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Lindsay wrote: "Evening all,Sorry it has been so long. Feeles like a month or two and is actually been a couple of years!
Hope everyone is well"
welcome back, it's a bit quieter than it used to be, but I suspect as people drift in, conversations will happen :-)
Evening, that was a long day, woke up at 5, think I got another 20 mins about 9am. Took sis and the kids here for niece's birthday https://www.eureka.org.uk/ my sis was disappointed it wasn't as good as she remembered, so she no longer wants to go for her birthday! We had to drive past the reservoir that was low enough to see the old bridge, so we stopped and had a look, it is higher than when we went on the day of the Queen's funeral, but still very low. Tried to find caffeine for my sis afterwards and managed to come home with a pair of slippers, I've been looking for a pair for a while, so that was a bonus. I was supposed to go to Lidl on the way back for food, I called in for enough for tomorrow and will go back on Mon, good job as they had a lot of bare shelves.
What seems to have changed? Or is it not well maintained? Sounds like a fun place otherwise.There were several children's museums/please touch places in Philadelphia we took our kids - as along as we could keep an eye on every one of the little ones (always the scary part), they all had a good time.
We're big science people, so places where the science is made easy were great favorites. When we got our annual memberships, we always loved the list of sister-places we could visit while on a vacation, and probably saw 90% of the kids' science museums in the States over all our trips.
Alicia wrote: "What seems to have changed? Or is it not well maintained? Sounds like a fun place otherwise.There were several children's museums/please touch places in Philadelphia we took our kids - as along a..."
I'm not sure if it's 'it was amazing as a kid and as an adult it isn't as much fun' or 'I loved this as a kid, but now I'm the adult in charge of the children, so it isn't as much fun', but ironically not much has changed. I think it also didn't help that one kid is 3 and one is 9, nearly 10, so what entertained one was boring for the other, but if my nephew wandered off to look at something, my niece would stop what she was doing to follow him.
They do tend to have a narrow age range in those places.When my kids were little, they were all within a 6 years range, so it wasn't a problem; the real problem was that I already had ME/CFS and no energy, and keeping track of them was tricky if the husband wasn't along.
Evening, not a bad day at work, had to leave on time as we need to do some over night maintenance which started at home time. Unfortunately it doesn't finish till 9am and I was going to start at 8, but I have saved some work from today that I can do tomorrow, and got 80 e-mails to clear. More rain today, which we need
If you have any excess rain, send it to California; we could use some.
Evening, I didn't really notice the partial solar eclipse this morning, the sun was behind our building, so it just went cloudy for a while. Still didn't get through enough work, really hoping I can tomorrow, as we are closed on Friday for a wellbeing day and I'm only in 2 days next week and agreed to help someone then! Then had to help ratty neighbour after work as she's hurt her back and struggling to do things. Sadly we don't have any to spare Alicia, looking at the local reservoirs, we might not get back to normal water levels this year, unless we have a very wet Nov and Dec. We have lots of grass where there should be water though!
We haven't gotten to where we can actually terraform the planet the way we want to; we're doing it now by the cumulative decisions of over 7 billion people, and it isn't pretty - a lot of short term decisions have added up to long term problems.That's why it strikes me as funny when people in SF novels work to terraform a planet and make it inhabitable. It takes eons, and then a relatively short time to mess it all up.
Yes, terra forming is toughThe problem with planets is that we've not been studying this one for long, we've picked up a lot of bits and bobs about the past, but we're still not sure exactly what causes what, and there will be causes outside, apparently we pass through dust occasionally that cools etc. So we're trying to steer something which is controlled by a lot of variables, many of which we're not entirely sure of :-)
I didn't realize (brain fog) - should have, from your description of things becoming uncovered in the waterways. Just because it's blustery and wet doesn't mean you're getting sufficient water, either.
Evening, another frustrating day where I did lots of work, but all things people asked for today, and not my ever increasing list! Mainly dry and windy, although we have had a bit of rain, literally 5 mins after I got back from a canal walk! It is nice seeing autumnal colours, and my latest thing to look out for is mushrooms!Yes, sadly not terraforming - although slightly ironic as some of what we are seeing because of the water levels being so low is part of the villages that were destroyed to create these reservoirs. I was surprised at how quickly what is normally underwater went green and lush, clearly that mud is very nutrient rich. I'll post a pic of the bridge again over the weekend and might even get up there to recreate a pic I took last year to show just how much more water we need.
