Tea Room the Twelfth

[RacingSnake]

Come in, come in, to Tea Room the Twelfth! We now inhabit a rambling log cabin, surrounded by mysterious pine forests and mist-covered mountains (but also, strangely) easily accessible by regulars, new-comers and passing bishops, ferried in by Mellors driving the troika. All the usual rules apply and all are welcome!

JM - ewwwwwwwwwwww! But yes, I am the same and I would have done it myself too (and did, in fact but mine wasn't as drastic as yours )
re your family - hope it doesn't affect your Christmas too much.

RS - am so on your behalf - lets hope this woman leaves soon, or stops having so much influence if she is going more part-time. Doesn't sound like your HT has much ability to stand up to her either.

LOL at UniS "Kirsty" story - you'd think she (or whoever) would have done a bit more background research into the Location, woudn't you?!

Hot lemon and honey, mistle? Blanket? Chaise longue in front of a roaring fireplace?

I have just finished making two enormous pans of lasagne. They are happily bubbling away in the oven, the dishwasher is sudsing away and I am sat down, for the first time in what has turned out to feel like a very long day. Jackbaby is sleeping on my lap and all that's missing is a glass of Pinot Gigglio... but I don't see how that can happen without waking the young prince. And he needs a nap, no matter how short. Where the child gets his energy from is a mystery to me - he makes me tired just watching him... but even he runs out occasionally!

Is anyone up? I shouldn't think so since it's 1 am for you all... I'll just (sadly, only virtually) have all the Bolly by myself .

we're just about to go shopping, so have my glass for me, will you?

Since you can't have any (ha ha ha ha ) I'll have all your glasses for you for the next while, shall I?

Egads! Racing, I admire your restraint. I think I'd have said something Undiplomatic (though thinking about it, I do tend to do that anyway )

Have stoked the log cabin stove and got a reasonable heat under the kettle and the warming pans. Anyone for pancakes with decent maple syrup/breakfast of their choice?

Might go for a crawl in the snow later. I would say walk, but that's never how it ends up with me and my sense of balance

IRL, some church service leaflet delivering and a nice trip to the cinema, I think

Chaise longue, blanket, honey and lemon and the odd brandy thrown in for good measure is about what I feel up to here and in RL too - its rare for me to be this innactive for such a long time. Need to be better next week too - the Inquiry I'm involved in is reconvening and I need to be sufficiently recovered to act as an expert witness....

pancakes and maple syrup for me please.
I'm told we are having cinnabons for christmas day breakfast at SiL's.

Am about to brave the cold snowy internet in search of recipe for Lamb Shank for Sunday lunch. Will report back at somepoint.

Eruggggh leg JM.
Eurrrgh Teacher too RS.
You just sit tight there on Chaise Longe ( wasn't it a sofa this morning,where did teh other arm go to?) Mellors will be along with hot toddys shortly.

Shame you don't get special measures in court. I can use an interpreter or video link or sign language if I need to. That might work better for giving evidence from the Tea Room distressed sofa?

I'm not too concerned about the evidence as its all written down, its the cross examination that I'm worrying about. In particular its the being able to concentrate when my head's all woozy. THat, and of course the coughing until I'm sick bit - if I'm like that still I can imagine that we'll have a few trips to the ladies down the corridor to prevent the full horror to the rest of the people there Don't know what else I can do though...

I'm not generally too bad as long as I'm not moving around much. As soon I get up and move around I cough.

Anyway, enough of that - I hope your leg is feeling better now JM.

Mistlechick has, eventually, been persuaded to have a nap, although it did take 2 hrs of trying before he would allow it to happen - it will set him up for school next week much better.

JM - gosh, how brave, scrubbing to flesh and making lasagne! Sorry about your Mum and SDad

Racing - grrr. I thought Other Teacher was sorted out. How has it ended? Mary sounds great. DaisyBoy was Mary at the crib service last year. This year we have organised all GParents to come and he has announced he doesn't want to go because it was a bit boring last year I have not had a show down yet....

Mistle - ooo, what's the Inquiry if you can tell us without revealing too much, I didn't know that was you and your kind of thing.... hope you feel better too

UniS - Lamb Shanks - fab recipe in Jamie Oliver's first book - if you can get over the fact you are being given recipes by someone who looks 6 it's top. I do it by heart now, let me know if you want posting

Houses of Ill Repute my patch of London has long had many such, fewer these days. I used to live next to a rather anal chap who wrote down car number plates of cars that hovered and took parking places until the Laddeeez in the basement politely knocked him up (so to speak) and asked him to desist as he was driving away all custom!

When house hunting I looked round a flat - by the time I got to the bedrooms there was no doubting what the occupants did for a living

Daisy - its a CPO Inquiry - which should cut down on what sort of expert witness I might be! The Barister I'm working with turns from a gentle, softly spoken person to someone going for the jugular of the person he's cross examining... Haven't seen the opposition's in action yet - will have to wait until Tuesday for that.

Hi everyone!

Noticed DH beginning to slide a bit after several happy weeks, so dragged him and Wriggle out for an icy walk up the Cerne Giant. We had adventures in overgrown woods, getting stuck in the mud and descending the hill vertically (and it is vertical!). Nice to sit in front of the fire with a glass of wine.

Wriggle flat out, but sadly DH ended up, not happy and exhausted, but with a headache and toothache.

oh Racing sorry to hear DH is sliding

how is the AP doing?

