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Come and tell us your dull and unexciting news 34: Calmly through the day

1000 replies

Mumtobabyhavoc · 25/06/2025 19:30

New one!

Previous:
https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/_chat/5276546-come-and-tell-us-your-dull-and-unexciting-news-33-calmly-through-the-day?page=1

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Mumtobabyhavoc · 22/09/2025 00:32

Hello, gorgeous! 😛

pesto, mushrooms, asparagus, orange bell pepper, feta, spinach, Swiss and Cheddar cheeses

Come and tell us your dull and unexciting news 34: Calmly through the day
Come and tell us your dull and unexciting news 34: Calmly through the day
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MissConductUS · 22/09/2025 16:06

Happy autumnal equinox everyone!

Havoc, I remember those days with DS. The first time I got him to understand that I wanted his to use the toilet instead of his nappy, he looked at me as if the very idea was absolutely scandalous. 😂It went okay after that though.

Your lunches look spectacular, as usual Havoc. Mine today is going to be a pot of blueberry yogurt with some sliced strawberries.

Math, it's been oddly warm here too, with temps in the 80's. We've had the AC on a fair amount. I haven't been to a farmers market in ages, even though we have a few in the area. DH sharpens our knives with a whetstone.

This is my last week of work. It looks like I'll WFH today, tomorrow and Thursday and go in on Wednesday and Friday. Friday night is my retirement dinner.

My zinnias were really dead and gone by this weekend, so I dumped the planter over the side of the deck into the woods and tidy up the plants on the deck.

Come and tell us your dull and unexciting news 34: Calmly through the day
Come and tell us your dull and unexciting news 34: Calmly through the day
Come and tell us your dull and unexciting news 34: Calmly through the day
Mumtobabyhavoc · 23/09/2025 06:04

Miss, how are you feeling about retirement? Is the reality of it setting in? Is your dh doing the same?

It was an epic day with the dc today. School, home for lunch and a bit of a break, aquarium, a tour around Stanley Park, downtown for a burger/fries and a walk around Robson Street with a stop for chocolate and a special candy apple for home and a gorgeous pastry shop (posted about last year I think) to bring home a couple macarons and a special croissant.

Come and tell us your dull and unexciting news 34: Calmly through the day
Come and tell us your dull and unexciting news 34: Calmly through the day
Come and tell us your dull and unexciting news 34: Calmly through the day
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Mumtobabyhavoc · 23/09/2025 21:10

I'm drinking a very sub-standard iced latte and obsessively checking for updates from Amazon re delivery of new milk frother due "today."

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mathanxiety · 24/09/2025 01:11

Great news Myrtle.

I believe the hummingbirds have left for sunnier climes, even though it's going to be hot for the foreseeable here. It's hard to imagine them making it all the way to Central America on those little wings and then back again in the Spring.

I'm spending the evening proofreading DS's exGF's residency application. I've done some chopping out and rearranging, and the thesaurus has come in very handy.

MissConductUS · 24/09/2025 19:35

Havoc, I'm feeling okay about retirement - a bit apprehensive perhaps. It's going to be a big change, but there's no point in working forever or when I don't need to financially. DH and I did try to plan on retiring at the same time, but for various reasons his date is getting pushed back, probably to the end of November.

Math, I haven't seen a hummingbird here in at least a month. That's very nice of you to help out your DS's exGF with her application. I use an AI based writing tool called Grammarly that's really brilliant with writing suggestions. It works in your browser and I think you can upload what you want checked as well. The free version is very good. I do so much writing that I pay for upgraded version, but I may drop that now. It's from a Ukrainian company, and I think it's nice to support them.

Grammarly: Free AI Writing Assistance

Grammarly makes AI writing convenient. Work smarter with personalized AI guidance and text generation on any app or website.

https://www.grammarly.com/

MyrtleLion · 24/09/2025 22:55

I bought a loofah-style shower mat for when I can eventually stand safely in the shower. DH tried it this morning and was very complimentary. He thought it would be too small but it fit perfectly.

mathanxiety · 25/09/2025 03:50

I like grammarly a lot, MissC, but I wasn't sure if it would be detectable or acceptable, and the exGF herself had her doubts, so she asked me if I would mind giving her personal statement the once over. She and DS parted on reasonably good terms, and I'm happy to help her out. We got the document down to the required length.

A good few of my friends have husbands who retired before them and they found it challenging, to say the least, for a lot of reasons. You may well be lucky to experience it the other way round.

