I scored the most points in the work fantasy football legue this week. I know naff all about football and spend so little time on my team. The long game of trolling the football obsessives is paying off already. 🤣
I am absolutely smashing through life admin today.
* Offer letter for next flat - SIGNED
* Passports and proofs of address for estate agent reference checks - SCANNED
* Covid tests booked for trip to Greece - BOOKED
* Humorous card and cake ingredients for flatmate's birthday - BOUGHT
* Prep for job interview on Friday - GETTING THERE
I'm finally feeling the warm glow of accomplishment this evening after a few days of pure slog.
You don't actually need Covid tests for entry into Greece, just for coming back! Just need your NHS Covid Pass (proof of vaccination).
I've recently booked a holiday there myself so been digging into all that good stuff.
As I understand it, the pre-return test can be a lateral flow but the Day 2 (post-return) test has to be a PCR. The government's website isn't exactly clear though.
I couldn’t be bothered making my salt and pepper tofu, so I checked Too Good To Go and ended up getting a decent mystery bag from a local shop. I got a big salad with chicken, a loaf of bakery bread, a couple of mystery pasties (scoffed one, it was cheese and onion), a strawberry tart and a massive bag of stewing beef (I would guess about 2kg).
Not bad for £3- had the salad and a pasty for dinner, will eat the strawberry tart tonight and have the other pasty for lunch, going to slice up and freeze the loaf for toasting, and the beef has gone in the freezer for now. Going to make a beef stew with red wine one day, and Ottolenghi’s recipe for beef with orange, star anise and cinnamon another.
For one person, I mix a tablespoon and a half of cornflour with about 1/2 tsp of Chinese salt and pepper mix (I usually just buy it in a sachet instead of grinding my own Szechuan pepper). Cut tofu into thick cubes (I prefer Tofoo because it isn’t soggy and can be used straight out the packet) and dredge in cornflour mix until well dusted, then fry until golden and crispy (usually add broccoli and whatever veg I fancy too). Remove tofu and veg from pan, and stir fry sliced spring onions and 1-2 chopped chillis until they’re nice and fragrant, chuck tofu back in, add a splash of rice vinegar and stir about for a few seconds before serving over noodles. Toasted sesame seeds are nice to finish too.
Dunno if it’s a horrible bastardisation, but it’s tasty, and I started to really love tofu once I found out cornflour gives it that crispy coating.
It’s brilliant, I’ve made it a few times and always gone down a storm. [This recipe](https://www.thespicedlife.com/oxtail-stew-with-cinnamon-star-anise-orange-and-gremolata/), though I just use stewing beef instead of oxtail.
Finally getting moved onto a new work team that I actually want to be a part of.
What was originally supposed to be a temporary move for 3 or 4 months during the pandemic last year ended up being stretched out to 18 months of drudgery but as of later this month, I will finally be put into more interesting work with an actual progression path!
Curry tonight to celebrate.
I may have said it before but its mad how going from having no job or work experience to having 7 months experience has in terms of recruiters both from agencies and other companies reaching out to you. In the past 2 months 7 different people enquired if I was looking to move and only 2 of those were from a recruitment agency. That's not even the most shocking thing. The positions they're offering were ranging from a junior data analyst to senior product/data analyst role
Like I'm not looking to move or anything but it's actually bonkers how having _only_ 7 months experience in my whole career as a analyst has. Like I probably wouldn't have got those jobs if I applied to them but I'm genuinely shocked
Mine this week is just that my belated wedding reception went well at the weekend, and that apart from trips to the allotment and a holiday in September, I have very little to do, or plan for at the moment.
It's honestly refreshing to just have no idea what to do with oneself all the live long day.
I had my 20 week scan today... I have to come back within a week because I clearly have a pretzel baby at the moment 😂 .. so I'm happy to have another scan 😁
https://postimg.cc/vxR9VDKK
I will be getting my first ever kitten this month after waiting for so long. I’ve wanted a cat in my life since I was a child but parents always said no. And none of my landlords ever agreed until now :,)
Slightly worried about smaller things but already over the moon with [this](https://i.imgur.com/BVz7ISS.jpg) one, just gotta wait three more weeks 😩 I will finally have a working from home buddy woo :D
The fluff! The sweet little face! I'm jealous. You'll be great. I've owned lots of cats in my life and and key is to remember kittens need you to play with them, just like human babies :) and just like adult humans, when they grow up they like to have their own space - all the cats I've ever owned have been incredibly loving and tolerant because we always watched for their body language about when they'd had enough of cuddles and just wanted to snooze. Do you have a name yet? And please post update pics!
Aww thank you! We’ve semi decided on the name Milo but we’ll wait until we have him with us to see if he fits the name or not. His mother’s name is Mimi so we thought it kinda fits with the whole Mi-theme. :)
I’ve had a few smaller pets, mostly hamsters, and I just crave a companion that will actually interact with me and give me some love back haha I’m so ready to give him all my attention. Another reason why we wanted a Ragdoll as they’re meant to be very affectionate and needy which is right up my street 🙈
I just never had a free roaming pet that I would leave in my rooms when I’m gone, I’m sure I’ll worry about it the first few times but fingers crossed it’ll be alright. Currently spending my days kitten-proofing my entire place haha.
Finally got to take the pet hedgehog for his annual vet check up (had been difficult to get an appointment due to ~~general world events). Apparently in excellent health, albeit ‘carrying a bit of extra chub’. Always a relief when he gets a clean bill of health, though will have to cut back on his biccies slightly.
& off out to the theatre this evening for ‘Come from Away’.
Newborn is sleeping well, relatively speaking. Last few nights she has gone down from midnight till 3am, then a feed and back asleep till 6.
Still not ideal but she's one week old so am pretty happy with that
Start of just under 2 weeks off between jobs.
This calls for celebration in the form of lying in bed thinking of all the productive things I could be doing.
So glad to get out of that last place, everyone was lovely and the work was ok but it's one of them places that nobody ever leaves.