Too many variables is right, Jim - and terraforming areas with humans risks those humans, so we're having less and less success with the pure versions, because most areas on the planet have inhabitants.Looking forward to you bridge pic, Desley.
Evening, I actually got woken by my alarm today, not sure when that last happened (even though I set it every day just in case!). Apart from a couple of frustrating points, it was a quiet day at work, so managed to catch up a little bit. Very wet this morning, but dried off at lunch, so me and friend got out for a walk, she's booked a spa evening next week for my birthday, so I had to buy a new swimming costume, but got a nice purple one for £7 in the sale. Also got invited to a bottomless brunch in Dec for a 40th, that sounds cool. After work I was tidying for the cleaner coming tomorrow when ratty neighbour asked me to help her with something as she's hurt her back, so I said I'd do it while the washing up was soaking, but I couldn't stay long, I did find myself getting a bit short with her as she was telling me how good the new rat bedding is, I was just thinking 'this is my precious reading time!'
With me it would be my precious writing time, but the principle's the same. Hope you still got most of it.
Evening, we had our away day today about wellbeing and resilience. Lot better than I expected, it was mainly sitting listening to people talking, but there was a bit of interaction, done anonymously through an app, we only saw results. It was interesting hearing some colleagues open up about issues they've faced in life, and think they are very brave to do that in front of the entire company. Lovely venue too, although a bit light on refreshments!Sadly not Alicia, didn't get to finish my book till today.
Light on refreshments seems counterproductive when you have people captive!
That's what struck me as well Alicia. Given the cost of these events, making sure there is an adequate supply of tea and coffee etc, is hardly going to break the bank. Most places even have an option of various herbal tea bags as well.
It was the kind of venue where someone poured you a drink (tea and coffee only, as it had been made in flasks), but in those tiny cups where you only get a mouthful or two, and hot drinks were only before the event and morning break, at lunch the staff were serving food, so only orange juice and water then. No afternoon break, so other than that, it was just water on the table.
Hope you mentioned that in your feedback. They need people to look forward to next time - not write notes to themselves to pack granola bars and small drink bottles.
Evening, had a lazy start to the day, Lucy just wanted to lie on me and I had no plans and it was cozy lying in bed with the heated blanket on, so I made her get up long enough for me to get a second cup of tea, then we watched more TV. Had to see ratty neighbour after lunch, as her back is still bad, then settled down to watch Hocus Pocus, friend rang 20 mins in asking if I wanted to go shopping with her, I said yes (ironically, I expected her to ring while I was watching it!), as I needed a couple of bits, I ended up with the things I needed, a couple of potential work dresses (even if she persuaded me that the animal print dress was nicer than the purple dress I liked), and some naughty things like chocolate squirty cream to make next level mochas (even if I forgot the vegi marshmallows) and some blonde irish cream (caramel and vanilla), so glad I went. I also got round to reading a leaflet we got yesterday, one section said that we should work towards creating a wellbeing bubble to help cope, when I read through the list, a lot of it was things I've spent the last 12 months (since neighbour fell out with me) doing, and why I think I feel happier, and more loved, since then. It's things like spending time with people who make you feel good, getting exercise, getting fresh air, and my favourite - read more and listen to music! the only thing on the list that was an aim that I've not managed is eating well, I'm still working on that, and while get quality sleep sounds fantastic, I think my issues are health driven, so not something I can really do something about, although I do know certain triggers (I'm rather odd, things like reading don't help me sleep, but watching TV and playing games in bed does!)
It is frustrating sometimes when people blithely write about all the things you should be doing - if you can't do them. Can't, not won't.I would love to do some of the things listed again - but have a very long haul waiting for maybe something useful to come out of the long covid research that might benefit people with other post-viral syndromes like ME. My husband warns me not to get my hopes up, as the horizon for results from research is more like 5-10 years than anything faster.
