Friday Five!

How'd the interview go Nan?

1.  Three year old is at home on Fridays while I'm on maternity leave.  To say it looks like a bomb has gone off with all the mess is a massive understatement.

2.  The Great Shred has begun and my guest room is slowly starting to look more presentable.

3.  The baby does not sleep, meaning that all I don't sleep.  After being in tears most mornings, my husband stepped up last night and slept with the baby in the guest room so I had a night of rest.  He brought the baby to me a couple of times to feed.  But I didn't have to get up! 

4.  Went to the new shopping centre in Bracknell yesterday.  It's really good!

5.  Three year old has a massive splinter in her foot.  Still haven't managed to get it out.  I could... she just won't let me!

How'd the interview go Nan?

1.  Three year old is at home on Fridays while I'm on maternity leave.  To say it looks like a bomb has gone off with all the mess is a massive understatement.

2.  The Great Shred has begun and my guest room is slowly starting to look more presentable.

3.  The baby does not sleep, meaning that all I don't sleep.  After being in tears most mornings, my husband stepped up last night and slept with the baby in the guest room so I had a night of rest.  He brought the baby to me a couple of times to feed.  But I didn't have to get up! 

4.  Went to the new shopping centre in Bracknell yesterday.  It's really good!

5.  Three year old has a massive splinter in her foot.  Still haven't managed to get it out.  I could... she just won't let me!

Just prepare a warm bath and give her some awesome bath toys, like bath crayons (my sister in law used to use them to write her notes on our shower walls so she could study while in the shower.  I learned a lot about anatomy this way!).  Then let your daughter soak the splinter out.  Maybe.  I mean, it could work.  Right?  I'm not a splinter expert!

Okay, my five:

1. My husband comes home tonight!  (Not old yet, right?)

2. He was off last week because he took the week off for my birthday, but he missed it by a few days as my birthday was this Tuesday (26th).  After he got back to Salisbury, he also realized he failed to give me a special birthday dinner.  So he asked if I wanted to go someplace (the unspoken idea that the someplace would be Y Polyn, where we had the best meal I've enjoyed in the UK), or if I wanted him to make a meal for me at home.  Keeping in mind that we use our laundry/utility room for a kitchen and we don't have an oven, I opted for staying home.  He is going to prepare fillet steaks, microwaved "baked" potatoes, chopped salad (with those guindillas I mentioned!), steamed broccoli (or asparagus, because I secretly bought some and he loves asparagus), soft bread rolls with butter, and an amaretto coffee after the meal.  And it will be nom.

3.  My sister bought me a plunge saw with rails* for my birthday, and Axminster has it out for delivery today!  No more trying to cut sheet material on our table saw!

4.  * She actually gave me money.  She knew what I wanted, and made sure to give me enough, and then some!  So I also bought a replacement angle finder, a replacement pulley for my CNC machine, and some glass mugs for the amaretto coffee drinks my husband has been making for us the past few weeks.

5.  I've been a member of UK Yankees since my first six months visit in 2012, when I was just sorting out how to accomplish being with my now-husband (I got one of the classic "there's no such thing as a girlfriend visa" replies to one of my early questions, and now I remember it fondly--at the time, I was frustrated and felt a bit rebuffed).  But these last few months (especially since Jimbocz started the Pass the Parcel thing!), I've really grown fond of our little community.   

Just prepare a warm bath and give her some awesome bath toys, like bath crayons (my sister in law used to use them to write her notes on our shower walls so she could study while in the shower.  I learned a lot about anatomy this way!).  Then let your daughter soak the splinter out.  Maybe.  I mean, it could work.  Right?  I'm not a splinter expert!

Okay, my five:

1. My husband comes home tonight!  (Not old yet, right?)

2. He was off last week because he took the week off for my birthday, but he missed it by a few days as my birthday was this Tuesday (26th).  After he got back to Salisbury, he also realized he failed to give me a special birthday dinner.  So he asked if I wanted to go someplace (the unspoken idea that the someplace would be Y Polyn, where we had the best meal I've enjoyed in the UK), or if I wanted him to make a meal for me at home.  Keeping in mind that we use our laundry/utility room for a kitchen and we don't have an oven, I opted for staying home.  He is going to prepare fillet steaks, microwaved "baked" potatoes, chopped salad (with those guindillas I mentioned!), steamed broccoli (or asparagus, because I secretly bought some and he loves asparagus), soft bread rolls with butter, and an amaretto coffee after the meal.  And it will be nom.

