Suck it and see, you never know
here you go M, sorry I can’t write reviews without sounding like an English major
Arctic Monkeys first release, Whatever People say I Am, Thats What Im Not contained a hilarious, furious grump, Fake Tales of San Francisco, against bands that sing about places they’ve never been:
And yeah, Id love to tell you all my problem
Hes not from New York City, hes from Rotherham
So get off the bandwagon and put down the amp
If theres anything this band doesnt do, its fake it. What they do is tell you what’s going on with them, with an honesty that feels like eye contact in lyric form. Whatever People Say I Am‘s When The Sun Goes Down opened with the apparently unpremeditated, elbow-in-the-ribs-style question Whos that girl there? while Red Light Indicates Doors Are Secure dropped you straight into the kind of inconsequential conversation you dont usually have on stage. But as of their latest release, Suck It And See, Arctic Monkeys no longer sings to you as though youre both on the same pub crawl, or even lying in the same rumpled early-morning bed; this album’s lyrics, and its style of confession, more closely resemble a friendslocked LiveJournal entry with a four a.m. timestamp and comments disabled. Its not a disappointing album for all that– Alex Turner is a genuine and profoundly gifted wordsmith, and cant really fail to write like one, nor can the band fail to rock pretty hard– but there are moments when it makes you want to rent a helicopter, airlift Turner out of the Heartbreak Hotel, and take him back to Sheffield for a pint.
The new echo-chamber quality of the music emphasizes the lyrics rapid retreat into introspection, especially in contrast to the stark, unadorned sound of Whatever People Say I Am, Thats What Im Not. The bands second album, Favourite Worst Nightmare, already reflected their new location at the top of the charts with a fusion of belligerence and dawning panic, as in, for example, This House Is A Circus:
This house is a circus, berserk as fuck
We tend to see that as a perk though– look
What its done to your friends, their memories are pretend
And the last thing that they want is for the feeling to end
Say, then, that Suck It and Sees setting is the same house four years later: pan across to our fearless young heroes, now supine and apparently entranced by the starless, sticky sky. Home sweet home, home sweet home, Turner chants on Piledriver Waltz, adding in the same philosophical tone, Home sweet booby-trap.
The albums pervading sense of trapped displacement is expressed sometimes in startlingly vivid images– nobody mixes a metaphor like Alex Turner– and sometimes with prosaic directness. Now Im out of place and Im not getting any wiser/ Feel like the Sundance Kid behind a synthesizer, Turner complains on Black Treacle, and its doubly depressing, because it seems apt enough and because this band used to rhyme stomach with summat, not to mention Id much rather with balaclava. When did they start rhyming anything with synthesizer?
There are moments on the new album where Black Treacle, the title of the second track, seems apropos as a description of whats now on offer, though the most disappointing track, Brick By Brick, doesnt even attain treacledom; its just boring, generic growling and riffing with no payoff, as if Turner had briefly forgotten how to write. And as if he had noticed the same thing, after Brick By Brick, the albums mood seems to veer further into the black. Dont Sit Down Cause Ive Moved Your Chair combines some fairly goofy-sounding lyrics with the measured pace, cold tone and minor key of Humbugs merciless Dance Little Liar, to oddly unnerving effect; when you say it like that, a phrase like kung fu fighting in your roller skates evokes the kind of helpless and frictionless desperation that make you kick hard enough to wake yourself up. The song is an ode to the arbitrary laws of nightmare country, the things you do to stay upright when the alternative is unthinkable. Library Pictures, too, feels like an anxiety dream, the kind where you find yourself on a pinnacle you dont remember climbing and dont trust your balance on for a second.
