40ish - Les Mis, plastic bag hoarding & subscription hell

Episode Date: October 16, 2025

Today on 40ish: Lauren and Nicole debate if there is anything worse than being asked to share a “fun fact” about yourself. In happier news, they’re dusting off their theatre binoculars and declaring their undying love for Les Misérables as they gear up for the 40th anniversary show; while still vividly remembering seeing it when it was new. (Yes, we’ve officially become the “we saw it first” generation.) Meanwhile, one listener wonders if her bags in bags in bags situation counts as hoarding (spoiler: yes, but it’s a shared affliction), and another finds herself in full-blown subscription hell trying but failing to locate her favourite show. It’s giving midlife. It’s giving relatable. It’s giving… empty chairs at empty tables. We love to hear from you! To share your feedback, dilemmas, rants, funny stories or general complaints about midlife please be in touch at: Email [e-mail] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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Hello everybody. Welcome to 40ish. I'm Nicole Goodman and I'm Laura Mishkorn. This is the podcast where we tackle all a 40-something life. Your stuff, our stuff, dilemmas, rants, stories, feedback. It's all here in one place. It's midlife moaning, basically. That's just what we should call the show, midlife moaning. But then the men would moan about it. You know, they'd be like, oh women, they're always moaning. And then they wouldn't listen. But you know, the chat, do you quite like this show sometimes yeah the chaps the dudes the fellas the lads the men I was waiting for you to finish

you done I'm done yeah okay I forgot where we are I'll tell you where we are we are saying don't forget to subscribe on Apple podcast for early access add free listening across both our shows

and bonus content you won't get anywhere else Apple podcast for $499 a month you get all of that included on this show and self-care club you just said that to you I did yeah and if you want to share your life with us please do big small rude mundane celebratory we want it all we love it all we want it all we love it all we need it all you are what makes the show what it is so please do be in touch hello at 40ish dot co.uk or you can DM us at Instagram at 40ish dot podcast. That's the one.

Right. Housekeeping out the way. Tick! What's going on? Well, the most 40ish moment of my week, I was invited to be the fourth at a game of Wist. That is a card game.

Two of the other players are actually no, one of the other players is a grandmother and one is soon to be a grandmother. Oh, this is so. So, on brand for me? Yeah. And I was going to say, like, I love this for you, but I don't think I do love this for you.

Why? Do you know, it's really fun playing cards? I love games. Yeah. And I love board games. And I love, you know, I play backgammon on my phone every night before I go to sleep. It's even more fun to play it on board with a person. It's even more fun.

Who am I going to get to do that? Adam. He is the most annoying backgammon player. Why? Because here's how it goes. I am a better backgammon player. Right. I just am.

Yeah. But I always lose. Oh. And he's like, well, if you always lose, then you are not the better player. He's like, he's not strategic. He rolls the dice. He's like, you know, he counts one, two, three, I can't stand it. Oh, he's too slow. No, it's not that he's too slow. It's not that he's too amateur and he wins.

It fucks me off. So we don't play now together. Okay. We stick to like Rummy Cup if we play a game. Okay. Well, anyway, I played Wist and, you know, I enjoyed it. And there was also food and there was also chats. Is Wiss like Rummy?

No. No. it's like I don't know what people call it up down I don't know I don't know the other names for it but it's you know it felt deeply not young

it's not no it's not young so you're all now meeting for a whisking you know my mum does that with bridge yeah are we a step away from bridge are you going to do bridge I wish am I going to do bridge I don't I don't get you what I don't get you

why wouldn't I because you're so weird about turning older like you have such a hang up about it about your age about being older and then you invest in things and you do things in ways that are really old and future proofing my life no i don't know if i don't know what it is it's like you you're fearing the thing that you're doing what is that about i don't know because neither of us are therapists so let's not bother delving into it oh i'd love to okay we'll do that on your own time not on the listeners. What's going on for you? Well, I was thinking, what is the most portish thing that's happened to me this week? And I asked my husband, he came up with nothing. And I realized that we

