Friday Five!

3. We're picking out a mirror for the bathroom and that's the final touch I reckon it'll all be in place (and I'll post those pics) before Monday if we can find a mirror that can be delivered or picked up by tomorrow.

4. We've got our Japan accommodations all re-booked this week (don't think I already mentioned that?) ...

Oooh!  Remodelling pics!  Can't wait!

Did your holiday plans get affected by floods?

Aww PB, your boss is so infuriating. That is why I always save important emails! (one place I worked deleted everything after a year, which is never enough time when something needs referencing)

Enjoy Hamilton KF! I'm jealous. I really want to go, but I'm afraid to pay all the money for tickets and then have to leave if the people sitting next to us wear too much perfume. Every attempt at theater or concert hall music since I got sick hasn't gone well.

1. Still waiting to hear when my occupational health assessment will happen. But I got paid, so that's a bonus? I was worried I might have to fight for that. At least if I get laid off it was enough to cover my bills for a while and we can survive on my husbands income with frugality.

2. NHS experiences are steadily getting better. They hadn't even documented my allergies, asthma, or heart condition on previous visits, so the doctor scheduled a double appointment followup to get my records up to date and make sure that the letter for my work is filled out correctly.

3. I think the hardest part of moving here has been the feeling of being in limbo and unable to make plans for the past year+. *sigh* I can't afford a trip home until the job stuff is settled.

4. My kitty is pretty adorable. This morning right after we woke up she came running into the bedroom squeaking and jumped up for cuddles (we have a kitty blanket at the foot of the bed for her, and she goes there almost all the time), purring. She's always so excited to see me. Pets are the best when you haven't been feeling the greatest.

5. Bring on the rain!!

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We have cans of beer and Coke, but not in the refrigerator.  Juice would've been nice!

It was Coke Zero... we call Coke, Pepsi, Irn-Bru, Fanta, etc 'juice' here in the land of the Weedge!

It was Coke Zero... we call Coke, Pepsi, Irn-Bru, Fanta, etc 'juice' here in the land of the Weedge!

  You Scots are weird! 

Oooh!  Remodelling pics!  Can't wait!

Did your holiday plans get affected by floods?

....didn't know about any impact by floods...now I'm worried I should be concerned...lol

Not there's a new Minpaku Law that's come into affect requiring private room/apartment rentals have proper licensing from the government to allow them to rent it out on places like Airbnb & Booking.com . One out of the 3 of my places was fine and has the license. The other two had theirs pending with the government with no idea about how long it can take so we had to decide whether to risk it for a biscuit or cancel and re-book somewhere that was legally compliant.

Airbnb have been amazing though! They told us if we cancel, they will refund us in full and will also give us the amount of the refund back as a voucher and add an additional $100 voucher to do an airbnb experience. So they effectively doubled our budget (which is kind of necessary when you have to re-book so close to the dates) which we didn't completely use and got $200 to use in the next 6 months on experiences using airbnb so was an absolute steal when they didn't have to do that at all! They could've just said "sorry...laws have changed...we'll refund you but that's that!". They also said if not accommodation was there, we could be linked up to work with Japanican to find accomodation. They've done a good job to make the best out of an unfortunate situation for travellers.

Glad to hear your NHS experiences are improving Margo!:)

Totally agree with the sentiment that I'm ready for rain...my poor poor lawn...

3.  I've got a new sponsor dog... she is a Spanish galga called Brandy, and last week gave birth to 12 puppies.  For some reason, she has no milk, so the volunteers at the shelter are bottle feeding her pups, and she just wanders around a bit nervously from person to person checking each pup is doing ok...poor sweet thing.

That's fantastic Albatross! Your heart must be full! 

4. My kitty is pretty adorable. This morning right after we woke up she came running into the bedroom squeaking and jumped up for cuddles (we have a kitty blanket at the foot of the bed for her, and she goes there almost all the time), purring. She's always so excited to see me. Pets are the best when you haven't been feeling the greatest.

I just love when they talk! 

