Happy new year everyone

Happy New Year! :)

Happy new year everyone


May it be a darn sight better than the last one and may we all see its end

I will probably take it easy today, after having a fun-filled celebration with my family last night. :)

So last night-or should I say this morning, we were lying in bed watching the ball drop in New York City on t.v. I don't know if it was the t.v., the channel (ABC News Live), or what but the close caption/subtitles were so totally off it was funny. I can't remember half of what was written. It was something like for Over the Rainbow-it said "Or Nguyen." WHAT??!!! I know there was something about Steve in there, too. We were just laughing so hard as we were reading it. It reminded me of this only this makes more sense than it did last night/this morning:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nIwrgAnx6Q8



Cat

We have laughed a few times at the mistyped subtitles. The best one recently was when we were watching Strictly Come Dancing (same as Dancing with the Stars I think). One of the professional dancers is called Gorka, but the subtitles called him Porker!

Elizabeth and her boyfriend have been staying with us for a few days. Last night they went over to a friends house for the new year celebrations. We stayed in and watched a couple of variety programmes on TV. Sam Ryder was doing the concert either side of midnight, then we watched the broadcast of the fireworks display in London. They also use small lit drones to make displays like the Queens head morphing into the Kings head. Our neighbours had their own fireworks that were really loud and bright.

This morning Dai and I marshalled at the New Year’s Day Parkrun.

After lunch we all went for a walk. The path ran next to a stream, and it had its own little stream running down the middle. We found a blockage in the stream which made some of it flood onto the path. Unfortunately we couldn’t get near to the steam to clear the blockage.

So I had to go to work today, while most other places observed today as a New Year's Day observance (due to NYD itself falling on a Sunday).

Finally back online after a long festive break with my family, visiting relatives and friends.

Finally back online after a long festive break with my family, visiting relatives and friends.

Welcome Back. :)

Finally back online after a long festive break with my family, visiting relatives and friends.

Glad you're back! O0 I hope you had a good time with them.

No replies on this thread in the last couple of days?! I'm shocked.

Well, all I can say is that I've finished up my first work week of the year; and now I can take it easy for the weekend. However, we have to put all our Christmas decorations away.

Thursday night I went out with some other Morris dancers to wassail some apple trees. We sang a couple of songs, someone read a poem and we put toast soaked in cider on the branches of the trees. Then we went to the pub and a danced and sang some more.

James’s girlfriend is visiting for a couple of days. We are all going out for a meal tonight.

We put some of our Christmas decorations away today; there’s still plenty more to do (mostly taking down the ornaments and putting them away, which we’re gonna do tomorrow).

We took down our decorations on Friday. Still got to tuck a few back into the cupboard.

Dai and I went orienteering yesterday. The woodlands was where I first started orienteering 30+ years ago.

Back to work tomorrow  8)

Hosted a house full of people this evening - I'm pooped!  But had a good get-together.  All the food prep and cleaning - you know the drill.  Now I need a nap!

Hosted a house full of people this evening - I'm pooped!  But had a good get-together.  All the food prep and cleaning - you know the drill.  Now I need a nap!

Yes I can imagine how tiring the whole process would be. Glad ya'll enjoyed each other. O0

Hosted a house full of people this evening - I'm pooped!  But had a good get-together.  All the food prep and cleaning - you know the drill.  Now I need a nap!

You deserve a nap, it must have been one hell of a day.

Had a pleasant weekend with the family, had business to deal with today, so...

...smile for a while and let's be jolly
Love shouldn't be so melancholy
Come along and share the good times while we can

Had a pleasant weekend with the family...


O0 Always a good thing!

Hosted a house full of people this evening - I'm pooped!  But had a good get-together.  All the food prep and cleaning - you know the drill.  Now I need a nap!


When we have a house full, Carlos takes care of the food and I pretty much take care of everything else-cleaning before and cleaning after.


Cat

Had to drive to and from work in the rain today... only the drive home was much more intense. The visibility wasn't so great; I had to use the headlights from the moment I left the office parking lot until the moment I got home. I drove very carefully and cautiously on the roads, never going above 60 mph on the freeway.

Right now there is a break in the rain, but it'll probably resume after I go to bed.

Had to drive to and from work in the rain today... only the drive home was much more intense. The visibility wasn't so great; I had to use the headlights from the moment I left the office parking lot until the moment I got home. I drove very carefully and cautiously on the roads, never going above 60 mph on the freeway.

