Friday Five!

Did I mention that Nandos owns the biggest collection of South African art in the world?

FRIDAY!  FRIDAY!  FRIDAY!!!

1.  Parking wars at work are wearing me out.   

2.  We've had the American I interviewed several months back start and I LOVE her.    Honestly, it's so refreshing to have someone laid back and nice at work.

3.  I have a few jobs I MUST do this weekend.  My car is a tip beyond belief.  I need to clear it out, ideally take it through a car wash, find a box for the parcel, get several Christmas items that need to be returned sorted, and ideally do a bit of tidying/purging around the house, etc. 

4.  All I really want to do is sleep this weekend.

5.  Looking to book a Farm Stay over Easter weekend.  Ideal lamb/piglet season.  Proving difficult to find a true working farm to stay at.  If anyone knows of any, throw them my way.  We plan for it to be the kid's birthday thing since they are both April babies.

Friday.

1) Got the house more or less put in order yesterday. Much vacuuming. Much wiping of counters. Much sorting of and putting things in the linen closet into plastic storage bins. (The water from upstairs that leaked down through the smoke detector also dripped into the closet, where my sheets and towels were stored. Unbenownst to us. Much laundry also involved.)  Created a lot of storage space that way. Moved the cayenne pepper plants to the kitchen (north window) since they are flowering and setting fruit, and don't need to be doing that. Also continue to have problems with aphids, so I can keep a better eye on them there than in the south window of the Daughter's crafts room. Seriously considering giving up the hydroponics/grow light thing, as the main crop seems to be aphids and fungus gnats. We actually don't eat enough of the herbs I am growing there to justify the electric bill, I think. (Besides, I'd like to put a  china hutch in the place the racks are standing.)

2) We are all sorted for our trip next month. Our old US cell phone provider has a special on right now. $1 for a sim chip, and $25 credit for your first month. So I've been trying to get one sent to USGM to send on to us. Assuming I can ever get their system to accept our US credit card. (It keeps bouncing it, saying the addresses don't match. Although they do. Finally seems to have charged the $1 - or it's pending, anyhow, with CapOne. Phoned CapOne, no problems on their end....) Anyhow, assuming the sim ever gets here, it will fit nicely in a GSM dual-sim phone I had forgotten we had packed and brought over here. We used the same phone with that company, so I'm hoping it works again. No contracts, cancel at wll. Works for me, and we'd have a US cell number while on the trip.

3) Going out for tea in a little while. Weather is decent. The parameters for decent have changed in the last two years. Decent now means in the 40Fs, not raining, not windy. Jacket weather. 

4) Making brisket in ale when I get back home. (Tesco actually sent one last week.) Will put half of it up in jars.

5) The Daughter has been made permanent at her job. She works a bit less than 20 hours a week and can walk to work, and seems to be happy  now to have a source of pin money. She's been a Christmas temp for the last couple of months. It was nice, as she was able to come home for lunch, but with her new shifts she doesn't get a long-enough break to do that. So I'll have three days a week where I can nip out and explore on my own. I think I'm going to go take one of those silly tourist buses around town, and listen to the narration, this weekend.

KF - take me with you to the working farm? I want to cuddle all the lambs!

1. British Gas engineer is over as I type, hopefully installing a Hive thermostat.  He's discovered our boiler is only 12v (?) when most these days are 240v.  Yet another "wtf?" moment, brought to you by the ridiculous choices the builders of our house have made.  Right up there with "let's not put in a normal plug for a washing machine, let's leave the inlet plug there that NO ONE ELSE CAN USE."

2.  Surprise day off work today because of #1.  I've decided I'm going to start looking for a new job (not religiously, but will keep an eye out to see what comes along).  Time to dust off the ol' CV, and I've signed up for LinkedIn now.  I cannot handle all the back-and-forth and disagreements at work, I'm gonna get whiplash.

3.  Have been watching AGDQ on Twitch this week.  So much fun!  It's a week-long charity drive where various Twitch streamers are doing speedruns on loads of games.  Has been incredibly entertaining, and they've raised almost $1m (last I checked).

4.  Have rrrrrrreally been enjoying our new TV this week.  We've been talking about an upgrade for so long, and this one was worth every penny!  I love being able to stream YouTube on it, as I tend to watch it in the mornings while I eat breakfast.

5.  The house purge continues this weekend.  Will hopefully have a chance to shred the rest of my visa paperwork, and to get rid of/donate loads of other things.  Might even watch some of the Marie Kondo Netflix series to get in the mood.

Happy Friday, everyone!

