Dusty's Frugal Fortnights Return!

dustydigger

@pollyanna_26

Thanks so much for your lovely post. Seeing Matt Busby's name reminded me that its the 65th anniversar on 6th February  of Munich. I was 10 years old,and still remember vividly how shocked the whole world was about the plane crash,where 21 people died, poor Sir Matt barely survived,and 8 ''Busby Babes'' perished. It was a terrible time for the club,but Matt was determined to keep the team at the top.and he succeeded in spades!

dustydigger

 beanielou said:

Havent played TP in years

My memory is totally shot. We did the xmas quiz as usual on Christmas Day,and I was absolute rubbish.Answers were on the tip of my tongue and I was tearing my hair out when the answers just wouldnt come into my fluffy brain.As a massive reader for seven decades an amazing amount of trivia has (normally) stuck in my brain. Its been known in earlier years ,pre mobile phones of course,for one of my kids to ring me and say her and her friends were arguing over a fact,so she was phoning to check up with me! Probably 8 out of 10 times I would know the answer,''Phone a friend'' a decade before Millionaire. Sometimes on Mastermind,if it was a topic in the specialist subject that interested me  - on books of course - ,I could get as many points as the contestant. Now I cant remember anything. Doesnt matter,now I dont watch quiz shows,and everyone uses their mobiles for info,so I dont need to give help. But I must look up 30 topics a day minimum on the computer,probably more. As an interesting thing is mentioned,I google it. With my fluff head of course I rarely remember it the next day  . Mr Dusty must ask me for info 10 times a day at least too,I am always looking up info on sport and history for him,or the meaning of words that are new to him - as a foreigner,even after decades living here,and speaking excellent English he still finds English a source of interest and frankly amusement!. And I am continually checking out song lyrics as we listen to old music channels.. Its always hilarious checking out what strange lyrics are in old songs!

dustydigger

bupster said:

The SF site I use is Worlds Without End, a site whose purpose is to list all the different SF,fantasy and horror awards and lists. We nerds then click off books on the lists as we complete them.

do check it out! So many lists,so many challenges and fantastically detailed author and title info for a host of authors. Its my go to site for those genres. I stumbled on it in 2012 and have been a strong supporter ever since,till my health has deteriorated so much I have cut down drastically,but I still faithfully track all my challenges and reads on there. I do get peeved that they dont list ANY self published stuff at all. They assume its all rubbish. Could be right,but it can be fun

http://www.worldswithoutend.com/index.asp 

Just a quick thank you for this, Dusty, it will keep me going for the year 

Good to hear,bupster. I should perhaps point out that I stumbled upon it in 2012,and am still there! My go to source for SF/Fantasy book info,and of course I am an inveterate list user!

Talking about lists,another site I go on regularly just to relax by doing mindless ''clicking'',just pure fun, is a site called List  Challenges,where you just tick off items on lists of books,or movies,or food,or travel,or whatever. I of course only do books

check out -   https://www.listchallenges.com/lists/all

But be careful,it is very addictive. I have worked my way up over the last few covid years to being #2497 out of 465,866 users!. I'm a nerd and a crazy one,but obviously clicking lists is addictive as ihere seem to be a lot of others like me...........

dustydigger

Yay,did at last reach my December target of 26/25 alcohol free days

Xmas tree for 7 days,crazy reindeer sitting in the snow for 14 days,a snowman for 21 days. Santa doing a cool dance for reaching target,and a sleigh ride in the snow for exceeding target.Fun way to encourage ourselves

And for the year(well,8 months only started here in May)) I reached over the 250 mark

250 days =

slm6002

Well done for reaching your goal Dusty

pollyanna_26

beanielou said:

Bring Him Home is one of my favourite songs. 

It is a beautiful song beanie but every time I hear it it brings back the memories of the Boy from Belfast with the twinkling eyes. I was actually an Everton fan until he arrived in the NW

. i became a Man U fan there and then  and remain so. I think he was too difficult for Sir Matt Busby to handle and in recent years youngsters were monitored much more via the academy. Sir Alex kept a tight ship with his class of young kids Alan Hansen reckoned would never win a trophy   They brought all the trophies and Ole Solkjaer my favoutite ran the length of the pitch to bang the  ball in the net to win the European cup.

They have remained my team ever since. I admired  Ronaldo for his talent but recently he's been too entitled and greedy along with disruptive he can sit counting his millions with his new team. I'm glad he's gone.

I followed the match earlier today. Sir Alex 81 years old today! I never thought he'd recover when he was rushed to hospital from OldTrafford. His upbringing in the Shipyards of Govan served him well

I watched Never Give Up filmed by one of his sons during the long fight for recovery. Never give up was what he told his teams over the years and as ManU won their match today it's good to know he's still around at 81 years of age. There will never be another manager like him he really is a one off.

pollyx

pollyanna_26

I still vividly remember the tv images of the Munich Air Disaster the plane in the snow and those who were lost.

Man U have never forgotten each year on the date of the disaster the focus is on the stopped clock showing  the time promising futures  were lost and many have not forgotten them.

Nowadays the team captain usually carries the wreath of red roses out on to the pitch and silence falls.

I have stood staring at that stopped clock many times aware those who lost their lives will never be forgotten. I remember Sir Matt and some players took a long time to recover not just physially but emotionally too as young promising lives ha been lost.

I've always loved listening to Freddie singing The Days Of Our Lives though it brought the tears the first time it was shown and I realised it was his last goodbye.I wasn't alive during either world war but a lot of us seem to have lived in those interesting times Terry Pratchett wrote about. So many unexpected things including life under Maggie's regime. I like to think surviving certain situations makes people stronger and more determined to survive. We've certainly had the chance to try over the last few years.thinking  about it I agree with Sir Alex and never give up.

pollyx

dustydigger

2023 is up and running,tough times ahead,but lets hope for the best

Have had a busy time setting up new threads on various sites,both for new month,new year.

i will set my book target at 180 books for the year. Alcohol Free Days (AFD) at 300 days.