Right now there is a break in the rain, but it'll probably resume after I go to bed.


That can be a bit dicey to drive in.  From what I remember, it doesn't take much rain before the big puddles show up there (I think our sewers are perhaps more robust here).  Stay careful.

That can be a bit dicey to drive in.  From what I remember, it doesn't take much rain before the big puddles show up there (I think our sewers are perhaps more robust here).  Stay careful.

Yup. I've even been hearing on the news that there are various road closures in the area here...but none that affect my commute, thankfully.

Thursday night I went out with some other Morris dancers to wassail some apple trees. We sang a couple of songs, someone read a poem and we put toast soaked in cider on the branches of the trees. Then we went to the pub and a danced and sang some more.

I do not know if you saw the final episode of "Stonehouse", about the MP that disappeared in the 1970s, last week. For it featured Morris Dancing when he joined the English National Party (ENP).

Yup. I've even been hearing on the news that there are various road closures in the area here...but none that affect my commute, thankfully.

And yesterday morning the rain was continuing to fall, but gone by midday. So I could have a clear drive going home. Today, no rainfall at all.

Yup. I've even been hearing on the news that there are various road closures in the area here...but none that affect my commute, thankfully.

Ever since the rain stopped (for the moment) on Tuesday afternoon, the roads have been easier to drive on. But that will probably change late tomorrow when the rain has a chance of returning. :o

So, today I’m staying inside due to the rain. I even skipped going to the library because I didn’t wanna go out in the rain; there’s lots of it.

We took James back to uni today. After taking his stuff to his room we nipped into the town centre for a cup of tea. While we were in the cafe it started to rain. When we left I was feeling smug because I had my raincoat with me and Dai and James didn’t wear their coats. We managed to dodge through a shop to get near the supermarket where James needed to go next. The rain stopped while we were in the supermarket.

Family left me earlier than normal this weekend, so I can have a relaxing day online here.

Family left me earlier than normal this weekend, so I can have a relaxing day online here.

Great. O0 I hope you had a nice time with them.

Great. O0 I hope you had a nice time with them.
I did have a good time, we took up a challenge to do a 1,000 piece jigsaw puzzle that fetures the characters from Disney film "Frozen". the best way to say is that my granddaughter took over command on who is doing which part of the puzzle, and said before leaving, I am to finish it. this willl be one challenge I will not let it go...

Family left me earlier than normal this weekend, so I can have a relaxing day online here.

How's your day been so far?  :)

How's your day been so far?  :)

I did have a good time, we took up a challenge to do a 1,000 piece jigsaw puzzle that fetures the characters from Disney film "Frozen". the best way to say is that my granddaughter took over command on who is doing which part of the puzzle, and said before leaving, I am to finish it. this willl be one challenge I will not let it go...

Doing jigsaw puzzles can be a fun activity. O0 My household has several of them.

Doing jigsaw puzzles can be a fun activity. O0 My household has several of them.
I have about ¾ of the jigsaw puzzle done now.

Doing jigsaw puzzles can be a fun activity. O0 My household has several of them.

I used to do jigsaw puzzles back in the day, they definitely were fun. O0

Pre-internet, I did a lot of jigsaw puzzles. I used to do them when I was listening to audiobooks or watching (listening) to my soaps. I still have all of my old ones. I am just not ready to part with them.


Cat

Pre-internet, I did a lot of jigsaw puzzles. I used to do them when I was listening to audiobooks or watching (listening) to my soaps. I still have all of my old ones. I am just not ready to part with them.


Cat

That’s really great. Maybe I’ll consider multitasking next time I do a jigsaw puzzle. :)

I have about ¾ of the jigsaw puzzle done now.
Jigsaw puzzle now finished.

Got to work late this morning due to two traffic jams on the freeway. So I stayed a little later to make up the time (and got all my work done that I needed to accomplish). The drive home was not as hectic; there was no bad traffic to deal with, so I'm grateful for that.

Got to work late this morning due to two traffic jams on the freeway. So I stayed a little later to make up the time (and got all my work done that I needed to accomplish). The drive home was not as hectic; there was no bad traffic to deal with, so I'm grateful for that.
Coming home later made you miss the rush hour?

Coming home later made you miss the rush hour?

Maybe he got stuck in traffic?

Coming home later made you miss the rush hour?

