Tired and Sore

Been a crap few weeks. I'm currently really suffering with IBS which has evolved into the new symptom of really painful cramps across my abdomen (and neck and shoulders too, weird). Back to the doctor this week...

Tom's job in the call centre is seeing him through but it's obviously not ideal for him so his search continues. He vented his frustration earlier about a job agency who though initially were keen to help, have been very reluctant to actually get on with finding jobs for him.

Something a bit different I've done this month is gone to the theatre! I went to see Avenue Q in Cheltenham a few weeks ago with a couple of my workmates. It was full of adult humour and puppets but was hilarious and very good, I'm glad we went! I also went to see a musical called Showstopper, which is all completely improvised by the actors and musicians on stage. It was brilliant and very clever, and if I see it again it will be something new!

Domesticity, Weddings and Babies

With Tom now working full time the chores are back to being split even (apparently) and on my day off today I have so far washed up, put some washing on and hung it up, cleaned the kitchen and got it messy again. Makes you wonder what the point of these things in life are half the time since the nature of them being in a cycle means that not long after you finish the work it's time to start it again. I don't remember the last time I saw an empty laundry basket in my possession. Oh well.

Also trying to bake some bread, something we have lapsed in more recently. However my efforts in getting the dough to rise has been stumped by the spot not being warm enough. Have resorted to cranking the heating up and pushing the armchair against the radiator to hold the dough. I have my doubts about the success of this venture but I won't know how badly I'll fail until I try!

Pictured: the general aim

One a different note; something very strange happened to me last night. I stayed at home instead of going to the pub (that's not too unusual, I'm very lazy) and ended up watching a couple of TV shows I've heard about but not seen. First one was 'Don't Tell The Bride', a programme where a couple are separated on the run up to their wedding and the groom has to plan everything as a surprise for his lucky Mrs-to-be. It's a strange thing that nowadays in our culture weddings tend to have more emphasis on it being a female affair full of discussions on dresses, colour schemes and cakes etc. and the man stays mostly out of it. Whenever I get married I want it to be a joint affair (bad words?!) and not a case of the groom just 'turning up'. The drama comes from the fact the bride gets pretty much no say in anything, even the dress is picked by the groom, and the bride has to like it or lump it. 

This is not from the show but it made me chuckle! At least she seems happy.

Ok, I guess it's easy for me to be a bit cynical as I've not been married and so don't know exactly exciting/ important having the 'right' dress is, but surely the whole point of getting married is to unite the two individuals as one unit in love and promise? With something so huge as the focus of the entire event frivolous details like decoration and themes shouldn't be such a cause of conflict, but it seems to. In fairness, the brides seem to always be pleased with the result and everyone has a fantastic day even if it wasn't how they had expected. I am actually quite an emotional person so I did get a bit welled up watching it (tut tut) but then things got stranger...

Now, I understand as a 23-year-old who is not yet married and has many plans for the directions of my life, children are not currently anything that appeal. Parenthood, once entered into, cannot be escaped; children are hard, hard work; I will ruin their lives inadvertently if I were to create any lifeforms in the near future (so I promise I won't!)

NOTHING about this appeals. And who cut her hair?!

The next programme was 'One Born Every Minute' which is not, as suggested, a marathon of births squeezed into 60-second slots, but follows people about to and giving birth. What did catch me out was this scene: https://lifebegins.channel4.com/explore/parents/mothers/series-3/video/dawn-gives-birth-to-baby-laragh

For those who don't wish to be horrified/ traumatised/ never reproduce etc, the clip shows a woman called Dawn and her husband Paul during the birth of their daughter. The labour became difficult due to the baby's shoulders getting stuck, so though her head was out the rest of her wasn't moving. You can see the baby turning blue and the parents who cannot see anything trying hard not to panic as mum and baby are wrenched and tugged by the doctors trying desperately to get things done. There is a happy ending, but the harsh reality is that in real life of course things don't always go too well. 

Just watching it shook me up, and I was feeling absolutely devastated for the parents who couldn't do anything more to get their baby delivered. It's easy to see how so many women have (and tragically, will) die during childbirth, even in these modern times. 

In seriousness I have often found the idea of adoption more appealing than being pregnant should I ever get the urge to have a baby - which I'm informed should hit me in my late 20s/ early 30s when the hormones kick in - and not for vain reasons, but because there are so many babies and children out there who need homes and parents. Again, I know it's easy for me to say, but so what if you aren't tied by blood? Parenthood is raising children with care and love, not just sharing some DNA.

"Wait, I'm adopted?"

That said, who knows what may happen? Well, God does. I'm sure He'll let me know when the time is right.

"I survived the Dentist!" and other things

I may have spent a few hours with a lisp and have slightly sore gums, but I survived. Let's hope I don't have to have anything else done for a long time!

Tom started his new job today, it's something in insurance which he'll explain to me in more detail later. Hopefully we'll get some more money in soon which we desperately need. It's going to be a tight month (for a change?!) so things should start looking up which will be encouraging. However the equilibrium of both of us working being restored means I have to do more housework now...