Fingers crossed it all goes smoothly for youI am due to fly out from Johannesburg, South Africa tonight, to return to England by tomorrow afternoon.
I have followed all the Covid requirements - had a PCR test, with negative results yesterday, and have printed off at least 5 copies.
Will also have the added stress/burden of having to take a "Negative Rapid Test" at the airport less than an hour before I'm due to board the plane.
No idea what is involved, but if I fail that then I don't think I'll be able to fly - which means having to rebook and start all over again!
Not only that but scheduled flights seem to be getting cancelled at the last minute! No idea why, but have noticed certain unrelated flights that were scheduled over the last few days, ending up being cancelled.
As a consequence I am constantly checking the status of my flight, even though its not due to leave until just before midnight SAST tonight. For all I know it might get canncelled between now and then, which means having to rebook, take another PCR test (at my expense), and another NRT, and hope nothing goes wrong then!
Annoying and stressful to the point where I've felt like throwing up with nervousness at what might happen in the next 12 hours or so
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Fingers crossed it all goes smoothly for you
Bit of a boring one today but I really miss my morning commute. Its only a 20 min motorway journey but I'm alone in my car, music full blast singing my heart out most days. I feel so free when I drive at motorway speeds and sing (badly) to my heart's content.
I wanted to go for a nice long drive but I'm also trying to be more environmentally conscious and not waste diesel for no reason other than to sing. I'll probably give in soon.
I wanted to go for a nice long drive but I'm also trying to be more environmentally conscious and not waste diesel for no reason other than to sing. I'll probably give in soon.
Do it, the journey will do your car good, especially if it has a dpf
My flight was cancelled last night!
Didn't even know about it until I had arrived at the airport 3 hours before the flight, checked-in, handed over my PCR test results and just waited around like a lemon, just like the other mugs on the flight.
Anyway, roughly 90 minutes before being called we're told the flight has been cancelled due to new Covid regulations set out by the Dutch government (the KLM flight was flying from J'burg to Amsterdam, and then a transfer to Heathrow).
As such we had the choice to rebook or get a refund.
Lots of anger and confusion from everyone, especially as it turns out KLM knew about the new Dutch Laws a few days previous and had been cancelling similar flights out of South Africa. And the article below now confirms that.
Extremely angry with them, but I managed to get a refund, and have booked a flight with Air France for next Saturday. But it does mean I have to take another PCR Test at my own expense and hope all goes well.
Piss up and breweries, come to mind with KLM informing their passengers about this farce! Why leave it until the last minute to cancel a flight when they knew about the new rules days before?
Grrrrrr
https://www.tourismupdate.co.za/article/breaking-klm-suspends-weekend-flights
Oh it does have a DPF! That's given me all the excuse I need
Same here join the club of exhausted mothers with autistic kids
.I know how you feel men always get a free pass (take it or leave it) when it comes to being a parent?
They love themselves so much that why change perfection right?
? (can you tell that my own husband is getting on my nerves?)In our case he knows on an intellectual level about autism but to be quite honest he is a lazy bastard and does not want to have to take the kids needs into consideration because if i'm brutally honest its his way or the highway with everthing and he just lacks empathy and compassion himself?
What the hell are you supposed to do with that?
I find the only solution to be find something/anything that he enjoys doing with the kids or for yourself and give him his own niche interest/job he can do.
My hysband likes cooking for example so i can leave him to cook a meal for us or he likes taking my daughter out in her buggy great so i can do some housework or get some rest.
I'm afraid as mothers if everyone else is crap at understanding or having empathy then it does come down to us to create some balance.
Thats not fair sometimes and its not how it should be but sometimes we have to lead the way forward even if we don't feel like it?
So many people are ignorant about autism that its infuriating?
We have to be educators as well explaining to people what it means how it affects our children and how it affects us it feels never ending sometimes?
I know pre co-vid there were support groups and resources available for example i live in london and we had centre 404 and are your kids in mainstream education because you could be classified for extra help?
For example my son who is 11 went back to school and the school do have extra help or provision for families with autistic kids?
Sorry if i'm going off on a bit of a tangent here but sometimes anything helps?
Have you spoken to your husband about the way you feel?
Does he understand that he's not being very helpful? Or is he defensive or in denial or to be blunt is he just being ignorant?
I remember going to see a child psychologist and my husband blustered out all of his frustration and she was patient and explained to him how an autistic child see's things and the penny dropped a bit but i still think he is basically a selfish person that has enough good qualities to cover himself if that makes sense?
So if you haven't already done so i really advise to get someone onside be it a psychologist a social worker a health visitor or even someone who works with the council for example i think they have a disabled childrens team and family support workers?