3.  Finally pressed the button to order two new trees for our back garden.  Two maple trees. One October Glory and one Crimson King.  They'll take a couple of weeks to arrive.  and DAMN trees are expensive!

They can be extortionate!  I've used https://www.mailordertrees.co.uk a few times and have been really pleased. And the boxes that they come in serve as an amazing cat tunnel!   

1. I spent last weekend in Lisbon, Portugal for a friend's 30th birthday... and it was cooler there than in the UK! It was 25 C when I left Lisbon on Monday and 31 C when I landed in London 3 hours later!

2. I fly to the Falklands in 2.5 days (the flight leaves at 1 a.m. Monday morning )... where the max temperatures are currently 4-7 degrees with 20-30 mph winds and a bit of rain... and that's warm, because the winds are coming from the north... if they turn southerly, it'll be around freezing with snow showers (as the air comes up from Antarctica).

3. Trying to find winter gloves in the middle of of a July heatwave is a nightmare... after checking several stores, I had to order them online!

4. On Tuesday evening I was walking through the car park of a shopping mall on the way to the cinema, and as I stepped off the curb to cross the road, my sandals got caught up in each other and I pretty much face-planted into the middle of the road (I managed to break my fall with my hands, but I have a big purple bruise on one knee now)... the memory of it has been making me laugh ever since, because one minute I was chatting to my parents and then next I just disappeared .

5. Apparently I only have a Friday Four today.... I can't even think of a 5th thing to put here .

  You Scots are weird! 

Yep.

Orange juice is not juice of an orange. Lol. That would be "fresh orange".

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My Five

1. Finally payday. I was counting my pennies and being a mizer.

2. Survived our new store opening. Huge growing pains in the photo department because we have been an afterthought and it shows. This is going to be a disaster!

3. Only 1 more day of work then I'm off to Amsterdam for my holiday. I can't wait to see my daughter.  I miss her so much!!

4. I've given her dad my American shopping list so I've got more naproxen coming soon plus ranch packets, Kool Aid water additives and 10,000iu liquid Vitamin D. I've got a very small list this time. Lol

5. My ex husband officially paid off our old house yesterday. He is 100% debt free. And he's headed back out to sea in 4 weeks. (He just got back a few days ago from a 2 month deployment.) He won't be in NC when I visit for Thanksgiving and I'm really sad about that. On the plus side, he booked a flight for my oldest daughter to meet me in Amsterdam for Tulip Season in April!!

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4. On Tuesday evening I was walking through the car park of a shopping mall on the way to the cinema, and as I stepped off the curb to cross the road, my sandals got caught up in each other and I pretty much face-planted into the middle of the road (I managed to break my fall with my hands, but I have a big purple bruise on one knee now)... the memory of it has been making me laugh ever since, because one minute I was chatting to my parents and then next I just disappeared .

Ouch!  But at least your flashbacks make you laugh.  I literally face-planted during my six-month visit and broke my nose.... I decided not to go to A&E, because Google said there isn't much they do for a mildly broken nose, unless you have a CSF leak, so I just endured six weeks of black eyes and healing abrasions (so glad, too, because I didn't know then what I know now about NHS care while on a visitor visa, and my settlement visa application would've been refused if I had that debt!).  But the worst part was the flashbacks for at least a year after would make me cringe.  Sometimes, it would happen just before I fell asleep, and I would wake up with a start and have to start the falling-asleep process all over again.  Bad times!

Ouch!  But at least your flashbacks make you laugh.  I literally face-planted during my six-month visit and broke my nose.... I decided not to go to A&E, because Google said there isn't much they do for a mildly broken nose, unless you have a CSF leak, so I just endured six weeks of black eyes and healing abrasions (so glad, too, because I didn't know then what I know now about NHS care while on a visitor visa, and my settlement visa application would've been refused if I had that debt!).  But the worst part was the flashbacks for at least a year after would make me cringe.  Sometimes, it would happen just before I fell asleep, and I would wake up with a start and have to start the falling-asleep process all over again.  Bad times!

