Rounding up and balancing the scales.

In the best of therapy they tell you to make a list of the good and the bad.
Good

1. I am back at work and LOVE it. It is so good to be back. I went in on Monday and I love my class and all my surroundings. I know that all work places have the "politics" but this is me settled. I have a job until the summer holidays and I am hoping that I will be kept on. I am trying my best to do the right thing. To plan correctly, inspire, follow up, assess correctly.... everything that will make them want to keep me on.
2. The insurance paid out and covered the cost of a new car, plus service package and tax. In fact we made a little profit! I collected it last night and as you will read further on, the timing could not have been better. I managed to get in the car and drive, which is great as I had to get it home. You would not believe that it is the same colour, same year. It is amazing . They rushed it through valeting for me, and then as it was not dry I sat on plastic covers to get it home. My hubby however had a VERY wet bum when I picked him up LOL
3. As you will see below, I am selling all the books and Cd's and DVDs in the house on Amazon . I have made £300 since 28th DEC. £400 in total. It takes a bit to come though but it is working. You just put in the ISBN number and it comes up and then you press a "sell your copy" button and PUFF you go through the listing process.
4. Hubby works as a Techie as a profession. He brought home a hand held scanner and so I just scan the bar code into the PC and "Poof" the number appears!!!

The Crap. (condensed)

1. My Lovely, fantastic FIL has colon Cancer. Starts the chemo this week. We have been told it is treatable. I am really torn up about this. Hubby is in denial. Am concerned for him. He has an op to fit a tube that will feed the chemo into his heart.
2. My Mum is in hospital again with a urine infection. She has caught the MRSA bug (supper bug). She should be barrier nursed as it is infectious only there is not enough beds for this to happen. The actual infection is on her stomach where her catheter tube enters her pubic/stomach area. Therefore if I touch the sheets etc I must wash and use antiseptic gel provided the hospital to kill the infection so that I do not pass any of it onto my FIL.
3. We are really short of money. My daughter got loads of money for working over Xmas and also as presents she has given it to us to use as we are so skint. The money for the car was kept on one side for obvious reasons. I will not get paid until the end of Feb. We had to borrow money off my in-laws tonight .
4. My Dad has decided not to do anything for himself. As I was ill just before Xmas with the crash and everything, I did not get to decorate the house or write his Xmas cards so he did not bother with either. Then on Xmas day my sister and BIL cooked for them (mum was a bit vague and tired).Dad got drunk and ruined their Xmas. The fall out has been awful. Lots of hints that dad has told me is true that I let the family down. I feel shite!
5. Sister is organising for Mum to go into full time care, and Dad to sell the house and get a one bed flat that he can manage. There is a lot of family politics going on. I have tried to explain that I can not be split in so many ways
6. My daughter is sitting her mock exams and I want to support her in every way.

I am trying my hardest honestly

Festive Round Up

Did you have a good Christmas?
Did you?
I am having a very different Christmas. Not bad, just different.
First of all, even though I love having my Hubby home for the two weeks, he has taken over the house and is like a man possessed. He always cooks etc, but he is doing all this huffing and puffing whilst washing, etc. BUT all he does it put it in piles and shove it upstairs.
I have given up and am concentrating on tidying upstairs and then keeping out of his way.
I invited his parents around tomorrow for a Lasagne and salad... suddenly he is baking and cooking all these little canapes. He is a great cook though and if I am honest he relaxes whilst cooking. ME? I hate it.
The insurance cheque has finally come through and It will go in the bank tomorrow. The garage that I bought my old car from have lined up another one for me. Slightly smaller engine, but that is not a problem to me.
The Mum and Dad issue is brewing again. I will not go into it but to say that cos I was ill and bruised, I forgot all about writing their Christmas cards for them. Did they remind me? NO, Did they write them themselves? NO, I am being blamed for them not sending any Christmas cards... and for not decorating the house for them.
PFFFFFFT!!!
I start back in my old job next week I can not wait. I love it and am looking forward to it - although I have a lot of preparation to do between now and then.
Steph worked from the Saturday after the schools broke up right up to close of business on Christmas eve, even the Sunday, - the florist was very busy. She then got loads of Christmas money and is rolling in funds now!
Matty, got an ear infection two nights before Christmas and he and I spent an eventful night in the lounge trying to settle him down - being in so much pain he was screaming. In the morning, hubby took him to the docs who said he had the most horrendous infection. So he has spent the holiday dosed up on Antibiotics, paracetamol and ibuprofen. A week on he is still getting twinges of pain. BUT is better
I am looking forward to my In-Laws coming round tomorrow. On New Years Eve, we have a friend around too. Steph is going to a party and I am missing her at times like these.
But she is growing up.

