Friday Five!

Yeeeesssss, the most impressive display of special fingers will be taking place on Monday.  So ready for this!

If you ever have a hankering for getting back into Minecraft (java edition), come hop onto my server.  We could use a fresh face.

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I'm so happy for you!!

I've never played Minecraft (or most computer games) but my husband was very excited about this release. He plays locally in his own world, has never played in a community, but has so much fun building things.

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I'm so happy for you!!

I've never played Minecraft (or most computer games) but my husband was very excited about this release. He plays locally in his own world, has never played in a community, but has so much fun building things.

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Thanks!

If he ever wants someone to be excited with, send him our way.  especially if he likes building.

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Yeeeesssss, the most impressive display of special fingers will be taking place on Monday.  So ready for this!

If you ever have a hankering for getting back into Minecraft (java edition), come hop onto my server.  We could use a fresh face.

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Will keep that in mind! When we move I want to get gaming PCs sorted out again as would be good to get back into PC gaming (as well be going back to being poor for quite some time haha)


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Thanks for the birthday wishes, all .

Unfortunately my 5-8pm shift on Friday turned into a 5pm-midnight shift, so that was fun!


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Happy Friday!

1.) First day in 3 weeks it's not raining, but I think that may be short lived as it's supposed to rain again tonight.  Still, nice to see that glowing thing in the sky.

2.) Going to a gardening festival on Sunday. Meeting some friends there, so should be great fun. 

3.) The baby chickens are growing quick. We got 'em all setup in a new coop and they're loving it.  Still, we're having to put them to bed, as they're not figuring out that they need to go upstairs to sleep. (It's safer for them,re:protect against badgers and pine martins).  Hopefully they will figure this out soon! 

4.) Busy week at work. Now my energy has waned and I can't be arsed. Need more coffee. 

5.) Rocking on some new IT systems this week. Feeling chuffed , as no one else in my team is getting it as quick as me.   

1) The fish are still alive. The aquariums are not cycling - I'm being told it's probably due to the acidic water here. Not to worry, I'm told - eventually they will. It's just going to take for-ev-er. I just have to test the water for ammonia and nitrites every few days to make sure they are not spiking up. The little cory catfish keep laying eggs, but fortunately are also very hungry, so we hopefully won't have lots of babies. They all seem very happy in their new tank.

2) The Daughter got her application in on Wednesday for the funded PhD program she's drooling over. Should know by the end of June. Fingers are crossed, as the stipend it pays is enough to cover the international tuition and fees. The deadline to apply is today.

3) Still nothing from the Uni residency office (she formally petitioned for a status determination for the 2020 year). They received the request on 21 May (tracked mail). Still nothing from any of the lawyers I wrote to, asking for costs related to a consultation to explain the Daughter's work/school/residency rights. Other than the high-pressure guys, who I had to tell we'd be back in contact in a bit. The MP's office has requested information on her behalf from the Home Office, but it's only been a few days - I assume it'll take considerably longer. But hopefully less longer for the MP's office than if we had contacted them directly. I hope this doesn't put us on the HO radar for any sort of retribution.

4) My IRS tax refund hit my US checking account yesterday. That was nice. I'd theoretically already spent it on the new aquarium, so it was nice that the amount I expected back actually did get deposited.

5) Seems to be sunny out. They say it's going to rain later this evening (big surprise there) so I'll be going out in a couple of hours to meet the Daughter for tea. Got up at the crack of dawn today... well, not actual dawn, more like 6:00am, like I did yesterday. Trying to reset my internal clock. With it staying light later, I've been staying up later and later, and ending up not going to sleep until like 1:00am. Today, like yesterday, I staggered out, put the kettle on, had an attack of low blood pressure and had to sit for a while to get rid of the nausea and weak feeling.  Had my tea and toast, managed to watch some TV, then had to go lay back down sometime around 8:30. Ended up falling back asleep both days, until 10:30. Darn it. I hate having to do this, but if I don't I'll end up staying up later and later, and basically go nocturnal. (I spent a lot of years working midnight-to-eight and my body seems to like it.) Unfortunately, the world here doesn't work those hours, so it kind of ruins being able to do anything out of the house.

