This is the first post on my new blog. Thanks for dropping by. I’m just getting back into blogging, sometimes I want to say more than should be on Facebook or allowed on Twitter and Instagram…I’ve had several blogs over the years…I lose log in info, can’t remember what platform they are on, etc…so here’s another one! Please stay tuned for Random Thoughts from a Wandering Mind.
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Well, it’s a good damn show for starters! Michael Douglas and Alan Arkin are great together in this sitcom about life past a certain age…especially those in the entertainment business past a certain age.
If you grew up in the 80s, I think you’ll have a good appreciation for some of the jokes and casting. For one, it’s great to see Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner together again…sort of.
Another thing that made me giggle…it’s like the Gang is back together…Danny DeVito has a small part in the show as a Doctor but then later on Michael Douglas talks about Danny DeVito as an actor, etc. So they are crossing over real people and actors. Elliot Gould is in it as himself along with Allison Brooks Janney and Morgan Freeman then Danny is mentioned as himself but plays a fictional character.
As someone in their mid-forties, I enjoy the story lines of older adults. The dramas with their adult children, jobs, health scares, prescription drugs and recreational… but it’s all done with a bit of tongue-in-cheek.
It is such an easy binge watch and I got through the first three seasons over a weekend and I hope it goes on to have a fourth but if not, it did end well.
If you’ve not seen it yet or know what it’s about, let me give you a run down without (hopefully) spoiling it.
Sandy Kominsky (Douglas) struggled to become a successful actor so he became an acting Coach…”Those who can’t, Teach” and all. He’s divorced from Roz (Turner) and their adult daughter, Mindy, helps run his acting school. His best friend is his agent who does lose his wife to cancer in like the first or second episode so you have him dealing with being a widow, maybe dating again plus his daughter who’s an alcoholic and drug addict that causes some rifts in the family.
So this actually came out in 2018 but I only found it on UK Netflix recently!
Have you watched it? Let me know what you thought of it.
Not the way I was expecting my Wednesday morning to go. I woke up with plenty of time to spare, washed a load of laundry and hung up to dry, cooked some sausages and chicken for my lunch at work and dinner as tonight is another late nigthter (9pm finish). Went to my cat sitting client I’m tending to this week, headed out from there in time to take a leisurely drive to the office but when I went out to my car…THIS IS WHAT I SAW!!!
Whyyyyyyyy?????
At first I was looking down and went “I know I didn’t drive through that when I parked here…” I looked up to open my door to put my stuff in the passenger’s seat and *SHOCK HORROR* my front passenger window is smashed to bits!! I recalled seeing two groundkeepers walking towards the house I’d parked in front of so I know they saw me and what house I went into as they were on foot not 30ft behind me. So my first thought was “they did this, they hit a rock and this happened” but I couldn’t see any rock in my car but surely someone didn’t go buy and just smash in my window…
Luckily, the house opposite had a sticker saying “CCTV Camera” so as I went to knock to ask if she really had a camera and caught what happened, she opened the door and said her camera is actually out back but she saw the groundsmen taking photos of my car before going further down the estate (hired company to do this area of homes). While I called the police non-emergency number for advice, she got into her car and drove around to find them which she did and they said yeah they think they did it and had already called their boss, etc. But they didn’t leave a note and they knew what house I went into…if she’d not found them, I doubt I’d know what had happened and would’ve filed a criminal offense.
I was proud of myself as I did not cry. The whole “these things happen, it’s okay” just washed over me because all I could think was “I’ve gotta get to work! I’m scheduled 11am-9pm today and we’re short staffed as it is!!” So I called my office to let them know what happened and said I’ll let them know when I’m on my way then I got comfortable at my client’s dining table to make some calls. First, I called the owner of the gardening company who caused the damage and he was really nice and said he’ll reimburse me my insurance access fee and the cost of having my car valeted (cleaned inside/out) to get all the glass out, etc.
