5 OS pleasures in your day today - part 3

mhagster

Hello. We have sunshine after the mist heavy rain all yesterday.

For Sunday. 

Up early…heard the wind through the night and thought ooh I’ll get bedding done! Then a couple of hours later it was torrential…it can just stay on the bed for now! 

Went to garden centre with DD2 and The Chap. Had half a panini then took the remainder home for later on. Got kindling. 

Then we went to big retail park. My very least favourite kind of places. Huge big overfilled shops. But got new curtains in the sale and put them up in living room later on. 

And home. 

Chat to friend on phone. Did a bit of watching. 

Soup for tea. 

Strictly then bed. 

And this morning. Up early . 

Hoovered. Hung out washing. 

Called car garage. Re warning light , was told to bring it down and they didn’t know where they’d see it! 

Had ouchy ouch massage. 

Then down to garage dropped car off and we’ll probably call you around lunchtime and let you know what’s happening. This was 10.30am. Humph! 

One of the key fobs wasn’t working and I had said when I’d had reason to call on Friday. It’s probably just the battery…yeah but I’ve just spent a lot of money on a car and I expect it to have two working keys. So was to bring that down this morning anyway to sales team and they would sort it. 

Went to service to hand in keys then sales to sort out key fob…is such and such here, he’ll be back in 20 minutes if you want to take a seat. Now having done catering for this company a few years ago I knew he was the owner…so I told him I wasn’t happy! Car was seen to straight away. Issue I had with something on warranty policy sorted. And car back to me within the hour. And they have literally just called me as I’m writing to say the part is in and can I come in tomorrow or Wednesday. 

Quick nip into supermarket and had a moan about having to take a trolley load of food through a self service belt! And was told to ask for a till to be opened if the till was busy. Shall try that the next time! 

And home. Hello doggy. 

Chat to sister. 

Work call for a new service. 

Cut the grass. 

Washing in and not very dry so I’ve put the heating on. 

Had mince pie and peas for late lunch/early tea. 

Got six huge yellow bananas for 33p! No idea why they were so cheap so shall have one later for my tea! 

Pup getting dropped off shortly. 

Did a bit of garden frippery by decorating a pumpkin (65p) with flowers and herbs and ivy from my garden. 

Highdays

Hello.

Seem to have been AWOL for a while, lots going on so thought I'd better catch up while I can remember the good bits!

Paulie - great news on the house front, sounds perfect and there may be a chance you get in before  Christmas, everything crossed for you.

Recent pleasures:

1) Four hours spent at the dentist actually was a pleasure in a funny sort of way, I now have three perfect teeth where before there were two broken crowns and a gap where my broken and infected tooth had been taken out. Had to pop back this morning for a slight tweak to the implant but all now great. 

2) Took littlest grandson to a Science Live show at the local theatre - lots of smoke, bangs and flashes. Very clever stuff and we all loved it.

3) Middle grandson has got himself a couple of part-time jobs in the run up to Christmas to fit round 6th form college until the holiday starts and then he will be after all the hours he can get!

4) I've been looking for a particular piece of jewellery for ages now, not a 'blingy' sort of person but had set my heart on this. No luck til this afternoon when we weren't looking but saw the perfect thing in a shop window as we walked past. Very helpful assistant totally understood what I wanted and adjusted a couple of pieces to make a right one - and gave us 10% discount too. 

5) Finally my ENT appointment has come through for early November. I doubt they will be able to do anything - I still have no sense of taste or smell, this is since March and Covid - but I am keen to explore all avenues and it would be wonderful if they can offer any hope.

It's getting dark already, it will almost be a relief now when we change the  clocks and get on with it, sooner it starts the sooner it will be over. 

Have a good evening - Monday quizzes and the Forsyte Saga for us. Not sure who is in the new production but can certainly remember my dear dad having quite a crush on Nyree Dawn Porter back in the day, he was also quite taken with Hannah Gordon and we all used to tease him mercilessly! Happy days!

LaineyT

For yesterday,

Back to earth with a bump after our week off, a rainy Monday and a trip into horsey town for a food shop.

Dropped everything back home and loaded C dog into the car for a trip to the V E T for her latest check up. More and more likely that she will need this op and, being quite specialised, they will contact a few places for quotes. No insurance of course but I guess the pleasure is we do have some savings.

Lunch and then over to see my other girl, heavy rain and they were already in so a good groom plus a few carrot stretches.

Have been listening to LifeLines during the drives to and from the yard, a radio series about an emergency dispatcher. So well done but heartbreaking at times.

Tasty tea of pork chops with cauliflower cheese then UC, did ok with a fair few questions answered.

