Friday Five!

Hello all. So sad that I missed last Friday, because I was traveling around Europe, but I didn't have my laptop, nor do I have tapatalk on my phone, so I just went ahead and skipped it.

For this week, nothing much has happened today.

Friday Five:

1. I woke up at a decent time, but still not as early as I wanted. Not too bad, considering I'm still in my official week here (my first 5 days were spent traveling) My husband graciously cleared the drapes from the window in an attempt to wake me up (he's not a jerk, I promise, I asked him to do that) but I still slept an extra hour.
2. I took the recycling out (Okay, I am SO for recycling but due to my address in the states, the recycling didn't come that far out so I am NOT used to separating my garbage) so this is a new experience for me. It helps to know that I'm contributing to the health of the environment.
3. I've showered and I'm FREEZING. My bathroom back home had everything-OUTLETS, a heater, a fan, etc. This bathroom has a radiator, but I have no idea how to turn it on/off and I've noticed that people will leave them on all the time to warm their towels...but isn't that a fire hazard?! I am terrified to leave my cloth towel on a heated surface...but perhaps it'll just take some time for me to learn that. This flat might have central heating (I don't know) but it isn't turned on yet, as we're poor and can't afford to waste the heating like that. So, cold I must remain. I think I'm spoiled by my previous way of living. I lived with my aunt-she kind of spoiled me....I can admit it.
4. I have a big day planned. I need to buy a few undergarments and a couple pieces of clothes since I left so much of mine behind (donated it, more like) and I don't feel like I have enough "casual" outfits. My husband might argue with you, as the wardrobe is 90% my clothes, but I promise! I was also given a Waterstones gift card for my birthday last week, so I plan on buying myself a few books.
5. My online banking situation was finally resolved. However, my wire transfer was rejected, so Transferwire it is! I don't want to leave my money in the US, nor do I want to continuously use ATM's and pay their outrageous fees/shitty conversion rates.

That's it for my Friday Five so far, but it's relatively young in the day so maybe something else will happen. Currently missing my husband who is at work 

KOD, I'd not go camping.  It's too close to your Japan trip which you've been planning for years.  Let your health be the priority.  Snarky friend will be snarky no matter what you choose - may as well choose the option that makes Japan more fun!

1.  Today is the final day of the crazy two week staggered start for the 4 year old.  I am so unbelievably proud of how she is blossoming in life.  She's very shy and closed off in new situations.  Every single day, she just marches into her class without even a backwards glance to me.  Her confidence is growing and I could not be more proud.

2.  I have a cold.  It sucks.  Seems EVERYONE has a cold right now though, so I'm trendy.    Just wish the headache would go!

3.  Second day of teaching dance in the UK tomorrow.  Last week was a mixed bag.  I don't know if I'm cut out for teaching dance in the UK.  The parents are a whole different animal.  In the US, I taught competitive dance teams (very Dance Mom if you've seen the show).  But my biggest dramas there were around song choice and if someone's kid wasn't featured.  I wasn't dealing with simple pettiness.  We shall see how I get on.  This might not stick though.      You'd think the parents would be thrilled to have their kid's learn dance from someone experienced, who want nothing more than their own children to learn to love dance.   

4.  My husband is out tonight.  He doesn't go out very often.  I am going to order a pizza after the kids go to bed.  WOOHOO!!!  I haven't ordered a pizza since I was pregnant due to being dairy and soya free while I was nursing the baby.  PIZZA PIZZA PIZZA!!!!!

5.  Having a lot of trouble being motivated to get back on the diet bandwagon.  Need to lose about 10-15 more pounds.  I've maintained my loss and didn't gain anything on holiday, which is great.  But I need a kick up the ass...

Bonus add:  A diamond fell out of my engagement ring.  Ugh.  Need to send it in to get fixed....  I'm fearful of how much it will cost.  It is insured at least.

Oh no KoD! You have to take care of yourself. Going camping in this cool weather with a chest cold is a recipe for developing pneumonia. That guy doesn't sound like a great friend if he's more worried about your presence than recognizing you have a lot going on in your own life right now. He's likely still reeling from the wedding, but if you're sick AND trying to sell your house he genuinely should be understanding of your priorities.

1. Theory test tomorrow. Worried about the hazard perception but very ready for the written part.

2. My husband finally got his provisional license, so hopefully there will be 2 drivers in the house soon! Unfortunately he will be stuck with lessons until he has his full license because I can't supervise him, thanks UK for not recognizing the 20 years of driving before moving.

3. Work issues are done, not in the way I would have preferred as I now have to find a new job, but the stress was making me very very ill. I'm out of the benadryl gel caps I brought with me so now I have to hope I'm not allergic to liquid piriton as pills don't dissolve quickly enough during a reaction.

4. I slept so soundly last night I woke up panicking it was Saturday and I'd slept through my alarm. Oops!

5. Wishing we had a tumble dryer. Laundry is seriously never ending!

I have to fight with my husband to use the tumble dryer sometimes but that's the one positive about this season is that I now start getting less and less of a fight about it

Good luck on your theory test!

