What has this bad weather taught you?

Eenymeeny

mrs-stressed wrote: »

I am off to work soon and I would like to say that I hope everyone gets some sort of a break over this weekend. Once jesus has had his birthday party we can all get back to normal. Once of course after the shops have got rid of all their c**p in the sales. I had a lady the other day saying she was buying cheap xmas cards and was writing them out for next year.!!!!!! No wonder I dont feel xmassy. As I work in a shop its hard to keep a smile and a cheery quip going and this year is no exception. People are very very rude and then they complain about bad tempered cashiers!! We do our best. We are on our feet all day. We do a meaningless, boring and thankless job - not out of choice but becasuse unfortunately we have to eat at least once a day - and we still are treated like something on the bottom of a shoe. BUT, I do wish you all a happy (if poss) time and speak soon in 2011 or sooner!!

sincere regards to you all mrs s

Thanks Mrs s, as a former retail worker you have my full sympathy, you forgot to mention the endless Christmas Carols playing everyday after August Bank holiday! Big hugs from me, make the most of Christmas day, Boxing day sale starting the next day...sorry!

Primrose

Eenymeeny wrote: »

Thanks Mrs s, as a former retail worker you have my full sympathy, you forgot to mention the endless Christmas Carols playing everyday after August Bank holiday! !

I think that's grounds for harrassment ! Or I'd be tempted to complain about damage to your hearing on Health & Safety grounds !. I don't know a single person, whether retail employee or customer who actually enjoys having their ears endlessly assaulted with this trivial music from August onwards. If every customer who hated it made a point of seeking out the store manager and complaining about it, maybe they'd get the message and head for the OFF switch.

Eenymeeny

Thanks Primrose,I used to say that it wouldn't be allowed in a prison or a kennel!
One thing this bad weather has taught me is that it's quicker to nip out to feed the birds in stocking feet then dry them on the radiator (the socks!) when you get back in, than struggling into thick socks boots etc when I'm only out there for a couple of minutes! OK I might be mad ...must be all those years of carol-singing subjection!:rotfl:
(just have to make sure that I don't lock myself out one of these days:eek:)

mrs-stressed

Well, Xmas Eve went quietly and it was totally mortal. I have never been so bored. All these beery, leery blokes coming in and saying 'my wifes about your size but smaller and have you got anyfink bigger?' (In the bra department). Then you get the little hitler wannabees who make you do stupid stuff to keep their importance level up to max and go home earlier than everyone else. Then you get the diehards who thrust a card into your hand out of pile in her other hand and a faux xmas happy look on her face. The card is naff, the signature scribbled (oh why did they bother) and the intention - well, I dont know the answer to that one. Other than that it was quiet. No music (as I had asked it to be turned down) as previous to that we had nothing but Michael Jackson before his balls dropped and slade shouting at me all day. I couldnt bear it so got it sorted.

And yes it all starts again tomorrow! Only all the basques, bras, knickers sorry thongs all come back as wives get the kids to get the money back!!! Apart from jumpers for Dad, smellies for aunties, socks for brothers - all of which would rather have had the money anyway. Life in a shop is peachy and when its xmas time it makes my life complete.......

I raise a glass to all of you who have had some rest over this weekend and I raise another glass to all those who have made it possible for people to have a rest and I raise another to all of those who said THANKYOU to those that made it all possible - yes, its you mums, sisters, aunts, girlfriends, grannies who get my medal this year the size of dustbin lid - collectively.

cheers mrs s

v8monkeyboy

Eenymeeny wrote: »

I heard an idea from a radio presenter recently regarding receiving yet more Christmas socks that you knew you wouldn't wear. He suggested putting them in your pocket and handing them out to one of those homeless people. At first I thought that it was a good idea, then I wondered if they would be offended? Maybe it would be better to just put them into the next charity bag?

Just wanted to add a small note to the above; in London there's a group of volunteers called The Sock Mob who basically spend a couple of evenings a week visiting the homeless in specific places around London, and hand out socks, clothing etc which they themselves or their friends have donated. It's a brilliant idea, and has been very well received within the homeless population.

T xx

Badrick

rachbc wrote: »

i know its not directly related to the weather but all this talk of security - we are NOT putting presents under the tree this year - I know several people who have have had all their presents stolen on christmas eve and with all the burglaries we've had near us recently I'm just not taking the chance

On a similar note, it taught me a few years ago not to use the back yard as an outside fridge as some bu**er scaled our 8 foot back wall and had my case of 24 Boddies away.

Katgoddess

Primrose wrote: »

Tying together a bunch of empty Coca Cola or beer tins together on a loop of string would also make quite a noise. If you only half pull the lid off you can thread the string through the convenient Ring Pull bit.

Our toddler has one of these:
http://www.elc.co.uk/Light-and-Sound-Drum/113299,default,pd.html

It's movement sensitive and often goes off when you just walk past! I've always thought it would make a good alarm to sit behind the front door. I'm always seeing them in the charity shops, so keep an eye out for them!

[Deleted User]

It taught me that roast potatoes CAN be made and frozen in advance and they are bloomin good. I made a large trayful of roast potatoes coated in goosefat, just as an experiment because I had no where to put excess potatoes. They were cooled and bagged and frozen. I took them out on boxing day and put them frozen in the remoska (could have been the oven) and truly they were lovely and crunchy and every last one was eaten. So no more wondering how on earth I am going to bake anything more than a turkey crown in my little bottom oven

Never again will I bother to make hm custard for a trifle. I slaved for AGES over a double boiler having made the custard with 6 yolks. It never went thick enough, yes lovely for a sponge pud but no way for trifle so trifle was eventually abandoned, eaten yes because it was nice but so not worth the effort or vanilla pod or egg yolks and now I`ll have to make dozens of meringues

I got carried away with my new electric slicer and I cut the left over stuffed crown too thin. Great for sandwiches but there is a limit! I should have thought ahead to pie fillings and curries. Doh, so whizzed up turkey soup it will be now

custardy

kittie wrote: »

It taught me that roast potatoes CAN be made and frozen in advance and they are bloomin good. I made a large trayful of roast potatoes coated in goosefat, just as an experiment because I had no where to put excess potatoes. They were cooled and bagged and frozen. I took them out on boxing day and put them frozen in the remoska (could have been the oven) and truly they were lovely and crunchy and every last one was eaten. So no more wondering how on earth I am going to bake anything more than a turkey crown in my little bottom oven

Never again will I bother to make hm custard for a trifle. I slaved for AGES over a double boiler having made the custard with 6 yolks. It never went thick enough, yes lovely for a sponge pud but no way for trifle so trifle was eventually abandoned, eaten yes because it was nice but so not worth the effort or vanilla pod or egg yolks and now I`ll have to make dozens of meringues

I got carried away with my new electric slicer and I cut the left over stuffed crown too thin. Great for sandwiches but there is a limit! I should have thought ahead to pie fillings and curries. Doh, so whizzed up turkey soup it will be now

did you add cornflour to the custard?

http://www.ukstudentlife.com/Britain/Food/Cooking/Trifle.htm

[Deleted User]

custardy wrote: »

did you add cornflour to the custard?

http://www.ukstudentlife.com/Britain/Food/Cooking/Trifle.htm

yes custardy. 1 tsp

thanks for the link, I have put it in favs and will give custard one more go. I never added any egg whites so maybe that was the trick