Meliana

No caterpillars, or problems with my back. I actually feel better today despite sweeping the drive and cutting the lawn. But I was doing it properly by bending my knees, not bending over.

I'm sorry to hear that, Mark. It's fine to vent to us though, we all know what it's like to have problems like that.

I suggest you don't overfill your rubbish bags, then Leanne. It sounds a nice place though.

Good luck on the flat hunting, Kia.

I really need to go food shopping today. The noisy people are in again next door, with the mini digger they have there!

kiamay

What are they doing next door? A mini digger?
I'm glad you feel better!

Leanne, what does subside mean in this context. Never heard that before.

And I hope you had a nice mother's day
Couldn't visit my mom but sent her a very cute picture of her and me when I was about a year old by text

reason to believe

Wow, hope they don't take forever doing that work, Claire!! that would drive me buggy!! How's it going lately? How's your family and your classes going this term?

Kia, that's an autocorrect! I meant "subsidize" when they will make up some of my rent monthly so I can comfortably afford the rent!

Man, I'm so energetic lately!! I just keep doing things. I'm so glad too. Cause I didn't like how "blah" I was before. I'm just like working away today!

I have a bunch of pics over my childhood where my mom sewed me and her matching outfits. But I didn't post them anywhere. I had a nice visit last night!

Meliana

I'm glad they are helping you out, Leanne.

They are using the digger to dig out all the rubble and tree roots out of the garden. The garden was massively overgrown and full of trees, and now there is nothing left! I wonder what they plan to do with it now, though.

It is annoying, Leanne. The constant deliveries and lorries turning up keeps blocking our drive too. Still the builders do seem friendly. They've gutted the entire house, and rebuilt parts of it. It should be nice when they've finished.

My son just had another parents evening. We are getting him to do more reading and typing everyday to try and boost his performance in the exams coming up.

My daughter is still doing loads of rehearsals for the musical she's doing.

My course has only just started, but it's going well so far.

So it seems like the Brexit talks are about to fail, so we'll all be back to square one.

Today I was in the shop and the cashier started to pack my bags which happens when I'm still putting things on the conveyor belt, many times this has happened in the years and years of going to this place, but this cashier dumps all my bags out, along with my shopping list pad, and starts to pack the main large bag. So there's this big mess of all my bags littering the end of the counter. So I grab the main bag she's packing things into, take everything out of it and put the stuff into another bag, and put all my bags and pad back into the main bag. I don't know I'm being particularly weird, or if other people put up with her doing that, but this cashier takes offence at what I'm doing, and says she won't pack bags for me again. Now I'm thinking I'm going to have to avoid her in future. I was fuming about it all the way home. I don't know if I'm being OCD or anything but I really couldn't understand why she did that. Why would I want my bags all over the place?

The other thing which happened to me today is I saw a HUGE swarm of bees near my home. Fortunately they moved on. I don't like bee swarms after one attacked my family when I was young!

kiamay

I don't think I have ever seen a swarm of bees. You sure it was bees?
The little friendly ones I am inviting to come and join me on my balcony with my bee-friendly plants?
Saving the bees is a big thing over here. They are talking about punishing people if their gardens consist of stones

I haven't heard anything about Brexit lately. Iran is all they talk about ATM. I am a bit scared.... just mildly for now.
I am not sure I understand the bag thing (not the fact that you want it in a particular way but what exactly she is doing with your things). We don't have that here (just hoping it's not plastic). But either way, I think it is your right to do whatever you see fit. It's your stuff! You paid for it!
I would definitely avoid someone who took offence in how I wanted my things organized in bags.

Leanne, I like your energy and it's cool your family supports you!

I am a bit insecure and down tonight. I did something slightly stupid which could turn into something big and get me in major trouble. Pretty sure it's gonna be a restless night I hate it when I have to be annoyed with myself....

Might take a bath to calm down...

reason to believe

That’s annoying Claire! At some stores here, they don’t have bag packers and you have to do it yourself. They also ave self check out machines which I tend to hate. I prefer a person to pack my bags as part of their job. But I do t expect them to scatter all my stuff either like it sounds like she did!

Sounds like other than that things are going good for you and family! And also good that you came out of the swarm without being stung!

Kia. I hope whatever happened, a big deal won’t be made of it and that it’s remembered everyone makes mistakes sometimes. Hope with a fresh mind and day you can relax more and not be too hard on yourself for being human.

