Thursday, September 16, 2010 – 10:23 am
Yesterday I went for an interview for a job that, although wasn’t a job that I would normally go for, was nevertheless, a job. It seemed like a pleasant place to work and I gave it my best. As usual, I won’t hear until next week, but then, that is better then some interviews that I have been to and then never heard a peep from the interviewer again.
Tatiana knew about the interview and made me promise to tell her how it went, which I did, thinking that it went pretty well, considering it was done entirely in my rusting French. But the reply from Tatiana scared me witless:
“Well, if it went fine great! And you can’t do any better so…. If you want to call me you can.”
The girl is taking over and has even started using expressions that I use when the children sit an exam or something – “did you do your best? Then there’s no need to worry because you can’t do better than that.” This growing up lark is beginning to take over and I feel like the child now. Perhaps it means that I’ve done a good job so far, although there’s a lot of work to be done on Todd who is only excellent when his alpha-male kicks in. Or whatever it is.
Now. How do I train my daughters to tell me when they’re eating at home or not?
Update: I received a job rejection yesterday and the director at the job that I went for in this post called me today saying that I was amongst the top three candidates – but they chose someone who can speak Flemish as well. I feel like giving up.
Tuesday, September 14, 2010 – 10:26 am
Last Saturday Todd decided to make an appearance. He sat next to me and chatted a bit and then said:
“Look, mum.”
Todd lifted up his tshirt to show off his third piercing: a nipple piercing.
I grabbed my boobs in case they started hurting and stared at the barbell through my son’s nipple.
“Did that hurt?”
“Ouch, yes – it felt like a dart going through my nipple.”
I clutched my massive bosom even closer to me.
“And now that you’ve been paid for your postman rounds, I suppose that you’ll be saving for the other nipple to be done?”
“Oh no, Mama – that hurt so much that I’ll never have it done again.”
Famous last words.
Feeling some relief, especially when Todd dropped his tshirt down, I felt comfortable and let go of my massive bosom, leaving it to flop on the floor.
But then the final straw came.
“Papa has told me that I need to see a psychologist.”
“What for this time, Todd?”
“He thinks I’m a masochist and should see someone.”
Oh dear. My Ex obviously lives in the 20th century – piercings are a ‘fashion statement’.
Just wait until the boy starts getting tattoos.
Thursday, September 9, 2010 – 1:32 pm
Nobody told me that having children was easy, although at the moment I am finding it even harder realising that one of my daughters is about to fly the nest. Coralie went to get her exam results on Tuesday and despite having had to re-take seven exams she passed with “satisfaction”, whatever that may translate into in English. When she called me I was naturally delighted and then started crying for about an hour. I am so proud of Coralie who now has a degree in tourism that I cried tears of joy, pride and a rather peculiar feeling of inferiority.
I was crap at school and hated studying. Coralie was good at school and college but hated studying and yet it’s paid off wonderfully. Until she decides what she actually wants to do with her degree, and I don’t mean bin it, she will be working full-time as an hotel receptionist.
As of tomorrow.
Yes. Coralie will be earning as of 10 September, 2010.
At the rate I’m going I can’t see myself doing much more than flipping burgers – and even then I think I have to speak Flemish as well.
So I’m an extremely proud mother, yet sad to see the first child ready to leave home.
On the plus side, while she’s still here, how much should she pay me?;)
Saturday, September 4, 2010 – 12:27 pm
Kenny has been and gone. He arrived looking fit and well and left looking like a wounded soldier. Naturally, he’s blaming me, but for once it wasn’t my fault at all. It’s all very simple: I threw a ball at Kenny. Kenny tried to catch it. Kenny got his knees in a twist, hit a marble table and then crashed on the patio.
Ouch.
No broken bones, no broken glasses (how did he manage that?) – but a rather broken head which was bandaged up rather expertly by my mate Roger. This happened, thankfully, after Kenny had taken the Twat and I out for dinner because had it happened before I think I may well have been left at home. And to think that idiotic accidents only happen when slightly intoxicated. I believe that I have proved myself wrong again and just hope, really hope, that Kenny pays us another visit as the long talks in the garden were great.
At least this visit took my mind off things for a while, but I am back to hoping to hear from 5 other job applications that I have submitted as well as the endless search for a job.
The children should have come home yesterday, but the girls are with their boyfriends and Todd never replied to my message so presumably he is with his girlfriend. He’ll turn up eventually – he’s a bit like a stray dog in that sense; you can’t get rid of the sod.
Hermie is sleeping indoors at night now but takes so long to get out of his wellie that I ended up tipping him out the other day and this morning I resorted to taking his wellie outside and putting it in his pen. Hermie wasted no time coming out then.
Aha! Somebody is at the front door.
It can only be Todd.
Wednesday, September 1, 2010 – 11:48 am
I’ve just come back from a lovely short stay with friends in northern France. They live in a beautiful converted barn which dates from the 17th century. Or maybe the 18th. I’m not too good on dates. I’d only just recovered from falling off a chair when putting a salad bowl away, thus splitting my head open and despite clutching a piece of frozen fish against my head, ended up with a huge and painful bump when I decided to knock my head again when getting out of a 2CV. That sent me flying on the pavement and my head was promptly seen to by our hostess.
Kenny won’t invite me to go anywhere again with him and he’s supposed to be stopping here tomorrow to take the Twat and I out for dinner. I must try and stay upright.
Brussels was warm and balmy last night but I’m almost tempted to put the heating on today. My toes have gone blue and I’m back to drinking steaming mugs of tea again. My letterbox was full of spam and a bank statement, my inbox had a job application rejection – and more spam, notably from that charming young boy who used to leave insults here.
My run to the Dole office was amusing as usual. I had a fight with the door only to be told by a passerby that it was shut. I was convinced that it was Monday today for some reason, hence the confusion. My monthly visits are getting to be depressing as it’s almost a year since I have been out of work and this is a first for me. Still, Belgium has woken up after the summer holidays and hopefully something will come along.
And I think it’s time that Hermie sleeps indoors at night now. I’d hate his claws to go blue.
