Friday Five!

Much better week this week.  I made the decision last week to ask my GP for antidepressants.  Not just for menopause hormones but because I was just crying all the time.  I can't believe what a difference they've made.  I genuinely didn't know that a pill could provide such relief.  I have zero issue admitting that the last six months have been too hard to handle without a bit of help.

*hugs* I'm so glad to hear that you've felt better with them, and have had some relief already. They were a game changer for my mom during her battle.

I had the review of my scans with my oncologist yesterday.  Everything is improved (remember, no measurements in these reports).  The scans did show that I've recently broken my right hip (more pelvis in the groin area).  Shock to me!  Zero pain.  I've been told it's fine to walk on, just avoid any "twisting activities".  Been hoping to start some yoga or pilates and she said that's fine to do, but speak with the instructor and likely focus more on upper body or things with non-twisty legs.

Good news about the improvement! It is surprising about the broken hip, but I'm glad you weren't in pain with that on top of everything else going on. I'm sure the yoga or pilates instructor will have loads of stuff to do that aren't twisty. As my instructor years ago kept telling us, yoga should always be about going "Ahhh" not "Ouch."

My pleural effusion is still large even though it's smaller than it was.  I've decided to ask to be admitted to hospital to have the chest drains to completely dry the chamber out and then do the talc in hopes the lung sticks to the chest wall.  If the respiratory consultant says I'd be better with the catheter, I'll follow their recommendation.  But as my body IS eliminating the fluid, there's just so much there, I think it needs to be drained dry.  Then hopefully it'll stay that way.  I know the last estimate was 2.5 liters remaining.  I'm sure it's less now.  But likely 2 liters or so.  Time to just have that DONE once and for all (God willing).  REALLY hoping I can have this done before our trip to the Arctic Circle but that's less than 4 weeks away.  Fingers crossed.

Crossing mine too!

I have THOROUGHLY enjoyed this week - it's half term and my kids are off school.  We've done loads, though we took Wednesday to rest.  My kids...  ugh...  I kept saying, "You guys, I literally had surgery on my spine less than a week ago.  Mommy NEEDS TO SIT TODAY."  LOL.  Yesterday we went to Longleat Safari Park which I had not been to before.  We LOVED it.  We knew NOT to take our car through the monkeys.  My husband thought I was being dramatic and silly.  Until I started pointing to all the cars with broken windshield wipers.  Glad we weren't one of those cars.

DH speaks from prior experience. Do NOT take the car through the monkeys indeed! His family learned their lesson a while ago. 

Yay, but a bit of a sad sentence to read at the same time. But overall, sounds like a win.

Yeah, you take your chances going to a "doc-in-the-box".  He was only one of two in the immediate area that was open all weekend, so it was worth a try. Very thorough - so I'll probably use him for basic stuff rather than having to drive across town to my GP (assuming even if I can get an early appointment in to my GP for anything!). Costs no more to me, thanks to Medicare. And SO much more convenient. 

Looked in the mirror today and would never have known there had been anything wrong, except for a tiny bit of swelling still remaining. Someone who didn't know me probably wouldn't notice it.  Have never had anything like that in the past, so it was quite the surprise. I'm just happy it resolved so quickly.

And, oh dear gods, NO never take the car anywhere near monkeys!!!!! (Don't ask me how I know that.      )

Happy Friday! Loved reading all the 'fives' from last week!   High five!

1.) Err, yeah, so I won the bronze medal in the fruit beer category for my pumpkin stout, the silver medal for my Weizenbock in the wheat beer category, and the gold medal for my Marzen beer and I won second Best of Show for my Marzen beer.  (In 4-H, they'd call that the 'Reserve Champion') - Errr, I guess I can make beer? 

2.) Have an all day rehearsal tomorrow for brass band as we're competing in the regional brass band competitions in a few week. 

3.) Have an all day orchestra rehearsal on Sunday and concert on Sunday afternoon - which should be  good! 

4.)  My New England Hot Dog Pan has come in! I'm gonna make New England hot dog buns tomorrow night! Whoot! Top loading, yay baby! 

5.) Err, gotta label up my Vienna lager and ship that out for yet another competition next weekend. 

4.)  Top loading, yay baby! 

   

You are torturing me with all that lovely sounding beer!  Sign me up for the pumpkin stout! 

Friyay!

1.  Was a more difficult week this week.  The kids being off last week was very good for me.  Yeah, I over did, but for the best reasons.

2.  Had a facial today by my proper skin therapist.  Chemo has wrecked havoc on my body (and the cancer thankfully). 

3.  Volunteered at the school today which was a movie in the hall after school. Love that my kids were excited to have me there and we haven’t completely reached “Don’t want to be seen with you”.  Won’t be too far off for my Y4 kid!

