Anyone Over 50 Here?

[Finley]

ps - with the pasta puttanesca sauce, I'd also add a good heaped teaspoon each of dried oregano and basil......and some fresh basil leaves if I happened to have any, just before serving..

[DannyD]

Ok. Going shopping....

[Finley]

Happy shopping Danny With anchovies, depending on whether you/other people you're feeding, like them - you can either add them whole to the Puttanesca sauce, or else do what I do (daughter's not keen on them whole) and snip them into small pieces. By the time the sauce is cooked (about 10 minutes simmering everything together), the anchovies have dissolved and are undetectable to the naked eye

Phew. Back in from work and am faced with a whole load of washing up from last night - dog needs another run, am waiting for some documents to be delivered and bathroom-man is coming to sort out a problem with the towel rail he put up......No rest for the wicked eh? The client I was meeting this morning was 50 minutes late for our appointment - which made me feel very grumpy as I needn't have been up so early At least I can feel virtuous in the fact that I arrived in good time, and it was noted by others that he was the late one......

Better get on - have loads of paperwork to catch up on too, and although I've set aside some time to do it later in the week, would be good to at least make a start.

[DannyD]

I happened to mention to my big sister, that I was paying gas and electric bills, easy in, easy out money. She idly asked if I had received the winter payment? Well no, because I've deferred my pension. Which means it (winter fuel ) is not automatic and I have to claim it - by the end of March. 10 minute phone call later. Probably get it about the end of May, which is fine. A bit of a bonus almost. And next year's will arrive at the back end of Autumn almost in time for Christmas. Lovely. After coming out of church with a small cash win yesterday, I'm almost thinking I should buy a lottery card.

A sunny day and some money - not enough to pay important bills such as gas and electricity, but better than a smack in the face!

[DannyD]

Ok. Some gnocchi (is that right?), boiled gently.
Spoonful of olive oil, knob of butter, a couple of chopped cloves of garlic, gently warmed through. Add some chopped tomatoes.
To serve, some grated cheese and fresh chopped basil with grated pepper.
Took about 10/15 minutes. Didn't hugely excite me, but it was edible. I have a dreadful sweet tooth - perhaps a touch of sugar in with the tomatoes next time?

[DannyD]

Cycled to work - and almost all the way home. Lovely Spring day out there. I'm going to see a ballet at a local theatre this evening - and am thinking I could cycle there.

[Finley]

Glad you managed to get on the bike Danny - and ballet locally sounds great Be careful if you're cycling home in the dark, eh? After a wasted morning on a wild (work) goose chase, have decided actually I am not going to do any paperwork this afternoon. I've a bit of work reading to do, which I'll get done - and other than that, am going to relax. Might even have forty winks if I feel like it

[DannyD]

Yesterday I had an informal chat with another manager and our section manager (not my line manager - he's off for a week). I told the first one I was really bothered about this 'can't be sick more than 2 times in the next 6 months' line. She said she was surprised that it had been flagged up that I was off sick. In fact, a couple of these occasions were when she's sent me home because we had sufficient staff - I wasn't sick, but very, very tired. I could have worked, but was grateful for the opportunity of an early night. Section manager said she wasn't worried (well I am) and pointed out that because I work so many hours (more than most), then the nature of statistics is that my score will be higher than people who have less work hours to be off sick. Slightly comforting but still a worry. And I still have this letter saying 'your Bradford score has been flagged'. And what happens if she goes off long term sick (pregnant)? Who'll have my back then?

At the end of my appraisal is the comment ".....still enjoys working here, which is great...." I'm not sure where that was plucked from.

Can you tell I'm a worrier? It's not too obvious is it!

Spit on the lot of them.

[Topcat]

Can you tell I'm a worrier? It's not too obvious is it!

Not at all Danny. Never would have guessed you were a worrier at all. I'd like to say "please try and stop the worrying" but I know that's probably useless (it would be in my case too as I worry incessantly about trivia) Best thing is.....

Spit on the lot of them.

I like that

I'm feeling every single one of my (shortly to be) 66 years. Heartily sick, sick, sick up to here of people treating me like an invalid and saying "well as we get older we have to expect......" Erm, no I don't expect thanks very much. I want to do all the things I've always done (except the booze as that nearly killed me off) and I want to carry on doing them for the rest of my days on this earth. I do not want to be patronised by younger people, treated like I'm losing my marbles and I DO NOT WANT TO SIT IN THE FRONT SEATS OF THE BUS

Off to paint me Zimmer with go faster stripes......

[DannyD]

I want to sit in the front seats - always have. Years of coach sick, if you're at the front you can get out quicker. What I don't like is youngsters calling me darling or love or "hello girls."

Does a smack in the face show you how young and fit I am?

Oh dear. "Going rogue" was another (unexplained) comment on my appraisal.

Only nearly 66? Still wearing purple and sliding on ice (no, I never enjoyed that either. Perhaps I was born old).

I hope you have lovely celebrations