Love, or at least an apparently effortless facility for appreciating both the bodies and minds of women, has always seemed to liberate the bands lyrics from too much black or treacly introspection, but even the women of Suck It and See mostly lack the sharp edges of reality. They are thunderstorms, jigsaw puzzles, echoes of Shangri-La, retinal aftershocks. Ive tried to ask you this in some daydreams that Ive had, Turner explains wistfully on Love is a Laserquest, but youre always busy being make-believe. Indeed. Speaking of lasers, a formerly laserlike focus on the extremely concrete object of his affections has given way to a moody tendency towards topical drift; on Reckless Serenade, in the middle of a paean to an apparently irresistible young woman, Turner interrupts himself to note that hes been questioning lately what it is that he actually needs. The ode to beauty isnt insincere, but the boys got other things on his mind.
Near the end of the album, the title track, Suck It And See turns on the adorability full blast, opening like an addled, horny, and charming bit of sleeptalking:
Your love is like a padded leather headlock
Your kiss it could put creases in the rain
Youre rarer than a can of Dandelion & Burdock
And those other girls are just postmix lemonade
In the context of the songs bouncy cheer, the invitation to suck it and see, you never know sounds as bright and hopeful as a visit to the sweet shop. Here, too, the stickier and blacker concerns of art, life, fame and fortune get a quick nod before theyre brushed off with a wholeheartedly lecherous grin:
I poured my aching heart into a pop song
I couldnt get the hang of poetry
Thats not a skirt, girl, thats a sawn-off shotgun
And I can only hope youve got it aimed at me
Pop songs and poetry: when hes on his game, as he is here, Turners lyrics combine the best of both, and as in the soft drink, a little essence of dandelion and burdock lend a pleasant fresh-air wildness to the sugar.
Those sunny, asphalt-cracking, apparently ineradicable weeds, in addition to having gone a little canned and fizzy, might be looking a shade whiter than in years past. Along with other worries, time and the anxieties of aging seem to be slipping in at the corners; Piledriver Waltz opens with images of stopwatches and hourglasses, and its tired If youre gonna try and walk on water, make sure youre wearing comfortable shoes suggests that the miracle of fame and fortune has become more of a trek than an adventure, sustainability newly a concern. Likewise, the sweetly yearning Love is a Laserquest asks of the unavailable beloved, Do you still feel younger than you thought you would by now/ Or, darling, have you started feeling old yet? and the closing song of the album, Thats Where Youre Wrong, seems to carry on the conversation, assuring the listener, Youre not the only one/ That time has got it in for/ Thats where youre wrong.
But of the albums appeals, one in particular might stand out as the sharpest contrast between Arctic Monkeys of 2011 and the same group when they first catapulted onto the international scene. All My Own Stunts– another appropriate album title, from a lyricist who still seems incapable of fakery– drums out a poignant plea to the ubiquitous second person singular:
Put on your dancing shoes
And show me what to do
I know you’ve got the moves
The boy who was once willing to bet that you looked good on the dancefloor– and never wasted time doubting that he could match you there– has the experience these days to know youve got the moves; hes just hoping you can find it in your heart to remind him what they might look like.
Interesting, am digesting. I hadn’t thought of it as much as a lack of place – for the record, most of the band do live in Sheffield and I don’t think it would really bring you back to earth, being a multimillionaire in Sheffield – perils of fame and fortune eh. Lyrically I don’t mind that he’s gone introspective or obtuse, it’s the stories I miss, I mean every single early song and a fair
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few off Humbug had plots, and punchlines. These are just thoughts – sometimes interesting ones, but they don’t add up to owt. Also the cast of characters has gone down to one, and at least it’s one I like, having a similar fondness for the keshans of the world, but where is everybody else?
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I agree there’s a preoccupation with getting old – but he’s right, 24 is basically ancient! (I love being older :P)
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ryn: I don’t know which to feel more miserable about, that you expect it to be that easy or that John thinks I won’t live till 3rd august I am aware I am impossible and pathetic, yeah
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ps I read this entry again the other day and came to the conclusion you are criticising Alex Turner for turning from someone who wrote like me into someone who writes like you!
