I'm taking a wee lunch break - I've been assembling information packs for newly-pregnant ladies all morning, and while I'm happy enough doing mindless things like that, the repetitive nature of it doesn't half make your back hurt.
I think a pilgrimage to the shrine of St. Michael* might be on the cards on the way home; although I love cooking, I'm beginning to see why S. lived off their ready meals when she was working. Don't get me wrong - I don't intend (and couldn't afford) to eat them all the time, but the odd one now and again won't hurt, will it?
I might even treat myself to one of their Dine at Home thingies - you get WINE with them!
* Remember when Marks & Sparks stuff all had the St. Michael brand?
Picking things up on the way home is one of the pleasures of commuting, and there aren't many of them, so enjoy the meal @piglet. The meal deal also includes pudding. Only trouble is their range of vegan/vegetarian mains is a bit limited or we'd be having them quite often. Glad you are settling into the job. I like repetitive jobs. My favourite when I first started out in libraries was putting catalogue cards in order. That's a skill that's not longer needed.
@Piglet I keep Emergency Indulgences in the freezer, and occasionally treat myself with something from the chiller cabinet. I tell myself it’s less expensive than eating out.
Today I am continuing to plod through admin - why is it that as soon as I get within sight of the bottom of the heap something else arrives? It’s not so much the admin itself but the decisions that make me put it off.
My reward is to watch Kirstie’s home made Christmas - I have no intention of making any of it, but it gets me in the festive mood.
No Christmas cards today, but a copy of a letter from King's College Hospital to my GP, reporting on the State Of My Brain (following the last MRI scan, and subsequent follow-up appointment).
The letter is full of Long Words, so I am about to enlist the help of Professor G Oogle to search out their meaning...
Early meal ( delicious slow cooked park casserole),
You are not supposed to be shooting your neighbourhood's pets, even if you think they are Unruly and Ought To Be On a Lead ... Or was it made from grey squirrel , fox or even hedgehog?
No Christmas cards today, but a copy of a letter from King's College Hospital to my GP, reporting on the State Of My Brain (following the last MRI scan, and subsequent follow-up appointment).
The letter is full of Long Words, so I am about to enlist the help of Professor G Oogle to search out their meaning...
Hope you work it out satisfactorily, BF, and that all is well.
Nothing that I didn't know before, really, except that the *mild small vessel disease* continues to progress (if that's the right word).
This may partially explain my halting gait and mobility problems, also chronic tiredness/fatigue, and may result in dementia - eventually - though there's no sign of that yet.
Japes, you omitted slates! And their heirs, the individual whiteboards, which I found absolutely brilliant. At a glace you could see who had "got it", who was getting it from someone else, and modify the teaching to fit how the matter was going in.
Oh, we do still use individual whiteboards! In fact, they were all sent home with them to show us what we were asking for on Google Meet Calls. They are indeed our most useful and brilliant pieces of kit. Except when the pens have run out.
Or a sinner has got hold of a permanent marker. One of my favourite moments of working out who the Abjectly Miserable Sinner of the day was not just based on recognising the writing. It was pointing out there were only two people in that group who I could rely on to use the apostrophe in that context correctly and the other one was absent that day. It was deemed a fair cop...
Well, quite - but the Eat Ing Out will be permitted over Yuletide, will it not?
(Even if you don't like Scotch Eggs...)
It depends on the tier you're in, as I understand it.
Mr Nen and I were due to have our flu vaccines this Saturday but they've just been postponed to the following Saturday because of "a lorry held up somewhere." Not, we hope, by paperwork at Dover...
Hope you enjoy Dining At Home with St Michael @Piglet . Let us know how your day's been.
Chez Nen we have salmon and roast vegetables - all within a fairly tight window between Zoom meetings.
It's been a good, quite busy day. A PIE of some description (I think it was chicken with something or other) has been purchased, along with rosti potatoes, CHEESE and WINE.
I nearly bought a cottage pie - it would be an appropriate way to mark David's birthday, which is today, but I've never had one that was as good as his ...
