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smiley 290x279 Best and Worst of the Week.

By KAHLA PRESTON

It’s Friday, Friday… They say time flies when you’re busy, and I’m willing to testify. These last five days have all but vanished. Gone. If anyone has some spare hours they would be willing to donate to a good cause, I’m in the market. I will pay in cupcakes.

Anyway, without further ado, let’s talk best and worst. I’ll start.

BEST: It seems an obvious choice, but Julia Gillard’s Question Time speech was definitely a highlight this week. I think the greatest outcome of the Prime Minister’s feisty address is how it’s managed to get everyone – and I mean everyone – talking about the issue of sexism. It’s about time, if you ask me. This year has seen some appalling instances of women in the public eye being on the receiving end of sexist comments and name-calling, or simply being talked over; while Gillard has been copping them since she first sat at the Prime Ministerial desk. It’s a problem that needed to be addressed in a big way. I was amazed to see so many of my friends, both male and female, sharing the link on Facebook and expressing their pride in the PM for speaking up. Obviously her words struck a chord with many.

WORST: This week I’ve faced the cruel reality of life without Puberty Blues, and I’m not sure I like it (I know – woe is me). It was the first TV series I have loyally followed in ‘real time’, rather than watching on my laptop, for years. In this era of TV channels filled with various ‘talent’ shows and endless Big Bang Theory reruns (groan), local, well-written productions are a revolution. I was onto PB faster than a surfer on a Chiko roll, and loved every single minute of it: the lingo, the fashion, and all that brown and orange décor.

Yet the saddest thing about last Wednesday’s finale was that it also signalled the end of my household’s weekly Puberty Blues dates. This was an important ritual whereby all housemates would set aside study and work commitments to spend one blissful hour together on the couch, snacking on Redskins (how’s that for authenticity?) – a rare moment given we are a trio of crazily busy people. The show had us reminiscing about our teenage years, gaping in outrage at the various attitudes and behaviours on show, and laughing when we recognised certain 70s homewares from the interiors of our grandparents’ homes. It made Wednesday nights something to look forward to, and now… well, I just feel a bit lost without Debbie and Sue. If any MMers could help me fill the void with TV recommendations, I’d be much obliged.

Over to you!

What’s your best and worst of the week? Here’s what’s been happening in the Mamamia world….

This is the Mamamia team sitting around watching Julia Gillard's amazing performance during question time on Tuesday.

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195 Comments so far

  1. girly

    Best: got to see my eldest brother get married in Thailand. We flew to Koh Samui to celebrate with him. Then my birthday the day after my parents and I went on a day trip to see Buddhist temples, monkeys, and got blessed by a monk.

    Seeing my gorgeous boyfriend when I got home. :) missed him so much.

    Worst: feeling ill on the last day. My belly was playing up and the plane trip was all kinds of hell.

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  2. Kris2040

    On Friday I lost my essay. Was saving it along with 2 other docs for the essay (reference list and another) and somehow it copied the other one to replace my essay. Awesome.

    Teddy Bears’ Picnic today, I’m hoping KDot is full of beans enough – it’s over her normal sleep time. But if I get her REALLY knackered at that, she should sleep nicely so I can RE do my damn essay. Grrr.

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  3. oopsyboops

    A bit late but my brain wasn’t working well yesterday:
    Worst: We have high ceilings (about 3 metres) with spotlights on them. The globes keep blowing in them and I and hubby hate changing them. This week 2 of the 3 blew! And 2 of the 4 other spotlights blew! aaaagh. So frustrated. So this week we are going to go shopping for new lights but don’t know what to get – a pendant? More spotlights? Of course this comes out of our budget which is ummmmm……..?
    Worst: 3 year olds behaviour improves, toddler tantrums start. sigh.
    Best: deciding on a plan for Hubby’s 40th birthday in weeks! We are going to have a dinner party with friends (not too fancy but not plain bbq). So our menu will be: caramelised onion and goats cheese pizza for entree, mains will be lamb backstrap with twice cooked potatoes, beef tagine with couscous, chicken skewers, salads, and a tiramisu for dessert. So excited. I can pre-make alot of it so it is a matter of just cooking the meat at the last minute.

    Hugs and lots of duct tape for everyone this weekend (to stop you getting blown away)

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  4. MissNeriss

    It has been a while since I’ve been here for best and worst. Fridays re my day off and I try to unplug as much as possible. Anyway.

    Best: I won a blogging competition last weekend. There were loads of entries and I was shocked to be one of the finalists, and even more so to be the winner. I’ve since been approached by a good sized advertiser and been short listed for another prize. Not bad considering a few months ago I considered ditching the blog altogether as time is not on my side.

    Best: my two year anniversary was this week. We had an awesome day together and I wrote a small ode to my husband here: http://inburgeringadventure.blogspot.nl/2012/10/a-sappy-moment.html

    Worst: tired. So, so tired.

    Have a great weekend!

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  5. Elle

    Best: my dad was in town and we had an excellent time together eating out & playing words with friends. I am so fortunate to have him
    Worst: struggling to let go of a sexual assault/date rape experience from a few years ago…finding it hard to accept that this guy is free and there is nothing I can really do about it as its just so impossible to convict in vast majority of sexual assault cases. Feeling so angry and powerless and also concerned that these men are out there and could reoffend. Has anyone experienced something similar?

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    • Louisec

      hi Elle, I wasn’t raped but my ex tried to kill me and he was never charged despite my substantial injuries. To make it even worse when he was bashing me I bit his hand and he lied to the police and said I bit it for no reason and I was charged and had to go to court like a criminal.