are going to the Les Mis 40th anniversary tomorrow. One day more, you could say, until we're going. What? Yeah. Do you like that? It's a Les Mis pun. And I got it. I got it. I am a big lame his fan me too and then it dawned on me that I actually very very clearly remembered the 10th anniversary I even had the album because obviously it always bring out an album I don't know if I went to see it I definitely went to the 25th I cannot believe that it's yeah I was pregnant at the 25th and I my daughter was about to 10 50 or 15 years ago obviously the math is mathing so that's just like wow and I'm gonna be there for the 50th anniversary and I'll probably be there for

the 60th anniversary i mean i saw it 38 years ago i saw it with the original car so did i so did i with the american frances rafel oh michael ball oh my god francis refel she was epinee yes michael bull was young yes so young and handsome and he just done or he was about to do aspects of love oh i love do you remember when he did I remember aspects of love. Love, love changes everything. I went to see that constantly. I was quite in love with Michael Bull when I was about 10.

And then here's another celebrity thing. I worked with Michael Ball. You lucky, lucky girl. You know they say never meet your heroes. Oh, don't say that. You know, when it was the last Blamey's concert, the special one, there was an evening where you couldn't get tickets, you were only invited.

And my friend had a friend in the cast, and I got to go that evening. It was, I said to him afterwards, don't tell Ollie this. But I think this was possibly the best night of my life, maybe even better than my own wedding. It was every amazing cast member. It was Alfie Boe, it was Michael Ball. It was everyone who'd been in the original cast. They all came and they sang together on this day. I can't explain to you the joy of this night.

That must have been the 25th anniversary. because that's around the time when Alfie Bo had just started to come into it. It was stumbing and they announced the new Jean Valjean at the time and I was sitting next to his girlfriend and she wept and I was like, you are very invested in the cast of Le Mitz

and she was like, it's my boyfriend. I mean, it was what a night, wow. I know, the 25th anniversary was my sister and I cried. I cried every time I see it. Colin Wilkinson came out. He's the OG Jean Valjean. he came out

but he wasn't in the show he hadn't done the show and then obviously they did a whole thing after like a whole presentation author and they had all the Jean Valjeans

like clustered together sort of singing and then everything went silent and Cole Wilkerson who's the OG Jean Valjean and you'll hear him on all the albums

and you just the voice just the voice the voice he came out on stage and obviously everyone at the O2 is just an enormous blamist fan

so everyone went up honestly watch it on YouTube everyone went absolutely crazy when he set out on stage and then he stepped all he did was step out on stage he stepped to the middle of the stage to the mic and the crowd went

I can't even tell you ballistic and it was like he's going to sing I'm actually going to witness magic now and he just started and then everything and he just like silenced the crowd and he just went God and then the whole orchestra came in

and I just cried I've actually got goosebumps I actually can't wait I can't wait. I'm very excited. Bring him home is, is, it does not get better. I can never see Les Mets too much. Ever.

But you always, I love it. I'm sorry to tell you this. Yeah. I'm sorry to tell you this. But Hamilton is the same. Like you get, I don't believe you. I don't believe you. But you can't give an opinion because you haven't fucking seen it.

And you've got such a needle about. I just don't want to see it. But why? I just have no interest in seeing it. Because, no, no. It can't possibly top it. It's completely different, but it is absolute art. It is, theater does not get better than something like Le Miz and something like Hamilton,

and they are completely different. Like, you will never, ever see anything like it ever again. Well, maybe at some point I'll go. It is. For someone who is so. adoring of the theatre you've missed a remarkable piece of theatre

that by the way that by the way now informs theatre he changed the face of musical theatre you know why I don't want to go and see it I know I know why you don't because I don't want to do homework you don't have to do fucking homework

everyone says you can listen to the album before you go you've got to know the songs before you go it's like you're being really fucking homework you're being really stubborn about it that's why I don't want to go But you're being really stubborn about it. Okay, let me be stubborn. No, no, because you're... Do what I like.