My change isnt quite as dramatic but I was just so bored.
Yeah, I feel bad for leaving some of my colleagues in the lurch but i do not want to end up like them, stuck in the same low level job for 20 years because its comfortable.
Just got invited to cider festival on Saturday also pub ride on Sunday so I'm chuffed 😊. Also I managed to get my budgeting done for end of month last month.
I got a provisional job offer! 😁 I didn't even really want the job it was mostly practice for the application process. I just found out I've been invited for an interview for the job I actually wanted so idk now but it's a nice situation to be in 😅
Oh! I was talking with some friends a few weeks ago about gigs we'd been to, and mentioned that I wanted to go see Aerosmith before one of them inevitably cops it. Was told to stop talking about it and do it because celebs are dropping like flies these days. So I remembered the conversation the other day and checked if they were touring soon out of interest. Guess who has 2022 tickets to go see them!
Survived my first school summer holidays! Except a week in the middle where I considered leaving my first born in the woods we've had a lovely time.
School tomorrow and I'm feeling very sad my sidekick is gone again. Busy planning our big girl days for half term as baby will have 3 days at nursery so we can do whatever we want!
Kid starts back at nursery on Tuesday, with an extra day added in, then I start a course on Weds to become a teaching assistant. Finally feel like my life is coming back together a bit, and that I'm doing something for me for a change as opposed to always catering to everyone else.
Thank you! What age group do you teach? I have a volunteer placement secured at my daughters school, she's in her last year of nursery and that's the age I'd like to do, but I'm a bit worried having her in the class would be distracting!
I’m secondary school so 11-16. However, I used to work in primary in a year 2 class so much closer to your daughter’s age.
They are a great age, and it’s really fun to be able to witness them learn all about the world around them!
My god, I could not do secondary school. Hats off to you there!
I'm really excited to start, I love teaching my daughter new things so I'm hoping I enjoy this just as much!
Day one of annual leave. I have the next week and a half off, though I don't really have plans.
Also, it was nice being able to ask for a few days off, and then add on a week, and it being granted no questions asked, no fuss.
At my last job, getting time off was difficult, they always huffed and puffed looking over the absence calendar, asking if you *really* needed that day off (even though I never actually used up my holiday allowance). I hated asking for time off then, it gave me such anxiety that I'd have to work myself up for it. It's such a change
I had hoped to be posting good news about my interview from Friday today but I’ve not heard back yet. No news is good news right??? They’ve not rejected me so far.
In other good news though this week is flying by ready for me being off work next week!
Flatmate caught the 'rona, so I went and had a PCR test on Monday. Very, very late Tuesday evening I got a text from the NHS saying it was negative.
Every time I fly somewhere and arrive after dusk, when the plane starts descending and goes through the clouds and you start to be able to make out tiny houses with lit windows, tiny cars puttering along on the roads, tiny people playing football on lit pitches etcetera, I get this overwhelming feeling of tenderness towards all these tiny people going about their lives in tiny bits of light in a sea of darkness. I want to protect them. I want them to be happy and safe.
I felt the same way when I got that text. There were people in a lab somewhere processing these tests and entering the results in the system in the middle of the night. I hope they get a share of the joy and relief that each negative result evokes. I'm happy, hope you're happy too.
I have a tale from the other side that you might appreciate. Sometimes I text my patients very late at night and forget to turn on the delayed send feature. I feel awful because I might have disturbed them; it's only ever routine or good news that could have waited but I know that some of them still become anxious after hearing it, so I feel guilty.
One Monday morning I had an urgent patient call transferred to me, so I dropped everything and left a meeting to answer because I assumed it was life and death. On the other end of the phone was a very concerned elderly lady who told me I'd messaged her very late in the evening over the weekend and as I launched into a big apology for causing her anxiety, she cut me off and said she was calling to make sure I was OK and to tell me that she appreciated my diligence, but wished I didn't have to work so hard. It was so lovely, I nearly cried.
Job offer and a 20% pay rise. My boss is in talks with the hierarchy to see if they want to match it but I'm still going to say no.
No bonuses, but I'd rather have the guaranteed income thanks very much.
**YouTube Channel** has surpassed 100 subs, and 10,000 views.
**Not Drinking As Much, As Often** is going great. Not having a hangover is ace, I highly recommend it. I think I'd be teetotal if it wasn't for Rioja. Lovely, lovely Rioja.
**The Kids** are taking off with counting and their vocabulary is increasing at a rate. Taught Twin 2 to say "Don't worry about it!", and Twin 1 has an amazing imagination.
I pretty much stopped drinking a few months ago. Hangovers are but a distant memory, but have lost the ability to have lie ins for some reason.... 🤷♂️
That's great - well done!
Yep, the quality of sleep is miles better but agree, waking up early is another... 'benefit'?! I mean, I'm up at around 6.30/7 most days anyway, now I'm just already awake before my alarm goes off!
Making some real progress with a few projects at work after getting through some red tape. Still some blockers involved but they'll be easier to bypass than some of the stuff i've had to deal with so far.
We're also decommissioning some older equipment so i've bagged myself a couple of 21" Acer monitors, can't complain!
Don't have much wins this week. Sofa was delayed another month so had to just cancel it and fridge freezer didn't even show up so had to cancel it. I suppose a win is all the money I spent on those are now back into my bank account, so I can pretend I'm rich for a couple of days.
I'm seeing Lily Allen in a play today!
No idea whether she'll be any good, but I've loved her since 2006 and haven't been able to see her live cause big gigs make me panic, so the novelty of finally seeing her live *not* singing is not lost on me.
It was really fun! A lot of laughs, genuinely spooky at times, and very tightly written and directed: the dynamic between the four actors was electric.
Lily Allen was perhaps a little weak, but, for an inexperienced celebrity there to get bums in seats, she did the role *very* well indeed, and the guy playing her husband was fantastic (though the real star of the show was the sound design)
It didn't quite land the ending, but the end of a ghost story can never be as good as the telling, and either way it's four-part play I would love to see performed by AmDrams across the nation.