      I’d never had so much as a speeding fine in my life yet there I was being treated like a criminal. I felt powerless, humiliated, destroyed.

      It was such an incredible misjustice and I didn’t handle it well at all. I was so angry at the police for believing his lies, which were so easily proven to be lies. For example the way that he said it happened he supposedly had his hands in front of his face and I just bit one. Well he is so much taller and larger than me, I’m petite and 5″1. T here is no physical way I could even have reached his hand let alone bite it per his so obviously fantastical version.

      i had very serious head injuries from the assault – as he repeatedly bashed my head against a brick wall – and he didn’t have a scratch, not even from me biting his hand. Yet I was charged and there he was in court being supported by the police!

      It nearly killed me the misjustice, his lies, the police prejudice… A few years later – two years ago- I tried to kill myself due the experience and the repercussions of what happened ie; losing my home etc. When they found me I wasn’t breathing and I was in a coma for a week. It’s taken two years to get back on my feet from that physically and mentally.

      Try to let go of it – you have to find a way. Louise Hay’s book You can Heal Your lIfe really helped me. It’s taken me years to recover and I dont’ know if I ever really will be back to normal having lost so much.

      I hope you are able to find a way to heal so you don’t go thru anything like I did.

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  6. Lizi

    Best: Still happy after two weeks in new job. ;-) Great boss, great location, no major stuff ups yet.

    Worst: You know, not much. How good is it to be able to say that?

    OMM: That poor child in Pakistan. Wishing that she might recover from this cowardly attack and inspire the rest of us to fight for the rights of girls to an education – and against those who try to deny them.

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  7. Sydgel

    I have a crush. It’s been such a long time… I had my heart smashed 2 years ago and have been so numb I couldn’t even think about men.

    He’s a very old friend of 20 years plus that I lost touch with but became reunited via work – strange coincidence. I had a crush on him when I was a young 20′ something, we were both so young and good friends.

    He lives in a different state and now we are working together we speak a couple of times a day and I haven’t laughed so much in years. We have so much fun and laugh so much. He is such an amazing man.

    Like me, he’s been thru an incredible amount, so much yet he has accomplished so much. He was paralysed in a car accident 20 years ago but has done so much with his life and what he’s doing now is incredible and I’m a huge part of it which is so exciting.

    I told him all about what I’ve been thru the past few years and I’ve hardly told anyone. And we laugh about it all.

    We really inspire each other and it’s so great. But maybe I’m mad having this crush…. I don’t know…..anyway it’s just a crush and it’s great having him back in my life and so wonderful having my friend back. Just had to tell someone ….

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    • Elle

      How wonderful and exciting! You never know what’s around the corner hey!? Enjoy

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  8. Tim Tams and Mint Slice

    Worst: Got slammed at work after producing a piece of work which I was reasonably proud of but apparently my manager thought was absolute shite. Now I’m feeling like absolute shite. :( On the whole I really enjoy my job but my manager drives me bananas – we tend to disagree on almost everything. I actually really dislike the guy and it’s the one thing at work that brings me down. How do you work for someone who you don’t respect professionally and you think is an idiot?

    Best: So pumped for the marathon on Sunday! It will be number 4 for me – my goal is to knock off 10 Melbourne Marathons before I turn 40 (still a few years up my sleeve).

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    • Elle

      Four marathons?! What a wonder woman!!!

      Re the work situation I guess you have to way up what is most important to you..the relationships with those you work with, the work you do or maybe your self respect/values. If this is a dream job and it would be difficult to find another maybe you focus on that and just put up with the shit boss. On the other hand maybe you feel it isn’t worth the struggle and find something else.

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      • Tim Tams and Mint Slice

        Thanks Elle, I do really love my job and don’t want quit so I think it’s worth sticking it out. Just need to learn how to handle him I guess. Maybe I have issues with authority – today I told my GM that a suggestion she made for the title of our new brochure was “a bit naff”. Somewhere in my head I thought she’d appreciate an honest opinion (she’s surrounded by ‘yes men’) but the look on her face was pretty thunderous. I’m so crap at office politics :(

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    • Anon

      I could have written your worst word for word! Im hearing you!

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  9. Emmeline

    Best: I just received my 50 Shades of Grey CD and I am SO excited as I am someone who never wins anything! THANK YOU VERY MUCH Mamamia.

    Best 2: My MIL unexpectedly bought me a magazine subscription to a women’s fitness magazine.

    Worst: Found out today my credit card has two fraudulent activities on it, the purchase of a rail ticket in France. $112 each plus foreign transaction fees. Have cancelled my card and the Bank’s fraud team is taking care of it. Just a pain when I have to re-arrange direct debits etc.

    Worst 2: After loving the gym all year and embracing really clean healthy eating my husband now informs me that he thinks I am too thin (163cm and 50kg) and he preferred me how I was when we met (about 62kg). I admit I have lost all my boobs and my top half is pretty bony but I FEEL strong and like the way I feel in my clothes. Is that so bad?

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    • Faybian

      Men tend to like Women being curvier. He’s obviously one of them and maybe he’s concerned that you may lose more weight.. Given that you’ve admitted that youre getting a bit bony, maybe he’s got a point.

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  10. Amanda

    Best: just received my 50 Shades of Grey CD from Mamamia! Can’t believe I won!!

    Worst: tired and cranky. I work full time and have 2 kids under 3 and I hate leaving them each morning and being tired and grumpy around them. I know it will get better but it is so hard now.

