check he's on the best deal for his utilities etc.
Then I just about had time to run the hoover round before my friend arrived for Friday night in the house (same friend I've been bubbled with all of lockdown) with a bottle of alcohol and general silliness, followed by watching the Lost Boys! I staggered off to bed just after 1am drunk as a skunk, only to be rudely awoken at 6.45am on Saturday morning by the arrival of my new cooker!
The man was laughing at me as I was clearly absolutely hanging... I had to have water and paracetamol as he was taking the old cooker out. I had lucked in, because 1. It was dirty under there but really not as bad as I was expecting it to be and 2. I didn't have an electric connection there for a cooker so I was correct when I chose an all gas cooker, even though I fancied a dual fuel. He was done and dusted by 7.15am. I can't believe I had to pay £100 for someone to disconnect and reconnect it. It was literally just a pipe and I reckon I could have done that even with my stinking hangover. Although he was a gas safe engineer and I am not so the money is the price for guaranteed safety. I know any normal person would have gotten straight on trying it out, but I had a pint of water and went back to bed until my bladder woke me up just after 10am. The head was not much improved so I cracked open the ibuprofen as well, then bestie rang me as fresh as a daisy, wanting me to go back to Funelm with her so she could buy some curtains now she'd measured her windows. I dragged myself to get dressed and dd came with us as well. Bestie spent £228 in Funelm. I went into bargain corner and spent £3.40 on two mugs with cats on, 3 small kilner jars and a big pot of de-icing salt. Then we went to Bee Emm which is just next door, and somehow bestie managed to spend another £89 while I spent just shy of a tenner getting chocolate spread, chocolate and crisp supplies, kids face masks as dd's face is too small for adult sizes, and a plastic box to go under my bed. After that I was flagging significantly and starting to feel quite unwell so we headed home (bestie had spent enough anyway) and I managed to eat a bit of toast then fell asleep on the sofa until after 6pm. I still felt awful when I woke up though - and was also suffering awful period cramps as well. So I still didn't try my new cooker out but both kids had by then I was well enough to clean around where the old cooker had been. I have a 25cm gap that wasn't there before - I want to put a bin in there. But apparently a slim kitchen bin costs upwards of £50 which is just ridiculous - so I'll think of something else. After I'd done that I took my book and went to bed. Ridiculous really... I didn't think that I would sleep but I did. I woke up lots during the night but got up for the day at half seven this morning feeling much better within myself. Still crampy and headachey but that's normal for the first couple of days of my period (keep thinking I should speak to the doctor about my symptoms as the moods and pains last about 10 days a month in total - but thinking I'll just get told to suck it up).
Anyway, today was the day to start the emulsion painting so I got up, had breakfast and a cuppa and got straight on with it. I was starving! Took me 2 and a half hours to do the ceilings and walls in the downstairs 'porch' and up to the top of the stairs, which just left me long enough to find the kitten breaking into a tub of sweet and sour sauce and helping himself. It was all over his paws and his face apart from the paw which had white paint all over it (I hadn't even spilt any!). So I cleaned him up, then went in the shower and went to visit my mam for a couple of hours. Thankfully she's back to her (no filter) self and fighting fit again, and she cooks a cracking Sunday dinner as well.
Came home and did the top of the stairs walls and ceiling and have now collapsed into a pile of aching limbs and tiredness. DS has made me 3 cups of tea and dd has looked after a mischievous kitten so I could get that finished. Guess what? I still haven't used the cooker, and I can't see that happening tonight either The kids assure me it's better than the other one, although smaller and about a third of the price. I hope so - maybe I'll find my confidence and love for cooking with a cooker that actually does what it's supposed to. Don't hold your breath though because I certainly am not...

beanielou

I just do not know how you do it!
I really dont.

erin_transport

Hi ccl 
just dropping in to say youve inspired me to strip the living room wall paper - all was going well until we took the ceiling paper off - the previous occupant had painted the ceiling lime green!! I can see many layers of under coat ahead of me.  

