Another Busy Week W/E 7th October 2023

This week got off to a lovely start as OH and I (and the dog) had another day out in Sussex. OH was competing in another Cycle Cross event and we stopped off at another car boot sale on the way. The car boot sale was run by the same company as the one we went to previously, but in a different location, not too far away. I had more time this time to look around, so I managed to get around quite a lot of stalls.  There weren't actually as many things that appealed at this one though. 

I did buy a couple of plants for a couple of pounds each. One a houseplant and the other a fern for the garden. I also bought some perfume, which I thought smelt okay when I tried it, but I have subsequently decided I don't really like it. I'll wear it for the next couple of weeks until my birthday, as OH is buying me some of my favourite perfume as a present. I'll probably then donate it.

The rest of the items I bought were super inexpensive ranging from 10p for a couple of cards and a couple of balls of wool for LB, to 50p for various other items, including a super small present for LB, a pair of black jeans which fitted quite nicely and a black t-shirt to wear at the gym. 

The cycle cross event was okay. I spent most of the time talking to LB on the phone and taking video footage and the odd photograph for OH, but my skills are very questionable. It was great to catch up with LB and make sure she was okay. A few things that have happened amongst her friends since she started back at Uni and I wanted to make sure she was in a good place. She seems to be. We came straight home after the event. I'd taken a packed lunch with me and lots of snacks, so we didn't really need to eat out.

Whilst I was at the cycling event, I was checking for jobs online and found another job to apply for. It's with a company I've applied to before and by the time I'd got home, I had an interview arranged.  They are interviewing a lot of people over the course of this week, so I don't know if I'll be successful, but it is only a short bus ride from the top of my street and is easy to cycle to if I wished to. I booked my interview for Monday afternoon.

As a consequence of my working this week, on Tuesday and possibly Thursday and Friday. I decided to book a gym session on Monday, to ensure I got some exercise in during the week. I didn't need to do a food shop, as I'd done it on Friday, I just needed to walk the dog, get to the gym, get back and have lunch, shower and change and then head off to the interview on the bus later in the afternoon. It made for a busy day, trying to fit it all in.

The interview was short, very short. Turned out one of the shifts was 8pm to 4am, but this wasn't mentioned in the ad. So it was a complete waste of time and money for me to attend. I'm not interested in working nights. I was very disappointed, as with clearer advertising, I wouldn't have applied. It's not the first time I've had this experience with this company. It's put me off applying for any more jobs with them. It's irritating that they allow this to happen and mislead you. It cost me £3.50 to travel there and when I'm not really working regularly, it's money I'd rather not spend on a wild goose chase.

On Tuesday, I was due at work doing data entry work, as mentioned in my last post. I needed to be at work for 9am, so OH took the dog out and then he was heading north for a couple of days to visit his parents and attend another cycling event over two days. The timing wasn't great due to my working and having to walk the dog, but I just had to try to make it work as best I could.

Work on Tuesday went okay. I wasn't actually doing what I thought I would be, but I just got on with the task I was given, as I'm just happy to be earning some money. It was strange coming home to an empty house, save for me and the dog, but I was fine with it. I got a message from a friend today who was trying to organise a meet up for next week. Hopefully, I'll be able to make it, but it does depend on whether this temp job is extended. I'm pretty sure I won't finish all that needs to be done in three days, but it depends whether they've got funding for me to complete it.  I was quite tired on Tuesday night and retired to bed quite early.

On Wednesday, I woke up and got ready to take the dog out. She wanted to go out early, so we headed off at 8am. I was back by 9.30am. One good thing, was that I saw the lady who had lost her dog the other week (from a distance) and I think she had all three dogs with her, so I think she found her dog. I'm not 100% sure, but I think I saw all three dogs.

When I got back from the dog walk, I had a little time before I needed to head out to Soca Aerobics, so I caught up with a few jobs in the house. My class was really good. I enjoyed it today.

After lunch, I decided to do some cleaning. The bathroom upstairs was in need of a deep clean, so I got on with that. It felt very satisfying. I've been trying to use up some items from the freezer whilst OH is away, and decided to make some turkey fajitas for supper. OH doesn't really like turkey or fajitas, so it was a good opportunity whilst he was away to use the turkey up. I forgot how messy fajitas are to eat though.

I got some good news today. I won another £100 on the Premium Bonds, which was great. Each time I win, it gets reinvested into more bonds, so despite having very little income at the moment, I'm managing to save a little money by reinvesting the winnings. It's better than nothing. 

One day, I would like to have the maximum holding of £50K and then any winnings will be income or could be reinvested elsewhere, as it can't be reinvested in any more Bonds. It will take me forever to save this much though. Especially at the very slow rate I'm buying them at the moment. I do try to buy some bonds most months, using odd bits of money that come my way or savings that I want to move around.

I calculated how much I've won on them in the last two years and it came to £600, which is quite a good amount. I possibly could get a better return elsewhere, but I do like the excitement of being in the draw each month and the very minute possibility that I could win a big prize, with little or no effort on my part.

Thursday, was a busy day. I was due to be at work for 9am and I had to drop the dog off at the dog sitter's on the way and then catch the bus. It would have been a long day for her at home on her own and OH wasn't sure when he was going to be back on Thursday. It could be late into the night. Besides, it was a treat for the dog, as she loves going to the sitter's house. She really likes him, which is a really good thing and she hasn't been since March this year when we went away to Lanzarote.

