My surname gets misspelled a fair bit, even people have it on forms in front of them. I've only had one completely unrecognisable rendition in 12 years of marriage, normally it's the same 2 letter swap in the second half.
Everything crossed for the interview @piglet.
The offer on our place has been agreed. No we'll have to start the fun and games of getting all the legal stuff sorted, and deciding which of several options in our new area to go for.
We are happy to be ensconced in ‘our’ flat in Ziegelhausen and enjoying a glass of red. We await the Covid19 test results then we’ll be released into the wild.
One of my earliest memories of school is of tracing over my name in infant school. I proudly showed it to my mother who told me I would have to take it back as they’d spelled my name wrong. I seemed to go through my spinster years with my surname - Hayward - being misspelled.
My married name starts with F, and it’s common to get things to Mrs. S****n rather than Mrs. F****n. These days, I usually use the NATO phonetic alphabet (the benefits of a St John Ambulance radio communications course) to spell out my name and address.
My first name is Catherine, although it can be spelled with a K. I had a friend who’s name was Kathleen, though we were both known by the same short name. We were both irritated when letters arrived addressed to Mrs. C. H******y and Mrs K. F****n respectively!
We’d ring each other up, “Hello Kath, it’s Cath”. As she said, I could “see” the K in front of her name, and she could “see” the C in front of mine.
Glad you are there @boogie, hope you can roam free very soon.
Husband and I are dithering between two very different options, hopefully we will have decided something by tomorrow so I can phone estate agents and move on to the next stage of our lives.
I'm another one with a four-letter siurname that no-one can spell correctly, exacerbated by that bloomin' book (though I was deeply disappointed to find that I cannot buy grey spirit-based shed paint, rendering me unable to have a grey shed of Gray).
I have an Irish surname which is not pronounced (by me anyway) as it is spelled. I have received many and various spellings over my 50+ years. The most confusion came when I was living in a street with a Welsh name (Heol-y-Fro) in a town with a Welsh name. After three confusing lines of my address, people were relieved to get to the county name!
I have an Irish surname which is not pronounced (by me anyway) as it is spelled. I have received many and various spellings over my 50+ years. The most confusion came when I was living in a street with a Welsh name (Heol-y-Fro) in a town with a Welsh name. After three confusing lines of my address, people were relieved to get to the county name!
No spelling or pronunciation problems with my surname, but for a few years, my mum, myself and my daughter all had the same surname, by marriage, so three Mrs Puzzlers.
Obviously my maiden name was the same as my mum’s surname, but then I married someone with the same name, then my daughter did likewise- both unrelated.
Now there is only me, as mum is no longer with us, and my daughter has remarried, but my grandchildren carry the name forward.
I used to have trouble with my surname, having been taught a capital S in the cursive style, which people would read with the next letter, and address letters to someone beginning with H. I stopped using cursive.
I often look at street, village or town names and think that I’d get really annoyed living there and having to spell it every time. @Sarasa is that in your house-move equation?
@daisydaisy, it is. Both this place and the one before are/were number, name of group of houses, name of street. This lead to people not finding us as they couldn't work out where in the street we lived. I swore last time we moved we get somewhere that was just number, street name but it wasn't to be. We're forever getting knocks on the door with other people's parcels and takeaways as we're in a row of adjoining villas all with slightly different names.
We'd decided last night that we were going to put an offer in on a house we saw a few weeks ago, but then spotted somewhere we liked better, but haven't viewed, was back on the market. We hope husband can view it next week in a combination visit with checking his mum is OK. From the pictures I'm almost tempted to offer sight unseen, but that seems a bit rash.
My surname ends with a double "l". I have never met anyone with the same surname where it ends with a single "l". All supposed persons I have been referred to have turned out on investigation to spell it with a double "l". Though according to Google there are some, but fewer than those with the double 'l'. However, people always either ask or first write it with a single "l".
I think the most common variant of my surname is "Drinkel" - with just one "l", but to me it looks incomplete. I understand the origin of the name is in a medieval toast - "drink hale" was the reply to "wassail". I rather like that idea ...