Explain how you feel to them and also get them to have a frank talk with your husband about the best way of supporting your kids?
Its a sad thing but we get accustomed to each other and i moan for example at my husband and he moans back yadda yadda yadda (and we have got nowhere?) but when someone from the outside of the home gives their opinion sometimes it does the trick?
Just because sometimes you need a different perspective and someone elses imput?
So i really suggest that if its possible.
Good luck.
Thank you for such a lovely reply. My younger son is in mainstream educatio (the older one with autism has finished education) but doesn't have an EHCP. He usually gets support from the Communication and Autism team but obviously that's not happening at the moment.Same here join the club of exhausted mothers with autistic kids
I know how you feel men always get a free pass (take it or leave it) when it comes to being a parent?
They love themselves so much that why change perfection right?
In our case he knows on an intellectual level about autism but to be quite honest he is a lazy bastard and does not want to have to take the kids needs into consideration because if i'm brutally honest its his way or the highway with everthing and he just lacks empathy and compassion himself?
What the hell are you supposed to do with that?
I find the only solution to be find something/anything that he enjoys doing with the kids or for yourself and give him his own niche interest/job he can do.
My hysband likes cooking for example so i can leave him to cook a meal for us or he likes taking my daughter out in her buggy great so i can do some housework or get some rest.
I'm afraid as mothers if everyone else is crap at understanding or having empathy then it does come down to us to create some balance.
Thats not fair sometimes and its not how it should be but sometimes we have to lead the way forward even if we don't feel like it?
So many people are ignorant about autism that its infuriating?
We have to be educators as well explaining to people what it means how it affects our children and how it affects us it feels never ending sometimes?
I know pre co-vid there were support groups and resources available for example i live in london and we had centre 404 and are your kids in mainstream education because you could be classified for extra help?
For example my son who is 11 went back to school and the school do have extra help or provision for families with autistic kids?
Sorry if i'm going off on a bit of a tangent here but sometimes anything helps?
Have you spoken to your husband about the way you feel?
Does he understand that he's not being very helpful? Or is he defensive or in denial or to be blunt is he just being ignorant?
I remember going to see a child psychologist and my husband blustered out all of his frustration and she was patient and explained to him how an autistic child see's things and the penny dropped a bit but i still think he is basically a selfish person that has enough good qualities to cover himself if that makes sense?
So if you haven't already done so i really advise to get someone onside be it a psychologist a social worker a health visitor or even someone who works with the council for example i think they have a disabled childrens team and family support workers?
Explain how you feel to them and also get them to have a frank talk with your husband about the best way of supporting your kids?
Its a sad thing but we get accustomed to each other and i moan for example at my husband and he moans back yadda yadda yadda (and we have got nowhere?) but when someone from the outside of the home gives their opinion sometimes it does the trick?
Just because sometimes you need a different perspective and someone elses imput?
So i really suggest that if its possible.
Good luck.
I have spoken to my husband about it and he does take stuff on board but it all seems to go out of the window when he's stressed.
He did later apologise to both me and our son for over reacting. I just find it frustrating to have to constantly be peace making or explaining things. I think we're all just getting on each others nerves at the moment though. Hopefully this coming week will be more peaceful!
Same here my husband is not patient and i also feel like the designated peace maker.
Lockdown is tough isn't it?
I think we are all coming down with a touch of cabin fever and getting on each others nerves yes definitely!
It gets a bit too much sometimes doesn't it?
Your right about stress being a trigger thats so true but i'm glad that your husband has had some self reflection and apologised.
That does help its not easy but some days are better than others and find some time for yourself as well to unwind and do something you enjoy thats also an essential.
I've been struggling myself a bit as well and had a good cry and gave myself a pep talk which seems to have done the trick.
Sometimes things can just get on top of you but things ebb and flow and brighter and happier moments come back as does peace so take care of yourself and i've made a promise to myself that i will do the same.
My moan is that is feel poorly today - like cold/flu poorly. Started yesterday with headache/lethargy but woke up this morning feeling fully wiped out 
I’m worried it’s Covid so I’ve ordered a test. I’ve already had Covid back in Summer, surely I can’t be unlucky to get it twice?!
I’m worried it’s Covid so I’ve ordered a test. I’ve already had Covid back in Summer, surely I can’t be unlucky to get it twice?!Pure speculation of course, but when this Pandemic is officially declared "over", I will be waiting for the usual New Years' Honours announcements for high ranking "experts" and advisors to the government, along with high-ranking faceless suits in the NHS, the Civil Service and SAGE.