I witnessed two cases of road rage on the way to work and a woman on the bus complaining to someone on her phone for the whole journey. I've had several bus journeys like that recently when going to work or out and about. On one, a woman was discussing the reasons for breaking up with her partner with her partner on the phone, for the whole journey.  Then there was the woman who was trying to get some money paid into her account and getting agitated with whomever was on the other end of the phone and was supposed to be paying it, but hadn't.  Do people save difficult conversations until they get onto public transport? These incidents can take up a whole bus journey and don't exactly get my day off to a good start. I'd much rather not know the ins and outs of people's personal and financial problems. Sometimes staying at home and minding my own business is much simpler.

Anyway, rant over, work was okay. I just keep thinking that I am earning money towards my family's Christmas presents, and it gets me through the day. It's not terrible or anything, but it's quite repetitive. I'm not entirely sure if I'm going to find another job. It seems much more difficult this time around. I'm starting to feel unemployable at times. I've had several rejection letters this week which is disappointing. Maybe I should just find some voluntary work and try to enjoy that instead. I might do this once Xmas and LB's birthday have been and gone. I don't want LB to miss out because I'm not really earning much money anymore. It doesn't seem fair.

OH was going to be late home on Thursday, so I picked up the dog from the sitter, walked her home, fed her, did a few jobs at home and then made some supper. After that, I'd done enough for one day and just chilled and caught up with a bit of blogging and YouTube. I think I have one more day at work and then the job is finished. So I should be able to meet up with friends next week and get back to my usual classes and the gym. It's been nice to earn some money again though, I am grateful for the opportunity.

Friday, I was at work again. I determined to try to complete the job I've been given as best I could, although I didn't think I'd be able to finish it by the end of the day. In the end, I was told that I was okay to come back next Tuesday to complete it, so that's another day or few hours that I'll get paid for, which is good news.

I had a nightmare trying to get home from work on Friday. Two buses had collided in the grounds of a hospital and so the buses on my route had been re-routed to avoid it. As a consequence, I had to walk a fair way to catch a different bus to get me home. I was glad when I finally walked in the door.

I did need to go out later on Friday, to Lidl, so that I could use the 10% voucher I'd earned last month. It wasn't too busy when I got there and I managed to get most of what I needed. I saved over £7 on the shop using the voucher, which was spent on a small Xmas gift for LB. I'd seen it a while ago and it was now reduced by £3, so I decided to buy it using the money I'd saved. I think she'll like it.

Eventually, I got home, put the shopping away and could finally relax for the evening and start to enjoy the weekend.

On Saturday morning, I was back to the free session at the gym again. It felt so good to exercise, after a couple of days of sitting at a desk at work. I then decided to spend the day pottering at home, as I'd been out at work quite a bit this week, so it was nice not to have to go anywhere. I went up to the sewing room and  did some sewing, which was very relaxing.

I hope you've been able to spend some time relaxing this week.

Getting Autumnal - W/E 30th September 2023

This week, the weather really turned autumnal on Sunday, I was wearing jeans and a sweater for the first time in ages. I really love autumn, winter and spring. Summer is my least favourite season. I know that sounds crazy, but I was an autumn baby, maybe that's got something to do with my liking cooler temperatures.

On Sunday, OH was heading off again to a cycling event in Crystal Palace this time. I was tempted to go, as he was going to try and meet up with LB for a drink afterwards and I would have loved to see her, but it involves just too much waiting around for me and it's a long journey to South London, so I stayed home. Besides, he was riding his bike there and I would have had to get the train over, as I didn't want to drive myself. Hopefully, I'll see her in a couple of weeks, as it's my birthday next month.

Instead, I decided to do some sewing for a couple of hours before lunch. I think today was one of those days where it hit me that LB has gone back to Uni until Xmas. I know it sounds silly, but when I'm working, I don't really think about it, but as soon as I stop, I feel it. When I get like this, I tend to just indulge myself for a day and then I snap out of it and get on with my life again. I'm happy she's independent and enjoying her life. A consequence of which, OH didn't end up meeting up with her, as she was out with her friends, but that's a good thing, that she's made friends and is having fun, which is what any parent wants for their child.

I got some good news from my sister on Sunday. Her daughter has just got engaged whilst on holiday with her boyfriend. I'm really happy for them and hopefully we will see them to congratulate them the next time we visit Yorkshire.

Monday, started with an early dog walk. Now the dog is getting older, she rarely wants a second walk, but she does tend to need to get out earlier to go to the toilet. We don't have a dog that will poo in it's own back yard, which is good as far as I'm concerned, but sometimes it would be helpful. Anyway, it was quite nice getting out early and getting back earlier too.

I was back to doing the weekly shop on Monday this week, so after getting ready and having breakfast, I headed out. I always enjoy my weekly shopping trip. It gets me out and about. I put a new audio book in the CD player in the car and I was away. 

I went to the out of town Lidl that I usually go to. We didn't need as much as usual, as we still had a lot of food from my shopping trips over the last few weeks. I tried to keep food purchases to a minimum in order to use up some of what we already have in the cupboards and freezer. I picked up a few little things for Xmas, just some stocking fillers.

Next stop was B&M. I always love shopping in here. I didn't go mad for the autumn/winter stuff in there but I did end up buying an air fryer for £30, as LB has taken the one we were using over the summer back to Uni. I only got a small one. It's useful for cooking chicken for the dog and other food for us. I also purchased a few Xmas presents in here. Confectionery and stocking fillers mainly.

I had to drop into my old place of work again, as I needed to buy a new lava lamp for LB. I'd accidentally broken hers when we moved her into her room. I'm annoyed at myself for being so clumsy, but it was only right that I replaced it. I saw a few old colleagues and had a chat.  I had a few other stops to make at Tesco and Card Factory and then I came home for lunch. 

On Tuesday, I was able to return to one of my favourite classes at the gym. It's a basic aerobics class with weights and I really like it. Today's class wasn't a disappointment. It was lovely to get back to it.

