Countdown to Christmas 2020 (thread 13): the one with(out) the M&S vanishing gin!

[NoWordForFluffy]

Evening!

New thread here. I'm pretty sure this one breaks all previous records!

You misunderstood me, Wreck. Yes, it's 'within' but at the outside edge! (As in it's at the edge of what's allowed; that can't be denied.) It's good that there are ways round the inside / outside distinction in the rules bearing in mind it's winter!

We're down at 95/100,000 now. Which, given our previous levels not so long ago, is great going! Our figures are plummeting week on week.

Crazy, for all I know it's a second cold. DS does have a habit of sneezing on me when we're reading at bedtime (I can't say bedtime story as we're currently reading a book about British birds!).

Our work said that most people have loads of holiday left, so don't want to add to that by giving extra. Booooo!

We have been given an extra day off for next years holiday entitlement which is good. I still have a couple of weeks left to take before the end of March though.

I have an interview on Monday (same trust) not thinking about it till then though.

Morning.

Ds is on his 3rd isolation because of cases in his class. The education minister has said that schools won't be closing early but who knows.

Our rate is stagnant at around 200/100k.

It's Dh birthday today so that means cake and a take away tonight. I can't wait!

Happy Birthday MrNero 🎂

Morning all,
I hope all the coughs, sniffles, d&v etc disappear soon (and long may they remain “just” those!!).

Restaurants and gastropubs opening today here for limited numbers, 11pm curfew, but I don’t know if they will be mobbed or very quiet (we’re not going out).

Work is very busy and dd is having a stressy time, DH and I are both close to burn out so a Christmas slowdown is very much needed this year. Going to spend an hour clearing my office today and then have a bunch of confidential waste to burn to start the fire later (no shredder for paper at home). I spent a couple of hours sewing in ends on scarves on Tuesday night so I only need another hour to finish that. And as I’d finished one part of big work project at teatime, I spent yesterday evening converting the ends of old candles back into new candles again (I had about 4 years of ends to melt down so got 4 into the Ikea glasses, 2 more smaller ones (they were a mix of plain red and plain white) - and a small pillar of muddy colour (all the other colours mixed) which will be hidden in a lantern so colour didn’t matter.

Better go and get stuck in for work for a few hours first though....and make a few calls to chase some stuff for DD.

Lovely frost here this morning - feels very seasonal!

I am in the worst county in Wales, possibly the Uk (haven't checked). Depressing but not surprising - people really don't seem to be taking it seriously here. I've been asked several times why I'm staying home / not seeing people if DH is going to school every day. No thought to the fact DH comes home, showers, changes clothes and touch points are being disinfected regularly. The implication seems to be that I'm being silly denying myself a social life because DH is at risk every day anyway - and I don't have the energy to argue with them.

Boo for no extra hols Fluffy!

Is the interview for a step up or to do something completely different why?

Happy Birthday to your DH Neros, enjoy the cake

Biddy I did similar with candle ends back at the start of lockdown, before I had a system set up to WFH - it's very satisfying isn't it?

I have so many meetings today - just finished one, next one at 11, then at 1 and last one at 2:30. Tired just thinking about it

Hi Crazy, it isn't a step up, without a degree I can't go any higher. It is actually down a grade but would have more time to exist hopefully and would have the time for extra hours. Working up to 60 hours a week is not sustainable for me forever.

We got an extra four hours to be taken before the end of January

My cream spilt in my shopping so I've just spend ages washing everything.

Morning everyone. Snow has arrived overnight, unfortunately not settling but has covered all the cars. A little wrapping done this morning of some main presents, but still lots to go. I am going to the shops later to see what nice goodies are available for Christmas, and hope to get some Christmas presents and pjs for the kids, while posting some cards. Our numbers are 572 and still going up. The schools have said that schools won't be closing early, but they are getting around it by closing most of the school and keeping just a couple of years groups open.

Enjoy your lunch and catchup Wreck, your numbers are wicked.

Good luck with the interview Why

Happy Birthday to your DH Neros hope you all have a lovely day.

Biddy

The DofE not schools

Big hugs Crazy

Ooh, my nutcracker duvet cover has arrived! DH has washed it before we can put it on at the weekend.

Crazy, I hate days like that. Thankfully, I've now completed my initial training, so I'm not having as much time on Teams as I was!

Biddy, when do you finish for Christmas? Sounds like not soon enough.

Happy birthday to MrNeros. Enjoy the cake and takeaway. What are you having?

God, my eyes have that coldy hotness about them. I can't stay warm either. Bloody germs. I blame the small people.

Officially, I am supposed to do a half day on Christmas Eve...or take a full day off. Which works fine when the office is open and it's fun to meet people wandering with their DCs and have an Irish coffee in someone else's office, before going to the main shopping street with DD to meet DH for lunch....quite how it will work when we are all WFH I don't know - unless there is a "wink wink" message through each manager to not bother logging in as head of Department couldn't put it in writing as that sets precedent for too many other places and years to come.