Because you're missing out on something amazing. And I know you're going to come out and you're going like. I don't see what the fuss is. I know you will. Before you've even gone, because you go with closed mind. I'm not going with you. I'm not going. I'm not going to go with me.

Or not go with me. It's fine. I'm going to my card game. Instead. That's just as cool as Hamilton. Just before we dive into your dilemmas, a quick disclaimer, we are not doctors, I know it's shocking, I know, and we are not healthcare professionals, also shocking. But if there is an issue that you are seriously struggling with, please contact a qualified expert. I've got two dilemmas today. We're extra lucky. Here we go with the first one. Are you ready?

Yeah. Dear Lauren and Nicole, I would appreciate your opinions on a dilemma that has. has been quietly haunting me for years. Like many respectable mid-lifers, I have in my kitchen under the sink, a bag full of other bags. Bags, inside bags, inside bags. Who doesn't? You don't. Of course I do.

No, you don't. But I bet you've got one bag full of bags. Some are so old, they are from a shop. Some are so old, they're from shops that no longer exist. Like Woolworths. I was just thinking Woolworths. The problem is I can't throw them out, What if one day I actually need 43 slightly crinkled Tesco bags? It's so true.

But every time I add another, I feel like a low-level hoarder. You are. Please help. Should I declutter the bag of bags, or accept that this is my non-offensive, non-dangerous midlife security blanket. Love Annie in Birmingham. Do you have bags in bags in bags? I have a whole shelf full of bags. Okay.

And I don't know why I keep them all. I don't know why you think I don't. Of course I do Because Because you don't You don't hoard stuff No I'm very anti-hording I have one bag that contains bags

Which is in the washroom And then upstairs But do you save any bag Because I don't save any bag Like if it's like a lulu lemon bag That shit's never being thrown away Well upstairs Where the coats are

There's a whole There's two shelves of bags One is large bags One is small bags like gift bags nice bags big bags you know what I mean that's a different that's a different thing if I had my way I would burn the whole lot of them

but Ollie does love to hoard bags and sometimes he haunts them in the car in the boot so that I don't know he's hoarding them but I'm not into it I'm not into hoarding of any let me tell you the worst part of it is yeah is it when I go to a supermarket which is not that often you never bring in your bag never bring a fucking bag no so you've got to pay the one pound

one pound yeah or even 20p is too much you've got to pay because you've got so many items all I'm going to do like try and like stick in my mouth in my ear and all that shit I can't be bothered so then I buy a bag and I say the same thing to the cashier every time oh I've got so many bags at home

I think everyone says that to the cashier Can you imagine how many times they hear that a day? Yeah endless and they always laugh politely but they're like as if they've never heard it fuck you you're the 18th person to tell me that this morning and I know I know I am because I know how many times I say it

do you say it endlessly yeah Oh, I just left my bag for life in the car. Yeah, because you feel so guilty buying another bloody bag. Yeah. And I do have bags for life in the car. That's the annoying part of it. So do I. But then what happens is sometimes when I take them out, because if I go to a supermarket, I think, oh, I've got a bag in my car, take it out.

And then it goes into the kitchen to unpack the shopping. It never makes it way its way back into the car. Once it's gone, it's gone. That's how you end up with the bags and bags and bags and bags. And buying so many bags. Listen, it is low-level hoarding, yes, but it's low-level hoarding that most of the population does. So I think on this occasion...

I don't know if it's most of the population. I don't know. We're just assuming because we do it. I really think it is. I don't know. I think it's okay, Annie. It's James here. I think we need to ask James.

James might not know because it might be Natalie's department. He does live in the house. Yeah, that's true. Also, the bags and bags and bags, sometimes they're really useful for like muddy rugby boots, dog stuff, you know. They're good. They are, but I never go through all the bags.

