Members' News

Well done spiky, great timing there ! not bending your knee must be rather tricky though, good luck with that.

I'm back from the Ikea Assembly championships, where I got a gold medal in the Door Adjustment Marathon. Well, ok, less glamourously, we spent yesterday helping some friends, a couple of newlyweds, move from their tiny bedsit into a nice big 3 bedroom flat that was previously rented by another couple of our friends, and so they had bought half the Ikea catalogue, and needed help putting the stuff together. It was fun, and I really enjoyed myself, even though my back has sworn to make me pay 5 minutes of absolute hell for each minute of fun.

My life is boring:Nothing to report in this thread

Not really news, but I'll share anyway. One of the many reasons that folk look at me sideways and whisper out the corner of their mouths is that, now really shocking news this... be prepared.

Alternative therapies. I use aromatherapy, reflexology, and go for reki.

I just had a reki treatment today. Thank God! It had been over five weeks since my last session, and I was feeling it, both physically and mentally.

My muscles are more relaxed, and my mind a lot calmer, less cluttered. But my next session isn't until next year -19 January!

Anyway for those that don't know reki is hands on healing. The practioner places there hands at different points of the body, (please keep it clean just now). To align the energy lines.

Different people experience different things, such as heat in the part of the body immediately under and around the practicioners hands. (The practicioner's hand also heat up). However the sensations can also be felt in other areas. Saying that I have experienced an icy cold sensation too.

My treatment generally lasts for an hour, and during that time I can go into and come out of a deep sleep.

The first things I generally become aware of is my sinuses clearing (I suffer from sinusitus), my left arm and hand will tingle, and my stomach will start to grumble. This is now within the first few minutes of the treatment beginning, when the practicioners hands are resting lightly on my head.

I will feel similar sensations in my other limbs, as well as aches, and have felt a deep knot of discomfort in my abdomen, and felt said knot release too.

I am know also aware of blockages to the energy flow.

My body, will also twitch! My arms now have a habbit of moving of their own accord, from being lying comfortably along side my body to being spread out from the shoulders with the palms facing upwards.

This is uncomfortable, as there is no support, they just hang in mid air. It does take a dozen or so twitches for them to get to this position.

Today, the first twitch was my right ankle! As well as the arms, I felt my shoulders wanting to twitch too, my right side more than the left. I have no control, partly due to the semi conscious state I'm in.

During one session my body was totally relaxed, that feeling you when you just wake up, and your body is a puddle, you couldn't move if your life depended on it, when my left arm suddenly jerked to the side. Total wake up call - from the waist up. Such a weird sensation - legs still asleep, mind and upper body awake.

I will confess to bursting into laughter in another session - again left arm to blame. The practioner had moved down the side, and when the arm jerked, caught the edge of her coat. She got a bit of a surprise. I'm glad that was all - it could have been worse, I could've goosed her!

Aromatherapy is now used in conjuntion with my treatment, and also crystals. Both seem to intensify things.

Anyway, that is my excitement for the week, so far...

We had our first paying audience last night. The play is going very well. I am looking forward to it being over though. I work from 7 AM until around 4 or 5 PM then have to be at the theater by 6 PM. The play is usually over by around 9:30 or so and I get home around 10 or a little after. I'm just looking forward to having a full day to myself with nothing to do for a whole day. Maybe when that happens I'll be able to finish cleaning my house and raking the yard.

That's great.

Finish cleaning the house, and yard - never... there's always something needing done - or you walk into a room and spy yet another corner of dust, that wasn't there 5 minutes ago!

Have your first full day for yourself, the house and yard aint going anywhere.

But, see, my house is where all the family is going to gather for Christmas. That's six little girls, three couples, my little brother and myself. So far I haven't been able to go through all of my grandmother's things so that I can get mine out of the attic. Some rooms have barely enough room to walk through and I haven't been able to vacuum the floors, because I can't even see them most of the time, in over a month.

My sister, her husband, and her three girls are supposed to be staying with me next week sometime as well as during Christmas and New Years. At least by then I'll be done with the play and will have some time to dedicate to cleaning and arranging junk.

Ah, sometimes its beneficial to have a small house - Ok who's holding the next family gathering? Am I doing the starter or pudding?

(please please, please say pudding). That way I get lotsa chocolate cake of a decent variety - it is placed on table with one finger print in largest bit.:lol:

One year, cousin decided to be smart - he cut round the finger print!

Saying that, when we're gathering at my parents - dad is shunted out way and I'm dragged in to help organise things. Dad makes himself available until all heavy lifting is done then makes himself scarce.

Anyhoo good luck with the clearing and cleaning.

Same here, our place is too small to get everyone in here, and besides, they wouldn't come if we did anyway. I actually love the buzz of Christmas, the idea of Christmas, it's just actually having to go through the crap bits of Christmas I don't like. As in getting Reg's brother and sister to tell us what they have planned and how we are supposed to fit in (i.e. how much we have to pay towards the menu that they have decided on) whether we like it or not. Or working out how on earth we are going to manage to be in two different places, 400km apart, in a few hours (hours that should be slept through). Or how to get through our 4 Christmasses alive without anyone yelling at us for going to a Christmas with people they are no longer speaking to.

