Friday Five!

Happy Friday!!!

1.) Made a Thanksgiving dinner after work yesterday. Yum!! 

2.) Got on the screen with the family in the US. That was nice.   

3.) Hopefully, finally, a quiet weekend. We will see.   

4.) Scored some recording equipment for a bargain price due to a Black Friday sale. Waiting for it to come in! 

5.) Need to check on the fermentation status of the pumpkin pie dark wheat beer I made last weekend. 

Woo finally Friday!

1. Been another manic week at work. Cannot wait to be off for Christmas...3 weeks to go.

2. We’ve started arranging viewings of houses and will hopefully be able to put an offer in really quickly (and minimise the time we have to stay at my MIL’s)! My husband moves down to Glasgow next weekend to start his new job and I’ll follow once I finish up for the year. It’s finally happening!!

3. Downside is that means we have to clear out our flat and our bed is going today. Not looking forward to 3 weeks on an airbed and/or the pull out sofa.

4. Didn’t do much for Thanksgiving yesterday. My mom didn’t cook this year so I didn’t feel as homesick as I might have otherwise (it’s my favourite food holiday!) but it still reminded me that this is the longest I’ve ever gone without physically seeing any of my family. And it was our first one without my grandma.

5. All darkness, all the time. I always say that the excellent Scottish summers make up for the dark winters but I think I’m a liar. 😂

I wrote a whole thing, it didn't save.

You'll all live without knowing about my boring life.  lol

I wrote a whole thing, it didn't save.

You'll all live without knowing about my boring life.  lol

I feel like Elly captured how I feel about this Friday quite well. It's been a week! Burying my head in a blanket would be an appropriate end to it.

Friday!!

1.) Have Monday and Tuesday off.  Yay, 4 day weekend. 3 day week next week and 3 day week the week after. Then off until the 5th Jan. Yay!   

2.) Christmas Party over Zoom with friends tomorrow night. Drinks, Secret Santa and games. Happy days! 

3.) Been such a weird, quiet December for me. I am normally out like every single night with gigs, carolling, busking, etc etc. Haven't done any live music since March and it's been so sad!! 

4.) Running a Christmas Quiz for my family, aunts, uncles, cousins, etc on Sunday. Should be quite amusing. 

5.) Actually have an urge to do some baking. Tis the season. 

1.  It's been a strange week...
2.  I may have told you guys about my friend who retired on a Thursday in May, and on the Friday got test results back showing she had some brain tumours and also I think there were some lung tumours as well.  Never really got the full story, as she didn't want to talk about it and then she had to instantly start shielding, so I never got to see her.  So we texted and chatted on the phone and in the last several weeks she stopped answering her phone and stopped replying to texts.  Her son phoned me 2 weeks ago to tell me she would only live another few days, and indeed, she died the next day.  Her funeral was this week and hunners of us from work went along to stand outside while the family went into the crematorium for the service.  So sad... I will miss her so much.
3. However, there has been ONE good thing that happened this week....

I GOT A WORK LAPTOP AND CAN START WORKING FROM HOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I am so ridiculously excited!!!

4.  Lot of pissed-off people at my work, though, 'demanding' to know what the criteria for getting a WFH laptop is.  Whenever anyone asks me, I just tell them that I have been asking at every monthly check-in with my boss for the last 2 years, and it's on that basis that I got it.  Maybe when THEY become a thorn in their boss' side for 2 years, they will get one too!

5.  Going to Liverpool tomorrow for a gig that we booked a year ago... it's been cancelled, and then reinstated, and cancelled again and then rescheduled to another venue where they can do social distancing.  No alcohol, masks must be worn, etc.  And I'm driving down so that we don't have to use public transport, so can keep a bit safer.  Fingers crossed everything goes well!

1.  It's been a strange week...
2.  I may have told you guys about my friend who retired on a Thursday in May, and on the Friday got test results back showing she had some brain tumours and also I think there were some lung tumours as well.  Never really got the full story, as she didn't want to talk about it and then she had to instantly start shielding, so I never got to see her.  So we texted and chatted on the phone and in the last several weeks she stopped answering her phone and stopped replying to texts.  Her son phoned me 2 weeks ago to tell me she would only live another few days, and indeed, she died the next day.  Her funeral was this week and hunners of us from work went along to stand outside while the family went into the crematorium for the service.  So sad... I will miss her so much.
3. However, there has been ONE good thing that happened this week....

I GOT A WORK LAPTOP AND CAN START WORKING FROM HOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I am so ridiculously excited!!!

4.  Lot of pissed-off people at my work, though, 'demanding' to know what the criteria for getting a WFH laptop is.  Whenever anyone asks me, I just tell them that I have been asking at every monthly check-in with my boss for the last 2 years, and it's on that basis that I got it.  Maybe when THEY become a thorn in their boss' side for 2 years, they will get one too!

5.  Going to Liverpool tomorrow for a gig that we booked a year ago... it's been cancelled, and then reinstated, and cancelled again and then rescheduled to another venue where they can do social distancing.  No alcohol, masks must be worn, etc.  And I'm driving down so that we don't have to use public transport, so can keep a bit safer.  Fingers crossed everything goes well!

So sorry for your loss but over the moon you can finally work from home! Huge congratulations!!!!

So sorry for your loss but over the moon you can finally work from home! Huge congratulations!!!!

Same exact sentiments! Very sorry for your loss <3

And enjoy your gig too!

How lovely that you were all there to support your friend.  I’m sure that meant the world to her family!

And FINALLY with the laptop.  That was far too long to wait!

