Progress is...

edinburgher

Your neighbours sound like a pair of... something that would bypass the swear filter as it's Scottish, sounds like badgers

I am truly sorry you have to put up with that sort of behaviour, it can feel very oppressive when the folk next door are horrors

My in-laws had a bit of form with their neighbours after in-laws had the temerity to object to said neighbours building a *swimming pool* over their garage that then overlooked the in-laws garden. They eventually got to keep it and flew a helium balloon with swearwords over the garage. Talk about childish 🤨

rtandon27

@beanielou - they are everywhere aren't they? - and a bread unto themselves

@watty1 - I could cope with odd - we have a fair few of these in the neighbourhood & I'm sure they might say the same about us - these however are just darn nasty 'insert swear word of choice here'

@edinburgher - that did make me laugh! - my English to English translator declared he doesn't speak Scottish & I had to g00gle the term! - my Scottish Auntie used some interesting language, but never taught me that one - and yes indeed the neighbours are a pair & a half!

Your poor in-laws!!!  I totally get where they were coming from - no one wants neighbours peering into their space, which is precisely why I was training my rampant roses to cover it.  Something nice for me to look at in the warm weather.  I'm now going to look for a temporary fencing panel that is 8' high and install it on my side until the roses grown in!

I actually have security cameras ready to install, something deep within my gut did not want to resort to this.  I think my lovely window cleaner is going to be making some extra money out of us this month, as the rose trellis for the front of the house, the cameras for front and back and our shed coving need attention!  At least neither OH nor I regret what we pay him & he is a lovely local family man with a wife and two darling little girls.  I do like when you know exactly where the people you hire live!

themadvix

Some people are just unbelievable. How horrible to have to live next to intentional a-holes.

By contrast, your window cleaner sounds lovely - and you're right, it's great when you know you're supporting a local family!

rtandon27

@themadvix - TBH - I'm not sure they actually know they are a-holes - they just think they are right about everything and anything they have an opinion about! 

Before we moved in (but after purchase) Mrs Plasticgrass warned us her husband was a bit mentally unstable - honestly he's just a nick-n+pr - if he is unstable it's the kind of unstable that's catching as she is worse than he is - I refer to her as the fishwife - the whole neighbourhood can here her bossing him about at the top of her lungs & none too politely either!

Window cleaner on the other hand is lovely & soft spoken - very good manners, if a bit scatterbrained - I often have to chase him up for weeks for an electronic invoice!  His first language is French & last time I switched from English to French to ask for the bill via text, and he got all confused asking me who it was!  Poor man got a mouthful from Mr Plasticgrass last time he was here - not sure for what as the window cleaner was on my property doing my gutters and nowhere near the crazy house!  He's so good natured, that when I apologised (in true Canadian fashion) he said to not worry about it, he just ignored the shouting anyway!

rtandon27

Not the weekend yet, but I feel my list needs a bit of a refresh!  I'm currently home, staying with OH who has just had surgery, and though I am working today, need a bit of a brain break!

important tasks...
 ❗ do bus pass application
 ❗ clean up of spare laptop sitting at the office, I've not cleaned it up yet!
🔱 never ending paperwork filing - woo hoo it's now sorted - need to hole punch and file!
🔆 my savings need juggling
🔆 find a black ball point pen to sign passports - I know there is one in the house somewhere!

routine tasks... (for the weekend)
✅ YNAB juggling
✅ grocery order - none this week - veg box on friday
✅ meal plan
🔱 weekly digital planner
✅ supplements
✅ Weekly surveys & contests
✅ laundry - two loads done and hung up to dry - mid week load finally dry and put away!

non-routine tasks...
 ❗across the pond banking
🔆 send a message to BFF across the pond - we didn't talk last week!
 ❗ Delay Repay
🔱 Nightmare Train Delay snot-o-gram!
🔱 never ending legal follow-up for OH's saga - to date he's received 3% of the settlement! (8mths on!) - we've asked lawyer to light a rocket under the other party - SIGH

medical follow-ups...
 ❗ my dermatologist referral - have docs names - now need to book
🔆 follow-up on OT recommendations for work assessment
🔆 follow-up on private eye specialist
✅ OH blood work Monday
✅ OH hospital appt Thurs
✅ OH waiting for CT scan - NHS urgent booking systems are proving to be sh!te as I fully expected them to be!
✅ OH private consultant booked for next week