Good luck with the cleaning redneck, and break a leg with the play, sounds great

The good news:

The play is going well and making the theater a good bit of money.

If I have the gathering over here everyone will help me get stuff sorted and moved around.

I like just about any kind of food, so whatever they pick is good with me.

The director is supposed to be having a friend (yeah, a female friend) come to the show that he wants me to meet. (I'm not just a little excited about that)

Bad news:

I have to take a fall in the play and now I have a nice big bruise on my hip from it.

Tuesday and Wednesday are double show days. All four of them for elementary school students.

Ooh that's going to hurt, try to fall softly okay? I hope she's a lovely young lady and that she likes Pratchett

Instead of etchings, you could show her your Pratchetts.

Hope all goes well.

You may be able to persuade her to rub arnica gel/cream on your bruise.

Seriously, arnica is good for bruises - even in pill form. (Homeopathic remedy).

Well my stitches are out of my knee and I'm able to walk! Yay! never underestimate the joy of bending a knee, you miss it when its gone...

Spiky, what happened to your knee? I've had surgery on mine before and yes, being able to bend your knee again is awesome.

Edit: oops. Lazy, forgetful sod that I am didn't remember about you slicing your knee. Then I was too lazy to look it up immediately.

When I had surgery, I had a cast on my leg for six weeks. It went from my upper thigh to my toes. I still remember the smell/stench/rancorous odor that came from my leg when they cut it off. (the cast, not my leg you numbskull) It took me several days just to wash off the dead skin and odor. But it felt so good to be able to scratch my itches again.

I will probably win this one: I had a plaster cast on my leg for 5 months. Yes 5 whole months (and an extra half-month with half a cast but I could take that off, it was just until my leg got stronger again). The difference between the two calves was amazing, as were my muscular shoulders (I miss them, I must say). But imagine 5 months of dead skin, dirt, sweat and so-on coming off in one go, plus the hairs (ewww). Also, the jackass doctor cut me with the saw when he took the plaster off. He didn't believe me when I said it hurt. Just like he didn't believe me when I said I didn't fix calcium well and it was preventing the tiny hair-thick fracture from healing. "Nah, nothing to do with it." Idiot. "Look, I'm running the blade across the palm of my hand, it doesn't hurt !". You jerk, your palms are thick and leathery, my leg hasn't seen sun or air for 5 months, the skin is thin and fragile and it HURTS ! Oh, look, isn't that strange, a bleeding cut all the way down one side and up the other. How did that happen ?

Git.

One day, I'll tell the whole story of Everything That Arsehole Did Wrong... But I think I have ranted enough for now...

Poor things,I feel sorry for you all,I really and honestly do.I hate wearing casts and! I hate inconsiderate doctors.And I'm a nurse and have to be around them 24/7!!

Ewwww!

I've never had the pleasure of wearing a cast - & I'm thankful! (Although I've been told on occasions that I'd have been better off breaking my ankle/wrist that strainning it - not so sure about that).

Glad to hear you're up and about again Spiky.

Wow my week of a little dressing over three stitches just palls into insignificance all of that lot... I changed the dressing everyday so it didn't smell but now everything is off and its just the top layer of skin to heal it itches like hell but still 1 week I'll get over it.

On the subject of injuries I went ice skating on Sunday and I only managed to fall once but I have a bruise on my right knee from it. I also have blisters in three different spots on my feet, one of which makes it painfull to walk. I even remembered to wear thick socks and I still got blisters.

But Kat, was your cast only on the lower half of your leg? MINE was from hip to toe. Ok, so mine may have been bigger, but I still think you've got me beat. I still remember the doctor expressly telling me, "Don't try scratching your leg by shoving something down the cast." I also vividly remember me jamming clothes hangers, long sticks, half my arm down the cast in order to alleviate the damned itching.

Yes it was the lower half only But still, it's not really a competition, it's as annoying for a week as it is for a month or more, it's a thing of the moment, once it's over, you just have the story to tell and make everyone go "Ewwww" ...

I'm back!

Greetings friends, after a rather lengthy absence I return to post on the boards once more! Shocking isn't it?

It's been an incredibly rough semester for me. Sophomore year has been brutally mauling me with sharp objects in the academic environment. I've had two absolutely terrible professors; one who makes the class much too difficult, and another who makes his class too easy, two jobs that keep me up late, a general outbreak of apathy when it comes to paying attention in class (the internet is my friend... as are webcomic archives). I may actually get a C or two for the first time in my college career -- and I'm okay with that!

In other areas of life, things couldn't be better. I've been playing D&D regularly with an awesome group of friends, I'm plotting my own campaign to start in January, and I'm helping a couple of friends with a complete mod overhaul of version 3.5. I've descended even further into nerdiness, something I'm quite proud of.

Some things have been really crappy. I've lost the time to work on my webcomic thanks to academics and complete exhaustion. I've been ill on a regular basis, sleep-deprived almost constantly, and I'm both anticipating and dreading my return to my parents house.

Overall, it's been a hell semester, but not all is lost. I've managed to catch the Hogfather miniseries (yay), held onto my boyfriend for over a year (more yay), designed a wonderful fantasy world I can't wait to drop my players into, and I'm ready to suck less at everything when the new semester rolls around. The comic will un-hiatus itself at some point during the winter break.