4. Had my car detailed yesterday by a dude who spent SEVEN hours cleaning 8 years of kids crud out of my car.  Cost a lot but WOW, looks brand new.  Listed it today on AutoTrader and the phone has been ringing like mad.  Hoping someone legit buys it and that everything isn’t a scam.

5.  Lots of diving this weekend.  Which means lots of driving.  But usually good family fun.  We are getting a group together for camping this summer. Four families in so far!

Wot, no Friday Fives today?  Even though i only pop in once a week these days, i always like to see everyone's FriYAY fives.
Hope you're all ok today.

1. six weeks till my trip to the US to see my family... first time in 4 years.  If there's anything i should know about transatlantic travel post COVID, please let me know!!!
2. Even scarier than seeing my family... after my family visit, i am flying from TX to CA to see my 'best friend'... we were 100% besties from 5th grade through to graduation and beyond, but sometime in our late 20s we fell out, and never spoke for like 20 years.  We met up again a couple of years ago via a game on Facebook, and have been talking since then... treading carefully. When i said to her i was going to see my parents, she begged me to come see her too if possible because we are both 60 this year and she said she didn't want us to die without seeing each other one last time! So I arranged it and am half-looking forward to it, and half-dreading the fact that we are probably going to have to discuss the Elephant In The Room (why we fell out).
3.  Bloody hell Vocation!  They've just released a DIPA version of Love & Hate at 8.6% and it is freaking LUSH. Hello, oblivion!
4.  Work was hellish this week.
5.  Got a letter this week from the housing, saying they are starting work on our building next week... re-roofing, re-rendering and re-painting.  We are on the top floor, so the roofers will be stomping about over our heads, and the guys on the scaffolding will be appearing in our windows.  My dogs are going to go absolutely bat-sh*t cray-cray for 12 weeks!!!  The building does need this work, but i'm dreading the dogs reactions. 

Happy Friday!

1.) Took the day off work to brew beer, so haven't popped on here.  Been busy!   

2.) Doing a beekeeping introduction course tomorrow.   

3.) Wind band rehearsal all day Sunday. 

4.) Snow forecast next week, sometimes heavy, apparently.

5.) Popped open a home-brewed West Coast IPA.  Well it was supposed to be an American Amber Ale and I totally forgot all the malts that made in Amber. And I didn't realise until it was done.  I had done all the water chemistry and everything for the amber malts.   I did rescue it with some dry hopping, but it's not my best effort.   But it's totally drinkable, and  I will drink it anyways! 

Friyay!  Opps it’s Saturyay!

1.  Starting to enjoy being off work.  Lots of meeting up with friends this past week.  Including one who just got a puppy.  Yesterday I was around when he encountered his first set of stairs. Went up fine but was hysterical going down the first few.

2.  Albatross, I had a bit of a falling out with a friend this week.  It sucks.  I’m hopeful she’ll be at diving today and we can TALK.  I sent a nice text after a very passive aggressive one from her.  She lives just the other side of Sonning (meaning we have to cross a one way bridge there and back). I was collecting her son for diving last week and Google Maps said it was going to take just over an hour to get through the traffic going over the bridge and back.  I asked if she could bring her son to me and it didn’t go down well.  Apparently it’s all the rest of us parents responsibility to get her child to diving.  I feel bad that she’s upset but also don’t feel bad when she says “everyone drives right past her house” when that is far from the truth!

3.  10 more sleeps until our Artic Circle holiday.  I was proper envious of @phatbeetle photos of the Northern Lights in her backyard this week!  Please let us have clear skies!!

4.  Husband is in London for the Arsenal game today.  I have a cold developing and both kids, who have NOT STOPPED TALKING.  Wish me luck.  Lol!

5.  Need to start sorting things as both kids have April birthdays!

Late, as always.

1) Turned in my notice at work yesterday. Or, rather, sent it to my boss via email when I got home from work. Did not want to have to have a face-to-face about it yesterday, was too tired. I gave them two month's warning, and that long only because they are already short-staffed and have been unable to hire anyone in after having been looking since before Christmas. Told 'em I might not make it to the end of April, but that they should definitely assume I would not be there after April. I am tired. It was a nice place to work, and I think I did some good there, but it's time to stop. My student loans were forgiven, and that was the main purpose or working there, so there's no reason to keep pushing it. (Plus sitting in the office all day is starting to play havoc with my back.) I'll miss my co-workers - they are very good people.  But it will good to have my time as my own again.

2) The Daughter has started her remote job and loves it. It's so nice to hear her laughing and chatting with her coworkers on Zoom as if she'd never been away! (She was hired back by her former employer.) She has not really been happy for so many years now.  So she'll be heading back to the West Coast in a couple of months - they have an office ready for her. As of right now it's a term appointment that will end in a year, so I expect her back next Spring. But who knows...? They are supposed to be having a permanent position coming open soon and she's been told she could apply for it. What will be, will be.

