Weekly Chat (Non-Osprey), 13 December 2015

LINDA - we recently watched Quartet too; an excellent film - another one I stayed awake right through!  Thought Billy Connelly was especially good!

Good Morning Everyone. We have had trouble with a British Gas large van trapping our car in the drive. The bungalow has finally been sold so the utilities workers have arrived to disconnect the gas from the road. OH had to go out and tell them that the pipes were in the flower beds, that edge our Close and that they didn't need to dig up the road !!! Also whizzed off an e-mail to the planning dept. to ask, where is the management site plan for the builder. This was a condition of the final plans being passed. Not a good start to our day.

Thanks for all your good wishes for our daughter. I did remind her that her boyfriend hadn't yet asked for her Dad's permission to marry her. LOL

OG, I hops the Dr can sort out your throat problems for you. I think ice cream could help to soothe your throat :-))

Linda, You are not alone. Our Christmas decorations are still in boxes sitting on the floor, together with a new garland for the fireplace. We still have to watch Quartet. Thanks to yourself and OG for the recommendations.

Annette, Sorry about your bank account problems, but so pleased that your OH was so alert. Good to hear that Peanut is now agreeing to take his mush / medication. 

Just ordered some " Private Road. No Parking " signs. We had two vehicles parked in our Close, which were completely blocking any attempts to enter or exit. !!! OH soon made them move. 

Not a good morning for you, Brenda.  Hope all gets sorted out.  We actually got an apology yesterday, from the boss of the men who have laid next doors new driveway. He said he was sorry for all the disruption and the vehicles choking up the road.  I actually cheered as they drove off with a trailer containing the wheelbarrows and the portable toilet!!

We have been invited to go and view the house now it's almost completed, this afternoon. I can see a decorator on a ladder in the kitchen, redoing the ceiling which must have been damaged by electrical work, as the electricians were in last weekend.

Hope that Peanut continues to improve, & to behave himself, Annette.

I started putting up decorations this morning, but had to keep stopping to wash decorative plates which looked dirtier than I expected!  I tuck little posies of artificial holly and berries behind them.

BRENDA   congratulations to your daughter. it sounds like you are happy to have him as an addition to the family.

HOT. Already 26 C by 7 am, expecting max of 41 or 42 each day until Sunday’s “cool” change of a mere 30. Food shopping this morn. I take the Esky with ice packs to save cooking the meat & veg in the car. Next door’s renovations should be finished by Xmas. Across the road is nowhere near finished. I am fed up with workmen’s vehicles parked in street, not obstructing drive but making it hard to see traffic. I’m not putting up any decorations apart from wreath on front door. Too hot to do more than essentials. Salads for tea as I’ve banned the stove!

Good evening.  Ice cream and meringues made and stored.  Doc happy with my mouth/throat.

“Hurry-up letter” to bathroom company last evening went as email – and, surprise, surprise – phone call at 4pm to say could they come and do most of the finishing – Neil was actually on his way!  So, all we await now is the replacement toilet flush push plate in matching chrome instead of the brushed steel version they fitted, which should come next Monday!

Brenda – sorry about the various work vans and lack of site management for the project next door.  Can’t think how many times I have had to tell utilities where their pipes are sited; you’d think they would have proper maps of such things!  I wondered about the “can I marry your daughter” speech last night, but it sounds as if you are happy for them. 

Linda – pleased building project next to you is near complete.  Interesting to be invited to view!

AQ – as above: pleased one near you is almost done, too.  I hope nannying will not be made worse by the heat on Friday.

OH will give the study a good clean tomorrow morning – last on the list as usual – while I make a big pan of ratatouille to freeze and use in various dishes.  But I do need an extra day from somewhere for baking mince pies!  Intruder alarm company is coming to do our regular inspection sometime in the afternoon, and I have booked OH to clean the oven!  J went into Carlisle today; bridge still closed so he had to drive in via the worst-hit residential area (Warwick Road); he said it is still full of skips collecting people’s goods and chattels.  His department entered a staff competition this week (a fund-raiser and entertainment for the young people) and are in the final tomorrow lunchtime!

Hallo all: I see that some builders have gone; others are still cluttering up streets, and OG and family are keeping busy as usual. We had work done on the car his morning, followed by some errands (but oh it would have been so helpful if I'd actually taken along my list of things to buy). Then a visit to the bank to follow up on masses of paperwork as a result of bank account issues. By that time it was gone 2 and I was so hungry I drove straight to In-n-Out burger for a cheeseburger, fries and a lemonade. Yum!  My twice a year indulgence (OH went home for soup).  Too full for dinner this evening and will be out early tomorrow to meet old friend in Malibu for lunch, though I'm sure I'll manage to squeeze in a visit to Target and some other favorite discount stores en route there and back.

Have a good Thursday everyone.

Good Morning.  A busy day for you, Annette - hope that's all sorted over the bank account, now. Leaves you feeling as if you've been burgled! Enjoy your lunch with old friend.

OG - You sound as busy as ever, too: Good that the Doc is happy with your throat. Sounds as if you're on the home strait with the bathroom work.

I'm hoping to get off out, early to M&S before it gets too busy - fingers crossed!