I'm also going to be back on here posting more regularly. Hooray!

::smile:: (hey, if anything, you can catch up on sleep while at your parents' house!)

Good luck Hex.

I just found out one of my favorite cousins is coming to see the show tomorrow. He's making a 2.5 hour trip with his wife and all four kids just to see it. I'm a little nervous, but not a lot. "It's a wonderful Life" is his all time favorite movie, and when he found out that I was in it he decided to take off work and come see it. I just hope that I don't mess up any more than I usually do.

We have a pretty good cast. Most of them are very good about being able to help you out in a pinch. The guy who plays Clarence the Angel has a terrible habit of jumping lines and skipping around the script, so it's never a dull moment with him on stage. I just wait until he gets quiet and then try to find out where we are and help him out. He's done the same for me several times too, so it all works out. The bad part is that this is usually in the opening scene, the good part is that we both know each other's lines pretty well.

Mary (the wife of George Bailey) got sick and started throwing up right before our first show Wednesday morning. I delivered some of her lines and then she came back on stage and we finished very well (I had several lines after that where we were face to face and all goo-goo eyed, so she had a very pleasant vomit breath. But hey, the show must go on. *barf* Sweety).

In the last four shows we had close to two thousand students in attendance. They were a great audience. I had a blast, but I almost made myself horse before the end of the second show on Wednesday. Got a cold last night, got a shot this morning, and now I feel great. I love modern medicine.

Redneck - You'll be fine - its the wee hiccups that can add to a play. Sounds as if it's going great.

If the worst happens - blame it on your cousin - 'I could feel your eyes boring into me', 'Your mental criticisms were actually audiable to me'! Of course as he is your favourite cousin, he would be quite understanding - take the mikey out of you, but understanding.

Hex - whats to dread about going back to your parents house?

Wait a minute - stupid question. They'll still treat you as a child and expect you to be adult about it. You're part of the funiture. If you don't like it - tough.

I had to move back in with my parents for about 6 months due to illness - they drove me round the bend... Never again! Independance what's that? Here's your apron strings - I don't want them.

Then again - going by your posts I'm a tad older than you, so probably found it difficult going back to theirs.

This weekend I'm helping mother get organized for Christmas, at their house. Mother phoned to say...

M: 'If you come down for say 10.30, well go to the nursing home for 11, then on to lunch, then into town...'

R: 'Er noooo. I will not be going into the mass heaving town centre shops at mid-day. I will not enter the overheated shops to face crazed shoppers and die of heat stroke'. (Tis my car, my arms that'll carry things, me that'll have to read things cause you can't be bothered to put your glasses on, me that'll get the headache..., me that'll say 'you're heading the wrong way).

M: 'I don't think it will be that busy...'

R: 'Sales have started, & a lot of folk have just been paid...'

M: 'Oh yes if I buy something I will get a free gift to the value of £20.00...

R: Thinks 'Oh great there's one more shop to the list...'

R: I will be down for 8.30, be ready...

M: Yes that's fine - we'll be able to park at the multi story - we get 4 hours free parking.

R: Thinks 'Shit - I expected to be home for 11.30'!

Alas, father is indisposed - damn shame! Nothing serious just a bug doing the rounds. (Dad & shopping can go one of two ways: allright or hellish).

Thinking optimistically - We'll have a good time once the necessary bit and pieces are done, probably find a few extra gifts:smile:.

Hello folks - ...long time with no reading of the boards - I can't even open this site up in work any more .. I used to be able to look at it but not log in and now I get menacing messages if I even attept it!!

I'm at my mums for the weekend n (grrrr... putting up the chiristmas tree - it's such a chore) so I thought I'd check out the boards on her computerand have a look around - you folks seem to be up to loads since I've last been here... marriages(Congratulations spiky!!), holidays ,acting (Brad you'll be OK!), and I'm sure loads of other things that I haven't got around to looking at yet!!

Anyway - hope that those of you have holidays around this time have a nice and relaxing time! - will hopefully be able to take better look around the boards over the coming weeks!

Today I Finally got my UCAS (Application to Uni) sent off*, I finally finished making christmas presants for my best friends** which is somthing i've been meaning to do for ages.
It was also the last day of term today so we had plenty of fun in all of my classes.

But by far the greatest thing to happen (possibly all year) today: I have a place to live after christmas! I got kicked out of my mums house a couple of months ago, i've been living with my dad but he's moving away at christmas. But I'm going to be living with a friend at his house a little way from where i am now. The rent is only £120 a month for my own room which is a great price. I'll be getting much more than that from college in variouse benefits by then (EMA, learners grant and such) so I'll easily be able to cover the costs. But the greatest thing is that i'll be staying with friends of (Roughly) my own age! I couldn't have asked for a better deal.

So what was going to be a rubbish christmas is now turning jolly. Also got invited to a bunch of parties today which is also great.

So merry christmas to all, its finally looking good again



* somthing i should have done months ago
** Scanned in the images for the front and back covers, now all i need to do is print them off

Hello to all! Seasons greetings and all that.

I am just in from the office night out. The last of the season.

I am trying to make sure this is legible as I'm as they say 'fissed as a part'!

