Come and tell me your dull and unexciting news 25: 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 24: Calmly through the day

Welcome to all regulars, lurkers, and new contributors! Everyone is welcome to join.

Hilda, are you holding dinner for him, or is he off to the chippy when he gets back? Was your haircut with a new stylist, and how did it go?

And speaking of dinner, there was a group of men (no hi-viz) stocking the reservoir with trout today from a large tank on the back of a truck. They do this every spring, and it's quite common to see people fishing there. Mr. Crane watched this with great interest, as he loves frech trout.

Great picture, MissC.

DH would love to go to the chippy but we’re too idle to get the car out now. Luckily we have half a cold chicken, plenty of cheese and bread so we'll have a picnic dinner.

Yes, it was a totally new-to-me stylist so I was a bit nervous, as I’m very paranoid particular about my hair, but I was able to show him some photos of a previous satisfactory cut and he did a really nice job.

Morning, decided to do a nc, apologies IWandered, I hadn’t seen your user name. Added the tulip so you know it’s me.

Just cooked DH a full English and am sitting with a nice cup of Yorkshire tea looking out at a dullish day. He’s off to golf in a moment, squeezing it in before treatments starts again and he can’t play once more. I’ve realised I’m quite able to get started on my kit and make a good job of certain bits but there’s one bit I’ll need lots of help with so I’m going to book a lesson later this year to do that bit.

oh dear Hilda, was DH hungry, I once offered a friend a 5am lift to the hospital for an operation, I turned up a week early 🤦‍♀️, her DH thought it was hilarious and told me better a week early than a week late and it was a good practice run.

Mulling over Normandy Pork for tonight’s meal, it’s in the freezer, made a huge pot last week, so that’s an easy meal for tonight.

beautiful picture of the Crane, I often see a heron by a large pond near us, I’m always on the look out for the birds of prey when I walk the dog, they float about on the thermals, slightly too far away for me to get a proper look at them, someone told me we’ve buzzards been released near us but I’ve never seen them, that would be very exciting.

We have red kites where we live, Wandering, sometimes really quite low over our garden. I once counted about 30 of them wheeling serenely above the local Tesco Local 😬

DH has set off for his second attempt to go into London. Fingers crossed he'll get there this time.

Living in the forest as I do, we see a lot of wildlife. We have local owls, hawks and the odd eagle in addition to lots of songbirds and woodpeckers.

I have another picture somewhere with at least a dozen turkeys in our yard. It's probably on my laptop at home. We also get turtles, raccoons, and possums. We added a Ring security system a couple of years ago with two outdoor cameras with floodlights that are triggered by motion. If I check the videos from overnight, I often see a raccoon having a nosy around the garden and then head off into the woods. We also get the odd coyote, which is why our cats are indoors only.

Wandering, I had to google Normandy Pork. It looks delicious. My DH does most of our cooking, so I'll have to suggest it to him.

It was cold and windy today, so I feel like spring has been snatched away. I look for some more wildlife pictures when I get home.

I found the picture of the turkey invasion. It was from January of this year.

We have a second story deck on the back of the house, and get quite a few frogs that come off the trees. They change color to match the background. If you look closely, there's one sharing the deck chair with the cat, who doesn't seem bothered by the frog.

Gorgeous crane photo, MissC. I love fresh trout too.

We had leftover chili for dinner. I always look forward to coming home and nuking a dinner that's already made.

DD4 is making a lemon drizzle cake. Her last effort was a huge hit and we had lemons left over from Easter.

Tonight is nature night on my local PBS station. I've already watched a documentary on the ecology of the region around Niagara Falls and the nearby Lake Huron. Currently watching a documentary that seems to be about preventing massive fires, mainly in Australia. They have feral camels there who drain water holes dry.

That cake should have been a [ shock ]

What the.....

Hurrah for DS and your perseverance Silkie hope the homecoming is joyous.

In dull news, I may do the weekly shop on my way home from work, rather than while DC2 is at swim training this evening. This only works as a result of a shuffle in DC3’s training times.

In other dull news I saw the 21% solar eclipse in Melbourne - right at the end. It had been a peerlessly clear and sunny autumn day so no way of staring at the currant bun. Right at the end some cloud drifted over, so I saw it at about 18%.

@MissConductUS

Miss C wherever you live looks beautiful!

I went for a rare meal out as a friend had a recent birthday. I don't often eat out except at the local greasy spoons (for the non brits amongst you who are thinking wtf that just means a local cafe). It was a Turkish/Amenian/Iranian type place. Starters, mains, i bottle of wine came to £80+. Quite a shock when you are more used to paying for a veggie breakfast!! Still it was very nice and the wine was delicious! I had spicy prawns and a veggie moussaka. My friend had chicken livers and lamb tava.

We got back in tie to view Married at First Sight on E4+1 so that was good!

Deathray, we use the term greasy spoon here in the US also. In fact, I was surprised when you used it, as it hadn't been on my list of known Britishisms. Dining out has gotten a lot more expensive here too, as have takeaways.

I live in an area that is borderline suburban and rural called The Hudson Highlands. It is lovely here and it's a good location that is still fairly close to NYC. This is what the view from the deck looks like in the summer when I have my plants and flowers out.

Good morning all. ☺️
We have the term diner here as well. It typically would refer to a restaurant serving traditional breakfasts (bacon, eggs, hashbrowns, toast), soup and sandwiches, dinners with that frozen veg mix (peas, carrots, gr beans) on the side. And coffee, which traditionally would be bottomless. Now, the term isn't used much but diner has become a sort of trendy "elevated" cheffy place, so not a cheap meal option. I'd be hard pressed to find a real, local, mom&pop diner.