Energy. I used 15,362 units of gas and electric in 2022. In 2021 I used 18,853 units,so I am happy with that 18% reduction,will try to carry on making small adjustments. Big reduction,but double the cost. Crazy world we live in!

Enjoyed seeing the London fireworks for seeing in the New Year on TV this morning. I was in bed by 10,but was awake to hear neighbours setting off fireworks at midnight.then DD1 sent a Happy New Year textaround 12.15, went to sleep soon after,but woke for a bathroom run after an hour. Took ages to get back to sleep,only to wake up out of a nightmare an hour later. Fortunately dont remember it,but my heart was really really pounding I was tensed up. Took ages to get back to sleep,well after 3 am,and woke at 7 am,so barely 4 hours sleep,am sitting here yawning repeatedly. And I am cold. Mr D has hogged the telly chair right by the radiator,I am at the computer 10 feet away,and there's quite a difference in temp. Supposed to be 7C,but it feels less. I am off to the kitchen and will warm myself up prepping the potatoes and veg for dinner. Sirloin steak,carrots,roasties

Not sure if I'll have visitors today. There may be hangovers! And car use verboten,but probably I'll see everyone tomorrow. I dont do big celebrations etc for new year but if one of the tribe comes,the others soon follow. Birds of a feather

Coughing and sneezing,just continuous since I caught a bad dose in October,and reinforced it with another dose in December

Right,thats it for the day,must get on with dinner,and then relax,tried to read,but Mr Dusty is in the chair all the time now,and of course there is loads of football today ,he wants to keep track of the scores,hour after hour. I try to read,but he has me checking stuff,and he is finding it increasingly difficult working the teletext on the remote. 30 times a day I have to remind him to point the remote down at the humax box,not up towards the TV........sigh....... Its very wearing.In between helping him I will try to read. I just got a popular SF book,Adrian Tchaikovsky's Children of Time. I was 4th in the queue,and there are 7 people behind me,and I have only 2 weeks (now down to 10 days) loan period. Its 600 pages long,small print,light coloured type,so not easy to read. The last two people before meonly kept it 2 or 3 days each before returning it. Either they are super fast readers or didnt like it and returned it early! . I have managed 190 pages in 4 days,working hard despite all the distractions.But I only manage 20-25 an hour,so it will take a lot of time to complete it.Off to the kitchen,off to the book. See you all tomorrow

dustydigger

Monnday morning,so Monday morning blues!   Freezing point,nil degrees. I had a poor night because of pains. Slept 1.30 till 5,and then couldnt sleep till 7 am,snatched 40 mins nap before getting up. I should have given up at 7 am and got up,but it was dark and cold,so I burrowed under the bedding and dozed,so I feel as if I have had no sleep for a week.

I want to get back to normal non holiday life. I am itching to take down the decorations,but I expect that,after recovering from celebrations,I should get visitors today,so tomorrow morning I'll take stuff down and pack them away for another year.

Will do my weekly asd@ online shop this morning,delivery wednesday. I have meat and fish,tinned stuff,sweets etc,so I want to try getting my shop back to pre Xmas levels.At least try for £60 top limit. We'll see.

Got masses of washing to do,nothing done since 23rd  though he said they werent thereDec. I'll do clothing today,towels and bedding tomorrow.

I have my 3 monthly B12 jab tomorrow. I have been dragging around the last few days feeling tired and weak,but at least its only been for about a week,not like a month each season last year. I think I must be building up some reserves now,whereas last year I was totally depleted of red blood cells. I also have blood tests for my diabeted same day. They are so not going to be pleased with me,I have not followed any rules at all because of stress eating,life has been so hard with Mr Dusty the last 6 months or so. Its depressing as well that I went on Metformin,and am gaining weight. I was 16st 1 lb yesterday,,up from 15st 11 end of November. Last year the DN was happy that I had gone down from 17st 3 to 16st 2.First half on this year I went down to 15st 10 lb,then started on metformin in July. I was hoping to have been down to 15st 6 by end of 2022,but plans ruined.

I can say that I am not suffering so much brain fog,and my arthritis in the hands has been much in abeyance with the long hot summer.,very little pain,and can type,fingers not curled up like talons! Cosmetically a different story,my hands look so swollen,difficult to remove rings,and the thumbs are mishapen. ,hands look big and ungainly. But little pain,so I can accept that.

 On Friday I go for my back scan. I did not enjoy the last one when they tried to force my arms up above my head,despite my protests about my arthritis. I have pretty much been in  pain with my back ever since. I will try to explain things to the staff,its at a different venue,hopefully kinder. A family friend is taking a half day from work to take me for the scan. Both sons are away.

I am supposed to make an appointment with a physiotherapist for back exercises etc,and its at a hospital miles and miles away,at Bishop Auckland. No hope of lifts there I will have to order an ambulance,which will probably take up the whole day. With the chaos in the NHS they just seem to send you off anywhere,no matter how far or inconvenient. Not amused.Dear me,already after 10 am and done nothing. Will tidy and clean kitchen benches and hob,before making salmon for Mr Dusty.

Oops,put clothes in washer,got distracted with Mr Dusty looking for gloves,,found them exactly where I had told him they were,sat down here at the computer and forgot to switch on the washer! Multi tasking? Not a hope in hell,cant barely think of one thing at a time,never mind half a dozen,as in days of yore

So off to the kitchen,turn on the washer,peel the potatoes,and make the fishsort out stuff for vistors later.

Later,gators.

Muddy_Walker

Big hugs Dusty xxx