It’s just EVERYWHERE
Next I a glass repair company I know and have used before but sadly my current car insurance don’t work with them and although they could have it fixed on Friday, it would’ve cost over £400. That was a long phone call just getting advice, trying to log into my client’s wifi so I could access my insurance documents and give them the info. But the lady was very friendly and helpful so…Then I called my insurance who luckily said it won’t effect my No Claims Bonus as I was worried about that going through my insurance and I paid the £100 fee to pay for the repairs.
Skip to four hours later and I’ve still not received my email receipt showing the £100 paid that I can send over the the gardening company (I have since contacted them to resend it and checked they had my email correct, etc.) and I’d yet to hear from the glass company they use. Being I was told this sort of window is marked as “PRIORITY”, I’m like…Why ain’t they called me?! So I mentioned this to my insurance when I called them again on my lunch break and was told the details hadn’t been sent across to them yet but he’d do that now *glare*. Hour or so later they finally call me and the earliest they can fix my window is…wait for this…
TUESDAY!!!! 5 days and 6 nights with no passenger door window!! Thank God it’s July and not December!! Still, this is all well and good when I’m driving, just like having the window down, and it’s fine at my office parked up as there are cameras and I’ve taped a black rubbish bag over it to keep the rain out, etc. But parked on my driveway right off the main street through town with loads of people walking past as here in England your driveways aren’t long and are only one car length unless you’re rich. So my car is now an easy target for any ne’er do-wellers. I have asked my neighbour if he’d mind for me to park on his drive directly in front of his security camera…one of those RING doorbells that record 24/7 and his ultra bright motion detector flood light…he kindly said “no problem”
I’ll buy in a 6pack for his troubles.
I can’t remember when I’ve been so flustered and just shaken. Plus I’m constantly working, luckily I’m off tomorrow and Friday but then I’m working Saturday to Thursday and cat sitting on top of my full time job. Thank goodness my ex and I get along as he’s kindly picking me up Tuesday morning to take me to my cat sit and to work and then again in the evening. The repair guy is mobile so will go to my home to do the job and luckily I don’t have to be home myself but my son will be just to give the guy the key to the car, etc so he can access everything he needs. They couldn’t come to my office to do it until the 19th of July…that’s almost TWO WEEKS!!! Sadly the company my insurance uses and another company they use for work they can’t cover (booked up, etc.) are mobile only and don’t have like a garage or anything I could take it to any earlier. Sucks as my a previous insurance supplier used a company who are mobile but also have stations you can take your car to for window repairs. That’s who I rang originally who could do it Friday but for over £400 as my insurer don’t use them *eye roll* I think next year when my insurance is up for renewal, I’m going to call around and ask if they use AutoGlass before swapping insurers.
I finish work in half an hour (as of writing this, it’s coming up to 8.30pm…it will be published later) and then I’m taking a colleague home as she’s pregnant and it’ll be getting dark, etc. then stop back in at my current cat sit to feed him, stop to collect items from the Amazon DropBox and then finally home…hell, I also need to get cash to pay for my duvet being dry cleaned…I’ll do that tomorrow when I’m off work. Once in, I’ll feed my cats, make myself a sandwich and pop open a couple of ciders to help unwind…I hope. But first, I’m going to clean everything out of my car; dashcam, grocery bags, documents (car service book, etc.), tyre wrench… just in case.
Yes, it could be a LOT worse. It could’ve busted my front windshield but it’s still annoying, stressful and really not what I needed right now. But such is life and shit happens.
We plan and God laughs…I’m sure that’s how millions of people have felt over the last year and a half. Especially here in England as things started to reopen in September of 2020 and just a few weeks later, everything was forced closed again by the Government in the battle against Covid.
