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What’s Up in November 2017


chesilbeach

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I can't believe it's November!

 

I'm still super busy with my course, all of my spare time that isn't spent on coursework (which isn't much) is spent on getting in a bit of reading or cross-stitching, which is why I haven't been on here much lately! Still, the course is going well so I'm happy. I've also started a little collection of Deadpool comics - my partner has a huge collection of Batman comics and I love Deadpool in general so when we were in Dublin last week for a retro gaming conference, I went with him to peruse comics and I came away with three Deadpool collections. I've since figured out all the starting points for various different runs of different series/authors for the character, and am working on gathering those. Lots of graphic novels are speaking to me too - I have about 5 or 6 on a list and I bought Through the Wood by Emily Carroll, which is one I spotted in Waterstones yesterday after adding it on Goodreads months ago.

 

So that's me - all quiet aside from that. Have to take down my Halloween decorations this evening - lots of cobwebs and gel window stickers, not looking forward to trying to preserve them for next year!

 

 

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Hi Nollaig! Nice to 'hear' from you again :). I'm glad your life is going well. Are you enjoying your course / Are you finding it interesting and useful?

 

I'm excited for celebrating my birthday this weekend with my family. Last night my sister and her boyfriend spent the night, I saw them off this morning. I'll see them again this weekend. The book fair nearby is coming up too, so I'm excited about that, and there is a library sale going on, which is also exciting and I plan to take a look there After my birthday weekend, I can start looking around for birthday presents for my boyfriend (his birthday is in December). I have a few ideas. Yesterday it was Halloween, and in honour of that I read a horror book and I watched a horror movie. We changed clocks last weekend, and it gets dark much earlier now. I don't think I posted about it on here, but we have little chicken again (after a persistent mother chicken hid herself and her eggs somewhere and we couldn't find her for a while). All the little ones and the mother are doing well. I've been on new medication for a couple of months now, and it's going well.

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This year does seem to have shot by very quickly. As I spent last winter in Spain I'm struggling to adjust in the slightly colder temperatures already so god knows how I will fare when we hit January. I'm off on holiday again on Saturday, this time to Cyprus. I've never been before but I am really looking forward to relaxing for a week without having to think about work. My reading mojo has really picked up recently so I'm hoping November will be my most productive month of the year.

 

Happy birthday for the weekend Gaia.

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November, where is the year going! :o 

 

Happy birthday for the weekend. :)

 

And I've just read in another thread that your birthday was last weekend but you're celebrating this weekend. So, happy birthday for last week and happy celebrating this weekend. ;) 

Edited by More reading time required
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17 hours ago, Brian. said:

This year does seem to have shot by very quickly. As I spent last winter in Spain I'm struggling to adjust in the slightly colder temperatures already so god knows how I will fare when we hit January. I'm off on holiday again on Saturday, this time to Cyprus. I've never been before but I am really looking forward to relaxing for a week without having to think about work. My reading mojo has really picked up recently so I'm hoping November will be my most productive month of the year.

 

I wish you a great holiday :)!

 

17 hours ago, Brian. said:

Happy birthday for the weekend Gaia.

 

Thanks Brian :)!

 

15 hours ago, More reading time required said:

November, where is the year going! :o 

 

So quick, right?!

 

15 hours ago, More reading time required said:

Happy birthday for the weekend. :)

 

And I've just read in another thread that your birthday was last weekend but you're celebrating this weekend. So, happy birthday for last week and happy celebrating this weekend. ;) 

 

Thanks, MRTR :)!

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Making the most of a day off with tea and toast in the Waterstones café to accompany some reading time, then off to the cinema for a morning showing.  Grabbed a bite of lunch before coming home, and hoping to do some more reading this afternoon. Not much planned for the weekend yet, will just see how it goes. :) 

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Hey y'all!

 

Happy belated birthday Gaia!

Seems like I've been in and out of my house everyday this week, picking up grands, dropping off grands and switching out grands all while trying to purchase a house, work, shop, do inspections and everything else. I have the little girls today as mommy and daddy are doing some things with the older boys. We'll go to the library in a bit and maybe the park. Then I'll drop them off and get the boys for the night as we have a Saturday morning routine of visiting the outdoor market. I really should be thinking about packing but as the new home is only 8 houses up from us, I think we'll only pack the stuff that's too small and fragile.Everything else will be tossed in our vehicles.

