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Happy Post-Valentine's-So-All-the-Flowers-Are-On-Offer Day to me!

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Yes, I did buy myself roses. No, I did not pay £20 for them!

In other news, I sent off a sample of Tormund's DNA for testing a few weeks ago and the results are in. Is he, as we were told, a Border Collie crossed with a Portuguese Podengo?

Apparently not:

Tormund DNA

Funnily enough there's no Border Collie at all, and only 3% Portuguese Podengo. But 8% Siberian Husky.

I'm not sure how much faith I'm really putting in this. The 11% Chihuahua seems very unlikely. But if it is accurate, then the answer to the question 'What breed is Tormund?' is that he's very much a mongrel!

Hello 2022

Jan. 21st, 2022 07:59 pm
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New year, new theme! Christmas may be over but it's still winter so this snowman theme is totally appropriate.

This year has been all right so far. I gave blood a couple of weeks ago and it all went smoothly, so that was good. Work has been a little rougher with various people falling ill. And because one of my colleagues has just tested positive for Covid I now have to do Lateral Flow tests every day for a week. Such fun!

My friends and I have got into Wordle and we compare our results every day over WhatsApp, which I'm really enjoying. I'm currently stuck in a 4/6 rut though and it's getting a bit ridiculous now! My aim for the year is to score 2/6. Or even the hallowed 1/6, although that is more a case of really, really good luck more than anything else!

Speaking of aims for the year, it's time to look back at my New Year's Goals for 2021 and see how I fared:

1. Walk more. (I'm never going to like formal exercise, but I do enjoy walking around places. Especially if it's a good place for photography. Hopefully it won't be long before I can travel again too.) I would call this one a success. Now we have Tormund walks are a regular thing and I'm definitely doing a lot more exercise than I had been! I've also been taking photographs, although mostly of the same woods. I had hoped that I'd be able to venture a bit further afield, but that's a separate issue to the specific goal of walking more.

2. Post all of my 2019 365 photos before the end of 2021. (I'm not giving up on this just because it's two years ago now.) Fail. I did make a bit of progress in choosing what photos I plan to post but then... never got round to doing it.

3. Get back into reading books and finish all the ones I've got on the go right now. (I do love fics and I'm not going to stop reading them, but I should try and branch out a little. Get a bit more variety in my reading habits.) Yeah, well, ahem. So, I did read a bit more of the books I've got on the go but I didn't end up finishing any of them. So, also fail.

4. Post the fanfictions that I'm currently working on Oh, god, total fail. I want to. I really do. But I'm so worried that they're shit. And as much as I tell myself that you have to start somewhere and improve from there, my anxiety hates the idea of posting something bad.

Right, well, to misquote Meat Loaf (RIP), one out of four ain't bad.

So, what are my goals for this year going to be?

1. Post more of my 2019 photos. It doesn't have to be all of them, just make some progress. Any progress. Please.

2. Finish the damn books you're currently reading. Yes, including that one you haven't looked at since 2018. You can remember the plot, right?

3. POST YOUR FIC. It has been literal years. Just post it and stop worrying that everyone is judging you.

4. Score 2/6 on Wordle.

And there you have it. Will I actually accomplish any of these things this year? Only time will tell!
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As 2021 draws to a close, I can say it's definitely been a... year. Probably a better one than 2020, but then the bar was set pretty damn low for that.

I hope everyone had a good Christmas. It was nice that Rob was able to join us this year, so it was the three of us again. What was less nice is that Tormund still doesn't like him being here. It's weird, if Rob is standing or sitting still then Tormund is absolutely fine, and sometimes even friendly, but as soon as Rob moves even a little then Tormund's back to barking and growling at him. I wish I knew what was going through that dog's head.

My week since Christmas has been pretty tiring. One of our managers is sick, so I've been opening every day and trying to keep on top of everything. On Monday I was by myself for the first hour we were open, which was not ideal!

I went to the hairdresser earlier and saw a new stylist cos my previous one left (I'm assuming that cutting my hair was such an overwhelming experience she had no choice but to give up her vocation and move to the wilderness). He was really nice. He also said my hair was very stubborn and did what it wanted when he was trying to style it. So I'm glad to know that my constant failures at getting my hair to behave aren't just due to my lack of ability!

I also got complimented twice on my clothing choices by two separate people. One of the ladies in the salon said she loved my jumper and then as I was walking back another lady said "that's a fabulous dress you've got on". So that was lovely.

Pics of my Hair and Jumper. Fabulous Dress Not Visible )

My plan for tonight is to try and stay awake until midnight to see in the new year with a glass of champagne. I might struggle, as I was up at 6 this morning, but I don't have work tomorrow so I can crash immediately after and sleep as long as I want Tormund will let me.
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I got my booster shot today and followed it up with an eggnog latte from Starbucks. I then went a bit overboard buying festive food from Waitrose cos it's Christmas and I want to try as many things as possible! I also bought a candle that smells like Nordic Fir cos I miss the smell of a real Christmas tree. It's pretty good.