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pps. Damienne has written an entry about how polyamorous she is, in theory, which has made me hopelessly nostalgic for our pre-ITU pre-my-orphanabandonmentspoiledbratfreakouts conversations. haha.
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re: Turner: I do sort of agree, but I think it is also partly that he is only 25 but really, really wants to be Richard Hawley (and who can blame him) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NdtvpQEvK7A&feature=related http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oG6itlFun5A http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ogFsrbbHOY
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Oy. I want stories. Or attention. Or summat. You go on holiday all the time, it can’t be that much of a shock to the system! (jealous!) ryn: 30 isn’t even old any more 🙂
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“Ensconced”, indeed. It’s more a matter of sitting in it staring at the cleanness/loveliness wondering when someone’s going to kick you out. Kelham Island is not actually an island, pedantically enough. I don’t know why it’s called that. It’s mostly but not completely surrounded by rivers, which makes it a peninsular? perhaps
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I do love it though. Did you see the pictures?
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It’s not pretty but it’s hardworking and tough and gorgeous.
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Nerd. LOL. Etc.
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ryn: That sentence is so full of double negatives I really can’t work out if you want to insult me about sex or how I have sex or who I have sex with or what! Just have at it, I already feel like a complete idiot for sleeping with her at all while she was clearly just laughing at me, let alone getting all romantic about it
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also; it’s the same difference, in my eyes, with Lucy, whether I evade the issue or say it on the first “date” or lie or tell the truth: same result, every time.
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I’m not sure you get to act prim any more after having random threesomes and batting off sexstarved virgins on a daily basis with more than a little bit of smugness!
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The weekend is being lovely. How’s yours?
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I think some senior doctors aren’t out of their depth at all – they’re the ones who can judge when someone is not fixable and make that call. I imagine jeremy was mostly under pretty senior doctors. cf patients are not subjected to the likes of me in my hospital. oldies with pneumonia, a different story. My psych stuff was quite consultant-led, never really got treated by a junior doctor then.
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I’ve never been under surgeons – neurosurgeons when I was 16, but I don’t remember any of that. I mean more… the psychiatrists couldn’t fix me, and john was angry about that for a while, but medicine isn’t really about being able to fix everything. Just some things. And manage others. I don’t know if I’d call it mistakes as much as something there’s not much can be done. it’s medicine not magic.
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I’m a junior so I have to try and fix everything unless told otherwise, even dying 97 year olds who for some stupid reason aren’t on end-of-life-care-pathways on a sunday so I have to keep stabbing them with needles and giving them pointless antibiotics against all my better judgement until a registrar tells me I can stop and let them die with some bloody dignity.
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of course, I agree everyone makes mistakes, am not hero worshipping consultants, just saying, not in the job description to fix everything email me at length if you want to talk about this when I am less stupid
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john says hi, sweetheart (exact quote)
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I can’t even make sense of most of what happens out of hours so I doubt anyone else will be able to… i am so very tired.
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I am getting shite at emailing you aren’t I… You’re not mad at me are you… I’m neglecting john and kira too
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I think this whole thing would be so much easier if I could just sleep a bit more.
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I never thought of it like that – feelings of terror reminding me of the things that used to terrify me. I suppose it makes sense. I wish I could lock my mind in a box and bury it.
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ryn: thanks, sweetheart. xx
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I was just settling down to email you last night when I got told I had to go to the cinema to watch a Norwegian film about trolls. Now you know where my priorities lie.
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(According to scandanavian folklore trolls eat the blood of Christian men so all the troll hunters were screened for believing in god, a Muslim girl chipped up late doors and the Troll hunter was “unsure what would happen”)
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I have no idea why you think I’m a good doctor unless you are just assuming it and not going by my entries at all – don’t I sound like I feel – tired and useless and close to being out of control?
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I know you don’t mean it badly, and I know you’re all happy with your move and all, but I find it hard to read you shouting “yes!” when I have a seizure. Whatever the outcome of me having seizures is. I mean I could have seizures and end up falling on a winning lottery ticket. I’d still rather not have them. This is probably arsey… sorry. I’m glad your move is all done, I’ll email later.
