Its been one of those days. About 24 hours of work to be done but I only had a window of opportunity between 8.10am to 4.30pm – extra hour of school on a Thursday. On top of that I needed to clean the house, change the bedding, complete a review form, clean out the Gerbils, mend a pair of jeans, Iron, try to stop a utility firm from sending adverts addressed to my partner and pay some bills. Never going to happen.

Especially when

  • The school bus left early so we missed it. So an unexpected car journey took place,
  • Captain Chaos found a new escape route out of the garden. So a full search and recovery mission had to be launched. Once the dog was safely back in the house I had to repair a new hole in the fence,
  • The hoover drive belt snapped. Luckily I had a spare but it took a while to find it…
  • Two unplanned urgent ‘drop everything’ jobs came in,
  • I couldn’t find my bank card to pay the bills. Mad panic and frantic searching. Eventually located bank card but in the process of searching I came across my car insurance policy. It’s about to expire so needed to reinsure urgently.
  • Couple of hours later Captain Chaos escaped again. Clearly the repaired hole was not his escape route. So another search and recovery operation had to be launched,

Halfway through completing the review form and our son came back from school. The window of opportunity snaps shut for another day.

Anyway at least the Gerbils are in a clean cage now and Captain Chaos has had two new adventures.

In the UK it’s Mother’s Day soon. It’s a good time to give a shout out to all the mums out there. I struggle to cope with one day of this – you do this everyday. Thank you for being brilliant.

78 thoughts on “Five Things”

  1. You’re getting junk mail and stuff addressed to your wife??! In the first instance you should email them – get all the customer service emails and send a mass email saying if they don’t stop sending you stuff in the post for your wife you will go nuclear.

    I’m more than happy to help word a brief, simple, polite but very firm one for you no problem.

    Also I recommend switching all your bills and regular monthly payments to direct debit / standing order. Takes all the worry and hassle and helps you keep an eye and full record of all your payments in and out.

    Also how cute are those gerbils???!! 😀

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      1. We have lived in our current home for 20+ years now, and we still occasionally get mail for the previous resident! I used to mark it and put it back in the post box … now I just toss it.

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      1. My rule is this: if it can’t run away, it can wait for another day [or so].
        One thing that does run away is the time to sit and be … catch that one, sit in the sun with it, as often as you can.

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  8. Here’s hoping for a better day today Gary. I hope you can get that mail for yoyr partner situation sorted out. I have heard of this before and it’s horrible. My mum got a letter for my dad the other day and he has been dead since 2001! It is very upsetting. Take a deep breath and let’s hope for a better start today. Xxxx

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  10. SIX things!!!….
    6. Buy new hoover belts! 😉

    Your welcome! 🙂

    (Tip: you can probably get 10 on E-bay, sent from China, cheaper than you could buy one from a local store, just make sure the model of vacuum complies with that on the packaging, and look for freepost!)

    Seriously, though – you are doing better than most of us would in your place, and maintaining a sense of humour and a blog while doing it!

    Don’t forget to bask in the little victories as they happen! 🙂

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      2. OH – it’ll probably take around 3-4 weeks to arrive from China! So far i have not had any dissappointments – apart from some cheap flower seeds i thought i’d been robbed of only to realise they had done the right thing but Aus customs had impounded them for quarantine and gave me 21 days to say why they should not be destroyed!

        The letter they sent me took over 6 months to arrive!!!

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      4. Couldn’t decide if it was the Dept of Customs, Department of Agriculture or just the Australian Post Office at fault… besides, in this instance, for $3 worth of packaged seed, what would be the point?

        Some things are worth shouting from the rooftops and fighting for… this wasn’t one of them. 😉

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      6. I was going to say: ‘That covers pretty much all bureaucracy’, but that’s being a little unfair. Most of them are designed to help… they just end up evolving into things that only frustrate! (In part, to insufficient research in the design process) 😉

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  14. Ty for shout out and I think your cope magnificantly each day. I have a son with a handicapped son also. He simply cannot function in working public. He is in 30s and is somewhat of a recluse.

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      1. The GOOD news is, you have an adorable, loving son, cute Gerbils, a crazy boy kitty (still missing girl kitty) and Captain Chaos to remind you of the order of the Universe.

        And, of course, all of your blogging friends (captive audience). Do you realize you are pushing nearly 1,500 followers? You are doing *something* right.

        Plus, I think you need Austistics Anonymous or something…some kind of support group close by.

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  18. Now that, Sir, constitutes a shitty day by any parent’s standards. But a day with you, your son, and the other furry folk safe and home and healthy and whole is still a good day. A shitty day, but a good day. xxxxxx

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      1. I’m trying. Today’s a day to go with Blondie to the Humane Society, then spend time at a big resale thing of kids’ clothes with my mom. Gotta stock up on cheap trousers for next school year. 🙂

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  20. I’m sorry you have an ignorant company still sending letters/ads so I hope you can get that stopped asap, and I hope you’re managing okay today; I imagine that days like today, mother’s day, can be quite triggering. You have a heck of a lot to juggle and, for what it’s worth, I think you’re doing a great job because you’re doing the best you can. Cut yourself some slack. xx

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  21. Men are not designed for cleaning, I struggle with cleaning one of my cherished classic cars let alone household chores. As for supermarket shopping, my wife can spend ten minutes looking at meat products before she buys them, I lack the patients for that. Finally cooking, I can do beans on toast or cheese on toast, not a particularly varied menu I agree. I don’t understand how there are so many celebrity chefs who are men I obviously missed out on the chef genes. There you are I’m useless except at fixing things and messing about with old cars and occasionally I get something right on the website stuff. Thank gawd for women!

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