I love cottage pie and my mother used to be an excellent cook - but she stopped making the effort for me a few years back. I tried to encourage her to cook something for me on a visit home (I would typically have to bring a ready meal ... as it was deemed easier ... this was when I was working a 60hr week in the City and then catching a train home on a Friday night) and asked for cottage pie. Memories of youth.
The cottage pie was cooked and I swear it had two ingredients. Mince and Potato.
After that I decided to revert back to the ready meal and take her out for a lunch
My husband is 74 today. He wanted no changes to his routine, so we have just had cauliflower cheese, as it is Thursday.
I love that! We are pretty much the same - if it's Friday it's curry, if it's Saturday it's stir fry. Tuesday is usually Fish Night but I'll probably do something different next week as it's a birthday.
I make sure we have a Different Routine on Sundays, though - we have the casserole at lunchtime so that we can have Supper in the evening: cheese and biscuits or something on toast. It wouldn't do to get into a rut.
Oh, that was a trip down Memory Lane! Thank you. YouTube also gave me Lily The Pink and I was reminded of medicinal compound. If only someone had thought of applying that to the virus, we could have saved all those Clever Science People a heap of trouble.
I wish our meals could could be served on a more regular routine, my life would be so much easier.
I spent many years catering in care establishments, and set meals throughout the week were an absolute 'no-no' among the various inspectors that visited us. Far too institutional, apparently!
This in spite of the fact that many of our residents needed routine in their lives, and even more of them expected fish to be served on Fridays.
So I have this ingrained habit that has me spending far too much of my time trying to work out varied menus, and associated shopping lists each week. It's completely unnecessary, as Mr RoS has no sense of taste, and generally no memory of what he ate the day before (actually, that has its advantages)
Elder Son and family have a fairly rigid and continuous weekly menu, which that works well with the two of their children who have autism. It must make life easier - but I do think it sounds boring!
It's fish or veggie on Fridays here too. The assorted members of the Dragon household have their own dislikes so there are some things I can't have on consecutive nights, but otherwise I tend to mix up easy things with more interesting stuff.
I had an exercise class this afternoon on Teams, courtesy of the hospital physio department. It was the first in a rolling series aimed at mums with new babies (albeit 6+ weeks old) and my legs knew about it afterwards.
Same with Pilates - after 50 minutes' worth, you find bits hurting that you didn't even know you possessed...and which you wish (at that point) belonged to Someone Else...
Tonight was Cheat's Kedgeree. Get a packet of microwaveable rice (in this case basmati), some frozen peas, an onion, curry powder , eggs, and a fair amount of butter. Plus a piece of smoked haddock.
Sauté the onions, add the curry powder, then the peas and rice. Briefly cook the fish in either the microwave or the oven. Boil the eggs. Tip the whole lot together with more butter and serve with lemon wedge and black pepper.
Oh, that was a trip down Memory Lane! Thank you. YouTube also gave me Lily The Pink and I was reminded of medicinal compound. If only someone had thought of applying that to the virus, we could have saved all those Clever Science People a heap of trouble.
Lily the Pink was a nickname for a genuine Victorian medicinal compound, Lydia Pinkham’s Vegetable Compound, which was used to treat 'women's problems'.
Long lost son is home and settled. And I managed to get some writing done too.
How old would David have been today, @Piglet ? Glad your day has been good and quite busy. How was the commute?
65 - eligible for his pension.
Shepherd's pie (although usually actually cottage pie) was his "signature dish" and I have to say it was pretty damn good. He would occasionally opt for shepherd's pie in a restaurant (in the interests of research) and was invariably disappointed, and had to resist the temptation to offer them lessons in how it should be done ...
The commute was fine today - a wee bit of a wait for the bus both morning and evening, but nothing I couldn't handle.
The chicken pie was really rather nice, and as there's still half of it left, it'll do for another time. I did some broccoli and Kenya beans to go with it - put them in a dish with a little olive oil, a splat or two of butter, lemon juice and salt and pepper and zapped them in the microwave for a few minutes and they were lovely.
I took Echo for a walk today - pouring down! He’s a Golden retriever so his coat is not waterproof like my Lab’s is. So I put him in a rather fetching raincoat.