While the people who really matter; the people on the front-line in the NHS, the carers, the shop staff, the utilities people.... basically the ordinary people who haven't been able to work from home, who haven't been on furlough, but have had to go to work in order to keep the country moving - these people will be forgotten about other than for a few meaningless platitudes and false praise from those very same people who will probably get nice little bonuses along with a nice shiny gong from the Queen!
Speculation, but probably not far from the truth when it finally does materialize!
While the people who really matter; the people on the front-line in the NHS, the carers, the shop staff, the utilities people.... basically the ordinary people who haven't been able to work from home, who haven't been on furlough, but have had to go to work in order to keep the country moving - these people will be forgotten about other than for a few meaningless platitudes and false praise from those very same people who will probably get nice little bonuses along with a nice shiny gong from the Queen!
Speculation, but probably not far from the truth when it finally does materialize!
Feeling bitter and stuck about my current situation in life and hearing judgemental comments about people with similar situations to me doesn't really help at all. Feeling very overwhelmed by every single noise and presence around me. I don't want to die, but I want to lie in the snow, stare at the sky and somehow slowly cease to exist.
For Christmas we bought the children lockable cash boxes each for their pocket money. Today they discovered that the keys for them open our double glazed window locks. Luckily they came and told us straight away but wtf? Which absolute dimwit thought that was acceptable. I'm almost lost for words.
The keys have now been confiscated.
The keys have now been confiscated.
It’s my mum’s birthday today. I haven’t seen her since December 2019, so this is the second birthday I’m missing.
I miss her and I’m sad. I took the day off work to celebrate, out of habit. Now I’m doing laundry. I spent my own birthday alone but that was somehow easier.
On a positive note, I’ve got myself a mini feast to celebrate later. Noodles for a long life. Won tons for prosperity. And then loads of yummy bits to hopefully bring me joy.
ok whinge over. Birthdays are a blessing, especially in this economy jfc
(Retired parents went on a long holiday in December 2019 and then got stuck cos of you know w
I miss her and I’m sad. I took the day off work to celebrate, out of habit. Now I’m doing laundry. I spent my own birthday alone but that was somehow easier.
On a positive note, I’ve got myself a mini feast to celebrate later. Noodles for a long life. Won tons for prosperity. And then loads of yummy bits to hopefully bring me joy.
ok whinge over. Birthdays are a blessing, especially in this economy jfc
(Retired parents went on a long holiday in December 2019 and then got stuck cos of you know w
My MIL, everything is always a massive drama for her & she insists on dragging me along for the ride. She currently has a UTI, now I know they’re not nothing and can be nasty but she refuses to call a doctor or even get advice from the surgery. She expects me to somehow fix it for her, now I’m sympathetic but I’m no doctor, therefore actually limited in how I can solve this for her & no she won’t let me speak to the GP on her behalf.
I’m 7 months pregnant & tired & I want to be selfish and tell her to buzz off. But I know I won’t & will just listen to her literally cry, howl and scream down the phone at least 10 times today while not being willing to help herself in any way, at the same time as home schooling the 3 children I have - two of whom have additional needs.
I’m 7 months pregnant & tired & I want to be selfish and tell her to buzz off. But I know I won’t & will just listen to her literally cry, howl and scream down the phone at least 10 times today while not being willing to help herself in any way, at the same time as home schooling the 3 children I have - two of whom have additional needs.
I know it’s easier said than done but please, please set yourself a boundary. You have more than enough on your plate. “Listen MIL, I’m really sorry but there’s nothing else I can say or do if you’re not willing to seek help from the doctor. Let me know once you’ve spoken to them and if I can help collecting a prescription or anything (etc).” She is a grown adult and should be looking for ways to help you not causing more problems!
I agree, she'll only get worse. Can your husband step in? she sounds really hard work. Hope you're OK.
I don't get why some people can't do their jobs - I've been waiting since SEPTEMBER for student admin to sort DBS clearance out for me. I need one as I'm doing research with children for my PhD and it's putting it on hold! I need to start collecting data for my research ASAP and it's just one big stress. I email weekly and have my supervisors and head of department chasing it but no one seems to want to sort it!
She is really hard work and to be honest I dread her phone calls sometimes. My husband pretty much refuses to deal with her behaviour, he leaves me to deal with most of it because every time they talk it tends to end in an argument. We havnt seen her in 10 months because of Covid & she has numerous health problems which mean she has to shield. She does have her husband for support , so isn’t totally alone but again nothing he does is good enough. (She has behaved like this since I met her over 25 years ago, this isn’t new or Covid related behaviour).
Quite often it’s like dealing with a child that wants attention all the time. Which can be exhausting.
I used to run a part of a Uni that did this and, to be honest, that's unacceptable. I would email someone very senior as their PA will forward it on and get things moving.