Purple_kitten

It’s been a day, honestly a painful day there are things to cope with, new things I don’t know how to support, I know it sounds cryptic but yes.

Erm there’s been a bit of what do I do, so I’ll clean, so upstairs is cleaner.

Comfort food was Cumberland bangers and mash.

Reading a wonderful book, that’ll do for now.

Teaparty_mum

Today has been a good day, straighten the house, for me straight house, straight mind 😂
washing done and ironed 
and been on nanny duties all afternoon as DD is working until 9 x

mhagster

Have just come to bed to be cosy! I have felt cold all day after getting soaked through! 

Up early…though nit as early as usual…me: I’ll not need to set an alarm…also me…it’s what o’clock? 

Had to drop car off at car garage for 8am. Then was going to walk into town ( about 10 minutes walk) and hang around as had work appointment. Person texted to cancel this. By which time I was already in town and car was in garage and home is the totally opposite direction. So had a mooch in M&S as that’s all that was open at that time. And then thought I’d go to a nearby cafe for a slice of toast! Only the chef was running Kate and wouldn’t be in till an hour later so she could so me a coffee…I don’t drink coffee! So I left and met up with DD2 and wandered with her for half an hour, walked her to her work and then walked up to workplace to say I wouldn’t be in at ten! Then wandered up for car, which wasn’t quite ready but didn’t have too long to wait. Chat to friend as I waited.  Then the look of horror/ surprise as I realised the chap now driving my car back to customer carpark was party to the conversation as it was now coming through my car !! 

Up the road and changed out of work clothes and grabbed a dog! And off we went to CP…me I’ll not need my coat. I needed my coat and we both got absolutely soaked through and I’ve not been warm since! 

Switched the fridge off , washed it out and left a few tea towels to gather up any excess water from freezer. And packed up cushions and throws to bring them home for winter! All washed and dried. 

Chat to caravan neighbour when I was putting stuff in car. 

Chat to sister when I got in. 

Beautiful rainbow. It was so bright and intense and then it had disappeared! 

LaineyT

Hope all is ok PK

For yesterday,

My beloved’s car due it’s MOT so early morning drop off at garage in village.

Capt S wfh and had built up some hours so around 10.30 we loaded C dog into the mini and drove to next village on for a long walk, saw quite a few other dogs including an 11mnth black lab who was desperate to play with our girl but she sniffed politely and walked on, she’s quite picky about playmates!

A better day weather wise, a bit of sunshine is always welcome.

My other girlie had decided she would rather be in the field next door and had crashed through the tape 🙈 luckily the legitimate resident was already in! 

Tasty tea of salmon & pea risotto and then settled down to watch GBBO, love a trifle!

Purple_kitten

Very basic cleaning and tidying achieved early morning.

We drove and then parked and walked to the flu jab at the Dr’s as we just knew there would be no parking, then walked to the chemist, picked up DH’s meds, wandered to the hospice shop and purchased two older “soup cups”. To match our vintage gas kettle, apparently it's dated 1984, which also makes me far more er vintage than that. As we were part there we popped into the garden centre my word is that place designed to open wallets, but we had a voucher for a drink each and lunch for 2 came to £7 total. We did ponder and avoided C word decorations, it’s too soon, but a 50 percent off plant did make its way into the basket.

Then we pondered over to local woods to the garden centre and walked the 2 ferrets as we do, it was a good ponder, chestnuts gathered, many types of mushrooms photographed and admired. It wasn’t ideal thou as so near to the motorway noise and a lot of off lead dogs and dog mess about frustratingly.

Home, a brief cuppa and then up to the hospital with DH, on the way back I called in at the One-Stop wondering if they had a deal that Mr T do, they didn’t, but they did have garlic bread for 27p and cookie dough dessert in a pizza box reduced to 57p that are now in the fridge.

Tonight’s food is a pasta bake using up some bits and bobs.

mhagster

Hello! 

I’ve just manhandled my bedding back on the bed and wondering if it’s too early to climb in? It is a tad early even by my standards 😆

Up early. 

Lovely sky this morning when it eventually got light. 

Stripped said bed and waited till it was time to hang out and then I went out. Trying to start walking a-bit more again. I’ve had plantar fasciitis for most of the year ( having had flare ups for over 10 years) and it feels better than it was so trying to re-introduce more walking again. ( dog walking not included as it’s very start/stoppy as there’s always much to be sniffed at) 

Anyway walked down to old workplace and went the short cut…and decided I probably won’t do that again in a hurry as it was an absolute quagmire! 

