I've given it my best shot, but time will tell whether it was good enough. I don't feel very confident, tbh - I waffled on for far too long and didn't come over as very confident or efficient. I should hear at the beginning of next week.
In some ways it's not ideal - it's a part time job (that's OK) but the hours are 9-5 on Friday and Monday, and 12-4 on Saturday and Sunday* - so even if choral singing became a Thing again, I wouldn't be able to join a church choir. On that basis alone, in accordance with the Law of Sod, I may well get it ...
Oh well, c'est la chuffing vie.
* There's some rather more fortunate soul who does Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.
Thanks for the update, Piglet. I saw your earlier post too late to comment but have been wondering how it went.
If there were, in the fullness of time, early Sunday morning services and an Evensong, wouldn't you be able to be part of the choir? It might make meals on a Sunday a bit of a challenge, mind you.
I hope and pray there is a good outcome, whatever that may mean.
If there were, in the fullness of time, early Sunday morning services and an Evensong, wouldn't you be able to be part of the choir? It might make meals on a Sunday a bit of a challenge, mind you.
Generally speaking, services in Scotland tend to be at 11am. Pre-covid, my church was unusual in having the main service at 10:30, and with a full choral service, you'd having been pushing it to finish the service, disrobe & get out by 11:45. To then be at work by midday would be challenging.
When I visited Kirkwall a few years back, I was able to attend the Piskie service (which was at 10am!), have coffee and still make it to the end of the service in St Magnus....
Rehearsal for evensong was at 5:15, so as you say it makes the whole concept of meals quite a challenge
Hope you are winding down nicely now @piglet. I suggest something nice to eat and a large glass of red wine. Whatever happens it was useful experience. You can add 'familiar with Teams' on to your CV.
We went for a walk around one of our local Royal Parks today. The trees are just beginning to turn.
@kingsfold, when David first came to Orkney in 1979, St. Olaf's (the local piskies) started an early service (I'm not sure how early - maybe 8:30?) to accommodate him, his boss at St. Magnus and the organist of the East Kirk (the CofS parish church), who were all Anglicans.
I think it's unlikely I'd make it anywhere, unless someone did Evensong some time after about 5:30, but they wouldn't want someone in the choir who was only at half the services.
I feel that if I get it my career will have gone full circle: my first job after I qualified was as a hotel receptionist and involved Wednesday evenings, so I had to miss choir practice. Fortunately David knew that I knew the repertoire well enough (or could sight-read well enough to get by) and didn't mind.
I'll take it if I'm offered it: the words "beggars" and "choosers" spring to mind, and if I didn't, it would serve me right if I didn’t get anything else. Besides, it's always easier to get a job when you already have one ...
I think it's unlikely I'd make it anywhere, unless someone did Evensong some time after about 5:30, but they wouldn't want someone in the choir who was only at half the services.
You might be surprised... my choir has quite a number of evening only singers due to some folk (for example) playing the organ/having choral scholarships elsewhere on Sunday am, some who travel some considerable distance so only do the one service and some just don't/won't do communion services. The choirmaster admits trying to keep track of who is singing when the most difficult aspect of the job but is prepared to work with what people can offer in terms of time.
I'll take it if I'm offered it: the words "beggars" and "choosers" spring to mind, and if I didn't, it would serve me right if I didn’t get anything else. Besides, it's always easier to get a job when you already have one ...
Yes indeed. And there might come a time when the Tuesday-Wednesday-Thursday person moves on.
When things are normal, Our Place has two morning services - one at 9.15 and one at 11. There's talk of resuming in November with one service at 10.30 and limited to 40 people. This seems a lot to me - our building is not huge - but I'm sure all the checks have been done thoroughly in terms of regulations.
In what I hope was a one-off thing, I took ages to get to sleep last night (I'm a night-owl, and didn't go to bed until after 1 a.m., but it took me until 4 before I finally dozed off). Once I did, I slept really late - it was about 10:30 when I finally woke, so breakfast was a write-off, but lunch was proof of the following equations:
Avocado on TOAST + tomatoes = proof that God loves us.
Avocado on TOAST + tomatoes + BACON = proof that Heaven exists.
You can even make the washing-up easier by mopping up the bacon-juices from the frying-pan with one side of the TOAST.
