Monday, February 20, 2006

Back in the world of the living...

I'm back & don't know where the last week has gone. I definately don't feel as if I've just had nearly a week off work. I went back today & was exhausted by the time I got the office. What is it about having a shower & washing your hair that is so tiring if you've been ill? I resorted to a can of a famous energy drink with wings by mid day as I desperately needed to put my head on the desk & have a quick snooze but that wouldn't have gone down well.

Hardly any knitting happened last week as my head was a bowl of sludgy porridge. I did however manage a couple of little things (albeit very slowly) & will posts pics in the next day or two.

Vince has settled into her mamouth cage & is very happy to be handled. I know DD would have prefered a playful kitten but both DH & I put our foot down at any more 'big pets' as we don't want more 'long living' responsibility. I also think that the cats (particulary Tia who will be 19 years old in May) are too old to accept a kitten & would be extremely put out. DD seems to get upset that the hamster is constantly trying to escape from her cage & won't just sit on her knee for a cuddle. However she has at least she's given up on the idea of her hamster learning to adapt to human ways & staying awake during the day so that a certain devoted girl can play with her.

The last week has also taught us that it's really hard if you're both sick with a child in the house. We'd been luckly previously & have never done a flu double act before. It's bloody hard work surviving 'Black Eyed Flu' (as DH has taken to calling it) when neither of you has the energy or will to do anything and there's a (constantly demanding) child in the house who needs transporting to & from school, feeding, entertaining, providing with clean clothes/dishes/read *whatever* constantly. At one point she shouted at us that we were BORING as all we did was lie in bed/sofa/*anywhere comfortable & horizontal*. The one good thing was that we aren't both ill this week as she's now off school for a week. At least we had a few hours peace whilst she was at school & were thereby able to rest in an attempt to get better.

She definately isn't nurse material and has no concept of lowering her volume (be it voice, feet on uncarperted stairs, audio books on her stereo, TV etc etc) in consideration for others. In addition, my so far half hearted attempts at teaching her to cook have been unsuccessful, as she point blank refused to take us up on the offer of providing a meal for the family. It's hard to cook (even cooking the now totally depleted store of freshly prepared & home cooked freezer meals) when you really don't want to eat & can barely stand.

I was lucky that until Thursday another parent was able to do the school run for us. Her child has however left the school now, as they're moving to Scotland shortly, so on Friday I had to do it. Again that awful combination - a shower & leaving the house, left me totally knackered. Add to the mix driving to collect the much coverted hamster (read total melt down if I postphoned the collection of said hamster) & a trip to the Supermarket as the cupboards were nearly bare - all of which resulted in my going back to bed for an hour before the return journey to school.

As an added bonus said child was climbing the walls as she hadn't been swimming (she normally trains 8 hours a week) so had loads of energy, as had two very large dogs who didn't go further than the garden Fred suggested harnessing them to a Go-Kart in order to keep my New Years Resolutions (see side bar) but I declined that one.

Can you imagine it - two hyper, bouncing Airedales dragging a black eyed, wild haired, weak & feable woman down the street & half way up a tree as they chase our neighbours kitten who insists on taunting them from the top of our garden wall! - NO THANKS......

7 comments:

Lindsey said...

Oh what a shame that you've had such an awful week! I hope you start to feel much better soon.

susoolu said...

I don't know though, I think Fred's idea was pretty good, particularly if there were pictures. Glad you are beginning to feel more normal. Now rest up for your Skipping North trip!

Spinningfishwife said...

Lol...what are kids like, eh? They know they`re the centre of the universe. Be grateful....my daughter is still at the stage of demanding service when I`m in the loo.
Hope you and your Hubby are feeling better now....and that you`ll be fully well by the weekend. See you there!

Anonymous said...

I hope you are feeling better soon. Being sick with the flu is no fun, but when you add in a child and Airedales with cabin fever it becomes torture. I had hampsters as a kid and loved them. After awhile, all of them loved to be handled. However they are consummate escape artists, which could be a cause for concern with cats in the house. Although the last housecat I had was a real cartoon character, he would jump up on the chair with me and go "EEK a MOUSE!"

Anonymous said...

You poor love - real flu is very nasty - don't overdo it now. Hope you're feeling up to snuggling up with some knitting and some chocolate now.

blueadt said...

Thanks for all the kind words everybody. I'm feeling even stronger today but again gave into an energy drink @ work & then whizzed for the next few hours. I think I now know what speed feels like!

Susoolou - I'll pass again on the Go-Kart & yes Skip North is my goal. I will be better & strong enough. How are you feeling now? At least you didn't have a child to scream at you, just loads of cats to sit on your face instead....

Spiningfishwife - I can't wait. DD still wants my attention when I'm in the shower & the other day called me upstairs off the sofa to 'rescue' Vince who had poohed in one of her tubes & according to DD was stuck, as hamsters won't walk over their own pooh - I wasn't impressed...

Bliss - our cats are all really ancient but I'm sure they'll still have a go. The dogs would work as a pack & she wouldn't last 5 minutes, which is why she's upstairs & they're all downstairs & never the two shall meet (or six in this house!)

Anne & Linsey - thanks very much. Chocolate sounds like a very good idea.... ;-)

TutleyMutley said...

Glad you're feeling better! How old is DD?
Love the pics of pets various.
OUr old cat lived to 23yrs of age - and the vet had given her some sort of pep up injection (strongly suspect steroids!) so she was like a kitten for the last 6 months of her life!