Come and tell me your dull and unexciting news 9: Calmly through the day

[MissConductUS]

I've started a new one. Please join us and share the boring and mundane things happening in your world. It will be calming for all.

Happy 18th to your DS Slam sorry there wasn't much to do for him.

Cat woke up at 5am and had developed a new half dead howl, she managed to wake DS up after 30 seconds. I was concerned she was dying, she's 16 and fragile now, but turned out the issue was no 5am Xmas turkey breakfast was a near death experience for the cat. She's since had lots more turkey and is now fine.

DH has gone down to old house as our sale is supposed to complete mid Jan but kids may have covid tests from 4th Jan so need to try and clear it by then. I've booked a rubbish clearance firm for 2nd, just hoping Tier 5 doesn't appear by then though house moves so far are allowed.

He has brought DD's paint and rose gold coat hooks in from the car and I told DD at 2pm and got told off for waking her up Teenagers for you. Made DS very giggly as he still operates normal hours being ASD.

We took the DC and dog out for a long walk despite the 1degree temperature. It was alternately frosty and extremely muddy underfoot. But it meant lunch wasn’t served until 2.15pm and lots of the day is used up! I didn’t have lunch so that I can go on a run now. Not looking forward to going back out in the cold but am looking forward to the tired ache produced by a 6 mile hilly hike and then 3 mile run.

A friend sent us this. He lives there - not right on top of the mountain of course. Seems cold.

Welcome @lilylongjohn and @slalomsuki, and thanks for sharing your news.

The car is washed and shiny looking again.

Sodding I too am contemplating a dejunking project, but the attic is a bit too ambitious. We have trash pickup tomorrow so I'll probably settle for decluttering. DH got me a food processor for Xmas (it was on my list) and to make room for it I'll toss a breadmaker we got as a gift probably 10 years ago and have literally never used.

Hopefully this isn't too exciting, but I saw a skunk while out on my run this morning. I spotted it in the light from my headlamp before I got too close, so I crossed the road to avoid it and ran on unscathed.

@MissConductUS
Strange thought to live in an area were animals live I only get to see in the zoo.
The Berlin Zoo asked for help so I have become a (very moderate) sponsor for the ant population.

prokupatus , I have no idea why but your sponsorship of the ant population has really tickled me

And @MissConductUS I misread your skunk as shark and had to stop and think about where exactly you are running these days!

Loft clearing going well. We are back to the mid-90s now, which is stuff we moved with us from the last house. We passed baby gates and the living room carpet-before-last offcuts. Surprisingly, much of what we have pulled out is still useful, so will go back up there. We found our Christmas tree stand for cut trees, so could have a real one next year.

I did the loft one summer a few years ago. I swear I sweated out pounds of weight, it was so hot! Not envying you the temperature up there at this time of year @soddingkitten

@Champagneforeveryone
I love cats, insects and spiders and I am a fan of AntsCanada on YouTube.
The Berlin Zoo has an insectarium that struggles because of covid restrictions - everybody else loves the panda twins.

I just showed DS the Berlin panda twins as he is a big panda fan. He went awww.

The zoo is open, so I will go and renew my annual pass, but I can't visit the ants they are in lockdown.

Haven't been on the thread for a few days. It took me she's to catch up.
MissConduct I remember the Crickley Hall programme - they used a house about 8 miles away as the location.
I have been into town and bought some Christmas cards and crackers for next year. Had a look at the Next sale - it was pants.

We are planning a trip to the zoo this week as well, @Prokupatuscrakedatus - we’re only five minutes down the road, so we can hear the animals calling quite often.

Good luck with the loft, @soddingkitten - we should tackle the garage, but perhaps in the spring... it’s all too much to contemplate at the moment.

We have been for a bracing walk and now we are front of the fire, watching Zog and the Flying Doctors. We had an interesting journey as we were extremely low on petrol, and encountered a big flood - I waded in (wellies on) to see how deep it was, and it was halfway up my calves. So we had to take a detour to get to the petrol station and made it by the very skin of our teeth. What we would have done if it had been closed (small village station so not outside the realms of possibility) I don’t quite know...!