Met someone I knew so had a nice chat with them. Was then only going into supermarket for butter…which is all I got! 

Then walked the longer way home and popped into see Mum’s NDN for half an hour and had a nice chat with them.

And home. 

 Log burner on this afternoon. For some reason I count get it to catch yesterday, so took everything back out and reset it. 

It has been a sunny day though not warm. But nice to see blue sky. Washing was only half dry so has been on radiators. The new quilt is so thick it’s like wrestling a crocodile trying to get a cover on! 

 

DigForVictory

I usually whimper about RL - but at least this has been RL With Scouts

Frith - you got to the Bull Ring & was held off the piano as it would be too embarrassing?! Dear Gods, not only are you facing down idiots at work, they number amongst social workers as well? Warmest hugs! An Extra slice - is that why I've seen less of Jo Brand on QI?! "rejected my annual leave request" - they really are dafter than a plank.

ampersand - "Saturday's mighty Jumble Sale" oh I Yearn. Dead tight to remind Frith so eloquently & also to submit meter reads.

Happycas - Food is becoming more wintry & rightly. Now is no time for a wisp of lettuce & a baton of cucumber! A Christmas shopping day? Manchester is probably cheaper than Paris & has the Christmas market?

mhagster - is writing for hours a good thing? Or clarifying the important stuff? Scrunchy leaves & soup & Strictly! Oh gosh yes weather & hurrah getting new curtains in the sale & hanging them that day! Aw, frippery! Have you got warm through yet?

LaineyT - blimey the Norfolk coast knows how to play the dog friendly card! Might the antibiotic resistance be as the former country pattern bombed them? Erf, not getting the sleep does cascade. LifeLines is an absolute corker.  "love a trifle!" - oh us too!

PaulieHerts - wow - all the very best with the house move!

Purple kitten - helping remove a tree then "a custard wanting a cuddle", some weekends sound idyllic! "bacon / brie and chill sarnie" - yumm! Ohmidear. Cleaning - if it helps, its a great deal better than other options. You're not vintage, you're a Classic. Recognisable at a glance & cherished.

Teaparty mum - welcome & hurrah a mix and match dinner! Nanny duties, eh? How old/many?!

Highdays - hurrah, teeth ready for Christmas!

OS pleasures recently - as in the last fortnight, ahem <blush>

Youngest has agreed to put omelette on the rota! Another hot quick meal capable of variation without him having a spasm. (He’s diligent about following recipes, which can be a bit restrictive when I’ll shrug ‘one root vegetable is much like another’ & blithely make parsnip & coriander soup.)

Friday & the prospect of a dry weekend. I plan a bedding wash & hope to line dry. (Oh the heights of excitement…) Done & oh, the joy of linen. [Er, oops, laundered bedding left on line overnight...] {brought in 10 minutes before sundown, still damp. Dashit.}. <finally dry by draped in weaving shed & ignored ruthlessly>

Flu Jab clinic tomorrow so will bath tonight and can then snooze all of tomorrow as seems advisable. (Colleague jabbed yesterday was semi-zombie today but has spent time away with the Tories this week.)

Queried do we have rice & I asked if he’d checked any decanted into a cereal box? “Duh-doy, I’m the one who does the decantering.” (Love his grasp on the English language.) And now my imagination has some huntsmen carrying glasses of port across the field, pausing to sip, steer & soar…

Dash it! The Economist has questioned if dark chocolate really is better for you & on flavanols alas, fresh fruits & green tea score higher. I may have to admit to just preferring the taste! And tweaking the budget so it lands under treats & not health supplements (ahem). Then it redeems itself on why Britain is the global leader at growing giant vegetables. (Yes this is in that businessmen’s read, not some other journal.) Seemingly the most important thing (more so even than the weather) is “a supportive wife.”…

Jabbed! Full of immune system enthusiasm. [No noticeable symptoms so far.] {Slept like a log}

Youngest planned a Costco run. List agreed & we even got a Bonne Maman advent calendar for me! (For less than the website but I think mum gets some bonus jars of chocolate spread & it delivered to her door.)

Three years after completing his Gold DofE, Middleson is still on their lists as not finalised as has not been formally presented. I still hope to visit Buckingham Palace if only to beam proudly & maybe get some cuttings… (Will learn to carry a handbag for that!) Utterly in his hands, still.

Rewatching YouTube snippets of Andor - awesome.

Somehow I’m in the middle of a nested negotiation of male bonding as I have a spare bottle of T gel shampoo. That both lads have hair shorter than their finger thickness is just a shrug & carry on matter. Mere mothers have no say. 