 

That's about it on my side of the pond!

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17 hours ago, chesilbeach said:

Making the most of a day off with tea and toast in the Waterstones café to accompany some reading time, then off to the cinema for a morning showing.  Grabbed a bite of lunch before coming home, and hoping to do some more reading this afternoon. Not much planned for the weekend yet, will just see how it goes. :) 

 

I wish you a nice, relaxing weekend :).

 

14 hours ago, Virginia said:

Hey y'all!

 

Happy belated birthday Gaia!

Seems like I've been in and out of my house everyday this week, picking up grands, dropping off grands and switching out grands all while trying to purchase a house, work, shop, do inspections and everything else. I have the little girls today as mommy and daddy are doing some things with the older boys. We'll go to the library in a bit and maybe the park. Then I'll drop them off and get the boys for the night as we have a Saturday morning routine of visiting the outdoor market. I really should be thinking about packing but as the new home is only 8 houses up from us, I think we'll only pack the stuff that's too small and fragile.Everything else will be tossed in our vehicles.

 

That's about it on my side of the pond!


Thanks, Virginia :)!

 

It sounds easy that your new house is not far from your old one, in terms of moving your belongings. I hope things go well with the move. I wish you a good weekend!

 

I wish everyone a nice weekend :)!

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How was everyone's weekend?

 

I had a great weekend :). I celebrated my birthday with my family. It was really nice to spend lots of time with my (extended) family :). I got some nice gifts too and the food was very nice. Our family friend, she always bakes me a birthday cake. It was delicious, I just finished the last slice. Michael and I spent Saturday afternoon baking a birthday cake as well, which was also delicious. We had a nice lunch and dinner also.

 

The weekend was pretty tiring for me, so I plan to try to rest for a couple of days.

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5 hours ago, Athena said:

How was everyone's weekend?

 

I had a great weekend :). I celebrated my birthday with my family. It was really nice to spend lots of time with my (extended) family :). I got some nice gifts too and the food was very nice. Our family friend, she always bakes me a birthday cake. It was delicious, I just finished the last slice. Michael and I spent Saturday afternoon baking a birthday cake as well, which was also delicious. We had a nice lunch and dinner also.

 

The weekend was pretty tiring for me, so I plan to try to rest for a couple of days.

Gaia, glad you enjoyed your birthday weekend!

 

I'm sitting here in the library by myself. Haven't been able to just come and relax on my own since dd and the grands moved back. Its my fault really. I've instilled the love of the library into their little minds and hearts so they HAVE to come and that means I can't go to my favorite space (grown up area) because I need to be with them in the children's section, lol! I'll be back later today as the boys have a STEM class later on. But for right now, its just me, my journal and laptop with headphones, listening to Celtic music. Today is just one of those days that's just too nice to stay inside. Actually, its the LAST nice day for a while. Rain should be coming in this evening and remaining for the rest of the week. Temps will be dropping so that means I won't come out the cave unless I have to. I took my Kizzy out first thing as she won't walk in the rain. 

 

Our closing date is set for 6 December. I have already picked out my paint color choices and have planned how the furniture will be placed. I'm really glad that the house is so close as I can walk past it and dream and also harass the contractors when the show up to do the necessary work. We finished up the inspections on the house last week. The HVAC needs replacing. The heat runs on electric and gas. The gas pipes are the same age as our dd (27) and have corrosion. Not in the mood to die of carbon monoxide poisoning! They've agreed to fix it, there were also some issues dealing with previous termite issues. It does not have termites now but some of the work done to repair it was not done correctly. In order for the buyer to receive a termite letter (allows the house to be sold) these issues must be taken care of. The seller has agreed to those also. I mean really, he has to. He can't sell without it being corrected and as our home is being financed through the VA (Veterens Administration) they are VERY strict on the houses they finance. Anyway, we've done our part and are now just waiting on the repairs to be done and the appraisal to be completed. This is one of the most important things as if the house isn't appraised at the amount the home is being sold for, the VA will only pay up to our dollar limit. We'd have to come out of pocket for the difference (say if it were being sold for $170,000 but only appraised for $165k, we'd have to pay the $5K difference or search for another house).

