The all new Chatbox!

[ZIZI]

Gem, we go on Friday morning. We will get bus to Terminal 5 which is ten minute walk and five minute free bus ride. Get a National Express coach to Gatwick so will leave home around 6.30. Flight leaves at 10.35am. We are confirmed but not upgraded to business yet. We always have been before but if we aren’t it is not the worst thing in the world to travel in economy after all return tickets for £240 is nothing at all is it? Business class is nice though, you get on, sit down and the cabin crew ask if you would like champagne or orange juice, well you have to go for the champers don’t you? Well unless you are Oma who would get drunk just smelling it, I will have yours!!!

I was in town today at a meeting, my goodness it was cold. It wouldn’t have mattered so much except the bus route back to my house from the tube station had THREE buses on the trot cancelled. Meeting was OK, social enterprise we will be working with is confident however I have some misgivings, I won’t say what they are but suffice to say I think they may be too much of a social enterprise which probably doesn’t make sense to some people but I know what I mean.....

Back up up in town tomorrow for a work related learning event, only 12 kids so it should be relatively easy. I feel exceptionally tired and am looking forward to doing not a lot. Wednesday I am working from home and rushing around a bit as we haven’t got our dollars yet, have to go to take Ben’s birthday cake and present over (11 on Saturday) and various other things have to be done including changing the bed linen althiugh I don’t think I will be able to get it dry before we go. Thursday is a manic day as there will be two collections by couriers, one is the wall mounted fire that was ordered and cancelled and now five weeks later they are just collecting between 7am and 7pm and the other a rather lovely chrome curtain pole which came with the new blinds but wasn’t for us. The company has said if it isn’t collected give it to charity or do what we want with it. Then I have a 1-2-1 with my line manager and various other things to do before I sign off which I am going to be cheeky and sign off at 3pm.

My bit of the packing is done including all toiletries, washing, washing up and cleaning stuff, clothes etc. He has asked if there is room for his stuff so I pointed out all of the stuff I have packed which isn’t actually mine but will make things easier when we get there! Only four sleeps.

[Nanto2girls]

Oma, hope GS is feeling a bit better.
Qwerty, hope things perk up for you soon.
Plant, hope your GD enjoyed her first day in her new job.

[Plantaholic]

My GD came in to see me as soon as she got back, her mother was out, she was very tired, they put her on the tills, she has been used to till work in her previous job but not huge quantities of grocery. Some of the day she was on the till in the cafe, she had been told she would be on the fish/meat counter. As most of you know her first love are horses and most other animals and had been working, since she got her qualification to work with farm animals, at a place that sold chickens, rabbits and birds etc etc, they also had a livery attached but she had become a bit bored as she was mainly in the shop and felt she needed a change. I think they will miss her as they don't seem able to keep staff, she said goodbye to the goats and left. I do hope she has made the right move, the shift pattern is a bit killing, early mornings and late nights.

[Nana]

Wow you've all been busy. Enfys I'm so pleased to hear your good news. Happy hosehold at yours tomoro.🤗

[Plantaholic]

Enfys, so pleased your OH has had the stent inserted and is feeling better. Lovely to have your DD and DS to give you support.

Hope you get your upgrade Zizi, I expect you can't wait.

[Daisy]

Enfys - I'm so pleased to hear they've put the stent in and your OH can go home tomorrow. You will bother feel so much better then, and you will have the rest of the day with DS as well. You've got a lovely family.

Gem - I sympathise, but I think I am the elderly! Felt really tired this afternoon for no particular reason. Both GDs were tired and a bit tearful today. I went to pick GD1 up from DS2's shop - they had to go and get their car back from the garage, so I gave the girls their tea and had just got GD2 in the bath when they got home. Then I got home and realised I'd have to cook the chicken breasts that were sitting in the fridge or throw them away - so I did them in tinfoil with herbs and seasoning, plus jacket potatoes and veggies, so we ended up eating dinner at 8.30, which is a bit late when I've got to get up at 6.30 tomorrow. I sometimes wish I was more of a morning person!

Mimi - the price of shoe repairs is shocking. OH didn't believe me until he took his favourite pair of smart leather shoes in for new soles!

Oma - fingers crossed your MIL will still love the boots tomorrow!

Qwerty - you sound really fed up and down in the dumps. It's hard when hyou're busy with the LOs, and your OH is feeling low - it doesn't give you much support - but we're here to cheer you up! Have you got time/energy to treat yourself to a lovely relaxing bubble bath tonight? Big hugs. xx

WG - what a lovely day for you - and well earned. It's nice to know your donkey is so popular even if you don't want to clone him over and over again. I'm beyond impressed about organising food for New Year. As you know I haven't started to think about the earlier December event yet! Well done to your DS on assembling all that flat pack furniture. He must have a lot of patience and skill.

