Friday letters

Hello friends! (I hope none of you mind being called friends?). It’s finally Friday and I haven’t done Friday letters for a while, so I thought I would today. Here goes.

Dear Switzerland. A recent blog post by Kezzie and a slightly less recent one by Hazel have reminded my once again of how badly you need to up your recycling game. After being able to place basically all packaging in the recyclables bin in Germany I find it so frustrating to have to throw so much into the ordinary household waste here (and yes, I take my plastic bottles back to the supermarket but they won’t accept yoghurt pots or toothpaste tubes, for instance). Even Britain has recycling bins. Sort it out, Switzerland!

Dear unread books. I recently rearranged my shelves so that most of you are together and I hadn’t realised quite how many of you I own! I really need to start reading books I own before buying more…

I actually have more unread books than this, but I couldn’t fit any more on these shelves. Also, I excluded classics & non-fiction entirely since they have specific sections on my bookcases.

Dear water. Why is it so difficult to remember to drink enough of you? Must try harder!

Dear Basel cinemas. Why aren’t you showing the new Jumanji film in English? Just because it’s aimed at children doesn’t mean nobody wants to see it in the original language – do you know how many English-speaking children there are in the region?

Dear weekend. I’m glad you’re almost here. I’ve been very tired this week and I’m looking forward to a lie in!

Dear boyfriend. Thank you for sorting out the dishwasher and not complaining (often) when I fail to put away my lunch dishes.

That’s all for today folks. Happy Friday, wherever you are.

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Friday letters

Happy Friday everyone! I hope you are all well? It has got cold here recently, which gives me the perfect excuse to drink lots of hot chocolate. Except maybe not because my sister’s wedding is three weeks tomorrow and I have a bridesmaid dress to fit into? Dilemmas! Also, I have agreed to work for part of the weekend because apparently I am insane?! (It’s the only way we could actually accept this particular job and we really need to not be turning down jobs right now!). Anyway, let’s get on with some letters shall we?

Dear Christmas. You are creeping up too fast and I can’t think of gifts for half the people I have to buy for. Aargh!

Dear boyfriend. Thank you for not complaining about me being even worse than usual at keeping up with housework because I’m too busy making Christmas cards!

Dear birds. I’m pleased to see you seem to be enjoying your new food. We’ll keep putting it out as long as you keep coming to visit!

Three little dickie birds sitting on a wall…

Dear self. You really need to stop buying new books before you’ve read the ones that are already sitting on the bookcase. For the sake of your bank balance if nothing else!

Dear magpies. Could you please stop flying around singly? I’m ready for some joy please!

Dear sun. It was nice to see you when I went out to buy lunch. Think you can come back tomorrow when it’s the weeeeekend?

Okay, that’s it. Lunch break over – gotta get back to work. Have a fabulous weekend everyone!

Friday letters

Well people, it’s Friday again and I was almost very late for work this morning! I always set my alarm for 5:45, take my pill then reset the alarm to 6 a.m. I did that as usual this morning, but for some reason the 6 a.m. alarm either didn’t go off or we both slept through it. I woke up at 6:55, checked the time then jumped out of bed in a panic. I have to leave at 7:20 to catch my train, and I actually did! I was showered, dressed, teeth brushed and bag packed in 25 minutes. Phew! Luckily today wasn’t a hair washing day 🙂 Now it’s lunch time, and also time for Friday letters.

Dear alarm. Why?? That is all.

Dear new work customer. Thank you for giving me something to translate this week that was actually interesting! I feel like I’ve mostly been translating the same things for months, so it made a nice change to learn somthing new.

Dear weather. You’ve been glorious all week, then this morning it was raining. Please bring back the sunshine for the weekend (and most especially for Sunday when my boyfriend’s choir are performing at an outdoor festival!)

Dear boyfriend. You’ve been working so hard again this week! So I’m planning on making you a surprise while you’re at your all-day choir practice on Saturday. (Don’t worry readers, Jan never reads my blog so he won’t know he has a surprise coming until he receives it).