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Here we are, Friday again.   
KFDancer, yay for good coworkers and farmstays. Nan, enjoy the tourist bus!That's fun to do!  Heyjay, good luck on the house purging. I'm going to do the same...

1.) First full work week in 2019 all done.  Been a bit of a topsy turvy week. 

2.) Playing a gig tomorrow night for a birthday party. Should be fun.  Good to have stuff to keep going in dull, dark January.   

3.) Got some stuff to practise for my wee acoustic group. Aiming to play a gig sometime this half of the year 

4.) Still on a quest to organise the kitchen cupboards and then tackle every other cupboard in our house.   

5.) Hope I can have a bit of lie in tomorrow. I've been up late reading all this week, which is both good and bad. So now I'm tired.   

Not posted in a while here because I was in the US at Christmas and didn't get back until last Saturday (and it's not very user friendly trying to make a post like this on the app) but here's my Friday 5:

1. Should be getting all the finalised docs ready for my ILR within the next few days. Hardest part is the mail!! (shout out to KF for being a lifesaver and super organised!) I feel like I never learn (well I do but my husband played the whole "I didn't know IIIIIIII needed documents!" like it was his first visa....FFS...). Hopefully either applying this weekend or very early next week!! (fingers crossed - I'm SO nervous!)

2. Work has been SO stressful because I'm doing training of somebody newer, trying to give more to my apprentice, AND catching up from the holiday with arguably too many escalations happening. That combined with Visa stress and other stresses is just making me wish I had another holiday....

3........Which we are looking to book. This might actually be the first year that I *DON'T* go back to the US for a visit. Truly never thought this day would come! But my parents are coming here to visit in June for baseball and my sister and her kids are coming to visit in August so I will have seen the majority of my family but WE ARE LOOKING TO GO BACK TO JAPAN! Flights are cheap again for the next few days, we really want to get back there, so are looking to go for 12 days (not including flight) and it's under £500. I shouldn't be without by passport by November and it'll technically be a trip for my 30th Birthday. Means we can't afford the US but I think it's a trade off I can be okay with. So yeah...might be going back to Japan come the end of today LOL

4.  Need to move our lounge and empty it out completely as well as our dining room this weekend as we need to swap rooms back (sort of). We're putting in a new kitchen where our lounge currently is and it needs to be completely emptied so that my husband will have the space ready to install the kitchen when it arrives (due to arrive on the 22nd I believe he said). Not looking forward to that LOL

5. Going for a curry tonight at my favourite Indian. We don't get Indian a lot but some friends wanted to meet up so it's a good excuse to go there Just counting down the hours until the end of today...

Haven't read any other posts that might've popped up here today yet, but hoping everybody is having a good Friday so far.

FRIDAY!  FRIDAY!  FRIDAY!!!


3.  I have a few jobs I MUST do this weekend.  My car is a tip beyond belief.  I need to clear it out, ideally take it through a car wash, find a box for the parcel, get several Christmas items that need to be returned sorted, and ideally do a bit of tidying/purging around the house, etc. 

4.  All I really want to do is sleep this weekend.

Can relate - especially to number 4! haha I have a lot of boxes of different sizes if you need one. Just give me a shout and I can pop it over.

NAN - your dinner sounds FANTASTIC

5.  The house purge continues this weekend.  Will hopefully have a chance to shred the rest of my visa paperwork, and to get rid of/donate loads of other things.  Might even watch some of the Marie Kondo Netflix series to get in the mood.


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Do it! I just finished it. It’s 8 episodes. I used her method for packing but never for the house and Oh Sweet baby Jesus... she’s a goddess. Entire bedroom has been done! Kitchen and bathroom up next 😁

Happy Friday, everybody!

KF!  The parcel!  Yay!  Add "photograph the item(s) I took from the parcel" to your list of tasks!  You still haven't shared what you took.

Nan: Have fun if you do the tourist bus!  I love silly things like that.

Heyjay:  A 12v boiler?  What?  Isn't that, like, a car battery?  Anyway, very best of luck with the job search.  I hope something amazing falls into your lap!

PB:  If you haven't finished whatever it is you were up late reading all week, I predict you won't get as much rest as you're hoping for tomorrow.  Good luck, though!

KoD:  New kitchen?  Like... you were selling your house, after "finishing" it.  Now you're putting in a new kitchen?  I'm so confused!  Is it gonna be awesome?  Details!   (I have kitchen envy...)

Everybody:  Common themes in all of the posts are:  "I need a lie in!" and "I need to have a clear out!"  Yup.

