Come and tell me your dull and unexciting news 20: 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 19: Calmly through the day

Lemons - that sounds horrible for you regardless of the support you have at work. Don't let it spoil Christmas.

Silkies - sending good vibes your way.

DD4 had a very busy day at her retail job, and has a full week of craziness ahead. The shop reached the milestone of exceeding its usual Christmas season sales today apparently. DD came home, fell asleep on the couch, then went to bed.

I went out yesterday morning to buy a Christmas tree and came home with the only tree at the tree lot that wasn't shedding needles at the slightest touch. It's now up and decorated and the sitting room smells like the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.

I drove past the lot today en route to Walmart and saw that the lads selling the trees had packed up and gone. Every year I promise myself that I won't leave the tree to the last minute and every year I leave it to the last minute. So far so good though 🙂 and it always feels like an adventure.

@mathanxiety UP of Michigan - that brings back memories - have just been sorting out photographs ( decluttering) and have one of DS and I on the shore of Lake Superior . Also DH & I on a tandem with Ds in a child seat at the back on Mackinaw Island ( not sure that is UP & certainly Dh realised I wasn't doing as much pedalling as he) Ha ha - As long as the tree gets though Christmas - it will do the job.

Sorry work is difficult Lemons, at least she is leaving.

Nice photo Rhubarb It was always DD in our house that wore shorts in the winter.

Glad you have a tree Maths

I have switched to paracetomol as ibruprofen making my stomach feel wierd, only mild but was supposed to be on 50 -50 anyway but was too much for my brain to alternate at start. Pain is very low considering, slept almost a normal amount though wake every few hours and back to sleep.

Everything in my recovery kit is light pink and DD is now after my cup and bowl, I have managed to keep them.

I got DH to put up the light up snowman I got DS on his desk and DH says he was gazing at it for ages and DH said its nice and Christmassy and DS nodded and kept gazing, he is like that with Christmas tree lights too, sits by them for 30 minutes.

That will be good to have your DS back as well MissC.

We get the food for Christmas from butchers on 24th

What a lovely thread! I have to go to the office today and I have a lemon drizzle cake to share with anyone else who shows up.

@RhubarbFairy we do the choosing a new decoration each year too. I add the new ones to the list which lives in the decoration box and the kids love hunting out the ones they picked when they were much littler! We need to go and buy this year’s.

But today I have to drive to Manchester and back with 3/4 DC to see my grandparents. I have stocked up on bribes… it will be okay it really won’t, it’s 3 hours each way if there is no traffic and they have to be immaculately behaved in a very small house once we get there

Do you have anything to protect your stomach for when you take ibuprofen, Silkie? I know you've stopped for now but in case you should need to go back to it, something like OTC Nexium once a day is a good precaution. Should stop it getting upset.

You are not taking your painkillers on an empty stomach, are you? I was told a piece of white bread (not our everyday variety) with the pill helps the stomach.
Bright blue sky here and 0 C.
We will build the tree today - we switched to artificial. It is difficult to transport a tree on the underground and DD will take it when she moves out. And we have to write cards to the very old in the family.

Ibuprofen is a funny one. Hopefully you will fare better on paracetamol Silkie.

The boiler man has been and gone for our annual service. All fine. I should hope so too as it was only replaced on Christmas Eve last year.

Cat1 has taken to sleeping on the upstairs bannister. This means that she is sorely sleep deprived and has taken chunks out of it where she falls off and claws to stop herself. I have taken to giving lots of cuddles so she gets a good sleep on me.

After many failed methods of discouraging her from sleeping there, this morning I have embraced the fact that she clearly feels safe there and have created her a hammock out of an old sheet lined with a towel.

She didn't jump straight out and is now grooming which is an indication that it is acceptable for this hour at least.

Whoops. Forgot the obligatory photo

Oh another lovely cat!!

DD is "branching the tree" and I have taken apart DH's old lamp for disposal. Millions of little insect shells!
Then we'll go to Ikea for Kallax inserts and food, BAUHAUS (DIY shop), post office (they are raising the postage by 0,05 €) etc., because I am off work until the 4th!

Welcome, @SalsaLove, and thanks for sharing your news. I would love a slice of lemon drizzle cake.

Rhubarb, cats do pick odd places to sleep. We used to have a cat bed that was attached to a window sill. The cats could look out the window and sleep in the sun. Your hammock looks good, but I'd worry about the cat falling getting into it. Sometimes you just have to let them have what they want.