Tried a shooter of absinthe - never again - I could feel the effects in my ears! Now Kola cubes - mmmmm...... delish - and I ain't talking 'bout the sweeties.

'twas not a bad night - but realistically expected more for the money paid.

Company was good that was the main thing. Didn't dance much - music all right not great - too far from dance floor. Talent - what talent?

Fortunately the greebo attached himself to my line manager! Tried to impress us gals with the helium balloon thingy. Try dressing up for a night out - hoody sweatshirts are so unimpressive.

And that is me until 4 January - when I will go back to a sh1t load of crap. 'Overtime - what's that? Did you have it in by the cut off date? No - eff off! I don't have a crystal ball, and certainly not a magic wand. Nope only guaranteed contractual hours. I ain't wonder woman'.

Met a few payees tonight - who love me - yeah right, how come you've never spoken up before?

As you may notice the festive spirit, is not with me - I didn't drink enough!

I'm in my wind down mode, and as I have no book on the go (have read men at arms before guards guards (or other way round - not sure)), you're being blessed with my rambles.

'Mazing that I could remember logins! I won't tell how long it took me to type this - or correct the typos! Ah fire fox with its little red line of dots - so helpful.

I was not looking forward to this night out - as the evening before did not go to plan. Instead of doing bit of housework, and getting stuff prepared, I took my neighbour out looking for a Christmas tree. Finished work at 4 pm, didn't get home till after 8 pm. Great.

I am getting royally p'd off with my neighbour, looking at me to help her out. I don't mind occasionally, but her daughter is only 4/5 miles down the road. Okay, so she works full time, she has her own life. Eh? I work full time, plus. I have or should have my own life, yet still see to my parents, grandparents - summit not right here! Bah hum bug. Especially when she produced the water works! Don't really know how to approach this, and its bugging me.

I do not want to hurt my neighbour's feelings, but she refuses to ask her daughter/son-in-law for help. For example, last Christmas daughter and son-in-law bought her a digi box. It is still not set up right. Reason - I did my best, but was lacking the right connection, and she refuses to let daughter and son-in-law set it up. Guess I'll end up sorting it, after buying said connections.

Well I've went from sort of jovial to downright depressing. Gonna annoy psycho budgieirate: (not good at whistling when drunk)!

I'll sign off now - have some more water - with out whisky, and turn in.

Rewr you don't want to hurt your neighbors feelings which is gallant and speaks well to your nature but you should consider the fact that your neighbor (in a fairly passive/aggressive manner [The Tears]) doesn't seem to be considering your feelings and needs with quite the same priority.
It is rotten when a night out that you have been looking forward to doesn't go as well as you would have liked - I particularity don't like work night's out as most people only have work in common and that is all thats discussed at these things (until everyone gets pissed and then it goes onto the whole 'I don't like...blah blah...do you know what he/she said about you...blah blah) in my experience anyhow.
Anyhow hope you cheer up a little for crimbo :smile: .

R.

Know what you mean R, that's why our office refuses to attend the department's night out. We find this way we often bump into other wee sections from the organization - who say they love us (doesn't quite fit in with the boos we get when the DJ introduces each group tho):lol:, and is generally a great night.

I had a rotten week all round, especially at work (we all did) - we are being forced to close for Christmas, and its mayhem. Basically I got fed up with receiving a load of attitude off folk, and gave it back, with a couple of home truths to one person in particular. I wasn't happy with that, even though it got the desired results. At least she started speaking to me the next day.

Christmas day will be quiet - just me, maw and paw. I have just heard that we may not be able to visit my grandmother in the nursing home, due to a nasty bug going round, so our plans are a bit up in the air. Boxing day will be better - we're visiting friends and I ain't driving! Or I could drive and pack my sleeping bag!

Psycho budgie tried to get her revenge this morning... ha ha no hangover, so she settled on just glaring at me. She'll be mad at me tomorrow as I'll be in and out like a yoyo, catching up with things, last minute santa drops etc. and getting to grips with that cows tail and giving it a damn good yank!

Monday I'll be battling against the hordes (elbows out)at the local supermarket getting the fresh fruit and veggies, (grab and run 'sorry that's mine'). Then mucking about in the kitchen with mum preparing as much as possible food wise (seems daft with it being only 3 of us this year, but tis tradition). Back home for a bit of chill time, before back to the parents, and a glass of traditional mulled wine, with traditional yeuch from me.

OMG(s) - just realized no home made Ginger wine:shock:. Catastrophe - I'll have to buy a bottle - just not the same. Where will I get the much needed sugar fix now?:lol:

Mum insists I stay over Christmas Eve. Normally I'd take the budgie with me, as some years it could be 2 or 3 days before I actually got home. But this year I think it's too cold for the transfer, she's not a young chick any more!

Rewr - Two days ago I made 4 Liters of ginger wine (YULE-ADE) after buying three bottles of the mixer from my local co-op (I always buy 2 bottles for my parents and 1 for me) and I have it chilling in my fridge. Its fantastic stuff when drank really cold as it is so spicy to the mouth I LOVE IT!!!!
It always reminds me of my maternal grandparents who both died when I was seven (and that was not yesterday) - I used to always get a little drink of it at their house at christmas time (suitably diluted with lemonade of course). It's great how taste or a smell can bring on such a solid recollection of a good memory.

