Friday Five!

3.)  Brewed a clone of Timothy Taylor's Landlord last weekend , so it will be ready for racking off for secondary fermentation now. 

Yum. My friend Mags' favourite beer!

1.  This past week has been my first week off my work on furlough, and it has felt so good just to relax and decompress.

2.  I found out that one of my favourite beers, White Rat (by Rat Brewery in Huddersfield) is being canned for the first time (has only ever been available in cask), and i managed to get my mitts on 2 cases!      Roll on Monday for delivery!!!

3.  My hound Jimmy Blue has been extra cute and loving this week... i think he likes having me home.

4.  Shaved my own head this week, as i can't go to the barber.  Hm.  More practise is needed. 

5.  Managed to find plain flour after searching different shops for the last 3 weeks, so am going to make banana bread this weekend.  Still can't find yeast.

Happy Friday!

1. 25 days of lockdown and 24 since being furloughed. Got messages today about being redeployed to NHS. Not sure how I feel about that. I want to help but I’m scared of this virus.

2. Yesterday was my birthday. Sucked. Had mini breakdown. Feel like crap today.

3. Lockdown extended another 3 weeks minimum although think Nicola Sturgeon may say longer in her talk next week.

4. The weathers been nice.  Only positive I have guys...sorry

5. My first flight in almost a year back to the states is obviously up in the air. AA keep changing our return flight so I’m just waiting until this next 3 weeks are up and see about cancelling and getting a voucher for it. No clue when I’ll get to see my family again.

1. 25 days of lockdown and 24 since being furloughed. Got messages today about being redeployed to NHS. Not sure how I feel about that. I want to help but I’m scared of this virus.

2. Yesterday was my birthday. Sucked. Had mini breakdown. Feel like crap today.

3. Lockdown extended another 3 weeks minimum although think Nicola Sturgeon may say longer in her talk next week.

4. The weathers been nice.  Only positive I have guys...sorry

5. My first flight in almost a year back to the states is obviously up in the air. AA keep changing our return flight so I’m just waiting until this next 3 weeks are up and see about cancelling and getting a voucher for it. No clue when I’ll get to see my family again.

I'm sorry, I hope you feel better soon Kristie.

Happy Birthday!   

Happy Birthday Kristie. It's such sucky times.  Big hugs 

I'm sorry Kristie. It's so challenging to get through right now. I think it's fair for you to be concerned about being redeployed to help the NHS. If you have any medical conditions that would make you higher risk I do think it would be fair for you to say no. I've been thinking about Aquila and all of the incredibly brave NHS staff a lot this week.

1. I've finally pulled my head out of the fog of anxiety to start job hunting. I've been working on my CV and saving roles to apply for. Thankfully there are some ISPs nearby and financial services that are still hiring. It is triggering depression, but I just have to find a way through it, again. If I can find a decent job (like the one I lost thanks to the virus), I can manage living here. But without one I can't do the things I need to manage my health and it makes the future really bleak.

2. I've learned which shops care about their customers in this crisis. Was really surprised at Asda. I'd never shopped there before, but I can get most of the things I need (still ordering meat and GF bread elsewhere because the quality is so much better than any supermarket). They set me up with a recurring delivery with no issues. No other supermarket I'd been using did that.

3. I wish I'd found https://incrediblebakerycompany.co.uk/ when I moved here. I'm not allergic to any of their breads! I eat much less than my husband, but its nice to have a piece of toast with breakfast.

4. My compost arrived so I can finally get planting. My cherry tomato and pepper seedlings are getting so big! I'm actually running out of pots to put them in for growing bigger. I ordered a popup greenhouse so that I can move them outside a bit sooner than I would otherwise. And it'll help the peppers until warm days of summer.

5. We bought a proper table and chairs for the garden on Amazon (was more affordable to get them separately), so we can have a nice breakfast or tea out there now.

6. Its taco night tonight.

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1.  I’ve had a few “pity party days”.  If I knew when this would end, I feel like I’d seize the day.  Instead, I pet the cat - which is a GREAT way to pass time.

2.  I’m now writing a to do list each day which is helping

3.  I’m struggling with the lack of adult interaction.  My husband isn’t being great about separating work and life, so he basically works until he goes to sleep.  So my interaction is with a 6 and almost 3 year old.  They are awesome but WOW, I’d like a bit of adult contact.  Like gabbing and catching up with a pal.  Not text.  Text is awesome.  But I want a proper “ahhhhhhhhhh” moment.

4.  In-laws are all better! 

5.  I want to either start an at home hobby or start doing “my part” in this time.  I’ll figure something out soon!

1.  I’ve had a few “pity party days”.  If I knew when this would end, I feel like I’d seize the day.  Instead, I pet the cat - which is a GREAT way to pass time.

2.  I’m now writing a to do list each day which is helping

3.  I’m struggling with the lack of adult interaction.  My husband isn’t being great about separating work and life, so he basically works until he goes to sleep.  So my interaction is with a 6 and almost 3 year old.  They are awesome but WOW, I’d like a bit of adult contact.  Like gabbing and catching up with a pal.  Not text.  Text is awesome.  But I want a proper “ahhhhhhhhhh” moment.