Plant - I do hope your GD has enjoyed her first day. A blue plaster will make her look like a long-standing member of staff!

There's a helicopter going over here so low the house is vibrating!

[ZIZI]

Daisy I was in town today and got off at Green Park (this is sort of halfway between Piccadilly and the palace and nearly opposite the Ritz) there is a shoe repair shop there in the station, the prices are horrendous. Soles £21.99, soles and heels for men’s shoes £37, ladies heels “only” £31. I suppose they have a captive market and a lot of the people going through there spend a lot on their shoes, I know I have some which are expensive (sadly rarely worn now) so I suppose dropping them off on the way to work and paying extra to pick them up on the way back is a solution.

You know how close we live to the airport so we are used to heli-vibration especially when Bruddy American presidents are visiting

[Nana]

When we get hellicopters flying over our house at night it's usually a police hellicopter looking for naughty folk. Hope that's not the case for you Daisy.

I wanted to look at posts from when GRU began ... how do I do it please?

[Mimi]

Good morning everyone.

Enfys it’s good to hear that OH has had a stent and it was successful and he is coming home today.

Plant your GD will soon settle into her new job , it just takes a bit of adjusting, the young are good at new challenges, not like older people can become set in their ways . Hope that doesn’t happen to us when we become old 😉

Zizi hope you get your upgrade.

Qwerty hope things are better soon ,sending you hugs

We live near the SAS head quarters and just before the Falklands war, helicopters practiced flying low over our houses. I swear we could have waved to the pilot in the cockpit. Also where I used to work was just down the road from the hospital so the air ambulance used to come in very low over the building. If we were upstairs in the tea room the cups and plates would rattle!

Judging by the prices you have quoted I don’t feel too bad about the amount I was charged for a pair of boots and a pair of shoes to have new heels and soles. Can’t remember the exact price but I know it was just over £40 .

Im not sure what I am going to do today at the moment but I’m certain I will be busy as usual. Have a nice day everyone

[Nanto2girls]

Cold again this morning,but i don't think it's frosty.

Enfys, so pleased hubby is feeling better and coming home today.

Used the last of the steak pies from the freezer yesterday, so meat and onion going in the slow cooker.
Will make the pastry tomorrow and get them in the freezer.

Grocery shopping being delivered between 9 and 10 this morning, and it's a big order.

[Gemini]

Good morning Nan2, and everyone.

Not sure how cold is it as I'm still warm in bed with a cuppa.
I have a library Friends meeting at 9.30. Now I am secretary and take the minutes, I have to be very organised !
I am then meeting DD2 and GS2 at a soft play place. I will go back to theirs when GS has his afternoon nap, and from there to collect GS1 from school (4 miles down the road)
Back here with him this week, which means I avoid that awful drive in the dark this week!

Have a good day everyone. I hope all poorly people and those feeling low soon feel better.

[Enfys]

Good morning. Looks a bit dreary here and feels cold. Poor DS has felt the cold these last few days, he will be glad to get back to the Aussie sunshine.

Waiting to hear about DH coming home today, then hopefully we can get back to normality before the next instalment. It will be good to have some breathing space, my stress levels have been sky high this week.

But all is well, we’ve had a lovely visit from DS and it’s all gone smoothly, what more can we ask for. Have a good day everyone 🌞

[Gemini]

I hope he is home today Enfys. I understand about those stress levels. It can leave you feeling very tired and out of sorts, so be kind to yourself xx

[Nana]

Morning all. Just waiting for my eye appointment with the consultant. Just when you thought it was safe to go into the water👀

Enfys. Enjoy having your OH home today.x

[Oma]

Morning ladies feeling a bit off this morning didn't sleep and getting a cold doesn't help but otherwise I'm fine
Just had my sewing machine out ,the PJ's I bought yesterday were so long in the legs and arms I had to sort them , put one pair on last night almost killed myself tripping over the legs ,
The arms were turned up but kept slipping down ,
Took me ages to thread the needle even with my glasses on , now I remember why I don't use it now ,

BIL's Sister at the Freeman's today seeing consultant and having scans , the stomach Cancer hasn't spread as far as they know so that's a bonus , just need to know what the plan is now ,

B is sorting the food cupboard out and the Dog is helping just in case there are any nice tit bits for him
Have a good day ladies
Gem enjoy time at soft play
Enfys fingers crossed he gets home today ,
Nana good luck
Nanto can we come to yours for tea tomorrow
Mimi whatever you do make sure its fun xx