I didn't do a lot on Tuesday afternoon. I've been feeling very tired lately, I'm not sure if I'm still recovering from working for the past month and just needed some down time, so I wasn't too hard on myself.

On Wednesday, I went back to Soca Aerobics. The regular teacher was back which was good, as I love her class. In the afternoon, I went up to the sewing room and got a few jobs done that I'd been meaning to do for a while, which boosted my spirits. I finished sewing together the layers of the navy quilt I made over the last year. I now just need to bind it, which shouldn't take too long and then it can go on LB's bed.

I also worked on the Xmas Wreath quilt.  All the wreaths are now attached and I'm just filling in the spaces between them. I'm hoping I have enough green fabric, as it's a close run thing. I'll make it work.

In addition, I mended some broken stitching on a quilt I made ages ago, before I take it to the launderette to be washed, I mended a pocket lining in a jacket and a skirt of LB's that had got ripped, so I felt pretty productive. It made me feel better about myself, as I didn't feel I'd achieved much in the last week.

Later, I checked out some accommodation for a forthcoming trip to Yorkshire, made another job application, checked my finances, which were improved on the previous month and then OH and I watched Race Across the World Again, which we both enjoy.

Thursday, marked the end of the 16th week of being on my weight loss journey and every 4 weeks I take measurements, photos, weigh myself, etc. Although visually, the differences aren't that obvious, I've now lost 18 1/2 lbs and 2-3 inches off each measurement, which is encouraging. especially as I'd been discouraged this week by fluctuating weight readings. Getting good results today has really encouraged me to keep going, as I was worrying that I was slipping backwards.

I spent a couple more hours sewing today, which I enjoyed. In the afternoon, I decided to tackle the ironing basket, as it was piled high. I watched a bit of TV and Netflix whilst I did this. It's rare for me to watch TV in the afternoon, but I actually quite enjoyed it. It felt indulgent and made the ironing a bit less boring.

I received an email from the organisation where I just finished temping, asking me if I was available to do some more data entry work for a couple of days next week. I messaged back that I was available, so I'm just waiting to hear what time and where they need me. That will be so useful for earning some money for Xmas.

I put away most of the ironing.  Quite a bit of it was summer clothing that needed to be packed away with out of season clothes. The rest was put in the wardrobe. All that's now left to iron are a few flat sheets and some towels. 

On Friday morning, I woke up to the dog being sick. She was bringing up bile, and as a consequence of feeling unwell, she didn't want a walk.

Instead, I decided to go out and do a weekly shop early. I wanted to earn the monthly 10% off voucher from Lidl, so I brought the shop forward in order to meet the target. It seemed silly not to take advantage of it, but I will have to shop early again next week too to use it. I bought quite a lot of store cupboard items today, as we were getting low on some of them and I got a free hand wash using a voucher, which is not to be sniffed at.

Each shop I do from now on, I'm buying a couple of small items towards Xmas to spread the cost. Today, it was Snowy Chocolate Fingers and fun sized bags of Maltesers. Lets see if they last until then. If they do, I will be able to incorporate these into my calorie counting, so I can still have treats over the festive season. I need to start emptying the freezer, so that I can buy a joint of meat and other freezer items for Xmas in the coming weeks. This should help me save money on festive food, which I can then put towards Xmas presents.

On Friday, I got confirmation of the the work I'll be doing next week. It's only for 2 or max. 3 days, but that suits me fine, as I will still be able to get to the gym on the days I'm not working. It's in a different department from the one I worked for before, which should be interesting.

After lunch, I retired to the sewing room and did a bit more sewing. Then a bit later, the dog was feeling a lot better, so I took her out for a walk.

When I got back, I put a Lamb Hot Pot into the slow cooker. It's for us to eat on Saturday night, but the meat, which was taken out of the freezer a little early, needed using up quickly, so I cooked it with the vegetables and I will put it in the oven tomorrow with the sliced potatoes on top. It shouldn't take long to cook just the potatoes and warm up the rest.

Saturday was a quiet day. I went to the free gym session in the morning, which I really enjoyed and then didn't do a whole lot in the afternoon. I just took it easy, chilled and pottered before getting an early night.

It's been a quiet and pretty uneventful week this week. I'm certainly not complaining. I feel like I made small bits of progress here and there though. I hope you did too.

A Bad Start, but a Good Week W/E 23rd September 2023

This week didn't get off to a good start. On Sunday morning, OH and I dropped into Aldi, whilst we were out and about picking up a few bits for DIY. I enjoyed checking out Aldi, as I rarely shop there, but they had some good high protein desserts which I decided to try.

OH then dropped me off with the dog, so that I could walk her back home over the golf course. Just as we got across the footbridge to the golf course, I saw a fellow dog walker looking for one of her dogs. I then realised that I'd seen it by the bridge, along with another dog walker who was carrying his dog. I'd assumed it was with him.

Anyway, she went over to look for her dog and I carried on walking. She later came back without having found her dog. I asked if it might have gone over the bridge following the other dogwalker, so she headed off again to see if it had.  Several people said they'd seen it following the man and his dog, but he hadn't stopped to see who the dog belonged to before heading off over the bridge.

The lady who'd lost her dog had 3 dogs, and one followed her over the bridge, leaving the other, who was older and slower on the golf course. I stayed around with it to keep an eye on it until she came back, but it kept running off in different directions looking for it's owner and our dog is quite old and slow and we were chasing around after it until my dog was exhausted. Anyway, luckily, the woman's son came over and she returned and he took both dogs home, whilst she continued to look for her dog.  It appeared from witnesses who'd seen it following the man, that it had continued to follow him through a park on the other side of the bridge.