Like I don't need so many bags in bags. I just don't need so many. Nobody does. You need like four. I'd say 10. Oh, I was at three people in the summer. Oh yeah. You've seen their bags?

No. Now they do a nice bag. Why is it so nice? It's fabric. Oh, nice. That's the first thing. Okay. And the strap is like a crossbody.

Wow. And it's got... But you actually as fuck. Yeah. And it's like cream with like an orange like swirl on it. It's really pretty. really pretty to the point that my daughter

needed a tote bag for her beach bag when she went on holiday and I gave her that and she's like what is this I was like don't dis it

that's a really nice bag how do you feel about the amount of cotton tote bags that you have because you and I get a lot from like skincare things and giveaways

I love a tote bag do you I never feel like I have enough my youngest always uses a cotton tote bag for her sports kit she will not use

her sports kit bag I don't know why so I think they go to some good use i've started putting the charity shop stuff in them and just taking them to the charity shop because i have a whole cupboard with the paper bags also with the tote bags and i'm done with the cotton tote bags i don't need like 15 20 of them i need like three so they're going from time to time yeah but how do you choose because they're all so nice like you can't get rid of a free people one

i don't because it looks like a proper bag i don't have one of those nice ones you're not very free people i'm not more like or imprisoned people They're free people. Free people's a clothes shop. No, I know. It's very baggy. It's very baggy. It's very loose fitting a little bit.

I'm wearing my, these are free people jeans. Are they baggy jeans? Well, they're not like so baggy that you can't see me. They're not so bad. This stuff isn't so baggy. I always look at it and think it's very boho. It's very baggy. Yeah, it's, no, it doesn't appeal to me free people.

So I'm never going to own the tote and I'll have to just live with that. Let it go, Annie. There's worse things. There's worse things. Should we go to a break? Yes. Arc Raiders, a multiplayer extraction adventure video game set in a lethal yet vibrant future earth.

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With Amex Platinum, $400 in annual credits for travel and dining means you not only satisfy your travel bug, but your taste buds too. That's the powerful backing of Amex. Conditions apply. This episode is brought to you by Peloton. A new era of fitness is here. Introducing the new Peloton Cross Training Tread Plus, power to be powered. by Peloton IQ. Built for breakthroughs with personalized workout plans, real-time insights, and endless ways to move. Lift with confidence while Peloton IQ counts reps, corrects form, and

tracks your progress. Let yourself run, lift, flow, and go. Explore the new Peloton Cross-Training Treadplus at OnePeloton.ca. People are in trauma. Dear Lauren and Nicole, please tell me I'm not alone. Last Friday night, the kids were finally in bed, my husband was out, and I had a whole glorious evening to myself. It sounds dreamy. I made a cup of tea, got into my comfiest pyjamas,

and sat down to watch something. I then spent the next 47 minutes trying to remember which streaming service had the show I wanted. First I tried Netflix, no. Then Disney Plus, no. Prime had it, but not for free. Prime never has it for free. true we're coming back to that only for three pound forty nine to rent i already pay a subscription why did they do this to us why did they do this to us oh my god i totally agree with that we're coming

back to this by the time i logged into apple tv after requesting yet another password reset and yes nico i am with you on the qr code thing on the tv it's a nightmare or anywhere it's a nightmare i managed to watch seven minutes of my show before falling asleep on the sofa as it was so late and I had to go to bed. Please tell me this isn't just me. Should I give up and start buying DVDs again? Like it's 2005, thank you, Callie. Oh, I feel you, Callie.

I'm at the point now where I'm thinking about should we go back to Blockbusters where we walk around the store and rent one video, which is like half of the evening, isn't it? It's going to Blockbusters to choose the video. And then sometimes you open the case and it's been rented by somebody else

and you can't even watch it. Open the case. You're like, why is it on the shelf? I tried to explain this. to my kids. I was like, try and get this in your head. Rather than sitting on the sofa and then finding 85,000 films that you can just press a button on the TV and watch.

