General Chat

Morning everyone

It’s 23 degrees at the moment and the thermometer is still rising. Looks like summer is back.

It wasn’t a good night again and my head is aching. Mel, I don’t like talking books but do use talk on the radio. It’s usually the World Service at the time I am listening. I don’t usually have trouble going to sleep but I wake after an hour or so and then I am awake for several hours before dropping off for a little while. Not sleeping much doesn’t bother me as I’m presumably getting enough sleep to function. It’s the terrible headaches that go with lack of sleep that make life difficult at times. Over the years I’ve tried everything from hot milk and lavender sprays to strong sleeping pills that I had to sign for as they were a controlled drug. Anyway, that’s quite enough about my boring sleep patterns. I’m still here to tell the tale and that’s what matters.

What a shame one of your parcels has gone missing Mel and you have to make the piece all over again.

Have you done any gardening today AnnG? I am trying to shake myself out of my lethargy and get out there. The bird baths could both do with a clean. I’m sitting in the conservatory with most of the blinds down and the door open and it looks quite breezy outside so that might make it feel a bit more comfortable.

Door bell’s just rung....

Morning all,

Forgot to come on here first thing.

Its 17 degrees and partly sunny as per the pc but the skies are grey at the mo.

I have had a parcel go astray on Ebay so have to replace it but it means starting from scratch as I hav'nt got one made let alone painted etc. It is one I have to drill out if I get it out of the mould whole. Very fragile. So that is what I will be doing today after going to the shop.

Glad you slept well Anng. Hope Vera got some sleep in the end and feels refreshed today. Vera have you tried the talking books? I used to get them for mum because she could'nt sleep.

good morning all sunny here and 17 degrees. I think a bit of gardening is on the menu if it stays dry.
Vera, a long way to go for a blood test but at least you were able to make a nice outing of it. I hope that you had a better night's sleep last night. I actually slept well so the walk to the hairdresser did me good I think. :-D

I'm late on parade today. I've been busy all day but don't really seem to have done much. I did manage to do a little bit in the garden and a bit of gentle dusting.

I was hot and fidgety and just couldn't seem to settle last night. My leg kept jumping as well and sometimes the only way to stop it is to get up and walk around. I did that 3 times last night In the end I gave up trying to sleep and got my book out again. I think I eventually fell asleep around 4.30 am but I was still awake before 7.30. I'm not feeling very optimistic about tonight as it is apparently still going to be 20 degrees in the early hours - too hot to sleep comfortably. There's also a yellow warning for thunderstorms but they do sometimes seem to miss us.

OH had a doctor's appointment this morning and came back with forms for various blood tests. They used to be done straightaway at the surgery but we now have to ring a number and book an appointment either at our local health centre, about 2 miles away, or the hospital which is about 20 miles. When OH rang the earliest appointment at the health centre was 11th September and we are away then so he was offered the 19th!! He asked about appointments at the hospital and was given one for this afternoon. It does seem stupid to have to do a 40 mile round trip to get a blood test.

I went with him and we went on to Dobbies as that's near the hospital I managed to find a small gift to give to a friend at her birthday lunch on Monday and we had a pot of tea in the cafe. I didn't want anything sweet or creamy but there were just 2 fruit scones left in the dish on the counter and I fancied one of those I was out of luck there. The man in front of me in the queue bought them both :-|

I'm going to close the computer down now and maybe go to bed early with the radio or my book. If I'm already in bed it won't matter if I doze off. Night, night all. Sleep tight.

Fortunately it stopped raining in time for me to walk round in the dry. And was dry to walk home too so that was good. It was dry most of the afternoon but is raining again now. Goog to get my hair cut anyway.

Rang about the car and it was done but Stuart was out so I had to wait for him to come back. He did and rang me on the landline but I was in the garden!!! Must give him my mobile number. Anyway I eventually got it back and then his wife brought the car back to me and I drove her back to pay. It did'nt cost as much as I thought it was going to as I had had a new tyre a new bit on the exhaust and a few other bits. He forgot the back screen wiper but I don't use that much. I took them 4 cans of lager as a thank you and now I am £260 odd pound lighter.