Tormund seems to be getting better. He's still a bit wary, but nowhere near as bad as he was last week, which I am very grateful for. I was so worried about him I didn't really know what to do. He's currently lying on the floor near my feet and he eagerly took his Advent calendar treat a few minutes ago so I'm happy about that.

I think I'm pretty much done with my Christmas shopping presents-wise, although I still have the food to buy. I plan to do that gradually over the next few days as I leave work. It really doesn't feel like Christmas is five days away though!
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Tormund isn't happy and I don't know why. I would have said it's the Christmas tree cos it's new and out of the ordinary, but it had already been up for a week before he started acting strangely. He keeps pacing and panting and trying to hide (including behind the tree, which is another thing that makes me think that's not the problem), and when we go out the back he seems to be trying to escape from the garden. It's really upsetting and I don't know what to do. I don't want him to be unhappy, but I don't know what's wrong. I'm trying to act normally and keep to the usual routine and sometimes he does seem like he's getting better, but then he'll suddenly panic for no reason.

Maybe he just hates this house as much as I do. We had another leak last week, worse than the first one. This time the water came down through the kitchen ceiling and shorted out the lights. We didn't turn them back on for three days to give the electrics as long as possible to completely dry out, which made things a bit tricky as it gets dark at 4pm now. Fortunately the Christmas lights provided quite a lot of illumination.

It's funny, he didn't panic when the plumber came. In fact he was very well behaved and allowed us to shut him in the living room without a fuss. Yes, he barked a few times but not excessively. I was very pleased with him and thought it showed how comfortable he was here now.

It's almost like he wants to make me a liar. I sent a Christmas card to Battersea and mentioned how he's settled in so well. I included photos of him in the woods and on the sofa, saying they were his two favourite places to be. And since then he hasn't been on the sofa once.

I was really looking forward to our first Christmas together. But right now it's just stressful and miserable.

Sleepy Dog

Nov. 24th, 2021 07:03 pm
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Tormund is currently cuddled up in the blankets on the sofa and looks so comfortable it's making me jealous.

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Poor boy has clearly had an exhausting day!
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Another of Tormund's walks. We took a bit of a different route this time, so enjoy some pics of new and exciting trees!

Plus a Pond! )
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Another entry in my Post Pics From Tormund's Walk series. Don't worry, I'll stop with these eventually...

More Leaves on the Ground than a Lot of the Trees Now )

Day Three

Nov. 17th, 2021 07:34 pm
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I had work today and it felt like such a novelty to be somewhere warm! Tormund seemed even more stressed than usual when I got home, though. He hates this as much as we do, possibly even more so cos we can't explain to him why it's happening or that it'll be over soon. (At least I hope it will. I'm still so worried that some disaster is going to happen and we'll end up with even more problems...)

It's going to be another night without heating or hot water, but the engineer thinks he should be finished tomorrow. I hope he's right!
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At one point during this walk Tormund pulled suddenly on the lead and made me drop my phone. I don't think he approves of me taking all these photos!

Still Pretty )
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I think I might just make weekends my Post Pics From Tormund's Walk days. It's actually quite interesting to see how the trees change as the month goes on.

Leaves )
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I feel like I've had a productive day today. As well as the walk with Tormund that the above photo comes from I cleared some stuff out of the loft so the engineer has easy access to the water tanks up there. I also did some more gardening and have hope that maybe eventually I'll get those brambles under control. I even started my Christmas shopping!

And now I'm making fajitas for dinner. So productive!
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Turns out I was too optimistic on Thursday and it was just the fireworks being far away that meant they didn't bother Tormund. We had much closer ones on Friday and Saturday and the poor boy was so scared. Even with all the curtains closed and TV and music playing he was still trembling and panting and trying to squeeze into the smallest spaces he could find to hide away.

The good news is that it doesn't seem to have had any lasting effects on him. He was just as happy and excited for his walks the next mornings as he always is. And he's currently lying on the floor next to my chair looking very relaxed and content.

I am now worried about New Year's though.
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Am I posting another set of photos from my morning walk because I love autumn colours so much I can't help taking loads of pics every time I see them? Or am I posting another set of photos from my morning walk because it's an easy way to get another post in for NaBloPoMo? I think you'll find the answer is both.

These pics are from the same path as the ones from yesterday but taken from the other direction.

Pretty Colours Remix )
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Today's post is some photos that I took on my walk with Tormund this morning. The autumn leaves are definitely coming out now.

Pretty Colours )
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I can hear fireworks in the distance. They're not too loud, which is good, but I do wonder if they're why Tormund has come back downstairs and joined me after vanishing up there again earlier today. Fortunately he doesn't seem scared by them or even that bothered. I don't know if that's cos they're quite far away or if he just knows what fireworks are and isn't worried about them. Hopefully the latter!

