Beyond Adolescence - part 2

[SpanielsGalore]

No point banning coffee, as it didn't work last time. 🙄
Haven't had any cake updates from a while. @VanGoSunflowers Have you stopped baking already? You still had 8 cakes to go to make it economical.

@SpanielsGalore sounds like you’ve had a lovely ‘fuck it’ moment and it’s paid off ☺️

@CoubousAndTourmaIet im jealous of your dinner. But I’m about to make sausages, eggs and toast for mine! I just started reading Quicksilver today and only a few chapters in but really impressed with it so far!

Agh anyone else find this time of year stressful with all the things you have to think about?! My head is spinning!

Good on you for letting P have a run around the woods @SpanielsGalore , if she's not noticeably improving for all the rest, then she may as well be allowed a bit of happiness. I'm sure it will do her the world of good mentally.

Glad you're liking Quicksilver @VanGoSunflowers , it's on my list but I'm holding out for the trilogy to be complete.

It's a horribly stressful time of year, I agree. I honestly feel like hibernating until the second week of January.

Brie had a few chips but no pizza, she had already eaten her beefy dinner though.

@SpanielsGalore I have to admit that not much work was done, although not much MN browsing was either. I ended up getting really into Chicago Fire (watching it for the first time), and basically sat on the sofa all day answering anything important that came in and cuddling the dogs. It was quite relaxing.

We have to be organised because with so many of so many different ages and needs plus DDs it's a nightmare getting ready in the morning! The best part about DH being back will be he can do the school run 😀

The dogs eat bacon. The dogs eat everything I eat when I go out. Otherwise I get the sad eyes and squeaking!

Ohhhh no! Only fun sized!? Why!? Tbh whoever created 'fun-size' chocolates was clearly a very evil person. No one with a soul could create such a monstrosity! 😂

I don't blame you for letting P have a bit of fun time. She's had a rotten few weeks, and it's a crap time of year for loud noises that will stress her out, that a good run here or there...might just make her a bit happier?

@VanGoSunflowers yes. 100% stressed about Christmas and all that needs doing. But, I am looking forward to cooking Christmas dinner because everyone fucks off out the kitchen and leaves me to it - years of being screeched at has taught them not to interfere. The only ones who can enter are DDs and the dogs. It's incredibly peaceful 😀

I hope everyone else has nice Christmas plans?

@CoubousAndTourmaIet Oh bless Brie! It is funny though how when they get a bit older the things that annoyed us when they were puppies don't anymore - as you said, it's because you know them now so their quirks are part of them and it's how they communicate with you.

I'm very jealous of yours (and @VanGoSunflowers ) dinner. DDs had moussaka leftovers with salad because, despite my terrible lunches and breakfasts I provide, I do want them to eat healthily on occasion but they were both starving so there ended up not being enough for me. So, I had Christmas nibbles - I can confirm the carbonara cups and the lobster and prawn vol au vants (with no lobster that I could detect) from Waitrose are both delicious. Not that filling (even when you have two packs of nibbles to yourself). But delicious.

@VanGoSunflowers Yes. I’m going to sit Sten tomorrow and do an assessment if where I’m at, and what I need to do.

Thought of the pmd today when I can across a large golden retriever. I say golden, but it was half mud, half golden.

That big daft girl of mine decided to eat her supper in the garden this evening. I think she was so overjoyed that we'd had a day with no rain. She just didn't want to come in, was lying on the gravel all relaxed, so I took her bowl of kibble out and she just sat there slowly munching away.

@VanGoSunflowers We did. 😁 We should all have fuck it moments more often.

@CoubousAndTourmaIet and @TheHungryHungryLandsharks This was my thinking. Better a shorter, happier life than a long, boring one. I can always increase her pain meds. N is on three different ones a day, plus monthly injections of ketamine.

@TheHungryHungryLandsharks What are you watching Chicago Fire on? I watched it recently on Amazon Prime, but you have to pay extra for the last two seasons and that pisses me off.

@Silverbirchleaf sounds like a regular Golden to me 😀

@SpanielsGalore Satan gets various supplements and has librella every month. The vet has said that she would have a 'longer' life with less exercise, but she's a cocker spaniel ffs. She wasn't made to have a long life on limited walks - she was meant to be out there tripping people up because she's nose down on the scent, or chasing pheasants (her new favourite past time) and putting the fear of Gods into Twatdog. I imagine that's similar to have you feel with P.

I'm watching it on Amazon Prime, but I'm only on Season 5. I share a NowTV account with DSIS/BIL and they watche Chicago Fire/Med/PD on that and it has the latest episodes, I think sign up is about £9.99 and then if you threaten to quit they give you offers. 😂 I used to do that regularly until DSIS/BIL and I worked out we could just share a password on a purpose created email address.

Hope everyone is having a nice day today. I have spent most of this morning interviewing and if I hear the phrase 'development opportunity' one more time I am going to scream!!! It's up there 'I created a powerpoint' and 'it will just take a mo' with my top three hated phrases.

”Development opportunity!” (Puts hands over ears as I hear @TheHungryHungryLandsharks scream!)

I’m wrapping presents this afternoon. Apart from Dog, got house to myself. This evening is card writing in front of the tv, plus writing the odd letter to go inside card. I’ve got some nice Christmassy writing paper.

How do you feel about "we are where we are" or "the art of the possible" ? 😂

Phrases I've never heard outside of the civil service

@Silverbirchleaf 😂I think what angers me the most, is that they all used it in the managing teams/departments question where we wanted to know how they helped people reach their goals. And they kept saying 'Give them development opportunities.' YES. But HOW!!!!! TELL ME BLOODY HOW.

How is your present wrapping going? I hope DDog is helping with the wrapping...or at least not getting in the way.