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  11. SoMuchSerenity

    Worst: My friends fiance, he doesn’t like me, he is arrogant and I really don’t like him much at all, I have my reasons for not liking him but I dont know what I have done to him. Sad thing is that she is one of my oldest closest friends and I can’t tell her how I feel, and she has changed a bit since being with him. Do some men feel threatened by their partners friends or something?

    Best: Unexpected financial windfall this week, although I keep money matters to myself, I have friends who dont have much at all and I would never want to make anyone feel bad.

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  12. Kate

    After my week of worsts last week, this week has been pretty good. My boss was away from work most of the week, I got tickets to see Pink with some awesome friends, and my mum and I are having a girls night at a new restaurant tonight.
    The only “worst” for me this week is the lack of cuddles, but it wont be much longer…

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  13. cher

    Best: My beautiful nephew was born this week! It’s been a long road for his parents so delighted their dreams finally came true! Can’t wait for my first cuddle.

    Worst: Will have to wait a couple of months for my first cuddle – they all live a bit far away :(

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    • Elle

      Ooh! Tell us more about this very gorgeous man! I want to live vicariously please! Haha

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  14. Anon for this!

    Best: I am currently at work drunk because I spent all last night and this morning having wild sex with a super hot man. I AM SO HAPPY! It had been far too long.

    Worst: My impending hangover, and the piles of work I’m supposed to be doing right now, which is definitely not going to get done. I am a terrible employee though because I don’t really care!

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  15. Faybian

    Best: had a night out at Cloudland in fortitude valley in Brisbane last night for my daughter’s 25th.
    Worst: more people at work losing their jobs, it just goes on and people are starting to get a bit paranoid due to the uncertainty of our own positions.
    OMM: very windy today and it was a cold wind. Good excuse not to go for a walk.

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  16. Shaezy

    Best: I’m loving the story idea that is brewing in my noggin right now.

    Worst: Have had multiple panic attacks since last Thursday, all of which had origins, but today I had one at my desk for no bloody reason at all. Freaked my boss out, and I’m left exhausted. Bring on bedtime….

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    • Elle

      How awful. Panic attacks are horrific :( hope you’re sleeping soundly and feel a lot better shortly !

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  17. maggie

    This just freaking happened – I didnt have a worst but I do now!

    Worst: Just found out my favorite band is coming to Perth next month. I go to buy tickets. After I am done, they are suddenly half price!!!

    So instead of updating while I am purchasing that the price changed, I am get totally ripped off! I sent Ticketek a VERY strong email about it.

    But I know nothing will happen. SO freaking angry right now!

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    • neola

      oh crap! who is it?

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  18. K

    Best: Julia Gillard’s speech – so awesome and so great to hang out with other women and talk about it yesterday.

    Worst: some of the reactions from some of the men in my life shooting her down, denying there is any sexism in Australian public life, trivialising or laughing at my reaction to it. One guy actually asked me if it was “that time of the month”. Quite disheartening. I also got back on twitter for the first time in a month and found some guy had tweeted “stick to getting your tits out luv. Leave the hard stuff to us” in response to one of my tweets. It was just a troll, but on top of the rest of it, I feel like there is a gulf between the sexes at the moment. Thank god for my incredible husband.

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    • kateb

      i fully agree, i am on a board, i do the finacial stuff: the president tells me he supports equality, yet the meeting this week was ” boy if you vote for that you will vote for gillard”!!!! when i challenged him he was amazed anyone would wantt a woman as a leader.

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  19. maggie

    BEST: A good friend who lives interstate just sent me a ultrasound pic of her bub that is on the way! I just burst into tears I am so happy!
    Best news I have had this year! I so wish I could see her and her hubby more often!

    OMM: Getting fit and eating clean

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    • nikster

      I’m also getting fit and attempting to eat clean (at least some of the time). You should check out Amanda’s Daily Dose of Awesome on Facebook and have a read of her blog mevsthebulge. It always gives me a kick when i’m feeling unmotivated. Heaps of good clean eating recipe ideas.

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      • maggie

        Thanks!

        I also suggest Tumblr, a blog site I use. I am following a lot of “fitblr’s” as they call them.
        Full of motivating stories, words, idea etc

        If I am ever down it makes me feel better. Such a great community on there.

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  20. Lucy Ormonde

    Newsroom, Kahla. You’ve got to get into Newsroom.

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    • Lulu

      My current new favourite is Boardwalk Empire, which just started on SBS.

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    • Kahla

      I’ve heard good things! And I can totally claim it as ‘study’ for my journalism course… ;)

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    • Anonymous

      I’m loving ‘Suits’. It’s a great show!

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  21. oops

    YIKES. whoever sent your newsletter probably just had their worst of the week.

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  22. Rach the Muso

    Best: It’s my birthday (at least in some part of the world)!

    Worst: I’m now 30.

    OMM: Totally sick of living the ‘grad teaching assistant’s spouse’ life…had our dinner plans cancelled because of crap that needs doing. Bring on full time teaching next year for a holiday!

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    • chef

      Happy Birthday Rach. x

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    • beansbeansthemagicalfruit

      Happy birthday Rach!

      And here’s to coming home soon :)

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  23. Sarah

    best: making plans to go to derb day and melb cup. I’vepicked a dress, now the fun of finng a hat and acessories.

    What colour do people thing would go best with a mint green dress? I reckon gold would look geat but then I have no idea what colour headwear.Or I would go match it with a cream and blush combo but it may lack oomph. Or be totally out there and go for a pop of coral!

    So many decisions to make!

    Worst: very little time for exercis this week. I’m craving endorphins!