It was my weekly Pilates zoom this morning, about ten of us attend and it’s excellent. My physio recently told me my joints are hyper mobile, so when my Pilates teacher says ‘reach as far as is comfortable’ she adds ‘not Boogie, you reach 50% as far as you can’.
This afternoon I will be finishing off the Christmas cards.
Boogie, I hyperextend my joints and my yoga teacher has to tell me to hold off (I possibly have a genetic connective tissue disorder called Stickler Syndrome which affects joints but also caused my twin brother's congenital cataracts).
I skipped yoga today as I had muscle fatigue, so I went for a walk instead. I've done some work and now need to make lunch before I go to the optician's to pick up my new glasses. I may do some marking when I return.
I had enough of routine meals while my husband was alive. Now I tend to open the freezer and take out what I fancy. I do batch cook, though it is not always a ready meal! And as far as Ready meals go, Oakhouse are excellent, and they deliver.
I'm now the proud* owner of an NHS staff badge; my brother, who lives near my work, picked me up and took me to the Western General (also quite close) and ten minutes later I was sorted.
When I told the security lady why I was there, she smiled sweetly and said, "that'll be £50 please ... only kidding". I know the NHS is a bit strapped for cash, but come on ...
Now, anyone know where I can buy a lanyard?
* quite literally - whenever I read of American friends and Shippies being unable to get healthcare because they can't afford it, I feel very proud of the NHS, and honoured to work for it. I'm a soppy old piglet ...
My brother (bless him!) also brought the candle-bridges from my sister's house, so they'll be going up chez Piglet this evening.
I've taken to patronising the Golden Chip for Friday supper, and I may do so again tonight, unless the Indian takeaway down beside Tesco's does deliveries. There is much research to be done here!
Meanwhile, this morning being cold, but not actually wet, I carpeted the summerhouse - a couple of off cuts and a spare rug - pieced together and nailed down. I've put in the two reclining garden chairs and a fan heater. Now on the lookout for a small occasional table and probably a small folding work table.
We have to have lanyards to match our badge holders, as it's all colour-coded. One for staff, one for students, one for visitors to campus, one for our supported living clients and three for something else (I'm not sure one of those departments didn't fold just before Lockdown 1 but I've not seen that colour around since we returned to education.).
I've learnt to remove my staff badge if I've had to go to a hospital appointment from work! I was confused for someone who "Knew What They Were Doing" last time as my badge holder is the same colour. Mind you, the nurse who recognised me laughed and said I probably knew more than some of the staff who had worked there for years and still looked confused... I just explained, no, I wasn't staff I only looked confident during the sign-in then the download data off my devices processes as I was used to them,
Rats, I need to check that autocorrect hasn’t done it’s before pressing “post” . TRAGO Mills, of course, though I would imagine they are available in any of the cheaper stores.
( Good job I checked, my iPad likes the idea of Tragopan Mills)
Are you saying that NHS don't provide their own lanyards for staff badges?
Yes.
Well, I don't think they do. It's not a huge deal: the badge does come with a clip that'll fix it to a jacket, waistcoat or cardigan (my usual work attire is trousers, shirt and waistcoat/gilet of some description - I have several in various lengths and colours as they're just so comfortable).
I did research one of the Indian takeaway establishments and it was OK, but not, I think, somewhere I'll be rushing back to. I had veggie pakoras, of which there were far too many (but quite nice), and lamb dansak, which was decent but a little more spicy than I'd have liked. I'm hoping the leftover pakoras can be brought back to life in the microwave, as it would seem a shame to waste them.
Also, having ordered and (as I thought) paid online, I was a bit taken aback when the delivery bloke said I had to pay cash. Fair enough - I'd got myself in a bit of a fankle at the online checkout, and supposed I must have not paid, so I gave him the cash.
Then, lo and behold, while I was eating, my mobile rang and it was the restaurant to say I hadn't paid and the driver would be back ... I protested that I had indeed paid in cash, and the bloke on the phone was most apologetic - it had been their mistake.
