Is it me?

I have always disliked crowds and busy times so try to avoid Bank Holidays half term and August as best I can. Hell on earth was the waiting area at CDG with the Newcastle flight full of hyper children coming back from Eurodisney in August. Oddly enough the decorator and joiner and electrician are all happily beavering away today on the house. Like you Tegan its the Tay Bridge here but they are very quiet workers and keep making me cups of tea.

Years ago we had our one and only car crash; the first brand new car we'd ever had and we stopped at some traffic lights on the way back from a Bank Holiday drive out to visit some friends who were camping in the Peak District. It was a hit and run but thankfully the dog [who was in the back of the car] was ok and the car wasn't a write off [as was first thought]. After that we never really bothered to venture forth at Bank Holidays, thinking that, if you wanted to go somewhere it was better to go when there ween't quite so many people having the same idea. My Bank Holiday is on the up; going to B&Q [hurrah]. Which will be swarming with like minded people. But I've got the 5th episode of Broadchurch to watch tonight [I sneaked in an extra episode after the S.O. went home last night]. I am soooo enjoying it . And it's still not raining. And I've found someone with a ferret who can sort out my rodent problem. Does life ever get any better ?

Tegan I think Vegas has got it just right - the "brainwashing" that surrounds Bank holidays/Christmas/New Year/birthdays/even retirement where you are led to believe everyone is having a wonderful family orientated/silver surfer time just means that those who are not, feel left out and isolated. Of course, as you have shown, not everybody is having a non-stop fun!! It's like the way work colleagues wish you "a great weekend" at the end of the working week. I used to think "Why? Washing, ironing, shopping and cooking - oh and on Sunday evening lesson planning and marking, what's great about it?"!!
End of feeling like Eeyore. Have spoken to DDs on phone and had a charming little conversation with DGS1 (3) so feeling very happy again.

I love doing nothing on Bank holidays. Yesterday I sat outside all day reading the papers, and if there is a 'good' film on today, I shall slob on the sofa.

I remember days out, sitting in traffic, visiting 'fun parks' with the children, or shopping for meat, salads etc, in order to BBQ for crowds of friends and employees.

Enjoy these lazy days while you can

My neighbours always seem to have their kids round; mine stop by in passing or to drop the children off with me sometimes. I think it's because I don't like cooking and don't offer fantastic meals. I've spent the whole of the bank holiday washing clothes and working on the garden. When I'm not at work I seem to be doing house maintenance; it's like the Forth Bridge. Can't remember the last time I woke up and thought 'oh, what a nice day, what shall I do today?' Ten years ago I was constantly on the go, going to new places, learning new things. What went wrong? I sometimes think my house is like a millstone round my neck, but is too perfect in so many ways to move from. [sorry; having a feel sorry for myself moment]

You are all SO right!! Thanks

What are your friends doing? Maybe some of them are feeling the same and would love a call from you with an invite to meet up somewhere or invite them over to you.

gm (((hugs))) and

My social engagements today involve going to the Dementia Unit to see my mum and to await the insults and then youngest brother is coming round to decide which homes we would like her to go to, if they have spaces.

Don't we all live exciting lives.

No, gracesmum, it's not you! There's something about Bank holidays, as if we are all officially supposed to be having fun and if we're not, there's something wrong with us. I can resonate with your feeling that all the younger ones are having a great time, and probably not giving you a moment's thought. It's wonderful to think that they are well and happy, as you say, but that counting your blessings thing doesn't always work. So sorry that you feel tired and that life is not much fun, but feelings pass and change and hopefully you will wake up tomorrow in a happier frame of mind. In the meantime, why not treat yourself to one or two nice things, even if it's just a bar of chocolate or a slice of cake or an afternoon nap.

Hopefully, this will make you smile. My only social engagement today, if you can dignify it by calling it that, is to take a friend's cat to the cattery for her. Having said that, I do find it rather soothing to chat to the pussies incarcerated there, along the lines of - Don't worry, your Mummy is coming soon. Hope you feel better soon gracesmum.

So sorry to hear that grace, not really like you is it? We are all entitlted to off days sometimes o I hope yours gets better. I am sure there are many people who are not having a good day either. I know an elderly lady in Stony Stratford who is always on Fb and mostly she is moaning about her lot although she seems to have lots of friends, just enjoys a good moan. I am sure if you knew her you would feel better as she seems to moan every day!

I know how you feel GM. Could you try to go somewhere that is "easy"? Have you got a National Trust place near you? You could probably get a nice lunch in their cafe and have a walk in the grounds. Or, if you are near the country, have lunch in the garden of a little pub? Or you could just ha ve a drive round in the countryside perhaps taking a picnic. You would feel you were doing something. It doesn't' have to match up to the young 'uns idea of fun.

Well, if it's any help we're also at home, still in PJs, and wondering when (and why) life got so uneventful. It's Bank Holiday and we tend not to hit the spots to avoid the crowds ...

Hope your day gets better gracesmum. At least the sun is shining here...

gracesmum sending ((((hugs)))) NOT a kick or a prod ( you don't deserve either a kick or a prod). Is that grammatically correct?