Weekly Chat (Non-Osprey), 20 November 2022

Lindy - Your tiles are my favourite colour, just a shade darker than my car. And I like the 'design' as well - so much more sophisticated than 'brick' style.

Thank you,kindly, Pat! And everyone else who likes my tiles.. I felt that whatever everyone else thought, at least we would feel, ourselves, that it all looked cleaner and fresher. The old worktops were a supposedly smart black, but actually as we had bought them at "bargain" price they soon began to wear on the surface, and soon looked very untidy.The new ones are a gleaming white in a marble like effect, with little tiny squiggles here and there.

Since I took the photos at breakfast time, my OH announced that he was going to take out the oven and level it up. It has never been exactly the right height for the surrounding worktops and needed a bit of help with a board underneath it to bring it up a little. After he had had a fight with it, it was reinstalled, and then I scrubbed the ceramic top. I was relieved that he didn't give himself back trouble by manhandling the stove!

I will shut up about the kitchen, now, as its beginning to get boring. We were thrilled to finally get it finished, though, as we had been discussing it already for a year before the pandemic, and you know what happened then!

For a change of subject, and as my OH has now gone out to watch the World Cup at the Sports Club with his friends, I thought you might like to hear (please scroll through if you don't want to get bored!)

THE STORY OF THE STRETCHY TOP WHICH MADE ME CRY LAUGHING

Now, I am rather fatter than I would like to be, so although I do stlll possess some bikini tops which I would normally wear with shorts, I decided that on this holiday I would take a thing called a "tankini" top which is brief but covers the bulgey middle bit of me! I also had one of those swimsuits with a little extra frill at the bottom to cover my bulges, but I quickly found that it was very hot to wear in the temperatures we were having. I was only going to sunbathe under a brolly, not swim, so the stretchy tankini with a pair of short black shorts seemed the way to go.

On this particular day, my OH had set off before me with his suncream and a good book (Peter James) and went to find a suitable pair of loungers in the hotel garden under a brolly or a tree. I pottered around for a bit, tidying our room etc., then decided to put on my outfit.

I was wearing nothing except a hairslide in my hair. The black shorts went on OK, no problem, so I reached for the tankini top. It is black and white, with a geometric pattern and little spaghetti straps. To put it on, you reach up your arms and shoot yourself into it, pulling it down over you and then adjusting the straps. I pulled - the fabric stopped over the tops of my ample bosoms and something had happened at the back which I could not work out. I stood in front of the full length mirror and could see that the tankini had rolled itself up and become a solid strap right across my back, just above the shoulder blades. All I had to do, I thought, was to unravel it a bit and tug it down. After trying to do both, for about three minutes, I got quite hot and bothered, and realised that actually nothing had changed at all. I decided to sit on the side of the bed and tackle it in an organised fashion. I almost fell over on the bed with the effort, and decided to actually roll on the bed and fight with the darned thing! My OH would be reading his book for a good 2 to 3 hours and had not taken his mobile phone with him, so I couldn't call him to come back and help me - I was really on my own.

It was really difficult to reach up behind myself to get to grips with it. It was too high up. I got my fingernails into it and tugged. I got my thumbs somewhere under something and pulled. Nothing happened. Horrors. I couldn't get it off, either!

I lay on the bed, thinking This Is Ridiculous.

I had another go. And another go. I decided that as it was such a solid roll across my back, there was no way I could put a cardigan over it and go down into the public gardens to plead for help. I was getting hotter (It was just after midday and the temps in the 30s) and I was only a quarter dressed, and I had nowhere to go..... I could see a tangle of arms legs and fabric on the bed, in the wardrobe mirror, and I began to laugh.

Once I began laughing, and thinking about the ridiculousness of the situation, I laughed some more! I roared with laughter, tears beginning to roll down my face as I giggled and laughed in a way I haven't for many years. It was just so very silly!

Eventually, I gave myself a good talking to, and once again worked the tips of my fingernails into the roll of fabric, pulling along it a little at a time, all along the length. After a while, something did seem to move which was encouraging. I did some more and then attacked what was happening on my chest, unrolling the material over my bosoms which was a relief! Then I could hook my hands into the fabric at the back again and gradually encourage it to roll down. I got up and got myself a cold drink of water from the fridge, to cool me down and to celebrate...

Finally, I got the straps into place and I was IN!!

I put on my sandals and grabbed my sunglasses. I got the lift down to the gardens and said to my waiting OH "You just wait till I tell you what's been happening to me!!"

Oh LINDY - I've just had a good laugh :-) Thank you !

And PAT - I'm afraid that my kitchen tiles are very unsophisticated LOL

Morning all:

Lindybird: Please tell me you're not still trapped in the stretchy top! :-) Did you ever wear it again or just save it for when OH was around to help. I too have collapsed in laughter in that kind of situation. It all gets so ridiculous. :-) Anyway, I don't think there's a swimsuit around that would cover all my bulges and wrinkles unless it was from the 1920s. I do like that green tile and I don't think it looks like a public loo (weren't they all white and brick style?). I'm sure your OH sealed that white grout (which sets off the green nicely) to protect it from splatters from the stove??

We have Thanksgiving this week (as I've said before, not a holiday I grew up with so no 'investment' in it), but grandson (who I think is feeling guilty about his lack of involvement with daughter's move) has announced that he and his girlfriend are going to bring food to our house and cook it here. I just have to get some rolls and wine. I'll pick up daughter and bring her here for the day and I suspect grandson and friend will stay as long as is decent then zip off home. :-) Then there's Xmas. Sigh.

LINDY Didn't you know that calories are nothing to do with food. They are the little rascals that live in your wardrobe and make your clothes shrink!!

I love the tile and the tilework Linda!
I have always liked bold colors.

LINDA – I too wonder if you have worn your stretchy top since!!! A very smart fresh kitchen. 

I dispense OH’s pills, 3 times a day. And I mostly remember to get repeats from chemist in time. And I remind him when Doc visit needed for new scripts. His problem is that he doesn’t want to take any pills ever. <sigh>

HEATHER: I'm glad Amy is well now and it wasn't the pump. You were a nurse, so I won't offer a diagnose, but that much swelling in your feet can't be good. Do you think it was caused by the stomach bug you developed later? Hope you're better.