Swagger Inn 175 - The one with no witty title (but lots of HBFs)

[SisterHelenoftheEternalCatchUp]

<Wipes bar>
<Burns chaise>
<mops floor>
<lights fire>
Thread 175 - will we never shut up?! Pull up a chair and have a good whinge about domestic tedium and annoyingly fictional HBFs... (once we've finished the other thread).

Evening. I have returned home post meet-up, via a hot tub and Sunday lunch (not at the same time - chlorinated roast beef is not an appetising idea). Travel was uneventful apart from getting a v. confusing motorway junction wrong in one direction, and coming off at the wrong exit on a confusing double roundabout.

Xmas fairs - I bought a little gnomish thing to go in the advent calendar. Other chopping news. I decided that the new Strike book is far too expensive (even with £6 off), so will wait for library/paperback/second hand copy.

Nothing much has changed at home during my absence Hope all of todays socialising went well for wenches.

Evening wenches.

I’ve had a similar car argument Apricot. I knew the way, the satnav knew the way, but DH knew better. Except he didn’t. <anniversary squidge>

Rain for much of the day today. Did the ironing, watched tv, got back to my knitting.

Evening

Lovely day yesterday, always fab to see wenches
Have achieved very little today, other than a brief shopping trip and some batch cooking of suitably wintery food. Watched Dream Horse last night after I got home - played 'spot the Gavin & Stacey actor@ & drooled over Damian Lewis

Morning wenches.

You’d enjoy the episode of Poirot that DL is in if you haven’t already seen it Fancy. Annoyingly he doesn’t seem to look much different.

Day off today. DS2 has a hospital appointment this morning and then I’ll probably not do very much at all other than hide from the bloody winds again.

<tethers everything>

Morning all. Miserable and raining here, but note especially windy, so hopefully no more trees down HBFs will happily provide wenches with any extra tethers that you need.

Hurrah for your day off LetUs - hope the appointment goes well so you can enjoy the rest of the day.

Last night I discovered that DS missed a college open day over the weekend. that, and spending some time with a friend who is a tutor, set me off into a pit of anxious doom about not being on the ball enough and not helping DS with planning and revision etc etc. My download folder is now stuffed with course specifications and I've got open tabs with flash cards... urgh.

I have lots of work to do today, KillerKitty needs to go back to the vet to get his abscess signed off, and post-school taxi-ing needs to be done. Please send emergency Athos and a few clones for me.

Afternoon. A bit damp and miserable here. The golf course is closed due to rain. What with his shoulder, my Covid, the car breaking down and the weather, DH hasn’t played golf much for ages.

I’ve been batch cooking too Fancy. I did curry yesterday and I’m doing shepherd’s pie tonight. Very useful when you can’t be bothered to cook.

Hope hospital and vet visits went well.

Yay for lovely meet-up. Emergency Athos for Helen.

Ooohhh, emergency Athos even comes with rope for tethering purposes. Plus there's always his (slightly grubby) scarf. I always think that the rope fastening on those cloaks looks very uncomfortable.

It's bloody windy here now. Was sitting waiting to pick DS up from SportingThing and the car was rocking in the wind . Tomorrow I need to taxi DH about as well, so I hope the wind drops.

I'm having visions of MrA prowling around the house being very bored, like IdiotKitty does when the weather's too bad to go out.

Also lovely TutorFriend has sent me a calming email - with some past papers for DS

Evening wenches.

Oh Helen, when you’re spinning that many plates one of them is bound to drop every so often. Hurrah for calming tutor. Allllll will be fine.

Love the comparison of BoredKitty and MrApricot

We had some fairly full on gusts through the day and the rain has just arrived.

Hospital appointment went well, although there was a suggestion of a blood test at the end (which I stupidly didn’t connect at first with DS2’s phobia around vaccinations being because of needles 🤦🏻‍♀️) so I was all yeah that’s fine. DS2 went into a panic and refused (understandably). Thought he was going to pass out. So I’ll have to arrange it via his GP and we’ll have to have a gradual approach.

Evening
Have spent a relaxing day with FancyMan - had a short walk, it was a bit on the windy side, so we weren't out for too long.

That sounds delicious apricot. Best bit of winter for me (apart from hot water bottles) is that it lends itself to batch cooking, nothing like coming home from work & only having to reheat something and not cook from scratch. Cooking in advance meant I also cooked healthy stuff too so I didn't feel bad when I followed it up with a sponge pudding

Don't beat yourself up about it helen, there'll always be parents out there doing more - whether that does their kids any good in the long run I'm not sure!

I wish I could send the lovely phlebotomist from our surgery letus, she can get blood out of DD with minimal angst, which is quite a feat.

Morning wenches.

