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Topic: Friday Five!  (Read 407872 times)

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Re: Friday Five!
« Reply #7140 on: July 12, 2019, 05:27:36 PM »
Hedgehog as promised

And bonus lollipop!





Oh SHE is so adorable! Proud mommy moment for you :D

Congrats PB for your husband and yay for holiday coming up!


KOD I must have missed it in my absence but yay for your new job!

JFK I love that little monster guy in your spice picture. Also biggest thing of Cayenne Pepper I’ve ever seen :D


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Re: Friday Five!
« Reply #7141 on: July 12, 2019, 05:39:12 PM »
JFK I love that little monster guy in your spice picture. Also biggest thing of Cayenne Pepper I’ve ever seen :D

That's Domo.  He's ... well... a member of the family.  True story... one day, we were leaving for Bristol to go to my in-laws, and my husband got it in his head that the house could burn down while we're out, and he turned back so we could take Domo with us.  We're adults.  Totally.  *assure*

And, yeah... when I was searching for bulk cayenne, that giant bottle made me laugh, so I bought it.  I buy giant tins of La Chinata paprika, too.
9/1/2013 - "fiancée" (marriage) visa issued
4/6/2013 - married (certificate issued same-day)
5/6/2013 - FLR(M)#1 in person -- approved!
8/1/2016 - FLR(M)#2 by post -- approved!
8/5/2018 - ILR in person -- approved!
22/11/2018 - Citizenship (online, with NDRS+JCAP) -- approved!
14/12/2018 - I became a British citizen.  :)


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Re: Friday Five!
« Reply #7142 on: July 12, 2019, 05:39:46 PM »
JKF - Rosemary. It likes "dry feet". So if you water it too much it'll die. It needs to dry out, then water it from below.


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Re: Friday Five!
« Reply #7143 on: July 12, 2019, 05:42:32 PM »
JKF - Rosemary. It likes "dry feet". So if you water it too much it'll die. It needs to dry out, then water it from below.

Yeah... it was where I planted it.  The raised planter didn't have proper drainage, so the poor rosemary drowned in it.  My husband laughed at me because rosemary is generally one of the easier plants to grow, but I managed to kill it.  I never even actually watered it.  I just put it in the ground and it turned black.
9/1/2013 - "fiancée" (marriage) visa issued
4/6/2013 - married (certificate issued same-day)
5/6/2013 - FLR(M)#1 in person -- approved!
8/1/2016 - FLR(M)#2 by post -- approved!
8/5/2018 - ILR in person -- approved!
22/11/2018 - Citizenship (online, with NDRS+JCAP) -- approved!
14/12/2018 - I became a British citizen.  :)


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Re: Friday Five!
« Reply #7144 on: July 12, 2019, 05:44:11 PM »
ooooooooooo, yeah, that's bad.


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Re: Friday Five!
« Reply #7145 on: July 12, 2019, 06:02:00 PM »
Friday! Friday! Hooray!

Congrats to Mr PB for achieving Chartered status, for real this time! See, I can predict the future.

What a cute lil hedgehog you have KF!

Hooray for new jobs and things all around!

Hope you get to feeling better soon, nan.

Gonna struggle to come up with mine today, but here we go.

1. CPAP week two.  I sleep soooo well now.  I used to look forward to going to bed every night because I was exhausted, now I look forward to going to bed because I just get GOOD sleep.  It's a bit of a struggle to get up in the mornings but my daytime tiredness has dropped drastically and I am not falling asleep all over the place while in the car (as a passenger!).  Had to turn off my machine and refit my mask a couple of times in the night last night, which is the second time, so obviously I am still getting that down... but I am super duper impressed with the results so far.

2. I've also started using some cheapo blue light filter glasses at work which I think may also be helping?  I'm not sure.  The jury is out in terms of whether or not they noticeably help with eye strain and melatonin production but I figured they couldn't hurt.  And they only cost £1.

3. I seem to have become somewhat of a train commuter.  This is the second Friday (of two, mind ) where I've had to get the train home due to one thing or another Dave has had to do back home, and I am currently on a train somewhere in Dorset.  I strangely find it quite enjoyable, to be honest.  I probably wouldn't be saying that if I had to do it every day, but I do like popping my headphones in and just turning up some music.  It was a very stressful job getting to the station though - had to hoof it to the bus stop in town to catch a bus that would have gotten me to the train station with eight minutes to spare (already tight).  Bus driver decided it was break time and we left for the station five minutes late.  Thankfully he seemed to think he was in Speed so I got to the train station with three minutes to go only to learn the train had been delayed.  Typical!

