Crumblies

Everyone wants a review these days don’t they, but only gooduns. I frequently can’t resist giving a google review, but start with trip advisor when looking for something, what’s that all about?

Just got notice from google that 4k people (that’s 4000+ people, not super high definition, or people with precision eyebrows) have looked at a pub review I did about 4 weeks ago! Good job it was a goodun. Superb pies (proper pies) opposite 10 downing street. Checked my stats had 31k review views and 58k photo views, how’s that? How can you look at a photo without the review that it goes with?

Big news the crumblies are thinking of moving from their flat to an “assisted living” flat near my Sister. What is the difference between sheltered Housing and assisted living? Apparently more care with assisted living, although this looks more like the former, we shall see. Done some research with a friend of a friend who says it’s a good place, so looks positive. If all goes ahead will be good going forward as will be 5 mins from little sis rather than 2 hours. Exciting times.

Sorted the Christmas “double bubble” out, or should I say wifey has. Christmas day with uncle D and a day with the kids Second cousins. Children of your cousins is that correct, not sure? Should that be two question marks, need to improve my grammar. Lol. Everyone else has to miss out this year. Crumblies (kids self-quarantining from school permitting) going to sisters for a couple of days, they may get to use their new “toy” (Facebook portal) on Christmas Day, yay.

Got home to find super woman has got another job! Now working 5 days a week 😟. Didn't even have to go to an interview, agency recommend her, employer read her LinkedIn and said yes. Superstar. Must must must update my LinkedIn. Youngest now in after school 2 days and I will have to take 2 days. Don't know what happens if one of them is sent home for covid isolation. 

Posted Uncle E's (that's a person not a hallucinogen) Christmas and Birthday present with thank you card from the little one for her Birthday, never been so organized.

Do we down load last "Un Doing"? Big temptation, or just have an early night ( not that sort we need the sleep, although that would make nodding off quicker, TMI night night

Can you have too many pairs of Shoes?

Apparently not. Head of catering's Christmas present has just arrived. Well part 2 has

aliaModa

I must confess they look dam good, picture doesn't do it justice.

Wash my mouth out, blokes can't talk about shoes like that.

Otherwise a slow news day, cold, dark and raining. Highlight was going to the golden arches so the kids got out and discussing Christmas songs in Pizza hut carpark as you can't go inside during lock down. This while listening to the chart show on wireless 1 as an 80's DJ called it. Is it me or has Steve Wright been doing the same radio show for 40 years (possy et al), can't be doing with it and why is it the "big show", who says it is, apart from him. Calm yourself it's Sunday night.

Homework done, dishwasher filled, tumble dryer empty, time to sit down with super woman and watch some telly before bed. What a rock and roll lifestyle I live. lol (That's laugh out loud, not lots of love, which in my humble opinion, it should be (I'm with you David Cameron). Talking of which how do you know which emoji to use. If it is funny is it 😀😃😄😁😆🙂😊. Is there degrees of funniness in emoji land? Why is everyone yellow? Need to play a Toyah song, 

The Undoing. Episode 5. Wow, still don't know who did it. (Nicole Kidman, like a good wine, better with age, or is that just the middle aged man in me speaking.)

Must confess l have liked all the Hugh Grant stuff he has done since returning to acting including Paddington, (aka Q from James Bond). 

Call from over the parents. Moving is a funny word that means one thing but conjure up so many different thoughts. 

Now late, will discuss tomorrow, I'm off.

Nighty night

Not Bob the builder

Well had the builder round this morning after a six month gap. Just got to wait for a price.

To build or not to build that is the question as that well known Stratfordian might have said.

The "project" stared off last year as replacing the rotten glass sliding door at the front of the house with a new door and a bit of extra work. We are now looking at new porch with integral blinds and velux; new wooden floors thoughout down stair; removing a door, removal of artex ceiling; new stair banister; new inner and outer doors; replace conservatory plus a few bits. So it has grown somewhat.

Hoping the price comes back sensible as raring to go now.