Have a wonderful New Year Everyone.....
Best Wishes for 2009

Well school has broken up
The insurance company have offered me a final figure that is £60 more than what I paid for the car. Then minus the excess of £250.00. But am happy with that.
I wish that everything would hurray up, but with Christmas I realistically think I will get a car in the new year.
Car prices have dropped, and the garage I bought Bella from are desperate for my custom.
Fish eat fish babies
I have spent £200.00 in Asda this afternoon..... granted it included a lot of gifts
Best friend coming around tomorrow evening to have our regular special party :)
I have a quandary, I have bought an 18 piece drinking glass set for my parents for Christmas as they like a tipple , but are terrible for breaking their glasses. So I know they want this gift. However, it is made by ASDA's cheap budget range and cost me £2.40 .... YES £2.40 for all 18 glasses. SO do I wrap it like it is , OR do I unpack it and wrap it in something else so that it looks like I have spent a bit more on them?
I am making mince pies with orange pastry this afternoon. Hairy Biker Recipe.
I also have all the Xmas cakes to decorate.
I also want to make these..... I saw them being made on TV yesterday..... mmmmmmmm
Now do I make truffles or not?
My daughter works on a Saturday for a florist in a Green grocer's shop, she gave me the most beautiful bouquet yesterday, all different kinds of flowers, some are the ornamental cabbages that have been sprayed gold on the edges of their petals..It looks wonderful..... it smells of boiled cabbage!
Had to get a taxi home today from asda, the driver reckoned that I should leave the beer in the car as payment! I reckoned I should leave Matty in the car to save my sanity!! he did not agree. I rang my Hubby and asked him to be ready to help empty the car when we got home as the driver was after his beer! All very funny -except he would not let me leave "that kid" in the car, not even for an hour or so!!!
I did try.
Well have waffled enough.
Will try and take photos of the food if I can.

Sunday's Round Up... 24 hours late.- AKA Why I am NOT festive.

Normally I write a post on a Sunday morning rounding up my week.
WHAT a week last was.
Phew so here is the round up.
Sunday last: Well we left it where I was bruised and bashed and my poor car....
By the middle of the week I had Flu. I am very careful to use the "Flu " word, as I feel too many people call a common cold, flu. But I had temperatures, both hot and cold, shivers that felt so hot and yet had me shaking. At the same time the bruises became worse. The most painful part was my left leg from my knee to the top of my foot. I am not a nurse, but think that the bruises knocked my immune levels and so my poor body just decided to complain about everything. Worrying about money, I accepted work but in the end my Hubby rang in for me, by whihc point i had lost my voice. My family were worried that apart from looking at the car on Sunday morning, I had not left the house and was becoming a recluse. Truth be I probably was, but I also slept a HUGE amount.

Then I began to feel better and decided that a bit of pampering would be in order, kick me in to moving myself. So I had a long bath the other morning, "borrowing" some of Steph's girlie bath products. Looking at my legs I decided they needed so attention. However shaving over the bruises was not a good idea I thought, so I used some cream. I have used it before on my legs. But for some reason, it burnt my leg. BURNT the sore bruise on my leg. I spent yesterday in more discomfort.

Ooo and the iron broke, by which time I was laughing hysterically......

It was a long wierd week.

This week has started off better, I got myself some work this morning in a school I have worked inbefore. All fine and dandy, meeting old friends, etc. Until a 5 year old threw up infront of me!