As it isn't raining (yet), Wash Ing has been accomplished (and hung out to dry), and amblage will follow forthwith.
I had a domestic goddess type of day, building everything round a couple of Zoom meetings Mr Nen and I have this evening. I should say, thought we had - annoyingly. I did our meal at lunchtime because there was a very small window of opportunity to eat between meetings this evening. I was seeing friends this afternoon, one of whom I hadn't seen for quite a while, so it was all a bit of an annoying rush but I managed it and got back here with minutes to spare before my 6pm meeting, thanks to a friend who gave me a lift and whose afternoon I annoyingly had to cut short. Only to find the 6pm meeting, annoyingly, isn't happening.
I love avocado and bacon on toast.
Zoom Yoga class this morning followed by virtual coffee. I then worked til 6pm, and forgot to have lunch.
We’ve ordered burgers and milkshakes for tea.
I had a definite "keeper" for supper: salmon baked with potatoes and herby crème fraîche. In fact, it was so good I'm going to post the recipe upstairs.
ION, although it didn't quite rain, after I'd ambled I took the Wash Ing in and hung it on the clothes-horse, as it really didn't seem to be getting much drier.
I had a lie in, followed by breakfast of bread and jam pudding (bread and butter pudding alternative) which I made yesterday. Off for an amble followed by light gardening.
I got up early, intending to get the puppy walked and lots of ‘jobs’ done. I took the puppy (who had wonderful zoomies on the common) then hyperfocussed on my German homework two hours!
We don’t usually get a lot of homework, but this week’s is mega and involves 33 complicated questions, so I’m glad I’m ‘on it’. But my house is a total disgrace!
One of the advantages/disadvantages of trying to sell a house is having to keep it clean and tidy. Living with Mr Minimalist means the place is usually tidy, but it's now hyper tidy and very clean. I have to make myself scarce for a viewing at 2.00, so this morning has been spent cleaning loos. Viewings are beginning to dry up, so goodness knows when we'll get an offer. I'm trying not to think too much about either of the places we wouldn't mind moving too.
My intention when out is to buy a nice cup of coffee, sit on a bench and see the world go by.
I shouldn't be too downhearted, Sarasa - there's usually a flurry of activity when they first put your house on the market, then it goes quiet for a wee while before picking up again.
I suppose the Plague™ isn't going to help matters: depending on what level of torture restrictions you're in, having actual viewings might be difficult for a while.
I'm not sure what's happening about the flat: my solicitor was supposed to be finding out what the scaffolding was there for, but I haven't heard back from him yet. I'm supposed to be getting the keys on Friday (really need that "eek" smilie now!), but I'm not sure what the procedure will be with our current restrictions (or if the restrictions get worse).
It's a grey but (so far) dry day here, so I'll amble in a little while; I've sorted and ironed yesterday's laundry, and I think I'll cobble together a potato curry for supper.
Spag Bol with Garlic Bread for lunch here (and Red WINE, of course).
Re flats and so on - ISTM that just about everything is delayed these days, mostly due to Ye Plague. But yes, don't be downhearted, peeps - it'll all work out in the end.
THERE IS A GOD WHO CARES - just look at the KiwiLand election results...
We're having red wine with our stir fry this evening too. And coffee and cake with friends shortly. We've had a day of Zoomies (not the same as Boogie's dogs - I mean Zoom meetings) and it will be nice to get out of the house for a bit.
Greetings from foie gras land where the rouge family have decamped for the week.
I think autumn is my favourite time to come here . It's much less hot, and the market is a joy. We came home with cep mushrooms, wild boar stew and truffade (a local speciality made of potatoes, bacon and CHEESE). Pumpkins, squash and similar vegetables are in season and were looking very scenic on the stands.
I did Litter Picking this morning, we went to a local Farm Shop this afternoon. I'll be off to the Chippie later! (We do have some nice Muscadet, left over from yesterday, to drink with it).
Sounds great, all, especially of course LVER's slow food adventures in Foie Gras Land.
Whilst I cannot compete with the fabulous cooking skills everyone else seems to have, I got a nice pizza quattro staggioni from the friendly restaurant across the street for lunch, and very tasty it was too!