My Five:

1.  Today was my husband's half-day, and he didn't have to go in until 2pm.  Oh, look... it's 3pm now, and I'm finally getting to my Friday Five post.  Coincidence?

2.  My sister has decided "it's my turn" to be treated.  She wants to take my husband and I on a holiday.  She suggested "Europe", but said we can do whatever, and the four of us (me, my husband, my sister, and her husband) don't have to all stay together the whole time.  My husband feels weird about accepting an expensive gift like this.  I told my husband that it is my turn, and I do not intend to deny my sister the opportunity of treating me/us.  I then told both my husband and my sister that they can sort out the money any way they want to between them, and they can say or do whatever they want to each other, I will not get in the middle of it or be angry with either of them.  I am really looking forward to this whole thing.  It's going to be awesome!  Also, I just can't wait to meet my sister's husband, or for my husband to meet my sister.  I've been married for 5-1/2 years, and she's been married for 7 years, and we've never met each other's spouses.  In fact, we haven't seen each other in more than 7 years.

3.  My brother and his wife are going to Sweden to see a "metal" band called Ghost next month.  My sister is paying for it.  This will by my brother and SIL's second trip financed by my sister... the first was a month in Japan a few years ago (this is why it's "my turn", even though I fully accept that nobody really owes me anything).

4.  Don't know if it'll happen or not, but Corbyn is calling for a general election.  I'm a citizen, now.  Political chaos aside, I'm excited at the prospect of voting in my first UK election so soon after naturalizing.  (Naturally, I registered to vote before the ink was even dry on my Certificate!)

5. My husband did the grocery shopping last night after work!  He hates shops, but we were getting desperate, and he's needed the car all week so I couldn't go shopping.  AND HE GOT ALMOST EVERYTHING ON MY LIST!  It's good, too, because dinners this week were "emergency pierogi" (we keep packets in the freezer for occasions like this week) with sausage bites, chicken 'n fennel (a real meal with multiple steps, protein, flavour, and awesomeness!  I splashed out because I thought I was going to do the shopping Wednesday morning, because he had mistakenly told me that Wednesday was his late start, instead of today, so I used up all our food on one epic meal Tuesday night), "baked" (microwaved) potatoes with steamed broccoli, and "baked" potatoes with frozen sprouts.  But tonight, we feast like kings!  Plus, we're kicking off the weekend.  So we'll start with nibblies platter (various cheeses and meats) with port.  Then we'll have Bailey's coffee.  Then probably chicken- or steak-pie-without-pastry  (because we have no oven) with peas and mashed potatoes.  Then, if we're not dead, puddings.

KoD:  New kitchen?  Like... you were selling your house, after "finishing" it.  Now you're putting in a new kitchen?  I'm so confused!  Is it gonna be awesome?  Details!   (I have kitchen envy...)

Yeah so we've pulled our house from the market and we're putting in a bigger, f*ck-off kitchen (at least bigger and more f*cked off than the current double-wide galley kitchen). We're losing a reception room but it seems like people don't even want many of those anymore and working families would rather have one bigger kitchen to entertain in and have space for the kids, etc. It'll also be a nice compromise for me because I want a bigger kitchen and it means that when we re-list (probably end of next year potentially), we'll have the kitchen I'd prefer while waiting to move so makes me a bit happier staying put for longer (if that makes sense? And it's more counter space. W00t!

Excellent news about the "being treated" Crazy you haven't met each other's spouses! Any ideas where you want to go? She might pay for travel/accomodation, but you could always pay for a really nice meal out

I know the band "Ghost". I think they're pretty good. Curious to know though, is there a reason your sister always treats?

I don't have 5 cuz it's been a rough go lately, but I just learned the VR exhibit that my friend Teva illustrated is going to be in London for a few weeks at the end of the month. Sure to be emotional, but I want to go. (it debuted in Vienna last year) Hopefully I can get tickets when they go on sale!

https://www.youngvic.org/whats-on/draw-me-close

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Yeah so we've pulled our house from the market and we're putting in a bigger, f*ck-off kitchen (at least bigger and more f*cked off than the current double-wide galley kitchen). We're losing a reception room but it seems like people don't even want many of those anymore and working families would rather have one bigger kitchen to entertain in and have space for the kids, etc. It'll also be a nice compromise for me because I want a bigger kitchen and it means that when we re-list (probably end of next year potentially), we'll have the kitchen I'd prefer while waiting to move so makes me a bit happier staying put for longer (if that makes sense? And it's more counter space. W00t!

Excellent news about the "being treated" Crazy you haven't met each other's spouses! Any ideas where you want to go? She might pay for travel/accomodation, but you could always pay for a really nice meal out

I know the band "Ghost". I think they're pretty good. Curious to know though, is there a reason your sister always treats?

