May - living on fresh air challenge...

Frith

Annoyingly, a few years ago I would have been able to service the car myself, if I had the right Haynes manual. Its just been one of those things that has been left...

Anyway, we've been to Birmingham today on the train (used a voucher from when we were kept waiting on the platform for 2 hours when we went to London last year). I think the highlight for the boys was being marched out of the museum and art gallery when the fire alarm went off then sitting in the fire engine!

They're tired and fighting tooth and nail now. The car is going well!!

Liz

RAS

How goes lady?

With any luck the improved petrol consumption will compensate for the cost of the service in a few months.

I know what you mean about the service manual. Before I even passed my test, my ex taught me to do a basic service, oil change, plugs, tyre check and change etc. We rewired the house and when I bought this one, I did it as well. Got a a fully qualified colleague to run a mega over it and connected it to the mains, and got a lot of teasing of the sparks over the next few weeks. It was only later that I discovered that my colleague had been warning the sparks that I was serious competition; he had never seen a qualified spark actually use grommets and plan for the expansion of the electrical circuits. I could not even touch this stuff legally these days.

Progress?

Frith

Not much happening here. Have paid half of the garage bill!

Nothing from the CSA and no word back from my MP yet...

On the legal front, I phoned my solicitor (its been a couple of months now since I swapped) and she is going to have another go at the old solicitor to try and get her to send the files across. Ex husband has gone mad and, after 3.5 years, has bought both boys schools trousers and new school bags! I don't know why he suddenly did that since he has never bought them anything before. (Well, not anything useful).

This house was re-roofed and re-wired before I moved in and those are probably its only 2 plus points...

Liz

RAS

ACEY wrote: »

Ex husband has gone mad and, after 3.5 years, has bought both boys schools trousers and new school bags!

I don't know why he suddenly did that since he has never bought them anything before. (Well, not anything useful).

next thing you know is that he will be claiming that he is fully supporting the boys financially and helping you bring them up.

Frith

:rotfl:

He was back to his old tricks today, though. His one aim in life seems to be engineering conversations with me/popping up when I least expect it. :eek:

Anyway, big son has a musical evening coming up combining his school with several other primaries locally. 2 tickets are allocated per family and this is 6.30pm NOT on one of the ex's days with them (they would be back with me by 6.30 in any case).

I thought I would buy both tickets and me and little son could go and watch. I have been asked by the class teacher if I could help out beforehand on the night with costumes etc.

So I asked the secretary at school today for 2 tickets and the ex had bought them both! To make matters worse, the secretary then handed me a ticket with my name on and the ex had BOUGHT IT FOR ME. Bleurgh!

Even the secretary looked embarrased.

I said I would not be able to go if little son couldn't go (not strictly true) but it was hardly her fault. She said the ex has put little son's name on the reserve list and, if a ticket comes available, HE will be taking little son!!!!! I don't think so...

Liz

P.S Not a NSD today, did the 2nd hand shops locally and bought a CD for 95p!

RAS

Absolutely, mind games all the time. And he thinks this is normal and you are the one who is a bit odd for not playing along. Looks all innocent of course.

It is incredibly hard sometimes for people who have no experience to understand the sort of thing that people play at.

Frith

I know what will come next as well.... He will say he has a ticket for little son, ignoring the fact it is not "his" day. I will say "Can I have the ticket and I'll take him with me?" and the ex will refuse and little son will not be able to go.

The next time they see the ex, he will tell little son all about how mummy stopped him from going.

Other breaking news...... whisper it..... I have a date! The first since January 1998. No pressure, then.

Liz

P.S Years ago, the court order stated that the ex was only allowed to see his sons in his mother's house, with her there. He was not allowed to take them out in the car. The stunts he pulled then were many and various, including showing them the tickets he had bought for the Santa Special (steam train at Christmas) then saying I wouldnt let him take them...

RAS

Yep, I have seen all sorts of stuff.

My not so dear little bro still thinks that I am wholly responsible for the breakdown of our parent's marriage. The adultery, physical abuse, theft and complete failure to provide the basics of food and a roof over our heads had no impact on our mother's decision?

Do you know any other parent who is not going or who would have a spare ticket? Could you then fix to go with little un and sit apart from OH?

Frith

I don't think little son is particularly interested in going. Its the logistics now of collecting him from gymnastics at 5.45 then carting him off somewhere before getting to the play thing at 6.30...

Liz

beanielou

You have my sympathy.The joys.........Not!
Hope the date goes well.