DH has booked 3 weeks off starting 21st, but already has meetings scheduled in that first week that he needs to attend also....

In reality, both of us will slow down in the week of 21st. And hopefully have no computers open on 24th but just manage our mail on our phones if necessary. And my boss has already said we should all take the period between Christmas and New Year completely off as there are no offices open that we need to man the phones like normal years (we usually do a rota to cover).

Somewhat productive morning both workwise and helping DD-wise. Waiting for other Leaders to agree a time for tomorrow night, email all written to send to the parents once we know times. Going to put my head down for another 90 minutes drafting something (and Christmas music on headphones) and then turn off for the weekend as I am collecting DD at 5 and need to try and get her to talk to me...

Happy Birthday MrNeros.

Marshmallow, that sounds tough with numbers like that, and you too Crazy, just keep minding yourselves and your household, that's all you can do.

Good luck next week Why, you always sound so busy too and like work is very tough and draining so fingers crossed for you.

How are you all faring with snow? We had a very hard frost last night, but heavy sleet mixed in rain this morning and it's both very windy and very grey now but wet rather than icy (3 degrees), so not much hope this weekend I think. But definitely weather for the fire later!

Socially distanced elbow bumps to the rest of you.

Yes that's all we can do Biddy, snow came to us in the middle of the night and we woke to find all the cars covered. It was a lovely surprise and felt very Christmassy. [santa]

No snow or frost. Both are rare here on the NW coast. Just bloody freezing!

I hope everything is OK with your DD, Biddy. Who arranged your DH's meetings? They need a word with themselves as he's off!

Thanks Biddy that is exactly my feelings on my current role.

No snow here apart from a light dusting this morning thankfully. Just pouring with rain.

20

We've just been planning our lottery-win house! 😂 If only!

Sleep now!

why the job sounds perfect for you, you work so hard in a job that is so draining. The whole thread will have their fingers crossed for you 🤞🏼

Biddy I hope you get the wink wink don't log on message on Christmas Eve
Our place is closing on Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve for the first time ever (although we normally close early those days, that was a nice surprise).

What features does your lottery win house have Fluffy?
Mine is a big old farmhouse with land, an outbuilding craft room, log burners (plural) in lovely stone fireplaces and lots of other things when I really get into thinking about it

I've been awake for an hour after waking up every hour(ish) - between DH snoring and the pair of us sneezing, it's been a restless night.

Plan today is collecting my WH Smith order, food shopping then sorting out the present stash.
I have a 3 day weekend and at the end of it I want presents wrapped, decs up, DHs class cards written and cards and presents posted - but first I'm going to spend half hour in bed watching The West Wing 😴

Morning I am up early because my son wants waking up to see if the local football match is on. I may go back to bed after that or possibly watch a Christmas film wrapped in a blanket on the sofa.

I only have a few cards to write and a few name tags for presents and I am done which is very impressive for me it must be said.

I was awake for an hour in the middle of the night. But thankfully then slept until 8am. DD woke just after that and DS is just waking now. They both needed the sleep so I'm glad!

Crazy, nothing huge as I wouldn't want something enormous. Just an extra bedroom, a couple more toilets and loads of original features. I don't like the houses along the 'millionaires' row' near here as they're all modern and bland. Luckily there are loads of feature properties in abundance here to choose from!

Oh, massive garden is a must.

In my lottery win plans I'd need land so I can have chickens, dogs, 2 donkeys and at least 2 goats. And possibly a highland Coo....

In other news, I checked the weather on my phone - met office, bbc and iPhone app all said rain all day. DH came in all excited, opened the curtains - snow ❄️ it's slowing down now and will no doubt disappear when the rain starts but still - Christmassy start to the day!

I want snow!

You guys know about flowers... why is my neighbours yellow rose still flowering? It goes right over their doorway and looks lovely. Starting to think it's fake 🤔

I've been tasked at finding a leaving gift for my colleague that's 'personal' I have no clue.

Up early (for a Saturday ) , DH went to the gym, I had a potter round TKMaxx then went to Sainsbury . Met DH when the trolley was getting heavy ....

He's now watching "Die Hard" and claimed "It's a Christmas Film"
I'll go along with it , they've mentioned Santa and Christmas Eve so far.....

Bruce is in his vest now (didn't take long did it ?)

Wreck possibly, but you're a lot further south than us. Our roses finished flowering about a month ago and are bald as coots now - no leaves either. Re: the gift - ask them what they'd like (only you and they will know you have)
Not bought a lottery ticket for years now, but if we had a lottery win house, it would be remote. No neighbours. It could be falling down, but I wouldn't care
why good luck for the interview.

70, Die Hard is THE Christmas film. Boots agrees (Crazy doesn't but we ignore her)!

We still have a self-seeded wildflower which is flowering, Wreck. Not a scooby why, but its yellow flowers cheer me up!

We're having a baking / making day. Brownies, mince pies and rocky road so far with chilli jam bubbling on the hob!