You have to physically go to a video shop, walk around the shop, find a film, rent it, come home, watch it, and then physically take it back to the video store. They can't, they couldn't get the head around that. It was such a pain taking it back though, wasn't it? Taking it back was a pain. But then, you know, it was part of the evening was going to blockbusters. Yes, absolutely. Wondering around.

Absolutely. You could buy popcorn there. Yes. You can get all your snacks there. Yes. And they were always very badly lit. Very brightly lit. Anyway, can we get back to this Amazon Prime thing? You're not the actual. I'm also a subscriber. So am I.

And so often I'll be watching something. And then it suddenly disappears. And then you've got to pay per episode. That's the worst. Or no, you can buy the whole series, but it costs slightly less. Who's buying the, no one is buying the whole series. Yeah, I had to buy yellow jackets the whole season. You bought it.

You're the person. You're the person. You're the person. I'm the person. You're bringing it down for everybody. Stop doing that. I reckon it's only you, so just stop doing it. It's so annoying.

But no other streaming service does this. Netflix doesn't do it. I paid my subscription. Leave me alone. Yeah. I'm a prime member. I'm on it every day. What else do you want from me?

I've actually sent you something from Amazon today. It's arriving at your door. What is it? You'll see when you get home. I noticed something in your house. yesterday and I was like she needs this no no it's not a bad thing it's a good thing it's not for the kitchen it's for you I was like she needs this in her life I'm just going to get it and then she'll have it what do I need in my life apart from maybe some

ashwaganda what do I'm not ashwaganda is it it anything to do with my menopause no is it to do with what's it to do with give me a clue come on it's to do with your infisiline is it a case case? No. I've got a case. I know. Is it, is it, I've got the cleaning tablets. No. It's not the cleaning tablets. What else can it be to do my visual life? You'll see. We can talk about it next week. Oh, wow. Very excited. Don't get that excited. It's nothing to do with cleaning it. No, I'm not telling you. Must be. You get home. Wait till you get at home. That's very sweet of you. Thank you. I don't know what it is. You're welcome. It sounds like a very middle age

gift, but I'm here for it. Thank you. It's a middle age gift. Anyway, I'm I'm here for I'm so with her on the prime that fucks me off also she's so right sometimes like last night I tried to log in to Disney Plus couldn't log in it's in Adam's email address so I'm texting him like what's the code what's the code he's on the tennis court and you know what he replies back he goes oh I've got the code I like go on he goes P I'm like yep P and I'm putting it into my laptop yep E and yeah N I'm thinking this is weird it's usually a number I I'm like Yes

Thank you Adam That's so helpful I'm like Just give me the code He goes Okay W W So yeah

So then you got this One time Verification code It's so annoying It's so And then you're just round It's like I've missed 15 minutes

And then as I got into Disney Plus My daughter comes down and says She's like What are you doing? What are you watching? Why are you in here? You're leaving I want to come in here

I'm like everyone Just go away Yeah Yeah Can you do a TikTok video with me. What kind of TikTok video? What kind of TikTok video? Oh, I had to put my fingers down if she said that 10 questions. Put your fingers down if

your daughter's done this. Like, oh I see. Like snuck out the house or has kissed a boy, that kind of thing. Oh, I see. I see. Okay. That's annoying. It was annoying. Yeah. I now just Google the show and then I like what channel is, blah, blah blah on and then it tells me and it saves me the time so that's my tip for you callie because i'm done with the trying to remember what channel the shows might be on it's not a channel platform platform sometimes it's a channel sometimes it's a platform depends on the show what show is not on a platform though give me like maths it's on e4 yeah okay that's on sky well or now or whatever streaming service it's a lot it's a lot it's a lot it's a lot it's a lot it's a lot of content