Friday!

1.  We went OUT OUT last weekend.  I literally saw what life outside our bubble is like. Definitely enlightening.  We haven’t fallen... yet.  Just because we followed rules doesn’t mean we can’t still catch it!

2.  Busy day tomorrow. Gymnastics, football match, linner out, and then Christmas at Kew.

3.  Sunday I have a wreath making kit coming. Just call me Martha Stewart!

4.  We are living it up this month.  Following the rules but not staying home. Judge away!

5.  Maybe taking some liberties on Monday.  I’m spending a night at the spa on my own.  I’m sure no one else is....

If I get it, don’t pity me. 

Happy Friday all!

1.) Ahhh, how are we a week until Christmas? 

2.) 3 more proper work days in 2020 for me! 

3.) Have some major project things going on in China so will need to logon occasionally between Christmas and New Years. But hopefully not too much....... 

4.) Some rather amusing pictures have surfaced from high school. Lets just say, band/chorus kids are the nerdiest and looniest kids ever. Somethings never change either. 

5.) Can crack open one of the pumpkin pie dark wheat beers I made tomorrow and see what like. 

My Friday Five:

1. Finished my last shift before Christmas this morning, and now I have 10 days off

2. I was supposed to go back to my parents' house this afternoon (they're in my bubble), but I'm still waiting on a package to be delivered, so I've ended up staying here an extra day (fingers crossed it arrives tomorrow - it contains perishables for Christmas, so I can't really leave before I get it)

3. It took me 3 months and 11 days (2 months longer than I originally had planned), but I finally reached my first weight loss goal today: 14 lbs lost since Sept 7th... plus I've lost 5% body fat and the belt on my jeans fastens 2 notches tighter now .

4. Now that I've finally reached my first weight loss goal, time to set the next one, which is to lose another 7 lbs. I'm trying to go slow and steady with it, so that I don't just end up putting the weight back on again.

5. Don't know if anyone here is a fan of Buffy and Angel, but I've been doing a rewatch of both shows recently, along with YouTube/Patreon reactors. I was a massive fan of the shows back when they aired (1998-2004), and Buffy, especially, holds a special place in my heart, as it got me through a really tough time when I was 16. I haven't rewatched either show in about 15 years, but I've ended up really getting back into them in the last couple of months, especially Angel, as I just binged 3 seasons in the space of about a week... and now that I've finished it, I'm feeling weirdly emotionally affected by the ending .

Friyay!

1.  Today was quiet at work which was nice!

2.  I got a nasty gram for being too helpful and supportive to my teams, thus “enabling”.     Seriously, only at a British company.

3.  I have 3 days of holiday to use.  I want to use one day next week because I don’t want to work the whole week but haven’t had approval yet.  I know it’ll be fine, but would just like an official yes.

4.  I cried yesterday with the Tier 3 announcement for my area.  We had a panto (20% occupancy) and Breakfast with Santa both cancelled.  Silly to be teary, but I was. 

5.  Hot tub arrives Monday!

It's Monday, so I'm definitely doing this wrong.  But I haven't done it in so many months that we'll overlook the wrongness and just appreciate that I did it.

1.  Friday, I enjoyed some customer service that was so above and beyond that they made me gleeful for two days.  It was a last-minute purchase of some whisky fudge from Aberfeldy that I ordered on Friday but needed by Sunday for Domo's birthday.  I knew it was impossible, and I accepted this fact.  But I ordered it anyway.  And then my confirmation email said that "a member of their team (probably Ross)" would get it packed and shipped as soon as they could, and I should reply to that email if I had any issues.  So I replied to that email, headed my reply with "Hi probably Ross!" and explained that there weren't any expedited shipping options and I'm not sure I would've paid the premium price to get it faster, anyway, but if there was any way they could pack my order quickly, I'd appreciate it as I left my gift-buying 'til too late.  Victoria replied to my email to let me know that Craig was packing my order as she typed the reply, and they were also including one of their oak coasters laser-engraved with a 'Dewarism' (a quote from Dewar) saying, "The only thing you get in a hurry is trouble," as an additional gift.  THEN, as if that wasn't enough, they took my parcel straight to the post office and shipped it guaranteed next-day delivery!  I had it by noon on Saturday.  They are amazing!  (* I didn't tell them whose 'small birthday present' it was that I needed by Sunday... I'm not sure they would appreciate knowing they did all that they did for Domo.)

2.  Yesterday was Domo's seventh birthday.  I didn't make him a card (this is the saddest part for me).  I shopped for his gift last-minute.  It wasn't nearly as good as his birthday last year.  I can't even repeat the story of his cake again.  Just trust me that it was bad.  But Domo was happy.

3.  In all this time, my husband and I have still failed to win the lottery.  It's starting to look like we're going to have to do life the hard way.  Rude.

4.  VACCINESSSSSS!  My cousin (an ICU nurse in the US) got his first dose yesterday.  I cried with relief/joy when I heard that.  He's been isolating away from all of his family (wife, two very small children, plus his dad/my uncle has leukemia so he can't see them) for most of the pandemic to avoid making the people he loves sick.  But he's still been at risk of getting sick this whole time.  Obviously, I want to be vaccinated as soon as possible, but I don't need it like he does.  I am happy to wait while all the people who really need it get it.

5.  It's the solstice... things will start improving again.  I'm feeling surprisingly optimistic today, even with the chaos that Boris created over the weekend.

Bonus pic of Domo with his birthday presents (my husband gave him a Santa hat and the tin he's sitting in)...

 "The only thing you get in a hurry is trouble," ?