If you're going to hold off relisting for the better part of two years, the new kitchen makes perfect sense.  I hope it's finished quickly so you can get to enjoying it ASAP!

My husband is funny... I could tell when I said "anywhere we want to go" that destinations popped into his head.  He flashed--and then quickly hid--an oh-the-possibilities grin.  But then he started moaning about accepting such a lavish gift, the ordeal of travel, we don't know [my BIL], this whole thing is weird....  But I know he wants to do something, and I want to do something.  So we're discussing how we can do something that lets my sister treat us, doesn't involve too much "ordeal", and lets us do something that all four of us will enjoy.  My husband kind of thought out loud, saying, "What would be better than a trip to Europe with people we don't really know well, would be maybe just booking The Fat Duck, or something."  I mean, I'm not opposed to an experience like that, but I wouldn't want that to be all we did (even if it is stupid expensive).  But we also had started learning French last year because we want to re-create The Trip (Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon) one day for ourselves, but we thought it'd be best if we could speak French before heading off to a bunch of pricey restaurants.  So, I told my sister to find and watch that series.  Anyway, we're considering options.  Oh! Or, both my sister and my husband want to go to the Sedlec Ossuary in Czech Republic, so maybe we'll just do a "normal" European tour, rather than a food tour, hitting all the weird touristy places we want to see.  Plus, my sister wants to go to a proper cheese shop, which, funnily enough, my husband has also (independently) said he wants to do.  So, I think the two of them could have fun planning the whole itinerary together.  Yay!  We don't know.  But we're gonna do something and my husband isn't going to make this not happen! 

My family's dynamics have always been strange.  Moreso since my dad died.  My sister treats because she can, and it's kind of a power trip for her, I think.  I dunno.  I almost never ask her for anything, but if she offers, I'm going to accept. 

I can understand weird family dynamics. If I were ever in the position to be able to treat my sister to a trip, I would because I know she would appreciate it and maybe we'd get some more meaningful time together. Her  kids are awesome, and I'd like to know my niece & nephew. Hopefully the cheese shop will happen somewhere pretty

I don't have 5 cuz it's been a rough go lately, but I just learned the VR exhibit that my friend Teva illustrated is going to be in London for a few weeks at the end of the month. Sure to be emotional, but I want to go. (it debuted in Vienna last year) Hopefully I can get tickets when they go on sale!

https://www.youngvic.org/whats-on/draw-me-close

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Oh man, this sounds intense...I think given my husband's specific experience with his mom, however, I might not be able to sell him on it and not sure I would even try. I'm sure it'll be very interesting though.

JF - Sorry I meant to say end of this year not next year (keep forgetting we're already in 2019 haha I hope it's finished soon as well but thankfully we will still have our normal kitchen to use and it'll then become a utility room

Fair enough RE why she's treating, was just curious if this was something that always happened or something. Go out and carpe that diem!

I can understand weird family dynamics. If I were ever in the position to be able to treat my sister to a trip, I would because I know she would appreciate it and maybe we'd get some more meaningful time together. Her  kids are awesome, and I'd like to know my niece & nephew. Hopefully the cheese shop will happen somewhere pretty

Same - I'd totally treat my sister if I could treat her and her whole family to trips for us. Unfortunately it's 4 of them and 2 of us and - while I could justify paying for my sister to come over as a one-off - I couldn't find the money to take them ALL somewhere with me. I do love getting to bond with my family though in new locations as it's sort of a break for us all.

Oh man, this sounds intense...I think given my husband's specific experience with his mom, however, I might not be able to sell him on it and not sure I would even try. I'm sure it'll be very interesting though.

Same - I'd totally treat my sister if I could treat her and her whole family to trips for us. Unfortunately it's 4 of them and 2 of us and - while I could justify paying for my sister to come over as a one-off - I couldn't find the money to take them ALL somewhere with me. I do love getting to bond with my family though in new locations as it's sort of a break for us all.

Teva is still living with metastatic breast cancer, and on bonus time at this point, so I'm sure that will be on my mind during it. I haven't seen it, but knowing her illustrations and other projects I'm sure they do hold onto hope as much as possible. I'm sure it will be moving, but still difficult. Hoping I can find somewhere for a nice meal near the theater!

My family actually took vacations together and didn't invite me, many years ... I'd find out on facebook when they posted photos of them together. They just assumed I couldn't go without even asking! (I would have paid for myself, and my own room if I'd gone) So I think my idea of a family vacation kinda went out the window with those.