Thread 16 - TalkLair: "Well, I'm not exactly quaking in my stylish-yet-affordable boots, but there's definitely something unnatural going on here."

[Kucinghitam]

(Previous thread 15).

Another year over, a new one just begun...

In the TalkLair, the hearth is glowing, the walls festooned with tinsel, books by non-approved authors line the shelves, rugs are down on the floors, the tree is twinkling with fairy lights (and possibly being clambered on by cats). The denizens of the lair are a welcoming bunch though, always eager for general chit-chat on all manner of topics.

We just won’t mention the gnawed bones of our prey Christmas roast beast over there in the corner of the cave…

I've had a really good day today. First, cold as a witch's nipple but so much sun that it was a joy to wake up to it and be out and about in it. From there the day just kept getting a little better.

I picked up my new Marc Jacobs specs and I love them. They are not like Eric Morecambe specs, they're cool and I love them. I'm also really pleased with the cases they came in. They're yellow which is my go to colour at the moment.

Next to M&S to see if I could figure out if I had my bra size right. I did not have my bra size right because even when you measure how you're supposed to it doesn't take into account things like the extra bazoom flesh that isn't as pert as it used to be. I was told by my measuring that I was either a 30B or C. Bullshit. That said, there are issues with the brands anyway. I tried on three bras. Same size, same brand. One of them was so tight that it hurt, the other two were okay apart from boobage hanging out every which way and loose. I decided to stay with it and eventually figured out that I'm a 32DD in some bras and a 30DD in others. Just about. I've got myself a thing that makes the bra stretch if need be and a ridiculously pink and orange bra with matching pants for the elderly lady around town. I also bought jeans and a t-shirt and then another t-shirt in TKMaxx for Comic Relief. I have a cat with a red nose. I bought a kids t-shirt so that it fit all slim like.

Then, for reasons of seeing a t-shirt I thought I liked but wasn't really that bothered by in H&M, so went in and wandered around and then I fell in love. His name was Arlo, he had rough and wirey salt and pepper hair and maybe the most beautiful eyes I've ever seen. We got on the same level and he licked my nose. He's a Bedlington x whippet. I know I'm always loving dogs and falling in love but my heart squeezed. It was seriously like meeting a man/woman and having that feeling that you were meant to be together. I thought he was friendly with everyone but apparently not. It makes perfect sense to me that a dog - or a cat - would/will turn out to be my soulmate.

And then to a tattoo parlor where I was told that if I came back in half an hour they could fit me in. I went to a charity shop where I'd seen a big old Nigella Lawson cookbook - Kitchen - which I bought. Went and sat in Pret with hot chocolate and a cinnamon pastry before heading back to the parlor. I'd been quoted £70 last year and this was a different place. We got it all set up, I filled out and signed my form and then they told me how much it was going to cost. Nothing. They did it for free! I cried happy tears.

Here's the tattoo which is now released from the cling film and looking so damn good!

It's not up yet because of words.

Awesome tattoo!

Thanks, @Medee I absolutely love it. I'm going to go back there for some small bits and pieces around myself and, of course, I'm going to write an outstanding review. They sell their own post-tattoo balm but because it's a small tattoo the owner said I should just buy something cheaper from a chemist. I told her I'd be back for more tattoos and there's no way I wouldn't buy their balm when they'd been so kind to me. They just went above and beyond and were the nicest bunch of people.

That's the best bit. So lovely to hear.

Oh @FagsMagsandBags I just melted, reading about your day! And great tattoo!

On my side of the Atlantic it is tax season so I spent all afternoon grappling with numbers and got about a tenth of it done. DH has many many virtues and talents, but dealing with numbers and technology aren't among them, so I end up doing this every year and I hate it because I am basically a lazy arse and would prefer to float through life thinking beautiful thoughts.