Chilly

Nov. 3rd, 2021 07:24 pm
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Tormund has taken himself upstairs, which is ridiculous cos it's so cold up there! Our central heating still doesn't work and we're relying on a couple of convector heaters to keep us warm. The boiler is due to be replaced in a couple of weeks and I really hope it all goes smoothly and solves the current problems without creating any more. Being the over-thinking ball of anxiety that I am I can't help worrying though, and thinking about all the things that could go wrong.
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I did a bit of baking on Friday and made this Gin-Soaked Blackberry & Apple Cheesecake Crumble. I hadn't planned to document the stages, but once I got to the blackberry layer I thought it looked so pretty I had to take a picture:

Crumble Stages )

I made a few changes, such as not peeling the apples cos I like apple peel and leaving out the almonds cos almonds are disgusting, and I was really pleased with how well it turned out. Mum really liked it too, so I think I'm going to have to make it again. Even if just to enjoy the lovely mulled smell of the apples as they simmered!

I also took some pictures while walking Tormund at the weekend, which wasn't the easiest thing to do with a large dog that just wants to keep moving! But I managed to get a few shots that I think are all right. It's not exactly a riot of colour, but I do like how they captured the misty autumnal morning:

Into the Woods )

Also, Rob and Meg came for a quick visit on Sunday. We'd wondered how Tormund would react to them since the only time he met them before was when we first got him and most likely he just considered them part of the general upheaval of that time and not part of his new life with us. Still, we did entertain the possibility that he might recognise Rob as smelling like one of the family. Dogs have very good noses after all...

Alas, no. He barked and growled and was extremely unhappy about these two strangers invading his territory. He seemed to settle a bit when they sat down, but as soon as they made any movement he was barking and growling again. That was a shame. But it does show that they need come round and visit more often; allow Tormund to get used to them and recognise that they're allowed in the house!

Equinox

Sep. 22nd, 2021 07:03 pm
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Happy official first day of autumn! I've chosen to celebrate this day by changing my theme to something appropriately pretty and autumnal.

I'm also choosing to be positive, which was difficult to do earlier cos work was unpleasant and stressful and all I wanted to do was pack it all in and go live in a cottage by the sea. A cottage by the sea with excellent internet and TV signal of course.

It felt quite autumnal when I got up this morning, by which I mean it was misty and chilly. I took Tormund for a walk after work and it had warmed up a lot. Some of the leaves are showing signs of turning but most of them are still very green. I suppose it is still early days so I can't expect too much yet! I look forward to seeing them change as the season goes on though.

My two staples of autumnal TV, Strictly and Bake Off, have both started again now. I don't know who I'm supporting in either show yet, but I'm sure it won't be long before I find some favourites to latch on to. As well as Oti, of course, who I will always love.

Speaking of TV, I've been too busy recently to watch the latest episodes of Lower Decks so I have about four of them to catch up on. That's quite nice, actually, cos it means I have a good amount to enjoy. Something I noticed when I was watching the first season was how great it was having new episodes to look forward to. As much as I like the comforting familiarity of re-watching things I've seen before, I have missed the excitement of not knowing what's going to happen next and the anticipation of finding out.

Taskmaster starts tomorrow, which is something else I'm looking forward to. I also have the book Bring Me the Head of the Taskmaster, which contains clues to solve to locate a replica Taskmaster head. I probably won't be the one to find it, but I still want to try. I've got 26/100 just on my first quick readthrough, so hopefully I'll be able to solve a few more when I have the chance to sit down and work at it properly.
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I said in my last entry that Tormund hadn't made a mess in the house, so naturally when I came home from work the other day I found that he'd thrown up and had a bit of an accident on the upstairs landing. I don't know when exactly it happened, but Mum said he did get scared by a car coming in and ran upstairs, so we're thinking that's probably what caused it. He seems fine otherwise and has been eating and drinking as usual so I'm trying not to worry too much (easier said than done with me!)

It's funny; we went from having a deaf dog to having a very sound sensitive dog. So many things that were never an issue with Tilly we now have to be careful about. I'm already wondering what we can do to help him cope with all the fireworks on and around Bonfire Night in November.

It's good that we have quiet woods nearby where we can take him for a walk, although even then there are still some noises. He's not bothered by every sound, but when something does spook him he pulls on the lead really hard. That's not great when he's 30kg and very strong! As well as almost pulling me over, I also worried that he was going to hurt himself by putting so much pressure on his neck. So we bought him a harness:

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Doesn't he look handsome?

I wasn't sure how he was going to react to it. Tilly would have hated the thing and refused point blank to move with it on. But he was so good. I wonder if he's worn one before, cos he let me put it on him no problem. And then he jumped up and put his paws on my shoulders, which was very sweet. He had no issues walking with it on either and all in all seemed very happy about the situation. But maybe that's just cos he loves going for walks!

And, cos I'm constantly camera happy, have some more pictures of my gorgeous good boy:

Tormund Rocking His Harness )

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