4. Work seem to be happy with me.  My trainer has told me a number of times that I'm picking things up quickly and they're glad I "actually do payroll" because they get lots of applicants who say they have a payroll background but they are more data entry.  I was feeling pretty good.  And I like them, too, so the feeling is mutual. Was not a happy bunny when I saw her tearing apart my spreadsheet though.

5. Watched the last episode of Stranger Things the other night.  Season 3 is maybe the best yet?  That last episode... My god, did I get emotional.  I'm not crying, you're crying.

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Re: Friday Five!
« Reply #7146 on: July 12, 2019, 06:19:02 PM »
Congrats to everyone on all the new jobs and good news this week!

1. My parents left yesterday morning, I can’t believe how fast their 2 week visit went by. It was so nice to spend some time with them in person and I’m already looking forward to seeing them (and the rest of my family!) at Christmas.

2. I am so exhausted from all the traveling around with my folks and answering all their questions. I definitely could see where I get my inquisitive nature from. 😂 I’ve done the journey from here to Glasgow (and back - 4 hours each way) 3 times in the last 2 weeks and am heading down at the end of the month (again) for my niece’s 1st birthday. At least it’s a pretty drive/train journey.

3. Tomorrow will be my first full day at my new job! I’m looking forward to it a lot.

4. Been bickering with my husband a lot over the last day or two. Traveling with my parents, a lack of downtime, and not enough sleep is definitely getting to both of us. He’ll be glad I’m out of the house all day tomorrow. 😂

5. Our landlord completely fixed our bathroom while we were gone! The pipes collapsed so the shower was hardly draining and it was soooo smelly. Now we have new pipes, flooring, shower walls, shower head, and even a new shower curtain. Woohoo!!
Spouse visa received: 30 November 2018
Arrived in the UK: 27 December 2018

FLR(M)
Application submitted: 4 August 2021 (super priority)
Biometrics: 15 August 2021
Decision: 16 August 2021 - approved!

ILR
Application submitted: 14 December 2023 (super priority)
Biometrics: 17 December 2023
Decision: 18 December 2023 - approved!


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Re: Friday Five!
« Reply #7147 on: July 12, 2019, 06:27:34 PM »
Hey jay,if you need any spreadsheet help, just shout!


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Re: Friday Five!
« Reply #7148 on: July 12, 2019, 06:30:39 PM »
Hey jay,if you need any spreadsheet help, just shout!
Haha I'm not the one who needs help, she was!  I don't think she understood what I was doing by putting in an if statement so she changed some figures in cells that had no impact on what I'd done because doing it that way made sense to her.

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Re: Friday Five!
« Reply #7149 on: July 12, 2019, 06:51:47 PM »
Haha I'm not the one who needs help, she was!  I don't think she understood what I was doing by putting in an if statement so she changed some figures in cells that had no impact on what I'd done because doing it that way made sense to her.

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Oh my favourite kind of person....  when they don’t realise there is more than one way to get the same result!


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Re: Friday Five!
« Reply #7150 on: July 19, 2019, 11:01:50 AM »
You guys!  It's Friday!  ...again!

1.  This was my forecast facing the weekend...

Look at that black cloud for today!  It's accurate, so far, too.  Blah.  I hope the rest of the forecast is accurate.  Today is gloomy.

2.  I was a bit late (for someone who failed to request an extension), but I filed my tax return this week.  I did FBAR, too.  The US Government now thinks I had about a billion dollars in overseas assets last year, because I had to move money around to pay for my ILR.  The truth is I had just enough to trigger filing, and I only got there at the end of the year.  I'm not worried about filing late because it seems as though the penalty is based on a percentage of the amount of tax you owe, plus interest on any late tax payments, and I don't owe any tax.  So I should be fine.  RIght?

3.  I'm still ignoring the news, and my social media use has dropped significantly.  But I've still seen enough to be shocked that people continue to defend Trump.  Some of the apologists are stunning in their ability to dismiss or re-characterize Trump's words.