5. We have a far infrared heating panel in the bedroom that we're trialing to see if that's the heating technology we want for our house.  We have had it on some evenings when it's a bit cooler lately until the room gets so stuffy that we can't stand it.  But last night, my husband asked if we were to the point where we should leave it on overnight (in future, it'll be thermostat controlled, obviously!).  I quite stupidly said, "No, definitely not.  It's too soon for that."  So we turned it off and went to bed.  Then I woke up in the night to use the toilet and came back to bed shivering and wishing we'd left it on...  Autumn time is here!

Oh the temperature has absolutely plummeted! I wake up freezing now! I hate it! lol It's starting to get dark early too

Oh no KoD! You have to take care of yourself. Going camping in this cool weather with a chest cold is a recipe for developing pneumonia. That guy doesn't sound like a great friend if he's more worried about your presence than recognizing you have a lot going on in your own life right now. He's likely still reeling from the wedding, but if you're sick AND trying to sell your house he genuinely should be understanding of your priorities.

1. Theory test tomorrow. Worried about the hazard perception but very ready for the written part.

2. My husband finally got his provisional license, so hopefully there will be 2 drivers in the house soon! Unfortunately he will be stuck with lessons until he has his full license because I can't supervise him, thanks UK for not recognizing the 20 years of driving before moving.

3. Work issues are done, not in the way I would have preferred as I now have to find a new job, but the stress was making me very very ill. I'm out of the benadryl gel caps I brought with me so now I have to hope I'm not allergic to liquid piriton as pills don't dissolve quickly enough during a reaction.

4. I slept so soundly last night I woke up panicking it was Saturday and I'd slept through my alarm. Oops!

5. Wishing we had a tumble dryer. Laundry is seriously never ending!

I've told my husband I just feel like sometimes he can just be a bad friend. He's not a bad person, but he can realllyyy be a bad friend sometimes. He is very selfish and it's not entirely his fault because his family have enabled him to be such an incredibly selfish individual...

and I've noticed that people will leave them on all the time to warm their towels...but isn't that a fire hazard?! I am terrified to leave my cloth towel on a heated surface...but perhaps it'll just take some time for me to learn that.

Oh man! You'll eventually learn to LOVE the ladder-style radiator. I can't imagine NOT having one now! I don't think it's a fire hazard because of the material it's made out of (but don't quote me on that, I might just not be aware of the hazards of it).

KOD, I'd not go camping.  It's too close to your Japan trip which you've been planning for years.  Let your health be the priority.  Snarky friend will be snarky no matter what you choose - may as well choose the option that makes Japan more fun!

1.  Today is the final day of the crazy two week staggered start for the 4 year old.  I am so unbelievably proud of how she is blossoming in life.  She's very shy and closed off in new situations.  Every single day, she just marches into her class without even a backwards glance to me.  Her confidence is growing and I could not be more proud.

2.  I have a cold.  It sucks.  Seems EVERYONE has a cold right now though, so I'm trendy.    Just wish the headache would go!

3.  Second day of teaching dance in the UK tomorrow.  Last week was a mixed bag.  I don't know if I'm cut out for teaching dance in the UK.  The parents are a whole different animal.  In the US, I taught competitive dance teams (very Dance Mom if you've seen the show).  But my biggest dramas there were around song choice and if someone's kid wasn't featured.  I wasn't dealing with simple pettiness.  We shall see how I get on.  This might not stick though.      You'd think the parents would be thrilled to have their kid's learn dance from someone experienced, who want nothing more than their own children to learn to love dance.   

4.  My husband is out tonight.  He doesn't go out very often.  I am going to order a pizza after the kids go to bed.  WOOHOO!!!  I haven't ordered a pizza since I was pregnant due to being dairy and soya free while I was nursing the baby.  PIZZA PIZZA PIZZA!!!!!

5.  Having a lot of trouble being motivated to get back on the diet bandwagon.  Need to lose about 10-15 more pounds.  I've maintained my loss and didn't gain anything on holiday, which is great.  But I need a kick up the ass...

Bonus add:  A diamond fell out of my engagement ring.  Ugh.  Need to send it in to get fixed....  I'm fearful of how much it will cost.  It is insured at least.

Yeah I'm starting to lean more towards NOT going as the day carries on and gets worse...

Enjoy your pizza!! I hope tomorrows dance class is a lot less stressful for you   So pleased your daughter is getting on so well at school so far. That is very exciting

Best of luck on your theory test tomorrow, Margo!  Did you have an app for practicing the hazard perception part?  I struggled with those at first because I didn't understand that I needed to wait for the hazard to actually be a hazard, so I was clicking too early.  But in the actual test, I did alright (69 out of 75 possible points).