Mumtobabyhavoc · 25/09/2025 05:15

Yes, definitely a big change, Miss, but it sounds like you have a lot of interests to keep you busy. ☺️

I had a lovely piece of pumpkin pie for dessert tonight.

Come and tell us your dull and unexciting news 34: Calmly through the day
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mathanxiety · 27/09/2025 01:19

I can't believe I felt dubious about pumpkin pie when I first arrived in the US.

I inhaled a good deal of roadwork dust on my way home today and now have a very dry throat. I've been sucking on cough lozenges all evening.

MissConductUS · 27/09/2025 11:31

Math, pumpkin pie is a pretty uniquely American item, so I'm not surprised you were dubious at first.

I'm now officially retired. It doesn't feel that different, I think because it's Saturday and I wouldn't be working anyway. Perhaps it will sink in on Monday.

We had my retirement dinner last night and it was lovely. There were 20 people there. Drinks started at 5:00, dinner at 6:00 and we were done by 8:30 or so. I got lots of nice gifts and there were speeches at the end.

The dinner was held at a historic inn that's in a state park. The state owns and operates the inn. The food was excellent. The inn is lovely and has great mountain views. Those are the lower Appalachian Mountains.

Come and tell us your dull and unexciting news 34: Calmly through the day
Come and tell us your dull and unexciting news 34: Calmly through the day
Come and tell us your dull and unexciting news 34: Calmly through the day
Come and tell us your dull and unexciting news 34: Calmly through the day
MyrtleLion · 27/09/2025 15:39

Congratulations on your retirement. I hope you have a few weeks rest before throwing yourself into projects.

I've had my first shower in seven weeks and it was fine but surprisingly tiring.

I had to think every time I moved, particularly because my feet move quite a bit. We have a new loofah-style bathmat which helped.

And here are most of the 133 squares I have knitted since starting in June, with my tiny wool stash left over.

Come and tell us your dull and unexciting news 34: Calmly through the day
Come and tell us your dull and unexciting news 34: Calmly through the day
Come and tell us your dull and unexciting news 34: Calmly through the day
Come and tell us your dull and unexciting news 34: Calmly through the day
Come and tell us your dull and unexciting news 34: Calmly through the day
mathanxiety · 29/09/2025 01:54

That sounds like a lovely send-off, MissC. The park inn looks beautiful.

Myrtle I have started knitting squares in hopes of eventually ending up with a hand made throw blanket for DS and his fiancée when they get married next summer. I have a huge ball of white yarn. My knitting was a bit wonky to begin with and I unraveled the first few squares.

The dust I inhaled turned into a horrible sinus problem and chesty cough. I'm going to take a detour tomorrow.

Mumtobabyhavoc · 29/09/2025 07:18

I'm parked in the living room on the couch watching a series I found on Netflix, Parenthood. It was on regular TV from '10-'15. I'm really enjoying it.

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MyrtleLion · 29/09/2025 10:40

I can send you links to some easy patterns, math. There's a 30 square blanket set in just knit and purl with no.increwses or decreases. That would give a 36" x 30" blanket and you could repeat some tomget a single/twin bed size of 48" x 60" blanket.

Havoc I saw Parenthood when it was broadcast. Netflix also has Brothers and Sisters which I loved and has very similar themes.

It's my birthday today and I think I have a virus. It's quite mild, which is because I take montelukast for my asthma. Before taking this, any virus would turn into a severe chest infection and I would be incapacitated for 2-3 weeks. So I'm tired and off-colour, but I'm sure it will be fine. We had a long weekend of celebration, and went out to dinner on Saturday evening. Today is presents and some prosecco which will keep till I'm better.

Mumtobabyhavoc · 29/09/2025 16:08

Happy Birthday, Lion. ❤️

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sueelleker · 29/09/2025 16:12

MyrtleLion ; Like you, my husband had asthma; to the point where we kept antibiotics and steroid tablets on hand. After starting montelukast, he stopped taking his regular steroid inhaler, and his salbutamol emergency inhalers went out of date because he used them so infrequently! Brilliant stuff.

Mumtobabyhavoc · 30/09/2025 05:31

Having a bit of a bagel, cream cheese and smoked salmon feast at 9:30pm. 😛

Come and tell us your dull and unexciting news 34: Calmly through the day
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MyrtleLion · 30/09/2025 13:53

sueelleker · 29/09/2025 16:12

MyrtleLion ; Like you, my husband had asthma; to the point where we kept antibiotics and steroid tablets on hand. After starting montelukast, he stopped taking his regular steroid inhaler, and his salbutamol emergency inhalers went out of date because he used them so infrequently! Brilliant stuff.