Rang the docs and the doc is going to ring me on Monday morning. I need to look up now when I hurt my arm so I can then tell her how long thats been.

Done a lot of waiting around today and not got anything much done. I have some ironing to do but don't want to do it. Now I have to feed the girls and sort something for dinner, think it will be salad again as I have a couple of new pots cooked and a nice tin of boneless salmon so nice and quick. OR it could be beans on toast with an egg on top and strawberries for sweet.

Get your hair done ok Anng. I bet it feels nice now.

Morning all,

Dyull and miserable here this mroning and I have a wether alert on the pc. Better see what it says. O it says thunderstorm warning its 17 degrees and cloudy.

My car could be done today and if it is I can get an appointment with the docs this afternoon. While the backs not too bad I am going to wash my hair.

BBL.

Good morning all. been up an hour, couldn't sleep. Washing in at 0715. raining and 16 degrees, it was 17 earlier. I am hoping the rain eases off as I have a hair appointment at 12.30, a good 20 minute walk with all the roadworks so I will get wet.

Just back now. Had a really nice lunch, Stilton and red onion quiche with a few cut up new potatoes, green salad,cucumber tomatoes celery and apple and coleslaw.
the photography exhibition was very good, some beautiful wild life photos. And, of course we could also look at the more permanent exhibits in the art gallery, Afterwards as it was a lovely afternoon we walked round the gardens.

Had lunch and watched the news and had a look round the garden. I did think of cleaning the bird baths and doing a bit more tidying up but it is so hot out there now. It's apparently 22 degrees but it feels a lot hotter than that to me. Maybe I'll see if it's any cooler late afternoon/early evening and do a bit then before we have our dinner.

Our car came back around midday. It's had a complete overhaul and service and has been MOT'd so that's all done for another year, and OH's pocket is a bit emptier now. So all that's left to do now is the external damage. The new doors and side panel are on order but I think it'll be the end of September before the work is done.

Think I'm going to find the coolest spot in the house and read for a while. Hope you are all enjoying the good weather and not getting overheated.

Thanks for the email Mel. I have replied.

I often keep the little baby potatoes in the fridge and some of them do say to refrigerate for freshness, but I've never kept main crop spuds in there. Like Mandy I keep them in a dark cupboard. They go in a basket with a bit of black plastic over the top.

I hope AnnG is enjoying her lunch and then the photography exhibition.

My headache eased off yesterday but I seem to have brought it back with another long walk in the sun. I had to deliver something to a house a short distance away and the car still wasn't back so I walked there and back. It's only about 1.5 miles but it was so hot and sunny and I am out of practice with walking. Still, I must try and do a bit every day now I've made a start on getting more exercise.

OH has just yelled lunch is ready so I'll bbl

Emailed you

Morning all,

I had a lie in today. Its 16 degrees here and pc says mostly cloudy.

I have never kept potatoes in the fridge until now as they start to grow otherwise now there's only me even before I kept them in a growing bag in the corner of the kitchen but still had problems. Mum used to keep them under the sink but they still sprout there with it being warm because of the hot water going through the waste pipe.

Gosh I have been bitten all over inthe night, I know I had one on the front of my neck and at the top of my arm where my strap goes but there are more this morning. I shall have to get the Anthisan cream out again. I must get a new one as I think the date has run out of this tube.

What you been up to Mandy?

Good morning all bright and 17 degrees now but I got up for the loo just before 7 and went back to bed. woke at 0815,

Out later to lunch and then a photography exhibition on wildlife. Being picked up at 1140.

I have to say there would not be room in my fridge for a bag of potatoes, even a small one.

Morning all,

Dull and overcast here but it should be a nice day .

Mel I never keep my potatoes in the fridge I put mine in a cupboard so they are in the dark to stop them shooting ,in the winter we have a sack of potatoes and they are kept in the shed and covered over to stop the frost getting to them .

Not sure what we're doing today ,there's always jobs to do so I'm sure we'll gind something to do

Vera hope your headache eased after your walk home in the sun .