It's another bonny day here, so I think I'll go for an amble to take my mind off the screeds of stuff I've just received by e-mail from an accountant in Fredericton who's trying to sort out David's tax returns, which were a total mess. I have a horrible feeling there may be a very large bill in my near future, and not just the one from the accountant (which is quite large enough).
We bought Chez Dragon on the basis of Mr Dragon's viewing. I didn't actually see it until several days after the offer was accepted. It was on the property website with only a photo of the front, and they had a Sunday open house viewing that clashed with church. (Probate sale, so it was empty, and that was better for the insurance.) It sounded ok from the description, and we were starting to get a bit fed up with viewing houses that didn't quite suit, or needed a lot of work. As we really didn't know if it would be any good, he went and viewed, whilst we were at church. He was quite upbeat about it, so we put an offer in the same afternoon, and got it! Essentially it was sold to me as needed updating, but livable, if you overlook the tiny 30s footprint kitchen, with quite a lot of original features, and a good size garden for the area.
We bought the house in St. John's that way - David was already over there, and lodging with a couple in the choir, while I stayed on in Belfast to wait for us to get leave to stay in Canada, and to sell the house.
David sent me an e-mail with pictures of the house, and it looked OK, and as it only worked out at about £25,000 (in 2003), we went for it. I confess I was never quite as taken with it as he was; it had a lot of rooms, but most of them were very small, and it really wasn't in the best area.
One of the clergy at the Cathedral was horrified when he heard that David had bought the house without me seeing it. "If I'd done that", he said, "my wife would have had my balls!"
Glad you've been released into the wild @boogie. Enjoy yourselves with your lovely granddaughter and your son and partner.
Husband is off to see what could be the ideal house on Monday. I've instructed him to put in an offer if it's as good as it looks. We usually agree on houses, the only time he loved somewhere and I wasn't sure we decided it was a bit over priced anyway. When six weeks later it was reduced he sent me to have another look and I fell in love with it too. Not at all sure why I didn't like it the first time.
"Being released into the wild" in Germany sounds to me a bit like venturing into the dark, d=ark forest where witches and/or wolves have their abode - shades of "Hansel and Gretel". In practice it's probably not so dramatic!
Its now dark and cold and an uneventful day. ThevAmerican election has dominated the news. How can an enlightened nation make such a mess of counting.? Maybe not somenlightened.
I’ve just been out for a quick walk. I couldn’t do my usual early morning one as it was foggy and I can’t risk a chest infection. I spent the day marking endless essays.
It's sounding like life during wartime outside my house at the moment. Seems like everyone else in the neighbourhood is setting off fireworks apart from us.
My husband retires tomorrow and he is having a virtual drinks party via zoom at the moment. I've promised to turn up to top up his wine glass in about ten minutes.
Or, in the old days, trying to find the slot in the meter to push in his shilling.
I've used a coin meter (ok, pounds rather than shillings) more recently than I've used a building wired with actual fuses.
Hehe...my parents' house had the old-fashioned wire fuses, and one day (after I'd left home) I visited, and went upstairs to my old room to find some book or other.
It was getting towards dusk. I switched on the stairs light. The fuse blew. I replaced it (It's OK, Dad, I can manage!). I switched on the light again. The fuse blew again. I replaced it again. Rinse and repeat.
After the fuse had blown a third time, it occurred me to ask Dad if he'd been doing any DIY on the stairs earlier that day. O yes (says he) I nailed down a bit of loose stair carpet on the landing...
Once the offending tack had been removed from the cable, and the fuse replaced a fourth time, success was achieved, and There Was Light!
My surname ends with a double "l". I have never met anyone with the same surname where it ends with a single "l". All supposed persons I have been referred to have turned out on investigation to spell it with a double "l". Though according to Google there are some, but fewer than those with the double 'l'. However, people always either ask or first write it with a single "l".
Glad to hear you've been let loose, Boogie - have a wonderful time with Anuka and the rest of the family!
After spending inordinate amounts of time, blood, sweat, tears, etc. on trying to electronically sign stuff to do with David's Canadian taxes, I e-mailed the accountant, confessing to be a techno-idiot, and she replied that "they've often had issues like that, and would I mind signing them the old-fashioned way?" Well yes, actually I would, if it's going to involve printing out 15-odd documents of God-knows-how-many pages each, especially as I don't have a printer ...