In other news, I hate to report that I have perceived a mouse in my kitchen! Which is actually the first time I've noticed any such vermin in the flat for over 5 years, so I guess that's not that bad, seeing the building dates from the mid-1800s. And since the last mouse-in-da-flat (just one!) then, which swiftly met its demise due to foody greed and subsequent prompt entrapment, I haven't encountered one in the apartment, although in the meantime I have made join the choir invisible a good two dozen of the small beasties (and pesties) upstairs, in the big attic!
There have been numerous Rentokil poison bait traps in the flat and the attic ever since then, which I suppose should finish this one off as well, sooner or later. I've also now put up two mechanical traps in the kitchen and removed all food from desktops and lower storage areas; everything is now high up and dry behind cupboard doors, or in the fridge.
So we'll see how that goes. - All of you Shippies rodent-free?
NB. The mouse wasn't wearing a facemask, so that's a sign of its untoward behaviour as well.
My father’s neighbours one side kept budgeriegars in a aviary, the other kept pet mice, so it was no surprise that we had an issue with mice in the run of the street. (A friend described how they found mouse footprints on the surface of the solid chip fat they used) My parents put a mousetrap under the floorboards I my bedroom. It was very unpleasant to be woken up by KRACK THRASH THRash thrash and know that there was now an ex-mouse for my father to remove the next day.
After Darllenwr and I got married, we had a Siamese cat, and Dad looked after it when we went on holiday. Dad never saw a mouse afterwards - they say that the smell of a cat drives them away.
We got the cats as a mouse deterrent as well as for the company: the house we were renting at the time had a capped off gas supply, and the mice used the pipe under the kitchen to the living room as a highway.
Quattro Stagione is probably my favourite pizza type.
Our house in St. John's was plagued by them: our neighbours had three cats, and the local mice looked at our house, thought "cat-free zone" and scurried in.
We were generally more careful about food storage in the Fredericton house, and I never saw any there; I hope I'm as lucky when I get my own place here.
@Wesley J In a previous flat I had a rodential invasion. A housing developed in the neighbourhood was being razed, and I lived above a glass shop that often had their alley sliding door open, though not a courtesy to the newly homeless mice (thank the good Lord, no rats!). They're devilish clever, and can collapse their rib cage to squeeze through surprisingly small openings. I plugged all the holes around pipes, etc., with fine steel wool. They won't chew through it as the dislike the texture. Then set down the traps.
@la vie en rouge Your truffade sounds simple and scrumptious. If I can't get tomme fraîche, what would you suggest as a substitute? Do you have it on its own as a snack, or as an accompaniment to something? My Swiss family made something similar, but the didn't call it truffade.
I am happy to report that greedy mouse has now been flattened! Literally. The overnight traps have worked and its silly collapsible ribcage hath collapsed one last, final time.
I find these (or similar) are quite effective, and you don't need to touch the little corpse when disposing of it. The bait is peanut butter. One of my personal favourite baits too, except I make sure I am not lured into a trap by it, myself.
Now off to cleaning the kitchen, and a bout of brekkers.
I was finding myself getting more intolerant of alcohol as I got older, white wine would cause insomnia for instance, but since my post-viral syndrome I can’t tolerate more than 1 unit of anything without increasing my heart rate. I can drink half of beer or a small gin, that’s it, and I wouldn’t do that every day. Red wine is a nightmare, I can’t drink any because it makes me feel very unwell. There’s an expression called ‘holiday heart’ which refers to episodes of tachycardia (fast heart) in middle aged people and they think red wine is the main trigger.
When we moved here 20 years ago we kept getting mice and made any effort to plug gaps in floorboards. We’ve only had to odd one since and that came down a pipe space - thanks for the tip about steel wire.
@Pangolin Guerre if you can't get tomme, I would try something like cancaillotte. You want something that tastes strongly of cow, creamy and a little bit acidic. We serve it as a main course, with a green salad on the side.
I think quite a lot of mountainous places have similar dishes. There's also tartiflette, which is made with reblochon. It has a rather stronger cheesy taste than truffade.
I am happy to report that greedy mouse has now been flattened ...
Poor wee mouse.
We always preferred humane traps (the tube-shaped ones that tipped shut once the mouse was inside) - David was a big softie, and so am I, but the mice did tend to get wise to them - I remember seeing one scuttling along the counter in the kitchen and actually running over the top of the trap.