Mel I have to watch my fridge as the thermostat seems to have gone. If I don’t keep an eye on it anything on the bottom shelf freezes. And frozen strawberries last week, they were ok when they thawed but I only ate them with my yoghurt. Why did you put the potatoes in the fridge? :-S

BIL has just gone. He';s been here most of the day. Made a ramp so he can back the mower up to empty the grass cutting and cut the lawns. His wife is away at the mo but comes back tomorrow. He only just told me that before he went or I could have made dinner for the pair of us.

I did a silly thing yesterday, I put the potatoes in the fridge and must have changed the setting and when I went to get my cue out for my salad it was frozen. I checked other things and my tatoes have gone soft so I have ruined a whole new bag of Maris Piper. Dread to think what else has had it but my strawberries were ok on the top shelf and it was mainly a lettuce which the chickens had this morning and I think I have got away with the new pots.

glad that you managed it Vera, I hate walking into bright sun, as you say it gives you a headache. It is 23 degrees here, I did potter a bit in the garden but it was just too hot so I came in. got a couple of small jobs done though so quite pleased. Then I walked to the post box and took four books back to Irene for the next book stall, which I will miss as will be at daughters. Oh yes watered both gardens pots this morning as well.

Afternoon all

You're right Mandy - it is hot. 24 degrees at the moment but feels hotter as there is bright sunshine and hardly a breath of wind.

Have you got your car back yet with its new tyre Mel?

I think clothing manufacturers and shops make up sizes as they go along. I am 5'8" and fairly slim and need a 12 or a 14 depending on the make but I can seldom find stuff that fits me well. Trousers are the worst. If they are long enough and comfortable round the hips they are way too big on the waist. If they fit on the waist they are too snug on the hips for my liking. I haven't had a dress for years. I keep trying them on but if the top fits, the bottom doesn't and vice versa and the waist is never in the right place. The "quality" expensive brands tend to be a better fit but if something has cost me an arm and a leg I don't want to wear it for h/w, shopping or gardening so it only comes out "for best".

I got the 8.15 bus into town today. It's hardly any distance so I was shocked to find a single ticket was £3. As it was so early for my haircut I wandered up one of the side lanes to a little enclosed garden area and wandered about looking at the plants and watching a large dragonfly sunning himself on a huge cactus dahlia. There were lots of big dahlias and sunflowers and I sat on a bench with a drink of water and soaked up the atmosphere.

After my haircut I was back at the bus station by 9.40 am and the next bus wasn't until 11.20. I dithered between lingering over a coffee in one of our dozens of coffee places and then waiting for the bus or getting a taxi. In the end I did neither. I decided to walk home. We always used to walk to town and back and it would take no more than about 25 minutes each way but I am not as fit as I was even 3 years ago. As I was only going home I had no deadline to meet and could go at my own pace so I set out. I managed it OK and didn't take too long but I had a stinking headache by the time I got back. For a good part of the way back the shady side of the road has no footpath and it is a busy road so I had to walk on the side with a pavement which was in direct sun, it's uphill and I had stuff to carry. Also I had drink but I hadn't eaten since the previous evening, so I was a bit shaky. But I did it so I feel quite pleased with myself.

The annoying thing is that when I got back home the car was still there so I could have taken it. The service centre were supposed to be collecting it between 8 am and 11 am but they had some sort of emergency job that had to be done so they didn't collect it till 1.15 pm. I doubt if we will get it back tonight.

It's unbearably hot upstairs here at the computer so I am going to go downstairs and get a cold drink now. I hope you are all having a good day. Stay cool.

Morning all,

Phew hot here today I think it should go to 26 degrees .

Very hope you manage OK with the buses ,I don't know why they have to make the timetables so hard to understand.
I meant to say what a nice name for the new baby and wasn't she a good weight ,hope they get settled in the new house ok .

Anng I think the sizing on clothes has all gone to pot each shop seems to be different, I like the jeans from Bon Marche and they do lots of lengths in them too ,I need some new ones for the winter as one pair I cut all the knee when I fell over and they had to be the newest ones I had too .

Mel hope you get the car tyre sorted out OK more expense as Frank use to say.

Colins watching the women's football so I'd better make the coffee its usually his job .