She headed off back to try to find it. I felt for her. If that had been me, I would have been very upset. I have to give her credit, she kept her calm. By now, OH had arrived in the car to pick up our dog, as she was too tired to walk home, so I walked back over the bridge to see if I could see the dog in the park across the road. I couldn't, unfortunately, so came home hoping that she found him. What I couldn't understand, was why the man didn't stop and look around for the dog's owner, instead of letting it follow him.  Most responsible dog owners would do this. I'm hoping it might just be a case of his dog being on heat or something and that he wasn't abducting the dog. I really hope she gets him back.

I walked back home to get more steps in. This took me to over 9,000 steps for the day. It was the day of our local Jumble Trail whilst this was all going on, but by the time I got home I was too tired to go take a look around the stalls.  After I'd had some lunch and recouperated, it had started raining and most people would be packing away. Pity, but then I've just offloaded a whole load of stuff from the house, so it's maybe just as well that I didn't go out and buy more.

Instead, I spent another afternoon sewing - my happy place. LB messaged later. She'd had a crazy shift at work at the theatre, working on an adult, as opposed to a children's show, as the bar was far busier. She sounded like she enjoyed it though, which is good. She's picking up a few shifts here and there whilst at Uni.

On Monday, it was back to work. I was still working on the same task and just got my head down and managed to get to the end of the list of calls that I needed to make. I was then asked to finish off a list that another temp who had left had been working on. I agreed to go in on Tuesday to do this.

On Tuesday, I took the bus to work again, but it was diverted a completely different way, so I had to get off at a point that was closest to work and walk there. I continued with the task I was trying to finish and once it was done and I'd finished off any filing, my temping work at this employer came to an end, as they didn't really have any more work for me to do. I was fine with this, as I was so looking forward to getting back to the gym and classes again, starting on Wednesday. I'd really missed them whilst working full time over the last few weeks.

When I got home, the first Xmas present that I have bought for LB had arrived. I was pleased about this, as it was quite expensive and I didn't want it to go astray. I started looking for a part time job straight away. There were lots of Christmas vacancies being advertised, so I applied for a couple of them. Then, to celebrate getting my freedom back for a while, I headed out for a long walk with the dog.

On Wednesday, it was back to business. I got up early and headed out with the dog, as she was desperate to go for a walk. I was back by 9.30am, so I had a bit of time before heading to the gym. I used it to catch up on some banking and pay some bills. I noticed that my wages were showing, ready to be paid into my account tomorrow, and I had a little more than I expected which was good. I think I got paid for a Bank Holiday.

Once I'd finished sorting my finances, it was time to go to my usual Soca Aerobics class. It was a different teacher when I got there, but the class was still good. It just felt good to be moving again, if I'm honest. By the time I got home, I'd done 13,500 steps, so I was very happy to relax for the rest of the day and just do as I pleased. Bliss!

I feel like I can now start Phase 3 of my fitness journey. Phase one, being the initial weight loss on a calorie deficit and Phase two, a kind of plateau whilst I've been working and over the summer when there were fewer classes to go to. In Phase 3, I'm hoping I can kickstart more weight loss and lose another half stone at least before Xmas.  We'll just have to see how it goes.

Having said that, Wednesday afternoon turned into a sleepfest. I went upstairs to chill and possibly do some sewing and ended up sleeping the whole afternoon. I must have needed it. I didn't miss much, as it poured with rain the whole afternoon and evening.

Thursday, was my progress check day, where I record my progress on my weightloss journey. I was so happy when I found I'd lost another pound. Things seem to be moving in the right direction again, thank goodness.  I headed out to Pilates in the morning, which I enjoyed after a couple of months break.

After lunch, I decided to take a little trip to our local Poundland. I've not been there for months and there were a few things that I wanted to pick up. I had a really good look around the shop and ended up spending £27. I couldn't resist some lovely stationery for journalling.  They had some lovely notebooks that I will use for my journal and for my grateful blessings book. It's something I've been practicing for over a year now and I find it helps me a lot mentally. 

Here's a picture of some of the stationery I bought:

I probably spent just short of £10 on the stationery items. The most I paid for any of them was £2.75 or £2.50 for the larger notebooks, but most of the rest cost £1 each.  This should keep me in journals for over a year. I'm not precious about the notebooks I use. I also use the smaller ones for my weightloss/fitness journey, as a food diary.

Most of the rest of what I spent was on food, household items or toiletries, plus a couple of small confectionary items for Xmas gifts.

After leaving Poundland, I dropped into our local ASDA too. I decided to take a look around the clothing section to see what they had in for the Autumn/Winter season. I ended up buying some new non-wired bras which I'm excited to try on. I'm hoping to be done with underwires, they are so painful to wear. I also bought us a new slow cooker, which cost £27, which I thought was reasonable. 

Here's a picture of the one I bought:

I'd seen this one in Lidl a while back and wanted to buy it, so when I saw it in ASDA I decided to go ahead. I probably won't use the chalk to write on it, but I like the compact size and matt black finish and I can't wait to try it out. Our old one is way past it's best. I'm not sure if it still works, as I haven't tried to use it for a few years. I'll donate it to the next Zero Waste Day, so someone else might get use out of it. They test all the electricals donated.

We started watching the new series of Race Around the World on Thursday night, the celebrity edition. I enjoyed it. It brought back memories of a holiday we spent in Morocco over 10 years ago.

On Friday, I had nothing planned for once, no classes or gym session. I took the dog out for a walk in the morning. She was a bit slow. I think she's struggling with arthritis in her legs, so I didn't take her too far.

