Swagger Inn 167 - Autumn is here, the days are getting shorter and colder...

[ApricotCrush]

...so the wenches will snuggle down in the Tav with the HBFs maybe.

Morning wenches.

Bit bloody cold here. Frosty cars and everything.

at One Duck Quacking and ouch at thistled thumb. I think they played the year after.

Physio this morning, ironing later and bog all for the rest of the day.

Afternoon.

Hope the physio went well LetUs Still lovely and sunny here - have been out for a quick bike ride.

Fancy - I think we should probably just clone you - your clone can do all the tedious piles of work stuff and then you are free to do what whoever you like the work stuff won't be exciting, so there shouldn't be any problems with the clone exploding.

I'm avoiding work...

Afternoon. Dull, cold and rather misty all day here. I did a food shop this morning and other errands. The excitement!

This afternoon I spent hours, it got dark completed a Tax Return. I know I have no tax to pay, but I have received extra income which has to be declared. Now I am no stranger to tax returns and dealing with HMRC, having worked for 20 years for an accountant, but OHMIGOD I've never done one online before. What a bloody nightmare. By the end of it I didn't know what day it was, what time it was or who I was! I completed one page which they disagreed with and in the end they deleted it, so I think I may have cost DH extra tax. I do know my husband's date of birth and when we got married. I know I can sort it out later, but FFS.

at One Duck Quacking.

Evening wenches.

Physio went okay but I was a few minutes late as I underestimated how long it would take to scrape the ice off my car! That came as a bit of a shock even though I’d seen the cars were frosty.

Perhaps Athos could offer to incentivise you Helen? I’m sure he could think of lots of different ways

What a nightmare Apricot! So frustrating when a system just seems to want to obstruct you at every turn Hope you get it sorted without any more hassle.

Did the ironing, ate crisps, ate chocolate, watched a cheesy Christmas film, decided to move to Montana because it will be exactly like it was in the film and Colin Ferguson definitely lives there, started a new jigsaw.

Evening
Have enjoyed my day off having got lots of work done yesterday, not that I did a whole lot apart from give DD a lift to school- FancyMan came round, so we mostly got a few jobs done and erm drank tea....

A clone sounds like a fab idea helen, especially as there is no chance of excitement induced explosions given my work.

Wildlife here consisted mostly of lots of small birds on the birdfeeder, best guess (with my old prescription lenses in) is Great Tits and robins. Oh and a magpie that prompted much excited chattering from FancyCat

yikes apricot - we have software that prepares company tax returns and I'm terrified of submitting returns in error It's also labyrinthine and lacks clarity. Can't stand the bugger & am looking forward to the new software in the spring, although possibly not the change over process which could be interesting....

Hmm, now what to do with my evening......

Evening.

Athos can incentivise me any way he likes LetUs oops at being late - could you not lean a handy HBF against the car to heat it up and melt the frost?

Urgh Apricot - HMRC design their systems to confuse, I'm quite convinced. 'Computer says no' and all that

Glad you had a good day off Fancy - complete with tea

I think I'm going to have an early(ish) night, am yawning my head off....

Morning. It wasn't a very early night in the end, and then I woke up at 5:30 again with bonkers/stressy dreams (meteor, falling pylons being chased by lion and leopards, and nearly getting squished by a tractor. Hurrah. Not.)

urgh....

Today I shall be mostly dragging my knuckles.

Morning wenches.

No, that doesn’t exactly sound like a restful night Helen

Excellent that you enjoyed your day off Fancy. How’s FancyDD feeling about this week’s exams? 🤞🏻

Why do systems do that? Okay I’ll just click that button that says review but definitely don’t send document. Thank you for submitting your document - aaarrrggghhhhhh!

It’s dark but no frost. Breakfast and work whoop.

Afternoon
Our software has this one dialogue box with two options and it defaults to 'submit now' rather than 'save & submit later' - truly the stuff of anxiety nightmares

Speaking of nightmares - saw the new Rebecca last night. Thought it was ok - diverting & very pretty to look at, but not completely satisfying Armie had too many clothes on Plus there were some very distracting CGI birds. Verdict - bit less focus on the pretty landscapes & a bit more focus on the characters, also the end seemed rather rushed. Probably because they spent rather a long time in the sunshine of Monte Carlo at the beginning.

DD seemed happy enough with yesterday's exam thanks, next one tomorrow.

Afternoon/evening. We've been tidying up in the garden as it's the last bin day this year tomorrow, 'helped' by the resident robin. Everyone, including DH, was cutting their lawns. Seemed weird at the end of November. Anyway it all looks very nice.