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  24. picardie.girl

    Best(s): Kicking goals at work. Ramping up the exercise. Mostly eating well. Making changes that feel really good.

    Worst: Adrenal fatigue (or just fatigue in general). Been easily overwhelmed and emotional lately. Need to spend more time on my own in a restful kind of way.

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  25. Cinnamon

    Best – It’s slowly starting to get colder here but we’ve had good-ish weather for the past 2 days so we’ve been making the most of it and going for walks to enjoy whatever sunshine we have left until winter hits!

    Worst – It’s my mum’s birthday on Sunday and I hate that I’m on the other side of the world and can’t be there with her. Sent her some flowers online but it’s still not the same :(

    Oh and speaking of walking outside… it’s currently Autumn here so all the leaves have started changing colour and the trees are looking beautiful! Today I saw this tree with leaves that were literally pink! I snapped this pic…

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  26. Sezzard

    Best: have had a wonderful week long holiday at a sleepy beach town in QLD! It was the perfect getaway and I even managed to finish a book (The Mystery Of Mercy Close – worth the read if you love Marian Keyes’ books). Its the first book I’ve managed to read since bub was born 8 months ago! Yay! (thankyou for the recommendations MM community)

    Worst: being two months late for my period. Two. Months. Eek.

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    • rex

      remember your body just had a baby 8 months ago so it can take time for it to get back to regular, especially if you’re breast feeding…. unless of course you could be pregnant again????

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    • Bre

      Have you done a pregnancy test?

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      • Sezzard

        I stopped breastfeeding at 3 months and got my period the following two months then nothing. I’ve done two pregnancy tests And both were negative. At month 3 I’m going to dr for some advice, it’s just concerning that something isn’t right….

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  27. Princess

    Best: Catching up with friends and having great chats. Also looking forward to the two 3rd birthdays I am going to with my Lil Man this weekend.

    Worst: My darling 12 month old daughter was diagnosed with Hand, Foot and Mouth disease……and I have no idea where she got it from

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    • rex

      Hand foot and mouth sounds awful but really it’s just a virus, so she must have come into contact with someone with it. Is she at daycare? those places are germ factories, lol. Hopefully she’s feeling better soon

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  28. Kymmo

    Best: Nothing I can really say is my best this week; it’s just all going pretty well at the moment.

    Worst: I have a couple…my best friend is going to Egypt on an archaeological dig, I am thrilled for her but will miss her so much as we talk or email every single day; my mother-in-law is struggling at the moment financially and I don’t mind helping her out at all, I just wish we were closer and doing more. I send her money every week so she doesn’t have to worry so much but I don’t feel like it’s enough. My parents and my husband and my mother-in-law tell me not to be silly and that what I do is enough.

    Anyway, have a great weekend everyone, looking forward to a sleep-in!!!

    :) xx

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    • Sydgel

      WHat a lovely, kind, supportive person you are to help out your mil. If only there were more people like you….. It think it’s so wonderful that you are worried about her and are helping her out. We should all be as kind and good xx

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  29. Sarah

    Best: It’s Friday!

    Worst: My days seem to roll together to the point where I got to work and thought it was Thursday…..

    Yes, I’ve had an average week.

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  30. Frau

    Best: Running in the Melbourne Marathon on Sunday! Yep, 42.1kms!! First time ever. Set myself a goal 18 weeks ago, signed up, got an awesome training program and have given it 100% at every single training session. I am so excited to be achieving a huge goal, and really really proud of all the hard work I have put in and am now ready to go! Also have lost all baby weight from having twins 21 months ago, and another 8kgs on top of that, so coming into summer I have the best, strongest body I have ever had in my life and feel so fit and fabulous. Before I started training I was recovering from a back injury from carrying/lifting two big heavy babies around all the time, was overweight, and feeling pretty crap.. thinking I would never get fit again. And now here I am.
    Also my sister is running in it with me, she is flying in from Perth tomorrow and we are staying in a hotel all weekend, taking a break from our kids and having a good catch up. Initially our reason for signing up for the marathon was an excuse for a kid free weekend…the things we will do hey!!

    Worst: Coming up to the end of my second year of maternity leave. Don’t want to go back to current job, they won’t be flexible, I will be overworked and stressed, I’ve seen it happen with the very few mothers that do work there, also the boss is a horrible person and I have had the time to step out of the workplace and look at it from afar, and it’s just not a healthy environment. Would love to stay with the babies another year and then go back, maybe to another job, but hate the prospect of job hunting with a 3 year gap on my CV. Hmmmmm….. at the crossroads.

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    • maggie

      Congrates on the marathon! It’s not easy sticking to a plan, but it sounds like you smashed it! You should be very proud :)
      I am on my way to try and do the same thing next year!

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    • jenomi

      Twins and a marathon – I’ve just found a new hero. Good luck Frau, wishing you all the very best. You’re going to feel amazing once you hit that last k!

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    • Stevie

      Go you! I am doing the 5.7 on Sunday (sounds lame compared to the marathon!) and like you, set myself a goal a couple of months ago as a way to help overcome an anxiety disorder. It has helped me more than I imagined and I am so proud to be racing on Sunday. Good luck for the run!

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  31. Anonymous

    Worst: yesterday’s Sorry Julia post (so yes I have had a good week).

    Best: the world’s coolest sound, two babies under two who have both woken up happy still in their cots happily gurgling and giggling away

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  32. Carisma

    Best: Lease expired on our rental and the landlord isn’t upping our rent if we re-sign for 6 months, hoorah! Perfect as ewe don’t want to commit to a long lease as we’re expecting to have enough for a unit deposit saved by mid 2013 :)

    Worst: The only person keeping me sane at work is finishing up with us today as she moves onto bigger and better things. Happy for her taking a great opportunity but sad I can’t come with her!

