Swagger Inn 179 - It's looking very Autumnal out there, time to get the winter coats out...

[ApricotCrush]

Yet more domestic witterings...

Evening. Daaaark, etc, but less than 3 weeks to the shortest day!

Today has been cold, but sunny (foggy early on). And full of spreadsheets and having to sort out my own mistakes which was very tedious.

We still have trees shedding their leaves here. I should really clear the gutters but it seems a bit pointless when they'll just fill up again

Evening wenches.

Number of cards written - 0

Did do bath’n’book though.

That sounds annoying re the new laptop Helen. Hope it settles.

I think we get green bin collections all year round. Contain your jealousy!

Morning wenches.

Clinging on to what Helen said about only a couple of weeks to the shortest day because this getting up in the dark, coming home in the dark is narking me off no end.

Considering taking cards to work to write them at lunchtime. Too knackered when I get home. Jeez would you listen to me whine whine woe is me. <gives self kick up the bum>

Have super days wenches.

Afternoon all. Oh I'm with you LetUs - it's miserable and there's no motivation to do anything other than hibernate. Today is more cloud and rain. We have a friend coming for the weekend, so I somehow need to stop faffing online find time to clean the house when we're out tonight and I'm at BoringOfficeJob tomorrow. FML, etc. I have bunged loo cleaner in the toilet and that's a start.

Year round green bin collection letus <is envious> our last collection for several weeks is tomorrow <writes large reminder to self to actually put bin out tonight>

Most cards are written, but need to get hold of stamps, along with everyone else it seems....

Afternoon. Threw it down for most of the day but it brightened up just in time to get dark. DH has been out at a golfing day and it's amazing what I've got done! Loads of washing and ironing and I've decorated the main tree and a little one in the hall. No cards done though.

Yes, very envious of the all year round bin collection.

Have a lovely evening all.

Evening wenches.

All cards are written. I repeat all cards are written (except for the one for LovelyMIL off DS2 because we haven’t bought that one yet). This is ridiculously early for me.

Shove things in cupboards Helen, or a room where friends won’t go. That’s my method of tidying when short on time. I suppose as long as bathroom and kitchen are clean, that’s the important bits <passes cleaning products to MrHelen and MiniHelen as well>

FANCY - PUT THE BINS OUT!

<admires Apricot’s baubles> <tae>

OMG you've all been productive. I've just finished scrubbing the sink. We wrestled the tree into place and DH has put lights on it. The hoover has been wafted around. DH is writing his cards but I haven't done any. <le sigh> Now I'm going to bed...

Morning wenches.

Oh Helen you hardly did anything at all. You must try harder. Nutter 😁

Thought we’d had all the rain yesterday but no, apparently there’s plenty left for today.

Friday so hurrah for that.

Have great days wenches.

Morning all. The Sunrise is imminent and the moon is setting over in the west. It looks cold outside (there's a good frost on the grass) but I haven't been out to feed the chickens yet, so not sure exactly how cold. If you're lucky, I'll update on that later Or not.

Have a good day all <wraps wenches up in coats and hats and gloves>

Afternoon. Nice morning but very cold. It's been raining since and has turned windy. The oak leaves from up the road are coming down like snow and our garden, which was clear on Tuesday is now covered.

Still no cards done, but I have got out the boxes of oddments from previous years to add to those I bought a few days ago. I'll have to remember which I sent to whom.

Evening all. We have the wind and the rain now, and it sounds most unpleasant outside. Though it was nice for most of the day. ('Nice' as in, not rainy and windy.)

Today has been the predictable round of spreadsheet stress and reconciliations, with much swearing and glaring at the screen.

Manshapes are out - DS has a college social and DH is at SportingActivity, then picking up DS, so I've been hostessing with visiting friend who has sloped off to bed now.

We have roadwork shenanigans going on locally - a road is shut with a long diversion, so increasing numbers are using the local 'cut through' roads. Single track, very limited passing points. Traffic is trying to go in both directions, and I'm sure you can imagine the chaos of oncoming traffic meeting on them. My favourite was watching (from a different road) the queue of cars slowly reversing and doing million point turns because they were faced with a low-loader that wasn't going anywhere but forwards. What on earth the low loader thought it was doing is anyone's guess because that road isn't suitable for them at the best of times. I need to go and check the roadworks website to see if there is a scheduled end date, or if the road will just mysteriously open in the same way that it shut with no warning.

Morning wenches.

That’s it with roadworks these days, there doesn’t seem to be any warning that they’re starting any more. It’s just you’re driving along and SURPRISE! That does sound quite chaotic where you are Helen.

Lots and lots of rain yesterday, then the wind.

Does anything eat fallen leaves? If so, one of those can go to Apricot’s garden.

Today will be washing, wrapping presents, and then meeting BestFriend for a late lunch which is our Christmas present to each other. The rest of the day after that will be “resting”.

Have lovely days wenches.

Afternoon. Rain for most of the day. We went to DS's this morning so DH can measure up for a bespoke table he wants making for the 'Lego room'. You're frightened to breathe in there in case you knock something over.