Jo, my bloggy buddy....has kindly tagged me with this meme. Apparently she should have tagged SIX people but being so close to Christmas felt this unfair, so tagged ME.

Anyways, it goes something like this -
1. Link to the person who tagged you.
2. Post the rules on your blog.
3. Write six random things about yourself.
4. Tag six people at the end of your post and link to them.
5. Let each person know they've been tagged and leave a comment on their blog.
6. Let the tagger know when your entry is up.

So here are SIX random facts about me.

1. I do not put milk on breakfast cereal. Always eat it dry.
2. I never wear socks unless it is really really cold and then I have to raid my Hubby's drawer.
3. My MIL has three twin sisters.
4. I have dark brown curly hair which I have streaked with vivid red.
5. If I have the choice, I will always watch The Hallmark Channel
6. My tastes are changing as I get older. I find that instead of choosing really chocolately options I will opt for lemon options now.

NOW do I tag or not?

I know that PBS likes memes.

Tuesday

The Good news is that I have been paid today, I have had to walk to the nearest cash machine at 5:30 am to get the money that I owe my daughter as she if going to the Birmingham Clothes Show. She had saved her birthday money for today, but as she saw us struggling lent it to us, however we should have paid it back last week, but I did not get paid.

I rang around the insurance and police yesterday and the actual "making a claim" proocedure was pretty painless.

My bruises are doing wonderful colour changes, I can not wear a bra just yet as it is uncomfortable. My knee is wierd though if I turn over in bed,m I hit the roof if I catch it in such a way. However I do not have a problem walking on it.

I had a drunken phone call from my Dad last night, where he was rambling, saying things that I know are true, but actually using words that were not nice/subtle

I can not get any enthusiasm for Christmas now. Really struggling,

I am sure that once I know whether the car is a write off or not, I can make some decisions. I am not sure that the money I will recieve if it is a write off will go let us replace it like for like. I am just hoping that she can be mended.

I am supposed to be available for work today, however last night I went to bed with a huge temperature, coughing and shivering and burning up......I am now just laughing at everything!

Updated Sunday midday
Just been to see my poor car!
OOO I cried.
I am still really shakey. It looks that on impact the air bag inflated, but my seat belt broke with the force, which must account for all the bruising I have from my shoulder to my waist. I do not remember that happening. I think I am very lucky.
We got home, and then Dad turned up to tell my that my Mum is back in hospital and in emergency awaiting an X-ray.

Saturday
It has a pretty dismal week really.
I have been incredibly worried about money and lack of work. Although I am not able to substantiate it, I have felt that the lack of work has been due to me making a fuss about not being paid correctly. I finally got some work on Friday morning... a morning. However it was in a school that I worked in for about 18months and so I was really happy about going back.
It was in FS1/2 Jo!!!
I then went home by way of the shops, treated myself to a nice lunch on the way. Then once home I received a phone call from a colleague who was looking for an important document and wanted to know if I had a copy(Ofsted panic). I did and offered to take it into school. After leaving I drove home. On the way I stopped to turn right and ...the next thing I knew there was an airbag inflated and smoke, and chaos... People were coming round me, but I could not speak. They asked me questions but I could not speak, only once to scream "I want to go home". I just sat there. A passing off duty policewoman stopped to help and I gave her my phone, but once she put my purse in my hand I refused to let go of it. She asked me my name and all I could say was "F F F F F F F F F F F "
So I ended up in hospital.
Was checked out.
Still refused to let go of my purse.
Eventually my Hubby arrived and they let me go home, badly bruised and very shaken.
I am not allowed to do anything, I have had to ask to stand up and potter around!
I have a huge black bruise the from my shoulder to my hip in the line of my seat belt. And my already dodgy knee is worse for wear after ramming the dash board, but apart from that I have come off really well. I still can not remember what happened.

So this is another worry, I am really not in the festive spirit of things at the moment. I just feel that everything is going wrong. No work, no money, falling behind with the odd bill, no phone that I can ring out on, we already owe my In-Laws some money, now a car to sort out .....
My lovely car...