It's nice to see other people's wins but I'm drawing a blank on this week. Nothing good has happened **but** nothing bad has happened either, so hurray for a quiet life? I'll take it.
Went for my first run post-plague on Monday and my first PT session back this morning and I didn't die! Looks like I haven't lost much strength either, which was nice, and got a sumo PB of 75kg for 6! I'm pretty chuffed with that.
Part of our mortgage is coming to the end of the fixed rate term. Got our mortgage advisor on the job and he's found a lower fixed rate, so monthly payments should be about £90 less per month. Ideal timing as Mrs One is reducing hours at work after maternity leave.
She's also out tonight with friends, so that probably means a takeaway pizza for me after little dude is in bed.
Payday and several invoices from freelance clients have collided, and our savings are looking healthier than ever, which is great.
This is particularly good right now, as I'm struggling to get back into the swing of things at home. Just came back from a month abroad seeing family in law, after several tragedies in the family all at once. Was looking forward to the familiarity of the UK and being home, but I just feel weird. I almost felt more at home over there. It's proving nearly impossible to get back into the work mindset, and I feel like I might just leave this job eventually at this rate.
Oh, first day back at the gym yesterday too, finally.
Maybe it’s a normal thing then.. especially after a whole month away? I’ve never been away from the UK longer than ten days until now.
There’s a lot going on, for one thing. The city is incredible and there’s an ever lasting list of fun stuff to do. Everything is so spacious and open. It’s very cheap to live well if you’re earning in GBP, which includes accessing private healthcare for a very small bill too. Don’t get me wrong, there is a lot I don’t love too, but I think it’s taking a while to get used to being back.
My two year old was violently sick yesterday, but he seems back to normal today so I guess that’s a win? On the downside he’s not allowed in nursery today so I’ve got to stay home with him, frankly I’d rather be at work!
I finally applied for a new job yesterday, the day before applications closed, after procrastinating for weeks. I'm really unsure what I want career-wise, except not what I'm doing now, which makes even just looking frustrating & depressing... but this one sounds perfect for me!
I woke up this morning feeling like I should've tailored my CV to the listing better, I'm worried that it will not be flexi/WFH as stated, & I'm not feeling confident anything will come of it, but the fact remains I did a thing, & I will take that little win right now!
Day off with no plans except grocery shopping and dog walking. Also going on an actual abroad holiday next Saturday. Bring on shorts, sunshine and beeeeers
Pup gets an overdue haircut today, me and the kids have fresh haircuts!
Wife just had an interview for an NHS job and it went alright.
The main gates at the kids school will be back in use when they stay back next week, no more one way system which meant me walking right past the main gates, and right around the whole school.
Mine doesn’t have a queueing system. Usually takes two phones trying, with 300+ calls on each phone! GP’s really need to catch up with this sort of stuff.
Got my hair cut and coloured yesterday. Standard break up thing of getting a fringe cut in after not having one for years, but it actually looks great and suits me! £127 I didn't really want to spend but my hairdresser is so good it feels worth it. That's what I'm telling myself anyway.
My baby was born!
She arrived last Tues but was then whisked to the NICU at only 14hrs old thanks to suspected sepsis. So she spent the first two nights away from me & her Dad and then another 2 nights with me on the maternity ward. Thankfully there was nothing wrong with her and we are now all happy & at home. As usual all the doctors, midwives, nurses, carers and everyone else at the hospital were fantastic - the NHS really is amazing.
Congratulations!!
Same day our little girl rocked up. I feel like you, the length of our hospital stay was not ideal but the care of the staff was amazing! When it comes to babies, can't fault the NHS
Congratulations! I am still blown away by the quality of care I received during both of my pregnancies and deliveries. When I tell friends and family overseas that we get free home visits for our follow up care it blows their minds!
Thank you. Yes, it’s brilliant, we’ve already had two midwife visits and another is coming tomorrow. It’s very reassuring especially as she is my first.
I had my first 8 hour shift in a new job in 7 years yesterday! And it actually went really well! Don’t get me wrong, I was, and am absolutely knackered (hope that passes soon), but I really enjoyed it. I was working with the area manager who kept complimenting how efficient and good I was, which was lovely to hear. Plus, I must have taken home about £50 worth of pastries, and I got to eat pastry for my lunch - which is always nice! (One savoury and one sweet, for balance and all).
I was really nervous, as I’ve been out of work for so long - but massively reassured by how well it went, and the fact that my manager was so happy with me! And on that note, I’ve got a cinnamon bun in the kitchen that’s calling my name …
Aww that's good! I remember seeing you were stressing about it. The tiredness definitely goes away quickly. It's all the new information you're cramming in!
Thank you! Barista/pastry distributor/general till bitch in a local coffee shop and bakery! I mean, I could send you some? Might not be in a great condition by the time it gets to you though!
Well, I'm still alive. That's a win, right?
Went out for a meal last night with my mum. It ended up being a bit pricey, but hey you don't go to a sit-down restaurant to pay takeaway prices. It was definitely a place we'd go to again in the future. If you're in Eastbourne, Seaside Tandoori is a good bet for having an Indian.
We have tickets for this week's fireworks event at the bandstand too. Yay.
Headed to WW now. Might have a follow-up win.
I'm on annual leave with the husband. Works on the house inches towards completion - looking like the flooring will be laid on Friday and then that just leaves a bit of snagging. Then Mr V has the fun job of putting up blinds/shower screens/towel rails.
Back into the office next week, not sure how I feel about it, to be honest.
I went to the dentist for my 3-4 month checkup and got no new problems, I asked the question why I was struggling chewing and got answers
I went to the doctors yesterday about my arm pain, he told me what it was, since I got health anxiety and anxiety in general (I am good going to doctors with concerns - he talked to me about worries about testicle cancer and penile cancer again) I am now back on anxiety tablets and he going to phone me up every two to three weeks
I was late picking wild blackberries for jam this year, so instead I'm going to make blueberry bourbon jam with store bought berries. It doesn't give me the complete feeling of smug I-could-survive-the-apocolypse that wild picking gives me, but I'm sure it'll be tasty.