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^ignore that, it’s unfair, I just had all these flashbacks to last year when I kept getting notes saying yay when I was forced to move house or took overdoses or had seizures that didn’t kill me.
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Also I am a bit suspicious I had a seizure early saturday morning (when I left that note), I was right moody anyway. sorry.
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Yes, 28. He will probably kill me if I bring it up, I may chicken out entirely. Oh well I have a 14 hour day to consider it!
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ryn: well it’s easy to say when you’re NOT a complete fuck up
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They will be awful. They are medical nights: therefore, awful. Even med regs find them awful. Everyone will die and it will all be my fault and I will have repeated breakdowns until 9am monday morning. Whinge whinge whinge. Hey, I’ve managed to stay up till 9 …! I am horizontal though.
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How many fob-off illness excuses do you really think Tabu will put up with? I mean this is why she broke up with me, twice!
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It’s only the bloody flu.
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You’re all sympathy, thanks! I probably will drag myself down there, unless I really think it will make me even more braindead for sat & sun night, in which case it will be irresponsible etc and i won’t. blah, really wanted to be perfect boyfriend, specially after the stuff she’s been saying.
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Stop mocking me, I am already aware I have the worst boyfriend reputation ever, I was hoping to improve it is all I am going to crash now. Sorry I owe you emails….
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Er don’t be daft… I’m sure I’ve been ignoring you not the other way round… I’m very sorry about that… let me know how you are any time you like… work and social life are just, well, they keep me busy.
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Tabu/Tabby – nah, it’s an asian/white thing more I think… anyway her family call her Tabu and her mates mostly call her Tabby… the anglicised version I guess. I dunno about nourished. I’m trying not to get – too ahead of myself (he says, having taken her on bloody holiday!) But not to – assume anything, not to expect anything. She does – know stuff about me. It may just stop, I guess.
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I don’t believe you at all! How was the housewarming?
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Really? thank you I need to stop thinking about this. either cry or go to pub. choices.
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I find most things you say helpful. I can’t talk to john about it. Obviously.
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i have written you half an email but my eyes are shutting so I’m going to sleep instead… it is ridiculously early but beggars can’t be choosers I am all flu-y so maybe I will sleep better (I sometimes do, when I’m feverish) will write you in the morning
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i was worried about you reading it… about upsetting you it’s not the same but – i get upset too, when I remember being on itu and you were the opposite of lucky, but I am also glad you weren’t looked after by doctors like me… but we have too many patients and not enough doctors here for individual consultants per patient. because we treat everyone, I guess.
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I have been up all night crying I am such a loser john came and saw me at 3am he’s gone back to bed now though one day left I don’t even have the strength
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I am getting better at stuff… it is really hard though. i am very happy you think I sound like I’m getting better at everything, that’s really encouraging. Oh mate I am so tired though, I feel like I really should not be this tired………
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Hey. Made it through yeah, probably by looking so rough no one dared comment. Didn’t say much, but didn’t freak out or owt either. Got so drunk with John last night, really hungover now. He seems to be in bed asleep next to me… so can’t listen to music and tell you it’s far too bland to be about Tabu. Will do later.
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is it bad I am sort of relieved Tabu is at this wedding all weekend so I don’t have to do anything boyfriendy….. I miss Kira, I’m going to go see her today if she’s free. Have a hug.
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I listened to half of it now and was so offended I had to switch it off. My Tabu is fucking fierce, mate!
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ryn: No… just a michael-rendition. I don’t really remember exact words people say. I just do impressions. it was a bit of a shite plot but i liked the characters. He did one called sweet sixteen that I watched when I was about sixteen and it seemed like the most accurate film ever… not sure if it would in retrospect.
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hey you I’m sorry you’re so ill. Can’t you take any time off? I would, if I were on days. There are just so few doctors on nights. I’m sorry you’re not feeling well.