My best friend and I were due to go to California in May 2020 and luckily we had nearly everything refunded or credit given to use within a year or two. The only thing I didn’t get refunded was our very expensive tickets to see Rocky Horror live at a theatre in San Francisco. Which I can understand it’s an independent theatre who couldn’t afford to refund people even given the circumstances…but at the same time, I was being put out of work too and couldn’t afford to be without that money as well, so… The airlines gave us both a voucher that was originally good for 12months after our original departure date but then mine was extended again to end of April 2022 so guess where we’re going next spring?! LOL
We have replanned and mapped out a few trips during lockdown including going to Florida last month but that was cancelled as soon as it looked as things were shutting down again. Luckily, I had only booked free cancellation Air BnB and car rental. The owner of the Air BnB was very understanding and sweet and the ground floor apartment was lovely so we do plan on going there at some point. I was looking at renting an RV and having a proper road trip in either Tennessee or Arizona or even Colorado.
In the end though, I decided that I really wanted to go back to Disneyland in California as that is my favorite park. Watching so many YouTubers going to the parks as things start to reopen in the States, just got me itching for Disneyland and Los Angeles. So I’m hoping that with this trip, we’ll get a bit of both worlds with the adrenaline going, screaming on rollercoasters at Disney and then relaxing in LA wondering about and going to Malibu beach as we’ve been promising ourselves a beach trip for a while now; hence the plan to have gone to Florida last month that was undone.
Sheila has never been to California and I love taking her to new places and just sharing things that I love. We’re hoping our friend Staci can join us with her family too and add to the adventure. I’ve not planned too much yet as I don’t want to jinx it LOL but I do have a few places I want to go to, see and do. I also plan to dust off my camera and do some more videos for my little YouTube Channel and sort of take you guys along with us.
I’ve really enjoyed watching Vloggers or YouTubers like the Grimm Life Collective who go around sharing filming locations and celebrity gravesites (They’re not called “Grimm” for nothing). It’s just so interesting to see what is still around, what has changed and what hasn’t. They are a lovely couple and are always respectful of the places and people they visit and just really add that something extra to their videos. So yeah, check them out.
But yeah, from watching them, I’ve found several filming locations I’d like to go and visit and have added those to my planning map as well as just driving along Mulholland Drive and maybe having a picnic on “haunted” picnic table #29
When I was in LA back in 2018, I visited the house from Nightmare on Elm Street (Nancy’s House) which still looks exactly the same apart from security system signs and a notice asking people to not come onto the property. I also managed to find the Golden Girls’ house which was really only used for the opening shot in the credits and stills as it was recreated on a studio lot for inside shots and later exterior views.
That was quite a drive and especially getting back out of the neighborhood during rush hour then back to LA on the interstate…so much traffic and SLOW.
Being a girl from the East Coast, I do love California. Who knows…maybe one day I’ll move there. I’ve no idea what my future has in store for me…nor do I have any idea of what I’m doing LOL
I’m so excited as this morning I booked myself a ticket to Cineworld to see The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It. Like so many others, I’ve not been to the cinemas in over a year…I honestly can’t remember what the last thing I saw at the theatre was.
Also, lets look at the word “theatre/theater”. Theatre is British and Theater is American… but both spellings mean the same thing. Also in England it’s “cinema” whereas in America (at least where all I’ve been) it’s “movie theater” and “theater” is where you see plays…Just a little side observation.
theatre/ˈθɪətə/
noun: theater
1.a building or outdoor area in which plays and other dramatic performances are given.
2.a room or hall for lectures with seats in tiers.
Anyway, I’ve really enjoyed the Conjuring Series as I’ve always been interested in the paranormal and have read books by/about the Warren’s and their experiences, so when I saw that another instalment was coming out, I couldn’t wait to get booked in. I know “it’s Hollywood” and things have been elaborated and added to increase interest so you don’t have to tell me.
The other day, I was watching a documentary or interviews rather of Daniel Lutz called “My Amityville Horror” where he talked about his experiences living in the famous Amityville house with his mother, step-dad and siblings. The Warren’s had actually gone to the house to investigate and try to help and in this documentary, Daniel and a reporter who originally reported on the happenings in the 70s, went to visit Lorraine Warren and go back over her recollection of the house and her experiences while there. I thought that was really nice, to see her and hear from herself about the activity there. This was filmed back in 2012 and Lorraine has sadly since passed.