DaisyBoy is similarly flat out after a long icy walk skidding and sliding today, really lovely winter weather at last!

Sounds like a lovely walk Racing.

I confess, we spent the afternoon tucked up on the sofa watching Madagascar2. DS wasn't feeling very well, and after a busy day yesterday he needed some down time. He had spent the whole of a trip round Waitrose asleep on my back this morning as the excitement of the car wash had been too much.

Nice short working week this week - nursery concert Thursday and off to London for the Olympia horse show on Friday, with a Duck tour on Saturday.

Bonjour tout le monde! Je suis revenue de la France, ou j'ai achete beaucoup de vin!

with boy seem to work, he had a fairly quiet half hour in his bed this afternoon. prior to being allowed to stay up late and go to the Carol service. BIG adventure walking to next village in the dark with head torches! ( and HiVis jackets on).

Just one more week to get tho before the hectic choas of christmad and new year. Boy has 2 days at preschool, I have two days of work and DS has his vasectomy . And then it will be friday and we can relax for 3 days.

PAss me a pint of something nice please.

That should be DH has snip, not DS.
I'm not that cruel.

Oh, is that the vehicle that goes through the streets and then on the Thames?

Appropos lovely winter weather - has anyone ie Ben Fogle DaisyBloke or JM got tips about warm clothes? DH can't seem to keep warm, which never used to be a problem. He owns not very good thermal underwear and I have just clicked the mouse to buy some ski underwear. He won't wear polo necks.

Tea - looks hopeful - any books yet?

Am going to have an interesting time. I'm not fit for work tomorrow - but I've got to go into work and get everything ready to go off to Inquiry - and probably set off and go there tomorrow, despite not feeling properly well. Will ring hotel first thing and demand a definitely no smoking room, and book some vegan food - can't be doing with too much dairy when I'm feeling like this.

Mistlechick finishes for the term on Friday - Carols on Tuesday - I've said that DH can go along - mistlechick has said that if DH wants to sing he'll have to go to the music teacher's room (!!!)

Dh will be in charage of mistlechick on the bus for school which will be interesting, particularly on the days when he has potential interviews (need everyone to keep everything crossed - we could do with a Chritmas present and the prospect of a slightly less angst-ridden year next year!)

Mistledog also has a check up next week. I don't know how we've managed it, but she doens't have a lampshade to stop her licking/nibbling/biting, but she's not removed her stiches yet!

Missing lots of Christmas singing - two things so far, and counting!

oh Mistle, good luck, does sound a tough week for all

UniS good luck your DH, lol at poor DS being snipped!

Racing, really with thermals you get what you pay for. Helly Hanson are my faves, really good and comfy. DH also likes one can't remember name, Merino wool 360 from NZ - can get them in Blacks and YHS I think

You need layers - air between layers - silk, wool, thermals. If he sweats and gets cold that's bad. Cotton is frowned on. Sorry if TMI!

Welcome home MadBad let me help you with purchases!

Starting to panic about how much work I have to pack into next week, must fly

Racing - is there any chance your DH might be having a thyroid issue? not being able to stay warm is a symptom, as is depression - see here for more info.

Hopefully it isn't that at all, but it might be worth a quick trip to the GP to get his thryoid function checked out if he matches with more than 3 of the symptoms listed.

UniS - loved yor typo of Christmad - about sums it up, imo!

I think I scored a bit of a win today - I told DH I wasn't over happy about Christmas Day and negotiated a compromise wherein we only have to go to his mum's for a couple of hours before she comes back to ours. I also asked him if he thought there was any chance that her visits here might reduce from 6 out of every 7 days, to maybe 2 or 3 out of 7, as it was getting a little wearing seeing her almost every day. He said that she was worried about that herself, didn't want to upset me by being here all the time.

It's not that it exactly upsets me, she's lovely, I just feel like there are too many people in our relationship, iykwim. AIBU?

Of course you're not BU TW! Sounds as though now might be the ideal time for this to be raised since she's clearly raised it with DH.

You also need to be making your own life - going places and finding other people with young families to go to coffee with etc and shouldn't need to be 'in' because MIL is round AGAIN!!!

Ta, MT - I do feel a bit guilty about it because she IS lovely and she does so much for us - and I am a grumpy caaah to be so moany about it. I am working on meeting new people but the playgroup so far is a bit cliquey and this week is the last week until February, apparently! . So no joy there for a while.

DH has a second interview for a job he went for, so I think things will change a bit when he's working anyway - she's less likely to be round so much if he's not here. He's a bit of a mammy's boy (if only I'd known)and always gets her round to help him do stuff, like planting, or putting fences in - mostly outdoor stuff. He won't be able to when he's working.

The merino long johns are the way to go, especially with a down coat for outside - Lands End have some very reasonable ones and they are toasty warm.

The Duck tour is the thing that goes on road and in the Thames. A few years ago DH and I went on one in Boston and it was fab.

TW - I think yanbu to want to only see MIL a few days a week, and I quite understand about the too many people.

Do we think I need to ask my brother outright if DS will be invited to his wedding ? We had a save the date card in the christmas card (addressed to Mr+Mrs CMOTBloke, not our real names), and am now worried that maybe he won't be invited...

Yes, you might as well save the later pain by finding out now, CMOTD.