Come and tell me your dull and unexciting news 31: 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 a link to the prior thread:

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/_chat/5077459-come-and-tell-me-your-dull-and-unexciting-news-30-calmly-through-the-day

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

They do send out spies yes. I used to know one. We both employed heavy tact around each other.

In nicer dull unexiting news yesterday evening I went winterswimming, and the water was about 8 degrees warmer than the air and certainly much warmer than the ground. It was magical swimming with the trees and grass covered in snow. Made the night much lighter.

Ducky, Winter swimming?! Wow!!! 👏

It takes getting used to and then (if you do take to it) it's marvellous. There's a whole club of us. Really good for lifting your spirits and it's good against some sorts of pain, too.

Ducky, I've done the Polar Bear Swim on New Year's Day, but that was in and out. You are next level! 🙇‍♀️

I reckon that's harder because you go straight into the cold water unprepared! We start in September and it's a degree colder (centigrade) each week sorta-thing, so you get used to it and it's a lot easier. Not quite easy, but easier :)

Swimming today wouldn't have been much fun here (for me anyway) as we had snow. It's all gone now, replaced by light rain that tapered off.

My plants are finally all arranged in my south facing windows. Dcat has inspected them all and apparently they have passed muster.

DD and I debated how we'll manage to fit a turkey into the freezer, whether we should chance our luck buying one close to Thanksgiving, and whether it would be cold enough to keep a frozen one from defrosting before Wednesday in the three season porch. I think I'll buy one tomorrow along with a bag of ice, and put a lot of items currently in the freezer into a cooler out on the deck where it will be pretty cold.

@DucklingSwimmingInstructress

Blimey Duckie! I put my fingers in my ears and went "la la la" when you said winter swimming is good for some sorts of pain! I may have rheumatism/Arthritis but I doubt I will ever do winter swimming!

@mathanxiety

I don't remember mum having difficulty freezing the turkey but I do remember it being defrosted in the downstairs shower room and our little black cat being surprisingly interested in going to the shower room!!!! That of course was for Christmas as we don't do thanksgiving even though some Americans think we do!!!! Why would we????!!!

Took the dc to Glow last night. Quite a drive to the suburbs during rush hour, but it is a really nice Christmas lights display with Santa for pics, indoor train and playground. I think I posted about it last year, too.

https://langley.glowgardens.com

Just a few pics (random people). Others won't load.
there were at least three lights tunnels and most displays were huge, very colourful and very "insta".

This was another one of the light tunnels. I think it was the nicest.

And I thought it might be interesting to show the brdge we crossed. This is the Port Mann bridge.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Port_Mann_Bridge

@Mumtobabyhavoc

That reminds me of the time we went to Kew Gardens. Fantastic , all lit up but sadly all booked up now.. At least until January.

bit of exitement tonight - a very young, almsot full grown and very strong chocolate brown labrador got lost and was bouncing around. I found him and another woman found a leash and we managed to get him to my house, rang the animal ambulance who did a chip check and rang the owner, who promptly burst into tears in relief =) clearly a very much loved animal.

A policeman happened to wander by and he called his mates and was genuinely quite exited, if not as exuberant as the dog. This neighbourhood is generally very quiet :D

Ducky, good on you re dog rescue.

Quiet evening at home after a busy day of errands and appts. It's quite windy outside. Necessitated making pizza for dinner. Pesto, rosemary ham, pineapple, mixed cheese from cheese tray.

I have always wanted to try cold water swimming @DucklingSwimmingInstructress but never quite plucked up the courage/got myself organised. That sounds very cold - surely you have to wear a wetsuit?
Lovely pics @Mumtobabyhavoc but I must take issue with pineapple on pizza!
All DC rugby off this weekend due to weather so staying in. Going to see Rhod Gilbert tonight with friends.

Was waiting for that, Sprouts! 😂
It's quite good!!! 😋
Have fun out tonight. 😃

@sproutsandparsnips you can, sure.