Honestly, I’m really looking forward to going to the cinema again and yes, I’m going on my own which I don’t mind doing. Part of being single and my son not caring for horror movies much. It’s actually quite nice to do things on your own from time to time…and not having to share your popcorn is great. LOL
I’m also really excited to go see the Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard (Reynolds, Jackson & Hayek) and Nobody (Bob Odenkirk). My son and I really enjoyed the Hitman’s Bodyguard so I’m looking forward to us seeing the sequel together. And I really enjoyed Bob Odenkirk in Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul, that’s really all I’ve seen him in but I just think he’s handsome so I excited to see Nobody advertised with him as the lead character.
Stay tuned to see what I thought of Conjuring 3. I’m sure I’ll really enjoy it though as friends with a similar mind-set have enjoyed it and I do love horror as much as true-crime….
…24hrs Later…
Wow…I don’t want to give anything away as I know this is just recently out but I really enjoyed it.
I was a bit familiar with the case that this film was based on which isn’t necessary, so don’t worry if you don’t know it. People had said that the film is more about the court case than the paranormal aspect but…not really. There was like 5mins total of “court room”. It was all paranormal; the why, the who, the how…it was just more field based than direct with the person of subject.
Plenty of jump scares if that gets you. I’m quite desensitised to jump scares so they rarely “get” me but I will go “oh that was quite loud”. Which, yes, I know…sound is part of what unnerves people. (I know as I have Misophonia and certain noises can trigger my fight or flight reaction)
There was once a video to demonstrate how much sound adds to experiences, be it real life or film. I believe it was a video of an arm or leg being broken (not a real one). It was shiee at n to people first without sound and they were like “enh. We know it’s not a real limb” and didn’t give much of a reaction. However, when they were shown it again with sound “thanks Hollywood” they cringed and turned away. So without the loud BOOM or scream, etc…jump scares wouldn’t do anything to an audience so yeah, thy make them loud.
Yeah, I’d recommend this one. I actually think I prefer it over The Nun instalment. I enjoyed how it all played out and how it went just beyond young David and Arne bring possessed. How, like in the other films, the relationship Lorraine & Ed had was brought into the story and played a role in the events. I really felt like I was along for the ride, trying to figure it out and even saying things just before the character did…”that’s not water damage”
The Cineworld near me was great, enforcing the mask rule (only off when eating/drinking) as a couple came in without them (not exempt) playing like the mask rule is out now. A staff member had them purchase masks before he’d sell them tickets and explained the rules. I didn’t have anyone near me so I didn’t care and I’m fully vaccinated but I sat there with my mask on except to stuff my face with popcorn and drink my Pepsi Cherry Max.
Its’s like…you know the rules. Stop playing like you don’t. It’s not June 21 yet and who knows what Boris will advise then. I think the mask rule will be around a while yet, maybe to the end of the year. My glasses get fogged up and it’s hard to breathe when you’re hugging & puffing but I’m happy to wear it where & when required…ok SORRY. I didn’t mean for this to become Covid talk but I wanted to share how good the staff at the cinema were. They don’t want to get shut down again anymore than the rest of us want another lockdown so…wear ya masks! 😷
So…after what, a year, of lockdown and no blog posts…I’m sat in the break area at work being thankful we are open again and I’m earning my paycheque rather than depending on 80% of my wages from the government while sat at home trying to keep the depression & anxiety demons away. As thankful as I am for the government paying those of us forced out of work due to the lockdown for so long, I’m a worker, a doer. I need to work & do things. People can now go out to restaurants and our company is thriving once again. We actually need more staff!! 🤗
So why didn’t I do any posts during lockdown? I didn’t have much to say, not anything worthy of a blog post anyway. Had some rants & thoughts on Facebook but I didn’t want to fill my blog with Debbie Downer posts or “well it’s Tuesday, again…” Like many others, I had a lot of demons shouting in my brain. Mostly anxiety about money & employment. I did look for part-time work and was told my Proof of Right to work isn’t acceptable anymore as my Indefinite Leave to Remain Visa is in an expired passport. (More on that later…)
24hrs later…
Anyway…it’s now the next day and I’m sat on the only corner of my bed that isn’t covered in stuff as the painters I hired are back to finish the job that started yesterday. A lovely full coat of Farrow & Ball’s Elephant Breath in the hallway and Teresa’s Green in my son’s room as well as a fresh coat on the den/lounge ceiling as it’s discoloured. I had to move all the stuff out of my son’s room and I actually demolished and tossed out his dresser and wardrobe as they were rickety and his new ones from IKEA will be here shortly.