Hoover Ing has been accomplished, and a spot of grocery shopping and maybe looking for a few necessities for the flat might ensue later; I'll need to get things like cloths, sponges, household cleaning stuff and loo roll* before I move in. I confess I'm also looking forward to buying Christmas decorations for the new place, even if Covid restrictions mean that the only people to see them will be me and the bears.
There we were - washing machine coming to the end of its cycle, TV warming up for the You Tube video service, tea in hand ready to go. Beep! Beep! A mystery noise - is it coming from the dishwasher - no, that's not running. Washing machine? We let the washing machine come to the end of its cycle and turn it off.
Beep! Beep!
Must be the fridge freezer - quickly change the water filter and empty the ice box (which usually does the trick). Sit down just as the church service starts. Beep! Beep! Can't hear the vicar's opening remarks for the noise. Off to investigate. Press all the buttons, several times. Try the old IBM trick of turning it off and on again.
Beep! Beep! Nothing seemingly amiss with the fridge freezer, but still the interminable noise!
Consult Samsung's online help - this could be any one of 100 things it announces helpfully. I find an online Samsung chat facility where the helpful Stevelyn (?) takes us through which of the 100 things it could be. Finally he/she asks us to unplug the fridge freezer and leave it off for 30 minutes, before arranging a warranty call-out by a Samsung engineer. By this time Mr. S is pacing around like an expectant father outside the delivery room - 'It's beeping twice every minute now!'
Unplug the fridge freezer.
Beep! Beep! The blessed noise continues even with the fridge freezer unplugged.
We start looking elsewhere for the source of the noise and take everything off the top of the freezer and all the coffee pods out of the top cupboard, where our electricity consumer unit is located. Maybe a trip is out and this is an alarm? No, all trips in place.
However, lurking at the back of the cupboard is an old landline telephone which is emitting its final, anguished beeps before its battery dies.
So that's why we missed church yesterday - I'm sure God will understand.
If you are bored and around at 11am today (UK time) our doodle sessions are very therapeutic and a nice start to the week. @Nenya and @Sarasa are regulars plus three or four other people I know from random places.
Get a brew, a pad and pen for doodling and join us at 11am! This week’s doodle theme is ‘water’.
I have a mouse story. If you dislike mice look away now ...
I caught a little mouse in a humane trap. I was taking my son to nursery the other to school, then driving on to work, so I put the trap in the car to release the mouse on the spare land near the nursery.
Dropped son one at school, stopped at the spare land and released the mouse. I felt it run over my foot.
Got back in the car and felt a wriggling round my waistband. It had run up my skirt! I said to the baby ‘ooops, what now?’
I wasn’t really perturbed as I like mice - I kept them as a child - so I giggled, got out of the car, shook my skirt and it ran off. I laughed all the way to work! 🤣🤣
I had one in my maisonette once. I went to the airing cupboard one morning for a new bar of soap, and it felt odd. Bite marks! I had to go to work, but the thought of a mouse nest in my duvets was awful, so I dragged everything out, checked no signs of dribbles or droppings and went off. When I came back, investigation revealed various gaps in the plasterwork, and I suddenly became aware of connected voids through the place. Applied filler and hunted around for the access they had used. It turned out they had come in via the loft, which I scattered with elder twigs and a small non-humane trap. The loft had no connections with the neighbours, and was three floors up. I assume they had climbed a tree and got in via the guttering and the gap between the roof and the soffits. There was no trace on the living floor with the kitchen. And it was never seen again.
Obviously didn't like my soap.
It appears to be blowing a bit (not enough to qualify as "blowing a hoolie"), and doesn't look as if it's quite decided whether to rain or not, so I think I ought to go and amble before it does.
I've spent the last hour fruitlessly searching through the God-knows-how-many e-mails I get every day from Indeed, only to find that the only really suitable jobs are past their closing date.
I really need to start thinking about packing up my Stuff (what's at S's house is mostly just clothes, but whether they'll all fit in the two suitcases and a couple of packing-boxes may be another matter) ...
I experienced the unexplained beeping in our old house on a few occasions over the years - not frequently enough for me to immediately recall the reason so inducing minor panic, especially as they speeded up during the search for the source.