Dear cross stitch. I can’t wait to have you up on the kitchen wall! Just need to iron on the interfacing and frame you now 🙂

Dear Scotland. I’m glad to see you’ve decided to stay with the UK. I just hope the politicians can now work something out that will make both sides happy – and also that if any Scots are upset about the outcome, they don’t decide to come rampaging into England. The area I’m from will literally be on the front line if that happens! Time to rebuild our castles? 😉 (Also, I do wonder whether many more people would have voted Yes if it hadn’t meant being stuck with Alex Salmond as their leader?)

That’s all. I need to eat and get back to work now. Have a great weekend everyone!

 I’m linking up with Kate again for Daily Diaries.

Friday letters

After the debacle that was my attempt to post on my birthday (I hit publosh and the computer just sat there going “posting…” for half an hour, which is when I got mad and gave up!), I’ve managed to find a way back to the old publishing screen, so hopefully this post will actually appear on my screen! In case anyone else is having trouble, it appears going via dashboard takes you to the plain text publishing page instead of that new fangled one that probably requires all sorts of things this computer doesn’t have! Anyway, on with the letters…

Dear boyfriend. As much as I will miss you when you’re away, I’m actually looking forward to having a whole weekend to myself. My plan is to sleep, read a lot and eat crappy meals that require no chopping of vegetables. And as for next week… eaten before 8 pm and getting a few early nights? Sounds like a plan to me! Then, in just over a week, I get to see you in Taiwan and have you all to myself for an entire 6 days! Yay.

Dear weather. Would you please make up your mind! I’m sick of either dressing in trousers because it looks like rain then coming home from work desperate to change into a dress because I’m so hot or heading out in a skirt because the weather looks fine only to get absolutely soaked and have to sit around in wet clothes all day!

Dear WordPress. Please stop fixing things that aren’t broken! The old way of publishing posts worked just fine! I am aware that most of the reason I can’t use the old system is because this computer is terrible (and hasn’t had any updates done to it for over a year), but that’s not the point! We can’t all have the latest technology and there’s no need to fiddle with things all the time!

Dear computer. I know most of your problems are Jan’s fault for neglecting you (and there’s nothing I can do about it as I don’t have an admin password!), but if you don’t stop doing things like refusing to publish blogposts, freezing when I go on certain websites and taking centuries to upload photos to anywhere (WordPress, Twitter, Facebook), I will not be responsible for my actions!

Dear friends/family. Thank you for all the lovely cards/gifts/messages for my birthday. I loved everything and I am so thankful to everyone who thought of me.

That’s all for this week. Slightly moany, I’m afraid. I’ll try to do better next time 😉 In the meantime, I’m scheduling this post, so hopefully it will actually publish!

Friday letters

Somehow, this week has gone fast… which is surprising considering Jan was away from Sunday until Wednesday (and last night he had choir practice, so I’ve seen him for a total of maybe two and half hours so far this week!). Usually the evenings drag when I’m on my own… but not this time! And now it’s Friday again, and time for some letters.

Photo: cindy47452

Dear boyfriend. I hope you don’t have to work this weekend. It would be nice to spend some time with you before you go away for two weeks(!!) next Saturday!

Dear grandpa. I hope you can have your operation next week and everything goes well.

Dear flat. Sorry I’ve been neglecting you. I promise to hoover soon!

Dear Milka Lila Stix. I’ve just discovered you and I’m already in danger of becoming addicted! Biscuits similar to Cadburys Chocolate Fingers but with Milka chocolate instead of Dairy Milk? GIMME!!!

Dear friends/family. Do you think we could get to the end of the year without anyone else annoucing an engagement or a pregnancy? Pleeease?

Dear Karlsruhe Christmas market. I find it unfair that you aren’t starting til 28th November this year. Heidelberg are opening theirs on the 25th!