 

I'm updating my resume and putting in job applications. I'm not going to rush it as it will be a busy end of the year. If we close as planned, I will start painting and getting the house ready to move in. Our lease on the house we're in doesn't expire til the end of December. We'll still have to pay the December rent. I'll be getting the house perfect so that we'll be in it by the middle of December. I want to get my tree up and the yard decorated. I will start buckling down come January with the job search. I'm still doing real estate but until the sells start coming in, I want to bank funds and build our savings.

 

That's about it for me, what are YOU up to?

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Hi Brian!

 

Its a cold and grey Sunday and we are doing what we love to do on such a day. Nothing. Our son and bonus son are home today and have taken over the den. DS has a "friend" so we're relegated to the bedroom, lol! No problem, I have my Microsoft Surface Pro, my tablet, magazines and other goodies back here so we're good. I planned to walk the dog up to the new house but its just too cold to be bothered!

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I can't believe its halfway through November already. I had a busy weekend, which makes a change. On Saturday Coran and I went to the annual Lib Dem Southeast Regional Conference, which was a lot more interesting than it sounds. It was a really good day actually, meeting others of like mind and discussing various things. There were some great speakers this year on various things - not all of which were to do with Brexit, although that was the main topic of conversation!

 

Then yesterday I went to see the Bolshoi Ballet performance of Shakespeare's Taming of the Shrew. It wasn't live of course, but one of those cinema screenings. Seeing the Bolshoi dance anything is always a treat, and this one was spectacular. Definitely one of the best I have seen.

 

I had a great day at work today as well, despite the cold. Some time ago I nominated one of my cleaners for a staff award that they do a couple of times each year. I was tickled pink last week when I heard that he had actually won it, and today was the award ceremony. I had to do a bit of digging around to find out what his favourite drink was, as for a man the flowers and chocolates they usually give didn't seem that appropriate. As well as receiving a copy of what I wrote on my nomination, he also got a certificate and a bottle of Amaretto with some Polish (he comes from Poland) chocolates. He also gets a gift card of his choice for £50. I think this is brilliant though as cleaners are usually the last people to be nominated for anything like this and yet the work we do is so important, benefitting everyone. The look on his face was a picture - it really made my day! :D 

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1 hour ago, Madeleine said:

That's lovely, he must have been thrilled.  As you say they are often overlooked so it's nice he's got the recognition he deserves. 

 

Definitely. Unfortunately it's the sort of job that is taken for granted, as people only notice when it isn't done. People also think that cleaning is not a skilled job, but anyone who has ever worked in the sort of places where I have knows different. :wacko:

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On 13/11/2017 at 4:55 PM, Talisman said:

I can't believe its halfway through November already. I had a busy weekend, which makes a change. On Saturday Coran and I went to the annual Lib Dem Southeast Regional Conference, which was a lot more interesting than it sounds. It was a really good day actually, meeting others of like mind and discussing various things. There were some great speakers this year on various things - not all of which were to do with Brexit, although that was the main topic of conversation!

 

Then yesterday I went to see the Bolshoi Ballet performance of Shakespeare's Taming of the Shrew. It wasn't live of course, but one of those cinema screenings. Seeing the Bolshoi dance anything is always a treat, and this one was spectacular. Definitely one of the best I have seen.

 

I had a great day at work today as well, despite the cold. Some time ago I nominated one of my cleaners for a staff award that they do a couple of times each year. I was tickled pink last week when I heard that he had actually won it, and today was the award ceremony. I had to do a bit of digging around to find out what his favourite drink was, as for a man the flowers and chocolates they usually give didn't seem that appropriate. As well as receiving a copy of what I wrote on my nomination, he also got a certificate and a bottle of Amaretto with some Polish (he comes from Poland) chocolates. He also gets a gift card of his choice for £50. I think this is brilliant though as cleaners are usually the last people to be nominated for anything like this and yet the work we do is so important, benefitting everyone. The look on his face was a picture - it really made my day! :D 

Wonderful story. 😂 

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Hanging out with the grands til its time to pick up the hubby. Then it'll be back home to do paperwork, study and relax. Last night was "salon day" where I do the little divas hair. The parts are never straight and by the morning it looks untouched BUT its clean, its healthy and its over, lol!

