Seven Things that make me Grumpy

I kinda volunteered for this - so my usual grumpy complaining about getting a Meme and insults for the giver of said meme will have to be left out of this one.
Anyhoo ..Elle at Defective Tykewriter has asked me what are the seven things that make grumpy...
Well - where to start...?

1. Being trapped in a stupid phone contract whilst all around me (including my husband) get android/iPhones. I want one NOW, my phone is rubbish and has been for ages, but stupid contract provider would not change without huge costs (yeah, I know I signed the contract etc...but we all make mistakes). Roll on the 22nd May. My iPhone calleth me. 
2. My husband teaching our daughters boy things. For example farting with your armpit & paper planes. Don't get me wrong, I like a paper planes but I seem to be the only person in this house able to pick them up. Also, the rather weak claim that he is teaching them 'physics' is rubbish. Lets not fancy up a paper plane. A paper plane is a paper plane is a paper plane. 
3. Back to picking things up. Socks. Little socks. Everywhere. Why oh why oh why oh why do my three year old and seven year old not need socks the minute they walk in the house and just take them off and leave them ..WHY...??????
4. Music snobs, people who look down their nose at you if you dare to like something mainstream. My iPod has a real mixture on, from Marilyn Manson to Brittany Spears, some hardcore house to The Damned. If I like it, I listen to it. If I don't I don't. Get off your high horses and get over yourselves.
5. The same applies to the telly. I like Big Brother, but I don't like/get I am a Celebrity get me out of here, but I don't think any less of the people who watch it. I don't watch soaps but I like geeky Sci Fi stuff. Similarly, people who say..oh I don't have time for TV, that's fine but don't think less of me because I do - and yet surprisingly I can read a book too.
6. The BNP. I am all for freedom of speech but come on...really. Where did all the people on this Island called Great Britain come from? Everywhere else. Thats all. 
7. My brain makes me grumpy. I used to be an optimist and glass half full - now look at me. I thought of this list without even trying - I haven't mentioned anything about ageing and all the physical ailments that go with it, I also totally agree re:texting on Elle's post, it really annoy's me, use prescriptive text for God's sake. I want my brain to be back in my twenties when I was full of hope and positivity.

I am going to pass the joy of the Grumpy meme to anyone who wants to give it a go. It's quite cathartic and I might do another 7 just for the heck of it.

Conversations with my husband

My husband and I were having our usual chat in the car on the trip back from Shrewsbury to Birmingham, after visiting my parents for Sunday lunch.

It is one of those times when our eldest puts her iPod on and our little one goes to sleep. So it's a chance for us to have an 'adult' conversation.

Today's conversation was about my hair and then went from there. I have recently stopped bleaching my hair blonde, so I now have a grey and brown/black kinda crew cut type thing going on. So I have gone from this - 

To this - 

Please allow for the fact I have make up on in one picture and none in the other....!

Now the odd thing is, when I bleached my hair white blonde (anybody call it yellow and you will get a slap), people said things like - 'Oh that looks nice' - Nobody really commented on the 40 something lady with the girly blonde mohican, (Not to my face, anyway).

However, when I had all the blonde cut out, I am suddenly the cause of much conversation and consternation;

'Oh, what colour are you going to go now?'

'Are you going to grow it?'

'Do you like the grey?'

The thing is I kinda do. I like it short - when its long I just tie it back, short it is easy to manage, and can look smart and funky (in my humble opinion). I like the grey, particularly the really white bit at the front. It suits my skin tone. I am not saying I won't go back to blonde, but right now au naturel is liberating.

The conversation with my husband went like this:

'Isn't it odd how the expectation is that I should dye my hair, but no one suggests it to you' Me.

'No, but it's getting that way, with manly moisturiser with mannish names like Bullet' Him

Giggling..'Machine gun exfoliater leaves your skin, in an extremely high testosterone state' Me

'Ready for fighting and killing things in a manly way' Him

Gaffaw 'Try Bullet moisturiser, it makes you more of a man!' Me

'Bullet pillow freshener helps you sleep even in combat mode' Him....And so on...

So much for; A, 'adult' conversation  and B, a big philosophical and deep debate about men and women's role in society today having to conform to stereotypical  norms.