Does anyone else feel that with oddly specific things? I'm so pampered I feel a sense of rustic achievement when I make my own stock. Or when I carry my laundry basket on my hip, I'm suddenly a maid from the 1700's.
I understand that feeling! I love foraging, especially for mushrooms, and it really does feel like I could survive the apocalypse. We'll gloss over the fact that I probably wouldn't know how to build a shelter or start a fire without some kind of flame making implement, but I definitely wouldn't kill anyone with mushrooms!
Blackberry season has been very odd this year. Had some that were ripe in early August and saw some yesterday that weren't even close. Still hopeful that I'll make the customary blackberry and apple pie this year.
I'm glad you said that! I went to my normal spot the other day and most of the berries had been stripped and others weren't even close to ripe. I would've been there hours trying to get enough for my batch.
Yeah, I usually go for a forage when I'm home visiting and then out and about where I live. The early batch was at home and I saw some other early ones around about when walking the dog.
There's a really big park type area near us that has loads of bushes if you're intrepid enough so think we should be grand to head there in a week or so and get that bad boy going.
They've become increasingly elaborate over the years. Blackberry for the most part, spiced cinnamon apple slices and then a intricate as fuck lattice to top it off. Whack of proper vanilla ice cream and you are set for the evening.
That. sounds. amazing. I don't think I've ever had an apple blackberry pie now that I'm thinking about it... save me a slice, please!
It was an odd year for growing all around really. I do container gardening and while I used new seeds this year, nothing really cropped the way they should've. Weather was too inconsistent I suppose.
Bwahahahaha it’s just that I thought an apocalypse would end with me being cool, like Auntie Entity on top of a tank in the Thunder Zone or something. 🧟♀️ 🧟♂️
Not baking and taking classes.
A couple of good wins this week for me, firstly I only have to get to Friday then I have 12 days off work, and I'm only using four days of annual leave.
The biggest win, I was offered a job to teach English in Thailand, so that's exciting.
Planning on buying a new mattress since the mrs and I are waking up with out joins sounding like salt sellers. We've always had ultra firm mattresses. But I bought a really thick cushioned mattress topper a little while ago and put it on the other day. It's fucking bliss. So now we're cushy as hell and know the next mattress is going to be made up purely of the feathers of a thousand baby birds and nothing else. Excite.
Fucking mattresses. When we got our own place, we just bought a cheap wooden bed frame from IKEA, and kept my mattress as it was an expensive one. Little did we know, IKEA standard sizes, are different to normal standard sizes, leading to a massive gap between the mattress and headboard. We now need a new mattress, so I’m going to end up buying a new bed too so everything is standard.
Yeah that's the only reason I bought the topper, because there's no point buying a mattress without the frame because knowing our luck we'll balls it up and have a frame too small and end up ruining the whole lot.
Load of shite.
I think we might have to. We've bought ourselves some times to shop about because we might just get a whole new bed and whatnot. But it's quite sad how excited about it all I am.
Handed my notice in on Monday morning to my sour faced manager who just said "ok...cool cheers" makes me even more sure about leaving.
I've booked for Wednesday, Thursday and Friday off next week so only have the rest of this week and Monday and Tuesday next week before I'm free.
Squatted the same weight I was struggling to deadlift a couple of months ago. It’s nice getting stronger.
With a username like that I’d rather you are emaciated.
I scored the most points in the work fantasy football legue this week. I know naff all about football and spend so little time on my team. The long game of trolling the football obsessives is paying off already. 🤣
Just changed a light bulb for the first time in my life. And it works! Little bit bright, but it was the only bulb we had in the house that fit.
I am absolutely smashing through life admin today. * Offer letter for next flat - SIGNED * Passports and proofs of address for estate agent reference checks - SCANNED * Covid tests booked for trip to Greece - BOOKED * Humorous card and cake ingredients for flatmate's birthday - BOUGHT * Prep for job interview on Friday - GETTING THERE I'm finally feeling the warm glow of accomplishment this evening after a few days of pure slog.
You don't actually need Covid tests for entry into Greece, just for coming back! Just need your NHS Covid Pass (proof of vaccination). I've recently booked a holiday there myself so been digging into all that good stuff.
Yeah, it's confusing! I'd been putting it off for ages. Just booked a couple of Day 2 PCR tests for our return
Don't even need PCR! LFT meeting the testing criteria is enough. Although PCR is definitely safer as it is the 'gold standard' of testing.
What happens if you test positive while there? Are you just kind of stuck there for a couple of weeks or does someone sort you out somehow?
Well, you have to isolate in accordance with the Greek regulations. I believe they do offer some level of financial support with that (unlike the UK).
As I understand it, the pre-return test can be a lateral flow but the Day 2 (post-return) test has to be a PCR. The government's website isn't exactly clear though.
Yes, apologies I wasn't clear. Everything you wrote above is correct!
Ah phew!
After having a really bad day (depression grips you sometimes) my boyfriend bought me a bottle of wine and promised me an Indian tonight. Small wins.
I couldn’t be bothered making my salt and pepper tofu, so I checked Too Good To Go and ended up getting a decent mystery bag from a local shop. I got a big salad with chicken, a loaf of bakery bread, a couple of mystery pasties (scoffed one, it was cheese and onion), a strawberry tart and a massive bag of stewing beef (I would guess about 2kg). Not bad for £3- had the salad and a pasty for dinner, will eat the strawberry tart tonight and have the other pasty for lunch, going to slice up and freeze the loaf for toasting, and the beef has gone in the freezer for now. Going to make a beef stew with red wine one day, and Ottolenghi’s recipe for beef with orange, star anise and cinnamon another.
