Way too much reality

In this episode of Jen Spilsbury gets her daughter ready for school while trying to prepare for a big day at work. It’s a lot to juggle, particularly as pressure mounts late in the day when unfinished renovations to the back deck and a surprise barbecue threaten to push Jen and Hubby’s seemingly perfect marriage to the brink … “Sweetheart, hurry up and get dressed. C’mon, we’re going to be late!” “Mama, wanna see my bum bum?” “Noooooo, we’ve got to get you to school and I’ve got to get moving. There’s been a pileup in the tearoom and nobody’s cleaning it up. I have to get there and sort it out.” “But Marrrrmmmm!”

“No stalling girl, I’ve got important work to do. Once that tearoom is sorted I’ve got to get the team ringing important people to talk about important stuff.”

It’s a frustrating drive to school with Jen having to stop at every traffic light and then getting stuck in a line-up behind a tourist campervan doing 30km/h in a 60 zone. It doesn’t get any better on her way to work with the local council starting work on dismantling the roundabout at the Abbott and Florence streets intersection.

“B&%$*y hell! More b&%$*y traffic lights being installed in the CBD … just what we need in this red light district.” Wow, Jen’s really losing her cool.

The phone rings.

“Scotty, how are you? Tonight? Ummm, yeah you can come over but Hubby and I haven’t quite got the new boards down on the deck yet.

“What? You want to bring Shaynna, Neale and Darren too? The house is a mess and I’ve got a huge day Scotty. I haven’t even had my third cuppa yet.”

The pressure is really getting on top of Jen. She’s got a mountain of work, lots of typing and talking to do and then she’s got to impress Scotty and the crew when she gets home. She makes a phone call.

“Hubby, Scotty and the crew are coming over tonight.”

“Jen, I haven’t finished painting the deck because you haven’t chosen a colour yet.”

“I know, I know. Can’t you just pick something and do it at lunchtime? … Please babe, I can’t take this; it’s too much pressure. I feel like I’m losing it and this dinner could break us up.”

“It’ll be all right hun. I’ll sort it. I’ll pick up Bub, get some steak and snags and have a drink waiting for you.”

Jen sighs a huge sigh of relief.

Much later, Jen walks through the front door and finds Scotty, Shaynna, Neale and Darren enjoying a drink with Hubby on the back deck which has been fabulously finished. Bella the dog is playing nearby with Bub.

“Oh hun. You’re a winner.”

On next week’s gripping reality TV episode of Jen can’t take it anymore and cleans the work fridge.