BTW to anyone reading this who has never tasted the co-op's yule-ade ginger wine - it is non-alcoholic, very sugary and very spicy (and also comes in a less spicy blackcurrant variety too...).

I'm away to have a wee snort now... :redface:


R.

My grandmother always made Russian Tea. It's made with tang (the orange drink made famous by astronauts), cinnamon, and some other stuff. Every time I smell something like it I always get a feeling of Christmas. She would make a batch of it and then set it on the wood heater to keep it warm. It would smell throughout the whole house. I'm planning on making some this year, if I can find the ingredients list.

I am safely back home. The home wasn't as safe during my absence, the kitchen was missing a wall when I arrived.

I promise once I get some time for myself I will post entries and photos of what I did on my holidays, but right now the house still looks like a war zone (one of the radiators broke and floors and carpets are all soggy) and I have to do my part.

I feel for you Saccharissa, not a nice thing to happen at any time, but this close to Christmas - the gods are cruel.

R - think of me as you enjoy your ginger wine. Okay I got a bottle out the local supermarket - just not the same. One good point though - it's alcoholicirate:

One of my memories is that one year dad's mum(maysherestinpeace) (teetotal) decided to get a bit riskay, and add booze to the mix! A measure of sherry! Wow!

Things had been looking up, getting sorted, last minute Santa drops, gossip etc. Stopped by to see the parents to make sure they didn't need anything from local supermarket (which was my next stop), and a wee spanner in the works cropped up.

Mum is not well - nasty bug. Dad is a wee bit worried as she is skinny, and can't afford to lose weight. Actually that was his second concerned statement to me. The first was 'I'm not cooking Christmas dinner'.

Uh huh - do you mean that whilst mum is not well, we should hold off on the large sumptuous meal that we had planned?

Anyhoo dinner on Christmas day all sorted - I picked up a packet of bratwurst at the supermarket - yum.

There is still a ban on visitors at the nursing home, and our boxing day activities are likely to be cancelled.

Hopefully all will be well for New Year. If not it will be kill or cure time for mum - what's your poison m'dear! Brandy is meant to be good for stomach upsets.

Looks like I can spend as long as I like in my jammies on Christmas day and chill. That'll be a first for many years.

When I lived with my parents, and still had the mutt, part of my Christmas to my dad was to get up early and take the dog for his first walk of the day. Mum was normally up by time I got back and was quite happy, after wiping wet paws to send the daft mutt in to waken dad up. Yup cold coat, extra cold nose.... (snigger).

Anyway - hope the Hogfather is generous to you, and you all have a good Christmas...

Rewr

Speaking of the Hofather, he happens to be this year's christmas eve amusement on French TV. Unfortunately dubbed, but still, wooohoo !

Just wanted to wish everyone here a happy Hogswatch!

Oh no! I missed it! What channel was it on? Did they show it all or is it on again tonight?

Anyway, I hope that everyone has had/is having a wonderful day!

It was on 6, but late in the evening, not prime time. I don't think they'll be showing it again (until next christmas...)

Thank-you very much Katcal!
I'm not sure we get reception for the 6 anyway...

well I had a jolly old time this Christmas, it started early, we cleaned the plant Saturday and that afternoon I loaded up my car for the trip out to my mom and dad's, while I was inside I checked my phone messages and had an invitation to hang out with James, so I stopped at the launderette and watched the D&D session and played with Karla, the baby, a little. James even added my gnome wizard to the game at the end, I have 150 experience points now. Then Ben and James cooked up a plan to play Rockstar on Mike's xbox, I gave Mike a lift to the grocery store for frozen pizza and invited myself over to play, too. It was fun, I hope I can do it again sometime. We had two different bands, and two different avatars, I improved quite a bit during the night but I did start out awfully bad, just dreadful actually
Then I drove out with a veil of fresh snow on the road and bright if diffused moonlight, it was a little scary but I could drive as slow as I wanted at 1am. Sunday was a calm day for me, I just chilled out while my brothers, sister in law, neice and her boyfriend made meat sticks and polish sausages. Half deermeat and half hamburger. it isn't bad stuff.
Mom cooked a turkey yesterday but not many of the normal things to go with it. I guess I'll have to make my own turkey soon. we had to wait until my brother's family got back from his inlaws to open packages, the littles had the most, but Aaron and Amber gave me a nice holiday top and a basket of toiletries and some chocolate covered cherries, Carmen got a Bow case and a paper saying she has to choose her bow, as in bow hunting. It is one of the things she does with her Kevin. Kevin gave my brother a gift card fr a sporting goods store but he wrapped it in a box with a potato, it was the best delivery of the evening.
I gave the whole family a game called Life on the Farm, sort of in the style of Monopoly,but you buy cows and collect milk checks. it is fun and a little faster then Monopoly, especially if you start out with half the money and half the cows you need to "retire". I'll be taking it to Wednesday board gaming, eventually we are going to play it there.
Mom and I went to church with my sister in law, at the Catholic church in Two Inlets, It was a lovely service, but we found out one of our favorite people from that church passed away. She was a former nun who had been widowed twice, and never stopped her ministry in her own way. She had played the organ for sunday services but she didn't wake up Monday morning, Just about the last thing anyone was expecting, but you have to be glad when someone escapes the ususal death trauma.
So now I'm home, wondering if my cat is going to come home this time, and looking forward to sleeping in my own bed and going to work the repack for five days. with the paid holidays I'll even end up with a better then usual paycheck, if we don't run out of work like we did at eastertime last year.