The shopping list sees us zigzag to include Tesco & its sale price chocolate oranges… Youngest juggles, & enjoys eating the misses. [Too late, all stock sold.] {I grouch, the lad is philosophical.}

Eldest’s tree, a lime, is a yellow beacon amidst greens in the garden.

Scout AGM & ye gods what a lot they get up to! Yet also, what happened? We had empty seats! (Shocking.) Sincerely, even AGM’s need parents, to be reassured the money is handled right & that their little ones have new & exciting things to look forward to, and if you can wrangle a couple of hours a week, you get the energy boost of young people…

Aw, QI dismantling quinoa - contains all 10 amino acids needs to support human life but to be fair Haribo contains nine. (I now want to know what the 10th is & what is this balanced diet I read of, anyway?)

I bought a box of green tea (bags) in an experiment to see if I could stand the taste long enough for it to possibly do me any good & Youngest, intrigued, has gone first! He’s a young & (AFAIK) healthy pup but clearly green tea tickles his curiosity. (Up to a point - he thinks it tastes of hot water!) {And my view yet less kind but apparently It Does Me Good - certainly tastes like it.}

Catching up on Only Connect, coo-er! Me screaming at the Wall & son repeating his mantra “they can’t hear you, mum”… (I upbraid other road users, too.)

There is a special pleasure in eating an extra slice of pizza. I must not get into the habit, but it was delicious. The wickedness, the piquancy.

Colleague talking to someone sounding like a cow mooing to a beat. I’m guessing some steady calling of cadence through a familiar protocol or reminding them of an old story but it isn’t English & it is definitely different on a Monday!

I hate being late so asked Youngest to meet me at the medics with the sample I no longer had time to swing by & fetch. He delivered: “weirdest drop-off ever” & (pondering the annals of espionage) I think he really hasn’t read widely enough.

The Google trending searches has a “black myth wukong” which I misread as a betting tip til the rest explained rather more “update ps5”. Oh. We never bothered with that tech as it triggered the lad’s seizures.

Oh my, Youngest’s stew is delicious and thick and has chunks of vegetable masquerading as meat & vice versa. I must try to persuade him to bake a spelt loaf to go with…

Toothbrushes & teacakes?! Strangest top up shopping seen so far. (Complete stranger, stumping through Manchester city centre, with these clamped in one dare-not-return-without hand.)

Boss back off leave, knows nothing of a vacancy I’m curious about & chuckled as I planned to phone him half an hour before an important call so if he also knows nothing, it’s short & if he’s minded to go into detail, he’s got half an hour. She’s so amused, she’ll fund my work phone case with crossbody strap as without one, I put it down & that way lies madness.

Colleague got a call from medics arranging a phone appointment Friday. ‘Ooh er’ he pondered & me almost nostalgic certain that no, important but not serious (as serious they summon you in or send you straight to hospital). Squinting at his bloods results (wow the nhs app!) seems he’s very low on vitamin D so did the research & “sun, salmon & supplements!” - but medic on Friday will clarify. {Yep. All can be sorted.}

My car park receipt has arrived the day after. This is going to make quick checks of when was I last in Manchester more difficult.. but I’m giggling at the technological crumbling.

Scouts! Fewer in number but after the AGM we realised we only spend a third of that the others do & so are now planning a troop trip to Go Ape (having measured our currently shortest scouts, to check they meet the height requirements) Played a roaring game of scarecrow tig which saw one of our loudest livewires at full hurtle for twelve minutes straight. (Youth is utterly wasted in the young.) Good times!

At sone point in the last 12 hours I’ve thought of something as “too sweet” & now I cannot recall what it was or where I thought it or with whom. Bewildering!

Amused at coverage of Victoria’s Secret show. Girls & trans & plus size girls all wearing spangled hankies at most. This is billed as inclusive? Stunning lack of chaps. Go on, BoP, borrow a pair of those wings & give the patriarchy a shaming.

We’re all signed up for Jamboree on the Internet! Will I meet the leader from Rochdale for yet another year when we’re within half an hours drive but have never met?! Let alone colleagues from Portugal Australia & America at different times! (alas no, but scouts from over 40 other countries ye gods yes)

Exchanging memories of how we came to have a 6’ by 3’ pool table now Middleson is looking to sell it. At 6.05 am by WhatsApp, as I’m getting ready to go into the office & he’s finishing a night shift. My concern isn’t the price (or the lack of consultation) but what are does he propose to do with the stuff piled on it?

Senior colleague near inhaling a Greggs breakfast & agreeing with me (between chomps) that bacon & brown sauce could lure an angel astray. 