These beeps were also the result of dying batteries - in the smoke alarms.
Happily not a problem in our current home, where the smoke and heat alarms are wired in.
Reasons to love the provinces: my mother-in-law's hairdresser just came round to the house and did my hair for considerably less than half what I pay in Paris. This morning we also had the novelty of going for a walk without a face mask.
Sorry to hear about the Welsh lockdown (although I accept it's sensible) - I hope it works and you'll be able to get back to whatever "normal" is these days in a couple of weeks.
I suspect Scotland may not be far behind you - at least in the Central Belt - our new cases seem to be going up like a sky-rocket.
If you are bored and around at 11am today (UK time) our doodle sessions are very therapeutic and a nice start to the week. @Nenya and @Sarasa are regulars plus three or four other people I know from random places.
Confirming that it makes a nice start to the week, something to look forward to on a Monday morning, with coffee and chat.
Also to add that you don't have to be a doodler - I'm a colourer-inner and am allowed to join in!
I remember having a mouse get in my soap box in the bathroom and nibbling away. But the last one preferred my flour sack 😠
Usual Monday morning of emails, admin and forums, and an afternoon of phone tutorials. Things have calmed down a bit from the hectic term start now so I will actually get my study day tomorrow.
Comments
I've given it my best shot, but time will tell whether it was good enough. I don't feel very confident, tbh - I waffled on for far too long and didn't come over as very confident or efficient. I should hear at the beginning of next week.
In some ways it's not ideal - it's a part time job (that's OK) but the hours are 9-5 on Friday and Monday, and 12-4 on Saturday and Sunday* - so even if choral singing became a Thing again, I wouldn't be able to join a church choir. On that basis alone, in accordance with the Law of Sod, I may well get it ...
Oh well, c'est la chuffing vie.
* There's some rather more fortunate soul who does Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.
If there were, in the fullness of time, early Sunday morning services and an Evensong, wouldn't you be able to be part of the choir? It might make meals on a Sunday a bit of a challenge, mind you.
I hope and pray there is a good outcome, whatever that may mean.
Generally speaking, services in Scotland tend to be at 11am. Pre-covid, my church was unusual in having the main service at 10:30, and with a full choral service, you'd having been pushing it to finish the service, disrobe & get out by 11:45. To then be at work by midday would be challenging.
When I visited Kirkwall a few years back, I was able to attend the Piskie service (which was at 10am!), have coffee and still make it to the end of the service in St Magnus....
Rehearsal for evensong was at 5:15, so as you say it makes the whole concept of meals quite a challenge
We went for a walk around one of our local Royal Parks today. The trees are just beginning to turn.
@kingsfold, when David first came to Orkney in 1979, St. Olaf's (the local piskies) started an early service (I'm not sure how early - maybe 8:30?) to accommodate him, his boss at St. Magnus and the organist of the East Kirk (the CofS parish church), who were all Anglicans.
I think it's unlikely I'd make it anywhere, unless someone did Evensong some time after about 5:30, but they wouldn't want someone in the choir who was only at half the services.
I feel that if I get it my career will have gone full circle: my first job after I qualified was as a hotel receptionist and involved Wednesday evenings, so I had to miss choir practice. Fortunately David knew that I knew the repertoire well enough (or could sight-read well enough to get by) and didn't mind.
I'll take it if I'm offered it: the words "beggars" and "choosers" spring to mind, and if I didn't, it would serve me right if I didn’t get anything else. Besides, it's always easier to get a job when you already have one ...
You might be surprised... my choir has quite a number of evening only singers due to some folk (for example) playing the organ/having choral scholarships elsewhere on Sunday am, some who travel some considerable distance so only do the one service and some just don't/won't do communion services. The choirmaster admits trying to keep track of who is singing when the most difficult aspect of the job but is prepared to work with what people can offer in terms of time.
Yes indeed. And there might come a time when the Tuesday-Wednesday-Thursday person moves on.
When things are normal, Our Place has two morning services - one at 9.15 and one at 11. There's talk of resuming in November with one service at 10.30 and limited to 40 people. This seems a lot to me - our building is not huge - but I'm sure all the checks have been done thoroughly in terms of regulations.
Avocado on TOAST + tomatoes = proof that God loves us.
Avocado on TOAST + tomatoes + BACON = proof that Heaven exists.
