Come and tell me your dull and unexciting news 27: 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 26: Calmly through the day

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

LuLu, that's priceless! 😂

@LuluBlakey1 ..😂😂😂...
Now that definitely is a song to get the cleaning energy stuff out for me !!

She is always going to be Gloria from now on !!

@bizzey @Mumtobabyhavoc We are trying to just ignore it and not giggle because DS1 and DD have been joining in. DH heard DS1 (9 in 2 weeks) say he thinking of a name for FIL!

DH and I call them Florrie and Fred (privately).

Havoc The new Thai meal was really nice. I was a little concerned when I saw it as it looked great but super healthy but it actually tasted really nice, it was stir fried veg with cashew nuts and stick rice. Hope you can get some rest before Havoc version 2 arrives, exciting it's so close.

Cute about Gloria Lulu I love that song.

Cahms online meeting today and only one of them turned up so bit pointless but they have largely given up and it's just to tick their box now. DH managed to get his hearing aids working again, not that he ever uses them much.

Dinner was aligot and broccoli and DH got his Christmas hamper from work today and we had a look at some of it and found chocolate mint sticks, fudge, popcorn and sweets. I had a couple of pieces of fudge, chocolate orange and sea salt caramel and DH had the speculoos fudge. We both had a bit of popcorn.

Did a bit of sorting around the house. Swimming tomorrow. Collected some Christmas presents we ordered. DD has said she is tidying her room, she has a work Christmas dinner tomorrow night and then work the following day.

Floof just trilled as DH woke up. I did shut the door last night for first time ever so could get some sleep with no poking by big fluffy paws. Currently Floof is sitting in the doorway. He loves attention.

Silkie, that does sound good. I really like Thai food, but don't get it often anymore. Sounds like you are at a standstill re your ds again?
Had obgyn appt today and discussed yesterday's ultrasound. Looks like this one will be over 7lbs! Havoc was barely over 6 with long skinny legs. 🤷‍♀️Baby has now moved head down, so that's good.

Have got a busy week of appts. Had to drive across town and back twice today which has wiped me out and left me grumpy.
Had left-over lamb chop with tomato sauce from last night and some cottage cheese
I've got a bag of pears... going to check if ripe to eat yet.
Planning on making mulled wine (Friday?) for gift-giving.

It was called Pak Pad Med Ma Muang and says it vegetable stir fried with spring onion, red pepper and garlic topped with cashewnut. It's probably fairly easy to make at home and it tastes really nice and is very healthy. I would definitely have it again. But initially it did look too healthy to be nice.

DD was tiny at 5lbs then DS was 8lbs a week early, still got my water birth with him though. DD was 3 days of being induced as waters broke a month early and then a week in NICU. DS was home in under 24 hours, perfect. Hope all goes well for rest of pregnancy and birth.

I am busy knitting as I read the thread 🧦!
(Couldn't find booties 😞😅😅!!)

Thanks, Silkie. 😘 With Havoc, had to return to hospital a few days after going home and we were admitted for 4 days while Havoc was treated for infection. Very scary time seeing such a small baby on iv's and monitors. So, I can understand your experience. 💐

I get wary of things that seem "too" healthy as they usually lack flavour and substance. I had an acquaintance who would make her "famous" no/low fat pumpkin muffins for group get-togethers and I hated it...they were truly awful.🤷‍♀️ Give me butter in baking, please. 🤭

(I shouldn't criticize... not like I'm a chef, or anything.)

Havoc ...you are this threads head chef !!!

You have given us so many ideas of lovely food !! 😅

Headchefhavoc ..should be your new name !!

Bizzey, you are welcome at my table anytime. 💙

Havoc fell asleep at 7:30pm!!!! I had a bath, washed my hair, moisturized, oh the luxury of doing that at leisure!!! Now in bed myself and listening to vids on my YouTube list. Going to try making a mulled wine cake from a recipe I just watched. Will report here!
Will look forward to dull updates from everyone tomorrow. 😁

Mulled wine cake sounds interesting Havoc! I look forward to the update.
That Thai dish sounds nice Silkie - personally I love a noodle dish.
Miss does DD row at all in winter? Or is the river frozen?
Bizzey you have been very productive, I am in awe!
I am off this week, and I need to finish Christmas shopping. I plan on making two more batches of mince pies to finish the mincemeat.

mmm the thai meal sounds great silkie.