@tizwozliz Hate them! Hate them all. People who start emails with 'I hope you are well' are another pet peeve. No you don't. You're just about to tell me something I don't want to know.

'The art of the possible' is a phrase loved by SpAds and hated by everyone else - at least in my department! Tbh, it usually results in the below response:

[Spad Name]

This is not possible.

HungryHungryLandsharks.

It's the CF phrase that rules them all - only used by those who know they are being CF and who think that no one will push back.

I am, perhaps, slightly irrationally angry. But 6 hours of interviews of which only one person was appointable (but who I don't actually want in my department for various reasons) is very taxing. 😫I've decided to order Chinese for dinner and I plan on drowning myself in sweet and sour chicken balls, beef chow mein and spicy shredded beef.

DDog is fast asleep on the sofa, so an uninterrupted afternoon. Christmas music playing. Feeling almost organised.

My employment in that sort of environment always has an end date not too far in the future so easier to bear when you know it's not forever.

We've seen the sun the last couple of days which has been a welcome change.

Another stunning photo @tizwozliz

Dry here again too and a beautiful sunset just now when we were on our afternoon walk. It was so busy though, dogs everywhere. I suppose everyone has had cabin fever because of the rain, which, sadly, is due to resume tomorrow.

Sorry about your work related woes @TheHungryHungryLandsharks 🙁 I hope you enjoy your takeaway, it sounds as if you've earned it.

Think I should follow your example @Silverbirchleaf and write some cards this evening. I managed to get some of the new Jackie Morris polar bear design cards from Help Musicians and they're absolutely gorgeous.

I hope P has had another good day @SpanielsGalore and that your friend J is doing okay...

@CoubousAndTourmaIet Thank you! I try not to rant about work, but today has been the day from hell. I cannot wait for Christmas.

This sounds very sad, but we don't have that many people to write cards to! We don't do them in the family, so it's just a few school friends and neighbours.

How were Brie's walk's today? It's not rained here for what feels like weeks, but in honesty is probably about a day. Twatdog has been doing a Brie though - laying in the garden in the cold.

@tizwozliz I don't blame you! I really dislike office environments. I should have been a novelist or a professional hermit.

I don't know how you manage to take such amazing photos! I wish I had half the skill you you.

@Silverbirchleaf I am very jealous. That sounds lovely and relaxing.

@tizwozliz Stunning photo. How old is your lab?

@TheHungryHungryLandsharks It was lovely, although now got post-wrapping-presents backache. More card writing this evening, plus writing a list of what’s left to buy. Oh, and (young adult) ds forgot to take the chicken pasta he’d made for his lunch and is going out straight after work, so just re-heated that for my tea, so no cooking this evening. Delicious it was.

@Silverbirchleaf - the photo above is the older one who is 4.5
Younger one is 2.5

Why do dogs never learn not to eat any old shite then throw it up at some unearthly hour? It seemed to be a clump of grass and fur and it was really stinky, like fish tank water. This is the problem when she lies out, she "grazes" on grass and twigs.

Great start to the day, followed up by a suspicious transaction on my Paypal so my account is temporarily frozen.

Will get out in a while.

@CoubousAndTourmaIet Doesn’t sound like a good morning.

Ddog had his annual booster vaccination this morning. He was hyper and gets overexcited at the vets. The vaccine needs a booster in four weeks time.

Oh, and he’s slightly overweight. I’m putting that down to to changing what food he’s on, and him having too much. Hopefully now we’ve switched, it’ll be better.

My poor poor dogs have been sadly neglected today. 😢 They have now all got licky mats smeared in pate in an attempt to make up for it.

After the fiasco of Tuesday's hospital visit, J had a doctor's appointment this morning. The doctor did an ECG and said J had had a heart attack and needed to go to hospital. So off we went again. Only spent 45 minutes in the waiting room before being triaged this time. And I absolutely cannot fault them after that. He was given another ECG and then whisked straight through to a cubicle. Hooked up to heart and blood pressure monitors. X-rays and more blood samples taken. And he's being admitted. He must be worried, because once they said he was staying, he finally let me phone his daughter.

So the dogs have been home alone for about 7 hours and haven't had a walk today. Fortunately my lovely neighbour has popped across to let them out for wees and put the light on so they weren't in the dark. 💖

That sounds like a tough day @SpanielsGalore Poor J and poor you, being away from your girls again. It's good that your neighbour was able to let them out for a wee, but I'm sure they're pleased to have you home.

J is definitely in the best place and at least his family know the situation now. I hope his dog is being well cared for also.

Hope the girls enjoyed their licky mats x

Annoying things about Christmas - dogs who don't like clementines but insist on begging for a bit whenever you have one. For animals that are supposed to have super noses, you'd think they'd know it was something they didn't like.

@tizwozliz you're a clementine family!? What about the satsuma!?

@SpanielsGalore sorry to hear yesterday was so rough. At least he's in hospital now and getting the treatment he needs. How is he today and how are you? I bet your girls were so pleased to see you when you got home!

We had a very exciting morning...taste testing cakes for Christmas Day. Every year a few weeks before Christmas I get an order in from Patisserie Valerie (one of their sample cake boxes), and my parents, PIL, DDs and I sit around and taste test the cakes. Everything else we cook from scratch, and we buy a Yule Log, but there's something about a really nice cake at Christmas that none of us can say no to. So, this year, we are going to get their Pistachio and Raspberry cake 😍

I swear I do do more than browse MN, eat cake and dog walk....

I haven't actually seen satsumas in the supermarket this year. I like both.

“I swear I do do more than browse MN, eat cake and dog walk....”

Sounds like my life as well! Although I did nearly eat a dog treat today. Was walking to training, and had a protein bar to keep me going. Also had a large, round treat in my hand and nearly took a bite of the wrong item!