Yes, @Champagneforeveryone, we have an Ethernet cable to the TV as otherwise nothing loaded fast enough through the WiFi. It makes such a difference.

DH has been putting new shelves in the cupboard next to the new boiler and, as the space is quite snug, I have been chief passer-of-drill bits-spirit levels-and-screws (drywall screws no less) so he doesn't have to keep shimmying out. I resisted the urge to take a picture entitled 'DH in the naughty cupboard' .....

Made chicken soup for lunch and have spent the afternoon watching Outback Opal hunters in TV

Do you have freecycle or similar @MissConductUS ? Seems a shame to throw away a breadmaker that someone else could use?
Our first two breadmakers came from colleagues who were getting rid of them. We have a juicer that we haven't used used in years that I need to put on our local Facebook waste exchange page.

What a busy thread today.

Sorry to hear about the positive results @sproutsandparsnips, and about Ddog3s toe @Champagneforeveryone.

We have been over to Build a Bear today as the DC had Christmas money that was burning a hole. DS2 has named his Paul much to our amusement. Our new pans were delivered today as DH has been shopping on the shopping channels again.
As a result of all this shopping, EggyCat1 has levelled up with bag in a box.

We found our boys’ nursery folders in an old suitcase with photos of them at play as toddlers. I also just spent a while counting the pieces in some old jigsaw puzzles to check they are complete so we can donate them.

forgetthehousework we have a very nice and proper friend who joyfully refers to a similar cupboard as her glory hole - this amuses me far more than is appropriate for an adult

DM used to do this too but thank the Lord has stopped of her own accord - the images were too much to even contemplate

eggy that is indeed an achievement, I shall advise ChampagneCat that she needs to up her game.

I've just been to our local garden centre and they had a massive sale on. I've just purchased a Seasalt Janelle (coat of my dreams) at 50% off, I'm very happy!

sodding I still have 1500 pieces of beige to count (lions in the savannah) it's either do it or count it.

@halfpasteleven and @Prokupatuscrakedatus - A skunk is quite normal around here, a shark less so. We have all manner of creatures wandering about here - turkeys and pheasants, turtles of many species, and deer by the thousands. I saw coyotes twice in 2019 and a brown bear about 5 years ago. I'm sure the coyotes are still around, they're just very good at hiding from people. The coyotes are why we have indoor cats.

@Taswama - I will have to look into freecycle. I think I am a bit put off by all of the stories on MN of CF'ers wanting free goods delivered, or gas petrol money to come pick it up, etc. My church does a housewares sale every summer, skipped this year of course. Perhaps I'll hold onto it for that.

I did the loft one summer a few years ago. I swear I sweated out pounds of weight, it was so hot! Not envying you the temperature up there at this time of year @soddingkitten**

I have been trying to suss out a general idea of where people live without appearing too nosy about it. Sodding, are you in the southern hemisphere?

@Champagneforeveryone - Perhaps your friend's cupboard contains more than you'd expect.

@Therainisback - the house in that programme is gorgeous. Is it actually on the coast?

And speaking of feline amusements, the box tunnel collapsed after excessive use but DH has cleverly repaired it.

Belated Happy 18th Birthday to your DS @slalomsuki.

I have just ordered a mega pan set today @EggNogPegg. Our current hard anodised set has lasted almost twenty years and were really good until a few months ago so have gone for hard anodised again. The new set comes with a 25 year guarantee and DH helpfully said that “they would see us out” 🥺

We are have paid to watch a show with the mischief comedy company (creators of the play that goes wrong among many others) but I’m not certain that we have the technical competence to be able to watch it on our TV via a laptop.

@MissConductUS. I think @soddingkitten is here in the UK and the post refers to it being absolutely freezing in the attic.
I do the same as I'm very nosy. I'm just outside Bath. There, saved you the trouble of me.

We need to clear ours as we're turning it into a bedroom. We did clear it over a weekend a few years ago, but things have crept up there since. Happily everything in the eaves is still well organised. I'm looking forward to having proper insulation up there as it is unbearable in the summer and downright freezing in the winter.

@Nydj DH is very happy with our new mega pan set. It's a Tefal set and comes with two removable handles and a variety of lids so that they can be used on the hob or in the oven, and also be stored directly in the fridge.