bloody tired it's a lot I remember when we just had four channels and then when channel five came it was exciting dog and I remember when the TV used to turn off at 1113 this is what I mean this is what teletext do you remember yeah do you remember teletext and it was that weird girl with the with the clown with the clown and like sea facts you could only look at the weather and like book holidays do you remember when people used to book holidays on see fax with it on ticker tape what the fuck But don't you think life was probably better when the telly went off at 1130

you could not stream and there was no internet and you couldn't look at Instagram or WhatsApp That's probably why the population was higher Why was the picture of the girl with It wasn't a clown? She was holding the clown She was by a blackboard She was creepy as fuck She wasn't creepy

She was creepy It was creepy You look at it now as creepy Yeah but it was of its time Was it? I think the world was a better place And who decided that photo I'd like to know Someone at the BBC

see you know when you couldn't watch naked attraction at 3am the world was a better place that's just the truth is that what you're doing i'm not watching naked attraction at 3am i'm in bed at 3 a m i'm not watching naked attraction full stop i watched it a few times i was like the last thing i just don't need to see people's willies i just don't want to see it no i really don't want to see it i definitely don't want to see the nuns i've seen enough in my lifetime yeah like put it away me put it away so who the fuck commissioned this who's going on the show who sometimes they're teachers seeing like your history teachers

balls of a Tuesday night like oh my god so he would never live that down how would he ever it's a weird it's a weird show fucking weird show man people love it why do they love it because they want to check if their bits and pieces are normal

is that why I think so I think it is why you're in the vagina business you would know better than most It's not vagina curious anymore because I've seen them all. I'm not vagina curious and I haven't seen them all. You know what? They're not remotely vagina curious. You know, my stomach's so loud this morning.

I don't know what's going on. Are you hungry? Not really. It's just loud. Callie, we understand. We do understand, Callie, and I'm just so over it. I'm over everything. Everything.

Over everything. Are we on midlife meltdowns yet? We're on feedback. Right. hi ladies i appreciated the rant about people taking too much time at the cash point and also in public lose but you missed one out when you get stuck behind someone with 42 items in the ten items or fewer cute at the supermarket or who can't use the self-checkout properly i often find myself muttering oh sure love count the avocados separately why not and suddenly i'm in full blown passive aggressive mode in saints breeze i definitely did not behave like this in my third Love you and love the pod. It's utterly relatable, Sarah. Yes, Sarah.

I have become so passive-aggressive. Have you? Oh, I can't even keep my mouth shut up this morning. This morning, I can't even tell you. I can't even, we're back, we're into my meltdown. It's just kind of a seamless link in. Everything was fucking annoying me in the gym this morning. Everything and everyone.

Firstly, there's a guy, he's on the machine I want. Okay, he's allowed. He is allowed, yeah. not just my personal gym. Anyway, so he gets off and he goes, I'm done. I'm like, okay, fine. He didn't fucking derack the machine. That fucked me off.

I know what that is because you've discussed it before. He just lift all his weights on there. It's like... It's like picking your husband's pants up off the floor. It's the same thing. It's like I get this shit at home for free. Like, just remove your weight. It's really rude.

Yeah. Did you tell him? Well, I was going to tell him. Yeah. So as I was derracking, I thought, should I tell him? Should I not tell him? Anyway, I did my thing. And I was going to tell him.

I thought, if I'd find him in this gym again, I'm going to bloody tell him. Anyway, it turned out he's waiting for the other machine. We were obviously on a similar circuit. And he was before me in the queue, so I had to say to him, oh, can I jump in with you? So I thought it was best not to have a go in because I needed him to let me jump in. But these other two guys were on this bloody machine and they're taking it in turns. Now, normally, normally what you do on a machine is you do three sets or four sets,

maximum five sets or something, right? So people are on there for like six, seven minutes, maximum. It's quarter to eight in the morning. The gym is very busy. There's one of these machines. So I said to the guys, how long are you going to be? Because I'd already seen they were on there for ages. So they said, oh, we've only got a couple of more sets.