Glad to hear you've had a great time.

It's been quiet here. Mum recovered well for Christmas day, unfortunately dearest uncle and his OH could not make it. And dad is now ill, the evening guests had to be put off.

Things were fine in the morning, all gifts were loved, even the daft ones. Saying that there wasn't many daft things this year. Mine was a pair of painted wellies - actually salt and pepper pots. Mum's was daft socks, and Dad's humorous ties. Very tame. Bit boring really when you think about it - but then we didn't:lol:

Dad, the ill-humoured grump didn't say anything about feeling unwell - just sat there getting gloomier and gloomier, with a face on. Mum is very angry with him, (there is more to it), and I'm not happy either.

The nursing home is still closed to visitors, and will probably remain so until Saturday, they make a great cup of tea or coffee - we always time our visits for elevenses - saves the staff having to make a tray up just for us. We check to see who's in charge when we go in, and if the right person is in, we just muck in where we can. Generally we just see to Auld Bet, and help clear the cups away. It depends on which residents are around us - if they're quite lucid etc we can pass them their tea and biscuits, and have a wee chat with them.

I don't know if my Granmother (Auld Bet) realizes, or is aware that Christmas Day has now passed. The home had to cancel the organized activities. Last time I visited she did not recognize me, until I told her 'tis I...'! I haven't changed my hair colour for a while - that may be the problem...

We still have her presents to take in. We don't want to hand them in at the door, just in case they don't get to her. I'm not saying that they would be stolen or anything - just that in the current situation the staff are rushed off their feet, and a few of the residents just pick things up, and put them down when they lose interest. Where they may be at that time is anyone's guess!

We are supposed to be visiting friends today (I shouldn't be here - should be slouched in a corner hiccuping away), so I appeared at parents all scrubbed up, bags clinking etc., and there's mum in her jeans doing laundry! Dad wisely keeping to his bed.

Managed to get mum out the house for a wee while - SALES...

Yes it was only for a short time - I bought a new camera. Still a Fuji, I don't want to have to buy new memory cards, the ones I have are XD, so that restricts me to either Fuji or Olympus.

I had a limited 'budget', its called best bargain for under £100. Was not too impressed with some of the reductions on offer. That poor lad in PC World, I think he was quite glad to pass us on to another clerk! '£5.00 off - that's not a sale...', 'is this all that's on sale?'

All sales people beware when I, my esteemed tutor in such matters, mum, are shopping for electrical goods and gadgets etc. irate:

Anyhoo - got a bargain - ex display, and still have a good chunk of budget left... oh what can I buy now...

Treated mum to lunch (not out of budget), before heading back.

New Year could be a wash out too - I'm tempted to tell my dad if he's still not well, that mum and I will be going out - they have tickets to the a party night and have already been paid for. We can be his first footers. Scottish custom, people visiting after the bells chime midnight. Different areas have different customs. The custom I follow is that the first footer is meant to bring a lump of coal for the fire, and their bottle to offer their hosts a drink. I tend to forget the coal and have an extra large bottle.

So a quieter time than expected...

Hope you all had a livelier time than I, or were grump-less (ho ho humbug)!

I'm off to do my laundry now:sad:

Tamyra, sorry about your friend from church ::hug::

Rewr, I know what you mean about having a high-maintenance friend. I have one, too, and used to get fairly boiled up inside every time she asked for a ride to some errand or other, just as we were sitting down to dinner. The only way to handle it (and not break off the friendship), was for me to turn the bitch-dial up a few notches, and say "yes" only if a) it was an actual emergency or b) I was totally free at the moment, and up for driving/socialilzing. It has worked, so far - we're still friends and no one's the worse for her having occasionally to ask someone else for a ride, or reschedule her errand altogether. :knocking on wood:

Aaaah, Christmas was fun. Three days of trying to clean both my house and my mothers, helping her create the finest masterpieces of confectionary goodness that won't be eaten because everyone is too full. Avoiding helping make the Christmas dinner because while I can bake, I cannot cook no matter how many times my mother tries to drag me kicking and screaming into the kitchen. And then running around and cleaning up after fourteen visitors in the morning, all of whom had to have at least one cup of tea and one soft drink, mash the cake into the floor and spread christmas joy, cheer and crumbs all over the house. Two hyper children who just have to jump off the fourth step on the stairs repeatedly and don't seem to be able to understand the meaning of the word no unless you back it up with a threat that will be carried out - like locking them out in the garden for three minutes. That then produces the screaming and the crying until you let them back in. They then behave for about five minutes. But that's five minutes of peace - as long as you don't count the screaming one year old in the corner who is crying because he's not allowed to disassemble the christmas tree. Then they leave...and it's peace for about six minutes until mom and sis have their annual Christmas argument in the kitchen which always culminates in sis storming out of the kitchen, slamming the door behind her. This year it happened in front of her new husband, but he is well used to her at this stage, so he joined us in ignoring the entire thing. Dinner is nice and quiet, and everyone retreats into their corners for the afternoon, leaving me to do the washing up (I don't mind, it gets me out of cooking)
For the evening, repeat the above except its at my Aunt's house and there is no dinner involved. And the children are there. The children...I don't want to talk about the...little angels any more. Just thinking about the hellions gives me a headache. They are the work of the devil. Ok, Sean is just a misguided little 4 year old being influenced by the devil incarnate - his 3 year old cousin. But still...growl...
But the next day was nice, and the youngest of my moms sisters arrived which was a surprise. She's just retired and is happy as a lark. I've never seen my mom laugh so hard or for so long which was really, really nice and made the entire fiasco of Christmas worthwhile.
So, now I'm back in my own house stuffing my mouth with Chocolate, wrapped in a blanket with a hot water bottle because my oil ran out and not one of the stupid oil delivery people are answering their phones.