Those roadworks sound horrendous Helen. What annoys me about them is that often roads are closed but no-one is working on them.

We're going out with friends later. Have a lovely evening all..

Evening all. We had rain until about midday, then it cleared over. Have pootled about doing shopping and hanging out with visiting friend, and stuff, and visiting a local craft fair. Oh, and a vet trip for WobblyCat to try and drain my bank account de-wobble her a bit.

The roadworks are due to be there until the middle of next week. Apparently the local water company are so shite that they just class everything as an emergency so they don't have to give any warning

Hope that APricot has a lovely evening and LetUs is resting

Evening wenches.

Almost all presents are wrapped. Really just DH’s and DS2’s to do. This level of organisation is unprecedented. I did forget to take BestFriend’s card with me this afternoon so I’ve not had a complete personality change 😁

Late lunch was jolly nice. Turkey with all the trimmings and a couple of cocktails, and exceptional company.

Lego room sounds epic Apricot. Hope you’re having a lovely evening.

That sounds a fun day with the exception of the vet visit Helen. Hope WobblyCat is soon feeling less wobbly.

<lies down>

Morning.

Flapjacks are made, ironing is done, DS2’s presents are wrapped, and one wash is done. I reckon that’s me for the day with the exception of more washing.

Usual Sunday I think. Will hopefully get some knitting time.

Have lovely days wenches.

Morning all. Nothing done other than breakfast and some exercise. No cards written or presents wrapped.

Weather's a bit meh - high cloud and a bit dank. Off to a beer festival this afternoon (as designated driver) <le sigh>

Have a good day all.

Afternoon. Miserable day, dark and raining.

Bit of a nightmare last night. We meet our friends at a restaurant half an hour away. We got to the village and were met with a road closed sign. We followed the diversion which took us miles along country lanes, then the diversion ended but we hadn’t a clue where we were. We didn’t know the names of the roads, it was dark and raining and we were low on fuel. Got there eventually half an hour late and met our friends in the car park; they’d had the same trouble. So stressful, but we had a nice evening once we’d calmed down. We came back a different way.

I've printed off the address labels for the cards, so that's something but not nearly as organised as LetUs.

Hope the beer festival was enjoyable Helen and that WobblyCat is alright.

Evening wenches.

Rain and wind. Not very festive.

That sounds awful Apricot, and a bit (very) scary. Pleased you had a good time in the end.

Hope beer festival was good Helen.

Didn’t get out as early as I’d wanted because of DS2, and then DH unexpectedly coming back from his run, so we weren’t at small retail park for opening and it was rammed when we got there. Did get what I was after for DS2 though for parents and LovelyMIL to give him. Traffic was shite leaving parents. You know, just for a change 😁

Had bath’n’book this afternoon but the Sunday Blues have taken hold.

Evening all. Argh Apricot - what a pain! It's horrible when that happens - at least there were two of you to try and figure it out together, and thank goodness you all got there in the end.

Beer festival was fun - caught up with friends and heard their horror story about missing a plane - the signs said it was on last call, but at the gate said they were closed - including for someone who had been brought in a wheelchair by the airport assistance people. RyanAir really are a bunch of shits! Then I had the joy of driving home on those narrow country roads in DH's car in the dark and wind and rain

This evening I have baked apple cakes for everyone though - they're on the bar.

Morning wenches.

Rubbish sleep and even rubbisher dreams.

Your poor friends Helen with the flight disaster. Glad you got home safe after what doesn’t sound a pleasant drive. <puts apple cake in bag to have at work>

Very dark as per and it’s Monday. How nice.

Have lovely days wenches.

Morning all. The weather is bleurgh. Visiting friend has headed home and now I'm attempting to work. If someone finds their motivation, do let me know!

In idiocy news - I left part of my computer set-up at the office on Friday (in a site where I don't usually work) and have had to go in an retrieve it from the hot-desk set up. <eye roll at self> At least it was there still!

Hope that Fancy and wicked had good weekends.

Afternoon, am contemplating a Lidl visit to get the Xmas booze in - will be a good opportunity to check out the roadworks situation, sounds like we are all being pestered by them!

Am in awe of your present buying letus! I have some and have done all my cards, but you are on another level 😯

I had a pleasant weekend - dinner on Friday with an ex- neighbour and then some neighbours had a street get together in Saturday (inside!) was a bit unsure of turning up on my own, but decided to brave it and fortunately timed it just right - next door were leaving their house just as I walked past, so I didn't have to arrive alone and was able to help them with their wheelchair too.

I think - need to check timeanddate.com - that the evenings are already getting lighter (by seconds), it's just the mornings still get darker until about 5 January. I bet apricot knows!

Afternoon. Not bad day and not cold. I did some jobs this morning, the queue in the Post Office was horrendous, and then went a walk round the road.

That airport story sounds awful Helen, this would happen to me if I tried to get on a plane on my own.

Yes Fancy, the afternoons start to go the other way on 16th December but as you say the mornings continue to get darker. I bet it's horrendous where WW is.

Hope LetUs has managed to avoid roadworks.