 

We got word that the house appraised at $1,000 over the asking price. This is great news as it means we won't have problems with the Veterans Affairs Loan people. The repairs are just about done and things coming along smoothly. 

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On 11/14/2017 at 5:55 AM, Talisman said:

I can't believe its halfway through November already. I had a busy weekend, which makes a change. On Saturday Coran and I went to the annual Lib Dem Southeast Regional Conference, which was a lot more interesting than it sounds. It was a really good day actually, meeting others of like mind and discussing various things. There were some great speakers this year on various things - not all of which were to do with Brexit, although that was the main topic of conversation!

 

Then yesterday I went to see the Bolshoi Ballet performance of Shakespeare's Taming of the Shrew. It wasn't live of course, but one of those cinema screenings. Seeing the Bolshoi dance anything is always a treat, and this one was spectacular. Definitely one of the best I have seen.

 

I had a great day at work today as well, despite the cold. Some time ago I nominated one of my cleaners for a staff award that they do a couple of times each year. I was tickled pink last week when I heard that he had actually won it, and today was the award ceremony. I had to do a bit of digging around to find out what his favourite drink was, as for a man the flowers and chocolates they usually give didn't seem that appropriate. As well as receiving a copy of what I wrote on my nomination, he also got a certificate and a bottle of Amaretto with some Polish (he comes from Poland) chocolates. He also gets a gift card of his choice for £50. I think this is brilliant though as cleaners are usually the last people to be nominated for anything like this and yet the work we do is so important, benefitting everyone. The look on his face was a picture - it really made my day! :D 

 

 

That's great he won the award.  I think cleaners are very important in any organisation.  I always make sure to thank the cleaners when I see them at work and often if I'm at the mall or somewhere like that.  I don't know what it's like in other countries, but here in New Zealand they usually get minimum wage, and I think they really should get a lot more than that.

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3 hours ago, bookmonkey said:

 

 

That's great he won the award.  I think cleaners are very important in any organisation.  I always make sure to thank the cleaners when I see them at work and often if I'm at the mall or somewhere like that.  I don't know what it's like in other countries, but here in New Zealand they usually get minimum wage, and I think they really should get a lot more than that.

 

At least the minimum wage here is finally going up to something liveable on! But I agree bookmonkey, cleaners are often ignored and they do what must be a pretty thankless but essential job. That's lovely you nominated the cleaner for an award, Talisman, I'm sure it's very much deserved and it's great to recognise the wonderful job they do.

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20 hours ago, bookmonkey said:

 

 

That's great he won the award.  I think cleaners are very important in any organisation.  I always make sure to thank the cleaners when I see them at work and often if I'm at the mall or somewhere like that.  I don't know what it's like in other countries, but here in New Zealand they usually get minimum wage, and I think they really should get a lot more than that.

 

I completely agree. The wages for cleaners here vary from low to quite good, depending on where you work. If you want to work full time doing this sort of work there are really only 3 options though - a private housekeeper, a care home, hospital or something, or a hotel. I don't want to work in someone's home, as they tend to be snobs, and those sort of jobs are often live in as well. I have my own home and prefer to live there. I don't want to work in a hotel either, as you can't build a relationship with the guests. In a care environment you can, and that is very important to me. You also learn a lot more as well and can make much more of a difference. The minimum wage in the UK for those over 22 is now £7.50 an hour, but we pay our cleaners just over £8. As cleaning supervisor I naturally earn more - just over £9 an hour. It's not a fortune, but I don't have a mortgage or expensive tastes so it's more than enough for me. I managed 5 holidays last year which is more than most people get. 

 

17 hours ago, poppy said:

 

At least the minimum wage here is finally going up to something liveable on! But I agree bookmonkey, cleaners are often ignored and they do what must be a pretty thankless but essential job. That's lovely you nominated the cleaner for an award, Talisman, I'm sure it's very much deserved and it's great to recognise the wonderful job they do.

