Come and tell us your dull and unexciting news 33: 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's a link to the prior thread:

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/_chat/5219345-come-and-tell-us-your-dull-and-unexciting-news-32-calmly-through-the-day?reply=140159580

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

It's Mother's Day on this side of the pond. 😊

Happy Mother’s Day to you on the other side of the pond. Hope you are all getting spoiled.

Did anyone catch the meteor news out of Aus? I love how the guy from the observatory summed it up! 😂

www.9news.com.au/national/meteor-perth-western-australia/4d782e7c-95ce-4701-8e6c-df2ffbaebb9b

It was a big food day today! I took dc to the horse races for the afternoon and we shared a bbq brisket sandwich with coleslaw in the sandwich (a bit spicy) and some very delicious crispy seasoned french fries. Havoc had a scoop of chocolate fudge ice cream after that (a specialty vendor there). For dinner I made lamb chops with feta and sun dried tomatoes and roasted veg and had a big dollop of sour cream on the side for my veg. Dessert was a special cake, a flavour I'd never tried, jasmine mango. I had two pieces. It is well past bedtime, but Havoc and I are cuddled on the couch drinking lemon Perrier. 😂 I had it for us for Easter and now Havoc thinks it's the greatest thing ever. 🤗

And a couple pics from the races. 😊
It was a lot of fun watching the kids react to the horses, races and the general experience: standing on the benches to see over the fence and peek between the fence rails; run around and play with other kids and dance to the music. 💕
It's a shame horse racing isn't very popular anymore here. I read an article that the track may soon be gone in favour of a new soccer stadium. 🤷‍♀️

Sounds great!

Havoc we had brisket for dinner yesterday, with cavolo* *Nero, sprouts and Dauphinoise potatoes, followed by Clotted cream ice cream and raspberries. It was our meal deal from Tesco, with a lovely glass of Sauvignon blanc.
Another sunny day today, but I've not managed to get downstairs yet. I'm waiting for the painkillers to kick in so I can get in the shower.

We had a video call with the family in Portugal last night. The boys are very excited because when they come here in summer they can go training with their dad's old rugby club. They both play on teams over there and the eldest, particularly, is very good. He scored 10 tries yesterday, so was dying to tell me about it! The younger is on a different team but is head and shoulders above his team mates and wants to be moved up to a higher team. It's his birthday on Friday and it's usually a big deal at school, so he's looking forward to that. Unfortunately there is the possibility of a teacher's strike so the school could be closed. They haven't mention it to him yet.

A belated Happy Mother's Day, Havoc! Coleslaw on a BBQ sandwich is pretty standard in the US.

DD and SiL arrived in London yesterday. They visited the Tower of London while waiting to check into their hotel, checked in and then went for dinner at nearly Portuguese restaurant. They also did a bit of shopping and picked up an electrical outlet converter, something they had neglected to bring with them. DD loved the ravens at the Tower.

DS did visit a flat for rent on Saturday, but it cost more than the advertised rent due to additional monthly fees he'd have to pay. He liked it, but the additional charges put it out of his budget. I was pleased, but didn't say so.

It was really gorgeous here yesterday, so I did some gardening. DH mowed the lawn and washed two of the cars. We've had so much rain lately the lawn is lovely and my cactus are coming back to life.

I had a lovely Mother's Day. I got nice cards, DH gave me a box of posh chocolates and a lush hanging basket of petunias. DS got two tickets for a Yankees baseball game next month, which he and will go to, and two metal cat ornaments for the garden.

Uman, I hope you're feeling a bit better and managed to get up and moving. You dinner sounds so delicious and faaaancy! 😋😋😋 Pretty please with sugar on top invite me next time? 😁😁😁
Do I understand you live in Eng and sons live in Portugal where they go to school and play a high level of rugby there? Are you also Portuguese?
Miss, what a lovely day! Your yard looks amazing as well! 😍You must be on a couple acres? We had a lovely treed yard growing up with old pines and a gorgeous old maple. I visited our old house several years ago and to my absolute horror the trees have been cut and the house is a dump. It was once one of the nicest on the street and had been lovingly cared for by the older couple my parents bought it from. 😢

I decided against taking the dc to school this morning. I just couldn't face a morning rushed, wrangling dc, being pulled in two directions in the class (it's parent participation) and Havoc 's moods are unpredictable having baby in class now and sharing mummy's attention. Yesterday was good, but very trying, and tiring despite the fun.
I've managed to get yesterday's laundry put away and washed/hung up another; and I dug out some of Havoc's size 18mos clothes I saved for baby. I now need to purge baby's clothes' drawer.
I think a nice walk outside, maybe forest, will do us all good.

