A new 'tougher' thread... and so it continues

gardenia101

VJsmum wrote: »

Boiler is 11 years old and we knew it was on it's last legs but was hoping we could limp it through to spring.

Sorry to hear about that - what rubbish timing. How long do boilers normally last? I know that is probably a how long is a piece of string question but if your boiler was mine I'd be ranting "It's only 11 years old, I haven't had it for that long!" I'm being unreasonable & expect all my things to keep going for at least 20 years! I've had an old fridge that never goes below 12C, but I've never been ill & stuff gets eaten so quickly that I can't bear to get a new one.

I think I look a lot better - and a lot slimmer - for it. Not that i was a big drinker, but I was a regular drinker. I've always said that I wish wine didn't make you drunk as I don't really drink for that reason - alcohol free ones are too sweet, however.

Completely agree with the "not drunk" part - I just love the taste & if I could get alcohol-free that really tasted like the proper stuff then I'd probably have it every day. How much weight do you think you've lost, if you don't mind me asking? Do you think it is only from avoiding wine? My will power goes out of the window if I have a glass & then I tend to snack - am trying not to drink & subsequently snack, but struggling.

Really glad to hear you Dad is improving too.

scrabbles wrote: »

Also, you know when people hide cheapo products in posh packaging? OH thought I was doing same in reverse. He asked me why I was hiding nice liquid soap in the value packaging and accused me of trying to look more hardcore than I really was :rotfl: .....Anyway, probably you had to be there but drug-fuzzled as I am, I found it really funny...

I'm not drug fuzzled & it made me laugh :rotfl:

gardenia101

Congratulations Mrs VP - lovely to hear such good news. :beer:

mardatha wrote: »

I'm not a Guardian reader - I don't read any of the dailies but somebody has posted this articel on another forum and its scarey!

http://m.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/feb/02/welfare-reform-bill-cameron-frightening?cat=commentisfree&type=article

Crikey - that is scary. Like many, I knew a lot of the effects of the cuts have yet to filter through but I had no idea of the figures. I worry about what is in store for many of us.

Byatt wrote: »

I've made another bread pudding.

I do this with plum pie - make a huge one then eat it over a few days. Repeat...

Coming off IB for instance and going onto work ESA means you are no longer considered to have a disability .... Also, you can't get the train card for disability

Sorry to edit but where did you get this info about the disabled rail card from?

smileyt wrote: »

Just a thought, and I don't mean to cause any offence, but there are so many toughies on here with poorly children, I wondered if any of you had considered asking for your child/ren to become postpals?

www.postpals.co.uk

Children with serious disabilities or terminal illnesses are listed on there, and people can write to them to cheer them up. It all seems to be very above board and letters go first to another address - the child's address and last name is not given out for safety reasons.

We have done this in the past & my DD will be reminded that she wants to do it again as she loved it last year, but has become somewhat self absorbed on hitting 12. One Xmas we wrote cards from each of Santa's reindeers.

I think all of you have already discussed that BBC article far more eloquently that I could. He needs to come on here & get some proper advice, as do the members of the cabinet IMHO.

GQ - the 5 major food groups are chocolate, pizza, alcohol, caffeine & popcorn Have a fun night out too!

A very fine sprinkling of snow here, but it is settling :T & looks so pretty from my sofa, where I'm wrapped in fleece (as usual) watching rugby & with no intention of going anywhere. No kids here this weekend to mess it all up either!

Hope everyone is doing OK & is warm enough. Byatt - I hear making bread pudding can be quite warming!

shelley_crow

It's been snowing all day here, getting thick and sticking too. I was meant to be going out tonight as my birthday is on Monday but had to cancel, I'm used to it though (February birthdays aren't the best for sticking to plans). Really glad I went shopping yesterday.

Stay warm everyone!

prepareathome

Went out to go shopping and found the rain that had appeared for hour before - even though temp is -2 had turned straight into ice on the car. Hubby had checked car when he got home ( managed to get a lift to and from work) to make sure engine hadn't frozen and it was fine yet just over 2 hrs later it was was totally covered in itc. He squirted de-icer all over and it did nothing at all, icicles were hanging off the bottom. He had to spend an hour scraping it while leaving the engine running as if not ice just reformed as it continued to rain. It really is amazing out, everywhere you look there is ice yet its still raining. While I was in Argos changing mp3 player he turned off the engine and windows and mirrors iced up, so out came the scraper again. So from then on car engine stayed on.

If anyone has a B&M they have tinned tomatoes for 29p a tin or 4 for £1 ( everywhere else by me are charging 39p and have been since before Christmas). If you look carefully there are a few other bargains to be had but you do need to keep an eye out for them. Quite a few things are dearer than else where like FB pies £1.29.

Been back an hour and car is covered in ice again, icicles are hanging from everywhere branches of trees, roofs of houses, plants, from the fences, walls, wheelie bin lid, all looks so pretty yet still it rains. It really does look so weird. Pavement and road are only places that are actually wet and even they are slippy as if covered in goo rather than rain. Its not even sleet it is rain.......

Had a nice up of hot chocolate when we came in and having a nice stew with dumplings for dinner, kind meal you need in this weather.

