I have started selling bits and pieces on ebay.  It is interesting to see what works.  I am mainly selling baby clothes and a few of Bee's things as we have no other girl to hand them down to

Nobody over here knows Next or Marks and Spencers so I made the mistake of saying 'like Boden' in the title and got into trouble for 'spamming.'  So am having to explain these more in the body of the description. 

I thought things grouped together would seem a better deal but a few haven't sold.  One lot had lots of 'watchers' but got no bids even though it had a starting price of about 2 pounds.... If I see something on Ebay that I like I bid, not watch - perhaps as I don't have so much time or perhaps I am just too much of an impulsive e-bayer.

So out of the lot that didn't sell this week I have listed a few things separately with an identical starting price and now have bids?  Makes no sense.

Am getting rotten e-mails from some woman who bid on 2 lots.  Was outbid by another buyer and so she bid higher.  She has basically won about 6 pieces from baby Gap from last summer for about 12 pounds - it probably cost nearer 85 pounds new .She won 2 lots overall and I have added the shipping together and given her a discount for winning 2 auctions and she has sent me 3 messages still about the shipping.  I just wrote her a short one back - she saw the prices before she bid and I have already discounted her.  But it makes me cross that she is questioning it.  She looks like she sells herself - wonder if all her buyers give her this much grief?

I got a great deal on some books through e-bay for Bee.  The shipping I paid and the cost on the stamp used - well there was a difference but yes, I expected it and still felt I got a good deal. 

Some people..... why bid if you don't like the costs laid out?

So I go to the Post Office quite a bit over here.  Partly because the mail carrier (postman/woman) comes so late here (5pm) and if I have things to mail, well I can leave them in my unsecured mail box... as I once did, from where they were stolen.... and my cheque paying a bill was probably on the way to a copying scam.... = close bank accounts and change everything.... it was a live and learn experience.  So now I head to the Post Office for 99% of my mail needs. 

To try and speed things up there are the mail boxes you can drive by, just rolling down your window to place your letters in the slot - they are very helpful.  For parcels I prepare what i can at home - I have a supply of airmail stickers and declaration forms here in my kitchen - so I am not the one writing it all out by hand in the queue, holding people up.

There are new machines where you can weigh your parcel yourself, type in the zipcode and be given the options and the prices.  Priority mail, first class mail, snail mail etc.  There is a rate over here called 'media mail' for mailing books or printed matter.  It is a lot cheaper but quite slow and apparently the mail service is allowed to open these parcels just to check there is nothing more than a book in the package.  For some reason this is not available on the DIY mail machine.  Also on the machine there is an 'International' button to press when the zip code part comes up.  Then it says 'I am sorry, we cannot accept international packages at this time.'  So you really can't DIY it all and then you have to join the queue.  As I did this morning at 8.15 where 5 other people were waiting and only one of the six desks was open.

Me:  I want to send this package media mail but the machine won;t let me.

PO Worker :- Is that right.

Me:  Yes, have you ever used it. the machine?

PO Worker :- If I use that I can't be here at the same time.

Me: No, I mean have you used it so you know what it does and doesn't do?

PO Worker:-  Once.  maybe a year ago.

Me:  Oh, I thought you might have had some training or something for it.

PO Worker:- No.

Me:  Will it do International one day?  There is an option for it but it doesn't let you proceed.

PO Worker.  I don't control it.

He was REALLY helpful.  And I wonder why the Postal Workers here aren't the highest regarded workers. . . . . .

And it's after encounters like this that I wonder if it is me, or maybe he is anti-British or maybe just isn't paid enough to have any desire to achieve any level of customer satisfaction whatsoever.

So did you ever watch 'This Life'?  Strangely enough I never watched it in UK in the 90s when it was still on and I still lived there.  i watched it on BBC America when they showed it in 1999/2000.  Was quite hooked.  In fact I remember making sure the video was set before I went into hosptial to have Paddy (sad but true).  Really loved watching it but had no idea there were just the 2 series......

So I was thrilled when I read that they were doing a reunion episode.  Asked a friend to tape it.  Which apparently she did but the DVDs were blank when they arrived here.  I read the reviews which didn't sound too good.. tried to find it on U Tube but just found vsome guy saying how great it was and how he was so moved having just watched it . . . .

So I ordered it from Amazon.co.uk and it arrived yesterday and I watched it last night.  Mmmm.  Interesting.  But there were no extras on the DVD - I had heard there was a documentary to go with it but there was no sign of that. 

It seemed very very contrived and the plot was quite bitty and all over the place.  Do bailiffs really work so late at night?  Who was watching the kid when they were all partying outside?  There was the girl I saw in the film Venus as the obnoxious film maker.  And there were the fragmented relationships from 10 years ago. 