At least I have my writing - the books are a big satisfaction, if produced awfully slowly. Even that would be faster if health problems weren't in the way.
Hope they find something faster for the lc people - but it would be nice to get a little something for those of us who have been ill decades longer. We pay taxes, too.
Take a few extra steps for me. I'll pay you back when I can. :)
Good evening!We are still waiting for the joiner to come back to finish the utility room/downstairs toilet. Just the bits like the skirting boards and worktop edging which he didn't finish before he went on holiday. So the room is usable, but I've not put things into the cupboards yet.
Next job is to sort the third bedroom into an office/craftroom.
The kittens are growing, Bradley is the more nervous while Barney is more affectionate and adventurous. He likes to jump and sit on the top of the wall units. They both like to ride on the stairlift.
I'm enjoying my exercise classes, I had to cancel one this week though. Not because I dropped a pan on my foot and have a beautiful bruise but because Mum was unwell and I had to collect her early from daycare. Happily she was OK later in the day.
My brother and sister in law were here today so I made soup to show off my soup maker. We have about eight or nine different varieties in the freezer that we've made over the last couple of weeks. Then while my brother was at the football we went shopping, I need new boots as mine are dropping to pieces. Despite the bruised foot I found some that fit and felt comfortable.
S-i-l works in a nursery and she found a book that she liked, Mum also got a book which she will probably read herself but is meant for her great grandaughter. It is a series that I remember reading, so we started discussing which ones we read, s-i-l is 10 years younger than me but we remember a few of the same books. I remembered a couple of series that I had read that she hadn't heard of, mum only remembered one of them. I looked up which books would have been popular in the 1960s and I don't remember reading any of them!!!
Jay-me (Janet) wrote: "Good evening!We are still waiting for the joiner to come back to finish the utility room/downstairs toilet. Just the bits like the skirting boards and worktop edging which he didn't finish before..."
It's amazing how long a bruise on a foot can last.
Hope you get your bathroom finished soon - irritating to have to wait to put things away.
Evening, woke up at what I thought was 7am, till I went downstairs and realised the digital alarm clock in the bedroom needs changing manually! At least I got to finish the film I started yesterday and 2 episodes for my TV challenge! Made a birthday cake ruby choc mocha and topped it with my chocolate cream, unfortunately that dissolves really quickly. Went for a walk this pm with friend, as today is also the first day of my walking challenge, so starting well! We went to one of the graveyards and came across a black cat sat on a gravestone - turns out he likes to go for a walk when his owner takes the dogs out! Saw some cool houses with Halloween decorations, and discovered a few things we've never noticed before. Just had a bath, then need to finish my Halloween nails, but will have tea first. Bridge in August: https://www.goodreads.com/photo/group...
Bridge in Oct: https://www.goodreads.com/photo/group...
I can't find pics of that part of the reservoir in normal times (it's quite boring, the view from the dam on the other side is much better!), but I'm sure the water is up to the mud level - friend is more pessimistic than me, she doesn't think it can get back up to normal levels this year :(
Well there was a list Alicia, and it was just suggestions of things that would help.
Glad to hear from you Janet, glad the kittens are doing well, and hopefully the DIY will get finished soon and you can get everything put away.
Those photos of the bridge are frightening.
They are Alicia, for me the novelty we had in the summer of being excited to see something normally covered by water has been replaced by 'when will it go back to normal' I believe they did have to do some engineering works to fix something
Desley (Cat fosterer) wrote: "It's things like spending time with people who make you feel good, getting exercise, getting fresh air, and my favourite - read more and listen to music! the only thing on the list that was an aim that I've not managed is eating well, ..."Oh I don't know, "chocolate squirty cream to make next level mochas" strikes me as a step in the right direction :-)
Jay-me (Janet) wrote: "I looked up which books would have been popular in the 1960s and I don't remember reading any of them!!!..."Yes, I remembering reading the Bobbsey twins back in the early 60s, a friend of my mother was teaching in the US and brought books back for me for Christmas
Alicia wrote: "Those photos of the bridge are frightening."The drought has been very regional.
