Come and tell me your dull and unexciting news 19: 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.

Here is the link to the prior thread:

Come and tell me your dull and unexciting news 18: Calmly through the day

I buy wrapping paper the day after Christmas for 70% off and put it in the basement until I need it the following year.

@MissConductUS - I have always aspired to be that person

@lunarlandscape

I buy wrapping paper the day after Christmas for 70% off and put it in the basement until I need it the following year.

@MissConductUS - I have always aspired to be that person

I don't do it on purpose, but I usually have wrapping paper left from the previous year. (I tend to over-buy)

Welcome, @Echobelly, and thanks for sharing your candle and book shopping news. Honey and vanilla sound like the perfect scent for the holidays.

Lunar, that's when I buy my Christmas cards as well. I send out about 40 per year. Do people still send Christmas cards in the UK?

@MissConductUS re Christmas cards I think it’s a generational thing. My DM sends hundreds I send about 10. None to my friends just WhatsApp messages!

I always send to all the children I work with and all my staff.

I too but my wrapping paper etc in sale if I can. I buy posher in the sale. 🙈

I too but my wrapping paper etc in sale if I can. I buy posher in the sale.

Me too. Hallmark paper is lovely, sturdy and they print the gray gridlines on the back to help with even cutting. With 70% off it's worth it. It really feels posh.

They are repaving a bridge I take to work, so my trip took about 15 minutes longer for work. I commute north, which is against most of the rush hour traffic, so it was far worse for people going the other way.

I don't know if it was in the news in the UK, but congress has finally passed an infrastructure spending bill, so I expect there will be even more road work than usual next year.

I buy any wrapping paper I need at the Dollar Store. I still have several really old rolls left over from elementary school fundraisers and we're all working our way through that. I never wrap Santa presents, just leave them in individual piles under the tree with the DCs' little embroidered Christmas stockings identifying the piles.

They're trying to finish up roadwork here before winter sets in. One of the main approaches to the high school has been off limits for ten days now. The chaos in the mornings is unbelievable. Meanwhile, a street near Village Hall was done in three days. On top of all that, leaf collection is under way. This is all lovely if you are a small child with a fascination for construction vehicles and garbage trucks.

Miss There will be neons and neons of hi-viz men to be observed in their natural habitat.

I did away with wrapping paper years ago. I have a number of thin fabric loop scarves to cover gifts with.
DH has finished the 1 kg of raisin cookies.

Will you be visiting the Christkindlmarket mathanxiety? I think it's vaguely in your area?

We went a few years ago and it was sooooo cold but I had gluhwein, currywurst, and something amazing and cheesy. I'd like to go back.

Prok, there will no doubt be a large spring crop of high-viz men next year. 1 kg of raisin cookies must be at least 20-30 cookies. That's quite a lot of cookies.

Miss It is - I wanted to take some into the office but no. I'll have to do them again.

ZZTop Festive Currywurst? I wait every year for Poffertjes. Easy to get where I come from, but a speciality here. I am thinking of buying a pan and some buckwheat flour and make them myself.

I found a 12lb turkey! And bought it! And made room for it in the freezer!

Perhaps a little too exciting for this thread.

Well done, Math. 12lb is a good size. How many people will it have to feed?

Yes, ZZ I'm going to the Christkindlmarket - I didn't make it last year because of anxiety about covid, and the weather took a sudden turn for the worse the previous Christmas, making it more of a trek than I felt like making. I hope to get there the weekend before Christmas.

Last night I made my spiced red cabbage for Christmas dinner. Then I re-organised the frezer and put all the Christmas stuff together. DH always unpacks the shopping while I nip to my mum's wirh her bits and bobs and he stuffs things in anyoldhow.

There will be four of us, so 12 lbs is easily enough. DS has suggested brining it, and I've spent a little time on YouTube convincing myself that this would be easy and worth it.

Yes, a 12 pound turkey for four will be ample. You'll be eating turkey sandwiches for days. I'll have to look into brining. The warehouse store had big jars of brining spices out next to the empty turkey case.

DS is capable of putting away a lot of turkey. He lives for Thanksgiving.

A turkey pot pie has been suggested by DD3, and I also anticipate a lot of sandwiches, turkey-bean soup, etc.

I'll be stuffing the bird and freezing some of the leftover stuffing until Christmas, when we usually go with a rump roast.

Silkiecat loves the Christmas turkey, she sits watching the oven though gives lots of withering looks about the length of time it needs to cook for.

DS is a huge pigs in blankets fan. Silkiecat also eats those but likes to pounce on them and pretend she has caught them, then shake it in her mouth like she is killing it, then eats it. We then have to be very impressed with her hunting ability.

I have an audit inspection today. I was emailed at 3.55pm yesterday with a list of areas which will be inspected. Having asked for this information at least three weeks ago I’m not a happy bunny. The inspector will be entering a somewhat hostile environment.

The company were imposed on us from above and are costing twice our previous provider. For support which is a fraction of before. I can feel my blood pressure rising just thinking about the waste!

Helena Sending you strength!

As far as turkeys are concered I'll give you all a few words:
a male turkey = Truthahn
a female turkey = Pute (second meaning "a vain and vacuous woman" - male versions of such have their own words)

Our kitchen lights are going 2 of 3 are no longer working and the bulbs cannot be changed without a lot of work - grrr!

I’ve brined* the Christmas turkey a couple of times and it’s been really nice and flavoursome. I submerged it in a plastic garden trug - new, I hasten to add, and bought specially for the purpose.

*Auto-correct tried to change this to ‘I’ve bribed the Christmas turkey’, which is a whole other, potentially interesting, scenario

Every year I contemplate deep-frying the turkey in the garage. So far I've wisely decided not to, every time.

zzTop The size of turkey you all are talking about - how would you do this? Let's think this through ....

And who is now waiting for PCR results? Home test yesterday negative, this morning as positive as it is possible to get.

My drive to work today was much easier. So many people complained about the roadwork delays on social media that the agency responsible admitted that they kept working past the deadline, which caused the backup. This morning was fine and it looked like they had the whole length of the bridge covered in new asphalt.

It's been really warm today, 70 F 20 C this afternoon. This morning was very foggy, so I took some pictures.

Miss The grey picture is wonderful!