I jsut kinda started swimming, but nowadays there are quite a few clubs and they can introduce you.

The best time of year to start is summer, of course :D it's always hard to walk into the water, I find slow relaxed breathing helps. Some people walk in slowly and adjust slowly, others find it easier to get in and get the difficult bit over with. Some people wear swimming gloves and swimming shoes and honestly they do help.

If you do give it a go, take a flask of hot water/coffee/whatever to take with you, and just stay in a short time. You find that after a certain point you barely feel the cold and if you're starting out then you should stop shortly after that, and build up time in the water slowly.

It really does gradually get a lot easier, though the first rush in is always a challenge!

People who do take to it feel great after though. It can give energy and you're absolutely in the moment, worries fall away and you get a lovely mood lift afterwards. Plus you're in nature and getting fresh air and exercise.

@DucklingSwimmingInstructress
@Deathraystare
@MissConductUS
@ShoesOnFirstThenCar
Thank you for your support. Oh my goodness I wish I could go swimming or bowling. I can only do these on the Wii now and I’m still a rubbish swimmer on there - I’m a brilliant bowler though and I am champion at archery and dog frisbee! My darling grandsons love playing when they are here and thankfully it’s a level playing field then. I actually can’t stand unaided now and have to use a wheelchair when going out. I don’t need to exaggerate what I can’t do now, I’m trying to find things I can do! It’s not PIPs I’m applying for, it’s Attendance allowance. My SIL has filled in three of these, so she has done a draft one for me, I’m doing a draft one as well. Thankfully, I replenished my ink supply for my printer and printed a few copies.
My DD and I used to go to a Hotel near York for a couple of days and spend them in the spa. We’d go in all the steam, salt, and sauna rooms, go in the jacuzzi and the swimming pool, followed by massages. We’d go to a local gastro pub nearby and end up in the bar or our room with a bottle of wine. We used to go about three times a year. I miss those days now.
There are a few reasons for not having the hip operations, firstly was Covid, which was an obvious one, then I was told I had to have bariatric surgery for weight loss. I followed all the regulations for this, lots of seminars over zoom, form filling, classes over zoom. I finally got to see the surgeon and completely lost confidence in him. I had sepsis in 2012 (missing all the Olympics that year), and the surgery from this left me with a scar from one side of my tummy to the other. The bariatric surgeon said that the operation he had planned wouldn’t work, so it would have to be a different procedure which may or may not work. Brilliant! I don’t want to have this surgery and actually I can’t be denied the hip replacement because of my weight, according to the NICE guidelines.
@Mumtobabyhavoc One positive of being in a wheelchair was last Christmas when we went to Glow, with the family, at our local RHS and we were taken to a special VIP place to see a fantastic juggling light show. Because I’m a member I can get in free (on a normal day), my carer gets in free and I can’t take another adult guest for free. Last month three of us had a fabulous free day out, well food and drink were on the expensive side though.

Oh geez, Uman, that's a lot to live with. Weight can be so difficult to manage, too, and impacts so much making it a vicious circle. Don't lose hope. 💐
I love the pic you posted! It reminds me of our Vandusen Festival of Lights. I'll post pics if I go.

Havoc ....I am perfectly happy with the Pineapple 🍍 😊....however the amount of pesto 🤢 you use ,is seriously making me reconsider my impromtue visit next year !! 😂😂!!

(Did you know I was planning to visit ? !! 😂😂)

Spicy Hawaiian is my go to takeaway pizza at the moment!

Just having a quick read at the moment.
Will chat tomorrow 😁.

Bizzey, I switched to pesto when pregnant with Havoc. I had reflux quite badly and any cooked tomato practically killed me. I haven't gone back. 🤷‍♀️

Spent later afternoon at Granville Island. Was a bit underwhelmed by the lights🤷‍♀️
Pics of other things there instead.