The World According to Gio

The knife saga continues. I tried to buy Corey's knives using my debit card, but again, couldn't check out due to age restrictions. So James tried, same for him. He called Amazon and talked to someone who said it was apparently an ongoing glitch in Amazon's system, that he could try again in a few days time, or otherwise, buy the products elsewhere and whatever decision he made, Amazon would issue £30 credit for the inconvenience.

Now, credit like that would be good, that is if it happens, the guy said give up to 3 days for it to be applied to the account, which gives until tomorrow. James does have the email stating the offer, but no credit as yet. But man, all I wanted to do was buy some posh kitchen knives. Next step will be going to a kitchenware shop and buying them there.

Today we've been to our family friend's funeral. The guy's wife is a devout Catholic so it was the full service at church, followed by the crematorium, then onto the complex where the couple live. It's a semi-assisted facility for people over 50, and such a nice place, plus they put on a cracking buffet. Too delicious a buffet tbh as it's our Christmas meal with Pauline this evening and I could have done without two nice meals being on the same day.

I had to buy cat food earlier, and the shop I was in is right next door to a pretty big charity shop. So, James went in to look for wood stuff, and I was pulled towards the books. Now, I've banned myself from buying books as I have so many to read, but they had a section set up with all Christmas books, and I ask you, how is that fair? Many of you will know I love a cheesy Christmas themed book, so how could I walk out without buying four one?

Now, I'm going to have a quick catch up on here, then I need to change from my black outfit to my Christmas gear.

I've been getting quite a few comments on my bandom fic lately, which is so incredibly lovely. Included in those was someone who read Tints verse and asked if they could draw Frank in his colourful outfits, and my reaction was, hell yes! My bandom friends may remember artwork for those fics was something I always asked for in wish memes, and now it may actually be happening. And yeah, it was an actual comment not a bot, I checked.

We went to see Kinky Boots at the theatre last night, and it was so good. We had brilliant seats, row H, end middle aisle and as a bonus, the lady in front of me was short so I could see perfectly. We've seen the show before, but booked tickets earlier in the year as Johannes from Strictly was supposed to be playing the role of Lola, but as it was, he wasn't eliminated from the show until last week, so he didn't do it. Not that it mattered, as the guy who did that role was amazing. The end remains ridiculously feel good and as always something that has me on my feet clapping along makes me a very happy bunny.

One drawback to going to the theatre is the lack of parking, there are a row of disabled parking spots, but they go very quickly, so we always go early and tend to go for a drink before doors open. Yesterday we got the last spot available, and as it was still 90 mins to curtain up, decided to walk to the winter village and check it out.

There wasn't that much there, some sculptures, some rides, and places to eat. But there was also a fire pit, and we decided to share a portion of crumble and that really hit the spot, sparks crackling and smoke in our eyes on a cold night. I'm glad we did share, though, as man, that crumble was sweet. Stewed fruit, buttery crumble, creamy hot custard with biscoff crumb, delicious but verging on being too much.

I actually started some Christmas shopping yesterday . Plan was to drive to a local outlet mall and get parked by 9am. The shops don't open until 10, so we'd have time to go have breakfast and a coffee, then be there for opening time, before it got mega busy. And amazingly, that's exactly what happened.

We hit Greggs for a breakfast sandwich, looked into some very overpriced homeware shops, got Corey's Christmas chocolate and James' birthday freebie from the Lindt shop, and I got my candle advent calendar from Yankee Candle. I do like an advent calendar but tend to get them when they're on sale. So this one was half price due to it being the 4th. As always they ripped the back cover, no doubt to stop reselling, but hey who cares? Half price!

Then on the afternoon the plan was to get the tree up, but yeah, that didn't happen. Instead I ended up visiting Kayleigh and Bodhi for a couple of hours while they put their decorations up. Kayleigh and Lucy are doing Elf on the Shelf, so Bodhi was telling me all about what the naughty elf had been getting up to, and then showed me another stuffed elf, saying the elf had brought it. I asked if that elf did naughty things, too. Only to be told very firmly that no, because that was a toy elf, and didn't I know toys couldn't move? So consider me told.

Monday was a day with a few minor frustrations. In class they did a move that I just couldn't master. It was the dead bug and while I could physically do the movement, my co ordination had apparently left the building, even after Rosie got on the floor twice to show me, and actually guided me a few other times.

Then later, after cashed in all my survey voucher earnings I was buying Corey's presents from Amazon. He's still upgrading his kitchen stuff and has two expensive knives on his wish list, which fine, that's what he wants, so I ordered them both along with other stuff. But then couldn't actually get through check out.