I think my car has an exhaust leak cause I smell gasoline through my air vents and it makes me feel kinda panicky like I’m gonnn get carbon monoxide poisoning and die or someone will crash my car with the fumes in my cabin and I’ll burst into flames cause of it. Hope I can survive til at least Wednesday so my dad can smell it. Tomorrow it’s raining so I don’t really want to drive with my windows open but I might have to for fresh air.

Meliana

Kia, the way it is here we have bags for life, which you pay for but are replaced for free. It was started before the charge on plastic bags. They are thicker bags which I reuse everytime I shop. The main bag is much thicker and stronger, but isn't replaced for free.

We don't have bag packers in any stores here, Leanne. The cashier will help you pack if you ask for it though.

I've often seen bee swarms around here. If they end up in your garden, you can ask beekeepers to come and collect them.

That sounds a good idea, Kia about gardens. I see so many gardens being paved over around here. Here technically planning permission is needed to put in a driveway on your front garden, but loads of people aren't bothering to get that, and then cover the entire front garden, without a thought about drainage, either.

There's no news on Brexit, but the discussions between Labour and the Government, are going nowhere as the Government is still refusing to stay in the Customs Union, and refusing another peoples vote too. We will end up in October without achieving anything at this rate.

I think it's highly unlikely either of those things will happen with your car, Leanne. Try to not freak out.

reason to believe

yeah, that's kind of not good they don't consider drainage issues when creating cement driveways. plus not a fan of losing greenery like that!

Claire, we promote buying big re-useable grocery bags here too and I have a couple and find them useful!

Over here, they are also replacing plastic straws with paper ones (which get all soft if in the drink too long) but we can also buy our own straws made of metal or whatever.

Ugh, well, I was good old anxious like I used to be driving here to work cause of the gas smell and how having to stop in traffic so much might be poisoning me. I was just thinking at least if my car starts on fire, its raining hard. Also I had to have my windows down for fresh air balance so the rain got into my car doors.

Meliana

Leanne your car will not catch on fire! Get it checked out, but don't panic.

Yes replacing plastic straws is a good idea.

We got some post today in what looked like a clear plastic bag, but it was actually made from wood pulp and is biodegradable.

reason to believe

Ok, I won't try to panic, I just don't like driving right now

I'm having a good day at work and hoping when I get home, I wont feel too exhausted to have energy to do more purging! My brain is always now inventory-ing what I own and what I may still need to do cooking in my kitchen soon. I haven't had a kitchen since 2007

Meliana

That sounds a good plan. You don't want to have to buy too much new equipment.

I'm glad work is going well.

I didn't sleep well, so I don't feel like doing anything today!

reason to believe

I hope you can get a nap into the day, Claire sorry to hear you didn't sleep well.


I'm just on lunch break having soup. Its hot out so I'm using air conditioning in my car. I wonder if this gas smell is going to go away as soon as someone else tries to smell it and then make me a liar


Nothing much to report today. I'm continually making lists in my head of "to do" things!!

Meliana

I didn't need a nap, but thanks anyway.

I was up the night last night too, but I got up this time, and that was better as I got back to sleep. I seem to be getting hot flushes right now.

I hope your car problem is fixed soon.

I worry about Kim. Everytime she is absent she has had another fall.

It was very hot today.

Ropetuned

Everyone else ready for the weekend? Cannot come fast enough

Seems like you guys are exhausted much too

reason to believe

I’m ready for the weekend cause it’s a 3 day one in Canada. “Victoria Day”. And I’m planning to purge stuff and put together boxes and start packing stuff I don’t use on a daily basis. As far as I know, SIL hasn’t gotten her news that she has 3 months to move too yet and not knowing my parents are moving in so I’m sort of trying to pack on the down low right now.

Claire, found out the oil mechanic guys didn’t screw a certain cap in my engine so the whole previous days I was driving with oil spitting freely out of this pipe under my hood so my dad bought a new cap and put it on and cleaned up the oil mess,

Yeah, I’m pretty worried about Kim when she disappears suddenly and for long times now, I always hope she’s not seriously hurt or out of commission now it’s hard not being able to share and keep her up to date on life!

Awww, soon your grass is going to go yellow with all the sun!

Today was a pretty good day even though it was Thursday.