Colleague with interview called me for reassurance - after we’d rearranged the lighting & moved a suitcase, he looked admirably professional. (After, uncertain how he’d done, so will go off politicking with friends to distract himself.)

Met a colleague from years ago, (decades ye gods), who is happily something in direct tax, has dogs & is hugely amused you can’t insure children the way you can dogs. (OK I don’t think the lads are likely to worry livestock & now if dangerously out of control can stand the penalties in their own right, but years ago I did try to get cover.) Stunning gathers at the sleeves and yoke, like a smock without the extra embroidery.

Mum by zoom looking downright ropey, sis snarling at Kafka-esque GP booking system & me having another large red fleece blanket Amazoned to mum as a way to extend her range of warm & comfortable places. Yet still we had time to debate the relative merits of a compost heap & a compost spinner. (I’m impatient, & I think the spinner looks fun.)

“Don’t let me interrupt your creative genius” does translate to “please get cooking I’m ravenous”, yes?! Glorious omelette, bless him.

I am being a good sister & not sending on details of oak planting in Wytham wood (an amazing historic wood) as it’s not easily accessible & there’s no parking. Vintage acorns were handed out a couple of years ago & the “oaklings” are being collected in readiness.

Startled to see Bristol zoo gorilla headlines & realise this is social media causing trouble, breaking into the old zoo site, triggering security alarms & disturbing gorillas’ sleep (& thus training for their new location.) I do wonder what the gorillas are learning, but when the new site is occupied will look forward to visiting.

Shameful mum trick - wash a few plates & let the clatter of crockery lure the young to investigate &, appalled, take over. (Somehow the sight of me, spectacles misted, waving a tea towel has them anxious. Really don’t see why, but washing up clattering on in my absence.)

Jamboree on the internet! & airwaves (but I don’t have that authoritative a radio) & cracking good fun too.

Interesting. My records held by the GP don’t include my blood type. Apparently it’s an expensive test. I’d thought the wrong blood was even more expensive but seemingly the joys of O neg (the universal donor, can be given to Anyone per Wikipedia) mean there are some tests they can skip. So unless you’re a blood donor or the local hospital has less O neg than budget, you may never know or need to know your blood type. (That or the nurse hasn’t access to that depth of data, I dunno.)

I keep an eye on Derbyshire news, himself having been a Derbyshire lad, & am still giggling at their crocodile. Sighted then hooked, it turns out to be a taxidermist's exercise that escaped & floated. 

Down to the last 2 tubes of tomato purée, noticed before we shopped, hurrah. (The Aldi till supervisor a sweetie, set the multiple & hung around to override the complaint at the cardboard point of sale packaging!)

Playing with the flick aspect of car key “it denotes impatience” - not seen enough of the right movies, but I thought it was usually a street assassin's tool?

Pursued head chef up stairs to find he Wasn’t carrying food. Ah. Got soundly laughed at & told to wait. Me hungrily waiting.

Engineer cheerfully boggling and speculating about Louvre heist, he’s not over fussed about the gems but intrigued by the methodology & the cheek!

Middleson carefully loading various pots & jars for terraria & bonsai’ed herbs. Fascinating to watch.

Hurrah! Remembered to get Social Trousers & work harm into wash thence spun but only just heaved into drier (would have line dried but the rain has been consistent) Ah well should avoid Monday clammy crotch concerns. 

Industrious day, extended by slow server connection. Home in time for zoom despite HRH visiting the synagogue - the traffic had cleared by my hometime.

Colleague set unexpected task, produced intelligent document, showed it to me for review & was immediately met with “did you try the accessibility checker?” - I’ll get him into writing alt text yet! He’s ex-Army & really ought to ‘get’ we are all one accident away from disability, but I do see his experience of the blind & partially sighted is finite.

Big red fleece has arrived already (excellent) & mum looking cared for engulfed in it. Sisters have managed to get her a GP appointment for Wednesday as that cough has been rumbling on for weeks. (She’s finished the kilo of wine gums to lubricate the ticklish throat.)

First aid shout, happily just a nosebleed & already in hand.

Chatted about the key competencies sought in a forthcoming vacancy & a colleague is proposing to take my evil ways in hand so we get two of the 10 vacancies, can carry on & then retire with honour. It will be a pleasure to wrangle words then younglings alongside her. (In my dreams.) {Yikes, she's got that Serious expression.}

I witnessed a signature for brother scout & his bank is having spasms at my handwriting. 

Hah! The laundry trug is in the right place & I got my shirt in from the bedroom doorway. Some days it’s the little wins.

Health, Strength, Love, & Courage to all as have need. And a special hug for all dealing with idiot blokes, or other fraught situations.