Friday Five!

What do you typically do for Burns night? I don't know much about it but somebody was looking for restaurant suggestions locally for Burns night and I was like "hmm...I think that's a Scottish only holiday..?" but I didn't know much about it (but still passed LitUK test ohhhh yeeeaaaahhhh haha)

My 5:

1. SOOOOOO nervous about tomorrow for my ILR appointment in Birmingham. I know I shouldn't be, I just think I'll be nervous at least until the appointment is over. So worried I somehow did something wrong that I missed on our 4 separate checks or that they won't like how HSBC heavy some of our documents are (or they won't like our mail in general but it's the best we could do). I think it's just the nerves about not knowing too much about this whole new process that is causing the most anxiety over it. Thankfully my appointment isn't until noon so we don't have to get up obscenely early or anything.

2. Nobody in the office is really motivated. We got news on Tuesday that the majority of us (including those of us located in Manchester/Leeds/Scotland/Birmingham/etc.) in the business would have to move to a newbury HUB (there are news articles going up now and everything saying "people in Scotland told to move to England or quit" or something like that). Makes it hard for me to stay motivated but I'm still super busy... I've not been hit too hard thankfully and still have my job unlike some people, but I think I'm going to start job hunting again once this visa situation is done.

3. construction on the kitchen has been underway! We've build like 3 cabinets now and I came up with a project plan LOL. Husband is going to do some chasing for cables this afternoon (we've been given okay to work until 7PM by our neighbours) and will do some more when we get back tomorrow and Sunday. It's a LOT of work that my husband has undertaken but hopefully will alllll be worth it! Predicting it's going to take us at least until the end of Feb/early March to get it totally completed (not including changing our now-kitchen into the utility) because he has to do it in the evenings and weekends.

4. I love Fridays because it's Pizza night in our house on a Friday! WOOO PIZZA FRIDAY!

5. Ran our of things to put so I'll just put that I'm grateful that my car windows weren't frozen over this morning

Wooo!  Friday!

PB, I want to know more specifically about the "fart egg"... what was unusual about it?

KoD, your application is fine!  Relax!

My five:

1.  My husband has been taking good care to not disturb his finger healing, and he plans to go back to the MIU tomorrow to have his stitches removed (they said come back in 7 days).  I am not 100% certain it's ready for the stitches to come out, but he's going by what they said.  I looked at his aftercare instructions (that he denied receiving!), and it says stitches can come out after 5 to 10 days.  I really feel like where this cut is (on the inside of his middle finger, just above the knuckle at the tip of his finger, he tried to shave the pad of his fingertip off), the stitches want to stay in longer.  It's a high-use area.

2.  My sister is just past the half-way point in her Afghanistan tour, and it's really starting to get to her.  I was chatting with her yesterday, and I said, "I imagine the tedium of living in a shipping container with particle board walls, subject to mortar attacks, where everything is brown, you can't get fresh veg, and the water makes you ill... I bet the novelty of that wears off REAL quick.  You've done well to get this far!"  She said, "That's a frighteningly accurate description of my situation... and a little depressing when you put it all together in one long sentence."  But I reminded her that she is past the half-way point.  I asked if there was anything I could send her, and she said she's not taking any more shipments because she can't use up what she already has before she is due to leave, so that's a good sign.

3.  In the November issue of the Mensa magazine, there was a thing about the annual games tournament, and I entered Backgammon and Mastermind ("cash prizes!", £5 entry per game).  I'm playing Mastermind online against my first opponent (near Loch Tay, which sounds Scottish), and we've completed three rounds.  I'm currently in the lead 13 to 15 (winner is the person with the fewest guesses after ten rounds), but there are a lot of rounds to go.  I am really surprised at the narrow margins!  This tournament will not be the cake-walk that I had hoped for.  Meanwhile, I've chatted with my first backgammon opponent, and we're coordinating a day/time to meet up to play in person as she's in Swansea, so not too far to travel to.

4.  My husband "made" me re-join Mensa because I could.  He loves the magazine, and I think he is secretly proud when I do things well... like at Minecon when I decided I was going to win the Minecraft Card Game tournament because I wanted to one of the one-of-a-kind figures.  I achieved my objective, and now we have "Disco Squid" (a Squid figure that we named Disco Squid).  But at the same time, my husband hates going (new) places and meeting people (my apologies if anybody at the Blizzard Party thought he was stand-offish... going to that was not easy for him!  Neither was Minecon, for that matter!  After both events, he said he had a good time, though.  *assure*).  So he's conflicted about this tournament thing.  When he learned the finals were in Birmingham in October, he said, "Well, let's hope you don't make it that far!"  Then I reminded him of my success at Minecon, and he was all, "Well, maybe a Mensa games tournament could be interesting..."  My poor, conflicted introvert!   Anyway, this tournament thing is his fault.  He knows I have a competitive streak, and he made me join Mensa.  He has to live with the consequences. 

5.  I got 4/7 in the Quiz of the Week.  Good luck!

Only 3 out of 7...

Fun egg facts PB!  Good luck with the job hunt!