TT, at our old rented house, when we were saving for our house deposit, and because it was a centuries-old draughty stone structure, we only turned the heating on for a few hours in the late afternoon/evening so I could do the washing up without freezing to death, and through dinner prep and eating.  Then we'd retreat to the bedroom to watch Netflix or BBC iPlayer (back when you didn't need a TV license to watch iPlayer) until it got chilly and then we'd sleep.  And we only turned the boiler on for hot water about 15-20 minutes before we wanted to shower, then we'd turn it off after we heated a tankful of water... when the hot water ran out, it was time to end the shower.  I did not waste time in the shower back then.  Things are better here at this house (electric shower!).

KF, I hope dance goes well tomorrow.  I hate that you're thinking it might not work out for you.  I know how much you were looking forward to this.  Having a cold probably isn't going to make things better.    But pizza fixes everything!

I was right, something else interesting did happen.

Trying to prepare dinner tonight via crockpot, and CANT MEASURE.

I had to bother my husband at work.

GEEZ. The recipe book has cups/oz/ml but his measuring cup (which he called a jug) is only in ml. Had no idea how to work a "kettle" lol

lord, this is gonna be fun.

I've been using the DVSA app. Hopefully it's close to that in the test!

KFdancer - what are the parents like? I've seen some on the local boards trying to get private voice lessons for their 3 year olds, which is insane. At that age they can't read music and are just copying basics, and it should be fun above all else!

Sent from my Pixel C using Tapatalk

I was right, something else interesting did happen.

Trying to prepare dinner tonight via crockpot, and CANT MEASURE.

I had to bother my husband at work.

GEEZ. The recipe book has cups/oz/ml but his measuring cup (which he called a jug) is only in ml. Had no idea how to work a "kettle" lol

lord, this is gonna be fun.

US measures are different than UK, if you're using a US cookbook look up the conversion. I brought US measuring cups,, but going by weight is safer! My husband bought a lil digital scale just after I moved and we use it almost daily.

Sent from my Pixel C using Tapatalk

I've been using the DVSA app. Hopefully it's close to that in the test!

DVSA app will be pretty much identical to the test.  If you're getting most of the available points in the app's video clips, you'll be fine.

1.  My sponsor dog, Brandy, gave birth to 12 pups, but unfortunately they all fell ill with parvo, and all have now died, apart from 3.  Very sad.
2.  However, the good news is that the 3 remaining pups are all now well enough to leave hospital, and they are now home with their mum... I'm sure she is a very happy and relieved galga!
3.  Made a new friend this week... a girl in my office, who I initially kept my distance from because she has a really grumpy face (resting btch face), has turned out to be really lovely and a good laugh.
4.  My OH is going out tonight to see some band called Psychedelic Porn Crumpets (!!!) - he's been out every night this week, and I'm getting a bit tired of it.
5.  CORN DOGS TONIGHT!!! 

1.  My sponsor dog, Brandy, gave birth to 12 pups, but unfortunately they all fell ill with parvo, and all have now died, apart from 3.  Very sad.
2.  However, the good news is that the 3 remaining pups are all now well enough to leave hospital, and they are now home with their mum... I'm sure she is a very happy and relieved galga!

Aww, sorry to hear about those pups. That's sad. But I'm glad to hear a few were strong enough to survive. I hope they'll have long happy lives with nice loving families.

1. Went for my annual physical yesterday. Yippee! Still gotta have my blood work done and I also have to go for mammogram and Cardiac CT scan. All preventative stuff but doctor says I'm otherwise healthy.
2. My mom and I went to PF Chang's for dinner yesterday. Outside of waiting an hour for the food to arrive, everything was good. Trying to get my last fixes in before I make my big move.
3. My 88 year old grandma who has dementia and is on hospice care lives here with my mom. Last night, I went into her room just to talk to her. I was wearing a white vest (tank top). I said: Hey there. How you feeling? She responded with: Who's this with the fat stomach coming in here? I said: It's your granddaughter, Nykia. She said: Oooooh, hey Nykia, they've been feeding you well. That's good!   
4. My mom got new kitchen appliances. The refrigerator is huge and awesome. I'm using it as much as possible before I move to England and am relegated to one of those fridges I had in my dorm room in college.
5. I hate all these bugs in Miami but I love the lizards. Except for when they get into my bedroom. Thankfully, I run a catch and release operation. 

5. I hate all these bugs in Miami but I love the lizards. Except for when they get into my bedroom. Thankfully, I run a catch and release operation. 

When we took a long trip to Orlando as a kid I ended up bringing home a lizard in my luggage. Still not sure how. We saw it on a wall, and then never again, so I'm assuming it made it outside!

Warning: Lots of harmless spiders in England, but they can be HUGE. My cat is a super spider killer thankfully!

Warning: Lots of harmless spiders in England, but they can be HUGE. My cat is a super spider killer thankfully!

Oh I have already had a few encounters with those massive English spiders!!! Why must they be so huge?! The first time I saw one in our home, I told my husband he better re-home it or I was going to a hotel! Or else, I'm handing over the keys to the little guy and moving out... "This is your house now, spider."