You can even make the washing-up easier by mopping up the bacon-juices from the frying-pan with one side of the TOAST.
As it isn't raining (yet), Wash Ing has been accomplished (and hung out to dry), and amblage will follow forthwith.
Did I mention I was annoyed?
Zoom Yoga class this morning followed by virtual coffee. I then worked til 6pm, and forgot to have lunch.
We’ve ordered burgers and milkshakes for tea.
Pilates followed by a pleasant, long dog walk. GIN with tea and wine with Gogglebox.
Bliss!
(If you haven’t watched Gogglebox, give it a try - you’ll find it a pleasant diversion.)
ION, although it didn't quite rain, after I'd ambled I took the Wash Ing in and hung it on the clothes-horse, as it really didn't seem to be getting much drier.
We don’t usually get a lot of homework, but this week’s is mega and involves 33 complicated questions, so I’m glad I’m ‘on it’. But my house is a total disgrace!
My intention when out is to buy a nice cup of coffee, sit on a bench and see the world go by.
I suppose the Plague™ isn't going to help matters: depending on what level of torture restrictions you're in, having actual viewings might be difficult for a while.
I'm not sure what's happening about the flat: my solicitor was supposed to be finding out what the scaffolding was there for, but I haven't heard back from him yet. I'm supposed to be getting the keys on Friday (really need that "eek" smilie now!), but I'm not sure what the procedure will be with our current restrictions (or if the restrictions get worse).
It's a grey but (so far) dry day here, so I'll amble in a little while; I've sorted and ironed yesterday's laundry, and I think I'll cobble together a potato curry for supper.
Re flats and so on - ISTM that just about everything is delayed these days, mostly due to Ye Plague. But yes, don't be downhearted, peeps - it'll all work out in the end.
THERE IS A GOD WHO CARES - just look at the KiwiLand election results...
I think autumn is my favourite time to come here
Whilst I cannot compete with the fabulous cooking skills everyone else seems to have, I got a nice pizza quattro staggioni from the friendly restaurant across the street for lunch, and very tasty it was too!
In other news, I hate to report that I have perceived a mouse in my kitchen! Which is actually the first time I've noticed any such vermin in the flat for over 5 years, so I guess that's not that bad, seeing the building dates from the mid-1800s. And since the last mouse-in-da-flat (just one!) then, which swiftly met its demise due to foody greed and subsequent prompt entrapment, I haven't encountered one in the apartment, although in the meantime I have made join the choir invisible a good two dozen of the small beasties (and pesties) upstairs, in the big attic!
There have been numerous Rentokil poison bait traps in the flat and the attic ever since then, which I suppose should finish this one off as well, sooner or later. I've also now put up two mechanical traps in the kitchen and removed all food from desktops and lower storage areas; everything is now high up and dry behind cupboard doors, or in the fridge.
So we'll see how that goes. - All of you Shippies rodent-free?
NB. The mouse wasn't wearing a facemask, so that's a sign of its untoward behaviour as well.
After Darllenwr and I got married, we had a Siamese cat, and Dad looked after it when we went on holiday. Dad never saw a mouse afterwards - they say that the smell of a cat drives them away.
Quattro Stagione is probably my favourite pizza type.
We were generally more careful about food storage in the Fredericton house, and I never saw any there; I hope I'm as lucky when I get my own place here.
@la vie en rouge Your truffade sounds simple and scrumptious. If I can't get tomme fraîche, what would you suggest as a substitute? Do you have it on its own as a snack, or as an accompaniment to something? My Swiss family made something similar, but the didn't call it truffade.
'some nice Muscadet, left over from yesterday' ?
Does Not Compute!
I find these (or similar) are quite effective, and you don't need to touch the little corpse when disposing of it. The bait is peanut butter. One of my personal favourite baits too, except I make sure I am not lured into a trap by it, myself.
Now off to cleaning the kitchen, and a bout of brekkers.
When we moved here 20 years ago we kept getting mice and made any effort to plug gaps in floorboards. We’ve only had to odd one since and that came down a pipe space - thanks for the tip about steel wire.
I think quite a lot of mountainous places have similar dishes. There's also tartiflette, which is made with reblochon. It has a rather stronger cheesy taste than truffade.