Happy Friday everyone! have a great weekend.

Friday letters… again?!

This has been one of the longest weeks of my life (colleague on holiday + large translation job = stress) but it still seems like only two minutes since the last time I posted Friday letters. With only nine days left until the end of September, I find myself wondering once again where on Earth this year has gone!! And it’s showing no signs of slowing down. *Sigh*.  Anyway…

Dear friends (and boyfriend). Thank you for the amazing “bee-day” party. It was a lovely surprise.

Dear Amazon seller. Please hurry up and send me my goods so I can post them to England in time for my little brother’s birthday…

Dear little brother. I cannot believe you’re turning 7 already! I remember you as a tiny baby who had to stay in hospital for weeks because you came way too early. Time flies!

Dear weekend. I am hoping you will be less hectic than the last one! No plans for you so far… other than the usual shopping/cooking/cleaning, that is…

Dear boyfriend. I basically haven’t seen you this week, so I’m pleased we’ve made a few tentative plans for September. I just hope we can find the time to finalise them!

That’s all folks. My lunch break is over. Have a great weekend!
(I’m including Ashley’s button although she probably won’t be hosting Friday’s letters for a while seeing as she’s just had a baby and all!)

Cross stitch woes and Friday letters

Hiiii!

Posting on my blog has been a bit sporadic recently. I do apologise! Cross stitching like mad was the main culprit. I really needed to get the finished article in the postbox before the first collection this morning to be in with even a slight chance of it being delivered on time (the wedding is tomorrow), but despite staying up until midnight last night, this is as far as I got:

Unfinished…

I will still complete it tonight and get it sent off first thing tomorrow morning, but the earliest it will arrive now is Monday. Most disappointing! I suppose more cross stitching and less going to the Irish Pub for the Champion’s League final would have helped…

Anyway… it is Friday again, and that means it’s time for some letters.

Snail Mail Terminal (Photo credit: Vicki & Chuck Rogers)

Dear Dublin. This time next Friday I will be boarding a flight to you! So exciting.

Dear weather Gods. I very much appreciate you sending the sun out to play yesterday for the fourth (and final) holiday of May, but was it really necessary to follow up be chucking buckets of rain at us today? Sitting at work with wet legs was not fun!

Dear waist measurement. Why aren’t you getting any smaller? I know I haven’t exercised quite as much as I was intending to, but it’s definitely an improvement on before!

Dear boyfriend. Thank you for taking pity on me on Monday (when I ended up working for an extra hour and  half after arriving home) and suggesting we order pizza so I wouldn’t have to cook. Love you.

Dear self. Pizza (and brownies and other treats) are probably the explanation for the waist measurement thing. Just saying….

OK, that’s all. I need to go and have a cup of tea then decide what on Earth I’m going to cook tonight. Happy weekend folks!

Friday letters

It’s the final day of the working week, which means it must be time for another exciting edition of Friday letters.

(Photo credit: Leo Reynolds)

Dear new necklace. I probably shouldn’t have bought you, but you were just too pretty to resist. I shall wear you lots to make sure I get my money’s worth!

Dear Amazon. Please stop tempting me with your oh-so-perfect recommendations. I cannot afford to buy all the things I want from you!

Dear quiz team. Next month, we shall be better. OK?

Dear boyfriend. Thank you for my anniversary flowers. Very pretty 🙂

Dear self. No, chocolate is not a healthy, balanced breakfast. Also, remember your exercise DVD? Do it!!

Dear bed. I’ve been neglecting you this week. Don’t worry, I intend to make up for it over the weekend!

Dear readers. Happy Friday! have a great weekend.

Still here

Well, it seems the world hasn’t ended, so it looks like I will have to turn 30 after all. Thanks a lot universe – I thought you were at least going to help me avoid that one!

After six years, I still find it difficult to speak German on the phone. Jan’s mum called last night, on the landline, so of course I answered. When his dad calls the conversation usually goes “Is Jan there?” “Yes, I’ll just get him for you”, but his mum tends to converse with me before I hand over the phone.