I expect I'll work something out - perhaps they'll only need the pages the signature actually appears on. I still find it disconcerting that the pages have a space for David's signature - don't they realise he's dead?
In other news, I've heard lots of fireworks, but only seen one, which is something of a bummer.
There have been quite a few Loud Bangs and Susplosions around here this evening. I bet some of the parties/gatherings were *illegal*, and contravening Lockdown Law...
@Boogie I think you will now need to quarantine on return to UK
Yes - we expected it and have dog walkers lined up for when we get back. We already have fruit and veg boxes delivered weekly and our butcher delivers. So we’ll survive. 🙂
It seems to me that a fireworks display could be the ideal form of celebration during lockdown - after all, it has to be outdoors, and could be seen by people who are really quite far apart.
I made some more bread this afternoon, and ate far too much of it with my supper*, but who can resist still-hot bread with indecent quantities of butter, especially as I seem to have sussed out the vagaries of the oven?
It seems to me that a fireworks display could be the ideal form of celebration during lockdown - after all, it has to be outdoors, and could be seen by people who are really quite far apart.
True. In this evening's cases, several miles apart...
The city display, which is normally on the nearby big field, was cancelled this year because of the impossibility of physically distancing the usual crowds, especially going to and from the event on public transport, so I haven't been watching them from the Dragonlets' bedroom window, unlike the last 2 years. There are some very big bangs around us though, although buildings are obscuring most of them.
I must admit I did make a trip into the centre of town yesterday, mostly to visit the indoor market before certain stalls had to shut. I also got some craft bits, things for Christmas stockings, and potential family presents for Dragonlet 1, as I have no idea what shopping in December will be like, and how long things will actually be open for in the run up to Christmas. I also don't want to be wasting money on delivery charges if I can help it. A lot of adults will be getting books I think this year, as they are easy to post if required.
Now, the problem is, if you have quite a lot of books - which many people do -, should you buy several of these? Visitors might find it a bit spooky, especially if there are more coffin bookcases than inhabitants per place. A certain castle in Transsylvania comes to mind...!
Or as they might say on Sesame Street: ONE bookcase, TWO bookcases, THREE bookcases, mwrah ha ha ha!
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I do that a lot with our postcode - a habit I picked up from my FiL who is ex-merchant navy.
The offer on our place has been agreed. No we'll have to start the fun and games of getting all the legal stuff sorted, and deciding which of several options in our new area to go for.
We are happy to be ensconced in ‘our’ flat in Ziegelhausen and enjoying a glass of red. We await the Covid19 test results then we’ll be released into the wild.
Hopefully tomorrow.
My married name starts with F, and it’s common to get things to Mrs. S****n rather than Mrs. F****n. These days, I usually use the NATO phonetic alphabet (the benefits of a St John Ambulance radio communications course) to spell out my name and address.
My first name is Catherine, although it can be spelled with a K. I had a friend who’s name was Kathleen, though we were both known by the same short name. We were both irritated when letters arrived addressed to Mrs. C. H******y and Mrs K. F****n respectively!
We’d ring each other up, “Hello Kath, it’s Cath”. As she said, I could “see” the K in front of her name, and she could “see” the C in front of mine.
Husband and I are dithering between two very different options, hopefully we will have decided something by tomorrow so I can phone estate agents and move on to the next stage of our lives.
Obviously my maiden name was the same as my mum’s surname, but then I married someone with the same name, then my daughter did likewise- both unrelated.
Now there is only me, as mum is no longer with us, and my daughter has remarried, but my grandchildren carry the name forward.
We'd decided last night that we were going to put an offer in on a house we saw a few weeks ago, but then spotted somewhere we liked better, but haven't viewed, was back on the market. We hope husband can view it next week in a combination visit with checking his mum is OK. From the pictures I'm almost tempted to offer sight unseen, but that seems a bit rash.