This was taken in August and as you can see the west and north weren't too bad. Indeed a lot of photos they used in the media didn't show the North or West, because that made things look less bad
https://www.goodreads.com/photo/group...
The south and east did have a worse than usual summer for rainfall but the really usual part is how badly the south west was hit
Evening, not a good start to the day, we had some more upgrades over the weekend and no one could get on the system first thing, I eventually got access but couldn't save anything, so think the first 1.5 hours were a wash out! Luckily the rest of the day was quiet, so even with asking people how they found Fri, I got a lot of the to do list sorted. Got a walk at lunch, which was good as sunset was while I was driving home, so will have to swap my routine to get my step count in during the week - or find some road walks. Was chuffed that a colleague had two conversations telling me I'd inspired him to try some walks. Must post pics of my Halloween nails too. Thanks Jim, but I'm aiming for more fresh food and a better time to eat than this! That's interesting as my part of the north west does seem worse than usual, although that bridge is actually in West Yorkshire - it's either 2018 or 2019 since it was last dry enough to see that bridge. Canal is fine though, but I was told it has to be at a certain level to keep the locks functional.
Desley (Cat fosterer) wrote: "Evening, not a good start to the day, we had some more upgrades over the weekend and no one could get on the system first thing, I eventually got access but couldn't save anything, so think the fir..."yes canals have to be carefully managed. So that's probably why they've kept the levels up
Evening all, another quiet day at work, so more of to do list sorted, which I'm pleased about as I'm not in the rest of the week. Been quite wet again, but it stayed dry for a couple of hours at lunch, so went for a walk with colleague. Then was a bit of rush after work, had to go and pick up my swimming costume, do something for ratty neighbour, then a couple of chores so I don't have to do them tomorrow.
Evening, apart from a 5.30 wake up, it's been a nice birthday, even if it didn't go as planned, I wanted to be out early to see if I could see wildlife and have breakfast, but I forgot about a delivery! By the time it arrived I was too late for breakfast, popped in the candle shop to ask about their hol and was there longer than planned, so had to do a quick canal walk as I needed milk and stuff and it was supposed to rain at 2 - I was just round the corner from my house when it started raining! Then ratty neighbour popped in, I felt a bit bad on her, she'd offered to take me to the coffee shop but I said no, so she got me a blondie and a brownie, so then I had to tell her I didn't want that for my birthday, I wanted proper cake, and she managed to get one of the few blondie flavours I can't stand, luckily she'd got me the vegan one so she took that back, and I had to accept the brownie, at least I can eat them, it's just not what I enjoy.
Happy Birthday!Hope you get CAKE. When you want it, something else just won't do.
I decided long ago not to let anyone ruin my birthdays - I get myself what I want if it doesn't seem forthcoming. I know they love me, but sometimes they have cobwebs in the brain.
When we lived in New Jersey, I always organized my own birthday picnic, and invited the people I wanted to see - seemed to work. It was potluck, but we provided setting, the cake, a main dish, and drinks, and it always worked out with what other people brought.
If I'd waited for someone else to do it, it wouldn't have happened.
Thanks Alicia. I haven't actually bought myself a birthday present, but have bought myself a Christmas present! Fri is the main birthday treat
Evening, luckily the weather stayed dry today for my shopping trip. Still struggling to find some PJ's I like, I did look at getting mix and match rather than a set, but they were more expensive. Also treated myself to some toffee popcorn white hot choc, better start drinking more, that's 3 tubs now! We ended up at subway for lunch as the first place was out of gluten free options, and I got my cake! Did takeaway so Lucy wouldn't miss out. We got back and went looking for curtains, but all the ones I liked were too long, so will see how much it will cost to have them shortened, then nipped to candle shop for a drink. I've also been naughty and gone to the takeaway for cheesy chips, I kept thinking about them so thought I should do it, I didn't get a proper treat yesterday, plus I've done over 14.6k steps.