Big question of the evening do we watch the " this not a highlights programme honest of highlights from last week's "I'm a celebrity get me out of here" tonight. And more importantly do we have a "drink" while watching it.

Do I write the 6 Christmas cards I still send while doing it. No, that can wait.

But we may put up both Christmas trees. Not quite got the hang of this blogging lark yet. Started this morning and keep on breaking off, so when I get back to it some of what I'm going to do I've done!

Cooked tea (fajitas, going to put some carrot in mine, is that bad?), and Christmas trees out of the loft. Both the 2018 one that was supposed to like a real tree and the old one that didn't but looks better than the new one.

Little one has been on at us all week so will have to go up either tonight or tomorrow. 

Nobody wants to eat now! And I'm starving. Sod it, I'm having mine.

Later

And dam good they were too (fajitas not Christmas trees), even though I say so myself.

Call me Kofi Annan, just defused World War 3. Oldest said can not put Christmas tree up before December 1, youngest gutted as been promised all week she could. Compromise, play mechano with Daddy, then stay up late and watch IACGMOOH. Worked (just).

 Celeb was good, off to bed.

Christmas Presents and the Man Upstairs, Emma Freud, Emily Maitlis and Zoom

Christmas presents are an effing nightmare. Now you probably think I'm very bar humbug. Well I'm sort of am.

Hats off to those who believe and get great solace from the man upstairs.

I digress, sorry it is the way my mind works and having been brought up on a very religious household, do have a little knowledge / experience of the subject.

As it is a trinity should it be the men upstairs (father, son and holy spirit), is the spirit gender specific, i.e. should it be the people upstairs? If I have offended you I am truly sorry, just my normal ruminations on the subject. (I love that word, (ruminations not subject) it is so descriptive.)

Going off on a tangent off of a tangent (is that a cosine, no it isn't, don't be silly). How many brackets can you have in a sentence and it is still readable. Maybe I should start using foot notes, but we have got so tangential from the original topic of discussion Albert Einstein would have trouble following where we went, or should I say where we are going, may be it should be where have we come from.

STOP

As Monty Python would say it started as a perfectly sensible discussion and now it has got silly.

REBOOT

The simpleness, love and enjoyment of the religious side of Christmas is great.

Christmas parties at work etc. can be good fun (assuming no photo copiers are involved, why would anyone do that?)

But the stress of wasting money buying stuff for people they don't want, while at the same time they are doing the same, seems really stupid to me.

Getting negative so we will stop that, turn over a new leaf and to paraphrase Paul Whitehouse say “Isn’t Christmas Brilliant”. That is not to diminish the brilliantness of milk of course.

This year I think we are buying my parents (in their 80's, don't drink or smoke or need anything, in fact mother keeps on clearing out stuff and giving it to us) a Facebook portal (I think)

Apparently it is like a tablet but only does face time / Alexa, looks a bit like a photo frame. Supposedly dead easy to use, and we will be able to video call using WhatsApp. Fortunately, my Brother in law has volunteered to sort it out, so all I have to do is pay, yay, result. Only worry now is how easy is dead easy? Will they be able to operate it without a grandchild present (which defeats the object of face timing their grandchildren!).

Moving on the Nephew and Niece have “chosen” their Christmas present, ticked

Elderly Uncle ( who loves railways) sorted for Christmas as got a Michael (Choo Choo) Portillo book off eBay. ticked

Super Mum has two pairs of shoes and a fire stick. ticked

just the kids to sort.

Work colleague has just suggested I do a work blog, don’t think that will fly, Marketingist lady at work thinks I’m to avant-garde (my word not hers, but it is such a nice word, so will use anyway and pretend she said it), to do it.

Moving on just got a top Zoom tip from Emma Freud via Emily Maitlis! On zoom, if you go down to the bottom left of the screen, there is button called "start/stop video". Click the little arrow and a window pops up with a load of options. One of the options is "touch up my appearance". It makes you look better!

Anyway Fish and Chips have just arrived with mushy peas, well that will be one of my 5 day. Got a feeling today may end up a POETS day.