Month: March 2006

the last post said “and other stuff” but really, I can’t be bothered. Except to say, the cause I’ve been fighting for the last three weeks made it to the nightly news bulletin on every single free-to-air TV station this evening. And radio. And probably major metro press tomorrow.

And the P.R.E.M.I.E.R. announced that next week a tender will be announced for the provision of school aged services and therapy services (that is more than we were asking for by a lot) across all.of.Sydney (not just our region).

So on a very bad day, some very good things did happen.

As I (finally) went to take boys to school this morning and get to work sometime before midday, I discovered the stupid fuckwits, also known as thieves, had taken the backpack I use as Jasper’s nappy bag. In the side pocket of which is my house keys.

So there we were, couldn’t leave as no keys to lock up house or get back in, nor wanting to leave because the fuckers have now been here, seen what else they could nab and have keys to make their entry (and getaway) a lot easier.

The locksmith is organised – they can come between 1 and 3. So after not being able to leave, get anyone to take my kids to school, and crying a LOT, I declare today a mental health day for all. If only it had been fun.

The locksmith arrives at 3.10. I point out that I had not realised this morning that he would also have to rekey the garage locks as they are the same as the house locks. He huffs and puffs. A lot. Then, as he walks through my house, mutters, yes MUTTERS that I have “really put his afternoon out”.

I was all “excuse me?” and “you were meant to be here between 1 and 3”, being an IDIOT, he didn’t realise he was talking to a woman seriously on.the.edge., so persevered. “Well,” he said, “it’s only ten past three”.

I think you can all guess what followed.

I sort of cracked. In a way I have never EVER cracked before, in public or to a stranger. “I’ve put your afternoon out? I’ve been robbed. People have been in my house and taken my possessions. These people have taken a bag with belongings in it for my baby and my housekeys that have photos of my kids on it. And I’ve put your afternoon out? How dare you try to make me feel guilty for not realising you would have to change two additional locks. I’ve had to wait for you all day so while your afternoon has been put out I could not go to work today. I could not get my kids to school and that perhaps if you’d arrived closer to one rather than after three your afternoon might not have been quite so put out?”
This was all said in that loud authoritarian but teary-edged voice I have perfected.
He was pretty scared. He tried saying sorry.
I told him to put the lock back in the door and to “get the fuck out of my house.” and some more that I don’t quite remember but went something like, “PUT.THE.LOCK.BACK.IN.THE.DOOR.AND.GET.OUT.OF.MY.HOUSE.”

Then there was the phone call to the company. Where I basically did the same thing all over again. The guy was awesome. Asked to speak to the locksmith, to which I said, “he is not touching one more thing in my house, I have asked him to put the lock back in and leave, which he is doing.” The guy on the phone didn’t even try to apologise but instead simply said, “I will have someone there as soon as possible.” Which he did. A guy who looked like he belonged to the Commancheros. He looked pretty darn scared when he knocked on the door.

Mum passed the first guy on her arrival home. She tried to make me feel sorry for his stupid sorry arse. That he was stuttering. And visibly upset. All I remember in talking to her was saying fuck a few more times.

I can only imagine how this will come back to bite me on the arse. Probably when Felix is suspended for telling his teacher to fuck off or some such.

When all you do is try to do the right thing.
Try to be a good parent
A good wife
A good person
You go to work
You try to right by your kids
You stay up late the night before making dinner so all your mum has to do the next night is reheat it for the kids.
You do the washing, get everyone else ready
You fight the good fight for a cause you think is worth fighting
You drag your carcass around exhausted and worn out, but sort of OK with it because it’s life, we all do it and at the end of the day we have each other.

To get home at 7.30 pm and discover you’ve been broken into.

And that all they have taken.
The ONLY thing, belongs to you.
Your brand new, four day old, done through salary sacrifice at work laptop computer.
That was on a shelf
Looking like a book
Not even sitting out somewhere

Apparently, I am meant to be grateful
but all I can think is that it is

FUCKED
FUCKED
FUCKED

Do you love this? Or is it just me? Look here: Artcubana

So, back to the confessional I go, thanks to the cathartic release provided by Kim’s Confessions here and, most recently here.

This week, I promise, no vermin.

Instead, my theme is hypocrisy.

• Sometimes I stay at work later than I absolutely need to, just because it is quiet.
• I grump at my husband when he does the same thing. Even though he is usually genuinely behind in work and trying to catch up.
• I often yell at my kids for yelling.
• I try very hard not to threaten a smack when they are hitting.
• I try even harder to not threaten a smack at all. When did I become this vile monster?
• I frequently mention the cost to our household of the Prof’s diet coke addiction, but keep the budget for my nightly wine habit a tight secret between me and the EFTPOS machine.

That will do.

And while we’re at it, my penance is coming this weekend: another bottom to clean up after.

mtc

Bec

you realise how organised you are (or aren’t) and how your week will subsequently flow (or unravel).

you must acknowledge that not leaving the house until 7.46am is not a good sign of a good week to follow.

you know that ironing sucks but even though you hadn’t wanted to do it on Sunday night, no matter how late it was, you still should have.

You decide that starting the week on a night of maybe 4.5hours of broken sleep is not really that nice, nor that encouraging when you’re half an hour late into work, but throwing a large skim mocha in on top of that mix is just downright ugly. I think it took about three hours for the caffeine addled anxiety to wear off. Sort of.

That daylight savings being changed for MELBOURNE and SPORT is really really STUPID and SUCKVILLE. Outlook had a meltdown over it, IT sent out an explanation about what they were doing to fix it and what we needed to do that was so convoluted my brain started bleeding out my ears an then it all seemed find. Something to do with a patch which I insist on calling a badge and revealing just how little I care for how my computer works, just so long as it does.

the week stretches out before you like a long hard beach walk in soft sand.