Come on DS2, we’re going on a little trip by train to see someone. You’ll like her and she knows someone who can work miracles.

Honestly I felt a bit stupid that I didn’t make the connection with the needle being used for a blood test. Muppet.

Back to work. Eyes have been playing up again. Eyelids were stuck together again and I look like I’ve been up all night crying. Bewdiful.

Hope the storm hasn’t caused damage for anywench.

Argh, busy, argh etc.... (no storm damage that I've noticed thank goodness)

Afternoon. No storms here, although a bit windy. I did Sainsbury's earlier when DH collected DGS from school and it was a bit chilly.

Poor DS2 LetUs. I once had a colleague with a needle phobia, he always said they would have to give him a general anaesthetic for bloods or vaccination.

Golf course closed again tomorrow. <sigh>

Evening wenches.

Does seem to be getting chillier.

Is there no driving range nearby Apricot? Obviously thinking what’s best for MrApricot’s golf game.

Work was busy but I suppose it’s a short week having been off yesterday.

Morning wenches.

Daaaarrrrrkkkkk. Raaaaiiiinnnn.

DS2’s nosebleeds have started up again in the last week or so and have increased in the last day or two. Poor thing.

Short day but mammogram after work. Really don’t want to but I shall be brave and tell myself it’s all for the good etc.

I seriously think we can kiss NATO goodbye, now Hungary is being difficult. I'm so over it. I really don't care anymore.

Hope mammogram was done by a HBF went well and not too painful.

More arghhhhh, work, arghhhhh, life here, and I've just had a message from a friend asking what time I'm picking her up. FMAL - I'm meant to be out tonight. Arghhhhhhhhhhh. (Though at least no nose bleeds here!)

Afternoon. Nice day, but cold.

I haven't done much, except a bit of knitting. It's at an awkward stage but I must persevere with it otherwise it will end up as a plan B (roll it up, put it in a cupboard and forget about it).

Oh dear WW, that's a shame.

Hope the mammogram went well LetUs and DS2's nosebleeds stop soon. There is a driving range up the road which he uses occasionally, but it's only a half hour thing as opposed to some 6 hours.

Have a nice surprise evening and relax Helen.

Sorry for being a downer. I think I need a 🍷

Evening wenches.

<squidge> Wicked. I don’t really understand it but I’d definitely go with having a drink.

I’ll join you with having one as I’m pouring a small vodka to say well done to me to being brave at the mammogram (no HBFs). Hopefully all done now for another couple of years.

<clones Helen> it’s the only way. Have a lovely time tonight.

Half an hour Apricot?! Well that’s unacceptable.

I’ve got a Plan B in knitting which is at the bottom of my knitting bag and which will probably never surface again. I have however hit on the idea of wearing the head torch so I can knit in an evening because the overhead light just isn’t bright enough, especially with dark yarn. I look rather silly but it’s a game changer!

You really deserve that vodka Letus, cheers 🍷

Morning wenches.

Skål for last night Wicked.

DS2’s birthday today so people round tonight on and off so at least there’s something to look forward to.

Have good days wenches.

Afternoon. Pleasant day, we’ve been out to lunch with a golfer and his wife from DH’s old club. Nice to have a catch up.

Happy Birthday to LetUsDS2, hope he has a good evening. Good idea about the head torch. That’s the trouble with knitting in the winter, you don’t get many hours of good light.

Evening wenches. The mad freelancing deadline is done and I've finally got time to sit down and take a breath!

Fun was had last night - I'd booked tickets months ago and kept forgetting about them, but it was a good evening's entertainment, and nice to catch up with friend-who-used-to-have-horses.

Also out this evening, and again on Saturday night - my diary doesn't know what's hit it. Though I'm not sure how Saturday will work since DH is in a sling with a very sore shoulder, which isn't ideal for a noisy local gig.

and and to wicked for idiotic politics.
[presents] for miniLetUs and (Vodka) for LetUs - love the head torch idea. I've got a magnifying glass/torch combo for detailed sewing work. And also for finding splinters
<cbf> at MrA. He needs to practise longer at the driving range. At least and hour, surely?!
[search party] for Fancy - are you on the train yet? #mini-meet

It's dark and raining here....

Evening wenches.

Good lord that’s a big one there Helen - and look at the size of that chocolate!

You’ll be meeting yourself coming back at this rate Helen. Have a good time this evening too.

DS2’s been doing homework for most of the day bless him. He’s not even left it to the last, there just seems to be quite a lot of it.

He also now shares his birthday with another member of the family as the latest baby arrived this morning

Morning wenches.

It’s dark and rainy but it’s Friday.

Now that DS2’s birthday is done, I should start thinking about Christmas planning. Not filling me with joy tbh. Not going to go away though is it?

Right, better get going for the day.