[peacock 2]

I'll give 'em water shortage!

For the past few days they have been playing around with my water!

On unday thee was no water at all. Not even to flush the loo. On Monday I mananged a bracing, freezing shower as no hot water and today I had to run unwashed and un-wee-ed to work as water off again. I think the water board or maybe some cowboys are doing something locally (Hammersmith) as a colleague tells me she had a problem recently.

It is ok if you live on your own but when you share a flat with 3 others and all want to use the one loo.....which then doesn't flush!

[Sarah Ann]

Yuck - miserable! Have you phoned up to report it?

[peacock 2]

No not yet - to be honest I am surprised there has been nothing around about it.

[Sarah Ann]

Maybe they don't know that there's a problem. It might not be a widespread fault so it would need a householder to report it.

[veggie]

Ahh I remember my lovely holiday in Saltburn where the water went off after 3 days it was great apart from that. Having to carry buckets of water upstairs from outside was umm interesting!

[peacock 2]

Well you can all stop holding your noses now! I have had a shower! Thames Water did not tell our Housing ssoc that they were turning the water off and there was also a problem with one of the pumps but now all fixed.

Believe me I soaped/shower gelled and Agent Oranged under good warm water this morning. I am squeaky clean!

So different from yesterday. I had to use wet wipes. I had to go out to buy one of the Bosses a sandwich and felt so self conscious - everyone made a beeline for me when I wished they 'd stay away - I am sure I must have 'hummed' - actually maybe too much the other way what with spraying myself with a scent to cover it! Skunky, eh?

[Sarah Ann]

Agent Orange? I shall have to look that one up!

Its interesting that you felt like that after just one day - its only a generation ago that it was normal for people to just have a bath on a Saturday or Sunday night to last them the week. I actually remember a girl I went to school with called Clarice who's family didn't have a bathroom and she used to have a strip wash at the sink in the kitchen.

How times have changed!

[Sarah Ann]

According to Google, Agent Orange was a herbicide / prototype smart weopon used by the US and was possibily responsible for deformities in the children and grandchildren of people exposed to it during the Vietnam war.

I'm 99.99% sure that you didn't spray this on yourself yesterday but you've got me interested - so I shall carry on looking unless anyone can clarify.

[peacock 2]

That is right it was used in Vietnam. A bit tasteless of me to speak of it I guess- just my overexaggerating and you are right, when I was a child I was only ollowed one bath a week and one hairwash! However, now I am peri menopausal and sweaty at night so really need a good shower in the morning!!

[peacock 2]

That's why even when really down I usually count my blessings - I say to myself at least I have hot and cold running water and electricity!

[Sarah Ann]

Soya

I've been through the night thing and came out of the otherside. The ONLY thing that sorted me out was soya. HRT was as useful as a chocolate teapot. I used the soya tablets (from Boots) and I used to get this really weird ground up soya bean drink from the local Chinese supermarket which was totally fantastic. I used to drink one about an hour before bedtime and, bliss, no night sweats.

[Sarah Ann]

That probably didn't make much sense.

I had a hysterectomy which threw me in to an early and immediate menopause and I really suffered. I did loads of research and found out that menopause symptoms are virtually unheard of in places where the women eat or drink lots of soya products. So, after experimenting (disasterously) with HRT I finally settled on eating and drinking as much soya stuff as I reasonably could.

[peacock 2]

Mmm. I have heard about Soya - do you know what the tablets were called?

And the Chinese thing? I can get that when next in China town if I know what it is!

Actually I feel so guilty for moaning on about no water and my toothache cos one of my bosses - his wife has secondary cancer of the back. She will have to have more chemo but it is not looking good so very sad. Apparently he knew since March which makes sense cos he has been extremely scatty and occasionally 'picky' which is how he gets when his wife has health problems. So sad cos she is such a fun lady (well she puts up with him!!!)

[Sarah Ann]

The Chinese thing - I don't know what that was called. I just went in and asked the woman who owned the shop for her advice the first time. After that I just took in a packet wrapper (written in Chinese). It comes in a box of little sachets and you mix the contents of each sachet with water - and drink it very fast because it tastes weird.

I think some of the tablets from Boots were called Estroven - but from my experimentation this is one case where it really does pay to get the most expensive you can. Don't bother with tablets that have got the natural soy as part of a long list of vitamens - what you are after is the highest level of soy isoflavones that you can get.

How sad about your boss's wife - it must be a scary and worrying time for them both. At least now you know you'll be able to make allowances for his pickiness.