My Friday Five:

1) only 1 week until I fly to LA for my trip to California, Texas and Arkansas . I bought my Disneyland tickets on Tuesday and it turns out my friend in LA will be around next weekend after all, so I can stay with her the first night .

2) Really frustratingly, I locked my US debit card back in March as I was concerned about possible fraudulent activity... but when I went to unlock it last week so I could use it, it kept getting declined. I contacted the bank, who told me if it’s locked for more than 30 days there could be problems with reinstating it and that they’d have to send me a new card. Problem is, they will only send the card to the address on the account (in Arkansas), but I won’t be in Arkansas until the 24th and I was going to use the card in California and Texas between the 15th and 24th .

3) Of course this all happened while I was trying to buy my Disney tickets (so I could get a discount offer which was ending in a few hours) so I was thinking I’d have to pay with my U.K. card and get charged extra foreign transaction fees... but then my friend recommended signing up to Revolut, which has both physical and virtual cards and free currency exchanges (and you can pay in local currency when abroad), so within an hour I had a Revolut account, had transferred and exchanged my money and had purchased the Disney tickets . Hoping the physical card arrives before I fly, so I can take it with me and pay in dollars for things.

4) In my searching for shoes to go with the dresses for two weddings, I discovered Irregular Choice shoes, which are amazing (although rather expensive). I ordered these ones from them to go with one of the dresses and I love them:

There’s another pair on their site that I really want as well, but they don’t currently have my size in stock .

5) Netflix have just announced that Lucifer has been renewed for season 5... but it’s gonna be the final season .


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LOVVEEEE Irregular choice! (they have replaced Iron Fist for me now that IF have gone out of business).

I think there's a lot of issues with low energy going around (especially today, in my office!)

My Friday 5:

1. As mentioned in the other thread, I got my reward statement and I'm a top performer! Super excited! Definitely going to use that bonus money for Japan Trip (might book us a nice ryokan with a private onsen which we would normally find too expensive to justify for a night, but now this is basically free money!)

2. Had a job interview Wednesday. I think it went alright and I had an "in" with the hiring manager as we used to work together and he approached me about the role. Hilariously enough though, I found out yesterday that the hiring HR person had already contacted me on linkedin about the role a week or so before I had spoken to this old colleague as she saw my CV and thought it fit perfectly (which is a good sign). Interview was at 5PM so I was already brain dead by that point and had received annoying house news, so wouldn't be shocked if I wasn't at my finest interview but I've got a bit of hope (though now I'll feel guilty due to #1).

3. Might be heading to the movies tonight to see detective pikachu if I can be bothered (might postpone until tomorrow though as I kind of just want to get in my jams now and relax).

4. Annoyed as our sellers won't be moving out early now apparently so we will need to get our mortgage offer refreshed as we may not be moving now until August/September. We are also, apparently, not getting a fixed moving date - just 10 days notice (and I'm fuming about all of this but the move date in particular as I have my sister visiting at the end of August!!!)


5. Pizza Friday my dudes!

Ha ha ksand, literally right before reading this, my colleague was all, "you should get a Revolut card".

Funny that's it's so nice in Scotland.  It's PANTS down here. 

1.  I've been knocked back with a cold.  Really sucks.

2.  Work is manic at the moment.  It's always feast or famine but it's particularly feast-y this month.  Board meeting a week Tuesday AND audit this month.  Ugh.  Wish something would give.

3.  Sobe is on antibiotics for his UTI still.  Had to switch last week, as while it's improved the last bit of the UTI is resisting the current injectable antibiotic.  So we are having to give him pills.  Giving a cat pills is fun.  And his farts and poop are also a LOT of fun at the moment.  I was literally wiping my cat's butt last night.  Kids prepare you well for this stuff though.  Cat butt - no problem.

4.  I got my haircut yesterday.  Had to stand while she cut it.  That's always a sign that it's a bit long.  LOL.

5.  I see Elton John Sunday evening!!!  Hoping for good weather as it's outdoors. 

Funny that's it's so nice in Scotland.  It's PANTS down here. 