Then I had to take as many trinkets out of the lounge as I could and move the furniture into the centre of the room…easier said than done but it’s done to a certain degree. Thankfully I had friends come help with Gage’s room and then he and his Dad came by last night and took boxes of his stuff to give me more space until this is all finished.
I’ve such a small place and way too much stuff to go in it. Over the last couple of months, I have made a dent though thanks to eBay, Facebook Marketplace and local charity shops. plus a few ££ which of course has gone right back out again. It’s a vicious cycle, isn’t it? Money.
Luckily I’m not only back at my full-time hospitality job, but I’ve got several cat sitting bookings too! I do that on top of my “day job” just to earn a bit more, save it for trips (got California booked for June 2022) and just to meet other people and cats. You know I love cats, right?
So…how have you been this past year? I hope you’ve been as well as can be and that things are looking even better for you now.
I know I’ve been away (again) for quite a while. Like many of you, I’ve been trying to reshuffle my life during this quarantine. Luckily, I’m still employed but I’m furloughed meaning I’ve only receiving 80% of my wages so after taxes, I’m getting like £125 less than my normal paycheque. However, I’d been doing so much overtime from November to March, my furlough wages is actually nearer £450 less than I’d been getting and BOY, can I feel it.
We are all in difference situations right now and I’m not going to compare my ‘new life’ to anyone elses. I know there are many MANY people worse off than I am right now and I know there are those still in a good place financially. So please do not feel like I’m comparing, this is my blog so I can only talk about my situtuation and outlook.
Today (12/5/20) they have announced that the furlough scheme will be extended to October but may be asking employers to ‘chip in’ from August. This is a great relief to me as originally it was to last until end of June. I’d much rather be actively working but right now, in my area, the only places hiring are looking for jobs that I physically cannot do or am not qualified for…hence my taking online courses.
Luckily, I’ve got my son with me whereas normally, I’d have him every other week due to the 50/50 custody. I’m so thankful for this because I believe if I were alone, just me and the cats, I’d be a lot worse off mentally. He’s in Year 12 at school and has been kept busy with online lessons his teachers have been setting and playing games online with friends keeping in touch.
I’m trying to keep busy and keep my brain exercising with online courses such as feline behaviour and psychology to go along with my cat sitting business and then office skill based ones such as customer service, HR, payroll, etc. Gage is also doing some ontop of his regular school work that’s assigned and submitted online.
Right now, his school is preparing to start accepting Year 10 & 12 students on a part-time basis from June 1 in line with current Government plans. Obviously this is constantly changing but at the moment (12/5/20) this is the plan.
I know just before all of this happened, I was SO looking forward to my four day weekend after working a lot of 6-12 day weeks. Now I’ve got the longest weekend EVER! LOL
It’s so scary though, isn’t it? Even once things start to reopen, things won’t be the same. Some degree of social distancing will be in place for a good while I believe and really, until there is a viable vaccine, we’ve got to be so careful.