sorry about the heat Mazekin, that is a bother, here it could be even deadly, I'm glad I have natural gas heat, as long as I pay the bill it keeps flowing into the house through the little pipe.
It is Connor's birthday party today, his birthday is actually tomorrow but his gramma and grampa had to go back home today, We are plannong on goingto a pot luck Bingo party for New Year's eve and I'm sure he'll be feted there too. I didn't get him anything this time, I will take him shopping sometime and let him get something he wants, he's big enough for that now, besides he had plenty of presents already.
My friend from church held three master's degrees, in thngs like english music and French, she was such a lovely person. I'm sure her reward has been great.
Ty and I are over, I found out he is just way more dramatic then I can stomach, I hope he has enough other stuff going on in his life to just let this be an end, from the infrequency of our communications I think that is likely. You have to work harder at maintaining a long distance relationship that you do one with someone you see frequently and I didn't feel either of us were doing the work we needed to do.
I'm going to go read Nanny Ogg's Cookbook and have some fun- Happy New Year every one

Thankfully, it's not deadly here. Just annoying. Especially since my blood pressure pills have messed with my circulation. Instead of being a person that could go out in snow wearing a T-shirt, now I have to wear two pairs of gloves in the hopes that my fingers will get warm.

Enjoy the cookbook! I lost mine, but it was a good chuckle while I had it!

Birthday wishes to Conner Tamyra, hope the birthday party went well.

Just re-read your previous post - sorry missed the bit about your friend. My thoughts are with you and your family.

Good to hear you're all having a good Christmas. The theme of HO HO Humbug is continuing for me!

My neighbour scratched at my door the other day - I thought someone was playing silly buggers, and opened the door with a scowl on my face (trying not to sneeze too)!

She has had a slight stroke. Her general mobility is good, however she is unable to speak or write, and her right hand grip is not too good. She understands most things. She is however still stubborn. I had to use the selfish/guilt card to be able to phone for help. Even then she would only allow me to phone her daughter. She has a deep fear of hospitals.

Her eyes are very expressive - I'm in the dog house!

The nursing home my granmother is in, is still closed to visitors, fortunately she is still well.

New year will not be happening for me - full of the cold. Mum & dad's new year plans are out the window too.

Sorry can't help it! Dad's having a bad hair day, week, for the month...:lol:

When mum was cutting his hair, the guard fell off the trimmer...

He now has a wide bald strip going down the right side of his head:lol:

I'm not allowed to take a photo:sad:

He wants to wait until there is a bit of growth before going to the barber. Says it better than having it all shaved off and having a white head.

He refused mum's offer of fake tan - I think her streaky orangey brown feet put him off.

I tried to make him feel better - said it could be worse... it could have been a 'go faster stripe', or he could be half bald, quarter bald, Garibaldi irate: I made a sharp exit then...

I have managed to go to some more sales though , and have got all I wanted - except cards for next year!

Anyhoo hope your new year festivities are good. I'll be sitting on me tod, watching crappy new year TV (why is it so shite?), annoying Psycho budgie (sad I know), waiting for midnight, then I'll run up my phone bill - my spirit (voice) will go where the body shall not.

It wasn't too scary, more worrying. All that was noticeable was that my neighbour could not say anything beyond 'I can't', 'I just want'. Her words were clear.

It was more frustrating trying to find out what was wrong, then trying to get the phone off her. I said I could either phone from her house or mine.

I did not know whether she had had a mental/nervous breakdown or something, as she has been very depressed, showing signs of anxiety and stress for quite a while, or if it was a stroke.

I am fortunate in an unfortunate way, that both my granmothers have suffered strokes - different symptoms both, and that in situations like this I often have a delayed reaction - I can get home, or to an area where I can collapse in a heap - that when the scare bit comes in!

Mother has been told, after various experiences with the Auld Dears, first sign it's a Nursing Home. I have however given her the option of being in the same home as dad or not!

Hopefully her daughter will phone me tonight with an update. There was no doctor available over the weekend at the hospital, but the nursing staff were pleased with her mobility.

I'm unable to visit due to my cold, but I think she'll still be glaring at me when I can eventually go and see her!

*lights jack-o-lantern*

hello! i haven't been on here for a while. Mainly down to lack of internet.

