Counting Down to a Week Off Work - W/E 5th April 2025

This week started off with my working a couple of shifts on Sunday and Monday. I didn't sleep well on Sunday night and was consequently really tired on Monday morning when I headed off to do the food shop locally.  I didn't have time to go out of town this week, due to being at work for 1pm.

The day didn't get off to a good start, and I apologise in advance for the rant, but I had an altercation with someone in the supermarket queue, when they saw fit to comment on the way I organise my items on the conveyor belt.

I told them in no uncertain terms that it was none of their business and if I want to make my life easier I will, as I wasn't holding up the queue - the cashier hadn't even started on my shopping yet. I pointed out the self service if he was in a hurry, but, of course, he didn't want to use that. He preferred to try to wind me up.

I did feel a bit guilty later, about getting stroppy with him, but he really annoyed me. I did let him in front of me in the queue, mainly so that I didn't have to listen to anymore unsolicited comments. Safe to say, it's not my favourite store, I often come across people with a bad attitude in there, which is why I tend to shop out of town, who needs it. I won't be rushing back, not unless I have to, like today, I'd rather drive 10 miles out of town and have a more positive experience. 

The only good thing about this shopping trip, was that I got £10 off my shopping with another voucher and I stocked up on lots of things, so future weekly shops should be a lot smaller going forward.

Anyway, I eventually calmed down when I got home, had some lunch and went to work, which was okay, save for the odd person behaving badly there too. It was my last shift for two days, after a four day stretch and the tiredness made it feel like a long afternoon. I was so happy when 5pm came around and I could go home and chill. I love to just stay home and not have to deal with people. 

I was in bed by 8pm that night, as I just couldn't keep my eyes open and despite waking for an hour or so at 4am, I managed to get back to sleep until 9.30am, when I had to get up and get ready to go to the gym.

My class at the gym was good and then when I got home it was lovely to have the afternoon to myself and not have to go to work or anywhere else. I didn't do much, just some laundry, some ironing, put some laundry away and read for a little while. I just needed some time to decompress from work. 

I joined the Recycle at Boots scheme today on their app, so that I can now recycle blister packs from my regular medication and also beauty product packaging, such as makeup, pump action bottles, toothpaste tubes and toothbrushes. You get 500 points on your Advantage card (worth £5) for recycling 5 items of packaging if you spend £10 in store at the same time and then 100 points (worth £1) for recycling 5 medicine blister packs. As I need to buy some of my dental care there now, this won't be difficult to do, as it can be expensive and the points will help with the cost of it, plus it helps to recycle things that are difficult to recycle and you can't put in household recycling.

I also joined the Co-op membership scheme today, as our local high street supermarket is a Co-op and we often drop in for the odd top up shop or to get milk. I thought I may as well benefit from reduced prices when I shop there.

In the evening, we watched a programme about the infamous 1970's The Good Life comedy series on TV, which was a lovely trip down memory lane. Such an iconic and funny series and still inspiring to people today in many ways.

On Wednesday morning, I was a bit tired as I'd not slept well again. I stayed in bed and finished reading another book, this one:

I started reading it on holiday in Tenerife in January. It was an entertaining read and is the second full book read this year.  I used to be an avid reader, but I really don't read much these days and really need to make an effort to read more.

I eventually decided to go out for a 3km run in the morning and stopped off to pick up a Vinted parcel on my way back. I'd ordered a new blouse for work in the summer, as I'd damaged one of my only short sleeved tops using a light coloured permanent marker and needed to replace it. It was actually terribly bobbled anyway, so it was probably a good thing that this happened, as it stopped me wearing it. 

I've currently got very few tops to wear for work in the summer and need to buy a couple more in the coming months, especially now the weather is warming up, if I can find them at a good price that is. This one wasn't expensive at £5 including postage. When it arrived, I realised that it was the exact same top as the one I'd damaged only bigger, which was perfect.

The remainder of Wednesday I stayed close to home. I did a little bit of sewing and a bit more reading. There's stuff going on in the background of our lives at the moment, so I'm trying to just chill and not get stressed by it, when there's little I can do to change anything.

On Thursday morning, OH was heading off to visit his Mum, as he needed to do some work in her garden for her over the weekend. He also wanted to go and visit his brother in hospital whilst there too. I didn't go with him, as I was working on Thursday and Friday afternoons and LB was coming home for a week on Friday. Hopefully, I'll get the chance to visit him soon.

I booked myself into an earlyish session at the gym and headed off there. When I came back I had to jump in the shower and get ready for work, get some lunch and head off, as I'd been asked to go in an hour earlier. The shift was okay as it was quite short. I got asked to swap my evening shift on Friday for another afternoon shift, which I was happy to do with LB coming home.

I was glad to get home on Thursday night. It felt strange to have the house to myself, but not horribly strange. Just quiet.

On Friday morning, I had a bit of a lie in, got up, did some laundry, got ready for work and did a bit of cleaning before LB came home. I managed to catch half an hour or so with her catching up before I had to head out to work.  Work was okay. It started off slow but got busier as the afternoon progressed and before I knew it I had finished work for the next nine days and was on my way home. Bliss.

LB was chilling in the shed when I got in, so I joined her and we had a good chat before heading indoors for supper. We both just chilled tonight and enjoyed some downtime. It's great to have her home for a little while. I'm looking forward to us getting out and about together over the next week.

On Saturday morning, I woke up early and decided it might be a good day for LB and I to head to the mall to get our hair cut. I'd promised her I'd take her for a hair cut whilst she was home and I was in desperate need of one and to be honest I just wanted to get it over with, as I hate going to the hairdressers. 

We hopped on a bus at the top of our street and were very lucky to both get an appointment straight away, which is rare. Twenty minutes and £105 later, (it's almost becoming unaffordable to have a haircut) we were done and did a small bit of shopping before heading home. 

It was crazy busy at the mall, so people must have plenty of money to be out shopping, but we didn't and didn't want to stick around, so we came home, had some lunch and hung out in the shed for the rest of the afternoon chatting. It's so lovely to have LB home. OH comes back tomorrow, having finished the work he needed to do for his mum, I'm sure he'll be happy to see LB too.