Tuesday, May 25, 2010 – 8:44 pm
I’ve just recovered from a tiring trip to and from the UK to celebrate the Ruby Wedding Anniversary of some friends of mine. To be honest, I had only met one half of the couple prior to the event, but not only his wife, but his entire family were absolutely charming as were the friends invited to the rather impressive knees-up that was held on Saturday.
The weather was wonderful although I did feel that I was slightly over-dressed which, admittedly, is better than being slightly under-dressed, as is my norm. But there again, there is nothing better than an exhibitionist at events such as these. Before melting into a puddle of purple gloop we were all ushered into a marquee where the wine and food was superb. The speeches, by people that I didn’t know at all brought tears to my eyes and all in all, it was an absolutely wonderful event consisting of people that despite never having met, were each and every a charm to society. It almost reminded me of my Diplobrat days….
The journey home was equally tiring – I enjoy travelling by ferry but I was so tired that I ended up sleeping all the way home from Dunkerque to my front doorstep and have spent the past two days lounging in the sun – the only good thing about being unemployed at this time of the year. I’m hoping to hear from a couple of companies early next month – if my CV was of any use….. You never know.
Yesterday afternoon I had to go to the VDAB (Job Centre) and have been given papers to fill in that will be of use to my future employer. It involves the VDAB paying a certain amount of my future prospective salary and my employer paying the rest so in fact, it is a Win-Win situation. Well, that’s what I understood…. I am also entitled to free computer courses – once employed – and having already witnessed one by a former colleague, these really are useful. Belgium has some useful tricks up it’s sleeves, it appears.
I very much wish to meet the family that I met last weekend in the very near future – I wish my own family is as close.
So that’s the serious part of my life. But guess what?
Coralie comes home on Saturday – finally!
Tuesday, May 18, 2010 – 8:37 pm
I love the police in this country. Fair enough, I have blogged about them before as they turn around and I see their huge handcuffs on their belts, their guns in their holsters and not to mention the uniform.
A rather young-looking policeman just popped by for a signature on the declaration I made about Todd several weeks back when the idiot bought a stolen scooter and got stopped by the police. The boy now has to go to court and once again I asked the policeman when that would be.
“Oh, not for a long time.”
“That’s what I expected seeing as I have to go back to court in 2012 for something really stupid.”
“I know,” went on the policeman, “I was once flashed by the police and the court case took forever – it’s Belgium, isn’t it?”
A policeman with a sense of humour is a hard find, but tonight I found one.
It’s a shame that he looked about 20 years younger than me.
Monday, May 10, 2010 – 9:44 am
The joys of motherhood are far too over-rated and if anybody ever dares tell you that popping out their own spawn is the most rewarding thing that they have ever done then turn away, don’t listen because They Are Lying. Especially if they have teenagers. Long gone are the days of sleepless nights and sulphur-filled nappies, instead they are now replaced by sleepless nights wondering where the fuck your child is at silly o’clock in the morning and skid-marks down the back of the toilet; sore nipples are replaced by a teenage boy eating everything there is in the house and that once-angelic bundle of joy has learnt the ability to speak his own bloody mind.
The one thing that hasn’t appeared to change in the unique case of my teenage son is the ability to think. He is extremely clever at managing his life so that he gets out of mowing the lawn week after week by simply vanishing to stay with his girlfriend who lives in the boondoks and missing two train connections home, or by bringing home a crate of beer and a bunch of friends.
On Friday, Todd came home with a couple of friends – and the mandatory crate of beer – and sat outside for a while swigging back a couple of bottles each. They then miraculously disappeared without sound or mention, only to reappear several hours later with more friends and more beer.
I had decided to go to bed early that night as I was suffering a killer of a migraine but was woken up at around midnight by Todd and yet another couple of friends ringing the doorbell. They then settled down to eat some hamburgers and drink more beer. After a while I heard Todd go to bed – with his friends and they only shut up when I swore at them loudly – I wasn’t feeling well and wanted to sleep.
It appeared that I wasn’t the only one feeling ill as the next thing I heard was someone retching in Todd’s bedroom. Todd was then fishing around in the cupboard in the bathroom looking for a towel. I asked him if his friend had thrown up over the floor.
“No Mama, he’s being sick out of the window.”
“Did he not think to use the toilet which is just here?”
Todd looked at me as if I had said something quite intelligent and then slowly backed into his bedroom with a silly grin on his face.
The house looked a tip the next morning although I managed to get Todd to tidy it up to the best of his capabilities before he disappeared into thin air to avoid mowing the lawn. As I gazed out of one of the kitchen windows I saw the window sill was splattered with remnants of someone’s food.
I hope you wished your mother a Happy Mother’s Day – I bet she deserves it.
