I picked Julia up from work, watched Pointless, made tea (fried rice with plenty of veg and some odds and ends of meat), watched TV, bickered and finally started to write this.
My emails tell me I missed a necklace on eBay that I had been watching for Julia’s birthday. It’s a nervy time of year, as I have to buy her a present for our wedding anniversary, her birthday and Christmas, all within the space of a couple of months. Even if I was inspired it would be tricky, but as I’m not, and as she’s no help at all, I struggle.
It was nice, though she really has enough necklaces, and I set up a bid using a sniper to place the bid three seconds before the end. I din’t bid enough.
More thought needed.
There’s always more thought needed. Last Christmas was fine, as she new what she wanted and we went out and bought it just before Christmas, but it’s more normal for me to be left a week before Christmas with every idea turned down and nowhere left to go. She is, unfortunately one of those people who can tell you what she doesn’t want, but not what she does want.
I asked her what she wanted on the menu for next week, as I need to start getting the shopping list knocked into shape for tomorrow night and it’s the same again – doesn’t want anything I suggest but can’t come up with any ideas of what she does want.
It’s very easy to slip into bad habits and lack of variety when you are ordering online (just order the same as last week, says the little voice in my head) but it’s also hard to keep coming up with menus. To be honest, with being back at work almost full time I have become a lot less interested in cooking. I might have to order some of those spice packs just to kick-start my interest again.
Meanwhile, in the world of Covid, UK infection rates are rising and a local school has had to close because several teachers have tested positive. I spoke to the husband of a teacher today, they have been back less than a week and they have sent 15 of their 250 pupils for tests after they started showing symptoms.
It could be a tricky winter.
I think that your pursuit of novelty in the cooking department is unnecessary. Just have a set meal for each day of the week and stick to it. Quite a bit of variety there and no need to waste time thinking.
There is a lot in what you say but I’ve quite enjoyed some of the new recipes. I have had cheese and pickle sandwiches five days a week for the last three months though – I’m not a slave to variety. 🙂
We get novelty when we visit our son in Edinburgh but as that has been off the menu for some months, we have not extended our taste range lately.
Those times will return. 🙂
Let us hope the presents are the worst of your problems
Here’s hoping!
We here in Florida have finally started to slow down on new cases – I can only hope it continues, because our county is behind the rest of the state in getting into stage 2 of recovery.
All the best for the recovery. It must be worse living in a state which attracts a lot of visitors. You’ll just have to treat it like a military campaign – get your logistics sorted and then settle down for a long wait. 🙂
Good luck with the presents. Yes, a tricky.winter.
You probably have a better chance than us, as your winter is probably sharp enough to kill viruses. Ours are a bit too mild.
I wish this were true, but unfortunately it isn’t. The flu spreads in Maine just as spreads in warmer places. I suspect the same will be true for Covid-19.
Ah well, you’ll just have to hide over winter. 🙂
Yup. Especially this winter.
🙂
I think you are right, winter could present some real problems.
We don’t just have the virus, we have Brexit to come and now we also have Joe Biden in his quest for the Irish-American vote. Good times!
And fire. Our area is under a Level 1 evacuation order, the town just south of us at level 2 as of last night. Level 1 is get ready, level 2 is get set, and level 3 is leave immediately. There are about 20 fires burning in Oregon at this time. There is one to the north and one to the south of us. The south fire is moving closer. The sky was black-pink-purple-gold last night. Lines at the gas station 1/2 hr long.
I hope everything goes well for you. It sets my worries about books and groceries in context.
We are still at Level 1 and holding. We are lucky to be in this location, we’ll see how long that holds up. Smoke is worse today. Level 3 evacuation zone 10 minutes from here to the south. I’ll be going offline for a while.
Sad news from here. Abby cat was euthanized yesterday morning amid all the chaos of the fires out here. She had been losing muscle mass and weight over the summer, and was staying very close to me. Although her kidneys were doing very well, and the rest of her blood work they did last Friday was very good for an 18 1/2 yer old cat, diabetes was discovered. She was put on insulin, and monitored carefully, but there was something else going on as well. She collapsed yesterday morning, and I rushed her in. A large mass was discovered in her abdomen, which was quite likely cancer of some sort. She was dying on the table, and we gave authorization to let her pass on peacefully. We buried her yesterday in the garden under my office window, where I can watch over her. She was a dear old kitty.
I’m sorry to hear the news, both about the fires and about Abby. Both our cats were healthy until a few weeks from the end. It’s a terrible decision to make but kinder in the end. After years of companionship it’s hard to say goodbye, but prolonging the pain is worse.
Good luck to you all in the next few weeks.