3) We got hit with another snowstorm last night. They've been telling us for days to expect a lot of snow, and at 3:30am the weather alarm radio went off with a "severe winter storm warning" message. By 6:00am lines were going down all over the place, and arcing on the roads. Transformers exploding, all sorts of drama.  Got a text from National Grid that power was off in my area and to respond if I did not have power. I did and still do, but immediately went out to the kitchen and fired up the kettle and filled two big thermos bottles with boiling water, in case we did lose power.  So far, so good.  The property management has had all the lanes in our complex plowed  now and the Daughter has gone out to do some shopping since the snow has stopped. As long as she stays on the main roads she'll be fine. (She's never driven in snow before.) Still, not as bad as in San Bernardino (which sounds VERY odd to say!).

4) I have reorganized my jarred food, and realized there were a good dozen jars of stews that had gotten pushed to the back and were now really too old to keep. Seems such a waste to have to put them down the garbage disposal, but that's where they've gone.  The jars are now in the dishwasher on heavy wash, and will be then run through with bleach, and made ready to use again when the peaches and strawberries start appearing at the farm stands.

5)  If I can get the energy up I think I'm going to make a pound cake in a little while. We have some oranges that are past their prime, and I see no reason to let all that orange zest go to waste.    Then I have a rediculous amount of laundry to do. I'm soooo behind on the laundry!

Friday!

1.) Scottish Brass Band Championship this weekend! Fingers crossed! 

2.) Been full on rehearsals, last one tonight. Knackered! 

3.) Going to a show on Sunday night in Edinburgh and meeting friends on Monday. Long weekend, hotel and restaurants! We've been total cheapskates the last few years so this feels like a proper treat. 

4.) We have bright blue skies! No snow! Yay! 

5.) Need to fit some housework in somewhere.   

Good luck PB! 

Happy Friday!

1.) Band won our Scottish section last weekend!! Whoot!  Now we're off to the Nationals in September! Better get fundraising! 

2.) Have a rehearsal in the morning which I cannot be arsed with. Then I have a meeting about a gig next weekend in the evening (which I can be arsed with, both the meeting and the gig), but man,  I'm knackered!   

3.) Seeing a concert tomorrow from kids all across the Highlands who get together a few times a year to rehearse and put on the concert. Nice to support the next generation of musicians! 

4.) Achooooooooo.......... Aaaaaaaaaaaaaachoooooooooooooooo.........Must be spring starting! 

5.) Playing a gig Sunday afternoon. 

Congratulations phatbeetle! 

Massive congratulations PB!

We are on holiday and I didn’t know it was Friday.  Isn’t that the best?!? 

1.  We are in Levi Finland and having an incredible time. Dumped snow the first 24 hours then cleared and been blue and sunny.  I forgot that powder snow looks like glitter in the sunlight and moonlight.

2.  Enjoyed sleigh rides pulled by huskies (who gave us kisses) and reindeer (soooo soft) and snowmobile (smelly fumes). 

3.  Last night we had a fantastic show from the Northern Lights.  Envious that PB and other Scots here see them from their own back gardens!  I guess I grew up in tropical paradise though.

4.  Our son has had a terrible cough for a few weeks now. It had started to ease off before we left but REALLY came on as soon as we left the house.  He’s single handedly kept us clear from other people. LOL.  He sounds awful and we will have him checked when we return.  But we’ve noticed it’s really “only” when inside and dry air.  Seems to like moist air as he doesn’t cough then.  At least my conscience is clear knowing I’m the “poorliest/most at risk” person in the room. 

5.  I’ve tried (our whole relationship) to convince my husband cold snowy holidays are just as good as warm and sunny.  He’s always said “impossible”.  Safe to say he is happily eating his words and now knows snow is magic and sunny and cold is spectacular in its own right. 

I’ve cried a bit each day, 95% just plain joy.  Yesterday we were deep in the forest with an elf who stopped the snowmobile on a track with lots of options.  He said Frazer would know the way to go. Frazer confidently shouted “this way”.  Sure enough, Santa’s secret cabin in the forest was down the path.  The kids screamed for Santa (as instructed).  We heard jingle bells and the most spectacular Santa appeared out the door.  Waved and said “Alice, Frazer, come in and say hello”.  I hope I never forget that moment.  Magic!  Shivers and a few happy tears as well.

I’ve cried a bit each day, 95% just plain joy.  Yesterday we were deep in the forest with an elf who stopped the snowmobile on a track with lots of options.  He said Frazer would know the way to go. Frazer confidently shouted “this way”.  Sure enough, Santa’s secret cabin in the forest was down the path.  The kids screamed for Santa (as instructed).  We heard jingle bells and the most spectacular Santa appeared out the door.  Waved and said “Alice, Frazer, come in and say hello”.  I hope I never forget that moment.  Magic!  Shivers and a few happy tears as well.

Wow, that's pure magic indeed!!!