4.  I bought a lottery ticket for tonight. I fully expect to win.  :P

5.  Earlier this week, I was mentally debating whether or not to make pizza dough for the weekend when I realized I couldn't because I don't have any viable yeast.  And then when I went shopping, I couldn't find any yeast in my local shops.  So we'll have pasta instead, and it will be nom, but it won't be pizza.  But we also have barbecuing to do.  Our barbecuing has gotten really good lately.  Chicken thigh fillets cut into strips and put on skewers, then slowly grilled over a low-to-medium flame and periodically mopped with a spicy blend of barbecue sauce, sriracha, and some of my husband's birthday present chilli sauces, which is allowed to caramelize (and slightly blacken) between coats.  Served with grilled cherry tomatoes, grilled broccoli drizzled with soy sauce (try this!!!), grilling cheese (or Halloumi, which seems like the same thing but sold as a distinct thing at Aldi), grilled pineapple, and lately, grilled corn on the cob (nom!).  We have these as separate courses throughout an afternoon/evening, and it's the best meal.  OH!  And on Tuesday, I bought some "chilli cheese hot dogs" from Aldi, and my husband doesn't normally like hot dogs (well, he doesn't like the cardboard nature of cheap hot dog buns), but he said these were "rather enjoyable".  High praise from him!  (He's more effusive with his praise when it's real food... he is reserved when it's processed food.)
« Last Edit: July 19, 2019, 11:04:14 AM by jfkimberly »
9/1/2013 - "fiancée" (marriage) visa issued
4/6/2013 - married (certificate issued same-day)
5/6/2013 - FLR(M)#1 in person -- approved!
8/1/2016 - FLR(M)#2 by post -- approved!
8/5/2018 - ILR in person -- approved!
22/11/2018 - Citizenship (online, with NDRS+JCAP) -- approved!
14/12/2018 - I became a British citizen.  :)


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Re: Friday Five!
« Reply #7151 on: July 19, 2019, 11:08:12 AM »
Happy Friday! Here are my 5 for the week:

1. It’s my birthday week and I got a new slow cooker from my parents! It’s bigger than my old one + is digital so I can put it on a timer. I’m very excited about it. :) If anyone has a favourite slow cooker recipe, send it my way!

2. Also on the cooking theme...I recently bought a roasting tin + cookbook and tried out one of the recipes last night. It was absolutely delicious! Roasted gnocchi + veg and topped with ricotta. Yum!

3. The first two days of my new job went really, really well. I’m enjoying working somewhere that isn’t super hectic for once. Plus I’m surrounded my books all day (and got to bring some free ones home on Wednesday!) and get to use my German every now and then.

4. Meeting up with a good friend in Inverness on Sunday. There aren’t many people my age in our area and I haven’t made any local friends so I’m really, really grateful to have her up this way.

5. I started training for the Great Scottish Run 10k, which is at the end of September. My first ever race was back in March (and that was a half marathon) so I know I can do it but am just not motivated to run at all this week.
Spouse visa received: 30 November 2018
Arrived in the UK: 27 December 2018

FLR(M)
Application submitted: 4 August 2021 (super priority)
Biometrics: 15 August 2021
Decision: 16 August 2021 - approved!

ILR
Application submitted: 14 December 2023 (super priority)
Biometrics: 17 December 2023
Decision: 18 December 2023 - approved!


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Re: Friday Five!
« Reply #7152 on: July 19, 2019, 11:28:36 AM »
Hey, eleeeeeee!  Happy birthday week!

Last week, I did a pork shoulder in our slow cooker.  It was about 1.8kg.  I cut off the layer of fat (whatever it is on the one side), put it in the slow cooker, sprinkled on a random amount of asafoetida (my alternative to onion powder), paprika, cumin, black pepper, probably some cayenne, and then poured a glass of Coke on it.  Set the slow cooker on low for 10 hours.  My plan was to then drain most of the liquid off, pull apart the really tender meat, add barbecue sauce and crank it up to high for a half-hour to try to cook the sauce in.  But my husband came home from work just as the 10 hours ended and he pinched a piece of meat off and said, "Oh my gawd!"  So we ended up eating it "plain" that night.  The next day we had some of the leftover pork reheated with barbecue sauce and finally ate the coleslaw I'd prepared the day before to go with it.  It was good plain and with the sauce.

