The Daily Dormouse. (aka Bike, est. 2007) Part 2541 by Angharad Copyright© 2015 Angharad

The days seem to fly. Was that because I was so busy, or just getting old. The girls keep telling me I’m old, so perhaps I am. The other thing they say is, that time flies when you’re enjoying yourself. If that was the case, it was an unconscious enjoyment because I felt more pressured than a submarine. This business of being a professor, plus bank director cum environmental advisor, wife, mother and general dogsbody was anything but enjoyable. True, I like to keep busy, but there’s busy and there’s frenetic. I felt I was closer to the latter.

While I drove home I was contemplating what to do about things. We had a spare room, so we could theoretically take another body—but one who worked here. I wasn’t going to adopt anyone else, no matter how needy they were or anything else. This time it was purely a commercial relationship, they work—I pay. The girls will complain, so will Stella; but I’ve got to the stage where if they don’t agree to it, I’ll do it against their wishes. Stella will help for five minutes and then go back to her old ways. Having said that, she’s good at keeping an eye on the little ones or even feeding Lizzie when I’m out and she does occasionally collect the girls, but then Jacquie is watching her two when she does.

Jacquie has passed her test but she doesn’t like driving a biggish car like the Ford. I think Simon was going to suggest the bank finds Stella something nicer than the Fiesta and Jacquie could have that as her own car. I know I shouldn’t be increasing the car population, which is already ridiculous but she could do with one to get to and fro her college. She’s restarted her access course and wants to go to university to do gender studies or something. I’m not quite sure what that means exactly, but I suspect it’s to do with academic feminism, looking at the suppression of women (or men) and how to prevent it.

I can’t say I feel suppressed because the men in my life tend to try to exercise equality except neither want to do things they deem women’s work, with exception of putting the girls to bed. They are both capable of feeding the kids, even the little ones, and changing them—but they won’t if they can avoid it. They also tend to avoid housework if they can, but then I avoid gardening and car washing. Are we too stereotyped? Could be I suppose, but I prefer housework to gardening—well most of it.

At dinner that night, I announced that I was going to advertise for a housekeeper or domestic, possibly live in because I was exhausted. I was prepared to argue until I ran out of breath to get my way but no one but Simon said anything and he supported me. I glanced around the table and they were all accepting what I said. Even David, who’d stayed for his evening meal because he was feeling a bit down, was nodding his agreement.

He’d promised the girls, Trish, Livvie and Meems, that they could bake some cakes after they finished their homework. I’d agreed to it because he was staying for company not working. He was feeling lonely with Hannah and her mum. There was still no sign from them on facebook or elsewhere. I know Ingrid had got a job with the tourist people, but whether she was still there, I had no idea.

I suddenly realised that we had the spare cottage next to David’s now that the girls had gone, so a live in was a definite possibility. Before I went off to organise an advert, I suggested David moved into the spare room if he felt that bad, but he said he’d be okay in his cottage as he could watch the telly or play his music without worrying he was waking the babies. He did, however, thank me for the offer.

I did the ad and showed it to all the adults, they made helpful suggestions and I went back and modified my first draft and felt quite happy with it.
Housekeeper/domestic help wanted. Duties will include general housework, cleaning, laundry etc., and as necessary, supervision of children. 40 hours per week on average but may be required to work extra or split shifts as needed by large family. Cooking may be needed occasionally. Remuneration is above the average so the person we’re seeking will need to be too. Accommodation available. References essential, reply to Box No.... for job description.

I emailed it to the Echo along with their fee for a whole week. I wasn’t looking forward to interviewing again, but I was beginning to feel desperate. I even thought about using an agency until we appointed.

I revised the job description from last time and felt quite good about it thinking I’d get more support from the others for a housekeeper than I would resigning my professorship or bank directorship. In fact, Henry had made it known that he was pleased to have me as a professor both as environmental advisor and director of the two combined—director of environmental management.

I had two staff who did most of the running about, reporting to me once a week, usually over a video link. They also sent reports of anything I asked them to look at. So I didn’t go chasing round the banks taking temperatures, that was now all computerised and it fed back by itself so it could be monitored easily. Given the number of branches we had, that was a job by itself.

In some ways we became like management accountants, looking at the amount of paper we used and other resources, to see if we could improve it. That was the job of my second assistant who liaised with the management accounts department and so far it was working quite well.

Alan had finished the DVD for the meeting and a dozen were sent to the bank—to Henry’s p.a. who would distribute them to other directors with the other reports. I was half expecting some resistance to my request for funding for three years at least for the dormouse study with a view to extend if necessary. I would supervise the project myself with an annual review by another university. I suggested Sussex, it was close and Prof Herbert had agreed to help. I hope this would get over the criticism that it was all very cosy between the bank and my department. It was but not in an unhealthy manner. After all I hadn’t stopped anyone else from applying for grants, but no one had, at least not of an environmental sort. Henry was aware of all this and very supportive. He felt he could claim to be the greenest bank in the UK if not Europe.

In return, I hoped we, as a university, were profiting from the relationship in a purely academic way, and my film making skills were also improving. Some of the mistakes I made in the Dormouse, didn’t happen in Harvest Mice. All experience is useful if you learn from it.