4.  In-laws are all better! 

5.  I want to either start an at home hobby or start doing “my part” in this time.  I’ll figure something out soon!

Maybe we could do a UKY digital meetup? Find out who is interested and send just that group the link so that it's not full of randoms. Drink in hand optional.

Petting the cat is honestly the best use of "I don't know what to do" time. They're happy for attention and it makes you feel better, so it's a win win!

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Happy Friday!

1.) Man the weather for the last week has been unreal. Sun!!!! Been enjoying the garden and getting out on my mountain bike by the trails around my house. 

2.) Accchoooooooooooooo! Seasonal allergies have decended upon me! 

3.) Watching the chickens outside my window is giving me great joy this morning. They're so funny and full of personality!! 

4.) My Dad wants me to send him a recording of a song that he can then master with additional tracks.  He's getting a bit antsy in lockdown. So need to think of something I can send him. 

5.) More virtual quizzes and games this weekend. Busy social life! It does suit my husband's way of socialising for sure. Sitting on the couch, not too late, drinks in hand, playing games, and having a good laugh with friends. 

1.  Feeling a bit better mentally this week.  I now call my mom each day which allows me some adult contact. 

2.  Just got a call for a first stage interview.  Hallelujah.  I just need to know that this will all end and that has given me some much needed hope!

3.  My son turns 3 on Monday!  He’s been desperate to go to the park in his buggy.  So husband is going to take him on a walk in his buggy and I’m going to set up the back garden with all the toys out.  Including my cotton candy machine and allll the bubble machines.  I hope he likes “the park”.

4.  Been watching lots of programs on Everest.  I’ve always had a fascination with it.  The Sherpas are truly amazing amazing people in soooooo many ways.

5.  If the weather looks good at the weekend, we are going to set up our tent and camp in the back garden.

1.  My furlough has come to an end... they texted me yesterday to say i am to be at work on Monday.  I am gutted, as i have really been enjoying the time off.

2.  At least when i go back to work I will be working at something worthwhile... attending training for processing these government-backed business interruption loans.

3.  Maybe a bit premature ('never cast a clout till May is out'), but I'm swapping the winter sheets, duvets, etc for the more lightweight stuff today.

4.  I've got a freezer full of home-made dog food and treats, plus a very contented hound with a full belly!

5.  I appear to have been drunk-shopping... an Amazon parcel arrived today containing 5 boxes of 16 coffee pods.  I did need some, but don't think i needed *quite* that many!

5.  I appear to have been drunk-shopping... an Amazon parcel arrived today containing 5 boxes of 16 coffee pods.  I did need some, but don't think i needed *quite* that many!

Drunk shopping is the BEST!  Maybe I’ll do that tonight.... 

Happy Friday!

1.) Well another week done.  Have had a few days of 'Groundhog Day'  this week and feeling a bit fed up and down. But doing okay again, got that Friday feeling. 

2.) Need to bottle up this beer and get another on the go. 

3.) My big Brahma chicken, Chewbacca, (named because she has got this grunty growly cluck), has become broody and won't leave the nest box. Except she's huge, so she barely fits. And well, we have no rooster, so she's not gonna be making babies any time soon. She gets so angry when I chuck her out. 

4.) Seedlings are all coming up, bit of rain has helped boost things along now too. 

5.) Doing more pub quizzes this weekend. Busy social life on Zoom. 

1.  Did a pub quiz with 12 friends last night on Zoom.
2.  New job seems ok, but the training has been poor.  They're doing it by phone and screen-sharing through Teams, which is lame.
3.  Oh!  They ordered in roll & bacon for everyone... except they forgot me and Craig!! 
4.  Banana bread baking this weekend... the black bananas are starting to pile up!
5.  Been watching some videos of no-sew t-shirt hacks (cutting, tying, etc), so I might try a couple of them this weekend.

It's been a while since I did one of these (missed two weeks, I think?)...

1.  I'm feelin' PB's "Groundhog Day" syndrome.  Ready for something new and different, but not another Pandemic, please.  Something good this time.

2.  The awesome weather we'd been enjoying is on hiatus at the moment.  We were "promised" big sun followed by shiny cloud today, after rain all week, but woke up to mostly-grey with a bit of hail (?!).

3.  My bulk flour purchase has already yielded excellent results.  We are back to really tasty nom bread.  I had been making do with supermarket flour for quite a while as we waited for my mill-direct flour to get here, and I'd forgotten how good bread can be with quality flour.  (If you'd told me 5 months ago that I'd be saying this, I would have rolled my eyes at you.  Flour is flour, right?)

4.  We had "banana cake" (that's what my husband calls it) this week!  Was lovely.  Now I need more old bananas... I wanna do it again!

5.  I couldn't get caster sugar when placing my click & collect Tesco order, so I looked on Amazon.  Arriving today is a 3kg "drum" of Tate & Lyle Fairtrade caster sugar.  I'm stupidly excited about it, even though the "drum" is really just a canister.