Tell me more about roasted gnocchi.  We don't have an oven (for the third year running!), so I don't think I can make this yet, but I still collect recipes for when we finally make our kitchen and fit an oven.

Good luck with the 10k run (but you did a half-marathon, so you'll be fine!).  Happy to hear your new job is working out so well for you.  :)
9/1/2013 - "fiancée" (marriage) visa issued
4/6/2013 - married (certificate issued same-day)
5/6/2013 - FLR(M)#1 in person -- approved!
8/1/2016 - FLR(M)#2 by post -- approved!
8/5/2018 - ILR in person -- approved!
22/11/2018 - Citizenship (online, with NDRS+JCAP) -- approved!
14/12/2018 - I became a British citizen.  :)


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Re: Friday Five!
« Reply #7153 on: July 19, 2019, 01:47:57 PM »
Yeah for FRIDAY!

I do pork shoulders in the slow cooker all the time.  Right now I'm trying to work my way through a free bottle of Jack Daniels, I put about a 1/4 cup of that on it.  I also have some seasoning called Butt Rub that I'll sprinkle across but really, you don't need anything.

I also do ribs a lot.  Just in the slow cooker and then I take them out, cover with BBQ sauce and put them in the oven for 10 minutes

I also do a big hunk of gammon with a can of Coke.  Amazing.

1.  I've had a really busy week with work and trying to have a social life.  A friend who repatriated to the USA last year is in town so we went to the spa after work (which we used to do about once a month when she lived here).  Managed to drag Kiss of Death along!  ;D

2.  Met up with some friends for dinner last night.  Went to the Giggling Squid.  Was yummy but they've changed their cocktail menu.  Finally settled on one and it was too small for £8 in my opinion.  Good but too small.  My meal was less expensive!

3.  I'm happy for the rain.  My grass needs it.

4.  Not much on this weekend, all the kids activities are finishing off for the summer.  THANK HEAVENS!

5.  Board meeting Tuesday..... the company owners will be out of town.  WHY we are not having the meeting on Wednesday instead is killing me!!!!


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Re: Friday Five!
« Reply #7154 on: July 19, 2019, 02:22:22 PM »
JFK you have made me hungry and realise I need to file my taxes. I’m a year behind oops! But I should have filed my extension this year and fbar I did on time both years.  I contacted HR Block to see what it would cost me to back file to last year and they quoted me £1,000 pounds. I was expecting like a couple hundred not a grand. I think I’m relatively easy, no assets, no dependents to claim, no high income and my fbars are done. 

Elee happy happy birthday!!!!!! I hope you have a fab time with your friend Sunday and glad your new job is going really well! As far as slow cooker goes, I chuck just about everything in mine including whole roast chickens.


Kfdancer the spa sounds lovely!! And you got to see your old friend and KoD :) I’m so ready for a down weekend now that school is out. Definitely needed.


1.  I honestly got emotional today dripping of daughter for her last day of school. But I am really proud of her.. plus when doing her little end of school pics she said her favourite place was home with daddy and myself . Couldn’t make her sweeter if I tried.

2. Because school got our at 1:30 I got to leave work early, fabulous way to start the weekend!!


3. With the rain and cooler weather I have decided to make chicken and dumplings tonight. I’m so excited as it’s been ages since I’ve had it and it’s such a nice comfort food.

4. I hate spiders with a passion. Last night sitting on the sofa and I feel a tickle on my arm. I thought it was a hair so I looked and it’s a spider. So I jump up fling around and think it’s gone.  I go back to sit down and notice said spider has moved from my right arm to my left arm. I jumped up flicked the bloody thing then proceeded to strip out of my dress and made the kiddo check me for spiders ( I’m a great parent I know lol).

5. I need to do a thorough like deep clean and big food shop this weekend. I do this periodically where I get down and scrub skirting boards etc as this house were in just seems to get so dusty. On top of the normal weekend chores that get done ( bathrooms, mopping etc) I need to do the deep stuff, and frankly I can’t be bothered. I’m  seriously considering hiring a cleaning person. And I hate food shopping probably because I know I should do it during the week but always wait till Sunday when everybody is out and it’s drives my crazy.


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