I was watching a YouTube video Tom Hanks did earlier for college graduates and saying how this is our generations “before the war”. We have “before 9/11 travelling was…” and now “before the pandemic”, “during the pandemic”, etc. We are living during a very historical event. Let that sink in. Fifty years from now, schools very well may be teaching about this from a social point of view, medical of course and just as a worldwide historical event. It’s freaky thinking that while we’re sat here, in front of our tvs bored, watching Breaking Bad for the 3rd time. Or going to work but with many more safety measures and such. Our Grandkids will ask us about this and we’ll be like “be glad you’ve got somewhere to go! back in my day we had to stay indoors for X months due to a pandemic! Now get off my lawn!!” LOL It’s just mind blowing!
But on a positive note, the Earth seems to be healing herself from the decrease of all the emissions from planes, trains and cars. Hopefully we can keep that going as time goes on now it’s been shown to be working.
Anyway, another pointless post from me. LOL Please take care of yourselves and your family and follow the restriction guidelines for wherever you are but ALSO use common sense!! Just because this guy says it’s safe to run across the road, look both ways first!
So my son has introduced me to a fun app called TikTok. I’d heard of it before via Social Media and hearing people talk about it, etc. but wasn’t sure what it was. Surely just a variation of Instagram, right?
NO! Okay, well…it is but it isn’t. With Instagram you post photos or a short ‘story’ with captions, etc. You can still do that with Tiktok but you can also lip sync with pre recorded sound clips from films or other people. I personally enjoy doing Golden Girl Duets with other users. This is where someone will have recorded one part of the clip, in this case let’s say they do Rose’s lines and then I can ‘duet’ it and record Blanche’s lines and my video will appear beside theirs.
There are also lots of ‘dances’ that someone will come up with and then others will copy it or do their best version of the moves. I’ve been challenged to learn ‘Renegade’ but often do what is called the Adam Bam Dance for a quick something with a caption. Right now I’m using that as a daily dance countdown to my holiday in May.
I must say, I’m a bit addicted to it LOL. It’s just a good bit of fun doing little videos, usually up to 15 seconds, and watching all this creative content by other users. Some people on there really go out of their way with makeup and costume and like videography…I’ll be on there for two hours before I know it, just watching videos in my For You feed.
Alot of people are doing ones revolving around the CoronaVirus which has the world in it’s grip currently. Some are educational about how to best take care of ourselves by medical staff and others are comical to help keep spirits high. A lot of people are having to self isolate to prevent catching or spreading the virus so they’re occupying their time (amongst other proper daily activities or routines) by making TikToks and tagging them like Big Brother. “Day 3 of self-isolation…”
They can be quite clever and uplifting and fun. I’m really enjoying it so if you’re on TikTok, or fancy creating an account, find and Follow me. My user name is @mommacinnamonroll
And no, I’m not being paid for this. This is just a musing during a quiet day.
Hi There! Yes, I’m still here kicking around. I’ve been so busy with work and just life, I’ve not really had time to think and relax, much less blog.
Is it nearly the end of February already?! Wow 2020 is going by FAST!! My holiday to California will be here before I know it and I’m still on my way to meeting my holiday weight goal.
Since the new year, I’ve been working a lot of 6 day weeks, racking in that overtime to help cover the holiday costs as well as everyday things. Back in December, I set myself a little goal of using only what I made from cat-sitting, which I do on top of my full-time job, for ‘spending money’ which would include food, gas and activities. So far, that will be all I need. When I book these joint holidays with my sister, I get it all booked and paid for and she gives me her half of things when we get there. This then gives me that bit of cash as well so I don’t need to take much. I believe I’ll do like last year and take $500 in cash plus what she gives me for her share of things (hotels, rental car, pre-booked activities)
Zzzzzzzzz……
Wow…I started this post last month!! I’ve been so busy at work and stuff at home, I’ve just not had time or brain energy. Things have really quietened down at work now though and while it’s a welcomed break, I love to be busy. But at least now my body and brain can rest from the hectic schedule I’ve had the last few months.