    OMM: Why the dr hasn’t got back to me RE my treatment plan for my ‘genetic high cholesterol’, while I’m trying to ‘be good’ it would be great to have that official dietary plan to force me into doing the right thing!

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  33. maybedaisy

    This has been me. All week. TGIF. Love to everyone. xx

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  34. Scorp

    Best : telling my partner I am pregnant. He was so happy and surprised! It was a very special moment. I had only known for a day and waiting to tell him when he got home from work felt like days!

    Going away this weekend too, it is exactly what we need!

    Worst : feeling very overwhelmed with everything as this is my first pregnancy. When should I tell my employer (I’m 6 weeks) because my job is physical, I do 12hr days, it is hot etc, I’m concerned I won’t last too long before its too much for me. Maybe that’s something the doctor will determine. That’s just one of the thousands of questions floating around in my head!!

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    • Faybian

      Talk to your doctor, particularly if your job is physically demanding, but most pregnancies can “handle it”. Most people don’t let their employer know until after the 12 week mark.

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    • Zepgirl

      Ah, I was waiting for your post! That must have been a great moment with your partner. I agree with Faybian in that when it’s early days you should be fine, although it’s possible that you might feel more tired than normal. Watch yourself if you get morning sickness though and are throwing up, don’t want to add dehydration into it if you’re also hot.

      Good luck! There are a number of midwives on here (me and Faybian included) who are always keen to answer questions should they arise.

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    • Lucy Ormonde

      Congrats!

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      • Scorp

        Thanks for your helpful replies! I have a doctors appointment tomorrow so will bombard him no doubt with all the questions I have.

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  35. phoodietweets

    Forgot to add another BEST!

    I had not been to the movies in 3 years!!!!!!!!!!! And I went last night and saw “The Intouchables” and it was INCREDIBLE!

    Absolutely inspiring and uplifting. HIGHLY recommended.

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    • Zepgirl

      THREE YEARS?! Holy hell, that means you’ve missed at least half of the Harry Potters!

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    • Kahla

      Phoodie, I LOVED the Intouchables! I saw it last year in France while I was on exchange… watched it in French, I’m not quite fluent so I definitely missed a few of the jokes/cultural references. Think I might go see it in English now to know what I missed :) It was incredible though.

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      • Phoodie tweets

        INCREDIBLE! I want to see it again!

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  36. iamevilcupcake

    I wasn’t actually going to do a best and worst because my stuff seems so trivial. But whatevs.

    BEST: It’s Friday. I have a weekend of doing very little coming up. Might be Skyping with someone I met on Twitter tomorrow which is scary and fun and exciting at the same time. He’s cute :)

    BEST/WORST: So the worst part of this is on Monday I found out that Gamer Guy hooked up with his ex gf when he was overseas, and looks like he is getting back with her. Monday I was a mess. But from Tuesday (this is my best) on, I have been cutting back contact with him so that I can get over him. And it’s working! I talked to him last night and there was no flutter or anything! Yay!

    Not sure whether this is a best or worst. GG and I have another friend we game with, I’ll call him GG2. Anyway, he’s been losing weight recently and yesterday I saw a pic of him on Facebook that was only taken a week ago. OH. MY. GOD. The guy is (sorry for the swears) fucking hot. Seriously.

    So I’m now one of those girls who has TWO freakishly hot guy friends. Be jealous :)

    Don’t forget I have a blog http://iamevilcupcakeblog.wordpress.com/

    Have a good weekend everyone! Love and cupcakes to all!

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  37. Chachi

    OMM: Had a doctor’s appointment today about my weight issues and she prescribed Metermine. I am slightly scared because it all feels very real now. While I am not ridiculously overweight, it is enough to make me unhappy and scared about my health. Just wondering if anyone else has been on Metermine in the past and if there are nay symptoms I should expect. Also did you have good results?

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    • Sydgel

      what is Metermine???? I’d love to know about it as feeling depressed about my weight. Did you ask for it or did your doctor recommend it?

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      • Chachi

        Doctor recommend it because I asked about ways I could kick start my metabolism. Have struggled to lose weight through exercise and diet and felt like I needed something more.
        She suggested Metermine which is an appetite suppressant.

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  38. becauseimthemum

    Worst: Went to tuck Mr7 into bed last night and he told me he doesn’t like himself. It broke my heart. I asked him what he didn’t like about himself, he said his tummy. He is a little chubby and I’ve been aware of it for a while now but the battle to get him to eat less and get outside to play more is huge. Every meal it’s a battle to stop him eating more. He gets the same good food as my other children but he’s a hoover. He will always ask for seconds, always offer to finish the food off someone’s plate, always put too much spread on his toast, always serve himself too much cereal – then carries on when I try to limit the amount he’s eating. He swims once a week but now that rugby season is over there are no more weekly training or games. He needs to get out and run every day. Which leads to my best……

    Best: I told him I could help him with his tummy. I made a few suggestions about different things we would do. I asked him to try not to get angry with me when I tell him he can’t have any more to eat. He started this morning by only having cereal, not cereal and toast for breakfast. He came for a walk with me when I went out this morning. We walked for about 4.5km and he only complained when we were 100m from home. He has asked to do swimming twice a week because swimming is something he likes. He seems keen and I hope it continues.