He's like, go and do your workout and then come back. I said, well, I've done my workout and I'm waiting. He goes, well, that guy's on before you. So I see it was the guy that didn't derrats. I thought, well, I better be nice. So he let me jump in. and I'm waiting and I'm waiting and they are doing set after set

after set after set right? And I said to them, how many sets are you doing? So they were like, oh, this is set eight. Nobody does set eight sets. Especially don't do eight sets, but they're both doing eight sets.

That's 16 sets. Yeah. Right. In rush hour, in the gym. What the fuck you're doing? So I'm like, but how many are you doing? Oh, we've only got one more each. They didn't do one more each.

They were on, on, off, on, off. So I said to him again. are you actually only doing one more because I'm going to give up and he goes, well, aren't you impatient? Well, that fucked me off. You're a bit of a Jim Karen this morning. I am a total Jim Karen. Now, hold on, hold on a second, right?

That's not okay. Because what they're doing is they are hogging a machine. I mean, I don't really know or care about Jim etiquette, but I understand your point. Can you just use another machine and come back? No. Because I'd done my work, I'd already done that. Couldn't you just skip that one and gone home and had coffee and a protein shake in a shower?

Like, you know. You're missing the point, which you're going to resonate with, right? Yeah. This guy, these two guys, they are hogging the machine, which is not really right at quarter to eight in the morning in the gym. And then when I'm pulling them up on it, passive aggressively, they're then telling me that I'm impatient. There's not that I'm impatient, what you're doing is wrong. You should understand with me. impatient there. It's both things. It's both things combined. But they should understand

Jim etiquette being Jim people. Excuse me. Yeah. Excuse me. Are you going to now tell me I'm a very patient person? I wasn't going to tell you that. I was going to tell you that I'm actually just a very close friend of yours. You should be on my side. I am on your side, but they are correct. You are an impatient person. But they don't know me. They don't know me. They don't know whether I'm impatient. I could be the most patient person in the whole world world. They would still be hogging the machine they sound like a couple of hoggers anyway so I went up to someone that I did know in the gym and I started telling her yeah she goes who is it who is it so I pointed she goes he's actually a really nice bloke I'm like well he's not this morning okay anyway that was my that was my passive

aggressive meltdown it wasn't that passive it was middling I mean passive no passive would have been just a very long sigh yeah or huff oh and then and then I went into the change room, I was in such a bad mood. I'm still in a bit of bad mood because I didn't sleep properly. And then I went into the changing room and this woman was like just all over the bench. I can't even tell you, her stuff was everywhere, absolutely everywhere. And it was over, there's like two mirror vanity units there. It was all over that.

I literally could not get changed. So I put my stuff down on one like corner of the mirror and she goes, excuse me, excuse me, I need to get to the hair dryer. I'm like, you're taking over the whole fucking change. It seemed like it was her own personal bedroom. And then, like, I was in, I was so cramped trying to change my top. I spacked myself in the face with my watch. No.

And I would, ah, and then this other woman was said, are you all right? I said, I've actually just given myself a slap around the face. But you know what? I needed it. I don't think I can even start to compete with that. I don't think it's worth bothering, to be honest. The universe actually gave me a slatter on the face. This is how life works.

Sometimes. I'm not even bothering this week. Am I the winner? Have we not listening to any others? Oh no, well, there is one. There actually is one from a listener. Dear Lauren and Nicole, yesterday at work. Oh, God.

Yesterday at work, I had what can only be described as a midlife moment. I felt I had to share it with you. I was at a team bonding day in Sheffield, which, let's be honest, is always a day of your life you'll never get back. As part of the get-to-know-you activities, we had to go round the room and share a fun fact about ourselves. We used to have to do all this sort of stuff in your coaching. Right. A fun fact about ourselves. I mean, seriously, I'm 49.