It's another bonny day here, so I think I'll go for an amble to take my mind off the screeds of stuff I've just received by e-mail from an accountant in Fredericton who's trying to sort out David's tax returns, which were a total mess. I have a horrible feeling there may be a very large bill in my near future, and not just the one from the accountant (which is quite large enough).
David sent me an e-mail with pictures of the house, and it looked OK, and as it only worked out at about £25,000 (in 2003), we went for it. I confess I was never quite as taken with it as he was; it had a lot of rooms, but most of them were very small, and it really wasn't in the best area.
One of the clergy at the Cathedral was horrified when he heard that David had bought the house without me seeing it. "If I'd done that", he said, "my wife would have had my balls!"
We’ve just had a pleasant stroll by the river with the pram for Anuka’s snoozy time, then we did some shopping. 🙂
She’s running around now and never stops until she crashes out. Hyperactive - like her Papa and Omi!
Husband is off to see what could be the ideal house on Monday. I've instructed him to put in an offer if it's as good as it looks. We usually agree on houses, the only time he loved somewhere and I wasn't sure we decided it was a bit over priced anyway. When six weeks later it was reduced he sent me to have another look and I fell in love with it too. Not at all sure why I didn't like it the first time.
In the dark, dark house, there's a dark, dark room.
In the dark, dark room, there's a dark, dark cupboard.
In the dark, dark cupboard, there's a man
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trying to mend a fuse...
I've used a coin meter (ok, pounds rather than shillings) more recently than I've used a building wired with actual fuses.
That is, apart from their President...
Dark and chilly here, but clear skies. Overnight Mog and Fist, I expect, but some more Sunshine tomorrow, we are told.
SOUP is called for, I think.
My husband retires tomorrow and he is having a virtual drinks party via zoom at the moment. I've promised to turn up to top up his wine glass in about ten minutes.
Hehe...my parents' house had the old-fashioned wire fuses, and one day (after I'd left home) I visited, and went upstairs to my old room to find some book or other.
It was getting towards dusk. I switched on the stairs light. The fuse blew. I replaced it (It's OK, Dad, I can manage!). I switched on the light again. The fuse blew again. I replaced it again. Rinse and repeat.
After the fuse had blown a third time, it occurred me to ask Dad if he'd been doing any DIY on the stairs earlier that day. O yes (says he) I nailed down a bit of loose stair carpet on the landing...
Once the offending tack had been removed from the cable, and the fuse replaced a fourth time, success was achieved, and There Was Light!
After spending inordinate amounts of time, blood, sweat, tears, etc. on trying to electronically sign stuff to do with David's Canadian taxes, I e-mailed the accountant, confessing to be a techno-idiot, and she replied that "they've often had issues like that, and would I mind signing them the old-fashioned way?" Well yes, actually I would, if it's going to involve printing out 15-odd documents of God-knows-how-many pages each, especially as I don't have a printer ...
I expect I'll work something out - perhaps they'll only need the pages the signature actually appears on. I still find it disconcerting that the pages have a space for David's signature - don't they realise he's dead?
In other news, I've heard lots of fireworks, but only seen one, which is something of a bummer.
Yes - we expected it and have dog walkers lined up for when we get back. We already have fruit and veg boxes delivered weekly and our butcher delivers. So we’ll survive. 🙂
I made some more bread this afternoon, and ate far too much of it with my supper*, but who can resist still-hot bread with indecent quantities of butter, especially as I seem to have sussed out the vagaries of the oven?
* baked spud with CHEESE, since you ask.
True. In this evening's cases, several miles apart...
I must admit I did make a trip into the centre of town yesterday, mostly to visit the indoor market before certain stalls had to shut. I also got some craft bits, things for Christmas stockings, and potential family presents for Dragonlet 1, as I have no idea what shopping in December will be like, and how long things will actually be open for in the run up to Christmas. I also don't want to be wasting money on delivery charges if I can help it. A lot of adults will be getting books I think this year, as they are easy to post if required.
Simple Go Ogle 'bookshelves shaped like coffins', and you'll see.
Or as they might say on Sesame Street: ONE bookcase, TWO bookcases, THREE bookcases, mwrah ha ha ha!
So have I - we went camping in the forest with fifty children. 🌲 🌲