I've also been packing two more musical instrument eBay sales for DS. You wait ages for one and two come at once.

Gosh Helen those dreams are awful.

I love Rebecca, but that does sound as if they didn't do it justice.

Evening wenches.

Exactly Fancy! Why does it do that?!

I think as far as Rebecca’s concerned, I’ll perhaps ask for the book for Christmas as I’ve never read it.

That’s good re FancyDD.

Awww at the helpful robin . Big for Apricot re instrument packing.

Feel a bit chilly but it’ll be because I’m tired.

Evening. LOL at the helpful robin. I bet it was more actual help than the chickens were today - our internet went down for a few hours so I dug over the weeds in the veg patch and let the chickens 'help' They were standing on the fork, or the weeds I was trying to dig up. And also pecking at my wellies and trousers. Idiot birds. I did think about mowing too, but it's really too wet still.

at too many clothes in Rebecca - they clearly don't know their target audience Also at stupid default software buttons. Not what you want.

So, apart from when the internet down, today was all freelancing, which was nice. And then this evening we finished watching a Morcambe and Wise 'top 20 sketch' programme, which DS really enjoyed - hurrah!

I am tired though (quelle suprise) so I ought to try for a proper early night.

Good luck to FancyDD for exams tomorrow .

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand it's morning again. Which is a good thing, obvs, because if it wasn't morning either I'd have insomnia, or have overslept, or the fabric of space and time would have ripped open, sucking us into a vortex of something-or-other. But still, it was very dark when I got up and the chickens were barely up when I fed them. The sky does now have pretty pink and purple streaks running across it, and though it's chilly, it's not cold. But actually, I'd rather it was about 2am and I could have a few more hours of sleep.

Hope everyone has a good day and exams go well and work is bearable and walks in the sunshine are had...

Morning wenches.

Bearing in mind how 2020’s going, is it possible we’ve already been sucked into a vortex and other wibbly wobbly timey wimey stuff?

Absolutely love Morecambe and Wise

Work today. Dentist this evening. Not sure which is worse.

Evening.

Awww at helpful hens.

Oh LetUs I had a dental appointment this morning, only the hygienist though. Good luck with yours.

I love Morcambe and Wise too. Some of those programmes would get raised eyebrows these days.

Hope FancyDD's exam went well.

Evening wenches.

Dentist done. Was having a repair done on a couple of fillings. No numbing injection necessary so hurrah for that.

We had a new phone system put in at work today. Anywench care to guess whether that went smoothly or not?

I really need to move, I only have bad luck in this city. Went for a car drive to

FFS!
Went for a drive to exercise the car, so the brakes don't get stuck, I don't drive that often. I don't like driving in the dark so was really happy when I got home again.
And them the door won't close! I almost broke down. Finally I found a plastic piece (probably from the seat belt) stuck in the lock thingy on the inside.
I need now

LetUs - do you, by some chance, happen to have inherited our broken phone line? (We've finally got out phone back, and usable internet speeds!) Still - no phone means a quiet day at work?

Oh dear Wicked and HBFs are in order.

Hurrah for successful dental trips.

It’s sometimes the simple things like that that tip you over the egde Wicked

Hurrah for working phone and internet Helen! It did go a bit quiet. Had a go at figuring out new phones and system and did okay. Can’t say how many of the others will do with it.

Had a bit of a headache tonight so I’m waiting for the paracetamol to kick in and then I’m off to the hayloft.

Morning wenches.

Looks dry outside and doesn’t seem too cold.

Hands up who can’t be arsed today

FFAS world on the outside.

Stupid headaches - hope it's gone now LetUs

It's morning. The sky is pale power blue with a few thin clouds that have gone through pinky-orange and now fading to peach. The lawn is frosted white.

Wildlife report - one a dead rat frozen solid on the lawn, which I hurled into the field next door. Various small impatient tweeting bird which wanted the feeder topped up.

In FFS news, I've woken up with a sore neck and shoulder again, and in 'good' news, one prospective freelance job have got back to me with a potential job - it's now 3 times the size and they're offering me twice as much money to do it. So that's a bit of a mixed blessing, but I'll take it anyway tbh, because it sounds interesting and they have a great social media bod who makes me laugh

Excellent plan LetUs

(Actually, that's a bit mean - Vinnie is very useful for sending off to deal with work twats, annoying DH/DC issues etc.)

Afternoon
I definitely can't be bothered. Sadly that won't make the work do itself
all round to everyone who needs it. Or Or both

Hanging on until Friday - DD's last exam, Lucifer & pink night plus a takeaway.