Cutting the story short, it seems you can't buy age restricted items with Amazon vouchers as they have no date of birth attached to them. Which I guess makes sense, but does mean I need to shuffle payment methods around so I can actually buy what he wants.

Today I've put up the tree and decorations at last. I've still got a load of baubles to put on the tree but have had to stop for now as I'm Bodhisitting soon. Just for a couple of hours, though. So I'll be back in my sparkly, light and sparkle deer filled house before six.

It was James' birthday yesterday. I like to buy him t-shirts that I know will appeal to his sense of humour, and this one went down really well.

Since last, I posted.

I had to change the reservation day for our Christmas meal out with Pauline, my brother, niece, and nephew. Reason being when I went to get the deposit money off my brother to take to the restaurant, he decided to tell me that my niece was actually working on the booked day. It took a bit of organising, and a lot of luck that a table was left at this late date, but I managed to change the reservation to a day everyone was available.

I'll just skip past the fact I also realised I'd double booked myself and James with both our tickets to see Kinky Boots at the theatre and the meal being the same time/day. So, the situation with my niece got us out of a jam, too. Not that I told Pauline what I'd done...

We did a craft fair on Saturday and it was a good one. A long day and it was raining really heavily when we were leaving, so we got soaked packing the car, but it was worth going. I also liked the organisers gave tickets to all the traders to get free coffee or tea and then later on gave out little cones of sweets. It's those little touches that make all the differences.

Our table was opposite the chocolate tombola which was very popular, so we got lots of passing people. Though, sadly, I didn't win when I tried myself.

In an hour or so my brother is coming to put up a hand rail on our outside front steps. There are four pretty steep steps and while we can get up them fine, I'd feel better if some kind of rail was there, especially when things get slippy in the winter. The rail he's putting up is really solid, and in fact, I took it from mam's house when we had to give that up, so it's good it's being installed at last. And eta, it's up and installed.

On Friday I had a one to one with Rosie ( cut for talk about weight )

The household was doing a casual conversation about names for pets. Donnie said she and Megan had talked about one day -- when their cats are gone -- they might get a pair of ferrets, and name them "Rigatoni" and "Tuk Tuk". I knew the name sounded familiar but couldn't place it, and then she mentioned the Disney movie "The Last Dragon", and yeah. It's the name of one of the characters. But I googled it, and it's also the name for a small taxi (three wheels only), common in Asia, parts of Africa, and South America.

Then Donnie mentioned something about a movie called The Samurai (I think?). I said I hadn't seen it. She said "Oh, it has Tom Cruise in it, such a good movie, blah blah blah". I mentioned I don't watch Tom Cruise movies, and she asked why. I said because I dislike his whole Scientology thing, and I won't give my money to him. And she said "That's so stupid." And when I said maybe, but that's how I feel -- because it really is -- she said something else, and I said something else, and she got up from her chair, huffed out and into her room, and shut the door hard. Not quite a slam, but definitely close to it. All over me saying I don't like Tom Cruise, and why I don't support his movies!

At no point did I say she shouldn't watch Tom Cruise movies. At no point did I say anything about anything else related to that. (I do have one exception to that, and that's the War of the Worlds remake from 2005, but that's because I love anything to do with War of the Worlds more than I dislike Tom Cruise.)

Then she apparently was yelling to Megan about that, and about how Matthew is being selfish and not thinking about the whole household, because he's not sure what he wants to do about Madisyn. She actually said to him today, when he and I were talking about trying to put some money on her Commissary account in December, after we get our checks. And Donnie said, "I thought Matthew was getting a divorce from Madisyn." Well, it's a very complex situation. He probably is getting a divorce, because that way he can separate his household from hers, in order to get back the benefits he lost when they got married.

But it absolutely isn't any of her business what he does, unless it's going to involve Donnie in some way. And Madisyn is in rehab (supposedly started yesterday), and will likely also be looking at some prison time when she's done. She had 15 months of probation left when she missed her meeting, she likely will have to serve that final 15 months behind bars, or possibly the entirety of the original 3 year sentence. Plus the new charge of missing the meeting, and having drugs in her system, but that's pure speculation on our part right now, because she hasn't even had a court date set yet.

And Donnie and Megan? Will not be living here beyond May, because WE probably won't be living here beyond May. But nothing is set in stone yet, and none of it affects Donnie. Because she won't be here. But holy hannah, does she not have any reason to be commenting on what Matthew's doing, unless Matthew specifically asks for her opinion/advice. Which he's about as likely to do as he is to walk outside and let himself get hit by a school bus.

Ugh. Just, ugh. :-/

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