I spent the afternoon upstairs sorting, cleaning a little and getting my winter clothes out from storage. Whilst doing this, I went through a big bag of clothes that I'd stored away because they no longer fit. I still really like these items and don't want to donate them in case I manage to get into them again. Unfortunately, none of them fit me currently, despite losing over a stone, which just shows how much weight I've gained in recent years. Some did fit me when I was heavier, but I think the weight has gone on my waist and hips since I hit menopause, so these things still felt a little snug.  Maybe by next year I'll get into them.

I donated a few items, but not many.  I also acquired a pair of navy blue Dr Martens boots whilst sorting. LB was donating them, but I decided to try them on and wore them for the rest of the afternoon.  They were surprisingly comfortable. I never thought I'd own a pair of these, but I'm keeping them and planning to wear them over the winter.  Here's a picture:

In the evening, OH and I watched a movie about Hank Williams, the country music star. It was a little pedestrian to be honest. We then watched more country music programming on BBC4, including a Hank Williams documentary which seemed a bit better, so we had a bit of a Country Music night in terms of our viewing. I love country music. I know it's not necessarily a popular genre here in the UK, but my dad loved it and I was brought up listening to it. I still like it now.

On Saturday, OH walked the dog early so I could go to the free gym session again. He then headed out to another cycle event in Northampton. I did my gym session, which I enjoyed. When I came out, I walked down to our local central shopping street and went to a stall selling lots of fruit and veg.  Our fruit bowl was completely empty and one thing I can't live without is fruit for healthy snacking. I spent £10, but got a whole bag full of fruit and a couple of salad items. Here's the fruit bowl on my return:

£10 well spent. (The raspberries were free from the allotment)

I also dropped into Primark whilst there. It was interesting to see that Rita Ora had done a collab and her new range was in there. There were some really lovely items. I was sorely tempted to buy both a sweater and a coat, but I told myself I didn't need a coat and they didn't have the sweater in my size. The collection was one of the best I've seen in there. I'm sure it will fly out.

I did buy one thing, which was another pair of these shoes. I've been wearing a pair of these all summer and they are so comfortable, as they are made of memory foam. I decided to buy another pair for next summer and put them away, as my current pair are very dirty and may not wash well.

On the way home, someone was throwing out this planter/basket. I decided to pick it up as it looks like it would be good to hang trailing plants in and I've taken some cuttings from one of mine, so have quite a few to house. It looks like it could easily be hung from the ceiling or something similar.

When I got home, I tried out the new slow cooker. I'd promised OH I would make a chorizo and chick pea tagine type dish, so I threw all the ingredients into the pot and put it on low for a few hours.That was supper sorted and I could then spend the day as I wished.

In the end, I spent the rest of the day cleaning. I worked my way down the stairs and hallway vacuuming and mopping (we've got wooden floors) as I went. I also cleaned LB's bedroom too and the vestibule and downstairs toilet.  There's lots more to do, but I left it there for the day. It was good to make a start.

After doing the cleaning, I was glad that supper was ready in the slow cooker. It worked a treat. I'm looking forward to using it a lot more this winter.

Hoping you've had an enjoyable week.

A Free Day at Last - W/E 16th September 2023

After a busy week, working every day and then a day out shopping with LB on Saturday, before she went back to Uni, I finally had a free day on Sunday. It was my first in over a week and I've missed having days to do as I please.

I was up early, as OH was out cycling and I needed to get out with the dog before it got hot. I've missed walking the dog in the last week or two. OH has been doing the morning walks and she's getting a bit old for two walks per day now, especially in the heat, so I haven't been walking her at all for days in a row. As a consequence, it was nice to have a good long walk with her.

When I got back, I decided to do a few jobs. I needed to pickle some beetroot that has been sat in the fridge for over a week. It wasn't a great day for using the hob, as it did increase the heat in the kitchen, when I was trying to keep it cool, but it needed to be done. I also chopped up some courgettes, before they went over, and put them in the freezer to use over the winter. We've now got a full drawer of allotment produce in the freezer, which should keep us going for a while.

The next job was to do the washing up and then wash the fruit and veg I'd bought the day before. I then went around all my plants and watered them. I also did a clothes wash and hung it on the airer to dry in the heat. Once I'd done all those jobs, I had some lunch and was free to do as I pleased in the afternoon, which felt like a real luxury.

In all honesty, I didn't do a lot in the afternoon, as it was another hot one. I put some last minute washing on for LB and helped her to get packed up, ready to move back into halls the next day.  She was all but packed by the end of the day. I also booked the gym for first thing in the morning.

On Monday, I was up early and got ready to head out to the gym. LB had a bit of last minute packing up to do, which she did whilst I was out at the gym.

My gym session was great. I was a bit rusty after nearly two weeks of not going. The last time I'd gone was on the August Bank Holiday. Trying to still exercise when you work full time hours is hard, especially when your gym membership is off peak (i.e. daytime only)

When I got back from the gym, I jumped in the shower and got changed. I then vacuumed and deodorised LB's rug, before she took it with her to Uni, packed up the car (which was so full it was almost funny) and then we headed off to South London for the Uni drop off.

LB's room this year is four more floors up with much better views. Luckily there's a lift. We unloaded the car and I spent an hour or so with LB in the room, putting her bedding on, hanging her clothes in the wardrobe, whilst she did other jobs. We got most things unpacked, but there was still plenty of smaller things for her to unpack and arrange as she wanted. OH always heads off to a nearby cafe for lunch whilst we do this. 

By 2.30pm we needed to head for home before the traffic got busy. It was a slower journey getting home due to the roads being more congested, but we were home for 4pm ish. The house seems very quiet now LB has gone back, but I'm sure we'll get used to it again.

On Tuesday, I was back at work and because it was substantially cooler, I decided to cycle there and get some exercise. Work was okay, I was kept busy all day, which meant it passed quite quickly. I'd just about got home on the bike when the heavens opened and it started raining quite heavily. I got a bit wet. I could have sheltered under a tree, but I decided to just carry on home.