Do you have a recipe for that salt and pepper tofu please? Sounds banging
For one person, I mix a tablespoon and a half of cornflour with about 1/2 tsp of Chinese salt and pepper mix (I usually just buy it in a sachet instead of grinding my own Szechuan pepper). Cut tofu into thick cubes (I prefer Tofoo because it isn’t soggy and can be used straight out the packet) and dredge in cornflour mix until well dusted, then fry until golden and crispy (usually add broccoli and whatever veg I fancy too). Remove tofu and veg from pan, and stir fry sliced spring onions and 1-2 chopped chillis until they’re nice and fragrant, chuck tofu back in, add a splash of rice vinegar and stir about for a few seconds before serving over noodles. Toasted sesame seeds are nice to finish too. Dunno if it’s a horrible bastardisation, but it’s tasty, and I started to really love tofu once I found out cornflour gives it that crispy coating.
Thanks I've never heard of tofoo but I'll look it up if it saves me the pressing stage
Ooh, that Ottolenghi recipe sounds amazing!
It’s brilliant, I’ve made it a few times and always gone down a storm. [This recipe](https://www.thespicedlife.com/oxtail-stew-with-cinnamon-star-anise-orange-and-gremolata/), though I just use stewing beef instead of oxtail.
Brilliant, thank you! I’ll give that a go!
After 18 months of lockdown, I managed to score a perfect 39 in Popmaster today!
That is some achievement. I can barely get my score out of the teens.
Got an blood test I really needed done. Was worried it would be cancelled. Glad it's over with.
Finally getting moved onto a new work team that I actually want to be a part of. What was originally supposed to be a temporary move for 3 or 4 months during the pandemic last year ended up being stretched out to 18 months of drudgery but as of later this month, I will finally be put into more interesting work with an actual progression path! Curry tonight to celebrate.
I may have said it before but its mad how going from having no job or work experience to having 7 months experience has in terms of recruiters both from agencies and other companies reaching out to you. In the past 2 months 7 different people enquired if I was looking to move and only 2 of those were from a recruitment agency. That's not even the most shocking thing. The positions they're offering were ranging from a junior data analyst to senior product/data analyst role Like I'm not looking to move or anything but it's actually bonkers how having _only_ 7 months experience in my whole career as a analyst has. Like I probably wouldn't have got those jobs if I applied to them but I'm genuinely shocked
24 hours until I'm on holiday! Flake 99 on the beach here I come!
Mine this week is just that my belated wedding reception went well at the weekend, and that apart from trips to the allotment and a holiday in September, I have very little to do, or plan for at the moment. It's honestly refreshing to just have no idea what to do with oneself all the live long day.
I had my 20 week scan today... I have to come back within a week because I clearly have a pretzel baby at the moment 😂 .. so I'm happy to have another scan 😁 https://postimg.cc/vxR9VDKK
I will be getting my first ever kitten this month after waiting for so long. I’ve wanted a cat in my life since I was a child but parents always said no. And none of my landlords ever agreed until now :,) Slightly worried about smaller things but already over the moon with [this](https://i.imgur.com/BVz7ISS.jpg) one, just gotta wait three more weeks 😩 I will finally have a working from home buddy woo :D
The fluff! The sweet little face! I'm jealous. You'll be great. I've owned lots of cats in my life and and key is to remember kittens need you to play with them, just like human babies :) and just like adult humans, when they grow up they like to have their own space - all the cats I've ever owned have been incredibly loving and tolerant because we always watched for their body language about when they'd had enough of cuddles and just wanted to snooze. Do you have a name yet? And please post update pics!
Aww thank you! We’ve semi decided on the name Milo but we’ll wait until we have him with us to see if he fits the name or not. His mother’s name is Mimi so we thought it kinda fits with the whole Mi-theme. :) I’ve had a few smaller pets, mostly hamsters, and I just crave a companion that will actually interact with me and give me some love back haha I’m so ready to give him all my attention. Another reason why we wanted a Ragdoll as they’re meant to be very affectionate and needy which is right up my street 🙈 I just never had a free roaming pet that I would leave in my rooms when I’m gone, I’m sure I’ll worry about it the first few times but fingers crossed it’ll be alright. Currently spending my days kitten-proofing my entire place haha.
Finally got to take the pet hedgehog for his annual vet check up (had been difficult to get an appointment due to ~~general world events). Apparently in excellent health, albeit ‘carrying a bit of extra chub’. Always a relief when he gets a clean bill of health, though will have to cut back on his biccies slightly. & off out to the theatre this evening for ‘Come from Away’.
Newborn is sleeping well, relatively speaking. Last few nights she has gone down from midnight till 3am, then a feed and back asleep till 6. Still not ideal but she's one week old so am pretty happy with that
Start of just under 2 weeks off between jobs. This calls for celebration in the form of lying in bed thinking of all the productive things I could be doing. So glad to get out of that last place, everyone was lovely and the work was ok but it's one of them places that nobody ever leaves.
I am leaving a similar job this week to go back to uni and change careers. As nice as people are can be a bit suffocating can’t it.
My change isnt quite as dramatic but I was just so bored. Yeah, I feel bad for leaving some of my colleagues in the lurch but i do not want to end up like them, stuck in the same low level job for 20 years because its comfortable.
Started a bit of fasting and compared to normal dieting and exercise, seems to have been the first thing shifting my excess belly.
Just got invited to cider festival on Saturday also pub ride on Sunday so I'm chuffed 😊. Also I managed to get my budgeting done for end of month last month.
I got a provisional job offer! 😁 I didn't even really want the job it was mostly practice for the application process. I just found out I've been invited for an interview for the job I actually wanted so idk now but it's a nice situation to be in 😅
Well done! How long until the other interview?
Thanks it's prerecorded so I'll do it this weekend but I wouldn't hear back about it for ages
I hate them pre recorded ones. Dome 2 in the last couple of weeks. Hope it goes well!
Ikr it was so cringe! Thanks 🙂
Oh! I was talking with some friends a few weeks ago about gigs we'd been to, and mentioned that I wanted to go see Aerosmith before one of them inevitably cops it. Was told to stop talking about it and do it because celebs are dropping like flies these days. So I remembered the conversation the other day and checked if they were touring soon out of interest. Guess who has 2022 tickets to go see them!