crazy_cat_lady

Hello!
Can't explain where the past 48 hours have gone. I feel as though I've done absolutely nothing at all but suddenly it's late Tuesday afternoon and I have lost a couple of days somewhere. 
I got up early yesterday to get a second coat of paint on the stairs. It took 2 and a half hours but I was done before noon and then popped to the Grange with dd and bestie. Because I'd seen a bin in there in the sale that would fit in the gap next to the new cooker. Bestie loved the place and we were in there for far longer than I expected to be. Got home just after half one, which gave me time for a quick cuppa and to brush my hair before bestie came back to pick me up for afternoon tea at a posh castle locally, that I've never been to that has always been out of my price range, but is part of Eat Out To Help Out. It was very posh indeed and really, really nice food as well. I was home and feet up by half past five. Long enough to put some washing on, wash dishes and entertain the kitten for a bit. Then spent some time chatting with the kids about getting back to school and a sleep routine. Time is certainly ticking on a bit and I can see school looming on the horizon. Not that I am bothered about going back - it's just been a bit of time since I did a proper 'normal' day at work, and I have no real idea what to expect yet. There's still not even a timetable for me to do any planning, and I'm not allowed in my classroom yet to sort it, and who knows what the government will decide about face masks etc between now and the end of the month.
Anyway, up and out early this morning to take dd to the hairdressers for her highlights. We tried a new stylist at my usual hairdressers because he was offering first appointments at half price. Anyway - she absolutely loves them. I've always taken her, paid upwards of £90 and she's been disappointed that they aren't light enough. Not today - £48.75 and she's chuffed to bits. I was less chuffed that it took over 3 hours because she has so much long hair although I always like being in the hairdressers. However, she has decided he is her new stylist and that's that - 'he'd better not ever think about leaving'. I'm pleased she's happy.
I had a phone meeting with someone this afternoon about mental health training for school which was just over an hour, then dd wanted to go out in storm Francis to show her new hair to anyone that might notice. We went to Foods of the Frozen Farm to stock up on 'essentials' and then I've just gotten home and suddenly it's after 4pm again. And I feel shattered. 
I think I need to do a third coat on the stairs but the weather is cack so I can't risk it in this in case there are issues with it drying. DD thinks 2 is enough but I think it still looks patchy out there. I haven't crocheted for 3 days but still feel like I could nap at the moment. I need to go to the tip but all the rubbish I've chucked in the garden will be soaked through and heavy for that - and I don't think it'll be fun in the rain. I need to clean floors in the sitting room, kitchen and bathroom but again, there may be issues with them drying, and I'm desperate to finish reading my latest Lee Child book (but I always feel really lazy when I'm reading and doing nothing else). Here's hoping I can find some motivation somewhere, soon.

f0xh0les

Oh CCL, just pretend you are being an English teacher for the evening and therefore reading is work.

  Feet up!

Tescodealqueen

I would go for Mr Reacher over mopping floors of painting all day long

beanielou

Read that book & enjoy 

Buffythedebtslayer

So that U turn you were talking about CCL..
So impressed with everything you have done XXXX You really motivated you just can't see it! 

the_end_of_the_rainbow

crazy_cat_lady said:

Still crampy and headachey but that's normal for the first couple of days of my period (keep thinking I should speak to the doctor about my symptoms as the moods and pains last about 10 days a month in total - but thinking I'll just get told to suck it up).

Try looking up 'Premenstrual dysphoric disorder'  - heard a doctor talk about it on the radio last week (Jeremy Vine show)  - affects some women very badly for anything up to 2 weeks before their period.  Women experience a high level of anxiety due to the hormone imbalance in their bod. All symptoms disappear a couple of days after starting period.

Copied From https://patient.info/news-and-features/pms-depression-pmdd-signs

Nick Panay, spokesperson for the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists and chair of the National Association for Premenstrual Syndrome, says PMDD is a 'severe' form of PMS and affects 5-10% of women.

"The symptoms of PMDD are similar to those of PMS, but are more exaggerated and often have more psychological symptoms than physical ones. These can include feelings of hopelessness, persistent sadness or depression, extreme anger and anxiety, decreased interest in usual activities, sleeping much more or less than usual, very low self-esteem and extreme tension and irritability,"