Yawn Yawn Wakey Wakey 2024

I have been busy today doing what @Ladybird4 said on the previous page. Christmas cards have been posted, last minute shopping for stuff for son and things to take back to France is done. Stuff to take to France is packed and in the car. Next job is to put clean bedding and warmer duvet on the bed. We'll be back early January.

It's been a horrid day weatherwise, wet, cold and windy.

 

I read the comments about gutters on here, and it reminded me I’d better contact our gutter cleaning guy and book him in, now that the leaves are mostly down.
Sent a text this morning, and got a call back within an hour. Offered to squeeze us in this afternoon as he was working locally. All done and dusted! Really chuffed about that, I’ve been meaning to contact him for a couple of weeks, and he is often booked up weeks ahead. If only all our dealings with tradespeople were as satisfactory! Another box ticked!

 

Evening all, too cold (but dry) for me to want to venture outside and tomorrow's forecast is worse. Even worse news is that my chappie to do the sleepers is coming at 8 am - cripes, we're usually still asleep then so will have to set the alarm.

We had our gutters cleaned a month or two ago, at the same time as having solar panels and windows cleaned. We've had the 'hedgehog' brushes for the gutters for some years now and yes, you do have to remove them and shake the debris out before doing the gutters. Be warned, if you have a two or more storey house, they sometimes get dislodged in gales so tall ladders may be required. A house near us has a dislodged hedgehog which swings across his bedroom window all the time which would drive me nuts but his problem is sloping ground below so not easy to rectify.

Best wishes for a good journey tomorrow @Busy-Lizzie.

Snap @AuntyRach, we're having lasagne tonight as well.

Enjoy the tea dance @Obelix-Vendée.

I'm amazed at all the organised pre Christmas preparations - I usually do mine on the Day!

 

We are surrounded by trees here, and our old gutters used to get blocked all the time. When they needed replacing, we splashed out on metal gutters with a wider diameter than the regular plastic ones, and wider diameter down pipes. It seems to have been worth it, rarely get blockages or overflows, and a once yearly clean seems to keep trouble at bay.
Just popped outside, and it’s very cold. I think we are retiring to the bedroom with books and the tv. Maybe a small whiskey! Tomorrow’s forecast looks miserable here. Maybe another day at home. I’ve got the Christmas decorations out to remind us what we have. The grandsons already have their house decorated!

 

Time for me to sign out for today. I will say good night to you all. Not sure what time you will be setting off @Busy-Lizzie but bon voyage.

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Hope your journey is uneventful, @Busy-Lizzie , and you find all well at your French house.

@lizzie27 - does your neighbour's bedroom window open? I'd have thought he could take hold of the swinging bit of the "hedgehog" and pull the whole thing out of the gutter...

 

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A very good morning one and all. There is a hard frost outside and I will be taking extra care when I go to my Bestie's.

 

Good morning everyone!!

Not sunny yet, but the air is still.

 

Be careful out there @Ladybird4 !!

Bonne route @Busy-Lizzie I hope the crossing will be uneventful.

 

Good morning @Tui34. I am loving that wee bunny this morning!

 

Good morning all.

Thank you to all who wished us a good journey. I have to do the drive to Portsmouth as OH isn't allowed to drive my French car in England. English rules. Not looking forward to the bit after dark. I've booked dinner in a pub near Portsmouth. It's a night crossing.

 

Good morning @Busy-Lizzie. My new bit of knowledge for today is that about the driving regs. I am not in favour of driving in the dark either.

 

I found a card in my letter box yesterday offering to clean my gutters, no idea who they are so straight in the recycling, the card not my gutters! My gutters were cleared at the beginning of the year, very little in them. I am very suspicious of "unknowns" offering services I haven't asked for.

I took Rob for a walk, came back home to change shoes etc. before going to the chiropodist. I had to stop off at the Co Op to draw some cash to pay her. Afterwards I decided to go for it and drove across town to the farm shop to stock up on logs, coal etc. Hopefully it will be enough to see me through Christmas. I was so tired by the time I came home I couldn't be bothered to unload the car, a job for today. A bit of a performance as I have to put heavy loads onto a sack trolley and get it down a flight of steps, into the conservatory then through the house to the snug.
I do not need to go to the gym any more. That exercise is more than enough for me now.

I have a load of washing which I am hoping to get dry outside today, it is blowing well, not tooooo cold but no sun so far.
I have been trying to check with the local council the exact terms of a covenant on the land my club stands on. It has taken numerous emails until this morning when a message came through, they are having difficulty in tracing it and recommend I use the "Additional Services" facility on their web site. It would cost £136.00! I was trying to do it without bothering our Treasurer who is in bad health but I am going to ask him if he has a copy of the covenant amongst the paper work applying to the club. Why is nothing straight forward these days?!

 

I'm with you @Goldenlily26 in giving short shrift to cold callers and card leavers!
We're off to the Wirral again today to meet my 'old' schoolfriend. We used to go riding together, back in the day. Thankfully, no snow and the frost has gone.
How odd that your OH cannot drive your car over here, @Busy-Lizzie. Good luck with the after dark bit. Hope it's a smooth crossing.

 

Morning all. Went to minus 2 overnight here.

Having a lazy morning then going to Diddly-Dee. I’ll try to avoid peak times and Saturdays for any SM the next few weeks as it’s always a bonkers frenzy through December. I must try the scan-as-you-go thingy in Sains next time to see if that reduced queuing etc. SMs should do some set hours for sets of shoppers (remember pandemic OAP hour and NHS hour?) so those just needing a few essentials don’t have to contend with the full-trolley-over-buyers. (Another moan I should keep for my Grinch thread!).

Have a good day everyone. Safe journey @Busy-Lizzie.