Not really. There was still traffic to deal with on the US 101 freeway. Since I usually leave the office at 4:30pm and travel 27 miles one way, it often takes me more than half an hour to get home, therefore I usually get home after 5. Furthermore, because I left the office at 4:40 on Tuesday, there was more traffic to contend with, so I got home close to 5:20 (give or take a few minutes).

Each of the last two days, however, I've gotten up a little earlier and made a goal to leave the house earlier, that way in case there's bad traffic, the chances of me arriving late are slimmer. Yesterday (Thursday) I left the house at 7:15 and got to the office parking lot at 7:50 (10 minutes before I start work). Today I left at 7:17 and again it took me 35 minutes to get to work. So leaving the house earlier is a good tactic to avoid arriving late.

Maybe he got stuck in traffic?

That is correct, as I explained in my above post. 5pm can be a busy hour on the roads. Sometimes, however, the traffic ain't so bad and I'm lucky enough to get home shortly after that time.

I have about ¾ of the jigsaw puzzle done now.

And by now is it complete?

And by now is it complete?

Jigsaw puzzle now finished.


We did the same jigsaw puzzle this weekend and finished it with 48 hours.

We did the same jigsaw puzzle this weekend and finished it with 48 hours.

Splendid! O0

I have been on a training course for the past two days. I am now a qualified mental health first aider

I have been on a training course for the past two days. I am now a qualified mental health first aider


O0 That's great!

I have been on a training course for the past two days. I am now a qualified mental health first aider

Awesome. O0 Not only is that excellent news, but also a great skill to have. Happy for ya.

Went to the library today for the first time this year, to volunteer. Spent just over an hour there, doing some simple tasks. Now I’m back home.

Went to the library today for the first time this year, to volunteer. Spent just over an hour there, doing some simple tasks. Now I’m back home.


O0 It's good to volunteer

O0 It's good to volunteer

Yup; I’ve been a volunteer there for 10+ years. (However, I was away from it for 2 1/2 years due to Covid. I was invited back in late 2021/early 2022, but I wasn’t ready to go back yet due to cases still on the rise; but in October, after I got my second booster, I finally felt ready again.)

O0 It's good to volunteer

I haven't volunteered in so many years.

I haven't volunteered in so many years.

There is one place where I performed volunteer work from November of 2009 until May of 2015 - a span of 5 1/2 years. It was mostly data entry that I did there; my help was greatly appreciated. Not only that, I also got acquainted with other people who worked/volunteered in that office (a nonprofit organization).

There is one place where I performed volunteer work from November of 2009 until May of 2015 - a span of 5 1/2 years. It was mostly data entry that I did there; my help was greatly appreciated. Not only that, I also got acquainted with other people who worked/volunteered in that office (a nonprofit organization).


I used to volunteer in a hospital, that was 18 years ago.

I used to volunteer at the local food shelf for about 7 years until about 15 years ago (wow, that long ago?  :o ) I stopped because of a personality clash.


Cat

It was James’s 21st birthday on Saturday. We went down to Cambridge to see him and go for a nice lunch.

Yesterday Dai and I went orienteering in Nottinghamshire. It was a fairly bramble-y area which slowed me down a lot. Dai came third on his course.

It was James’s 21st birthday on Saturday. We went down to Cambridge to see him and go for a nice lunch.

Yesterday Dai and I went orienteering in Nottinghamshire. It was a fairly bramble-y area which slowed me down a lot. Dai came third on his course.


21st??!!!  :o :o :o WOW!!!

I still picture him as a 9 year old boy.

Happy (belated) Birthday, James.


Cat

21st??!!!  :o :o :o WOW!!!

I still picture him as a 9 year old boy.

Happy (belated) Birthday, James.


Cat


On Facebook I posted a picture of him taken on Saturday and one from when we lived in the USA. I think that’s how a majority of my Facebook friends think of James.

On Facebook I posted a picture of him taken on Saturday and one from when we lived in the USA. I think that’s how a majority of my Facebook friends think of James.


Can you post it here?


Cat

Back online after an extended weekend at my family's home.

Back online after an extended weekend at my family's home.

Hope you enjoyed yourselves!

As for me, it was a busy last couple days of the month at my work. But I'm glad we got everything done that was needed. O0

Hope you enjoyed yourselves!

As for me, it was a busy last couple days of the month at my work. But I'm glad we got everything done that was needed. O0
My legs are still aching after my long walk last Monday.