Just having cup of tea, strong and plain - as it should be. Havoc has play school this morning, so enjoying a few minutes before mad dash to get out the door. 😀

Frustrating meetings yesterday and day before when 2 organisations said to delay discharge of DS as they need to assess, they both started assessing in September though both are saying he does not need to go back. Hospital were not best pleased but are refusing to move past 2 May. Really stupid that a bed is open unused for over 2 weeks at c £5k a week for no reason. Apparently one person put a complaint in and its with The Children's Commissioner. I actually left the meeting yesterday half way through as was so frustrating, them delaying discharge and person chairing who knew nothing about the case (staff get changed every month). Still faffing with education. Nobody asking what would be useful, just people ticking boxes without thinking things through. 6 meetings next week, so many meetings, drives me nuts. Its a large part of why nothing gets done, as there's loads of pointless meetings.

Floof is very trilly including middle of the night when he went round everywhere trilling really loudly. Its cute, such a happy chap.

Hope you are doing as well as you can Prok

Lovely pictures MissC

Floof on DD.

Silkie, sorry you're still in the bureaucratic spin cycle. Who do you think might have complained to the Children's commission, and why? Does the hospital want him gone by May 2nd and others are trying to delay that? Floof is as handsome as always.

Mr Duck was taking advantage of the recently stocked trout in the reservoir for a bit of breakfast this morning. I've no idea why Mrs Duck wasn't with him. Perhaps she's having a lie in.

The hospital were OK with discharging him from 6th April, last day of lorazepam. And since then he's been on pretty much constant home leave and he's really easy at home, like a sloth on a sofa (also exactly like he was just pre admission). Hospital wanted it asap as they are not supposed to keep patients sectioned any longer than necessary. The person who complained was his keyworker and it was as 2 agencies are faffing with doing assessments and delaying discharge and apparently complaint just went up and up. She said cahms had claimed they had no idea he would be discharged (despite being in meetings)🙄and the proposed 27th April was far too soon for them to assess. But apparently this assessment is just one conversation with us, which they've now put in for 26th for 30 mins and so think they will be ready for 27th. The other agency are doing the same assessment for the third time due to major errors in first two, first was 90% inaccurate, they did not involve us at all and everyone they did involve said it was majorly inaccurate, so they redid a second time but then they assessed the hospital rather than DS with pearls of wisdom such as the hospital has food at it and the hospital has staff at it. 4 months it took for this work of genius though that one did at least acknowledge the first one was completely wrong.🙄They didn't even visit the hospital either but its a new staff member there each month and a new manager each month and lots of them don't have a clue what they are doing. And DS being mute caused issues as each one claimed they were going to interview him as they have a box for interview with child. He just growled. So now they are writing a third version of the same thing to correct first two. Its better for us as currently all the apologies have been verbal. We've had lots of apologies, a couple of staff have lost jobs, but nothing much in writing and I've been pushing for that, partly as there's loads of nonsense written about DS as well.

How frustrating silkie I have faith things are turning a corner though.

I’m sitting in the sunshine watching DC4 at football training. We were 30 minutes late getting here as I had to send out all the communications about the teachers’ industrial action over the next two weeks. And our Head didn’t want it to go until after the end of the school day so parents couldn’t acost her on the playground! DC4 was very forgiving but I feel guilty.

@MissConductUS

Wow! A little bit of gorgeousness! As is Floof @Silkierabbit !

@MissConductUS

I meant your deck but I guess Mr Duck is gorgeous too in his own way!

@Silkierabbit That all sounds very very frustrating. I hope it all gets sorted out soon.

My colleague had a weird conversation with 2 doctors. I consultant and one junior. They asked "what this is for" Showed my colleague a bleep..... She explained. I was shocked I thought the Consultant was joking around but no, all the years he worked here and we have bleep tests every day. She explained it was for emergencies etc. The junior was very condescending and said why can't you just phone? I said to my colleague why don't we just scream out when we want them!

My colleague made some comments about not being able to get the staff nowadays!!! Perhaps we should both be doctors Huh?!!!

We had a doctor bring in bloods the other day, nothing written on the tubes!! That would be fun trying to find out who's they were!!! Ok everyone makes mistakes but blimey!!

How annoying Silkie - but there does appear to be light at the end of the tunnel.

Myself and DS have poorly chests.

My DH has worked on cleaning front garden. It looks great.

Posted too soon. That’s awful re doctor Deathray 😳

Took DS to doctor due to his chest which is worse and the fact he had gone all day for a couple of days without having s wee - despite the fact he had drunk well. He literally said if he drinks more he will eventually wee. 😞 He couldn’t get the thermometer to work v abb B d it’s probably viral.

@MissConductUS

Just to inform you that although I love my country (England) and had no intention of moving, I am packed and ready to move in with you! I love animals especially the look of your cat so you see it is hopeless to deny me!

Deathray, that cat is a very sweet boy, so I'm not surprised you're taken with him. Unfortunately, with DD coming home this summer from uni, we've no spare bedrooms left. I'll have a full nest again for the first time in years. I've had requests in the past to move in from various MN'ers when I post pictures. There must be something very British about my setting here.

DH picked up the lawnmower from the shop this morning and cut the grass for the first time this season. I repotted some stems from my huge aloe plant and am starting to organize the deck garden.