Strange Place For Foraging

We had a leak in the bathroom at work. Initially we thought it was the heating boiler, but on closer investigation we discovered that the leak was coming from the waste pipe on the loo and had a bit of a surprise.
Now by all means call me fussy if you like, but I really don't think that these should be growing behind the toilet bowl in the work place.

On the plus side, we were informed yesterday that as long as the office is manned, we don't all have to be there, which is cool because we can now work out a rota so that we each do a 2 day week followed by a 3 day week and maintain the same salary.

Finally tonight, because I'm not very chatty and still busy with one thing and another; here's a little something for the bureaucratic fools who have been getting me all wound up today.

Pringles

My poor old washing machine is dead. Despite my best efforts it doesn't want to play any more. I tried all the usual stuff, changed the wash cycle to try and fool it into working, kicking it, swearing at it, speaking softly and stroking the door, stop using the filter as a piggy bank, but still it doesn't want to play.
The washing machine is dead......Long live the hand wash
Well, for this month anyway. The MOT is due on the car and I have a bad feeling about it this year. Fingers crossed tightly.

It looks like I spoke too soon about Christmas being over. There was a knock on the door last night and when I opened it J was standing there smiling, with this Christmas cake in her hand. Marked down to 50p.
Ah well, get out out the crumbly cheese and cut a slice of cake.

I have had this Pringles tube sat on the shelf for months now whilst I try and come up with a use for it. I have failed. I was going to throw it out but thought "Hmmm, it's been there for months, it would be sods law that if I throw it out, I will need it" So what do I do. Throw it. Or save it.

What Should I Do

As yet we don't have any takers for Frugal Come Dine With Me. If you would like to join in, drop me a line and I will add you to the list. Which is currently empty hee hee

Frugal Come Dine With Me

Well the holiday period has come to an end and it's time to get back to normal life and my daily jog. Usually it's a muddy affair because I jog in the countryside rather than the roads so that I can let the dogs loose whilst I'm jogging so that they don't yank me backwards when one of them stops for a wee.
A week ago I found a new place to jog and have been training the dogs to run alongside me on the lead, without stopping. Basically that involves throwing a stick around for a few minutes and letting them go to the loo before I start jogging. Then it's back on the leads and off we go, happy family, keeping fit and tiring them out before i go to work. Well that's the theory. What usually happens is that by the time I have got out of the shower they are ready to go again and I feel guilty.

I am seriously considering keeping my eye out for a sofa on freecycle for these two. I'm fed up of turfing them off MY sofa  and having them give me that sideways glance every time I want to relax.
Bless them, don't they look comfy?

On the way home I made my usual stop at the Coop to see what had been reduced and didn't find anything that I haven't already got or could use. There were half a dozen packs of Cornish pasties at 39p each. Four to a pack but the lady who was at the chiller as I approached scooped them all up and wandered off, giving me a glance as she went. Not that it bothered me because I already have plenty of dog food in the house. All that good food on offer and she opted for 24 Cornish pasties. However, I had an idea whilst I was looking at all the stuff on offer.

Who would like to 'Come Dine With Me'

How about we have a little competition involving the reduced section at our local shops?
Anyone?
Oh come on it will be fun.
Honestly.
It's easy. All we have to do is make a 3 course dinner party, purely from things on offer. Okay I lied....a little bit.....we have to do it for £1 That's right just 1 of our British pounds, or if you are blogging outside of UK, 1 of whatever currency you use. Oh come on, where's your sense of adventure? Look, there's plenty to go around, we just need to get creative.

Rules

1. There is no time limit. We just tell everyone on our blog when we are ready to hold the dinner party.
2. The meal has to feed 4 people
3. We are not allowed to use anything that we already have in the house/garden apart from sauces, seasoning and condiments. Drinks are allowed but not mandatory
4. Foraging from the wild larder is not allowed either, so I don't want to see any Venison or Peking Duck on the menu.
5. We have to post pics of the food that we bought and pics of each course. If anyone wants to get really creative and do Entrees, palate cleansers etc, go for it. (If you do a lime or lemon finger bowl, you must have got the lemon on offer and included in your £1) ha ha, no cheating folks.

Okay that's enough rules, this is supposed to be fun.
If you want to take part let me know and I will add you to the list. Once I have a list, I will draw names out of the hat, make groups of 4 people and announce it on my blog. Just like the TV program you award marks out of 10 to your host for creativity and best use of their £1.
I will try and think of a prize for each group at the end of the competition but don't get too excited, it will probably just be a certificate or something that I make on a desk top publishing program :D


I want smileys by the way. Why haven't we got smileys on blogger?

Bookshelves

nnnnnngh


There's a good word and I have been saying it a lot today.

I sometimes wish that I never learned to read. Then I wouldn't need bookshelves, would have more room in my house, wouldn't have to play librarian every month and gather them from all around the house to put back on the shelves and wouldn't have to ring around friends when I realise that books are missing, to find out if they have them.
Ha ha, whilst I was sorting my books out I got a text message from J asking if I could help her move some furniture. When I walked into her house, the furniture was............bookshelves. So I started all over again :)

This morning I saw a chest freezer advertised on Freecycle and emailed the poster to see if they still had it and could I collect. An hour later I was having coffee with J and she said,
"There was a chest freezer on freecycle this morning and I applied for it but he hasn't got back to me yet"
We really must co-ordinate our efforts.
Following that little episode we sat down and figured out which seeds we want for this years planting and sent out the word to friends and family by jungle drum, or as it's more commonly known, mass email.
J is busy making little plant pots from old newspaper so that the seedlings can go straight in the ground, paper and all without disturbing the roots.
Between us we made a tidy profit from Asda's 10% cheaper deal by taking in the vouchers, buying clothing, returning it next day and splitting the cash between us. Not sure how long this will last though.