At least they still had the original actors from series 1 & 2.  Some of them have been in lots of other things.... Teachers. Love Actually, Coupling, Midsommer Murders...... and others, well I haven't seen them in much over here. I like Andrew Lincoln - think he is a great actor and brilliant with his Northern Accent.  As Egg I thought he was the most plausible of them.  He acted 10 years on as you would have expected him to.  That Egg and Millie were an item seemed wrong and either they did an excellent job in making her a tired mum with bags under her eyes or she has not aged well.  Miles (Jack Davenport?) had lost most of his handsome features - just by having longer hair? Or by my tastes having changed considerably?  And Warren was as on the edge as ever - aging quite well.  And Anna (Daniella Nardini?) just didn't seem a good fit.  It was like someone had written it for the original character's sister or something.  And she looked quite plump in it.  Is she pregnant in real life or just losing her young slim look of before?  She looked the most middle aged I thought and that is so against where her character was. . .

So I was overall quite disappointed.  I think they must have been offered a good amonut of dosh to have done this reunion one.  I had read that they were the driving force to stop the origianal series as they didn't want to just plod on..... how 10 years  and the need to pay bills can make you change your mind. . .

We go off on vacation/holiday in two weeks.  The children are already very excited.  It is a while since we have flown anywhere (18 months?). Bee is making lots of packing lists and wants to know what is and what isn't allowed in hand luggage and what time we need to get to the airport etc.

Here was a snipet from our drive home today:

Bee 'What will happen if the plane crashes?'

Me ' It won't crash honey.'

Bee 'But what if it crashes over the sea?' 

Me ' Well there are special float life jackets and things, but it really won't happen so don't worry.'

Bee 'But if it did happen would we get a refund?'

Me SPEECHLESS.

Today I have 5 children instead of the usual 4.  Bee and Paddy have 2 days off school - why you may ask?  Parent teacher conferences.  Yes, for the alloted 20 minutes per child they have 2 days out of school.  And Bee's teacher rather put me on the spot this week asking if her son could come over to me and play with Paddy (they are good friends).  They are playing quite well, he is a very sweet little boy but I am paranoid that anything bad could happen and the after effects with said teacher . . . . .2 hours to go. 

All going well at school.  Apparently the principal is going to retire this year.  She has been 'treading water' for some time it seems.  So change is afoot. 

I love going in the kindergarten classroom and seeing all their work.  3rd great (8/9 year olds) is  a bit more grown up - still good and interesting but not so cute.

The 1st grade teacher (mother of one of Bee's friends) called me this week to invite Bee over for a sleepover.  I said we don't do those yet and you could hear the pause. . . .she obviously thought we were over the top but Bee's teacher is very protective with her little boy too it seems as he just told me he isn't allowed to go to birthday parties?  Unless there is another motive - and no he doesn't have allergies.

So we met up with friends last night and went to dinner and a concert.  Dinner (PF Changs) was great and it was good to catch up with them without kids.  The concert , , , ,well maybe I am just too old.  And I am FINE with that.

Firstly it was at an old theatre with maybe 10 parking spaces.  Lots of apartments in the area with lots of big signs banning this venue's cars from parking there.  And there were lots of tow trucks removing cars just in case you had any ideas.  So it took 20 minutes driving around to get a space.

Then not only were you ID ed, had bags looked into 'What are those prescription drugs Maam?' ' ' Oh, Prozac'.  Not only were you patted down before you could enter, you were also going through a metal detector - so you knew the venue was high end (not)  just from that alone. 

I didn't fit in as my body was not full of tattoos, and I didn't have 6 inch spikes on my head, no huge piercings and I wasn't wearing dodgy clothing.  And I had a purse/handbag.  Probably looked like I was waiting to pick up one of my children from the venue in fact.  I looked so square the medical emergency team (all headphoned up) looked at me like I was an allie.

The music was crap.  Sorry, but not my cup of tea.  The venue was sold out.  People were asking to buy our tickets on the way in.  We should have gone for that option.  Could have made some money! 

It was good from a people spotting point of view though but you were scared to make eye contact.  Oh and in case you felt the urge there was a mobile tattoo and piercing booth near the bar.  Mmmm.

Drop Kick Murphies were the band.  Hubby bought the tickets for us and the friends (they stayed 20 minutes we stayed about 35) and no we didn't feel the need to get a Cd or the t-shirt.

Too old and proud.

Went to book club Tuesday night.  Was umming and ahhing as to whether to go as I was very tired, kids were playing up and I didn;t feel well.  Aching bones, temperature, sore throat.  But I went and enjoyed it as always.  A nice group of girls.  Discussed the book (Lipstick Jihad) and then everything else.  One has the dilemma - she has been off and maternity leave and has to decide this week whether to go back or resign from the position.  Met another member who I know from reading her comments but this was the first time actually meeting her.  i have yet to meet a subdued white South African, let's just say that.

Anyhow they have picked the following books for the next few months.  Anyone read any of them?  Any comments?  Guess which one was my suggestion.

April 3rd---Memory Keepers Daughter
May 1st --The Glass Castle
June 5th -- Hotel Babylon
July 3rd --Icarus Girl
August 7th -- Operating Instructions
September 4th --Women of the Silk