Very little is fun anymore. Most of the facts are things like my lower back clicks if I turn to the left or I once cried watching dogs behaving badly when I had PMT. That's not fun. No. Everyone else in the room was at least a decade younger, shiny, caffeinated, enthusiastic and I was desperately trying to think of one thing about myself that didn't sound like a cry for help.

I don't think I could come up with anything, but we're coming back to that. One girl said she'd backpacked solo through South America. Another one said she runs marathons for fun. Oh, fuck that. Then it got to me. My mind went blank, panic set in, and out it came. I know the best time to put the dishwasher on for the cheapest electricity rate

I want to know what that time is I'll tell you later Is it midnight? The silence was deafening Anyway, I just want to say thank you both Because listening to you makes me feel like I am not alone In my midlife ridiculousness Love Marianne.

Oh, Marianne. Okay, the answer is really late at night, like the middle of the night But that's when you've got to charge your car Yeah, so if you can like, if you can set your washing machine to go on at like 2 a.m. It's cheaper.

What is a fun fact about you that you would say? I would say that I am completely obsessed with anything on Bravo. Oh, that's your fun fact about your phone fact. It doesn't say too much about me. I like a bit of crap TV. Who cares? Okay. I mean, literally only one thing has come into my head.

Go on. Considering what you've just said, I really shouldn't say that. Go on. It's literally the only thing I can think of. Yeah. Hi, I'm Lauren and I can fit my whole fist in my mouth. That's like my fun fact. No, I'm not.

Oh, come on. You don't have lipstick on. Nearly not going to do that on camera. Well, then we don't believe you. That is fine if you don't wish to believe me. I want to see it. Is that your party trick? I tell you what else is quite...

I've never seen you do this. Why would you see me do that? I don't know. It's a fun fact. And also, what else is quite fun is that one of my boys can also do it. And he was like the other day, do you know what? I could get my whole face to my mouth. I was like, oh my God, me too.

You must get that from me. So lucky. But how did you find out you can. do this. Come on. I am not. If you think I am doing that for the so, no. I am 47 years old and I have to retain some, some level of decorum.

Just a tiny bit of dignity in my life. I have not putting my... I'll pay you. No, I do get paid to do the show and the answers no. Please. I found out I could do it in my teenage years and I did it often. But funnily enough, at 47, I don't do it. it anymore but you can you still do it yeah when did you last try when did you last try when

my son showed me he could do it what a few weeks ago no it was more like about six months ago was it it Josh it actually wasn't Josh was actually max I think I'd tell me I'm the winner yeah I'm just you know you know what I'm just giving you the win because after slapping yourself around your own face you deserve it or maybe you don't deserve it of being such a Karen at the gym I don't know but I'm just giving it to you oh I'm going to be so embarrassed when I see this guy You're very overtired. I am really overtired. And, you know, he probably is a really nice guy,

but you still shouldn't do 20 sets of quarter to eight in the morning. I do stand by that. I believe you. I don't know the etiquette, but it sounds correct to me. Thanks. Okay, listeners, that is it for this week. Nicole needs to go and have a nap. I need to go and show her my party trip.

We've got things to do. We're very busy women. Okay. And then I've got to go and put bags in bags and bags at home. Yeah. Yeah. and in your car, don't forget. We will be back soon.

Yeah. Either on a Tuesday or Thursday. Take your pick. Thanks for listening. Bye. Hi. Hi there. I wanted to tell you about a podcast that I think every single one of you will benefit from.

It's called Therapy Works and it's hosted by me, Julia Sammy. I'm a best-selling author and psychotherapist. I invite you into my therapy room where I speak to either a known or unknown guest. Topics range from the difficulties of divorce, a life-changing illness to the struggles of motherhood. Search Therapy Works Now, wherever you get your podcasts, and subscribe to make sure you never miss an episode.

Thank you.