Two bloody disappointments in one day. All over lunchtime! I bought a macaroni cheese from the vending machine this morning. When it got to lunchtime I found it hard getting the cardboard off - seems to have leaked. I then realised it was greener than normal. Yep. Mouldy! Bleugh!

I went to the little canteen at work for a jacket potato but it was 2pm so too late. All the sandwiches left were meat ones so lunch was crisps and some chocolate. Even when I do try to be healthy it does not pan out!!!

That's quite enough food thank you! Think of the permanently starving (ME!).

Oh, Death. What a disappointment for you. Yukky vending machine food 🤮 and trouble finding a new place to live. Out of interest I started googling flats to rent (do you say rent or let) in London and I have to agree it's dismal. I cannot believe the horror of what is considered accommodation and the audacity of the cost! 😡 It seems the best option is a nice shared rental with a couple of decent people if possible. I'll keep my fingers crossed for you. 🤞

Took my new rescue spaniel to an enclosed dog walking area for the first time off her lead. She raced around like a lunatic, and made friends with four large dogs. I'll take her there again. She was very good on the bus both ways as well.

What a disappointing day @Deathraystare! My sympathy is with you on the flat hunting, sounds very tough!
is it your grandsons in Portugal @Umanresources? It sounds like there is a lot more choice of levels to play at than here in wales. DS plays for our village side and all play at same level - though some boys move clubs if they think they are better than the local side - some clubs attract better players at different levels. DSs team have a lot of inexperienced players but enjoy playing together and are a very inclusive team. There is a district side for stronger players at some age groups.
What a lovely garden @MissConductUS!

@MissConductUS your garden looks absolutely gorgeous, I love the stripes. My OH mowed our garden and I persuaded him to cut down some of the ivy coming from next door and lop some of the branches from a tree leaning over the fence.

@Mumtobabyhavoc @sproutsandparsnips We are from the UK and my son married a girl from Portugal and my grandsons were both born there. The family there are all bilingual and I used to go out there and stay with them for weeks at a time. I used to spend the weekends with my son’s mother in law, who is such a wonderful person. I can’t believe I used to go there on my own, now it takes me a lot of courage to even go out with friends for lunch.

Reading back what I said about my grandson being head and shoulders above his teammates sounds as though I was bragging. I didn’t mean in ability, I meant in height 😂 Both the boys are tall for their age, the younger one is 2 years younger than his brother, but almost as tall. My son is 6 foot 2 and the Portuguese men are quite a few inches shorter. I can always spot him in a crowd over there.

@Deathraystare I feel for you with your lunch. How disappointing. On Saturday evening my OH gave my daughter and me one of the small Kinder chocolate bars ad we ate them. I asked him what flavour it was because it was a little chewy. He said it was just milk chocolate but he checked the best before date and it was 2022! He had found it at the back of a cupboard, but I was sure I’d cleaned that cupboard since then.

@sueelleker It was good that your dog was OK on the bus and it must have really enjoyed itself running round. (Wish I had that energy)

The history and story of the Ravens at the Tower of London is fascinating !

There are only 6 ..
Their wings are trimmed so they can't fly away and they are kept in little coops in the South Lawn .

They get called to bed each night at the Tower closing time. !

There use to be more ravens , but locals were not happy with all the bird poo so ..

Charles 11 said 6 could stay for ever /all time .

And there is always 6. !

Love T o L !! 😂

Due to go go back with the boys soon to see the new display of poppies .

We have been lots of times including 2014 and 2018 for the Poppy displays .

They are a sight to behold .

Omg 😳 ..
Trying to be clever and set a wash to come on in the morning...
Aka a delay time setting ...

It will be ready in 55 mins 😂🤣!!

I pressed the wrong button !!

This is when I really find out how noisy my washing machine is 😆😆!!

It is noisy 😔 🤣!!