3.  My sister bought me a plunge saw with rails* for my birthday, and Axminster has it out for delivery today!  No more trying to cut sheet material on our table saw!

4.  * She actually gave me money.  She knew what I wanted, and made sure to give me enough, and then some!  So I also bought a replacement angle finder, a replacement pulley for my CNC machine, and some glass mugs for the amaretto coffee drinks my husband has been making for us the past few weeks.

5.  I've been a member of UK Yankees since my first six months visit in 2012, when I was just sorting out how to accomplish being with my now-husband (I got one of the classic "there's no such thing as a girlfriend visa" replies to one of my early questions, and now I remember it fondly--at the time, I was frustrated and felt a bit rebuffed).  But these last few months (especially since Jimbocz started the Pass the Parcel thing!), I've really grown fond of our little community.   

I dug around for it after a long steamy shower last night and got really close to getting it, but alas a frantically kicking three year old won.  We are now trying baking soda paste to draw it out.   

A the classic "no shaking up visa" response.  We are actually quite nice, as you know now.  Tone is impossible to get across on a forum though!

Thanks for the shout!  Did you get an angle grinder or an angle finder?

KfDancer, my FIL just leaves splinters in and he’s not dead yet.  He is plenty deaf and French and I’d hate for that to happen to your daughter.

KfDancer, my FIL just leaves splinters in and he’s not dead yet. 

I had some thorns stuck in my fingers once. I couldn't get them with tweezers even after soaking.  Decided to leave them in.  Bad idea, they got all infected, swollen and pus filled and very painful. Took two different antibiotics to clear up. 

I now use drawing paste on things I can't get out with tweezers. KFDancer, if the baking soda paste doesn't work, get to a chemist and get drawing paste. It's amazing stuff. 

I had some thorns stuck in my fingers once. I couldn't get them with tweezers even after soaking.  Decided to leave them in.  Bad idea, they got all infected, swollen and pus filled and very painful. Took two different antibiotics to clear up. 

I now use drawing paste on things I can't get out with tweezers. KFDancer, if the baking soda paste doesn't work, get to a chemist and get drawing paste. It's amazing stuff.

Awesome!  We get flu shots tomorrow.  I'll get some then if still not out.  But trying to get a three year old to keep a Bandaid on is impossible.  I may need to wrap gauze all the way around.

Yeah, mom guilt with the splinter.  We painted the fence on Sunday and she was complaining her foot hurt.  But EVERYTHING always hurts.  Last night at dinner she mentioned it again...  oops!  Giant splinter!  I guess she doesn't lie about everything...   

Thanks for the shout!  Did you get an angle grinder or an angle finder?

I got an angle finder after my cheap Amazon one stopped working.  Looking back at the reviews for the kind I got, I should've just bought a good one in the first place.  But it didn't seem like the kind of thing that would take a lot of abuse, so I figured as long as it's accurate, that's all I need.  Display went kaput.

But my husband does want an angle grinder.  I'm not sure how much use we really have for one right now.  A bench grinder would be handy, though!  And a belt sander, though my in-laws did give me a mini drum sanding kit that goes on our router table, so that's something.  And I really really really want a band saw.

1. I went to my Pilates class. After starting a few weeks ago, I swear this class has changed my life. I didn't even know my body could move in some of those ways!

2. I paid off the last bit of my holiday this week. We're off to near Loch Lomond in October, and I can't wait. This will be the first vacation ever where my plans are to do sweet FA.

3. Two nights left of Sober September! This month I won a bottle of wine at a networking event, got a bottle of pumpkin spice Baileys while it was on sale, and also got some free beers from Shopmium and CheckoutSmart. They're all hiding right now!

4. I seem to have written dozens of articles about Australia and dogs this week! One of my clients is a designer and his company outsources their copywriting to me. They get work from all over the world.

5. Loving my TV lately. Can't believe I have only just discovered The Goldbergs. I am also loving Gogglebox still, Liar, and guilty pleasure reality TV on Lifetime :-P

1. I went to my Pilates class. After starting a few weeks ago, I swear this class has changed my life. I didn't even know my body could move in some of those ways!

2. I paid off the last bit of my holiday this week. We're off to near Loch Lomond in October, and I can't wait. This will be the first vacation ever where my plans are to do sweet FA.