We always preferred humane traps (the tube-shaped ones that tipped shut once the mouse was inside) - David was a big softie, and so am I, but the mice did tend to get wise to them - I remember seeing one scuttling along the counter in the kitchen and actually running over the top of the trap.
Hoover Ing has been accomplished, and a spot of grocery shopping and maybe looking for a few necessities for the flat might ensue later; I'll need to get things like cloths, sponges, household cleaning stuff and loo roll* before I move in. I confess I'm also looking forward to buying Christmas decorations for the new place, even if Covid restrictions mean that the only people to see them will be me and the bears.
* assuming one still can get loo roll ...
Seriously, though, best wishes for the move to the new chateau - not long now!
There we were - washing machine coming to the end of its cycle, TV warming up for the You Tube video service, tea in hand ready to go. Beep! Beep! A mystery noise - is it coming from the dishwasher - no, that's not running. Washing machine? We let the washing machine come to the end of its cycle and turn it off.
Beep! Beep!
Must be the fridge freezer - quickly change the water filter and empty the ice box (which usually does the trick). Sit down just as the church service starts. Beep! Beep! Can't hear the vicar's opening remarks for the noise. Off to investigate. Press all the buttons, several times. Try the old IBM trick of turning it off and on again.
Beep! Beep! Nothing seemingly amiss with the fridge freezer, but still the interminable noise!
Consult Samsung's online help - this could be any one of 100 things it announces helpfully. I find an online Samsung chat facility where the helpful Stevelyn (?) takes us through which of the 100 things it could be. Finally he/she asks us to unplug the fridge freezer and leave it off for 30 minutes, before arranging a warranty call-out by a Samsung engineer. By this time Mr. S is pacing around like an expectant father outside the delivery room - 'It's beeping twice every minute now!'
Unplug the fridge freezer.
Beep! Beep! The blessed noise continues even with the fridge freezer unplugged.
We start looking elsewhere for the source of the noise and take everything off the top of the freezer and all the coffee pods out of the top cupboard, where our electricity consumer unit is located. Maybe a trip is out and this is an alarm? No, all trips in place.
However, lurking at the back of the cupboard is an old landline telephone which is emitting its final, anguished beeps before its battery dies.
So that's why we missed church yesterday - I'm sure God will understand.
Get a brew, a pad and pen for doodling and join us at 11am! This week’s doodle theme is ‘water’.
Just click the link and follow the instructions.
PM me for the password.
Today, 19th October at 11:00am
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/3270561634?pwd=WVJZbGxSeTB0UEIrYk5mTExQZ1JCdz09
Meeting ID: 327 056 1634
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I have a mouse story. If you dislike mice look away now ...
I caught a little mouse in a humane trap. I was taking my son to nursery the other to school, then driving on to work, so I put the trap in the car to release the mouse on the spare land near the nursery.
Dropped son one at school, stopped at the spare land and released the mouse. I felt it run over my foot.
Got back in the car and felt a wriggling round my waistband. It had run up my skirt! I said to the baby ‘ooops, what now?’
I wasn’t really perturbed as I like mice - I kept them as a child - so I giggled, got out of the car, shook my skirt and it ran off. I laughed all the way to work! 🤣🤣
Obviously didn't like my soap.
I've spent the last hour fruitlessly searching through the God-knows-how-many e-mails I get every day from Indeed, only to find that the only really suitable jobs are past their closing date.
I really need to start thinking about packing up my Stuff (what's at S's house is mostly just clothes, but whether they'll all fit in the two suitcases and a couple of packing-boxes may be another matter) ...
@Penny S - why elder twigs? Are they toxic, yet appealing, to Mice?
These beeps were also the result of dying batteries - in the smoke alarms.
Happily not a problem in our current home, where the smoke and heat alarms are wired in.
I suspect Scotland may not be far behind you - at least in the Central Belt - our new cases seem to be going up like a sky-rocket.
Also to add that you don't have to be a doodler - I'm a colourer-inner and am allowed to join in!
I remember having a mouse get in my soap box in the bathroom and nibbling away. But the last one preferred my flour sack 😠
Usual Monday morning of emails, admin and forums, and an afternoon of phone tutorials. Things have calmed down a bit from the hectic term start now so I will actually get my study day tomorrow.