Falling is my biggest fear. I used to be way more fearful 8 years ago. I was starting to get agoraphobia because of it.

I tripped and fell on the pavement walking home from work earlier in the year. Some lady had to help me up. Luckily, no damage other than skinned up palm and bruised knee... but now I'm afraid of falling again.

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1. We've been on our low-cal diet for 6 days. Today I had toast and milk tea for breakfast, and then we walked two miles to our favorite tea shop later on and sat and had more (chai) tea. We had intended a light lunch, but had a tea that came seriously sweetened so that used up the calories. Then I came home and for supper had 6 ounces of pan-seared salmon, 1/4 cup quiona cooked with garlic and an oxo cube, and about a half-cup of mixed greens salad, with mint tea to drink, about a half-hour ago.  I feel like I have swallowed a whale! OMG. I ate too much! It was really good, but damn, I forgot that part about how your stomach "shrinks".  Several days ago my waist was just under 38. Right now it's over 40. Hmmm. Must be the quinoa. It's only the second time I've ever eaten it. (Not impressed, but it's supposed to be healthy. Might be a decent vehicle for some sauce or other?)

2. On the way home we passed a shop that had "mountain" strawberries on sale, three packs for a pound. They smelled really good (from several feet away). So I got some and have finished cleaning them. Came out to just under 2 quarts. They are sitting in a bowl soaking in a sprinkle of sugar, and very shortly will be heated and canned. They had blackberries on for 99 pence a pack, so I got two of those as well, so if I don't have enough strawberries to fill up a jar I'll add blackberries. We will be happy I did this, in about 6 months. When it's cold and dark out, early in the morning or in the afternoon when one has been slogging through the rain and is chilled through, a cup of tea and toast with preserved berries on it is very nice.

3. Apparently my passport card was mailed two days ago. Apparently it left Ireland at 6:00am today. Apparently I will receive it sometime early next week. And then can send it to the driver's license people. Apparently. Assuming it has the correct name on it. And doesn't get lost.

4. Also apparently, the 'stop check' paperwork that I sent to the California Tax Board was in San Fran as of last Monday. I assume that, perhaps, some of the fires in the general area may have delayed it getting to the CAFTB by now. At least this mail wasn't lost between Heathrow and the USA - if it gets lost at least it'll be in Calif! The original item of lost mail still hasn't turned up. The Royal Mail apologized. The USPS sent a form email response saying they put a tracer on it and if they find it they'll let me know. The UK "Post Office" hasn't said diddly.

5. The Amazon guy delivered my three bags of potting compost and my Terry Pratchett books today. I felt sorry for the guy. We have a lift. He didn't realize that and hauled them up several flights of stairs, one at a time, and THEN rang the bell. Tomorrow I'm repotting a number of plants. We just got our last mint plant in the post and it'll be going into a nice big pot with the lemon balm and hopefully will survive the winter and produce pleasant leaves for us in the spring.

5.a  Tonight there's supposed to be a major lunar eclipse. The one day this week when we have clouds, of course. They were dark and low and ominous all day, and then scuttled off elsewhere without doing much, leaving generic "cover" clouds instead. (The eclipse should kick in around 8:30pm and be at the most intense around 9:15, I believe.) If you get a chance to see it, it's a cool thing - the moon ends up looking like a red rubber ball up there! 

First one of these for me!

1. My first week of my new job is over and it has been great! I think the last terrible job was just a placeholder for me so I could find this one.

2. The blackberries are ripening and I had a lovely handful today picked off the brambles on the park while I walked the dogs.

3. It's my birthday this weekend! I can't believe I'm 33. We're going to Derby to shop a bit and then to a lovely local pub for lunch on Sunday.

4. My hubby is spoiling me for my birthday. He's bought all sorts of things... Something he has to put together. I am dying to know.

5. I think my depression is getting better. Leaving behind the shitty job (and the just as shitty previous job) is really helping! My hubby said he's noticed I'm singing in the mornings again.