The admin job where I'm currently working, that was mentioned to me last week, was posted online today. I took a look at the job description on Tuesday night and I don't think I will be applying, as they seem to need skills and experience that I don't actually possess. They are looking for someone for 36 hours per week, although they will consider part-time applicants.  These are way more hours than I'm looking to work. It was nice to be considered, but I think it's a no from me and I will just carry on looking for something else. I've  enjoyed working on this temporary job, but to be completely honest, I'm not entirely sure that I want a permanent job anywhere at the moment.

Wednesday, Thursday and Friday were pretty ordinary days at work. We were given a telephone task that was going to take several days. I'm not complaining, but I will be glad when that task has been completed.

On Friday evening, I needed to go out and do the weekly shop, as OH was using the car for most of the weekend. I had another voucher for £9 off a £60 spend at Tesco, so I did most of the shopping at our local Tesco and got a few bits from Lidl.

I've not had a good week on my fitness journey this week, which is disappointing. For the first time in over 3 months, my weight has stayed the same from one week to the next. I've just not been as active in recent weeks. I'm sure I'll get back to it when this job ends, but I'm struggling a bit on the weightloss front for the minute. I've also had another stomach upset this week, which hasn't helped. Not sure what I've eaten, but something has caused it.

On Saturday, I got up early and went to the free session at the gym, which had restarted this week. It was so nice to go back to it. It's quite chill and relaxed as it's for over 50's, and I quite enjoy just going on all the machines and working my way around. 

When I got back, OH and I headed off to a Zero Waste Day in the borough. I had lots of things that I've put aside all year that I needed to take. It has cleared some space on the landing, where I was storing them.

Once we'd done that OH headed off for the rest of the day to Suffolk to a cycling event, so I had the house to myself and could just potter and chill, do a bit of sewing. It was nice after a busy week at work, not to have to go anywhere or do anything. I did a bit of work on my Xmas Wreath quilt, which I really enjoyed. 

Here's a photo update of how it's coming along:

I also started my Xmas shopping this weekend, to spread the cost. I placed a couple of orders for things for LB. Any spare cash now is going towards Christmas presents. 

Another busy week, I hope you've had a good week this week.

This Week - W/E 9th September 2023

As already posted, this week got off to a great start on Sunday, when OH and I had a lovely day out at the coast. It felt like a mini holiday, which was all the more appreciated, as we haven't really had a holiday this summer, save for  a couple of days in Norfolk. It's amazing how just one day out can make you feel a whole lot better and can help you to get your head out of your a__e and just enjoy yourself.

Sunday, was also LB's last day at her summer job. I'm really proud of her, as she has worked hard all summer long and almost all of the money has gone to pay off her overdraft. It's been a long, tough haul and she's stuck with it, which is all character building stuff. She went out with her workmates after work and then met another friend later for a catch up. 

I think I've got one more week at my current temporary job. I'm not sure if the work will last the whole week, but whatever happens I'm good with it. I have seen another job that I want to apply for. I will try to do that in the next couple of days and see what happens. I have to be honest and admit that I am finding the rejection after job interviews quite challenging, in terms of my self confidence, but I just have to get over myself and keep trying to find another job, especially with Christmas and LB's 21st birthday on the horizon. I just have to hope and have faith that there is another job out there for me, that I will enjoy.

On Monday I was back at work. I cycled in again. It was very hot and I was a sweaty mess by the time I got there. Today's task involved a lot of telephone work, which would have been fine, but the telephone I was using was faulty and the people I was calling couldn't hear me, so I spent most of the day hot desking when other members of staff were out of the office. By 3.45pm there was nothing more I could do, as all the telephones and desks were in use, so I came home early. 

On Tuesday, I decided to go to work on the bus. It just felt too hot to cycle. I ended up running to catch the bus in the morning, as it was at the bus stop as I approached and then the same thing happened on the way home. So much for not getting sweaty on the bike!!

Work itself was okay. I was working on the telephones again, on a different, but similar job this time. It was quite interesting how many people put their phones to busy when you call them. I must be old, because I find it quite rude. It's probably common practice these days though. I don't even know how to do that on my phone.

Anyway, by 2.30 pm I'd all but finished the task I'd been given and was allowed to leave at 2.45 pm. I had it in my head that it was 3.45 pm, so just short of our normal leaving time of 4 pm, but then on the way home I realised it was still only 3.30 pm. 

When I got home, LB had been having a clear out in her room. She'd been focussing on her clothing and accessories first. She had 4 large recycling sacks full of clothes to donate. I went through them all and sorted out the recycling from the donated clothing and transferred them to stronger bin liners. She is so much better than me at clearing things out. I did find a few small bits that I decided to keep and use myself. I always do.

I spent the evening sorting some laundry and then put some washing on for LB, so that she can sort through that when it's dry and decide if there's anything else to go. She's got just this week left at home before she heads back to Uni, and as she's finished work, she's got a bit of time to go through her whole room and pare things back. We'll be sad when she goes back, but also we're happy that she's happy to go and enjoys her life in halls, living independently.

On Wednesday, I woke up to a notification that I'd won on the Premium Bonds again this month.  It was a £50 prize this time, which was a nice surprise.

I caught the bus to work again because of the heat and I was given a data entry task today which was okay. Very straightforward. I was asked if I'm interested in a job at the place where I'm working, as they are looking for admin staff. I agreed to being put forward for a job, for a maximum of 3 days per week. I'm not looking for anything full time. It will be interesting to see if anything comes of it. It might be nice to do an office based job for a while, have weekends and Bank Holidays off and not have a bun fight over Xmas leave.