News: Me and Doors moved in together in November. I left behind my fellow posh Kent bitches, and moved to Glasgow. It's been great so far. After quite long enough living 500 miles apart, it's nice to no longer have a ticking countdown flashing in my head whenever we were together.

Now people can ring my parents again, and no longer be greeted with the engaged tone! hurrah!

I am enjoying Glasgow so far. We live right in the centre, which is brilliant. I'm so close to my new job that I can go home for lunch. It's dangerously good for shopping.

But! we are annoyingly close to a building site, on which works the rarest gang of builders the world has ever known. They start working at 7:30am, and continue till 6! they work Saturdays! I have NOT ONCE seen one of them sitting down drinking tea, or exposing a good slice of arse. I would applaud them, if they didn't wake me up every morning.

We are at my parents house for the festive period, but we did get the internet connected about 1 day before we left to come down here. This is good, because we're running out of stuff to watch on Dave (tv channel, not a person). We've seen every episode of Top Gear and Whose Line ever made. Twice. It'll be nice to have you lot to distract us again

Delphine! Sounds like you are in a very good place now, I'm glad for the both of you. and glad you will be back on the boards more, too.
The party was fine, Connor had a heap of presents, some had been meant to be Christmas presents but he'd so many then, both his folks and his great gramma kept a couple back. So now he's got enough loot to keep him going for a year or so. Gramma 'Nette made a cake with candy cars every where, delicious. I think I've eaten at least three half cars and maybe a whole one.
Rewr, my Goodness, I think you're amazing! Be good to yourself,it sounds like there are a lot of people counting on you, you have to be strong to say no once in a while, but it is worth it.
My cold is getting a little worse, I've had it three days now and it doesn't seem to be doing anything but getting worse, so I'm going home tonight, for to get at least three nights in my own bed before I have to go back to work. If I manage to go to Matt and Scott's kegger, too, well all the better.

Hey I love Glasgow - in wee doses. I'm a small town girl at heart. As you say dangerous for shopping, also damned good for night life.

Tamyra - you're being too generous. You would do the same in a similar situation. As I said I was fortunate to have some experience, by helping my mum help hers etc. However saying that - next time I'm just wrestling the phone off her and dialling for an ambulance - her daughter could tell me that by going through NHS 24 call centre it took about 7 hours to get her in to hospital. You learn as you go.

Re your cold - try taking echinacea, it helps boost the immune system, and a vitamin/mineral supplement. If its not available at a chemist, try a health food/alternative therapy shop.

What's a kegger?

A kegger is a party where the beer comes out of a keg. But if they had a keg it was still in Matt's truck when his wife got pulled over for no headlights, and what with that and some other trouble she had, it stayed in the custody of the police, she got out but not the truck, so they bought canned beer and Rootbeer schnapps and made the best of it.
We ended up playing Rock band again, and since I stayed sober, I got to take Erica to the emergency room because she was coughing so bad. I thinl I have the same cold, so I'm missing D&D and need to go to sleep again
PS I'm taking fenugreek for the cold, it does help when I remember to take it.

Hope your friends get their truck back soon - and the keg too!

And hope that you and Erica are feeling better soon.

I too have a nasty cold, and am staying sober too:sad:. I'll give fenugreek a go. Could be I need a break from echinacea. Parents and I had our Christmas dinner today! I couldn't manage it all. Even left part of my chocolate pud.:shock:

I desperately want to be fit for starting work on the 3rd, have over a weeks work to get done in two days! So I'll be recruiting from the other sections in the office, and half the staff will still be on holiday! I will harass the bosses, to see if they can delay the processing for another half day, it's either that or I give them some of the input!:lol: or is it

Congratulations on the move Ella.

I'm just back at work to find that a power cut over Christmas buggered up the heating system. It's been about 16C all day. Just about bearable if you're moving around but you're hands get really cold. I've resorted to filling a bottle with hot water to carry around and keep my hands warm.

Hopefully it's getting fixed now as there's only one person who knows how to fix it and he's been concentrating on sorting out the High Bay's heating first as it was non existant and we did at least have some heating.

Weeee! - Congrats on the move, Ella (and Doors!) :smile: Congrats on getting re-Internetted, too.

Hope all the sick people got better, and all the cold people got warmer!

Happy New Year everyone!

Delphine and Doors, CONGRATULATIONS! Granted, I had seen that coming since the very first time I attended an OctoberCon, but it's still great to know it finally happened!

Now my news.

I got accepted as an observer in the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, so I am returning to America. I will stay there at least up till May and this time I will make sure I have a computer with me. I missed terribly everyone not on the East Coast.

Brad, Inna, anything you'd like me to bring over from Greece?

I opened my curtains this morning to find...drumroll...SNOW!! I'm like a little child. Or at least, I was until I found out that two of my friends from work have had accidents and our building has no heating. Hopefully they will send us home. I doubt it though. It took them nearly six hours to send us home when the water was turned off. It's probably the first fall of snow we have had in about two years. Literally. Not even slush. Which likes to pretend it is snow but it's lying. Why the heck didn't this happen last week when I wasn't at work!

And now the snow is gone. Stupid rain. No snowballs, no getting let out of work early. Shoot!

Hurrah! It's snowing here too...

Bonnie doesn't really know what to make of it as she has never seen snow before and we had great fun jumping through it this morning.

R.