    OMM: How mean kids can be to each other. One boy at school has been telling Mr7 that his legs are fat. He has been doing it for a few years now. It’s bordering on bullying. He corners my son in the toilets or in the playground and teases him about all sorts of things. They’re not in the same class this year thankfully, but he’s still causing problems. We’ve been telling my son to ignore him, go play with other kids, but it doesn’t seem to be working. It’s not bullying in the strict sense of the word, but I think it might be heading that way. Time to have a quiet word in the teacher’s ear I think.

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    • Sydgel

      I was a very fat child and it was terrible. Thank God I took up tennis and became very slim and an exceptionally good player. Tennis opened up worlds to me, I made new friends, was admired by my peers, got healthy.

      The best thing you can do, in my opinion, is get your children into a regular sport and there are so many to choose from.

      He’ll gain self love and self respect and get slim and healthy and happy.

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      • lucinda

        Couldn’t agree more. Even though my sport (basketball) didn’t affect my weight (other than stopping me putting it on), it stopped me worrying about my figure because I knew I was fit and healthy. If nothing else, finding a sport you love is a diversion – if you are training, you don’t have time to worry about what size you are. It also has a thousand other benefits – more friends, something to do even if you don’t have many friends (like when you move to a new town), and the self-confidence that comes with learning something new.

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        • BecauseImTheMum

          I forgot to mention he also takes tennis lessons one day a week. Between that and swimming squads, I think we’ve got the whole sport thing covered.any more and he’d never have time for homework!

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    • ClaireC

      I’d call that bullying.

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    • Anonymous

      It is exactly bullying! Go see your school now!

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  39. Lila.

    Best: Finally finished planning my exchange/overseas trip. Only three months to go, super excited! Brother + sister in law finding out what sex their baby is in a few weeks and Aunty Lila is beside herself with excitement!!

    Worst: Uni, just feeling like I’m not getting anything this semester and I’m frustrated and tired.

    OMM: How to start sleeping better, I’m exhausted this week.

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  40. Kasey

    I have a worst of the week. Two of the most disturbing current affairs issues on 7:30 Report last night. Growing terrorist cells in Solo, Indonesia & growing trollism (the grotesque variety) on Facebook. It just reflects so badly on the state of humanity at the moment.

    What is going on & how can we fix it for our kids sake?

    On Indonesia, I am worried that the Bali bombings really put an end to Australians visiting and living in Muslim areas of Indonesia like Jakarta and Yogyakarta. And I believe that is an important part of ensuring our relationship with Indonesia is preserved.

    With Trolls, I fear the increase is due to the raised profile of trolls in the media recently, with stories like that of Charlotte Dawson. My sympathy for her has diminished to almost nothing.

    And on that happy note, I’m off. To have a nice weekend with my cherished ones!

    I think these issues dwarf any sexism/feminist issues that might be floating around. Not to say that I don’t agree that sexism is yuck. It’s just not that big on my list of evils!

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  41. phoodietweets

    BEST:

    Yet to come, the wedding of one of my oldest and dearest friends, tomorrow night!

    WORST:

    Not enough TIMMMMMMEEEEEEEEEEE in the day! I mean at the moment there really, truly isn’t.

    I am a super duper whiz at time management, it’s not that, it’s just that I have quite a bit going on at the moment (all fabulous and exciting opportunities, many of which are to do with my blog and cooking) and I just feel I DO NOT HAVE ENOUGH TIME to do everything. Another 12 hours a day would do it!

    OMM:

    Banoffee Pie

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  42. anon for this

    Hoping someone can answer my question.

    Long story short was that I was using my lunchbreak to do a timed quiz for a grad job next year. The quiz simply said I had 15 minutes – it didnt say how many questions. Murphys Law struck and urgent things came up which stole maybe 3 minutes of my allocated time.

    I did all the questions I could, in the allocated time, but the time ran out. I have no idea how many questions I did. I freaked out and rang the provider, who said he wont tell me how many i completed, but there were 35 questions. He mentioned that the time out happens to a lot of people.

    I suppose what im hoping someone will answer for me is:
    Is it a HUGE deal if I dont get through all the questions. Im thorough without being slow, so I daresay the ones I completed were many, and likely mostly correct. So have I shot myself in the foot? I dont want to be THAT person who complains and tries to get another go, but i want to know if i can safely assume i have screwed up, and not pin my hopes on this particular job.

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    • Bedizz

      Oh – that sux a bit! But I would think the time limit is to add pressure, the outcome of which might set the good from the bad in those that make mistakes. If you were accurate, you probably gave them what they’re looking for.. and you may still get a shot at the next level. I’d stay positive, but also keep my options open and keep looking just in case :)

      How did you find out about the grad job? Is there a main grad jobs recruiter? I’m graduating (psychology) next year and only now the though has occured to me that I’ll need a job at the end of it! :)

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  43. Spoonerist

    Best: Realising I have a crush on a colleague. Such a devilish and delicious feeling!

    Worst: Um, I have a fiance. Who I adore.

    OMM: Having a fiance and a crush on a colleague at the same time. Though in a bizzare twist, as the colleague is female like me, my fiance has given me a free pass.

    Question: Do I take advantage of the free pass if the opportunity presents itself, and risk a mindfuck? I reckon I could handle it. But… could I? Really?

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    • lealea

      If it were the other way around would you want your fiancé doing that? That’s how I would consider it.

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    • Sydgel

      Experiment of course if you wish. but remember the saying – don’t get your meat where you get your bread – or something like that….

      Waaaaayyyyy too complicated with a colleague.

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    • Anon

      I would be so careful here. He may say he is giving you a free pass, but if it turns into reality, it might be a different story. Would you really risk it for a crush?

