Tipperary wobbles into 2024

[tipperary]

Morning all and only finding time to catch up now. Its 7.30am and im overlooking the sea waiting on the tide to come in so i can have a quick dip. Listening to seagulls and early morning delivery traffic. Its still quite dark, streetlights on and no sunrise yet.
We havent had a good few weeks at all, the storm was really only the beginning.
Post may be in a few bits.
No diet and no exercise but not bothered about that yet and plan is for starting back in about 10 days.
Work first, so STILL waiting to hear about new job. Ive been in clearance now for 2 months. They now have 7 references, 3 forms of photo ID, birth cert, marriage cert AND official Garda (police) vetting done as well as a medical. Each time they ask for something they give me a week, review the file then see what they want next. Now they want police vetting from the UK. On my CV it says I have a qualification from a London University so they assumed I travelled there to study, I didn't, they came here to deliver a pilot course in Dublin. So now they need evifence of thst, it was 18 years ago, i dont have records of it.
I am offically on 6 weeks leave from current job but it was difficult last Friday as I was trying to pass work on assumming I wasnt coming back but no one knows. Its like i just snuck out the back door without saying goodbye. Once offered new contract I still have 1 months notice to do so really hoping that falls within tbis 6 weeks and I never have to go back. However I now have no one to give notice to, our regional manager and local manager have moved departments, the local manager was told on Thursday they were moving on Monday. Our office manager is on leave so no one in charge

 

[charlotte_k]

Good luck with the new job tipp! Your old workplace seems a bit all over the place now with people moving about x

 

[tipperary]

So thats work.
As many if you know our house is an extended family home. I live with husband and 3 adult children, but one of those is married and her husband and 3 small children live with us too. Her husband is a bit older than her and his family all a generation older than us (his sisters are older than me so his children have aunts and uncles older than their grandparents).
Anyway, his mother has been very ill, in heart failure. Hospital could do no more for her so they brought her home to care for her. Then 2 weeks ago she went into kidney failure. Im working from home so kept the kids while they (daughter and SIL) went to see her. They were in and out over a few days and it waa hard trying to do any work with 3 little ones. Then i got a call to say my dad had a stroke and was in hopspital. Hospitals are totally closed to visitors and my sister had been told to leave him at the door. So, i had to pass the 3 little ones onto husband and go to Dublin to stay with Mam who has dementia. Stayed over the weekend and to Tuesday. Brought laptop with me so I could work from there, wasn't easy with Mam as she wants your constant attention. And Dad ringing me every 30 minutes from the hospital with instructions for Mams meds, or the heating, or paying his bills. Anyway, came home again as Oscar started school on Tuesday and needed dropping and collecting the rest of the week. SIL also had just started a new full time job but obviously was more worried about his Mam. Sadly she passed away last Thursday and all her family had managed to be with her. So Im still at my laptop trying to work my last 2 days ay work (which still no one knows about) with the 3 little ones, getting very little sleep and trying to figure out how I could be in Dublin for the weekend as it was the funeral and I had the little ones. But got a call on Saturday morning to say Dad got home the night before.
So by Sunday morning all drama over and I had 6 weeks off work to look forward to

 

[tipperary]

So, on Sunday afternoon myself and my husband hopped on a ferry and snuck away. And im now sitting on a balcony in Northern France waiting on the sun and the tide. Told my kids we were going and thats it. Plan was to be home Saturday (its over a 24hour ferry journey so that only gives us 4 nights in France) but we extended by 2 nights so should be home next Monday. I say should cos we got word the ferry has broken down and hasnt sailed. So honestly no idea what we are doing.
Ireland has strict travel regulations so we have to stay at home for 2 weeks when we get back. Not an issue, i havent been out in 6 months anyway and im off work (whatever job it is) for another 5 weeks.
This is my first time since Covid started that ive been mixing with people, wearing masks etc, and its a bloody crazy world.

 

[tipperary]

Anyway, thats me. Enjoying the break and french food and wine for another few days then will sort myself out when i get back

 

[tipperary]

Just finished catching up with everyone her, wow you have all been busy a few dramas too.
Im still on my balcony but no sun and no beginning to rain. Im going to get dressed and go to the market i think, its just a 5 minute stroll and hoping less people there now before the day trip boats arrive. Ive actualy started my christmas shopping
Yep, I said it CHRISTMAS

 

[Elanor]

Oh Tipp!! It's been all go in your life!! Enjoy your break away in France, you deserve it! xx

 

[tipperary]

Have you tried growing any heritage toms? I always think their colours look amazing, very autumnal.

I have 4 totally different varieties, all irganic and all open pollinated so should reseed themselves if i let them, i will hang onto some seeds of each.
I have Marmande, the big French beef tomato that you saw in the photo. I picked one weighing half a kilo. I have San Marzano an Italian plum tomato, black krim a russian salad tomato and a cherry tomato. Uts the combination of them together that is making good soups. And ive made lots of ketchup for us.