What do you make of this coronavirus?!?! Madness!! I’m not like Trump and saying it’s a ‘hoax’ but I do feel the media and governments are doing a lot of scare mongering that’s adding to it rather than helping. People are going crazy bulk-buying food and toilet paper (?????) and the looks I’ve had when walking along the street and cough…it’s absurd. I went shopping yesterday for bits to get us through the weekend and the shelves were fine. It didn’t look like a zombie apocalypse, so I’m not sure where all this craziness is happening but it doesn’t seem to be in my area despite cases being identified on towns surrounding where we live.
I do keep looking at CNN and such to check on California as I know a lot of airlines are cancelling flights to and from places due to this. Corona better not mess up my MUCH needed vacation!! Just sayin’!!
Stay Clean and Cautious people. Wash, clean surfaces, use tissues and bin them. We’ll be okay.
As you may know from previous posts, I have been following Weight Watchers (WW UK) and at time of posting this I have lost 21lbs in those 18 weeks. My eating habits have really changed but yes, I still have ‘cravings’ or fancy a high pointed item or meal. I try to have these on or over Saturday and Sunday after I’ve had my weigh in and then have to 6 days to “make up” for it although I do try to not go over my weekly ‘Extras’ allowance. Since they relaunched WW and brought out the three colour plans; Blue, Green and Purple…I’ve been following the Purple Plan so I can have healthier carbs without having to point them.
I love these things!
However, three weeks ago my son (teenager) was advised my a specialist to go on the Keto diet to reverse his ‘fatty liver’. So with that in mind, I’m trying to cut my carb intake back to support him especially when we have meals together. Although, since being on the Purple Plan, I only have brown rice, whole wheat pasta and baked/boiled potatoes. He’s not allowed any of that so we have dinner with high protein and healthy fats. The other night he had steak with asparagus wrapped in bacon, to make little parcels, and a poached egg. I’ve also done a spinach ‘sauce’ with garlic and low fat Philadelphia cheese which I really enjoyed. The recipe called for sun dried tomatoes but it added too much carbs for his daily allowance so I omitted that but did put in a touch of tomato paste to add a bit more flavour. MWAH! Lovely!
My Land is Your Land. Your Land is My Land.
So while I’m trying to get us both healthy, meal planning, tracking, etc. I find it a bit hard with all the overtime I’m doing. This weekend for instance, I’ll be doing my grocery shopping when I’m usually cooking due to my schedule. Tomorrow the shops will be closed before and after I’m at work. But that was my choice to accept these extra hours and it is needed. My son seems to be quite proud of his “hard working, bad-ass” Mom too so I know I’m setting a good example for him.
I’ve been trying to get my house sorted out so if and when, I can sell it with no issues. Over here in England, although you can own the “bricks and mortar” that doesn’t always mean you own the land it sits upon. After doing my own detective work, because the solicitor was going to charge me £300 for his guy to do what cost me £5 online and find the owners, we had to pay their solicitor £275 to find the owners’ paperwork to prove they own the land as they’ve misplaced it. Actually they didn’t even seem to know they owned this bit of land. Sure, this was done back in the 80s but I’d remember if I owned a bit of land that someone else lived on… Anyway, so based on the size of the land (tiny!) and value of the flat, I’ve been quoted a good £15k more than I expected to get the lease extended or have them transfer ownership of it to me (which would be ideal for me).
It’s a LOT of money. See why I do so much overtime? And do my cat sitting “side hustle”? LOL Fingers crossed the bank will feel sorry for me and give me a loan so i can sort this out and consolidate my credit cards so it’s all in one nice manageable payment.
Do I Stay or Do I Go?
With this staring me in the face, I’m going to California in May with the thought that this could be my last vacation for quite a while, State-side anyway. We have been talking of hiring an RV and going to Colorado next year but that is now an “if and when” trip…as in if and when Sheila and I can afford it. LOL
It’s hard to get a YouTube Channel up and going well when you don’t have much to vlog about and only go on vacation a week or two out of the year. But what is on there, I know it’s very amateur, but I hope you enjoy it. If I get my editting software agreeing with me again, I’ll add some ‘every day’ type content. Maybe, given everything I’ll put up a virtual ‘tip jar’ LOL
I hope everyone had a great Christmas and New Year!!
