the men have attitude

Thanks for the email.  Of course I would have been well upset not to hear anything BUT Saint Hazel rides again on Sean the Wonderhorse – not quite.  Still, it was very gratifying.  J1 got me a suitably opulent bouquet and a lovely card and J2 slightly less opulent flowers BUT the bottle of wine.  I was well pleased my progeny delivered.  I have decided that martyrdom and sobbing in the Lilley Arms if I don’t get Mother’s Day missives does not do it for me.  Serious reminders work.  How base is that!!!!

I forgot to tell you that FB came down in his Landrover Discovery last week-end which is now running.  It was fun to be driven around in a small tank.  It seemed to infuse FB with more aggression.  He jumped out of it to door knock on houses near to where my car got blocked in parking down the road which was very welcome.  I have forgotten when I was last ‘defended’ in such a manner.  He then ruined it by getting very ‘cuckoo in the nest’ about J2.  This is an on-going issue.  He doesn’t like the support/attention I give J2 and gets apoplectic when J2 is rude which can be quite often.  FP seemed to be able to set boundaries with you children and successfully ignore any rudeness.  FB can’t.  It all blew up over roast chicken on Monday!  Jake was later home than he thought on Monday and the chicken was not ready in time to eat before I went to pilates.  Not the end of the world, but FB has attitude with J2, J2 responds with more attitude and before you know it we have WW3.  In the end I was late getting to Pilates (I contribute to the atmosphere by refusing to cancel, but I pay for it in advance and FB has a habit of deciding when he will stay in the week and not asking first) because I drop FB off at the pub.  I pick him up, we get nearly home and he has left his coat in the pub with his ventolin inhaler, back we go, get home, he sulks and says it is too late to eat and goes to bed.  I sit down and eat dinner, then clear up.  I can’t be bothered with it A.  I find it childish and increasingly tedious.  I am glad to see FB, but find some of his behaviour exhausting and am glad when he goes, then after a few days I start missing him again.  The big draw is that I am physically attracted to him and I do find him interesting.  This may mean that long term I have to adjust to his other behaviours I don’t like.

I read an excellent self-help book this week about working to live.  If you have a moment go to www.mindvalley.com/goal-setting-redefined  I think you will find it validates much of your recent decision making.

I had to work a couple of late evenings this week which was OK.  The horses are able to go out from this week-end which makes life a lot easier.  I have been revisiting my bucket list this week and decided that on it was dancing lessons with a man (I have asked FB, but I am not sure he will deliver) and having riding lessons again with Sean which now I am working and it is summer, I could afford.  I am thinking of having them on a Thursday morning when no one is around – not even Sheila, now her horses have died. Sean is still so healthy and active that while I do not think he would ‘enjoy’ them as such, I think he would see it as a huge challenge and fun to be obstreperous and awkward!  My bucket list is getting smaller A.  It must be something about being old and I guess also about being content.

This week-end the weather was beautiful.  On Saturday morning FB drove me and his daughter to Wellesbourne aerodrome to have breakfast in a greasy spoon type cafe except the breakfast was awesome.  Em is going off round the world with her Australian boyfriend Rob, but talked about how, when she comes back, she wants to change career from PR to something around health & nutrition, but even though her boyfriend is wealthy he will not countenance supporting her even for a few weeks.  It just made me so sad for her, and aware how difficult it is for young people these days. Dad would not allow me not to work, but I did feel a degree of flexibility in other areas.

J1 had two dates this week-end.  He actually has one girl and her mother competing to make him cakes to take back with him.  Do these women not have something more useful to do with their lives?  It was lemon drizzle cake this week of which I had a slice.  Last week it was brownies.  J2 was upset because Phoebe was checking up whether he was still active on plentyoffish.com but I said he only needed to get upset if she started looking at his phone and emails.  He also said he didn’t like not being at home Sundays so he could just watch trash telly undisturbed, but he did admit that he was suffering from a hangover from binge drinking out with the school posse on Friday.

I went and had a photo session this afternoon that I got free with my Daily Mail points.  I am now expected to have a twitter and facebook account where I talk about work so I thought I needed some more professional photos that don’t make me look bat shit nutty.  I had to gaze at odd angles.  Guess what will be in your christmas stocking to remember me by when I am dead.  I want THE MOST FLATTERING PHOTOS at my funeral.  Don’t let me down.

That’s all the news this week.  I am happy.  I hope life is good with you Al.   I did go and look on facebook, but am a bit short of updated NEWS, like are they still irritatingly constantly upbeat in the vineyard?