I'm very jealous if the kitchen KoD!

JF - glad your sister is on the downhill slide in Afghanistan!

1.  Got told on Monday that I'm not getting  a pay rise as "I make a good salary and don't need to earn more".  Even though my actions have literally translated to an additional £3 million pounds to the owners this year.  This will be addressed.    

2.  My watch needs a new battery.  Called the brand's store in the UK to get a price.  £75 and 4 weeks.  Called the brand's store in the USA and it's $40 and they do it while you wait.  Glad I'm in the US soon!

3.  I leave for Florida 3 weeks from today!!  Woo hoo!  I hope we get some sun and vitamin D.

4. We were able to meet the cousin's American boyfriend on Tuesday night after the weekend got cancelled due to illness.  Unfortunately it took them 3.5 hours in the car to get to us because of the snow (normally an hour).  They spent 2 hours just parked at a roundabout.  He was very nice (of course).  I am told by a source that there is a ring!  He will be proposing when they get back to Australia (in the air now) and the plan is a May wedding in the UK (ceremony, they will legally wed in Australia).  Wondering if the cousin (bride) knows any of this and if she gets a say.  LOL.  I'm excited to hear the good news soon though.  We were only told to make sure we don't book to go away in May - not to give away the surprise. 

EEEEEEEK! (both to the cousin news and to there being less than a month until your Florida trip KFD)

Echoing KoD!  Eeeeeee!  Have a great great great trip!  And I'm excited for your cousin!  Out of curiosity, did the boyfriend (soon to be fiance!) formally ask the dad permission to marry her?  You'd mentioned that they'd scheduled in a just-the-two-of-them activity one afternoon.  I just wanna know how traditional this all is.

KoD, most Burns Nights, involve reading Robbie Burn's Poem, 'Ode to a Haggis' - and other Burns poetry,  and a haggis is piped in and laid down.  Usually a wee dram(s) is drank , ceilidh's are held, etc.  Haggis, neeps, and tatties.  Just a good excuse for a party, really.

JF, A 'fart egg' is just a tiny egg laid , usually without any yolk. A  bit of the ovulation process started, incorrectly, but happens too quick and doesn't spend enough time there. But you can eat the egg. 

KFDancer, your #1, that's bullocks.  Nah, not on.  You work hard! Raise time! 

KoD, most Burns Nights, involve reading Robbie Burn's Poem, 'Ode to a Haggis' - and other Burns poetry,  and a haggis is piped in and laid down.  Usually a wee dram(s) is drank , ceilidh's are held, etc.  Haggis, neeps, and tatties.  Just a good excuse for a party, really.

JF, A 'fart egg' is just a tiny egg laid , usually without any yolk. A  bit of the ovulation process started, incorrectly, but happens too quick and doesn't spend enough time there. But you can eat the egg. 

KFDancer, your #1, that's bullocks.  Nah, not on.  You work hard! Raise time!

I totally forgot it was Burns night by the end of today and wish I had come back to this thread sooner because I spoke with some Scottish colleagues and should've wished them a good Burns night (is that a done thing? Do you wish people good tidings for that? Would it be like "Happy Burns Night"?)

I totally forgot it was Burns night by the end of today and wish I had come back to this thread sooner because I spoke with some Scottish colleagues and should've wished them a good Burns night (is that a done thing? Do you wish people good tidings for that? Would it be like "Happy Burns Night"?)

I'm not sure what you're supposed to say, but my Mastermind tournament opponent couldn't continue yesterday because he was going to a Burns Night event, so we arranged to finish today (just finished, I won 48 to 53, after ten rounds).  But before we went offline yesterday, I told him to have fun.  Because, what else do you say?  They're just off to a party, right?

Just saw I didn’t do a number 5.

5.  Got home to find out the 4 year old has the f-ing class bear for the weekend.  Ffs.   

No details about the potential engagement and if the dad was asked (the dad is a rather useless human though). It was a very hushed quick quiet conversation.  I’m slightly uncomfortable with having been told, as it’s the future bride’s news to share.  But I hope I was only told to ensure we will be in town.  I will show genuine surprise when the news comes through though.   

Just saw I didn’t do a number 5.

5.  Got home to find out the 4 year old has the f-ing class bear for the weekend.  Ffs.   

 Is that a typo for some kind of little animal or a stuffed bear? 

2.  My watch needs a new battery.  Called the brand's store in the UK to get a price.  £75 and 4 weeks.  Called the brand's store in the USA and it's $40 and they do it while you wait.  Glad I'm in the US soon!

Have you tried Timpsons? 

Have you tried Timpsons?

 

Is that a typo for some kind of little animal or a stuffed bear? 

Stuffed bear!

Is that a typo for some kind of little animal or a stuffed bear? 

The class bear is suck a great tradition.  You've got to really pull  out all the stops and brag like crazy.  Take the bear to a Mensa meeting, or to a Michelin restaurant, or Chinese lessons.    Don't underestimate this competition. Whatever you do, don't let the kid do it by themselves.  This is actually for the parents.