A Life of Crime and Chocolate

Just ((hugs)) to French.

OSG, I second HJ. Good luck, even if that means we hear from you less.

Do I feel silly . . . Phoned a friend. She was out so left a message. I looked at my mobile and realized I had phoned my own land line and left myself a message to meet myself tomorrow for breakfast

Shakesbear said:

Do I feel silly . . . Phoned a friend. She was out so left a message. I looked at my mobile and realized I had phoned my own land line and left myself a message to meet myself tomorrow for breakfast

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LOL. All I can say is I'm surprised I haven't done that myself.

French - I'm so sorry this is happening to you and Blake.

OSG, your initiative is very impressive. It speaks volumes about you as a person.

onesecondglance said:

We're thinking of you and Blake, French.


I made a change today. I've been having a really hard time at work, feeling like I'm not good enough, like I'm just pretending while everyone else is really doing it (imposter syndrome), and then getting trapped in a vicious cycle. I feel like I'm not good enough; I get demoralised; I don't do the work I need to because I'm demoralised; I am not good enough because I haven't done the work; etc. Psychologically I'm quite shallow - I get satisfaction from being good at something, and when I know I'm not as good as I want to be or I know I can be then it's frustrating and depressing. In the past this has manifested as a drive to get better, to be better, but this time it's stalled and left me at the bottom.

So I'm doing something about it. I've asked a senior person to be a "mentor" for me and she's going to help me try to overcome some of these problems. I've just come back from a meeting with her and feel like there's a chance I can get better.

This will almost certainly involve being on AW less. I come here during work hours when I can't face doing what I'm supposed to be doing. So if I'm around less, that doesn't mean I don't like you lot any more. It just means I'm trying. (I know, very trying...) And hopefully my comments will be a bit more positive.

I had better get on with something useful right now. I've only taken the first step, but right now that first step feels like a mile.

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A good mentor is a rare and fine thing, and it takes a lot of nerve to stand up and find one. You'll vanquish this; I've no doubt.

And I don't think you're shallow. I think it's human nature to want to do a good job, and to be valued for it. It's important to feel like you're contributing to your employer. (Until your book sells zillions, and you can be your own employer. )

I would say good luck, but I don't think you need it. You are making your own luck, and you'll do brilliantly.

Shakesbear said:

Do I feel silly . . . Phoned a friend. She was out so left a message. I looked at my mobile and realized I had phoned my own land line and left myself a message to meet myself tomorrow for breakfast

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Don't feel silly. The important thing is, are you going to show up?



__________________

Sending good thoughts to Wonder, French, OSG.

GailD said:

Don't feel silly. The important thing is, are you going to show up?

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"We" showed up. Breakfast was VERY good! Coffee was excellent. The auction was interesting. There are times at the auction preview (went on Thursday) when I get just a little upset. Seeing items that once meant a lot to an individual . . . for example

Most of the women I know have a needle work box. I have several, depending on the sort of work I am going to do. They are a peculiarly female item – some men may have a place to stow sewing kit, but the box is a female preserve. They are personal and private, secret places where women have, probably for many centuries, kept all sorts of stuff that they do not want the men in their lives to see or know about. They can be filled with the memorabilia of a life – from a tiny button from a child’s garment to a large brass button from a military uniform. A scrap of lace from a once treasured dress to a length of fabric purchased but never used. Needles of all sizes, pins with glass tops, button hooks, stray knitting needles, tape measures, scissors varying in size from dainty embroidery scissors to very large tailoring scissors. Tarnished silver thimbles to cheap tin ones or a plastic one from a Christmas cracker. Tailor’s chalk and laundry pens. All can be found in the work box.

For some women the box symbolised the way she could earn some money – carrying out repairs and/or alterations, taking up or letting down hems. Darning or patching a hole. Earning a little extra to supplement the family income. To others it might symbolize a time of leisure. To take out a brightly coloured piece of embroidery and sit and work at it in the evening when the children are in bed and the hubby at the pub.

What ever the size or shape of the box, if the contents are expensive or came from Woolies, the box was an intimate expression of a woman and her way of life. Which is why it saddens me when I see them at the local auction house reduced to an impersonal description “Two boxes of vintage fabric and sewing items buttons on original cards, sewing boxes and tulle with beadwork etc”.

THanks everyone. I appreciate the well wishes.
If Blake's temp stays down tonight, he should be out tomorrow.
He was very playful nad cheeky today, keeping the nurses on their toes with his funny little personality.

French. I really hope Blake can go home tomorrow. Home is always the best.