However I had a nice swim this morning and got up to 50 lengths so was pleased with myself. I had hoped to get up to 70 by the time I turn 75 in ten days' time, but time off when I went to the UK for a couple of weeks, and time off over Christmas when my son was visiting and time off for the various dental woes* that have plagued me in the last few months has made that unlikely to happen. Maybe I'll make my new target to get to 70 before the end of the year.

*I think my teeth are running out of warranty.

That sounds such a wonderful day @FagsMagsandBags and that is a perfect tattoo! 😍

Welcome to the Tattoo Club, Fags!

What a fantastic day, @FagsMagsandBags !

That’s an excellent tattoo @FagsMagsandBags

I took advantage of yesterday’s sunshine to peg washing out. I’m very much a fair weather pegged out so it’s rare for me to do it when we’re on GMT but I took my chances yesterday.

Great tattoo, fags!

Bold pegging out, artant. Here in the east there's several months of dankness before anything will get drier outside. I can't wait, I'm so fed up of radiator laundry by this time of year and long for the freshness.

Not that bold. I took a cautious approach and only did one set of bedding (plus a couple of towels) so that it’d fit on the clothes horse if needs be. Wish I’d been bolder and bunged two sets of bedding in now; I’m a bit behind with laundry and I’d really like to catch up! Stuff came in cold but definitely dry enough for the airing cupboard.

Airing cupboards do not exist on my side of the Atlantic, nor does the concept of hanging out clothes on a washing line to dry (would be far too cold for about four months of the year here anyway). I literally have not seen a washing line here in the almost 23 years I've been here. When we did our renovations, DH fixed up a cupboard for me with a small heater in the base of it, and I use that for anything I don't want to put through the dryer, or for anything that comes out of the dryer slightly damp but I don't want to put through on a higher temperature.

So are there no pegs in the US? Would they not know what one was for?

I did a round of laundry today too, and have two more waiting to go. It was longer than it should have been and although I'd realised I'd bled all over a sheet at one stage, I didn't realise it had gone through the mattress cover as well. That's going to have to wait until the weather gets better.

I think it from a stubbed toe, possibly during the power cuts.

Back from a half-term break in the South West. As is typical, we enjoyed dark clouds, strong winds and bursts of horizontal driving rain for the entire time, until the morning of our departure when the sun came out and there was scarcely a breath of breeze (we got to enjoy this on our walk to the station and looking out of train windows for hours). Amazingly, not a single one of our rail connections in either direction was delayed or cancelled - this may be a first!

And we visited Stonehenge, can't believe it was our first time! Really enjoyed the whole experience - they've done wonders with the visitor centre too.

I think they used to peg washing out - certainly I have a bag of pegs that belonged to DH's mum (who was born in the UK). But she had a dryer, and literally I haven't seen washing pegged out here, ever. I use the pegs as bag clips.

That's so weird, @Britinme Why don't Americans line dry laundry?

I remember going to Stonehenge in the 1960s before it was fenced off and people climbing on the stones. Me and my brothers may have done so ourselves as I do remember sitting on one.

@Vegemiteandhoneyontoast I think in some places where there's an HOA it wouldn't be allowed. In inner cities there would be nowhere to do it because no yards. Maybe it happens in very rural areas? But everyone I know has a dryer and uses it.

After I passed my driving test in 1983, my parents inexplicably let me and my best friend go off driving all over the place. We went to Stonehenge very late at night, and sat on the Heel Stone, earnestly discussing Tess of the D'Urbervilles, until a policeman came along to see what we were up to. He was perfectly nice and just asked us to remember it was an old and special place.

I went to Stonehenge when I was 12, on the way home from a holiday in Dorset. I'd been ill with a migraine from the day before, when I was dragged round Bournemouth in a daze of agony and vomiting, getting berated for ruining everyone's day!

Parents and sisters went and enjoyed the site, whilst I crawled under the shady side of the car. My dad said I was being silly, despite having to stop twice on the way, for me to throw up!

Did you fit in Avebury as well as Stonehenge, Kuc? I always liked that better, although it sounds like they've improved SH a bit since I was last there. Lovely pic.