I've had my first. My arm was sore and the soreness spread to my shoulder blade. It wasn't bad and it went away in five days. On day two I was really tired and a bit shivery. I went to bed early and felt fine the next day. My energy was a bit low for five days. My second jab is due in June, so I can't fill in the poll.

I won't get my second until June, so can't answer. Do you want to put in an NA option for q2 and q3? @ktgrok?

Happy birthday @wintermom

I was thinking about a garden office They are very popular here during lockdown.

That makes sense. Chinese rice needs to be able to be picked up with chopsticks, so separated grains would be a problem.

Finally decided that not walking/running is not working to help my foot problem. So I am working hard at using the roller on my hamstring in case that's pulling my gait askew. And I've booked a physio appointment. The positivity rate in my county is 1.5% and I've had one vaccination. It's the first appointment of the day and they are serious about masking and ventilation. Dog walk at lunchtime. Yoga in a minute.

The rice cooker we have (it's Japanese) has a tight-fitting lid and doesn't expel much steam. We had a British-made one that lost a lot more steam and didn't cook as well at those proportions. I don't drain the water off too strictly after I've rinsed it, so that probably covers the evaporation.

I've not heard of using a board on top of slats. Our hybrid spring-memory foam mattress goes straight on the slats of the platform base. https://www.evesleep.co.uk/products/the-spindle-bed-frame https://www.evesleep.co.uk/products/the-premium-hybrid-mattress

As taught to us in China: rinse white rice and then put into rice cooker 1:1 with water. An extra half cup of water at high altitude. We've decided that 1:1.5 is perfect for brown rice. I assume that different cultures are looking for different textures?

I like the new flowery you!

My children each learned an instrument, so they joined some kind of music group one evening each. They each did martial arts once or twice a week. Saturday morning was Chinese school to keep up their Mandarin. It was a lot. One kept on playing guitar but both dropped everything else during high school.

The one I just used was - half a cup of dry barley is plenty to add to a soup or stew, otherwise it will turn into porridge. What are yours? They don't have to be culinary.

They've been introduced in some parts of the UK to slow river systems and reduce downstream flooding.

I'm thinking of you @wathe and @Dreamergal

I'm in about the same place. Or I think so, but my old scales died and the new ones weigh a kilo heavier I think. Even leaving that aside, I'm up. I don't want to cause myself to get obsessive by watching every bite, so I'm scheduling food and making sure to eat lots of veg - I just like the feeling of eating and having eaten, so having 400g of broccoli as part of my lunch is satisfying. Yes, I get cross with myself for caring about those few kilos. For me it's not so much the weight as the concern that more weight might come on top.

They should be able to separate by when the first jab was done. The very early Pfizer jabs were on the original schedule, then the government put all vaccination onto the extended schedule. This will mess with the figures, as the people who already have had two Pfizer jabs are mostly over 80, like my mum, whereas younger people got either vaccine on the extended schedule.

Really got into the zone writing my essay yesterday, so just did some yoga afterwards. Submitted at lunchtime today, lounged in the new hammock with a book afterwards, then swam in the sea pool. My first swim of the year, so only 20 minutes. Glorious. No jellies. Husband is grilling chicken this evening and we'll have a glass of fizz to celebrate my finishing the module. This is me relaxing this afternoon.

Does it make a difference to heat absorption and energy bills to have a dark colour?

I live in an old house and there are some things I'm not allowed to remove - heavy solid wooden window shutters, cornices, astragals on windows, traditional front door, wood panelling in entryway, original fireplaces, etc. Anyone visiting will know that they are there to stay, so they can't date. Apart from that, I agree that furniture with clean lines is best - you can always froufrou the cushions if you like.

Spam reported. I don't want to click the link, but Chicago Movers sounds like a stretch for @ktgrok

Scotland has this boundary-marking custom where, when a boundary wall is built, a niche is left on the owner's side. We have five niches, each about 30cm by 30cm. They are obscured by planting in summer but a winter reveal of something in a niche would be good. I'm going to take measurements so that, when we can travel and shop again, we can pick up something fun.

Well done! @StillJessica it's so hard to avoid those eat-the-world moments - well done on the exercise! @FarmingMomma gorgeous photo, amazing activity! @Soror my shower needs deep cleaning but the essay demands to be written. Next week - swimsuit on, full cleaning. @Ali in OR you keep going so well through difficult patches @wintermom sorry you are feeling rough. I'm glad you were able to rest. I'm hoping to swim late afternoon, if the essay is going okay. The first jellyfish has been sighted but I'm hoping that I can overcome my fears now that I have a full wetsuit, gloves, hat and boots.

There isn't a nationwide NHS IT system - long story - but almost everyone is registered with an NHS GP. I think the GPs provided vaccination lists to the vaccination service by age and medical need. In Scotland, my invitation was thereafter issued centrally, as will be my invitation for the second dose, and I checked in using my invitation letter. I'm hoping that means there are decent records.

I bought that for both of my children for Christmas - one is vegetarian, the other lives in a vegan household where they cook communal meals.

Yes. In addition to savings, state pensions, similar to SS in the States, were traditionally paid in cash at the PO too. I still get the shivers thinking what I could have faced. There were volume incentive payments but in our tiny PO it was essentially minimum wage.