The Red Phone (Photo credit: Eric Kilby)

My German is good, but I tend to forget words occasionally and it’s so much easier to get my point across when I can use hand gestures as well.

After assuring me that “he felt fine, it was just his nose that was blocked” when I left for work yesterday, by the time I came home, Jan was in bed complaining of a sore ear and a headache. He still refused my offers of Lemsip and Ibuprofen though – apparantly you only need medicine if you actually plan on getting out of bed? (Is this a German thing, a man thing or is my boyfriend just weird?). I made us some nice tea containing lots of vegetables and some extra hot chilli flakes (I defy any blocked nose to withstand them!) then spent the evening doing cross stitch with a couple of glasses of wine (I bought myself a mini bottle). After about half an hour, Jan actually came out to join me and started reading out questions from the quiz book he had in his advent calendar today. If the world had ended it wouldn’t have been a bad way to go, although it would have been a shame not to actually finish the cross stitch – I still have lots to do.

Right now I’m waiting to find out whether we’re going to Jan’s dad’s place tomorrow or staying here for Christmas. If it’s the latter, I need to go and buy food for Christmas today. I’m planning on doing roast chicken for Christmas day if we’re here (cooking one turkey a year is more than enough for me!).

FINALLY Friday (time for some Friday letters!)

Letter to Santa (Photo: Great Beyond)

It’s Friday again, and this week I am unbelievably glad that it’s finally arrived. Work has been slow for past few days (which I actually find worse than when it’s stupidly busy and I have to do overtime – although the up side is that I got to leave at 3 p.m. today becasue there was just no point in me staying for another 2 hours) and it feels like everyone has just been waiting for the week to end. I am now on holiday for two whole weeks!! The thing I am looking forward to the most? Sleeping for more than 6 hours at a time! Anyway, here are my final Friday letters before Christmas.

Dear Thoughts Appear. You mentioning Gremlins on your blog made me realise just how long it is since I’ve seen that film. I didn’t have it in my collection, so naturally I had to order it, and it arrived the other day (in time for Christmas!). I’m sooo looking forward to watching it. Thank you for the inspiration!

Dear boyfriend. We’ve had our ups and downs, but overall I think this year’s been good. Thank you for making such an effort recently. I love you!!

Dear Christmas. I have finally written and posted all my cards, finished wrapping gifts and got all my parcels sent off (some of which probably won’t actually arrive on time…). I think I’m almost ready for you to come now.

Dear magic housework fairy. My flat currently looks like a bomb’s hit it, and I really want to get it cleaned up in time for Christmas. If you’re not too busy, a little help would be very much appreciated!

Dear friends. PLEASE could you stop having babies/getting married for a while? I now have three cross stitch samplers to do, for April, May and June and I have no idea how I’m going to manage!

Thank you (Photo credit: Avard Woolaver)

Dear readers. Thank you for all your lovely comments on the state of my relationship. All of your opinions and advice are very much appreciated. As is the fact that you read my drivel at all. You are amazing – every single one of you!

Dear rest of the year. Do you think you could maybe go a little slower than the months leading up to you have? I need some time to sleep, and I also need to work on various cross stitch samplers (at this point, I feel the need to reiterate that I have three events to stucth for!), spend time with my boyfriend and we are going to Luxembourg for New Year. Of course, if the world ends tonight this won’t be necessary 😉

Dear world. If you’re actually going to end could you please get on with it. I’m sick of hearing about Mayan calendars now…

Dear boyfriend (again). Didn’t anyone ever tell you ebing ill on Christmas is not allowed?! You need to hurry up and recover from your cold. And don’t go giving it to me either – I don’t have time to be ill this close to Christmas!

That’s all from me. I now have to go back out in the pouring rain to purchase some vegetables for tonight’s tea. And after that I have a date with some dirty dishes. Housework fairy, I’m waiting!