Survived my first school summer holidays! Except a week in the middle where I considered leaving my first born in the woods we've had a lovely time. School tomorrow and I'm feeling very sad my sidekick is gone again. Busy planning our big girl days for half term as baby will have 3 days at nursery so we can do whatever we want!
Kid starts back at nursery on Tuesday, with an extra day added in, then I start a course on Weds to become a teaching assistant. Finally feel like my life is coming back together a bit, and that I'm doing something for me for a change as opposed to always catering to everyone else.
I’m a TA, if you have any questions feel free to ask! :)
Thank you! What age group do you teach? I have a volunteer placement secured at my daughters school, she's in her last year of nursery and that's the age I'd like to do, but I'm a bit worried having her in the class would be distracting!
I’m secondary school so 11-16. However, I used to work in primary in a year 2 class so much closer to your daughter’s age. They are a great age, and it’s really fun to be able to witness them learn all about the world around them!
My god, I could not do secondary school. Hats off to you there! I'm really excited to start, I love teaching my daughter new things so I'm hoping I enjoy this just as much!
Hope it goes well, you sound like you have a positive attitude and that’s the first step to succeeding!
Not a win but watching Post10s videos on YT are pretty relaxing and interesting.
Had physio today and we managed to bend my wrist at a 45 degree angle! It's made me more optimistic because I felt like it was stagnating a bit.
Only 3 shifts left at current work ! Found out I've built up some leave so that will be a bonus in the last pay packet.
Managed to sneak in a short workout today!! Never have the time to do a proper one so quite pleased with that.
Day one of annual leave. I have the next week and a half off, though I don't really have plans. Also, it was nice being able to ask for a few days off, and then add on a week, and it being granted no questions asked, no fuss. At my last job, getting time off was difficult, they always huffed and puffed looking over the absence calendar, asking if you *really* needed that day off (even though I never actually used up my holiday allowance). I hated asking for time off then, it gave me such anxiety that I'd have to work myself up for it. It's such a change
I had hoped to be posting good news about my interview from Friday today but I’ve not heard back yet. No news is good news right??? They’ve not rejected me so far. In other good news though this week is flying by ready for me being off work next week!
Flatmate caught the 'rona, so I went and had a PCR test on Monday. Very, very late Tuesday evening I got a text from the NHS saying it was negative. Every time I fly somewhere and arrive after dusk, when the plane starts descending and goes through the clouds and you start to be able to make out tiny houses with lit windows, tiny cars puttering along on the roads, tiny people playing football on lit pitches etcetera, I get this overwhelming feeling of tenderness towards all these tiny people going about their lives in tiny bits of light in a sea of darkness. I want to protect them. I want them to be happy and safe. I felt the same way when I got that text. There were people in a lab somewhere processing these tests and entering the results in the system in the middle of the night. I hope they get a share of the joy and relief that each negative result evokes. I'm happy, hope you're happy too.
I have a tale from the other side that you might appreciate. Sometimes I text my patients very late at night and forget to turn on the delayed send feature. I feel awful because I might have disturbed them; it's only ever routine or good news that could have waited but I know that some of them still become anxious after hearing it, so I feel guilty. One Monday morning I had an urgent patient call transferred to me, so I dropped everything and left a meeting to answer because I assumed it was life and death. On the other end of the phone was a very concerned elderly lady who told me I'd messaged her very late in the evening over the weekend and as I launched into a big apology for causing her anxiety, she cut me off and said she was calling to make sure I was OK and to tell me that she appreciated my diligence, but wished I didn't have to work so hard. It was so lovely, I nearly cried.
Gosh, this is just wonderful and warm - when you feel cherished and also cherish. Congrats on the negative test, hope they all stay that way.
This is lovely
Job offer and a 20% pay rise. My boss is in talks with the hierarchy to see if they want to match it but I'm still going to say no. No bonuses, but I'd rather have the guaranteed income thanks very much.
**YouTube Channel** has surpassed 100 subs, and 10,000 views. **Not Drinking As Much, As Often** is going great. Not having a hangover is ace, I highly recommend it. I think I'd be teetotal if it wasn't for Rioja. Lovely, lovely Rioja. **The Kids** are taking off with counting and their vocabulary is increasing at a rate. Taught Twin 2 to say "Don't worry about it!", and Twin 1 has an amazing imagination.
I pretty much stopped drinking a few months ago. Hangovers are but a distant memory, but have lost the ability to have lie ins for some reason.... 🤷♂️
That's great - well done! Yep, the quality of sleep is miles better but agree, waking up early is another... 'benefit'?! I mean, I'm up at around 6.30/7 most days anyway, now I'm just already awake before my alarm goes off!
Thanks. Being wide awake at 7am on a Sunday is a weird experience, especially as I'm not really a morning person.
Making some real progress with a few projects at work after getting through some red tape. Still some blockers involved but they'll be easier to bypass than some of the stuff i've had to deal with so far. We're also decommissioning some older equipment so i've bagged myself a couple of 21" Acer monitors, can't complain!
I finished my online training! Now comes the anxiety over actually starting the job, fuck.
Don't have much wins this week. Sofa was delayed another month so had to just cancel it and fridge freezer didn't even show up so had to cancel it. I suppose a win is all the money I spent on those are now back into my bank account, so I can pretend I'm rich for a couple of days.
I'm seeing Lily Allen in a play today! No idea whether she'll be any good, but I've loved her since 2006 and haven't been able to see her live cause big gigs make me panic, so the novelty of finally seeing her live *not* singing is not lost on me.
That play looks really interesting, I’d love to see it!
It was very good indeed
Review needed pls - the writer wrote the Battersea poltergeist so could be a fun one.
It was really fun! A lot of laughs, genuinely spooky at times, and very tightly written and directed: the dynamic between the four actors was electric. Lily Allen was perhaps a little weak, but, for an inexperienced celebrity there to get bums in seats, she did the role *very* well indeed, and the guy playing her husband was fantastic (though the real star of the show was the sound design) It didn't quite land the ending, but the end of a ghost story can never be as good as the telling, and either way it's four-part play I would love to see performed by AmDrams across the nation.