I got some more good news today. LB messaged to say she'd found her passport in her bedroom while tidying up. I was so relieved, as I thought I'd lost it. Luckily, we hadn't yet notified the passport office and applied for a new one. That was one big job that we now didn't need to do. I still need to renew my passport though.

I left work at 4pm and came home. It was so hot when I got outside. I didn't feel the heat in the office, as I was sat in front of a lovely fan all day, but once I stepped outside I could feel how hot it was. I've been getting off the bus a stop earlier on the way home, to try to get a few more steps in each day.

Thursday and Friday, were pretty ordinary days, just getting up, going to work and trying to stay cool when I got home at night. On Thursday, LB did another clear out in her bedroom, so I sorted through everything she was getting rid of again. I kept a few more things to use myself and the remainder joined the big pile of stuff to go to the next Zero Waste Day which is in a week's time. I also made an Etsy sale, the first in a while, so I needed to pack it ready to post it off.

I've been sticking to my calorie deficit whilst working, by taking my own lunch, but I've struggled to do any exercise this week other than walking to and fro. If I stay working there, I may walk part of the way there/home, when the weather is cooler, to get more steps in. 

I'm working again next week, but I'm not going in on Monday, as we're taking LB back to her Uni halls that day. I'm going to try to book an early gym session before we go, as it will be the only chance I get to exercise that week, until free gym sessions start again on the Saturday. At least I will then be able to get at least one gym session in per week, if I continue to work 5 days for any length of time.  In spite of doing little exercise, my weight is still going down slowly, but I don't actually feel as energised as I normally feel when I'm exercising regularly.

On Saturday, I had long promised to take LB shopping before she returned to University. We'd planned a trip to some large out of town retail parks, near to where I used to work. There are lots of shops there that we like to visit, i.e. TK Maxx, Boots, H&M, B&M, Home Bargains, etc., so we were both looking forward to it.

We headed out at about 10am, starting off in Home Bargains. It's difficult not to spend money in this shop and true to form, both of us spent over £20. Next was the large Tesco superstore for the weekly shop. I had another £8 off an £80 spend voucher to use. LB found some bedding she really liked for her room in halls, so I used the voucher towards that and buying some foods she could take with her to Uni.

We then visited Boots, where we both needed to buy a few bits, followed by TK Maxx, where I bought her a  couple of small bits of kitchenware she needed. We stopped for lunch at Starbucks, where we appreciated the amazing air conditioning and very cold drinks, as it was probably the hottest day of the year, but the only day that we'd managed to be able to go shopping together due to work committments for both of us. We also had some wraps in Starbucks for lunch, which were really tasty and a treat. I never normally go here. (OH treated us on our day out!)

Feeling refreshed, I then headed to Lidl to get the last remaining bits of the weekly shop, whilst LB headed to B&M and then we met up and both visited the store I used to work at to get some bedding and a couple of kitchen items we'd not found anywhere else. It was a marathon day of shopping, but we managed to get everything we both needed and survived the heat.

In the evening, I was happy to chill at home and whilst LB headed out to a friend's birthday party. It was nice for her to get the chance to see her old school friends, before she heads back to Uni on Monday.

A busy week here this week, but there were quite a lot of positive moments in the week. I hope you had some positive moments in your week.

A Much Needed Sunday Out and About

On Sunday, OH was riding in a cycle cross event in East Sussex and encouraged me go along and make a day out out of it. We set off at about 9am and after a bit of a detour due to traffic, we were out of London and on our way to the south coast.

On the way, we stopped off at a Car Boot Sale in a place called  Sayers Common, which was very close to Hickstead (of Show Jumping fame). I had just half an hour to take a look around and it was a big boot sale.

I took myself over to the furthest away stalls with a view to working my way back to the car. In all honesty, I didn't even finish looking down two rows, as the time went so fast. Luckily, the first row of stalls saw me spending nearly £10 within minutes, as they miraculously had items in my size and to my taste.

Here's what I spent my £8 on:

The most expensive item I bought was this pair of dark denim M&S cropped jeans for £4. They were a bit of a gamble and I had to wait until I got home to try them on. The fit, however, was good and I liked the dark denim colour. I was just not quite sure how I felt about them being cropped. Probably okay for the summer months to wear with sandals, perhaps not with socks though!

From the same stall, I bought this grey tie dye single quilt set for £1. I thought LB might like this for uni.

I also bought two bucket type hats for OH for £1 for the two. I ended up wearing this one for the afternoon, as it was so hot and it gave me a bit of respite from the sun. I liked the little pocket on it.

At the next stall, I bought these lovely silver sandals for £2. They've had a little wear, but not too much and they we're pretty comfortable when I tried them on.

My final purchases came from a 3rd stall where I bought this large scarf that will make a nice sarong to wear on our next beach holiday (whenever that might be). It cost 20p. Then, finally, I bought a couple of packets of vintage pins for 20p each too.

I then just had time to get a sausage bap for lunch and we were off again. Here's a few photos from the afternoon:

I had to get the umbrella out to keep the dog cool, as there was no shade to be had anywhere. Luckily, there was a bit of a breeze at times.

It was a lovely backdrop though, of the South Downs.

Once OH had finished his race, we headed down to the beach near Worthing. There was a gathering of the Southern Mini Owners Club in Worthing. It made me feel very nostalgic, as my first car was a Mini. After having a good walk around, admiring all of their cars, we then took a stroll along Worthing Pier,

before stopping into a bar for some food. Dirty chips and 5 bean chilli for me, so the diet went on hold today, for the first time in ages. Got to be done sometimes.

It was almost 8pm by the time we got home, tired, but happy after a nice day out.

.