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    • Spoonerist

      Thanks for the advice guys. I think you may be right and I should leave this well alone. I will enjoy the crush from afar and when it blows over I’ll be glad a didn’t risk a mindfuck for something so fickle.
      x

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  44. zabie

    Forgot to add in my other comment, some TV show suggestions! These are all ones that I like.

    - Rake
    - Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries
    - Curb Your Enthusiasm
    - Offspring
    - Boardwalk Empire
    - Community
    - Sherlock
    - Winners & Losers
    - House Husbands

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    • LJA

      Rake is so cool!

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    • gypsy

      How funny was Rake last night!

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      • Kris2040

        I’m a recent convert to Rake. Once uni’s done in a couple o weeks, I really want to watch the first series!

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        • Lizi

          Me too! Like Silk, I didn’t find out how good it was until season two. Now I have to watch season one. Love a good legal show.

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    • Kahla

      Thank you Zabie! You’re preaching to the choir on ‘Community’ – one of the funniest shows I’ve ever seen. I am really interested in ‘Boardwalk Empire’ too. Will definitely look into these!

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  45. Two lines Hurrah!

    Best: Pregnant! Had a hunch monday, confirmed on wednesday, and in perfect timing had a day off planned for today so happily lying in bed talking to my teenie tiny baby.

    Worst: Nope. Nothing. It’s a day off work and we are having a baby. No worst.

    OMM: Well pregnancy obviously! How to hide my sudden diet changes from friends and work colleagues. What do you do if you go to a friends for dinner and they have made chicken stuffed with brie and bacon?

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    • phoodietweets

      CONGRATULATIONS!!!! That’s awesome news! :)

      Re: your dietary question…. if you really, truly, don’t want to tell anyone before 12 weeks (or before whenever) I honestly found the best thing for me was to NOT put myself in those situations. I’m a non-drinker so alcohol was never an issue for me, but in my 1st pregnancy I was quite particular about what I ate and didn’t eat so I just laid-low for those weeks….. it actually wasn’t too hard as we were living O/S and so most of our family and friends were in Aus i.e. not many invites to dinner at people’s places…..

      Also, you would be pretty unlucky to be served an ENTIRE meal that you couldn’t eat… so if you do still want to attend those dinners etc just “eat around” what you don’t want to consume……

      Most of all relax and enjoy!!! (Enjoy – assuming you feel no morning sickness?! )

      :)

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    • Kris2040

      I don’t think you need to restrict yourself that much. there are very few things you can’t eat when pregnant.

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    • chillax

      everything in moderation is fine, just eat normally but dont gorge on the entire block of brie!
      Congratulations.

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    • Enjoy the chicken

      I think you should be able able to eat that anyway, Bacon is fine to eat when your pregnant right? and soft cheese should be fine if it is baked and you eat it hot?

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      • Kris2040

        All Aust cheese is pasteurised as well, so it’s safe. It’s only stuff made with raw milk that is dodgy.

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  46. zabie

    Best: my bf’s small business idea starting to take off, seeing him so proud and excited about it. Also, getting back into healthy eating and exercise after a few weeks of bad health. And, my family visiting town this weekend to take me out for a birthday dinner! It’s been a good week, actually, lots of bests!.

    Worst: procrastinating with uni work and falling further and further behind in lectures…but I have a while before exams to catch up, so not too bad.

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  47. thepinkshoe

    Best: homeland is back on Sunday-haven’t been this hooked on a series for a long time. Was very annoyed that they pushed it back a week because of the Julian assange story.

    Worst: depression is still alive and well- making me feel the opposite. I feel like I’m being punished for something I did. Otherwise I don’t know why I have to have this horrible illness.

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  48. jenomi

    Hi Mamamia, I see that you have disabled comments on Hugo Schwyzer’s ummm, curious, piece, so I’m writing this here. I am interested to know why you think Hugo is the right kind of writer for mamamia? I totally get that it’s a site full of differing opinions and I think that’s fab, but I think this guy’s past and his responses to it make for an uncomfortable fit with this site. I don’t know all that much about him, but I don’t think I would want to be associated with him if I were in your position. Anyhoo, I’ve loved the articles this week, good stuff. xx

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    • thepinkshoe

      Completely agree on this. I’m all for different opinions but this guy has written some horrible stuff about ex partners. It’s a shame he is allowed to embarrass his ex wife on this site.

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    • Natalia

      Hey Jenomi! Hugo’s actually writing a follow-up article that will address some of the comments left on that post – look out for it. Thanks for your lovely feedback xx

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      • jenomi

        Thanks for the reply Nat, I will look out for it next week. I wonder if he’ll address some of the other, more nasty, skeletons in his closet…!

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  49. MissV

    Best: finally get to see my boy tonight. I haven’t seen him since Saturday last week and I miss him!

    Worst: I feel horrible and just want to go home but can’t as I’m the only one here. I’m so sick of this understaffed issue and so sick of the receptionist (who I’m covering at the moment) always taking Friday’s off when she knows we’re already one down and it leaves only one person here. Selfish i tell ya!