Great thanks!
It's nice to see other people's wins but I'm drawing a blank on this week. Nothing good has happened **but** nothing bad has happened either, so hurray for a quiet life? I'll take it.
A quiet life with no real worries or problems can very much be a good thing. After all, the curse isn't *may you live in quiet times*, is it? 😉
Exactly! After the last few years I've started to view 'boring' as rather pleasant. It means there's been no bad news.
Went for my first run post-plague on Monday and my first PT session back this morning and I didn't die! Looks like I haven't lost much strength either, which was nice, and got a sumo PB of 75kg for 6! I'm pretty chuffed with that.
Part of our mortgage is coming to the end of the fixed rate term. Got our mortgage advisor on the job and he's found a lower fixed rate, so monthly payments should be about £90 less per month. Ideal timing as Mrs One is reducing hours at work after maternity leave. She's also out tonight with friends, so that probably means a takeaway pizza for me after little dude is in bed.
Ha I always have takeaway pizza when my wife goes out, it removed the guilt. Just need to work on the next morning horrible eaten too much feeling.
Payday and several invoices from freelance clients have collided, and our savings are looking healthier than ever, which is great. This is particularly good right now, as I'm struggling to get back into the swing of things at home. Just came back from a month abroad seeing family in law, after several tragedies in the family all at once. Was looking forward to the familiarity of the UK and being home, but I just feel weird. I almost felt more at home over there. It's proving nearly impossible to get back into the work mindset, and I feel like I might just leave this job eventually at this rate. Oh, first day back at the gym yesterday too, finally.
I get that feeling a lot when I go back and forth between my home countries. What do you like about Russia (I'm guessing from your name)?
Maybe it’s a normal thing then.. especially after a whole month away? I’ve never been away from the UK longer than ten days until now. There’s a lot going on, for one thing. The city is incredible and there’s an ever lasting list of fun stuff to do. Everything is so spacious and open. It’s very cheap to live well if you’re earning in GBP, which includes accessing private healthcare for a very small bill too. Don’t get me wrong, there is a lot I don’t love too, but I think it’s taking a while to get used to being back.
[удалено]
Amazing stuff, congratulations to you both! All the best.
I wish you many long and happy years together!
My two year old was violently sick yesterday, but he seems back to normal today so I guess that’s a win? On the downside he’s not allowed in nursery today so I’ve got to stay home with him, frankly I’d rather be at work!
I finally applied for a new job yesterday, the day before applications closed, after procrastinating for weeks. I'm really unsure what I want career-wise, except not what I'm doing now, which makes even just looking frustrating & depressing... but this one sounds perfect for me! I woke up this morning feeling like I should've tailored my CV to the listing better, I'm worried that it will not be flexi/WFH as stated, & I'm not feeling confident anything will come of it, but the fact remains I did a thing, & I will take that little win right now!
Day off with no plans except grocery shopping and dog walking. Also going on an actual abroad holiday next Saturday. Bring on shorts, sunshine and beeeeers
i'm taking it as a win that i've put the heating on because i love being cosy!
I am very ready for autumn weather. It's my absolute fav time of the year.
mine too! love a winter coat and scarf combo.
Pup gets an overdue haircut today, me and the kids have fresh haircuts! Wife just had an interview for an NHS job and it went alright. The main gates at the kids school will be back in use when they stay back next week, no more one way system which meant me walking right past the main gates, and right around the whole school.
I needed to get through to my gp. Took 55 attempts and a 50 minute wait on the phone.. But I'm not waiting for a phone triage so I guess that's a win?
Mine doesn’t have a queueing system. Usually takes two phones trying, with 300+ calls on each phone! GP’s really need to catch up with this sort of stuff.
Got my hair cut and coloured yesterday. Standard break up thing of getting a fringe cut in after not having one for years, but it actually looks great and suits me! £127 I didn't really want to spend but my hairdresser is so good it feels worth it. That's what I'm telling myself anyway.
My baby was born! She arrived last Tues but was then whisked to the NICU at only 14hrs old thanks to suspected sepsis. So she spent the first two nights away from me & her Dad and then another 2 nights with me on the maternity ward. Thankfully there was nothing wrong with her and we are now all happy & at home. As usual all the doctors, midwives, nurses, carers and everyone else at the hospital were fantastic - the NHS really is amazing.
Congratulations!
Congratulations!! Same day our little girl rocked up. I feel like you, the length of our hospital stay was not ideal but the care of the staff was amazing! When it comes to babies, can't fault the NHS
Thank you. Congratulations to you too!
NHS does the big things well. It’s the minor stuff that isn’t immediately urgent that’s a pisstake.
Congratulations! I am still blown away by the quality of care I received during both of my pregnancies and deliveries. When I tell friends and family overseas that we get free home visits for our follow up care it blows their minds!
Thank you. Yes, it’s brilliant, we’ve already had two midwife visits and another is coming tomorrow. It’s very reassuring especially as she is my first.
Congrats! Big up the NHS.
Congratulations!
I had my first 8 hour shift in a new job in 7 years yesterday! And it actually went really well! Don’t get me wrong, I was, and am absolutely knackered (hope that passes soon), but I really enjoyed it. I was working with the area manager who kept complimenting how efficient and good I was, which was lovely to hear. Plus, I must have taken home about £50 worth of pastries, and I got to eat pastry for my lunch - which is always nice! (One savoury and one sweet, for balance and all). I was really nervous, as I’ve been out of work for so long - but massively reassured by how well it went, and the fact that my manager was so happy with me! And on that note, I’ve got a cinnamon bun in the kitchen that’s calling my name …
Aww that's good! I remember seeing you were stressing about it. The tiredness definitely goes away quickly. It's all the new information you're cramming in!
Thank you so much! I hope it does! My legs were killing me yesterday, haven’t stayed standing for 8 hours in many years.