Havoc your meals always sounds delicious, do you use recipe books? I like cooking but am unimaginative and tend to give up at the first hurdle (thinking what to make). I even like food shopping, it's just the creativity part I lack. I am solo veggie in the family too which complicates things (though I am starting to eat fish again now we live near the sea). DH has IBS and tries to be low fodmap, and DS seems to dislike tomato. So pleasing everyone is hard work!

Had a long train journey back to England yesterday and a lady in my carriage kept telling off anyone speaking above a whisper or on their phone. It was the quiet carriage, so I suppose fair enough, but I felt very on edge that she'd tell me off though I wasn't doing anything wrong! However, did ask her to watch my bag when I went to the loo as I though "hhmm, she seems like she'd challenge a robber".

It does feel warmer down here! What have I done, haha.

Whyyy, I don't always follow cooking recipes to a "t", but am generally inspired by them. Same with menus at restos. I might try to re-create a dish at home or google multiple versions for ideas how to proceed.
Lunch today was the one last lamb chop which I cut up into small pieces, sliced a few more mushrooms and the last of the sauce. I sautéed the mushrooms in evoo then added the lamb, sauce and cooked penne. Served with a good grating of pecorino.
This made 3 decent servings. The only difference between today's lunch and the original dinner was a whole lamb chop with sauce over top and pasta with sauce on the side.

Edited to add: the only thing missing was a splash of red wine I'd normally add (if on hand) to the sauce and a glass to enjoy with the meal. 😛

@Mumtobabyhavoc

Ok I am putting in an order for one steaming mug of mulled wine to my address in Hammersmith, UK!

@Silkiefloof
That Thai dish does sound lovely.

Do you know I only realised the other day that you frequent the Litter Tray posts. Of course you do! You have a cat! Doh! I don't look that often, just when I need sat news to cheer me up!!

Death, planning on making mulled wine tomorrow-ish. And some spice cookies (ginger or those German ones...). Shall I send a care pkg or do you want to drop by? ☺️

Four hrs sleep and been awake since 4...
want to take Havoc to school for 9am then have two back to back med appts at 1pm and 2. Ugh.

That sounds lovely Havoc

I don't go on the litter tray much Death but occasionally can't resist cat spamming.

Enjoy time in England why

Hope you finish shopping quickly Sprouts I am basically finished but always think maybe should add this.

Went swimming last night and to sauna and jacuzzi and did some hoovering but felt quite lacking in energy. Floof loves the musical advent calendar and bounces his tail to the songs and jumps next to it.

DD has a works Christmas dinner party last night until early hours and was out working for them at 8.45am this morning after getting the bus there which comes once an hour as we are in a village. Have 4.30pm call with cahms who seem to be trying to find a reason to do nothing but won't close it either. Its like the old Russian saying we pretend to work and they pretend to pay us. Though DS is actually better without them but is still not recovered from their meds. and still has some catatonia.

Death !!!....we are practically neighbours 😅😅!

I am the other side of the forever closed Bridge !...

" My" Bridge and High Street has to cope with all the extra traffic !!

😉😉😘 !!!

Lots of fabulous food on this thread!

I tried to make brownies Tuesday night to bring into work, but the oven wouldn't come on. We have a gas stove (Cooker? Hob? I'm confused by the British term for this appliance.).

I had an appointment with my orthopedist yesterday, and DH was able to get an appliance repair person for yesterday afternoon, so I worked from home. DD arrived from uni, so we got her car unloaded. Her rowing machine is now setup in her room. It's lovely to have both of the kids home at the same time.

We've had our first bit of family wedding drama. For background, DH is low contact with his sister, who is not a pleasant person. She's older than him, and was devastated when DH was born, and she had to share their mum's attention. DH was considered academically gifted in school, and she struggled a bit, so there was some jealousy and resentment mixed in there, too.

She and her husband were not invited to DD's wedding because the last time she saw them was twenty years ago, when she was an infant. We discussed this with DD and were fine with it, as there was a limit and it allowed them to invite two more friends they wanted to invite.

Last night she sent, then unsent, two messages to me on FaceBook. Her son, and his family, were all invited, as they have been part of our lives and we all genuinely wanted them there. So I can only assume that she heard about the wedding when her son got the save the date card and was messaging me to complain that hers must have gotten lost in the post or that she hadn't gotten one. I have blocked her on FaceBook.