3. Two nights left of Sober September! This month I won a bottle of wine at a networking event, got a bottle of pumpkin spice Baileys while it was on sale, and also got some free beers from Shopmium and CheckoutSmart. They're all hiding right now!

4. I seem to have written dozens of articles about Australia and dogs this week! One of my clients is a designer and his company outsources their copywriting to me. They get work from all over the world.

5. Loving my TV lately. Can't believe I have only just discovered The Goldbergs. I am also loving Gogglebox still, Liar, and guilty pleasure reality TV on Lifetime :-P

I LOVE Pilates.  Everything just feels better!

I'm going to have to check out some of those shows.  I love Below Deck currently!

1. I went to my Pilates class. After starting a few weeks ago, I swear this class has changed my life. I didn't even know my body could move in some of those ways!

2. I paid off the last bit of my holiday this week. We're off to near Loch Lomond in October, and I can't wait. This will be the first vacation ever where my plans are to do sweet FA.

3. Two nights left of Sober September! This month I won a bottle of wine at a networking event, got a bottle of pumpkin spice Baileys while it was on sale, and also got some free beers from Shopmium and CheckoutSmart. They're all hiding right now!

4. I seem to have written dozens of articles about Australia and dogs this week! One of my clients is a designer and his company outsources their copywriting to me. They get work from all over the world.

5. Loving my TV lately. Can't believe I have only just discovered The Goldbergs. I am also loving Gogglebox still, Liar, and guilty pleasure reality TV on Lifetime :-P

The Goldberg's is hilarious! I just realized the other day that the grandpa is the editor of Blush magazine from Just Shoot Me. Haha.

We're off to near Loch Lomond in October, and I can't wait. This will be the first vacation ever where my plans are to do sweet FA.

I live 'near' Loch Lomond.... where you off to? 

I live 'near' Loch Lomond.... where you off to? 

And I live in Stirling if you come through this way.

Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk

1.    Hairdresser tomorrow… thank goodness.  I’ve been looking like a street urchin lately.
2.   Going to Dundee for a wedding on Sunday and staying overnight in a nice hotel.
3.   Neither of us know the bride very well at all, and have never met the groom, so we are actually a bit puzzled as to why we’ve been invited.
4.   Pumpkin Spice Latte going down a treat this morning.
5.   Thoroughly disappointed in the finale of Dr Foster this past week. 

How'd the interview go Nan?

Sorry, missed this!  It went... ok. (??) They asked me a lot of the same things that were on the form I filled out online. Explained in great detail about the job. Asked if I'd be interested in full-time if it were to be available (it's not). Said they had some qualms about if I would work well "in their small teams" since I was used to working in a "larger" environment. () Hopefully I took care of that worry. (I have to admit, I had trouble understanding the guy who let me into the building - accent was pretty severe. As long as I'm dealing with customers via email, no problems. But if I get someone with one of the unintelligible accents on the phone, I'm toast.)  They were to be doing their last interviews this weekend (Oct 8th) and that they'd be alerting people who were still in the running shortly thereafter to do the security clearance thingy.  I was actually able to get transcripts for most of my Uni work, and found two of the actual diplomas, and my high school sent me a transcript, all of which I hand-carried down there yesterday so they could make photocopies (and see the originals) for my file.

In short, I have no idea.  At this point, I am not sure that I don't prefer NOT getting hired - it was a lot of hoops to jump for a part-time, temporary, minimum-wage job. Of course, if I don't want it, maybe that means I'll get it.   It'd buy the groceries every week, and let me save up a bit for if we get to stay here maybe putting towards moving and setting up in a more permanent way.  Or, if not, one really, really good vacation.

I'm kinda nervous about having to walk from that building to the subway every night after work at 10:00pm alone. It's a little creepy in that part of downtown.

1. My sleep pattern has been all over the place for the last 2 weeks and I'm still catching up after going into shifts last week straight from my US trip
2. I'm at Heathrow airport for the second time in 7 days... in a couple of hours I'll be taking my 7th flight in the last 4 weeks
3. I'm moving to Gibraltar today (and am so not ready!)
4. It's about 24 degrees Celsius every day in Gibraltar right now
5. I really need to get exercising and lose some weight while I'm away. I put on about 8 lbs in Antarctica (and I was already 5 lbs heavier than I wanted to be) and have failed to lose any of it in the last 7 months .


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk