Welcome, Guest.
Please login or register.
JANUARY 2019
Forum Login
Login Name: Create a new account
Password:     Forgot password

Elsa Peters living a new life in Bulgaria    General Boards    My Diary by Elsa Peters  ›  JANUARY 2019
Users Browsing Forum
No Members and 21 Guests

JANUARY 2019  This thread currently has 6,111 views. Print
4 Pages « 1 2 3 4 All Recommend Thread
Elsa Peters
January 28, 2019, 4:50pm Report to Moderator

Diary Admin
Posts: 6,110
Gender: Female
Posts Per Day: 1.08
Location: Mobile!
Monday 28th January

Wonderful sleep last night.  The internet TV was playing up and it wouldn't load for some reason so I headed for the lounge, the Kindle and the fire...it was much more enjoyable.  I headed to bed at eleven twenty and the next I knew it was just before seven.  That should surprise my Fitbit and push the averages out a bit.

I didn't light the fire this morning...I was on a mission to get my phone sorted and I didn't intend taking any prisoners.  There was a hint of sun despite the grey clouds but as soon as the sun broke though it was gobbled up again and there were a few drops of rain in the wind.  So back to normal.  I settled for a toasted ham sandwich and more coffee after I was washed and dressed and again got out the Kindle....I'd nearly finished the fourth book in the Game of Thrones and was eager to put it to bed and start on the next....and I did...but I didn't start on the next until I got back from shopping.  I put on extra sweaters this morning...layering over layers which was a wrong move.  I'd settled for my long wool cardigan but should have put a coat on instead.  So into the Nipper by ten thirty and into Kardjali managing to find a parking space very near to the phone shops.  First call was to change the phone and the assistant was very accommodating.  She took it to the power socket, confirmed that the battery wasn't working, asked if I wanted a desk phone or a mobile type and I settled for the desk phone.  Paperwork done and she set the time and date but didn't know how to get the English menus up but I did that as soon as I got home.  I moved on to Viva-com to find out what the problem was with transferring from Telenor to their service and we had another piece of paper to fill in to confirm that I was the owner of the phone.  Still not surer why but it should be sorted either today or tomorrow and then I shall have no body deleting any credit that I have remaining if I fail to top up within a certain period.  Bloody small print.  I walked down to my cheapy shop and managed to pick up a pair of navy leather shoes for the princely sum of one lev ninety which will do me for the summer.  Leather shoes cost a small fortune here that's if you can manage to find them.

I got back in the car to go to the opticians....I need another pair of prescription reading glasses ...I think the others are somewhere in the garden as per norm but I haven't come across them as yet.  Unfortunately the sign on the door said that he wouldn't be opening until four this afternoon and I wasn't for hanging about....another day.  I went into the Tuesday cheapy shop and found a rather lovely burnt orange spring weight cardigan but his was three lev...expensive for me but it's got sparkly bit on it and superb should I settle for a cruise later in the year.  Kaufland and I almost had a ruck with a gypsy teenager.  I cam out of the shop and he was determined to get the twenty stotinki from my shopping trolley and I was just as determined that he shouldn't have it.  I'd loaded my shopping in a box and was juggling it somewhat and as I put the trolley into it's slot I dropped the coin on the floor, he made a grab for it saying that it was lucky that he should have it and I virtually stamped on his hand and said he was lucky to have moved it in time.  Vermin....the police should move them on.

So home...fire lit...coffee...shopping unpacked and chicken legs into he freezer.  On to the sofa and I managed an hour and haven't long woken up.  Phone sorted and working and hopefully the other will be up and running tomorrow.  I'll phone the opticians tomorrow and place the order and as for tomorrow....nothing on the agenda but I think I'm going to get started on writing up the genealogy chart unless the weather is good and I might even dig over the vegetable patch...well I did say 'might'.  LN....I have a fire to top up...LN  



Attachment: first_hint_of_morning_1116.jpg
Size: 62.88 KB

Attachment: as_it_spread_out_266.jpg
Size: 79.98 KB

Attachment: but_there_was_a_flurry_1522.jpg
Size: 125.09 KB

Attachment: and_the_clouds_moved_in_3797.jpg
Size: 78.72 KB

Attachment: then_i_spotted_a_hint_of_a_sunset_9675.jpg
Size: 112.17 KB

Attachment: so_from_the_yard_3152.jpg
Size: 141.86 KB

Attachment: industrial_landscape_4056.jpg
Size: 115.94 KB

Attachment: warmer_and_cosier_in_than_out_2068.jpg
Size: 62.72 KB

Logged Offline
Site E-mail Private Message Reply: 30 - 33
Elsa Peters
January 29, 2019, 4:33pm Report to Moderator

Diary Admin
Posts: 6,110
Gender: Female
Posts Per Day: 1.08
Location: Mobile!
Tuesday 29th January

Six forty start this morning and it was fire resuscitated and it wasn't so much cold but damp and miserable again.  The ark plans I think have to come out again if it carries on like this.  Now if it was cold...this would be snow and much more appreciated that what we're having....the birds in the garden were all looking wet and bedraggled....roll on spring and summer or let's have some winter.

Back to bed with the Kindle and coffee while the house warmed up.  I eventually headed upstairs for a wash and to get dressed, grabbed the laundry basket and took it down with me.  Got the machine going, straight on to the airer with it and it's now ready to put away.  I do pity the poor souls without a drying space..nothing worse that wet washing around the place.  I'd bought French stick and I couple of packs of reduced bacon yesterday so a bacon and egg baguette started my day off well and I sat at the table in the stair well checking emails and FB but there was nothing of any interest to add my two pennyworth to.  The birds looked very wet and fed up as they tried to find breakfast...and a thought sprang to mind...I wonder if they get depressed about the weather or just accept what comes....not there's a thought to carry forward into the rest of my day.

Washed up and found some meat that I'd taken out of the freezer and it was deserving of my attention.  A chicken leg went in the little slow cooker with some barbecue sauce and a stock cube and water and I fried off the pork with an onion, added curry powder and that went int he big slow cooker for tomorrow's supper and one portion for the freezer so by eleven thirty, the rest of the day was mine.  The sofa became the activity centre for the day until it was time to boil and mash potatoes for the chicken leg and it was delicious, the pork curry is cooling and will be attended to later, the washing up is done and the kitchen is tidy and it's only six twenty...but it has been a slow old day.  It's been a fire topping up day and even when the blue sky showed itself and a vague hint of sun appeared...it was still cold and miserable.  

A little bit of joy...I have my first flower head on the freesias in the porch.  They'll get staked properly tomorrow and be brought inside to encourage more.  I've also noticed that I have seed pods on the skimmia.  I've never grown it before so didn't know.  I'll leave them to see what happens to them.  Just to confirm...my new desk phone is working a treat and downstairs at that on the desk....the new provider for my Bulgarian phone has taken over the sim from my old provider and I have service.  Two bits of technology sorted yesterday and working today.  Time for posting and sort out the rest of my evening.  LN...Book five of G of F continues....LN



Attachment: camera_shy_jay_4397.jpg
Size: 111.29 KB

Attachment: and_its_still_raining_7284.jpg
Size: 90.39 KB

Attachment: changed_location_6412.jpg
Size: 115.39 KB

Attachment: wed_and_bedraggled_3842.jpg
Size: 80.21 KB

Attachment: rubbish_isnt_it_2505.jpg
Size: 50.73 KB

Attachment: has_it_stopped_yet_4706.jpg
Size: 130.30 KB

Attachment: three_all_together_2353.jpg
Size: 138.18 KB

Attachment: wash_and_brush_up_5085.jpg
Size: 137.04 KB

Attachment: my_first_freesia_bud_856.jpg
Size: 88.77 KB

Logged Offline
Site E-mail Private Message Reply: 31 - 33
Elsa Peters
January 30, 2019, 4:21pm Report to Moderator

Diary Admin
Posts: 6,110
Gender: Female
Posts Per Day: 1.08
Location: Mobile!
Wednesday 30th January

It was a silly night last night.  I found myself playing Soda Crush at two and not an ounce of sleep in me so read for a while and eventually got my head down at three this morning.  I managed to sleep through until seven thirty, roused the fire, washed and dressed ready to face the day and realised that I should have not been too eager to get the fire going.  The downstairs bathroom had smoke escaping from the flue emptying box so obviously there was something up there that shouldn't be.  I let the fire die down again, made a bacon and egg baguette, settled down on the sofa with the Kindle waiting to tackle the chimney and managed to catch bedraggled birds in the garden and the visiting woodpecker.