Stay warm and safe everyone

GFN123

Happy Saturday Toughies

I shall go and catch up in a sec, but I wanted to quickly ask about washing machines. OH is currently dismantling ours in the hope of fixing it, but it may well be broke

I'm sure someone on here posted about a cheap machine that also had a quick (15 min?) wash cycle and seemed good? Or any recommendations on this thread from the wise folk?

My one is old enough to use both a hot and cold feed, but it seems these are rare now. As a separate question, has anyone bought one recently with both feeds?

Thanks in advance for any help. I'm off to do some online hunting for a replacement to steel myself for the outlay, but will be back later for a proper catch up (got biscuits that need eating....)

Byatt

Gardenia, the disabled rail card info is online, I think I Googled when renewing my DD's. She gets it but I can't anymore. Their criteria/conditions have changed. I should have renewed mine sooner but didn't realise. If you find anything different let me know.

as for the bread pudding, I don't put a lot of energy into making mine! Dead simple, and once the bread is soaked, no time at all to mix.

GQ have a lovely time tonight.
I'm at my DD's now, total bliss to be warm in every room, and no trailing of duvets or slankets around with me!

VJsmum

gardenia101 wrote: »

Completely agree with the "not drunk" part - I just love the taste & if I could get alcohol-free that really tasted like the proper stuff then I'd probably have it every day. How much weight do you think you've lost, if you don't mind me asking? Do you think it is only from avoiding wine? My will power goes out of the window if I have a glass & then I tend to snack - am trying not to drink & subsequently snack, but struggling.

Really glad to hear you Dad is improving too.



I'm not drug fuzzled & it made me laugh :rotfl:

I don't know how much weight i've lost - possibly only a couple of pounds - but my tummy is much flatter. I am not one of nature's larger people anyway but do have a bit of a sticky out tum that a total of 18lb of baby didn't help (2 babies, not one and not together but one was just over 8lb and one just under 10lb :eek:). Anyways, it seems a lot better. Did have a glass or two last night tho :beer:

Boiler is being changed on Monday - £1100 <<gulp>>. We are coping quite well with gas fires and electric heaters downstairs. We have an oil filled radiator on the landing which is at least keeping a little of the chill off upstairs. We were ok overnight with sleeping bags over the duvets - didn't have any heaters on. The most inconvenient thing is not having hot water, but at least the showers run independantly of the heating system. Snowing steadily here in the Midlands and set to remain so till around midnight.

DD is off to Poland with school on Tuesday - it is -15 there. Now that's cold

shegar

We woke up to snow this morning, well everything was covered so id say we had had quite a bit over night,:D and its been lightly snowing all day, on the radio they have put an amber weather warning for Suffolk to get 4 inches of snow tonight..:T:D..My pond is completely frozen over, and I have to pop to the hens 3 times today to smash the ice and top them up with warm water, good hens they keep laying...:T:T...

Ive been busy all day decorating the hall, all emulsioned up,glossed up and ceiling done, it took 4 days to do:eek::eek:, mind you I cant do much outside in this weather so nows the time to get the decorating done, then when spring turns up I wont be seen indoors:D.....I hope you are all keeping fed and warm and take care in the cold......

kidcat

GFN- washing machines, I bought ours from comet clearance online, was really cheap for an expensive model, alternatively look out on freecycle they regularly come up on our group.

Am not going to comment on the whole benefits thing except to say I agree with previous posts - anything else makes my blood boil.

Whoever posted about Mr Ca Moron,I had a coffee all over the computer moment - please post suitable warnings in future:rotfl:

Icy here today -rain turns to ice as it hits, car has icicles that arent defrosting even when the car is driven. Have had to buy loads more uniforms for kids, as Ds7 has had a growth spurt and Ds13 has ruined nine shirts this year in art - cuff covered in paint that does not wash off nor does bleach/sterilising fluid shift it. School require a clean non stained uniform so the shirts are all useless. Just wish they provided appropriate equipment to protect uniform if it matters that much to them.

smileyt_2

kidcat wrote: »

Whoever posted about Mr Ca Moron,I had a coffee all over the computer moment - please post suitable warnings in future:rotfl:

Ds13 has ruined nine shirts this year in art - cuff covered in paint that does not wash off nor does bleach/sterilising fluid shift it. School require a clean non stained uniform so the shirts are all useless. Just wish they provided appropriate equipment to protect uniform if it matters that much to them.

That was me - sorry, Kidcat! :rotfl:David Ca-moron and Gideon Os-moron. The evil twins of Downing Street.

Could you not cut the cuffs off and stitch them on inside out and back to front? Having said that, a) I know nothing about shirt cuffs and b) I imagine your life is busy enough already.

PAH we are having 'funny snow' too - sounds like rain but actually is like tiny hailstones. So the snow is not melting but it doesn't seem to be growing either. I am so glad I splashed out a couple of years ago and got the dogs a warm, waterproof coat each - we have definitely had our money's worth!

Greenfingers.com are having a 50% off sale. Lots of Christmas decorations still on there, plus some really good bargains on the plastic greenhouse and coldframe front. Free delivery over £29. My green fingers are starting to twitch .....