 

£7.50 an hour is far short of the actual living wage which is at least £1.50 an hour more, depending on where you live (in London everything costs more). You are right though cleaners are often ignored and taken for granted and it is often a thankless task, even where I work, which is far better than most. We work really hard for our money and are constantly on the go - cleaning toilets etc., emptying bins, hoovering, cleaning carpets, windows etc., scrubbing and polishing floors, and in my case, ordering and maintaining all our stock, making sure COSHH sheets are up to date and my staff are properly trained, organising rotas, sorting out staff problems, holidays and so on, and of course keeping my own boss happy. People think this is such an easy job, but they are mostly the ones who have never done it! One thing's for sure, there's never a dull moment. :)

Edited by Talisman
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6 hours ago, Talisman said:

 

I completely agree. The wages for cleaners here vary from low to quite good, depending on where you work. If you want to work full time doing this sort of work there are really only 3 options though - a private housekeeper, a care home, hospital or something, or a hotel. I don't want to work in someone's home, as they tend to be snobs, and those sort of jobs are often live in as well. I have my own home and prefer to live there. I don't want to work in a hotel either, as you can't build a relationship with the guests. In a care environment you can, and that is very important to me. You also learn a lot more as well and can make much more of a difference. The minimum wage in the UK for those over 22 is now £7.50 an hour, but we pay our cleaners just over £8. As cleaning supervisor I naturally earn more - just over £9 an hour. It's not a fortune, but I don't have a mortgage or expensive tastes so it's more than enough for me. I managed 5 holidays last year which is more than most people get. 

 

 

£7.50 an hour is far short of the actual living wage which is at least £1.50 an hour more, depending on where you live (in London everything costs more). You are right though cleaners are often ignored and taken for granted and it is often a thankless task, even where I work, which is far better than most. We work really hard for our money and are constantly on the go - cleaning toilets etc., emptying bins, hoovering, cleaning carpets, windows etc., scrubbing and polishing floors, and in my case, ordering and maintaining all our stock, making sure COSHH sheets are up to date and my staff are properly trained, organising rotas, sorting out staff problems, holidays and so on, and of course keeping my own boss happy. People think this is such an easy job, but they are mostly the ones who have never done it! One thing's for sure, there's never a dull moment. :)

 

Both bookmonkey and I live in NZ, Talisman. Our newly appointed Labour government has just promised that the minimum wage will go up in stages over the next four years to $20 an hour. It's set to rise to $16.50 early next year.

I think cleaners need medals, it's very hard work! It always seems that people who do the hardest physical work are paid the least, and I think that's so unfair. I used to clean for a couple of neighbours earlier on, three hours at a stretch was enough for me!

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17 hours ago, poppy said:

 

Both bookmonkey and I live in NZ, Talisman. Our newly appointed Labour government has just promised that the minimum wage will go up in stages over the next four years to $20 an hour. It's set to rise to $16.50 early next year.

I think cleaners need medals, it's very hard work! It always seems that people who do the hardest physical work are paid the least, and I think that's so unfair. I used to clean for a couple of neighbours earlier on, three hours at a stretch was enough for me!

 

I think I will emigrate to New Zealand! Here the Government has promised to raise the minimum wage to £10 an hour by 2020. The Living Wage is already almost that in London, so this is nowhere near enough. Companies always complain and posture about the prospect of it but still seem to find the money to give their bosses huge pay rises and bonuses. Mind you, the sector that I work in (disability charity/housing association) is a bit different in that it is the only one where the buyer tells you what they will pay rather than the other way around. Most of our clients are funded by their local authority who pays a set amount for the services that we provide. With the Government policy of austerity that they have been pursuing since the financial crash they seem to find any excuse not to pay for what people need. What this basically means is that despite the increases in the minimum wage, the extra cost of enrolment into staff pension schemes etc. the local authorities have not increased the amount that they actually pay to us. This situation has led a lot of other providers into bankruptcy, but the charity I work for because it is also a housing association and has relatively healthy reserves plus such a good reputation, is in a much better position than most. I hope it stays that way, as it is a great place to work and probably the best job I have ever had, despite the challenges. 

Edited by Talisman
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