You definitely earned ANYTHING you feel like eating, in any combination (cheesy chips with white hot chocolate - yum!)
sounds like you're getting a nice balance in life Desley :-)
Thanks guys, better keep the walking up to compensate for all these treats - I'm spending some of my birthday money on the festive irish cream flavours, even though friend did ask yesterday if I needed more alcohol - no I don't, but these only come out once a year and only one of them is the same as last year
I hope so Alicia - I've got blonde (caramel and vanilla), chocolate and hazelnut (supposed to taste like Quality Street purple one), chocolate and clementine and white chocolate (which I've had before, but it's really hard to get hold of, so I got that as soon as I saw it, the other year between 3 of us we tried 4 stores and couldn't get it!). Now just need to finish the bottle of red velvet I opened in Aug!
You are wise to grab them when you see them - so many times that might be the only chance you get.
Evening, yesterday was nice. Lovely day, so I raced round shopping so I could go for a walk, and got most of a washload dry, latest I've ever pegged washing out, but will try it for the full winter. Then we went to the spa for a 5-10pm session, they have some good facilities, my favourite was a thermal suite which has a heated infinity pool overlooking the woods behind the hotel, and they had the door open last night, so you got a gentle breeze while you were in warm water. Our treatment was a 7.30, so we got a couple of hours beforehand, I didn't like the treatment though - it's a rasul mud treatment, you put mud on yourself, then sit in a steamy room for 20 mins (although I couldn't manage that long), you were supposed to then have the room cooled and sit and relax, but we skipped that bit! Sadly there was no relaxation room, so after having a drink we just lounged by the pool for a bit. Weather has been rubbish today, so a good excuse to stay in and do chores, sadly the rain stopped at 5, so fireworks have been going off since 5.15, luckily only Chanel seems bothered by them. Yes, that is something I've learnt with limited edition/seasonal items, if you don't snap them up when you see them, you might not see them again.
That's true, about seasonal items. I loved the Costa salt caramel brownie, the one they have now isn't a patch on the one they had some years ago and dropped :-(
Evening, rather a frustrating day - eye has felt dry since we went to the spa, and friend said the same yesterday, but woke up today and had cloudy vision, so rang the hospital when they opened and they got me in this morning. unfortunately it was a newly trained doctor who had to keep asking advice, so my app was at 10.40 and I got in about 12.10! At least I was able to convince him to do the slightly longer titration that works better for me, and he seemed quite pleased when I helped him with timing for a follow up! He did say they both still look dry, so need to keep up with the dry eye drops as well, but you have to leave a gap between drops, so that'll be fun! Then there was a 30 min wait at the chemist, so a lot of time to make up this week, especially as I went on the bus as didn't feel like I should drive. I also had IT issues, so my usual Mon am task didn't get done till pm. Lucy did cheer me up this pm, I went in the bathroom to put eye drops in and thought the towel didn't look like I'd left it - went to straighten it and she raced out chirruping, like it was a game of hide and seek!! Was 1.5k steps off my step count, so decided to go the long way to the shop to look for reduced food, big mistake, I forget how drained I feel with iritis, prob doesn't help that you don't really relax when you are getting up every hour for drops, I wanted to go to sleep as soon as I got back! Doesn't help that I've not had my usual amount of food and drink todayI'm not a fan of brownies Jim, but love blondies - I didn't actually end up finishing the one ratty neighbour bought me, was supposed to be praline, but didn't get much nutty flavour.
Sorry you have to educate young doctors.Now that I'm past retirement age, doctors seem to be getting younger every visit. My surgeon at Stanford couldn't have been much past 30!
How irritating that you're dealing with the eyes - again! But at least you recognized the problem and got right in so it should be better soon.
It did work in my favour Alicia, he didn't follow the same treatment regime as last time which didn't work, and went for a slightly longer one that does work. I am frustrated having to deal with it again so soon, so I have asked them to contact rheumatology for me, see if they want to do anything with my medication (although dreading if that brings up the 'let's change your med's conversation)
Desley (Cat fosterer) wrote: "Evening, luckily the weather stayed dry today for my shopping trip. Still struggling to find some PJ's I like, I did look at getting mix and match rather than a set, but they were more expensive. A..."Sainsburys are doing some nice warm velour type ones at present but obviously it depends on what you prefer.
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Welcome back Lindsay, a lot quieter on here these days.