Unexpected pleasures....

Aww!

Hubby had a surprise outing planned for me last night.  I kept guessing what it could be from an Irish music concert to a lecture at the university.  I would have never guessed a play which is what it was!

It was The Pitmen Painters at the Alahmbra Theatre.  It's about a group of miners in the 1930s who take an art appreciation class and end up being artists.  It was really good!

That's really lovely - and the play sounds really interesting.

I think I might have time to bake today - yay! Here's hoping.....

I found Fishies (Goldfish) at Sainsburys the other day (Cheddar and Pizza flavored)! They didn't taste the same and they were called Pepperidge Farm Finz, but they were still good and satisfied the craving. Woohoo!

I found Fishies (Goldfish) at Sainsburys the other day (Cheddar and Pizza flavored)! They didn't taste the same and they were called Pepperidge Farm Finz, but they were still good and satisfied the craving. Woohoo!

I found Finz at Sainsbury's last week too- the same day DH received a birthday parcel from my grandma...... packed with goldfish.    Rainbow goldfish, graham goldfish, pretzel goldfish.... you name it.  She went all out.    And now we know where to get the normal ones (and the pizza ones) here.... not sure I have the heart to tell her as she won't know what to get him now...... 

Agreed- Finz do taste a bit different than good ol' Goldfish.

I've spent the last three days on a professional training update course and one of the attendees was a girl I knew from one of my MSc modules last year. I had lost touch with her so it was great to have someone to sit with and giggle when the going got tough. Friends are always a pleasure - old ones, new ones and reacquainted ones!

Glorious weather on Saturday for the ceremony to open the campfire/conversation pit in memory of our daughter at the Guide Camp in Sarratt, Herts.  And great to see some of her old friends who managed to come. 

We bought a DiGiorno pizza last week, and for the first time ever in my experience, it was horrible. I sent an email to the company to express our displeasure. For $7.19 for a frozen pizza of their reputation, you expect it to be good. Today in the mail, there was a coupon for a free one on them. It is refreshing to see a company give more than an empty, generically generated 'sorry'.

We bought a DiGiorno pizza last week, and for the first time ever in my experience, it was horrible. I sent an email to the company to express our displeasure. For $7.19 for a frozen pizza of their reputation, you expect it to be good. Today in the mail, there was a coupon for a free one on them. It is refreshing to see a company give more than an empty, generically generated 'sorry'.

Great, so you get to eat another horrible pizza, but this time you don't have to pay?     If it were me, I think I would have been happier if they'd just refunded me.

My UP.... i was chatting on FB this morning with my best friend from school (which was a UP in itself... wasn't planned, we just happened to be on at the same time... her just going to bed, and me just getting up!), and I found out that she and her husband and her children are coming over to Scotland for Christmas!  I haven't seen her for 17 years, so this has really given me something to look forward to!

Great, so you get to eat another horrible pizza, but this time you don't have to pay?      If it were me, I think I would have been happier if they'd just refunded me.

We've used it already, and the replacement one was of their usual quality. I couldn't imagine the whole company suddenly going to horrible standards. It was a one off, I am sure.

When we filed our Indiana taxes, it figured that we owed $66. I have never owed in my life. A few days ago we received a notice we calculated wrong, and didn't owe after all. The column showing their total showed 0.00, so we were expecting a check for $66. When it came today, it was $124. Nice. 

I really needed a hall tree (coat rack) for this flat and scored one on ebay for £0.99. Just as an aside I checked the sellers other auctions, and also scored a HUGE mirror dirt cheap. I collected them this morning and the mirror is way nicer than I expected. I love bargains! 

Yesterday was full of them.

1. We discovered there is a Cheeseburger in Paradise restaurant in Evansville, not far away from us.

2. We found leeks in the garden area of Home Depot. Take that, all you grocery stores who want far too much for them! 

3. After coming home from our lovely burger and happy shopping trip, we discovered a pumpkin cheesecake in the freezer. 

Yesterday was full of them.

3. After coming home from our lovely burger and happy shopping trip, we discovered a pumpkin cheesecake in the freezer. 

I wish a pumpkin cheesecake would appear in my freezer! 

Seriously. How do you make that happen?

Well, first you get bombarded by every child you know having a school fundraiser at once. Then you feel like you either adore each child and/or are close enough relative to need to buy from them. Then you realize you have bought so much some of it needs to be frozen. After a about month it becomes Thanksgiving and Christmas treat time so you have so much yummy stuff in the house you forget about the frozen cheesecake and other treats. Then somehow, as it always happens, other things get placed over the cheesecake. After a while it becomes June and you decide to weed through the freezer to see what is good and what can be tossed. About halfway down the freezer... holy cow! Pumpkin cheesecake! Just as easy as that. 

LOL!