HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!

Happy Halloween in a very FSM fashion!

sun? rain? both!

As I sit here in the bi-polar weather that is all Irish, I figured I'd write another blog!  All is going just peachy on the home-front.  Loki doesn't get all the walks he should because as soon as we're ready to go, the heavens open up.

Say hi, Loki! "tgujjgnb!"  So he's not the best typist. :)

He has, however, recovered from his challah-consuming incident and is as goofy as ever.  My house repairs are finally done, and my dryer is actually connected to an outside vent!  The insurance company came through with a payment (better than nothing, but sure wouldn't pay for a new sofa like the one that got damaged) and the check is at the bank!  My new sofa still hasn't arrived, but should be in before Thanksgiving.  12-week delivery window, since it comes from the US.

The prep-work begins for packing for my trip to CT.  British Airways allows 2 carry-ons, except for flights originating from UK airports!  However, it looks like I can check-in online from Belfast, check bags and print boarding passes!!  We're getting out of the dark ages for international flights at last!

The application for my permanent settlement visa is almost ready to go.  All that's left is picking out decent "documents" to include that prove we've lived here 2 years and send them a ridiculously large amount of money and my passports.  So, I will be goin' nowhere after I get back from CT until they process.  We don't want to ask about waiting times!

Dogs and Challah

Well, the move has gone about as well as expected.  It took a week for my phone/internet to work and another 2 weeks to decide my internet was really BAD and a couple of calls to tech support seem to have resolved (knock wood) the issue.  My large sofa is still in my garage and I am now waiting for the insurance company to decide on a settlement value, since it's not reparable.  My new sofa has been bought, but hasn't made it over from the US yet. Yes, I buy American-made furniture!  And, I have recovered from the stench of paint fumes.

I celebrated Rosh Hashanah as always, with home-made challah and pflaumkuchen.  Loki, however, has a certain unsubtle penchant for bread-like baked goods.  He was staring down the challah since it came out of the oven.  To keep it safe, I left it in the oven when I was away.  Just in case.  He's tall...  Until tonight.  I was on the phone when my ride to JuJitsu came.  Wednesday class is in Kilkeel, which is a good hour-long drive south.  I only go sometimes.  In my hurry, the challah was left on the counter.  It is now devoured, as the cat devoured the kid. (insert Odell singing)  Loki couldn't resist.  And there was most of it left.  But, he ate it everywhere.  On the sofa, on the big soft chair, in the middle of the room, in the office on his bed, in the bedroom in the corners.  IN my bed.  Yes, there were crumbs in the corners, under the couch cushions, and in my sheets.  In the process, he licked/rubbed his nose raw and therefore got blood on said cushions.  And my sheets and quilt.  His bed...no...that's clean.

So, at 11pm I started cleaning.  And vacuuming.  And stain-removing. And changing the sheets.  And rubbing stain remover into the quilt and getting that in the wash.  Cycles take over an hour here...  But, it came clean, along with the couch cushions, as far as I can tell.

Next time, the bread gets put away.