I'm nervous enough about paying for things online, without that kind of hassle; next time I fancy a curry I'll make the bloody thing myself.
Comments
I'm taking a wee lunch break - I've been assembling information packs for newly-pregnant ladies all morning, and while I'm happy enough doing mindless things like that, the repetitive nature of it doesn't half make your back hurt.
I think a pilgrimage to the shrine of St. Michael* might be on the cards on the way home; although I love cooking, I'm beginning to see why S. lived off their ready meals when she was working. Don't get me wrong - I don't intend (and couldn't afford) to eat them all the time, but the odd one now and again won't hurt, will it?
I might even treat myself to one of their Dine at Home thingies - you get WINE with them!
* Remember when Marks & Sparks stuff all had the St. Michael brand?
Today I am continuing to plod through admin - why is it that as soon as I get within sight of the bottom of the heap something else arrives? It’s not so much the admin itself but the decisions that make me put it off.
My reward is to watch Kirstie’s home made Christmas - I have no intention of making any of it, but it gets me in the festive mood.
The letter is full of Long Words, so I am about to enlist the help of Professor G Oogle to search out their meaning...
Nothing that I didn't know before, really, except that the *mild small vessel disease* continues to progress (if that's the right word).
This may partially explain my halting gait and mobility problems, also chronic tiredness/fatigue, and may result in dementia - eventually - though there's no sign of that yet.
I think...
As My Old Mum would say 'No use worrying - you might get run over by a Bus tomorrow!'*
*To which she would add 'So make sure you're wearing clean Pants!'
Oh, we do still use individual whiteboards! In fact, they were all sent home with them to show us what we were asking for on Google Meet Calls. They are indeed our most useful and brilliant pieces of kit. Except when the pens have run out.
Or a sinner has got hold of a permanent marker. One of my favourite moments of working out who the Abjectly Miserable Sinner of the day was not just based on recognising the writing. It was pointing out there were only two people in that group who I could rely on to use the apostrophe in that context correctly and the other one was absent that day. It was deemed a fair cop...
(Even if you don't like Scotch Eggs...)
It depends on the tier you're in, as I understand it.
Mr Nen and I were due to have our flu vaccines this Saturday but they've just been postponed to the following Saturday because of "a lorry held up somewhere." Not, we hope, by paperwork at Dover...
Hope you enjoy Dining At Home with St Michael @Piglet . Let us know how your day's been.
Chez Nen we have salmon and roast vegetables - all within a fairly tight window between Zoom meetings.
I nearly bought a cottage pie - it would be an appropriate way to mark David's birthday, which is today, but I've never had one that was as good as his ...
How nice to be remembered in part for your cottage pies....
Yes, there are times when Routine is truly important...
I can't help but ponder how the dimensions of the Ark could be the cause of infirmity.
However, the Ark is in dire need of painting/tarring - beyond my capabilities at the moment - so I suppose the rusty bits could be classed as such...
The cottage pie was cooked and I swear it had two ingredients. Mince and Potato.
After that I decided to revert back to the ready meal and take her out for a lunch
I make sure we have a Different Routine on Sundays, though - we have the casserole at lunchtime so that we can have Supper in the evening: cheese and biscuits or something on toast. It wouldn't do to get into a rut.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=qyjUToEuMhQ
I spent many years catering in care establishments, and set meals throughout the week were an absolute 'no-no' among the various inspectors that visited us. Far too institutional, apparently!
This in spite of the fact that many of our residents needed routine in their lives, and even more of them expected fish to be served on Fridays.
So I have this ingrained habit that has me spending far too much of my time trying to work out varied menus, and associated shopping lists each week. It's completely unnecessary, as Mr RoS has no sense of taste, and generally no memory of what he ate the day before (actually, that has its advantages)
Elder Son and family have a fairly rigid and continuous weekly menu, which that works well with the two of their children who have autism. It must make life easier - but I do think it sounds boring!
I had an exercise class this afternoon on Teams, courtesy of the hospital physio department. It was the first in a rolling series aimed at mums with new babies (albeit 6+ weeks old) and my legs knew about it afterwards.