So there’s been quite a few good movies out recently. Sure, I’ve not been able to catch all the ones I’d planned to see; I missed Doctor Sleep for example. But over the holidays, I did manage to see Knives Out, Spies in Disguise and JoJo Rabbit.
Now with Knives Out…I didn’t even know what it was about BUT I knew it had an amazing cast including the Hollywood Goddess, Jamie Lee Curtis. I’d heard amazing things on Facebook about it and so we just went.
I won’t give anything away for those who’ve yet to see this….you REALLY should!! But Gage and I loved it!! It was funny, clever and kept you on your toes. It follows a family who’s 85 year old father died on the night of his birthday party. They’re all pointing fingers at each other for various reasons, some quite poignant and valid. One thing I did enjoy about this, and I thought was a different way to do it, is that you knew ‘roughly’ what really happened very early on so you knew who did what (for the most part) and were just along for the ride. You start to piece it together in your mind and then you’re given a bit more information and you start to rejig it all.
It made you think, not just about the plot and the “whodunnit” but about family life these days. How so many people care more for their stature, place in society or how the public view them rather than the important opinions and love of their family and children.
But, may I just say that Daniel Craig’s accent as Detective Benoit Blanc…no one, even from Louisiana talks like that anymore LOL That definitely added a bit of comedy because you just could not take him seriously, albeit he was better then the idiot local cop characters. But also, Don Johnson…I remember watching him on Miami Vice when I was a kid. I was very excited to see him in something again. I had to do a double take! “Holy Shit, that’s Crocket!!” LOL
Definitely looking forward to watching it again once it’s on Amazon Prime or something.
So my son is a Tom Holland fan and we’re both Will Smith fans so of course we had to go see the animated film ‘Spies in Disguise’. We loved it! It was a great family film (my son is 16) but also enjoyable for adults with little side jokes or references that would go over younger kids’ heads.
It had action, comedy, twists and turns and of course, songs by Will Smith. The movie was loosely based on a 2009 animated short Pigeon: Impossible. What is it with Will Smith and super-agent rolls? He just IS the Super-Agent. This really was a heart warming film and at times you just wanna shout at Lance for how he treats Walter. But it’s all good. Lance comes around eventually and joins ‘the flock’ which produces an epic attack scene. You do just fall in love with the characters which is great when you develop a relationship with a character and care about them, that is when you really get drawn into a storyline.
Finally…and I know you’re thinking “wow she just enjoys almost everything”…we have JoJo Rabbit. Now when I saw this trailer at the cinema, I was like “Okaaaayyyyy….” It looked funny but I wasn’t sure what the story was so we went to a preview of it on New Year’s Day.
Now, I hope no one is offended by this trailer or anything because, I don’t think you should be really. Yes, it’s about the Nazi’s and yes, the main character JoJo has Hitler as his imaginary friend…but it may not be what you expect. The story follows JoJo in his blind fanaticism of Hitler and to be a soldier in the Nazi ranks only to find a Jewish girl, hiding in a cupboard in his deceased sister’s room. Over time they become friends as he slowly realises that Jews aren’t the enemy, they aren’t evil or these horrendous creatures they describe throughout the film. Descriptions which are so absurd you do tend to laugh at them.
It is another heart warming story but it does carry some heartache with it too. I think this film is very pertinent in today’s world and politics. But, I’m not going to get into politics here but I’m sure you may agree that we do seem to be at odds with each other more and more these days due to opinion as much as race, religion, sexual orientation, etc.
I’m sorry this post took me a lot longer to get out than planned…I started it on January 8th LOL I do plan to post at least once a week on various things and hope you’ll join me in my random thoughts.
Random Thoughts from a Wandering Mind 