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Not been up to much over the last week or so. We had job stresses for Duncan – Big Telecommunications company decided to announce that they’d be cutting 10 more jobs last Thursday, kindly gave the staff a week to stress over it. But Thursday rolled around and Duncan was safe again. It’s not a total disaster if it happens, tbh, the advantages of working for Big Telecommunications company mean that he wouldn’t ‘technically’ be made redundant. He’d be moved into the skills training centre (or some other such stupid title) and given full pay and full bonus for 3 months, followed by full pay and half bonus for 3 months, whilst they retrained him and found him a new job within the company. So not a disaster, but not ideal when I leave work in 5 weeks. Have I mentioned that I’m quitting my job?!

I can’t wait to get out of here, now, tbh. I need a break from the boredom and the sheer annoying factor of some of my colleagues. Work is dead quiet at the moment, we’re struggling to find work and then get inundated with rush jobs from one client. It’s a nightmare really, one I’ll be very glad to wake up from. The whole retraining isn’t helping but some of my colleagues seem to have become more annoying over the last couple of weeks. I think it’s because I’m leaving so don’t care about the same things as them any more and don’t see minor things as the same major hassle that they see. It’ll be good to get out.

Not that I’m sure I’ll make a great stay at home mum. I had Zoe 2 days last week (nursery was closed for training on Thursday) and by Wednesday evening, I was exhausted and dreading the next day. It’s the whole Jekyll and Hyde thing that I find draining. That and the constant chat that requires an answer because if you don’t answer, she just repeats the same thing over and over and over until you acknowledge her. I did take her to Tynemouth on Thursday though, to the aquarium (I have an annual pass so it’s technically a free day out), she adores seeing the fish and frogs there, even if we do seem to race round it in double quick time. But she was an angel the whole time – walked alongside me to the train, sat on the train nicely and then walked all the way to the aquarium from the station (a good 15-20 minute toddler walk). I let her sleep on the way home, she deserved it! I think once I’m driving again and can get out a bit more and easily, things will improve.

So, yes, driving again. The last time I drove was… well, Duncan think it was July 2002, when we went to the British GP but I’m not convinced, I thought he drove, which would mean the last time I drove was October 2001, when I had my Metro. Either way, it’s been a very long time and I was, frankly, a little scared at getting behind the wheel again. I was worried about having Zoe in the car (she gets upset if someone else sits in "my" seat – the passenger seat, so wasn’t sure how she’d react if we changed places) and more than a little nervous about having a bump and damaging Duncan’s precious car. I was planning to have a couple of lessons with an instructor, but I emailed a couple and no-one got in touch with me, so yesterday, we found possibly the only empty car park in North Tyneside and I had a drive round it. After 5-10 minutes of that, I drove home. I was a little nervous, mainly because I’m not used to the car, but it was all good and I was surprised how much of it flooded back. So, a few more goes out and about and I’ll be fine, just a case of getting used to the car, which is a lot more powerful than my Metro ever was!

Have to have a scan tonight to make sure ovaries & uterus are OK and blockage free. Not really concerned that they will be, it’s just one more thing to cross off from the list of things I have to do before my next consultant appointment – this being the last one. At least the bus journey to and from the hospital will give me some reading time – trying to work my way through David Copperfield at the moment. I don’t get Dickens, I don’t get what the fuss is about him, tbh. The books I’ve read so far seem to be very tedious and, frankly, over long. This one hasn’t made me want to throw it across the room yet though, so that’s a start.

Until there is a next time…
xx