 

[tipperary]

Some again, same place same occasion. Sitting on a balcony waiting on sun and tide. I never did get a swim yesterday. It started to rain so we went to town for some shopping.
I went to the Market first and bought a lovely cotton tunic and some linen trousers. At the time i wasnt sure about the fit, the tunic iz one size and usually one size doesnt do my bust. Both were fine, well the trousers way too long but thats always an issue, they have a soft elasticated waist and are so comfy. Im sorry now i didnt get 3 of each for my return to an office. Im short so the tunic can be worn with tights and boots if i wish. Since working from home ive really only been wearing leggings and shorts, not exactly office attire. My current job is quite casual but in the new job they all seem quite smartly dressed, not my hippy boho chic at all.
Hopefully will go for a swim today and also get some beach time, i just want to lay in some sun and read a book.
Goids news(sort of) the ferry is running again so will be home on Monday.
I finally got an appointment with the hip doctor but had to postpone it. It is for next week and i will be home but not allowed out of my house for 2 weeks. I need to figure out what is going on with it, i am feeling the bursitis and that is an easy fix. Bit have a second problem and cant figure out if my back is pulling my hip or my hip is puling my back.
Have a safe day all.

 

[tipperary]

Oooo i see sunshine

 

[tipperary]

Just back from a walk, 4km along the beach and cliff promenade. I took it easy but did push my hip a bit to see if i can figure out exactly where the pain is. Getting a bit cloudy now but i am determined to go to the beach at some stage.

 

[ladyfelsham]

Oh my gosh Tipp you sound so calm but what an absolutely crazy ferw weeks you've had!!! And I'm so sorry to hear about everyone's illnessess and your SIL's mum!

So great news that you've managed to get a break amidst all the craziness of home life and work - they want details of a course from 18 years ago???!!!! Crazy. Let's hope you get back and it's all sorted; and you also get a new appointment soon to see your hip doctor xxx

 

[tipperary]

Thanks Susiw, well morning again and the last morning on our balcony. Just having some peppermint tea and will go for a walk. Then need to pack up and leave our beach hotel and drive to Cherbourg and stay there tonight. Buy some wine in the morning (we brought my car as its an estate) and then onto the ferry at lunchtime Sunday and be home Monday evening, it is a long journey.
I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed the break, still too short even though we extended by 2 days. I was determined to get away somewhere for a break. A break in Ireland was much too expensive and impossible to get a nooking anyway. And even when I went to stay with Mam I found the amount of daytrippers and lack of social distancing worrying (they live in a Dublin beach resort). We took a risk coming here as its not on the green list for travel but the ferry people wise was a much safer option and im quite happy to stay at home for 2 weeks. Ive lots of plans for the polytunnel, some reorganising the sesting space and getting some winter salads in.

 

[tipperary]

Health wise Im not very fit at all and its affecting my flexibility and mobility, i can really feel it here now as this resort is on a cliff and steps everywhere. We have to go the long way to avoid them
So will take it easy enough Tuesday and Wednesday at home, time enough to share oyr French treats then back into project Rock 2020 on Thursday. Ive already bought 2 lots of detox shots here in a chemist. And i have 4 weeks off anyway to get myself sorted.

 

[ladyfelsham]

The holiday sounds like it was just the tonic for you love, nice and relaxing!

All the best for a smooth journey back in your Vinomobile .

i just can't believe the lack of social distancing here in the UK - at the GP yesterday i asked a guy to move because he was right in the way of the door - and he shot me a dirty look. Really, why??? Our area is back on the watch list and may go into lockdown in the next day or so because of a huge rise in infection, but people only have themselves to blame, going out to pubs and big gatherings instead of being a bit sensible. I've been shielding since March and it's going to stay that way, especially now i'm a heart patient!

 

[tipperary]

Yes, its a bit crazy here in France too. Guidelines are 1m and a mask really rather than social distancing anywhere. In Ireland its 2m and now a mask in shops, public transport and if you cannot keep 2m. We did a small boat trip, in Ireland only 1 seat out of 3 would be usable, here all the seats were filled and people standing on top of you. We have been washing and santising non stop and brought double the amount of clothes needed so we could change more often. But glad of the break and will be happy to stay at home for 2 weeks and take precautions.
We deliberately got a suite in a hotel with an outdoor balcony, we havent been to the hotel bar or restaurant at all as we can eat and drink here

 

[tipperary]

Just getting ready to leave my balcony. Uts just gone 12pm and im sipping champagne, we opened it last night and it didnt want to leave it.

 

[ladyfelsham]

That's as good a reason as any .

 

[tipperary]

Getting on the ferry home

 

[tipperary]

Morning and plan was for a few days grace and start on Thursday but Ive decided to start today. I dont want to start a bad pattern and have to change it.
I did have ham and bread at 8am for breakfast as i had no dinner last night. But from now on it will be a smoothie at about 11am. And i have french detox shots for 10 days to give me a start.
Ive written out a meal plan for the week, its not too restrictive to get started with. Going for 16 hour fasting them smoothie and 2 ketoish meals a day. I do have cracottes included in first week. And i will be eating tomatoes too as the polytunnel is now exploding with them. Ive to batch cook 4 things, courgette and coconut soup, a sort of minestrone soup, lasagne with courgette instead of pasta and Thai green curry. The meal plan has helped with the shopping list and also what needs to be frozen.
The garden and tunnel are producing tomatoes, courgettes, spinach, kale and mini pumkins as well as lots of herbs. So meals based around these a lot.
Ive a huge amount of work to do in the tunnel so off to start that today