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  50. Cat

    Best/Worst: Week was pretty ok until yesterday.
    OMM: Almost 12 months ago, we started a run of bad luck. Firstly my husband was made redundant from the big corporation he was working for. The very same day, I discovered a lump in my breast, which turned out to be a cyst, but it was a scary time waiting for the results. Two weeks after that, with much delight, I discovered I was pregnant. My husband found it difficult to get a new job. There were few in his field in Victoria, so he started looking further afield. Whilst he was looking, I lost our baby at 10 weeks. We were devastated! My husband was eventually offered two jobs, one interstate and one overseas. We took the interstate role, as I didn’t want to be too far away from family and friends. So, in early autumn, we packed up house, left my job and moved to the other side of the country. Two days before we left, I discovered I was pregnant AGAIN. Gripped with excitement and fear, we said our goodbyes and took off on our adventure. Arriving in our new state, with very few possessions (they were in storage), no house and no family or friends, we were once again devastated to lose this second baby two weeks later. This was complicated by the fact that each time I miscarry, I need to go to hospital, as I have a negative blood type and need to have an Anti-D injection. We also have a two year old, who didn’t understand what was going on. This was a very overwhelming time. Since then, we have found a lovely house, started to make friends, and just enjoy our new chapter.

    That was until this week.

    My wonderfully ample breasts have been giving me grief recently, to the point where I would happily have them cut off. My doctor thinks it might just be the wire in my bra bruising the flesh, but wants to do a scan to be sure. This is fine; I can handle wearing ‘old-lady’ bras without underwire. I can handle the fact that I might see some black circles on my scan. And I pray that the doctor is right and it’s just bruising because I don’t think I could handle telling my loved ones if they found ‘something else’. I will find out on Tuesday.

    Then on Tuesday, just gone, I discovered I wasn’t pregnant. Whilst very disappointed, with what was about to come our way, I’m kind of glad I’m not.

    Last night, my darling husband comes home, much later than usual. I know he’s been out for drinks after work, but there was a different air about him. He has been under a lot of pressure at work recently. They are undergoing restructures, and he is on the project team responsible for the roll outs. He changes and comes to join me on the couch. Nothing unusual about this, until he starts to tell me about his day; “There’s some strange office politics going on at the moment.” He says. I ask him to clarify what he meant. He told me he’d been called into a meeting with his manager and ‘offered’ a redundancy package. WTF? Who gets ‘offered’ a redundancy? Usually, it’s “your role is no longer viable, here is your package!” His manager told him that she was worried that he might become frustrated in the company if his plans and goals couldn’t be realised, and that there was a package there if he wanted it. Take it or leave it. This has rocked him terribly. He already feels guilty for dragging his wife and child all the way across the country. And now his manager is trying to push him out of his job, in a very passive aggressive manner.

    My heart is breaking for him. He is now faced with making a decision. Does he stay in a work environment where his boss obviously doesn’t value him or his contributions or does he take the package and its considerable remuneration and become unemployed? AGAIN! Moving back home isn’t really an option for us, as there aren’t roles for him there. He is reluctant to uproot his family again, but he also knows that we will follow him wherever he needs to go. But in all honesty, I don’t want to move again. I love my husband dearly and don’t want to be without him, but I’m bloody angry with him at the moment. I know this probably isn’t helpful. I’m not being as supportive as a wife should be. I’m angry because I am voiceless in this situation. I have no ability to change or make a difference, no control whatsoever. And I really don’t like it. At. All!
    Becoming a mother has thrown up lots of issues that I never, ever thought I would have to face. I was more than ready to leave my job behind and become a stay-at-home mother. I was 40 and had to wait a long time to start my family. Not for a minute did I ever imagine that I would miss having to go to work, talk with my colleagues about things, other than nappies, feeding and sleeping routines. Nor did I realise just how much I would resent having to be accountable for every cent I spent. Not earning a wage has really been hard for me. I still struggle to see the money as mine/ours. And let’s just say, there are often very animated discussions around this topic. And now, I feel like a plastic bag at the mercy of the wind. My son and I are totally reliant on my husband and his income to survive. So wherever he goes, we go too. And while this sucks, big time, I can only hope that there is a lesson in here and that he, we, I can learn from it soon.

    They say events keep occurring in your life until you learn the lessons entwined in them. I discovered this when I was single. My dating patterns, the men I chose or who chose me, all followed a similar pattern. It wasn’t until I did some serious soul searching and made some changes, that things changed. I do not want to keep going through this cycle. I seriously hope that we can identify the lesson, make the necessary changes and move on, as soon as possible. Maybe, I’m learning what it really means, ‘to have and to hold, from this day forward…for better for worse…!”
    I can only wait and see, in the words of the adorable Doris Day, “Que sera sera…whatever will be will be.”

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    • MissV

      Oh Cat,
      I really have no advice to offer you but thinking of you in what’s been a hard year for you and your family.

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    • Dolly Levi

      If its any consolation my beautiful dad lost his job this year (after 22 years in the same job) and as a result he and my mum found new jobs, 5 minutes from home and are making the double the money. So, as awful as things are now hopefully in a few months time you’ll be able to look back and say it was the best thing that happened. All the best with everything xx

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    • Minnie M

      Hi Cat
      Gosh I really feel for you, everything you said is tough enough on it’s own but coupled together is very difficult. If you have five mins to yourself think about what you really want. What would make you happy? Maybe actually writing down things and doing some old fashioned pros and cons might help you, and in turn help your husband, see things clearer.
      Remind yourself everything is just a stage and in time it all passes.
      Best of luck xx

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      • Cat

        Thank you both for your comments and thoughts. As today has unfolded, more facts have come to life and it appears his bosses in HR have been plotting this for a while. so maybe we will be better off out of there after all.

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        • afw

          If your husband has given you ALL of the facts, then it sounds to me like constructive dismissal by his employers. Especially if they haven’t previously flagged any performance issues with him.
          Get legal advice from a specialist in the field about his rights asap, especially as he hauled his family interstate to except the role.

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