Amazon exiles discussion

waiting for wi-fi to connect

trying to solve Crack the Code

Smashing up old kitchen units

suffering through existential loneliness, feelings of unbelonging and muted rage.

Puzzling over 'Three Songs...' , 'Crack The Code', and the Guardian crossword. Just finished the 'Quick' one after making a grand hash of it.
Waiting for the rain to go off so I can read the gas meter. We live in exciting times.

Waiting for the garage to phone me.

Enjoying the first of nine days holiday.

Hoping this tropical-like humidity will abate and we can get a decent night's sleep.

Clutching a handful of tissues because every time I sneeze my nose bleed starts again.

Keeping warm.
Hello sexy thermal leggings, vest, silk sock liners & smartwool socks, silk glove liners, mittens etc etc. Got down to -10°C Weds night. Val, please have some of our coolth, sending it your way....

Waiting for the cold & wet stuff..to become the lovely warm and dry stuff!

Taking advantage of cooler weather (thanks Helen!) to get some ironing done while watching "Black Narcissus" on the telly.

The same thing we do every night, Pinky - try to take over the world!

Going to the tip

Not joining my more dedicated friends hillwalking around the Aberfoyle area in the high winds and heavy rain.

avoiding floods

Attempting to assemble two pushbikes

Washing up - I save it till there's enough to be worthwhile.
Making soup.

...having avoided floods (so far): cooking oxtail stew for tomorrow, preparing rhubarb crumble for tomorrow and cauliflower cheese for today, soaking beans to make a spicy bean stew tomorrow (for vegetarian little miss)

...and laundry, of course

Keeping warm!

Gordon - please send some rhubarb crumble (plenty of custard pls), cauliflower cheese & spicy bean stuff my way...

Helen The Melon wrote: "Keeping warm!

Gordon - please send some rhubarb crumble (plenty of custard pls), cauliflower cheese & spicy bean stuff my way..."

For me too, Gordon. Perhaps a pop-up kitchen?

Blasting out some L.A Guns, drinking perry, filling my face with rubbish, and watching old episodes of Murder She Wrote.

Listening to football all day, currently Leeds v Bristol City, drinking Skinny Moo (peanut butter cream) and eating toast spread with tomato puree, topped with cheese and chorizo.

Listening to a pair of Gentle Giant live shows from Italian tours during 1973, ordering used hardback copy of 'La Belle Sauvage' by Philip Pullman, and the DVD set of complete Catweazle series.

Trying to make some serious headway on a jigsaw that was given to me as a birthday present back in June. It's a Wasgij one (and, yes, I have now discovered that it's Jigsaw spelt backwards). It's not the kind of puzzle I would have bought for myself but it is curiously satisfying when you figure out where a piece goes.

EDIT: It's one of those where you have to guess what happens next. In this case, the skies open and a storm sends everyone scurrying/upends b-b-q/chairs etc.

Dragged around the shops by an indecisive Grandson trying to choose his Birthday present.

Grizzlygrump wrote: "Dragged around the shops by an indecisive Grandson trying to choose his Birthday present."

Your day is https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gZA27... then? 😂

That looks a formidable jigsaw, Val. How big is it (size, number of pieces)?

Working on a fabric collage as a surprise for a friend and listening to the stormy weather battering the place.

Just edited post as laptop decided I wanted to say "battling". Not so sure it wasn't right...

Lez wrote: "That looks a formidable jigsaw, Val. How big is it (size, number of pieces)?"

1000 pieces, measures 27 inches x 19.5 inches. I've uploaded a photo on my profile of my progress to date. When I was looking online for a picture to upload in my post above, I found it on the Wasgij site where they actually provide clues to help you. I now know that all those blue pieces I have are from an umbrella!

https://wasgij.com/puzzles/a-typical-...

Once I've done the weekly supermarket run and picked up a script at the chemist, I shall most likely spend the day upending a spare bedroom looking for three prints I bought (at quite some expense) last year. They came rolled in a tube and while I still have the tube, it is now empty. I must have put them somewhere to flatten them while I looked for suitable frames. This could be inside a book, under a book, who knows? I scoured three drawers yesterday. There are still five drawers, a wardrobe, under the bed, etc to go. I shall say a prayer to St Anthony.

