Come and tell me your dull and unexciting news 11: 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.

It’s not going to get above freezing today. Usually on a Friday DS and I would go for a bike ride around the lanes and bridlepaths and stop off at the shop on the way home for any additional supplies that we might need, and some cake. Not sure we’ll be able to today though, we can get straight to the shop as it’s on a slightly bigger road that gets gritted, but the lanes are likely to be somewhat alarming, and I ran the bridlepath yesterday and it was a wee bit lethal in places. Wouldn’t fancy it on my own on a bike, never mind with DS in tow. So it’s likely to be a shorter ride than usual today.

I also hurt my lip trying to get into a tub of Ariel liquitabs. I presume your hand slipped? It conjures up pictures of you chewing at the tub though.

This is very lovely! I’ve just found it and would like to give you all my news:
1-my stress levels are lower after reading this
2-ds says peppa is no longer good enough and he cannot eat toast without paw patrol 😢

I’m drinking hot honey & lemon this morning as my (non-covid) cough is not shifting. Had an email from the mail room to say they’ve got a parcel for me, which I think is my Birchbox, so will take a wander down there to collect that when I find a space in my diary

@sueelleker No I meant I was trying to open it with my teeth. I had tried doing it with my hands first.

I had the conversation - DS is now thinking about his options and hopefully coming up with ideas (unless it is his decision, he won't do it.)

He'll probably need a guided introduction into work, anyway.

Picked up car from the garage. The bill was the same as always. The engine light is on - I did not have time to deal with that so have chosen to believe it will go away on it’s own.

@Deathraystare Good question and that could be a WHOLE ‘nother thread! Personally, desperate to get back to Europe (but that’s mainly because I’m expecting first child in 4 weeks). Very happy Trump is out, Kamala is in getting shit done. I’ve done 2.5 years here now (3.5 away from UK) and I want to go home. DH feels the same, luckily.

@Sunbird24, as anyone from the Indian subcontinent will tell, you need turmeric powder - a pinch of it with a pinch of salt mixed into a teaspoon of honey at least 2-3 times a day. If you have a sore throat then also gargle with as hot as you can tolerate salty water as often as you can throughout the day.

I miss my mum phoning me to do all that every time I had a cough.

Fortune cookies for tonight's Chinese NY feast just delivered .

In a teams meeting. It’s making me despondent.

@Nitflux - where in the US are you? I'm in the highlands north of NYC if you haven't picked that up already. What brought you here to the US?

@Deathraystare I'm glad you have the saucepan issue sorted. I'm sure you'll be very happy with the Circulon pans. Re Trump, the only thing that was stolen from him was his sanity and that happened decades ago. His gargantuan ego wouldn't let him accept defeat. I think we'll move on just fine. Personally I hope they do impeach him and bar him from running again, but I think that's unlikely,

Welcome, @Peppaismyrolemodel, and thanks for sharing your porcine entertainment news. We don't have Peppa Pig on this side of the pond but I have learned a bit about her on MN. I'm so glad you've found the thread soothing.

@TheySeeHerRowling - I think you were on a prior thread, but I'm not certain and cba to look. If so, welcome back, if not welcome and thanks for sharing your oriental dessert news.

I have to reschedule my appointment with my orthopedist next Tuesday as there's more bloody snow in the forecast for that day. He's only in my area on Tuesdays so that will push it back at least a week. No cortisone injection for me.

I decided that instead of my normal straightforward bread recipe I’d try experimenting with a poolish - a starter that you leave to rise slowly for a long time - to see whether it made much of a difference. I found an OK-sounding recipe online and started the process at 5:30 last night. Just put the loaves in the oven and they’re due out at 3.

I jolly well hope they’re worth it after all that 😂

@MissConductUS Sad times about the injection. I do think I’d go utterly mad if I couldn’t run at the moment, so I really hope you get it all sorted soon.

We are starting half term 25 minutes early because I have had enough, thank you very much. We have had a very lazy day today anyway in terms of schoolwork and spent most of the morning walking to the shop in the next village - it’s only a couple of miles but DS of course had to examine and then crunch every icy puddle, find suitable sticks for pointing and waving, and discuss the sheep, pigs, and geese that we passed. Not to mention telling the nice delivery driver who stopped for directions about the ice and snowballs. So it took a while, plus defrosting time once we got home and general cleaning up of the family pig sty, which is what our house seems to have turned into. Consequently, there hasn’t been an awful lot of learning done here today.