epic list of garden things... (again for the weekend)
✅  pruning bushes and sweeping leaves
🔆 pick and process apples
🔱 4 bags cotswold stone - trip to W!ckes postponed
🔱 transplant baby trees into their new pots - one of three done! - have soil for other two and pot trolleys for underneath as they are quite heavy
🔱 start getting quotes for new felt for flat roof & summer house & shed (needs doing in autumn)
🔱  need to transplant two chili plants & one more pot of flowers
🔱 once lavender is dry from rain make lavender bundles for drying - bumper crop - I've got one bundle complete 
🔆 trim down and rehome butterfly bush
🔆 new trellis needs to go up for the climbing rose in the front - OH has acquired the hardware! - on hold
🔆 finish taming climbing jasmine & add more supports for it to grown on

social calendar...
💝 lunch next week with 'acting' manager - mine is off for the month for health reasons
💝 ladies who lunch monthly outing - mid-month
💝 korean street food - plans in the works
💝 Oct - the office clan - monthly lunch at a restaurant
💝 Oct - thanksgiving (I always take the week off) - plans dependent on OH but have to source turkey!

themadvix

Hope Mr RT makes a swift recovery!

I can only imagine that sourcing a Canadian Thanksgiving turkey is even trickier than a US one! (My evening class teacher has told us about her son-in-laws efforts on that front - and the bewilderment of the butcher!).

rtandon27

@themadvix - I gave up long ago trying to find a whole turkey!  The are extortionately expensive and for some reason quite tough!  I have friends who buy a turkey in the sales at New Year's and keep it in the freezer until Thanksgiving!  It gets defrosted in the bathtub in cold water for 24 hours before being roasted!

If we are only feeding ourselves, its either roast thighs or drums and then carve up the meat.  If we have guests then we buy a whole breast or two as well.  I usually start a month in advance, and store the parts in the freezer as our local MrS only orders in one or two cut up turkey's at a time every few weeks!

The kicker is that neither OH nor I actually 'like' turkey - and OH despises pumpkin pie, green bean casserole and mash with gravy, but I get to have my once a year tradition with no quibbles, especially the years that we've not travelled home to be with my family!

OH had a bite to eat once we got home as he'd been fasting for the surgery and has wisely taken himself to bed as the sedative had not completely worn off and he was feeling groggy!  I'm currently completing a work course and then will log off and have a nap myself!

rtandon27

Been a while since I posted a decent meal plan, even though we have had one pinned to the freezer! - this upcoming week we are going to rely on what is in the house since last week's groceries went a tad over-budget with stock-ups of the expensive stuff.  We will get a veg box on Friday by which point we will have used up all our in house veg.

Today, Saturday - Lamb Tajine with carrots, potatoes 🥔 & onions 🌰 - we will have chard on the side and a simple couscous for starch.

Tomorrow, Sunday - Brunch - Eggy 🥚 Frittata with chorizo, spinach, tomatoes 🍅 & peppers 🫑 - Dinner - Sheppards Pie 🥧 with chard on the side

Monday - Meaty Leftovers instead of Veg Day - Sheppards Pie & Veg

Tuesday - Take-away by necessity - Whatever strikes our fancy after OH's specialist appt

Wednesday - WFH Lunch - may venture to a cafe - Dinner Salmon & Rice & Green Beans from freezer 

Thursday - Chicken Day - Chicken & Courgette & Pasta shapes with Pesto

Friday - WFH Lunch - another cafe lunch - Dinner Fakeaway Day - Chicken Burgers & Waffle Chips

Saturday - Easy Eating Day - Brunch eggs 🥚 & crumpets - Dinner - Italian sausage meat ragu (sofrito & meat from the freezer, bay leaf & tomato from the stores) with pasta (possibly spagetti)

Sunday -  Roast - Ossco Bucco something - from freezer with green mash (pots & kale)

Next Monday - Veggie Day - TBC

Lunches - Mon & Tues - lunch in the city meal deal, Thurs - Japanese lunch with acting boss - Wed & Fri wfh but eat out

edinburgher

We're doing Thanksgiving this year, treating it as a wee Christmas warm-up Picked up 3 cans of pumpkin on offer from Big River S&S

Greying_Pilgrim

ed - are you doing Canadian Thanksgiving or US Thanksgiving - don't the dates differ?  How close to Xmas is your trial?

rt - does the kind of foods offered differ between the 2 countries?  I guess Turkey is a key component, is Ham?  I was lucky enough to get invited to a (US) Thanksgiving when I was in college.  Not much for a veggie to eat - but i did like the pecan pie 😁

Greying X