Oh, Shakes, yes. The sewing box!!! How well do I love it! In mine, I've got a set of army-issue hooks and eyes (made in England) that were given to the allied troops. The date on it is 1940. It must have belonged to my father originally but it was in grandmother's sewing box, along with a wooden egg for darning. I can't let go things like that go.

French hope Blake is OK tomorrow and he can go home.

GailD said:

Oh, Shakes, yes. The sewing box!!! How well do I love it! In mine, I've got a set of army-issue hooks and eyes (made in England) that were given to the allied troops. The date on it is 1940. It must have belonged to my father originally but it was in grandmother's sewing box, along with a wooden egg for darning. I can't let go things like that go.

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Gail I have found all sorts in my mothers work box - so emotive! The inspiration for a series of stories?

Shakesbear said:

Gail I have found all sorts in my mothers work box - so emotive! The inspiration for a series of stories?

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Absolutely, yes.


....the stays that once held up the bodice of Queen Victoria...or the bit of lace that was on the hanky she held to her eyes when Prince Albert died...

Oh, don't get me started.

Shakesbear said:

Do I feel silly . . . Phoned a friend. She was out so left a message. I looked at my mobile and realized I had phoned my own land line and left myself a message to meet myself tomorrow for breakfast

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Soooo, did you turn up?

ETA: Ooops, missed a whole page of posts and see that you did. Now I'm the one feeling foolish.


French, really hope Blake gets out tomorrow.

Didn't know where else to post this, so I'm posting it here.

Happy Mother's Day to all the Moms out there. Miss mine, and wish she was still with us, but I know that she is in a better place and with her Mom and Dad.

For all of those who still have their Moms, cherish the time you have with them, I know that I did.

French Maiden said:

THanks everyone. I appreciate the well wishes.
If Blake's temp stays down tonight, he should be out tomorrow.
He was very playful nad cheeky today, keeping the nurses on their toes with his funny little personality.

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Hooray! Keeping the nurses on their toes is always a good sign.

Happy Mother's Day (it's not ours though, I don't think. Could be wrong but I think ours was a while ago). So far I've had SnowB for four years and Frankenstein for nearly a year, but neither furbaby has ever got me a present for Mother's Day.

heyjude said:

Cats are truly bad at that.

Mine puked on me. I choose to believe that was a gift.

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Must be something in the air. Cat #3 (Imogen) coughed up a massive fur ball this evening. She tried to hit the sofa with it, but I was too fast for her and dumped her on the hardwood floor (much, much easier to clean). Then she went off in the corner to sulk, thinking, I'm sure, "If you really loved me, you'd let me get sick on some nice comfy soft thing instead of that hard, cold floor." Well, I do love her, but there are limits.

Happy Mother's Day to all moms!

vagoughs said:

Must be something in the air. Cat #3 (Imogen) coughed up a massive fur ball this evening. She tried to hit the sofa with it, but I was too fast for her and dumped her on the hardwood floor (much, much easier to clean). Then she went off in the corner to sulk, thinking, I'm sure, "If you really loved me, you'd let me get sick on some nice comfy soft thing instead of that hard, cold floor." Well, I do love her, but there are limits.

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Ours tend to wake us up early in the morning when they have harfed all over something. And then as we're cleaning up, they sit in a corner looking at us, with that "What took you so long/that has nothing to do with ME" expression on their faces.

My husband got my daughter a little gift today, too, because he says she is Marmalade (our younger, grumper cat)'s mom. Of course, then she tried to use her cat-mom status to con me out of some chocolate, to which I said NO WAY, KID, thus losing my Mom of the Year title.

Happy belated mother's to all the Mummies here.

Yay, we're home!!! Blake got out yesterday morning.
I took my sister out to lunch today for her birthday tomorrow. The doctors are saying they want to forgo the PICC and go straight for a port. We are still figuring out the day and time that will happen. Dr. nick is aiming for Wednesday, but it just depends on Anethatists and if theatre is available.

Hope you all had a happy and safe weekend, and are looking forward to a fun filled week.

heyjude said:

Why will cats only puke on soft stuff? This makes no sense to me. My cat makes for carpet like his life depends on it.

There are limits!

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Exactly what my cat does!!!! The parquet floor may be just inches away, but he'll upchuck on the carpet. Ugh!



French. I'm happy to hear that Blake is home, but so sorry that things aren't going so smoothly.


to moms with sick kids.

heyjude said:

Why will cats only puke on soft stuff? This makes no sense to me. My cat makes for carpet like his life depends on it.

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My Saxonial is the same. He is suck a little turd.
I find it's when he eats/licks something not in his normal diet that he chunders. It;s usually within about 10-15 minutes after the offending food is touched that he purges.