Edited

I just wish I had been prescribed it 10 years earlier when I was complaining about all the severe infections. I kept asking what was causing it and what could they do, until I moved house four years ago to a completely different area. At my first review they asked why I wasn't on it!

MissConductUS · 30/09/2025 14:00

Myrtle and Sue, I take montelukast also, for my rather severe seasonal allergies. It does help, but I found more relief by taking a medical grade probiotic every day.

My first weekday of retirement was eventful. I have been planning to paint the short set of stairs and hallway that leads from our garage to our kitchen and laundry room. I also need to paint the exterior frames of the new windows we had installed as part of our kitchen remodeling last January and February. When I'm done I'll post before and after pictures.

I ordered the paint I needed over the phone so that they could mix the colors I needed before I drove to the paint shop. They very kindly gave me the discount my kitchen remodeling contractor gets, as she painted the kitchen, laundry room and some other areas as part of her project.

I late got in the car to pick up the paint and the car wouldn't start. I had to get the local garage to send someone to the house to jump start the car, then drove it to the Subaru dealership where I bought the car. The car is a bit less than three years old, so the battery was still under a full warranty. They replaced the battery for no charge, but by the time I got home it was too late to start painting. So I'm going to start that today.

One thing that's a bit funny and annoying at the same time is that now when I get in the car and start Waze on Apple Carplay, it asks me "Are you going to work?". Hopefully that will stop in a bit.

MyrtleLion · 30/09/2025 14:10

@MissConductUS , have you removed your work address from Waze? That might help.

My DH had an ultrasound on the cyst in his neck, only to be told it's a cyst, we just leave it as you're not in pain.

But apparently the car (which we leased and have now bought) has developed a fault in its sensors. The automatic parking and cruise control have all gone. It needs looking at. I am usually responsible for sorting this sort of thing out but I can't drive while I'm taking strong opiates. As it's an automatic and it's my left leg that's been operated on, I will be able to drive once I'm off the drugs.

I've agreed to call the garage and ask about it and he'll drive it over.

MissConductUS · 30/09/2025 16:59

Myrtle, I'm sure that would fix it, but I think I'll keep it in there for now. I may go back at some point, particularly if they bring me back as a part time contractor. And, I rather like saying "no!" when Waze asks me me if I'm going to work. 😁

I've just finished one coat of paint on the door, the door frame and the steps. Here are the before and after pictures. The before picture has the wreath on the door.

Come and tell us your dull and unexciting news 34: Calmly through the day
Come and tell us your dull and unexciting news 34: Calmly through the day
Mumtobabyhavoc · 01/10/2025 05:44

Good for you, Miss! I have a lot of painting to do also. How annoying re the cars, though for you and Myrtle.
Myrtle, that does seem like a lot going wrong with your car and likely £££. Hoping not, though. 🤞

Speaking of cars... I filled up the coolant in mine yesterday after the sensor light came on and added 2 litres of oil today. After that it was an errand to Old Navy to exchange an item I bought for baby that ended up having a tear in the stitching. I had DC with me, so we popped into Whole Foods for muffins, ginger molasses cookies and Perrier. My dc love sparkling water. 😂
It's crazy! Next was a trip to Kits beach playground where a friend popped by for a visit which was awesome as it has been a long time since we got together. Once home it was baths for the kids and then dinner. We finished off the smoked salmon and I cooked up some spaghetti with pesto prawns and roasted asparagus and bell peppers to go with. Dessert was blueberry froyo. We're all in bed now and I'm listening to the rain. 🥱🥱🥱

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MyrtleLion · 01/10/2025 10:06

It's not that bad, havoc. It's one issue.

The car can park itself, stay in its lane, change speed, slow.down if the car in front slows.etc. This is all possible due to smart sensors. Either they're dirty (unlikely because we keep cleaning them), faulty wiring (we hope) or sensor failure (£££££). And it's just out of warranty. Normally we would have leased another new car but financially it was impossible.

Mumtobabyhavoc · 02/10/2025 07:35

Myrtle, kinda makes me glad I have an old car...
I'd like to buy a newer car, but geez, mine keeps humming along. 🤷‍♀️ I don't wanna jinx myself, though!!! 🤞

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