Supermarket was heaving this morning and very stressful.
I think I will avoid going on Fridays in future.
I am now watching kittens on YouTube to calm down (Kitten Academy is my not-so-secret addiction).

@Squirrel26

In a teams meeting. It’s making me despondent.

This pithy update describes the last 10 months for a lot of people, Squirrel.

Conversely, a friend in another department told me she’d been feeling pretty cheerful in herself throughout the pandemic but didn’t feel able to say so because so many people are struggling. I confessed I was feeling quite cheerful too. I find endless online meetings soul destroying, but I am contented in other respects. I am finding a lot of enjoyment in the small things in life just now.

Thanks, MissConductUS, yes, I usually lurk to calm myself down when needed, but occasionally break cover .

forgetthehousework, this particular Friday seems wayyy busier than usual - the queue outside M&S was super-long today as I passed by on my walk. I guess it's Valentines-related.

@HildaTablet

I decided that instead of my normal straightforward bread recipe I’d try experimenting with a poolish - a starter that you leave to rise slowly for a long time - to see whether it made much of a difference. I found an OK-sounding recipe online and started the process at 5:30 last night. Just put the loaves in the oven and they’re due out at 3.

I jolly well hope they’re worth it after all that 😂

Is it like sourdough?

DS just showed me a very elaborate and refined minecraft world he has created. A good sign.

The water inlet to the washing machine leaks. It probably needs a new seal which I can't buy because all these shops are open to professionals only and I am not doing a click and collect for 1 sealing ring. I'll improvise sth.

Hmm @Spudlet, think it might be time for DS’s half term report.

‘Today DS engaged in physical education and chose to participate in outdoor learning including science (States Of Matter - ice, Botany - sticks and Zooology - pigs and sheep). DS also engaged an adult in conversation (Social skills, English - oral storytelling). DS then visited a shop (Social skills, Practical Mathematics) before a second session of Physical Education (Walking In Adverse Conditions- proprioception, core stability, stamina.)

What a busy day. I feel tired.

Spudlet, I've rebooked with the ortho for a week from next Tuesday at 8:00, which is more convenient for me anyway. And the good news is that resting seems to be making the ligament less painful, so that's a good sign.

Sodding, I'm glad to hear you have been holding up well and finding things to take a bit of joy in. I've held up pretty well too, all things considered.

Birthday update - We had a really nice birthday dinner last night for DS. DH was able to get DD on Facetime so that she could be there while he opened presents and we had cake. For the cake we propped the phone up on the dining room table in the spot she usually sits in and she sang happy birthday with us. He asked for a chocolate fudge cake as he wanted to try something other than the chocolate mousse option. It was good, but very dense and chocolaty, almost to the point of being too heavy. It was still a treat and lovely having DD participate from uni.

Happy birthday DS. @MissConductUS I was contemplating sticking toffee pudding with vanilla ice cream tonight, you'll be able to hear my teeth crack from the US.

Not sure what to have for main though

Is it like sourdough?

Not exactly, sueelleker, I'm not brave enough for that! You mix up an initial lot of flour and water with a tiny bit of dried yeast (0.4 grams in the recipe I used) and let it rise for about 14 hours. That's the 'poolish'. Then you mix all that into more flour and water with slightly more yeast and it rises for a further 3 hours or so. This then gets shaped into 2 loaves and after a final hour's rising, you bake it.

I've cut into one of the loaves and it's got a nice holey structure - I haven't tasted it yet but it should have a good flavour.

Effectively it looks and tastes sourdough like without actually being sourdough, iyswim.

DH is cooking a curry tonight. Friday night tradition here. Tomorrow we are getting a takeaway, v exciting!

@Squirrel26 Have you considered a sideline as a freelance Tapestry entry writer?

We had a curry today. Tomorrow it will be either couscous or a salad. DH is usually in charge of cooking in our household. My job is DS, cleaning and the fixing of leaking washing machines.