Sauté the onions, add the curry powder, then the peas and rice. Briefly cook the fish in either the microwave or the oven. Boil the eggs. Tip the whole lot together with more butter and serve with lemon wedge and black pepper.
Long lost son is home and settled. And I managed to get some writing done too.
65 - eligible for his pension.
Shepherd's pie (although usually actually cottage pie) was his "signature dish" and I have to say it was pretty damn good. He would occasionally opt for shepherd's pie in a restaurant (in the interests of research) and was invariably disappointed, and had to resist the temptation to offer them lessons in how it should be done ...
The commute was fine today - a wee bit of a wait for the bus both morning and evening, but nothing I couldn't handle.
The chicken pie was really rather nice, and as there's still half of it left, it'll do for another time. I did some broccoli and Kenya beans to go with it - put them in a dish with a little olive oil, a splat or two of butter, lemon juice and salt and pepper and zapped them in the microwave for a few minutes and they were lovely.
As tomorrow is Friday, Fish will be eaten.
Saturday is a day of No Obligations or Left Overs, so I need to think of something.
This afternoon we are going to purchase a Christmas tree
It was my weekly Pilates zoom this morning, about ten of us attend and it’s excellent. My physio recently told me my joints are hyper mobile, so when my Pilates teacher says ‘reach as far as is comfortable’ she adds ‘not Boogie, you reach 50% as far as you can’.
This afternoon I will be finishing off the Christmas cards.
I skipped yoga today as I had muscle fatigue, so I went for a walk instead. I've done some work and now need to make lunch before I go to the optician's to pick up my new glasses. I may do some marking when I return.
When I told the security lady why I was there, she smiled sweetly and said, "that'll be £50 please ... only kidding". I know the NHS is a bit strapped for cash, but come on ...
Now, anyone know where I can buy a lanyard?
* quite literally - whenever I read of American friends and Shippies being unable to get healthcare because they can't afford it, I feel very proud of the NHS, and honoured to work for it. I'm a soppy old piglet ...
My brother (bless him!) also brought the candle-bridges from my sister's house, so they'll be going up chez Piglet this evening.
I've taken to patronising the Golden Chip for Friday supper, and I may do so again tonight, unless the Indian takeaway down beside Tesco's does deliveries. There is much research to be done here!
I've learnt to remove my staff badge if I've had to go to a hospital appointment from work! I was confused for someone who "Knew What They Were Doing" last time as my badge holder is the same colour. Mind you, the nurse who recognised me laughed and said I probably knew more than some of the staff who had worked there for years and still looked confused... I just explained, no, I wasn't staff I only looked confident during the sign-in then the download data off my devices processes as I was used to them,
( Good job I checked, my iPad likes the idea of Tragopan Mills)
Yes.
Well, I don't think they do. It's not a huge deal: the badge does come with a clip that'll fix it to a jacket, waistcoat or cardigan (my usual work attire is trousers, shirt and waistcoat/gilet of some description - I have several in various lengths and colours as they're just so comfortable).
I did research one of the Indian takeaway establishments and it was OK, but not, I think, somewhere I'll be rushing back to. I had veggie pakoras, of which there were far too many (but quite nice), and lamb dansak, which was decent but a little more spicy than I'd have liked. I'm hoping the leftover pakoras can be brought back to life in the microwave, as it would seem a shame to waste them.
Also, having ordered and (as I thought) paid online, I was a bit taken aback when the delivery bloke said I had to pay cash. Fair enough - I'd got myself in a bit of a fankle at the online checkout, and supposed I must have not paid, so I gave him the cash.
Then, lo and behold, while I was eating, my mobile rang and it was the restaurant to say I hadn't paid and the driver would be back ... I protested that I had indeed paid in cash, and the bloke on the phone was most apologetic - it had been their mistake.
I'm nervous enough about paying for things online, without that kind of hassle; next time I fancy a curry I'll make the bloody thing myself.
There was nothing wrong with it - it just wasn't exactly delectable. Nothing made me want to go and rave about it on Trip Advisor.