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I’ll email you soon I’m sorry I’ve been so out of touch, I hope you are doing ok
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ryn: well, you know. Was always going to turn out like this. how are you?
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ah. I forgot your birthday. Really sorry. If it’s any consolation, I’ve forgotten John’s a couple of times, and I’m almost always too much of a mess in March to do owt for Kira’s. Hope there was some partying as well as vacuum cleaning.
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I like skirts. I can’t think of anything to say that’s cleverer than that. is having birthdays with your family another north carolina thing or a chelsea thing? around here everyone seems to just go out and get hammered
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i’ve just written loads of pointless shit again about crap that no one is interested in and doesn’t go any way towards sorting out my relationships
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I miss you… we need to catch up. I’m sorry about all the… birthday crap, as usual…
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And I was hoping for a symmetrical immaculate conception or summat to make me feel better… so selfish, chelsea… I will try and send you a long email about my extremely full head but feel free to get there first. xxxxx
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Oh and thanks for the book! I have actually read it before but years ago. I liked sandman more than his novels but might give it another try. xx
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Thanks. I have historically got on pretty well with midwives, but I don’t want anyone to say anything judgemental to her because she is ridiculously hormonal. and, and, and I am just feeling kind of protective I guess. Mostly I am pleased I haven’t actually gone psychotic with the news or owt… John is not happy but he’ll come round.
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Yes although it might have been helpful if I could have noticed what was going on in early February, say. Well. Not much use feeling bad about it now.
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ryn: I think we all form opinions on people or their partners/friends from the internet, don’t we? Certainly plenty of people I’ve only heard about through someone else’s writing who I think are right fucking dickheads. And yeah, I dunno, everyone seems to think Tabu’s being unreasonable, and I’d sort of agree, if I hadn’t been out with Kira about seven times and slept with her about two thousand.
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ryn: tabby likes/admires kira, but she’s never been that thrilled about our relationship, and she fairly openly believes I’m in love with kira just sitting on it (which is a bit hard to deny at times) and that we would have sex again if the situation presented itself (which, given past history, is also a bit hard to deny) So I don’t deny anything, and I think she thinks that means things too
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The scan was a really beautiful moment, honestly. Kira was so awed.
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re Jackie Chan: yeah the more I think about it the more happy I am. Like if you look up exes and they’re all happy and settled, it seems ok somehow
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Well your mates think it is bad to kiss before marrying someone, so surely you can understand even around here pregnant girls without boyfriends or parents could get sniffed at – especially ones who might dare to go off hiking instead of sitting on a sofa buying baby products, let alone have sex with other boys. I dunno. I am being stupidly protective, I know. I think it is irritating Tabu.
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Emailing you
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yeah, calm down. Said noter is very nice but also very married and probably just has never had to think about things like that.
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He always seemed like an ok bloke to me – just 36 going on 16, you know. Watched a lot of films and smoked a lot and slept in till 4pm and occasionally made it to the pub, that sort of person.
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I’ll go see Kira today. When I manage to get out of bed… I feel better for having just ranted at opendiary for an hour about the job… meh, it’s pretty miserable though. Heard loads of stereotypes about orthopaedic surgeons before I started but wasn’t expecting them all to be true! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q0S5EN7-RtI
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Yeah epidurals are necessary sometimes but do slow the whole thing down and then you don’t progress, and then you get c-sections, etc etc. I think K is going to have a home birth though, they are a lot less painful if all goes well, most women don’t have any pain relief at home at all. She doesn’t live far from the hospital if we do have to take her in for any reason.
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Well. I am not cool. Or as chilled as I am pretending to be, really. And Kira is very cool, but it would still be easier to be a cool mum with a boyfriend who cared about his kid, I reckon.
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I miss you. Nothing I feel seems like it’s justified at all.
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miss you, (though know it’s all my own busy-ness/distracted-ness!)
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