Uman, oh, you must miss them all so much! Is it an easy trip? Do they visit? You must be so proud of them. 💕 I didn't think you were bragging at all, btw. 😊
Bizzey, lovely to see your posts. Are you in danger of bothering neighbours with the washing machine at 1am? I'm just wondering if I shoud look for a MN thread about it! 😂
Sue, glad to know doggo did well on the bus! Are you req'd to use a carrier?

I spent the afternoon with the dc at the Richmond Nature Park. I had never been before. 🤷‍♀️ We checked out the bat exhibit, went to the playground and walked a couple of the trails. I really do not like bats. At all. I had no idea we had so many diffetent kinds here, either. Great. 🙄

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

https://www.richmond.ca/parks-recreation/parks/aboutrnp.htm

A duck and two turtles were sharing a raft in the middle of this pond while a very large and nimble rat swam by!
You may need to enlarge. Look to the left to see it.

@Mumtobabyhavoc I laughed when I read 'a duck and two turtles were sharing a raft'. It just sounds like the beginning of a joke 😂

I do miss the family, after the pandemic it had been two years since they were here. I was beyond excited when they were here for that Christmas. They have been over a couple of times in the summer as well and they are here in July and for Christmas too this year. They go to their other grandmother for alternate Christmases and they stay with her during the week in the school holidays. I'm not jealous (well a bit).

The flight takes almost 3 hours and then half an hour to their apartment and the same at this end to our house, so it's fairly straightforward. They were here for my birthday in October, will be here in July and again for Christmas, so it's brilliant news.

We video call at least once a week and on birthdays, so we get to join in with singing Happy birthday and candle blowing. We get videos and photos almost daily. We have a couple of games that we play as a family. One is called Outsmarted, we have the physical game and they have the virtual one so we can all keep score. They love board games and we always enjoy playing at least one a day when they are here. I've got so much planned for the summer and two huge boxes with presents for them that I buy during the year. I'm the opposite of Narnia; it's always Christmas, but not winter!

Apparently the monarchy will fall if the ravens leave the Tower.

<checks Amazon for very large bird cages, liaises with RSPB for optimum care for ravens, dons gloves and balaclava>

I was lucky enough to be invited to the ceremony of the keys at the Tower a few years ago, to see them lock up.

Lots of phone calls yesterday and today to rearrange our holiday in three weeks. Our hotel flooded so we are being moved but it involves additional costs. Fortunately most of these are covered by the holiday company and we can claim back the transfer cancellation and airport parking adjustment.

Blood test this morning ahead of an HRT review next week. I’m still struggling.

Pre assessment clinic for my orthopaedic operation has also been brought forward from July to the end of May. I don’t know if that means an operation soon as I still haven’t had a date.

More job applications to come.

@MyrtleLion ooh the pre-op clinic sounds as though things are moving forward. This is a pic of my pre-op clinic. It was July 2012, so way before the pandemic. I was the only patient and the first because it was newly built. My operation was about 10 days later. Good luck with yours.

Thank you. I’m going on holiday on the 1-11 June and won’t be able to have the surgery until I’ve been back 14 days, which sounds ridiculously onerous to me. Surely a week would be enough! So it can’t happen until the 25 June anyway.

Well, today I went to look at a room in a flat. Although advertised as W4 which most Londoners may know as Chiswick. Nope it showed in the journey planner that I would have to get the 190 bus to Richmond (could have got the tube but hey) then a 490 to Cambridge road, get off and it is a 6 minute walk. Can see no sign of that bloody road. Eventually asked nice man outside cafe who told me where it was. Only trouble is, road goes up to 27 and I wanted 51! Went around all the roads near it and could not see it.

When I got back to work an hour late (I was very popular!) with feeling sick and headachey in heat and had had to spend 50p to pee in Hammersmith, the AZ I ordered from Amazon had come. In the meantime I phoned the guy I had confirmed with (couldn't find his number on phone to reply to (plus too bright to see stuff on phone!). He agreed it was hard to find as it is on a dual carriage way! Looked in AZ and it is not clear where road continues! but A-z is better than google maps so I am glad I have it now!

NOt going back to look at flat though it the other houses are anything to go by it would probably have been nice (from outside!) but they said they had other places in West London so give them a call.

Why say W4 when it is clearly in Twickenham!!!! Imagine if I did not live in London and had no clue!!!

I have a diabetic eye appointment tomorrow but at least I know where that is!!!!