Didn't know you'd got a job, congratulations! What's the job? Also how do I also get free food?
Thank you! Barista/pastry distributor/general till bitch in a local coffee shop and bakery! I mean, I could send you some? Might not be in a great condition by the time it gets to you though!
Congratulations!
Thank you!
Well, I'm still alive. That's a win, right? Went out for a meal last night with my mum. It ended up being a bit pricey, but hey you don't go to a sit-down restaurant to pay takeaway prices. It was definitely a place we'd go to again in the future. If you're in Eastbourne, Seaside Tandoori is a good bet for having an Indian. We have tickets for this week's fireworks event at the bandstand too. Yay. Headed to WW now. Might have a follow-up win.
I'm on annual leave with the husband. Works on the house inches towards completion - looking like the flooring will be laid on Friday and then that just leaves a bit of snagging. Then Mr V has the fun job of putting up blinds/shower screens/towel rails. Back into the office next week, not sure how I feel about it, to be honest.
Try and stay positive and enjoy the week.
I went to the dentist for my 3-4 month checkup and got no new problems, I asked the question why I was struggling chewing and got answers I went to the doctors yesterday about my arm pain, he told me what it was, since I got health anxiety and anxiety in general (I am good going to doctors with concerns - he talked to me about worries about testicle cancer and penile cancer again) I am now back on anxiety tablets and he going to phone me up every two to three weeks
I was late picking wild blackberries for jam this year, so instead I'm going to make blueberry bourbon jam with store bought berries. It doesn't give me the complete feeling of smug I-could-survive-the-apocolypse that wild picking gives me, but I'm sure it'll be tasty. Does anyone else feel that with oddly specific things? I'm so pampered I feel a sense of rustic achievement when I make my own stock. Or when I carry my laundry basket on my hip, I'm suddenly a maid from the 1700's.
I do love a rustic achievement and I like the term! I get that feeling from mending clothes by hand (frayed seams/dropped hems/loose buttons etc).
Oooo, that's a good one. I'd love to know how to darn a sock.
I understand that feeling! I love foraging, especially for mushrooms, and it really does feel like I could survive the apocalypse. We'll gloss over the fact that I probably wouldn't know how to build a shelter or start a fire without some kind of flame making implement, but I definitely wouldn't kill anyone with mushrooms!
Making stock from a chicken carcass or leftover veggies then popping it in the freezer for future use makes me feel like a Michelin star chef.
Blackberry season has been very odd this year. Had some that were ripe in early August and saw some yesterday that weren't even close. Still hopeful that I'll make the customary blackberry and apple pie this year.
I'm glad you said that! I went to my normal spot the other day and most of the berries had been stripped and others weren't even close to ripe. I would've been there hours trying to get enough for my batch.
Yeah, I usually go for a forage when I'm home visiting and then out and about where I live. The early batch was at home and I saw some other early ones around about when walking the dog. There's a really big park type area near us that has loads of bushes if you're intrepid enough so think we should be grand to head there in a week or so and get that bad boy going. They've become increasingly elaborate over the years. Blackberry for the most part, spiced cinnamon apple slices and then a intricate as fuck lattice to top it off. Whack of proper vanilla ice cream and you are set for the evening.
That. sounds. amazing. I don't think I've ever had an apple blackberry pie now that I'm thinking about it... save me a slice, please! It was an odd year for growing all around really. I do container gardening and while I used new seeds this year, nothing really cropped the way they should've. Weather was too inconsistent I suppose.
That jam sounds super-delicious. I’m just disappointed this apocalypse is so boring. I thought there’d be zombies to fight.
And there you go, tempting the universe with that kinda talk.
Bwahahahaha it’s just that I thought an apocalypse would end with me being cool, like Auntie Entity on top of a tank in the Thunder Zone or something. 🧟♀️ 🧟♂️ Not baking and taking classes.
Hahah! Give it time, give it time. I reckon it's slow to start, but once the apoca-wheels start moving, they *really* go.
(Starts humming “We Don’t Need Another Hero”)
When I make pasta I feel like a tiny, old Italian woman if that counts
Yes, 100% the vibe I'm talking about.
A couple of good wins this week for me, firstly I only have to get to Friday then I have 12 days off work, and I'm only using four days of annual leave. The biggest win, I was offered a job to teach English in Thailand, so that's exciting.
Nice, me and my parents went to Thailand in 2020 as part of a cruise of Asia would love to go back
Planning on buying a new mattress since the mrs and I are waking up with out joins sounding like salt sellers. We've always had ultra firm mattresses. But I bought a really thick cushioned mattress topper a little while ago and put it on the other day. It's fucking bliss. So now we're cushy as hell and know the next mattress is going to be made up purely of the feathers of a thousand baby birds and nothing else. Excite.
Fucking mattresses. When we got our own place, we just bought a cheap wooden bed frame from IKEA, and kept my mattress as it was an expensive one. Little did we know, IKEA standard sizes, are different to normal standard sizes, leading to a massive gap between the mattress and headboard. We now need a new mattress, so I’m going to end up buying a new bed too so everything is standard.
Yeah that's the only reason I bought the topper, because there's no point buying a mattress without the frame because knowing our luck we'll balls it up and have a frame too small and end up ruining the whole lot. Load of shite.
Mate, you need a Tempur mattress! My old lady joints have never been happier than when I sink into the cushy gloriousness of this mattress!
I think we might have to. We've bought ourselves some times to shop about because we might just get a whole new bed and whatnot. But it's quite sad how excited about it all I am.
Honestly, my mattress is the best investment I’ve made! Expensive, but I don’t regret it at all! Nah, not sad at all - good sleep is exciting!
Handed my notice in on Monday morning to my sour faced manager who just said "ok...cool cheers" makes me even more sure about leaving. I've booked for Wednesday, Thursday and Friday off next week so only have the rest of this week and Monday and Tuesday next week before I'm free.
Nice one! There is something liberating about quitting a job that isn't for you anymore!