 

Another Mixed Week W/E 2nd September 2023

This week began with OH returning from his cycling trip on Sunday. After a bit of stress in the airport in Nice, he got back to the UK okay and decided it was easier to get home from Gatwick on the train, so I spent most of the day doing some cleaning around the house, so that it looked clean and tidy when he got home.

I went through the upstairs and downstairs with the vacuum cleaner and mopped and dusted as much as I could. I changed the bedding, put away laundry and everything else that needed to be put away. It felt good to have a bit of time to spend cleaning, as I'd not done much for a while, save for trying to keep on top of basic things on a daily basis.

OH eventually made his way to our local train station and I picked him up from there in the car. He'd had a really good trip, but was glad to be home. The dog was super excited to see him after over a week. 

On Bank Holiday Monday, I had booked myself into the gym, as I wasn't sure if I'd get the chance later in the week, due to work. I made my way there for 10 am and it was busy with lots of people there working out. I had a good session though and used all of the machines that I wanted to use. I did a little more than I normally would, as I was feeling a bit more energetic.

When I got home from the gym, I just chilled and had some lunch. I ended up having a nap after lunch, as I felt quite tired. On waking, I found I had received an email inviting me to a job interview, which was exciting. I'd applied for the job at the beginning of last week and it was at a location that is quite far from where I live, but I thought it was a job that I would definitely enjoy, so I was hoping the interview, later in the week, went well.

On Monday afternoon, OH and I paid a visit to the allotment to harvest and water. We harvested most of the remainder of the tomatoes, there's just a few left now, and the last of the sweetcorn. We also harvested raspberries, runner beans, french beans, courgettes and lettuce. Many of the crops are now gradually coming to an end, which is good in a way, as things are winding down as the summer comes to a close. It's always quite a lot of work to harvest and process the produce, so we're almost relieved when we don't need to do it any longer.

Tuesday, I was back at work. I decided to get back on my bike and cycle there. I arrived a bit early, so I headed down to the staff room and had a cup of tea before starting the working day, which was nice. The work day went okay, but I thought I'd get more done than I did. 

I felt a bit bad when I told our supervisor that I was going to an interview later in the week. Two other people also announced that they were leaving that day and were unable to work any longer, and another guy won't be working one morning either, as he had a test to do, so we seem to be dropping like flies at the moment. It sounded like they needed us until the end of the week though, so there must have been more work that they wanted us to do. I was happy to earn as much money as I could to be honest.

Wednesday was another okay day at work.  We finished our current task ready to start a new one on Thursday. Not much else to say about the day really. I was really tired on Wednesday night, so I went to bed early and did a bit of research for my upcoming interview, which was interesting.

On Thursday, I decided I would get the bus to work, as I didn't want to tire myself out cycling. I wanted to be fresh on Friday morning for my interview. We were given a new task at work and we managed to finish it in one day, which was less than expected. A few of us were offered the chance to stay on for one more week to do a bit more work, which I was very grateful for, as I think I will put the money towards Xmas. I need to start thinking about that now, especially now my earnings are more sporadic.  I was glad to get home and chill for the night. I'd arranged to go back to work after my interview on Friday morning.

Thursday, also marked the end of the 12th week of my fitness journey, so it was time to take measurements and photos, etc. It wasn't the best time, as I had a bit of an upset stomach, but I went ahead anyway. To be honest, my weight loss has really slowed down in the last few weeks. I'm lucky if I lose half a pound each week. I don't know if this is due to attending less classes over the summer or my new work routine meaning I'm not able to get to the gym as much. Either way, I'm still going to persevere, as things are still going in the right direction, just a bit more slowly.

On Friday morning, I got up early and got ready to head off to my interview. I allowed almost two hours to get there, and it's as well I did as it took me almost the whole of that time. It was pouring with rain when I got to my destination. I was so happy I had an umbrella with me or I would have got drenched. 

The interview went okay, but I came away thinking that I probably wouldn't get it, as there had been 70 applicants for the job. In all honesty, the journey there was long, as the job was located in South London, but having to do it just one day per week I didn't think was too onerous.

Anyway, I made my way back to work after the interview and luckily we had a really simple job to do on Friday afternoon. I don't think I would have coped with anything more complicated, as all my energy had gone into the interview.

I got an email on the way home from work, to say that I'd not been successful in the interview.  I was disappointed, but they most likely did me a favour, as the distance involved was probably way too far.  The feedback on the interview was pretty vague, as I find it often is when it's a no. I'll just have to keep on looking. Hopefully the right thing will come along for me at some point.

On Saturday morning, I had to get up early at 6.30 am as the dog was scratching at the door to go out and OH had gone off cycling. I got ready and took her out. We had a nice long walk. I'd missed our walks this week, as I'd hardly walked her all week. OH had done the morning walk and she rarely needs an evening walk these days, as she gets older. (She's 11 this year)

One good thing about going for the interview yesterday was that I did a lot of walking and my weight shifted in a downwards direction, which was a bonus.

Anyway, on Saturday, I needed to do the weekly shop, as we were out of most things we eat regularly and I needed to use a 10% off voucher at Lidl before it expired. As I was up and about early, I decided to take back the non-induction pan I'd bought for LB and get the £14 refund back on my card. London tends to be very quiet on a Saturday morning, so it makes it the best time to get around easily. I was also able to pick up a few things from Morrisons, that I couldn't get at Lidl, such as some dog food. In the end, I saved £9 on my shop at Lidl, which was very welcome.

After finishing the shopping, I went home and made a lovely power bowl for lunch, which was super tasty. I then retired to bed for an hour and then did a bit of work on the Xmas wreath quilt for the first time in what seemed like ages, which was a super nice way to end the week.

I hope your week's been a good one.