I removed the flue pipes but I knew that the problem didn't lie there.  I took the flue box cover off and with my handy soup ladle I took out the loose stuff and armed with a length of plastic flexible hose I worked it up the chimney up to where the chimney pipes enter the system and it was clear.  Next stage was to use the same pipe to try to remove any obstructions in the main chimney and I managed to get about five feet up there, some came down but obviously the blockage was higher up.  I checked it out with a lit candle and there seemed to be sufficient draft so I put the pipes back, banked the fire up, smoke was coming out of the chimney when I checked outside but I still had smoke in the bathroom.  Time to call in resources.

I went to my new phone and found that my contacts had not moved over from the old sim to the new so I was on the hunt for Bekir's number.  I managed to find it, spoke to the maestor and I'm picking him up at nine tomorrow complete with bashing lump of metal.  He goes on the roof, metal weight is suspended on a rope, weight dropped down the chimney and I confirm that it's made its way down to the bottom and clear up the debris that it brings down.  So on my agenda for tomorrow is.....

Curry is almost ready in the slow cooker and just got the rice to do.  I've banked the fire up but left the bathroom window slightly open so that I don't get overpowered,  I've got to see if there's a way to get the phone numbers off the old sim card...so I've been back to the address book and put in the ones that need to be there.  LN....Need to sort out the rice...LN



Attachment: all_facing_the_same_way_3812.jpg
Size: 107.41 KB

Attachment: active_in_the_pear_tree_6450.jpg
Size: 125.44 KB

Attachment: its_a_bit_wet_down_there_5751.jpg
Size: 120.33 KB

Attachment: hooded_crows_are_out_4324.jpg
Size: 124.95 KB

Attachment: staking_the_perimeter_wall_9195.jpg
Size: 91.69 KB

Attachment: just_managed_to_catch_my_woodie_3797.jpg
Size: 56.49 KB

Attachment: but_it_didnt_stay_long_2887.jpg
Size: 56.26 KB

Logged Offline
Site E-mail Private Message Reply: 32 - 33
Elsa Peters
January 31, 2019, 5:42pm Report to Moderator

Diary Admin
Posts: 6,110
Gender: Female
Posts Per Day: 1.08
Location: Mobile!
Thursday 31st January

Another silly night...I woke up on the sofa at three thirty in front of the fire, and struggled to bed and went through until seven this morning.  Tonight I will not settle on the sofa...bed, bed, bed.

I took some photos but they have got so many red blobs over them there is no way I'm going to post them...very pretty but not very professional.  I need to clean the lens if they are orbs...I've got lots of friends hanging around but I suspect it's dust.  Ready for the off at eight thirty to pick up Bekir from his village.  It was a beautiful morning , still damp underneath and one or two roadside rivers running but I only met one real patch of fog on the way.  He was waiting for me at the cafe and came complete with iron ball for ramming the creosote type deposit on the inside of the chimney.  

So over to mine and out came the tall ladder from the workshop, up he went on to the balcony and he heaved the ladder up behind him.  He put it against the roof and clutching his ball and a pair of pliers he made his way to the chimney and removed the wire holding the chimney cap in place.  I headed to the downstairs bathroom and the ball was being danced down the inside fo the chimney and down came the debris into the bathroom. I was doing alright with the lumpy stuff but suddenly I had clouds of real soot appear coating more or less everything including me.  I dropped the hatch over the outlet and left him to it.  As a whistle, and he did the kitchen chimney while he was at it and when I lit it tonight not a hint of backfiring smoke.  I cleaned up the bathroom, tools away and he was home for eleven and I carried on to visit friends in Fotinovo and then called at Mrs D of S's to spend time with them and the little one.

Home for three thirty, I lit the fire, put the boiler on and spent the afternoon in the bath reading and sleeping.  I dried off around five thirty, warmed up the curry and rice from last night and that was my supper for tonight.  What a lovely day I've had and so relaxed after my bath.  LN....So far nothing to do tomorrow....LN



Attachment: lovely_start_for_the_day_3945.jpg
Size: 65.97 KB

Logged Offline
Site E-mail Private Message Reply: 33 - 33
4 Pages « 1 2 3 4 All Recommend Thread
Print

My Diary by Elsa Peters (only location)

Thread Rating
There is currently no rating for this thread