UPDATE: I have only done two drawers as yet and located one of the three prints I was looking for. Miraculously, it was already framed (good job Valerie!) - now I just have to find a spot for it. Looking under the bed, I found some unfinished knitting projects (I did know they were there) and some material bought to make a new shirt for a Winnie-the-Pooh teddy. I would never have thought to look there for the material - I thought it was in my wardrobe. But then I couldn't remember what I had done with Winnie-the-Pooh! I seemed to remember he had been at the bottom of the laundry basket (don't ask) but I couldn't remember seeing him of late. I looked and there he was! Covered up by a table cloth that I had been looking for at Christmas! I tell you, old age doesn't come itself! Problem is, by the time I get round to all the projects I've got on the "to do" list, I will have forgotten all over again where everything is.

cursing lost sleep

clearing the garden of garbage

Waiting for someone to come and and take away my 'perching' stool which I thought would be a help in the kitchen but isn't. I'm hoping they'll help me assemble my 'Rollator' - a sort of advanced Zimmer which can be used outdoors. I'm usually good at such things but this one's defeating me. As it depends on brakes, I don't want to get it wrong and end up in the apple tree.

Although I’ll spend some time chuckling at the mental picture of Lez dangling from an apple tree, I shall mostly be working in the Wildlife Garden of my local park.

Trying to organise too many people

Working on the collage after an overnight brainwave. A couple of small details weren't working until I realised they were made of synthetic fibre and could be heat sealed instead of hemmed. :o)

Trying to sort out getting my car back from the garage so I can take it to the body repair shop in Tewkesbury tomorrow morning.

Also trying to figure out a route to the body repair shop in Tewkesbury that won't be flooded tomorrow morning!

Sorting out my remaining LPs just in case there's something I really want to keep for old times' sake.

I spent today minding granddaughter no. 1 which I do once a fortnight. The last nine months it's been Tuesdays but from March it will be Mondays. I leave home about 7.00am and get back about 6.00pm by which time I am pooped. Luckily she is an absolute delight at 15 months - eats well, sleeps well, doesn't grizzle. It has to change sometime!

Today I discovered that when I slipped on mud between car-parks at work yesterday, as well as jarring my head and bruising my back (and getting my clothes & shoes covered in mud) I also broke my laptop. Waiting to see how much it will cost to repair before deciding whether to fix or replace it.

This evening I shall mostly be answering students' questions on the virtual learning environment (not using my laptop, obviously).

Derek, I'm a long way up the Severn from Tewkesbury. Judging by how far the flood water has fallen in Shrewsbury today, I'd say Bewdley, Worcester, Tewkesbury & Gloucester are likely to have a damp old time of it tomorrow. And Tewkesbury has the water running from the Avon to deal with, too.

Chilling in the pub after dealing with structural engineer, builder, woodburner installer, plumber, taking delivery of plasterboard and sound insulation then driving 210 miles back to Hampshire.

Gordon - I made it there and back OK but went the long way round. Ross-on-Wye, M50 then M5. The body shop is just after the M5 exit so no problems getting to it despite the fact that the flooding had already started in Tewkesbury itself with both the A38 and A 438 closed.

The satnav was getting very upset with me by the time I finally got there though, especially as the last time we used it Su had set it to avoid motorways and forgot to set it back!

We also had wild and woolly weather overnight, though nothing like what various parts of the U.K. are experiencing. Heavy rain and wind had water coming into our kitchen through a skylight (broken tile?) and through the extractor fan over the stove (possibly another broken tile). There was so much lightening around it wasn't a night for investigating any further. Today I will be looking for any damage to the garden followed by turning a mattress and remaking the bed in preparation for family members staying overnight, then getting ready for my first play at the Malthouse Theatre tonight (I bought a season ticket to all 10 plays) - it's The Importance of Being Earnest, with a cast of two men playing every part. It's had good reviews so fingers crossed.

The 'handbag' bit should be quite amusing.

Sitting at home watching Rig the Doberman to make sure he doesn't take the sock off his sore foot and lick it red raw again.

sitting at home explaining to lux the beardie that dobermans aren't big soft lads!

he been in the wars again?

Getting my breath back, nursing various aches and pains and wondering how long it will be until I trust my jelly legs to keep me upright - first time on a pushbike in 32 years!

Tech XXIII wrote: "sitting at home explaining to lux the beardie that dobermans aren't big soft lads!

he been in the wars again?"

Not really tech, he gets a bit OCD at times and just licks and licks at bits of himself until he makes them sore. Of course, he then has to keep licking at the sore bits to try and stop them being sore!

He's also been having trouble with his front pads drying out and cracking but our nice French vet has given us some ointment for that which seems to work.

With feet the size of his I suppose it's no surprise he has problems with them occasionally.

Oh, and he is a big soft lad, in fact he's a complete and utter wimp!

Staring glumly out of the window wishing this disbuggerable rain would cease and desist.

Drinking lots of tea and watching episodes of "Hetty Wainthropp Investigates" with D.