This may not be the last we hear from her about this, as she has form for creating drama over this type of thing.

Oh MissC that's annoying ☹️ I hope you're able to block her on all channels so she can do her drama by herself surrounded by her supporters, if she has any.
The gas stove thing, it's fine, we understand it's some sort of cooking appliance. In America I think you often have bigger kitchens than in UK? So proper aga/range which I'm guessing is similar to your stove? We'd usually only have in like a farmhouse kitchen or something. Most people would have a cooker, which is the name for the whole machine. It comprises of an oven or two and 4 hobs. It bound to be confusing to foreigners because British people will unhelpfully use all the terms interchangeably 😆. One oven a large fan oven, for even cooking on all levels, there's 3 removable shelves in there and enough room to make a roast dinner. I can't tell you how the ovens work, there's nothing to see. Other oven a smaller standard oven (no fan and only one shelf) with a grill in there too. If you're using the grill you just leave the oven door open, the grill is like a reverse barbeque without coals, the heat comes from above in the form of either a glowing electric element or a gas flame. The hobs are heated rings to put pans on and boil or fry things, either a flat electric element or raised up metal ring over a gas flame. Plus knobs to choose which thing(s) you want and the temperature. The whole lot powered by either gas or electric depending on which you choose.
To make it more confusing, lots of people have them integral to a fitted kitchen now, so there's no cooker. Just an oven(s) and a separate set of hobs, both built in to the cabinets. It means you can have one powered by gas and one powered by electric, so you can still cook if there's a problem with one or other supply. The downside is because they're integral you can't take them with you when you move home, unlike a cooker which you disconnect and load on the van along with everything else.

Today I've been feeding the birds as it was sunny. I love how chatty they are. I can't tell them apart but they definitely go greet friends when they land on the water and have some kind of conversation. There was more than usual today and they were hungry.

One moorhen managed successfully to grab a bit of bread and went happily swimming off with its prize. Sadly, being slower than the ducks, they caught up and it got dunked by four mallards one of which stole it's bread. Poor thing.

There's the timid ones (and the moorhens) who you have to throw the bread to when they're on the outskirts of the group and hope they grab some before the thugs get to them. And the bold ones who stand by your feet watching where every bit of bread goes and patiently waiting for their turn. This time of year you can tame the bolder ones to take bread from your hand.

I don't like foul play (excuse the pun 😁) so occasionally if a couple of thugs jumps on a timid one on land and pins it down and pecks at it, I'll poke the offenders with a stick until they stop. They usually panic and scurry off when they realise there's a human looming over them and it's not another duck poking them.

They're like children fighting over donuts. They're not half as grabby about bird seed, but I guess I've never seen a child get excited about a plate of salad either.

My very last Christmas present (a bubble tea kit for eldest granddaughter aged 12) should arrive tomorrow.
I really need to get a bit busier; have been coasting along thinking there's still lots of time- suddenly there isn't! Though I do this every year and it's always fine in the end.

I think it would be cooker MissC hob is just the top part, the rings for saucepans and frying pans to boil things in water or fry things. Cooker is the whole thing and includes 1 or 2 ovens and the hob part.

Swimming last night but quite busy and feeling not so energetic so did 63 lengths and jacuzzi and sauna and left. It's normally pretty empty this time of year but a large group of elderly swimmers came who kind of swim side by side at the speed of sloths and chat. Plus a few noisy hyper small children. 😂I also did some hoovering and quick clean of kitchen.

Today cahms meeting, more waffle, very nice lady but it's just ticking a box for them now. Then DH goes to pick up Sainsbury's order in car but can't get headlights to work so fails, last time similar happened Sainsbury's did not refund. He did manage to get them on phone and in theory will get tomorrow at 8.30am when light then goes to office and also hopefully can fix lights. Then changed batteries in TV remote of ds, still works but TV is broken.

Floof has been on my bed. Had steak fajitas for dinner.

I am just back from a very interesting evening at my mam's !

One bottle of wine and a McDonald's takeaway later...I sorted out loads for her !

All her cards have been written, addressed by me and posted ...(I walked the long way home to go past the post box. !)

She is a happy bunny 😅 !

I wrapped all her presents as well !