Friday Five:
1) Daughter's FBI Good Conduct Letter came. Waiting for UK's. FBI's has wording that there's no record in their database, but that doesn't mean there's none at the local level. (Thanks, FBI.) So I've been trying to sort out getting a letter from the SD Sheriff. They won't do one over the internet - someone has to go in there with a power of attorney for us, pay the fees, then pick it up and overnight it back. Can't be a "regular" power of attorney, has to be one specifically giving them the power to pull the Daughter's records (ie, we need to get a new one signed and sent to Calif). The other alternative would be if they could send it to the consulate in Edinburgh and have someone at the consulate verify the Daughter is who she says she is and then give her the letter.
So I wrote to the consulate to ask if they could do that. They sent back a long thing about how they can't do fingerprints and provided the name of a company in Edinburgh who could. So I had to write back again to say
WE DON'T NEED NO STINKING FINGERPRINTS, we need to know if someone there can accept a letter from SD Sheriff and verify the Daughter's ID before handing the letter to her. No response since then. Jeezus H. Keyrist I am tired of dealing with idiots who do not read.
2) Survived my first driving lesson. Was seriously flustered from the start, made several silly errors - including missing the turn to my own house coming home - and speeding a lot when there wasn't much traffic. And almost hitting someone while trying to get back to my own street because I was so frazzled. Oh, well. At least I didn't kill anyone. Haven't been behind a wheel for over a year and a half, and was in a strange car in truly strange driving conditions and there were probably fingermarks on the steering wheel from how tight I was grabbing it. Trying again next week. He said to take the theory test ASAP. So I'm booked for 2 November. I like the instructor, although I'm going to have to ask him to speak up - he's very quiet-spoken and I'm a little deaf.
3) Daughter had a job interview for a Christmas job on Wednesday and has another interview elsewhere for a part-time job next Wednesday. Hopefully one will come through for her. I've received another two turn-downs this week. Still one with the govmt. that hasn't booted me yet.
4) Opened one of my jars of pickles from the batch that came out so well. They are nasty! Ok, not sure what is going on. One jar was great, the other three were gross (checked them all). So had to throw them away. Bummer! The original jar of the yummy ones are still yummy. I do not have a clue what has gone on here with that. I'll try again in the spring, I guess. The only thing I can think of is that the yummy jar had much less of the spices and tumeric in it than the others did. (Could be the problem.) Tesco was supposed to bring me "culinary pumpkins" with my shop, so I could process them to have for putting in like waffles and muffins. Nope, no pumpkins with the order, sorry. At least the recently-vacated pickle jars will be ready when I find pumpkins.
5) Have turned on the combi-boiler's heat setting for the first time. We just have it heating my bedroom and the living room, in the evenings now, as we are both feeling the cold. (Not terribly cold, in the lower 60Fs, but it's bothering both of us even though we're in sweats.) Last year we made it until December before turning it on. Weather widget says it's 44F outside, and we had nice sun streaming in the windows all afternoon, but we're both chilly. Maybe it's the diets? I've hit 190 (finally) and am shooting to lose 5 more and will call it a success. My clothes all fit again, so all is well on that front. Is nice to be warm and in one's own home on a chilly night. Watching Hammer Dracula films (hey, it's October!)....
Happy anniversary KF! Am envious about the new pan. Sounds great!
Hope you make it home safe and sound, KSand.
Sorry about your friend's baby, Margo. Sending good vibes.
Happy parading, Phatbeetle.