First non-pouring rain day in 3 weeks, everything has been flooded. It's short lived though, as it's supposed to rain early tonight and all weekend again though.

Just seconding Revolut! We absolutely love our Revolut cards!

First non-pouring rain day in 3 weeks, everything has been flooded. It's short lived though, as it's supposed to rain early tonight and all weekend again though.

Yeah, the rain is over us at the moment, and it’s moving north.

However, ‘raining all weekend’ is probably a little pessimistic for Scotland - looks like some rain tomorrow morning, then showers later, before becoming dry overnight. Then Sunday will see showers developing in southern Scotland in the morning, moving north during the day and easing in the evening.


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Yeah, the rain is over us at the moment, and it’s moving north.

However, ‘raining all weekend’ is probably a little pessimistic for Scotland - looks like some rain tomorrow morning, then showers later, before becoming dry overnight. Then Sunday will see showers developing in southern Scotland in the morning, moving north during the day and easing in the evening.


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Well, for me, daytime, when I want to be in the garden and doing things and pottering about, is no good when it's raining. Does me no good if it's dry at night!  So feels like rain all weekend. 
 

Yeah, the rain is over us at the moment, and it’s moving north.

However, ‘raining all weekend’ is probably a little pessimistic for Scotland - looks like some rain tomorrow morning, then showers later, before becoming dry overnight. Then Sunday will see showers developing in southern Scotland in the morning, moving north during the day and easing in the evening.


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Still sunny here, but clouds in the distance. Be nice if it rained tomorrow evening.

PB and Nan, I'm so so envious of your sunshine.  It's been a dreary rain here all day.

ksand, DISNEYLAND!!!  That is all.  Oh.  Have a GREAT trip!  Say hi to Arkansas for me.  *sigh*

KoD, congrats on your Top Performer status and bonus!  Your line manager was sincere this time!  You do love her! 

KF, I hope Sobe's health improves.  Is the vet worried that the UTI isn't clearing?

Aaaaaand, my five:

1.  My anniversary on Tuesday was awesome.  It happened to be my husband's half-day at work, so the fact that he forgot* worked out just fine.  He stopped at the shop on his way home and picked up all of our favourite foods, and we just feasted all day.  He loved the card, and he's really keen to start growing the chillies.

2.  * My husband forgot our anniversary.  That is, he knew it was around this time, but he's never been 100% certain of which day.  In his defense, we didn't have a wedding... just went to the Registrar's office, and I coordinated everything so all he had to do was get the day off when I told him.  Plus, our anniversary is on the 4th, we had a visa application on the 5th, his sister's birthday is the 6th, and his birthday is the 9th.  That's a lot to keep track of!

3.  I've had a hectic day, but I have just finished his birthday card (see below... not as good as our anniversary card, but acceptable).  The theme is Hot Ones, a show on the First We Feast channel on Youtube, where the host interviews celebrities while they eat a series of progressively hotter chicken wings.  (Here's a link to the Tenacious D episode to see what it's about. -- ~25minutes long).  His birthday present is the five hottest sauces from the series 9 lineup of sauces (some of the sauces change each series), but I'm still waiting for some sauces to arrive from the US, so he's only getting half his present on Sunday, sadly.



4.  My FIL saw our workshop after we moved house and decided a workshop is a good idea, so he has been planning a clear-out of his two-car garage and boarding up the walls and adding electrics so he can also have one, too.  Tomorrow, my husband and I will run the electrics.  My FIL has been trying to plan the day so we can do all the things (visit with my husband's grandparents, have lunch and dinner, and do all the electrics).  Plus, we have to start our day at 5am because we need to drive down to Exeter first to pick up a woodburning stove that we won on eBay first (average retail price £1250, we got it for £370, and it's the exact size and model we've been planning to buy!).  I remember how long it took us to do the electrics in our  workshop (which, admittedly is about 3 times the job).  Still, it's going to be a very long day!

5.  One of our rewards for doing the electrics around my FIL's garage/workshop is he will no longer need the chop saw he bought for paneling his garage/workshop, so he's giving it to us.  Plus, we'll get my track saw back that we'd loaned him.  TOOLS!