Your plank floorboards are lovely. We have white oak floors in most of the house, but with the narrower boards.

The main thing on my mind is that DH and DD1 come home tomorrow from a trip abroad. DD1's boyfriend also arrives tomorrow. DD2 and DS are already home.

So tomorrow evening we will have a full house. I guess I should buy some groceries? I have vacuumed throughout, we have a new duvet arriving any minute, we are all stocked up on firewood, and I cleared out space in the boot rack and coat rack.

I'm very ready for the Christmas break.

Thats good you are off to 4th Prok.

Lovely cat photo Rhurbarb

Enjoy your full house ZZ

I have switched to paracetemol which seems better, my stomach no longer feels like I am on a boat. I am in only a little pain, felt quite drowsy but behind on sleep so trying to catch up. Losing some blood but looked it up and appears normal, I thought someone would phone and check but no though I have a number I can call.

Oh such (un) exciting news!
Lemons sorry to hear about your work issue. If it helps I have been flat out all day today and yesterday, trying to do the right thing, yet publicly denounced on our morning teams meeting about a decision I made yesterday without the benefit of senior management input. Try not to 'sweat it' as they say.
ZZTopGuitarSolo I am jealous. That is my plan tomorrow, to get all organised and cosy.

And Silkies I agree, ditch the ibuprofen or ask for PPI cover (omeprazole).

Bit of an odd day all in all.

Through work I've been party to a disclosure that directly references DS as a young child. While I'm entirely sure nothing has happened, I'm frightened by the strength of my feelings on the subject.

And to add to an otherwise weird day, DS has told me he is bisexual. This actually came out (no pun intended) in an entirely round about way and he says he was sure we knew. We didn't, but I'm amazed and quietly pleased by what a non event it is. So far removed from my youth where something like this would have been at least mildly shocking, if not downright scandalous.

And to balance it all out, I bought some gunk to put down the shower drain because it was not draining properly.

I've not had a shower yet so I don't know if it's worked.

@Champagneforeveryone so glad it was a non event. It took my close relative some years to ‘come out’. I know it was such a hard thing for them, And the drain gunk usually works for me in my shower 🙈.

@Silkieschickens glad the paracetamol works better. Mad that they haven’t checked in.

@sproutsandparsnips I hate it when managers do that. Do you have much time off at Christmas?

Had several phone calls to doctors for DS as he has conjunctivitis. Due to his age you can’t buy over counter otherwise I would have. Dr first prescribed eye ointment to go under eyelid. I had requested drops as ointment was impossible.

Am off work now until we go back in January when I’m officially back and want to spend first Christmas with my son. (And DH ). I have work thing hanging over me at the moment. I broke down yesterday in work which was embarrassing there is more to the story but far too outing.

Have seen though the team I will have in January are amazing.

So things are difficult at work Sprouts, that sounds bullying.

Sorry things are difficult too for you Lemons but hope you can enjoy Christmas with your two boys.

Paracetamol are much better though dh told me I shouldn't need any pain relief. I told him nurse said I did and he to fetch them.

I am not sure what happens next maybe the surgeon just sees me in 3 weeks from last Friday operation, that is what online notes say. operation

Silkiecat keeps calling dh, she is cross as he planned on sleeping not cat night duty.

When I last took paracetamol my throat swelled tight. Luckily I was drying dishes in a hospital kitchen at the time. I've stuck to aspirin and ibu since then.
We will decorate the tree today, the lights are working.

Having missed my usual Monday run yesterday due elderly relative visiting, I’m going to go this morning instead. definitely dull enough to qualify!

@Silkieschickens - All best wishes to you and you may be interested that new puppy has been "helping" by unwrapping all Christmas presents

In other news DS has had his Covid booster & our doorbell is being very quiet - so have to sit by front door as lovely neighbours have a parcel being delivered to me because they are away

Other than that have bought more sellotape for wrapping - Oh it is all glamour in the Basilisk household

Sellotape is such a rollercoaster though basilisk - do I buy cheap and get frustrated? Or sell a minor organ and splash out on Scotch tape, then feel aggrieved that it only gets thrown away anyway

I have the same relation to sellotape as Donald Duck.

DD has finished her decoration of the tree, while I prepared her baking. I'll add my favourites in a few minutes.